Page 31 - Britain

Trade talks with UK progressing extremely well, says Piyush Goyal

The ongoing negotiations between India and the UK on a free trade agreement (FTA) are progressing "extremely well" and it is expected to conclude at an early date, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. He said both sides are confident that they will come out with a "very" balanced, equitable and fair agreement in the interest of businesses and people of both the countries. When asked about the UK's demand on import duty concessions on auto, whiskey and dairy products, he said India and the UK both are pressing hard for their requests and concerns. "There is hardly an issue on which we are not negotiating and I assure you that it will be a strong and hard outcome that will come out of all these negotiations... I believe we have to talk with sincerity, with speed but ensuring balance... and we are both committed to come up with a win-win solution for both countries. I hope it can happen at an early date," Goyal told reporters here. The UK team is here for the

High-level meetings on FTA between India, UK scheduled for next week

High-level meetings of ministers and top officials of India and the UK are scheduled next week to review the progress of talks for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, a senior government official said on Friday. The meetings assume significance as both countries have reached a crucial juncture of the FTA negotiations. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal also said that bilateral meetings will also be held with the official teams of the European Union (EU) and Canada. These teams are coming for the two-day Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting (TIMM) in Jaipur. It is commencing on August 24. High-level bilateral meetings will be held with countries such as the UK, Canada and EU to discuss progress with regard to proposed free trade agreements, he told reporters here while briefing about the TIMM. Negotiations on such agreements are underway with all these countries. "This G20 ministerial meeting is useful for us to conduct some of the important bilat

UK headline inflation rate easing but sugar, rent, insurance surging

fficial statistics showed the Consumer Prices Index slid to 6.8% last month from a four decade peak of 11.1% late last year

Taking measures for security of Indian mission in London: UK minister

The United Kingdom is taking necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of the Indian High Commission in London and its staff members, British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said, around five months after the mission was attacked by pro-Khalistani forces that put the bilateral ties under some strain. In an exclusive interview to PTI, the senior minister said the British government is addressing India's concerns over activities of pro-Khalistani elements and that any attempt to radicalise people in the UK will be dealt with by the law-enforcing authorities. "Let me be very clear about this. This is not an Indian problem in the UK. Whenever there is radicalisation in the UK of UK citizens, this is a British problem. And so any attempt to radicalise any UK citizen in any direction will be dealt with by the British government," he said. "That is why we have the Prevent Programme and we are using it to face those challenges of radicalisation across different communities," he .

Nawaz Sharif will return to Pak next month to face court cases: PM Sharif

Pakistan's outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that his brother and former premier Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan next month to face his pending court cases and lead the party's campaign for the general election. Nawaz Sharif, 73, has been living in self-imposed exile in the UK since November 2019. He was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. He was serving a seven-year imprisonment at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail in the Al-Azizia Mills case before he was allowed to proceed to London in 2019 on "medical grounds". In an interview with Geo News on Thursday, Shehbaz Sharif, 71, said he would travel to London to meet his elder brother Nawaz Sharif as soon as the caretaker government took charge in the country. Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that his elder brother would be Pakistan's prime minister for the fourth time if the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won the next election to be held later this year. His statement came as the proce

UK announces 95,000-pound new funding to tackle pro-Khalistani extremism

The United Kingdom's Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat has announced a new funding of 95,000 pound (around Rs 1 crore) to enhance Britain's capability to tackle "pro-Khalistan extremism". The British High Commission said this in a readout on Tugendhat's three-day visit to India that began on Thursday. The announcement on the new funding comes amid growing concerns in India over increasing activities of pro-Khalistani elements in the UK. Tugendhat is in India to bolster bilateral cooperation on security initiatives and attend the G20 anti-corruption ministerial meeting. "During a meeting with India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, in New Delhi on Thursday, Tugendhat announced the new funding to enhance the UK's capability to tackle Pro-Khalistan Extremism," the high commission said. It said the 95,000 pound investment will enhance the government's understanding of the threat posed by "pro-Khalistan extremism", complementing the joint work already underway between the UK an

Why are South African expats flocking to this tiny island in the Irish Sea?

