Page 33 - Britain

Two-time Oscar winner Glenda Jackson dies at 87 after a short illness

Glenda Jackson, a two-time Academy Award-winning performer who had a second career in politics as a British lawmaker, has died at 87. Jackson's agent Lionel Larner said she died on Thursday at her home in London after a short illness. She recently completed filming The Great Escaper' in which she co-starred with Michael Caine," he said. Jackson was one of the biggest British stars of the 1960s and 70s, and won two Academy Awards, for Women in Love and A Touch of Class. She then went into politics, was elected to Parliament and spent 23 years as a Labour Party lawmaker. She returned to acting after leaving Parliament and had some of her most acclaimed roles, including the title character in Shakespeare's King Lear.

Tributes pour in for British Indian student killed in Nottingham stabbing

The family of a sporty teenager killed in a brutal stabbing on the streets of Nottingham where she was studying for a medical degree paid tribute on Wednesday to the adored daughter and sister" as they spoke of their utter devastation. Grace O'Malley Kumar, 19, was killed in a knife attack in the early hours of Tuesday as she walked back from a night out with fellow cricket-loving friend Barnaby Webber, 19. Floral tributes have been piling up for both teenagers on the spot at Ilkeston Road in Nottingham city centre where they were found dead. The third victim was Ian Coates, a school caretaker in his 60s. Grace was an adored daughter and sister; she was a truly wonderful and beautiful young lady, Kumar's family said in a statement. Grace was not just a sister to James but his best friend. He is completely heartbroken. As parents, words cannot explain our complete and utter devastation. She will be so dearly missed. We were so incredibly proud of Grace's achievements and what a trul

Vodafone, Three to merge UK telecom operations to capitalize on 5G rollout

Two of the UK's biggest mobile phone operators agreed Wednesday to merge their businesses to capitalise on the rollout of next-generation 5G wireless technology in the country. The tie-up of Vodafone UK and Three, which is owned by Hong Kong's CK Hutchison, will create Britain's biggest mobile phone player, with a market value of around 15 billion pounds (USD 18.75 billion). Vodafone will account for 51 per cent of the merged firm, with CK Hutchison owning the rest. The groups said the merger will help them compete with their rivals on 5G technology. Vodafone CEO Margherita Della Valle described the deal as a game-changer for the company's home market. It's transformative as it will create a best-in-class indeed best-in-Europe 5G network, offering customers a superior experience," she said. The companies said they are aiming to complete the deal by the end of 2024.

UK economy recovers slightly in April but strikes to keep lid on growth

The British economy bounced back in April amid strong sales at bars and pubs as well as a rebound in car purchases, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday that the economy grew by 0.2 per cent during the month. The increase was in line with expectations but failed to fully recoup the 0.3 er cent contraction in March. However, on a longer-term horizon, the British economy is barely growing, hobbled by higher interest rates as well as strike action across an array of sectors, including in health, education and transportation. Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said he expects second-quarter growth to be unchanged from the first as the strikes rumble on. He also predicted that the extra public holiday in May for King Charles III's coronation to weigh on economic activity. Further out, he expects lower energy prices for households to boost growth in the second half of the year. A slow but steady recovery should eme

UK unemployment rate down as number in work rises above pre-pandemic level

Official figures show that Britain's unemployment rate has fallen unexpectedly as the number of people in work hit a record high and rose past its pre-pandemic level for the first time. The Office for National Statistics said Tuesday that the jobless rate fell to 3.8% in the three months to April, from 3.9% in the previous quarter. Most economists were expecting the rate to edge up to 4%. As the unemployment rate fell, the agency said, the country's employment rate rose to 76% from 75.9%, with the number of people in work at an all-time high of 33.1 million. Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the agency, said the biggest driver in recent jobs growth is health and social care, followed by hospitality. The agency also found that wages rose sharply, a development that may cause concern at the Bank of England, which is widely expected to raise interest rates once again next week.

We need global cooperation on AI, global AI safety summit soon: Rishi Sunak

Artificial intelligence (AI) doesn't respect traditional national borders so we urgently need global cooperation between nations and labs, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday

Agritech startup Fuselage qualifies for Global Entrepreneurship Programme

Agritech startup Fuselage Innovations has been selected for the UK government's Global Entrepreneurship Programme (GEP), making the Kerala-based company eligible for relocation to the European nation. Fuselage, which provides drone-based agricultural surveillance and spraying solutions, qualifies for mentorship by experienced entrepreneurs and introduction to key networks, courtesy the GEP that lends business support to non-UK firms. Specialising in manufacturing customised UAVs and drones for agricultural aerial plant survey and spraying, Fuselage, which was founded by Devan Chandrasekharan and Devika Chandrasekharan, will be guided under GEP on ways to grow internationally. Once shifted to the UK, that country's Department of Internal Trade will help Fuselage, especially around exporting, according to a statement issued by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) here on Monday. The programme will help the 2020-founded Fuselage build capacity in key business areas, according to Devan ..