The island of 85,000 people is seeking skilled professionals in finance, insurance, technology and gaming to help bolster its economy. It is part of a drive to increase population to 100,000 by 2027

India, UK launch health care alliance in a bid boost bilateral ties

Professor Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS, England, said he believed that both countries face many challenges in healthcare and they have many opportunities too

PM Sunak very much looking forward to G20 summit in September: UK envoy

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is very much looking forward to attending the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September, UK High Commissioner in India Alex Ellis has said. Interacting with PTI on Friday on the sidelines of a preview of an art exhibition here, Ellis said he thought it was "great" that India is in the chair of the G20. India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022. About 200 meetings under different tracks of the bloc will be hosted across the country, culminating in the September 9-10 Summit. "I think it's great, I think it's great that India is in the chair of the G20," Ellis told PTI when asked about India's role as G20 chair. "Because, the world is quite divided at the moment, unfortunately, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine," he added. Praising the "vibrant" culture and diversity of India that has been attracting people from all over the world, the UK envoy, said, "India is a unique country to bring the world to it. And, India has always fascinat

India, Britain could sign free trade agreement this year: Trade ministry

New Delhi sees an FTA with Britain as crucial to hopes of becoming a bigger exporter, while the UK would obtain wider access for its whisky, premium cars and legal services

Tottenham owner Lewis surrenders to face charges in insider trading case

Lewis faces more than a dozen counts of securities fraud for alleged brazen conduct that spanned about eight years

UK Conservatives suffer big defeats but avoid wipeout in special elections

Britain's governing Conservative Party avoided a drubbing Friday in a trio of special elections, managing to hold onto former premier Boris Johnson's seat in suburban London. Though the main opposition Labour Party and the smaller centrist Liberal Democrats overturned massive Conservative majorities to win a seat apiece, the Conservatives found some crumbs of comfort in their narrow success in Uxbridge and South Ruislip in west London. Labour won the seat of Selby and Ainsty in northern England while the Liberal Democrats took Somerton and Frome in southwest England, with voters from both parties clearly backing the party most likely to beat the Conservative candidate. Facing this level of tactical voting by voters, the defeats will leave many Conservative lawmakers rattled ahead of the likely national vote next year. The defeats don't mean a change of government, since the Conservatives still have a big majority in the House of Commons. Opinion polls have been giving Labour a ...

UK's high food inflation not driven by weak competition: Regulator

UK food price inflation reached its highest since 1977 in March at more than 19%, according to official data

How Tata's EV battery plant will help Britain in saving its car industry

It has also faced an existential challenge as rival governments pledge vast amounts of public funds to the development of electric vehicles

Tata's $5.2 bn EV battery project in Britain shouldn't be underestimated

The significance of the £4 billion ($5.2 billion) project shouldn't be underestimated, though it is more of a lifeline for domestic carmakers rather than their crowning glory

UK rolls out first passports with title 'His Majesty King Charles III'

For the first time in 70 years, British passports bearing the title of His Majesty will start being issued this week in the name of King Charles III. UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled the new design update on Tuesday evening which changes the passport salutation from Her Majesty following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September last year. As is customary, the 74-year-old King himself does not carry a passport as it is a document issued in his name. For 70 years, Her Majesty has appeared on British passports and many of us will not remember a time when she did not feature. Today marks a significant moment in UK history, as the first British passports since 1952 start featuring the title of His Majesty, the King, said Braverman. As HM Passport Office enters a new era in its history, it is delivering an exceptional service and I am extremely grateful for their outstanding accomplishments and the unwavering dedication of the whole team to meet the needs of the British ...

AI won't replace the need for human spies, says Britain's MI6 chief

Artificial intelligence will change the world of espionage, but it won't replace the need for human spies, the head of Britain's MI6 intelligence agency says in prepared remarks released Wednesday. Richard Moore, director of the UK's foreign intelligence agency, is set to speak in Prague on evolving threats to the West from Russia and Iran, and argue that the human factor will remain crucial in an era of rapidly evolving machine learning. AI is going to make information infinitely more accessible and some have asked whether it will put intelligence services like mine out of business, he says in extracts released in advance by the UK government. In fact, the opposite is likely to be true," he adds. "As AI trawls the ocean of open source, there will be even greater value in landing, with a well-cast fly, the secrets that lie beyond the reach of its nets. Moore, who has previously warned that the West was falling behind rivals in the AI race, will argue that the unique characteristics

Tata Group picks Britain for new EV battery plant, to invest $5.2 bn

The gigafactory - Tata's first outside of India - includes an investment of 4 billion pounds ($5.2 billion), the company said

Rishi Sunak's popularity sinks to lowest since UK premier took power

Some 65% of Britons now have an unfavorable view of the prime minister compared with 25% who see him in a positive light, according to a YouGov poll of 2,151 British adults published Wednesday

India presents candidature to IMO Council for Biennium 2024-25 elections

The High Commision of India in London on Tuesday, organised a reception on a Thames cruise boat to mark the occasion