UK govt to remove Chinese surveillance equipment from sensitive sites

The UK government has laid out plans to publish a timeline for the removal of Chinese surveillance equipment from sensitive sites as part of stepped-up national security measures, weeks after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said China posed the "biggest challenge" to global security and prosperity. In amendments tabled to the government's Procurement Bill ahead of its Report Stage in Parliament next week, the UK Cabinet Office said on Wednesday that it is committing to publishing a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China's National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites. It says the move builds on action taken last year to halt the installation of new equipment on the government estate and will provide "reassurance" that departments are removing surveillance equipment from sensitive sites. These new measures will protect our sensitive sectors from companies which could threaten national security and are a firm deterrence

Prince Harry holds tabloids accountable for destroying his childhood

Prince Harry stepped into courtroom witness box Tuesday to hold Britain's tabloid press accountable for its destructive role throughout his life. But he soon found himself being held to account by a newspaper's lawyer for how he could blame his anguish on articles he couldn't remember reading. The Duke of Sussex became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in over a century as he held a Bible in his right hand and, in a soft voice, swore to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth in the High Court in London. Harry accuses the publisher of the Daily Mirror of using unlawful techniques on an industrial scale to score front-page scoops on his life. Sitting in the witness box, dressed in a dark suit and tie, Harry told Mirror Group Newspapers attorney Andrew Green that he had "experienced hostility from the press since I was born." The prince accused the tabloids of playing a destructive role in my growing-up. Harry was forced almost immediately to acknowledge

Prince Harry to testify in phone hacking case against Mirror Group

Prince Harry is due at a London court on Tuesday to testify against a tabloid publisher he accuses of phone hacking and other unlawful snooping. Harry alleges that journalists at the Daily Mirror and its sister papers used unlawful techniques on an industrial scale to get scoops. Publisher Mirror Group Newspapers is contesting the claims. Harry faces cross-examination by the company's lawyer when he enters the witness box at the High Court in London. The 38-year-old son of King Charles III will be the first British royal since the 19th century to face questioning in a court. An ancestor, the future King Edward VII, appeared as a witness in a trial over a gambling scandal in 1891. Harry has made a mission of holding the UK press to account for what he sees as its hounding of him and his family. Setting out the prince's case in court Monday, his lawyer, David Sherborne, said that from Harry's childhood, British newspapers used hacking and subterfuge to mine snippets of information t

British govt appoints new acting chair for BBC to 'provide stability'

The British government appointed a new acting chair for the BBC on Friday, five weeks after the resignation of Richard Sharp, who was found to have failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest over his role in arranging a loan more than two years ago for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer appointed Elan Closs Stephens to serve as acting chair for 12 months starting June 27 or until a new permanent chairperson is appointed, whichever is sooner. Stephens has been on the governing body of the publicly funded national broadcaster since 2010. Frazer said Stephens has the unanimous support of the board and will provide stability for the BBC. Stephens said the board, under her leadership, will ensure the BBC is a vital partner for the U.K. creative industries, maintain trust, and drive change to make the BBC fit for a fast-changing media landscape,. Her time at the helm may well be a sensitive time for the BBC, as the U.K.'s next general election has

Boris Johnson offers unredacted WhatsApp messages to UK Covid inquiry

Boris Johnson, who was the British prime minister during the height of COVID, on Friday offered to hand over all his unredacted WhatsApp messages to the public inquiry set up to investigate the government's handling of the pandemic. The latest move further complicates matters as it bypasses the Rishi Sunak-led government's decision to seek a judicial review into inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett's order for all such messages to be handed over. After missing a deadline on Thursday for the handover of the documents which include Johnson's messages, the UK Cabinet Office said in a statement that government officials should not be required to provide material that is irrelevant. "While I understand the government's position, I am not willing to let my material become a test case for others when I am perfectly content for the inquiry to see it," said Johnson in a letter addressed to Baroness Hallett. The 58-year-old former prime minister said he was handing over "all unredacted ...

Prevent misuse of freedoms: Jaishankar to UK minister on Embassy vandalism

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday asked visiting British Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad to ensure security of India's diplomatic missions in the UK and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms. Jaishankar's assertions during a meeting with Lord Ahmad, the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, came against the backdrop of the vandalisation of the Indian High Commission in London in March by pro-Khalistan supporters. Jaishankar took to Twitter to share the issues he raised during his discussions with Lord Ahmad. "Met with UK MOS Lord Tariq Ahmad today in New Delhi Underlined the obligation to ensure security of our diplomatic missions and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms," the External Affairs Minister said. In April, the Union Home Ministry had handed over the probe in the case of attack on the Indian mission in London to the National Investigation Agency after a meeting with representatives from Britain. Jaishankar said he also discussed

UK puts export bar on Tipu Sultan's Flintlock gun valued at 2 mn pounds

An 18th-century gun made for Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan and valued at 2 million pounds has had its export barred to allow time for a buyer to come forward to keep it in UK for public study and education

Meta offers to limit use of ad data to address UK competition concerns

The CMA said it was minded to accept the commitments, which include advertisers being able to opt out of allowing their data

British Airways cancels flights over glitch ahead of busy holiday weekend

British Airways cancelled dozens of flights on Friday due to computer problems, disrupting the plans of thousands of travellers at the start of a busy holiday weekend. Most of the 42 affected flights were on short-haul routes to and from Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport. Computer issues on Thursday caused planes and crew to be out of position Friday, which was expected to be the busiest day for UK air travel since before the coronavirus pandemic. Other flights were delayed, as some passengers were unable to check in online. We're aware of a technical issue, which we have been working hard to fix, the airline said on its website. Travel is expected to be especially busy over the next few days as a three-day weekend coincides with the start of a weeklong holiday for most schools in Britain.

UK scientists create 'life-saving' AI tool that predicts breast cancer

UK researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based model that can predict if breast cancer has spread to another part of the body including the liver, lungs, brain, or bones

Indian-origin designer VAT scam mastermind jailed in UK for 20 years

An Indian-origin mastermind of a fake designer clothing scam, accused of trying to steal around GBP 97 million through VAT repayment claims on false exports of textiles and mobile phones with the help of a criminal gang, was on Thursday sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for tax fraud in the UK. Sock manufacturer Arif Patel, 55, was found guilty last month in what Britain's tax department described as one of the country's largest ever "carousel" tax frauds. Patel was found guilty of false accounting, conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, the onward sale of counterfeit clothing and money laundering following a 14-week trial at Chester Crown Court. "Arif Patel lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the law-abiding majority. Tax crime is not victimless and fraudsters like this pair steal the money that funds the NHS [National Health Service] and other vital public services we all rely on, said Richard Las, Director of the Fraud Investigation Service at His Majesty's Revenue and

Immigration to Britain reaches record high in 2022 due to war, economy

The number of people moving to Britain reached a record high of more than 600,000 in 2022, government figures showed Thursday. Net migration the difference between the number of people arriving and those leaving was 606,000 for the year, according to the Office for National Statistics. A total of 1.2 million people moved to the U.K. in 2022, while 557,000 left. The net figure is up from just under 500,000 in 2021. The statistics office said the record level was due to a series of unprecedented world events throughout 2022 and the lifting of restrictions following the coronavirus pandemic. As well as people coming to Britain to work, the figure includes tens of thousands of international students and almost 200,000 people who have arrived under special programs for people fleeing war in Ukraine and China's clampdown in Hong Kong. The high figure will renew debate about Britain's departure from the European Union, which was motivated in part by the arrival of hundreds of thousands

Britain unveils $1.2 bn strategy to boost semiconductor chip industry

Britain's government unveiled its long-awaited semiconductor strategy on Friday, catching up with similar efforts by Western allies seeking to reduce reliance on Asian production of the computer chips that are essential to modern life. Under UK plan, the country's semiconductor industry will get up to 1 billion pounds (USD 1.2 billion) in government investment over the next decade. The amount is dwarfed by the US Chips Act, which provides USD 52 billion in government incentives, and the European Union's 43 billion euro (USD 46 billion) chip programme. The money provided by the British government will be focused on research and development, design and intellectual property and on cutting-edge compound semiconductors. The first 200 million pounds will be provided between 2023 and 2025. Our new strategy focuses our efforts on where our strengths lie, in areas like research and design, so we can build our competitive edge on the global stage," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. The strat