Page 4 - Britain

PM Modi to visit UK, Maldives from July 23-26 to strengthen ties: MEA

The visit to the UK is at the invitation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while the state visit to the Maldives is at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzu

Britain to lower voting age to 16 to restore 'public trust' in democracy

The UK government on Thursday announced that it will lower the voting age from 18 to 16 years in time for the next general election expected in 2029, a manifesto commitment made by the Labour Party when it was voted last year. The move will bring UK-wide elections in line with the devolved Scotland and Wales regions as part of what the British government described as one of the biggest changes to UK democracy in a generation. The plans also include an expansion of the voter ID system to permit the use of UK-issued bank cards as an accepted form of ID at polling stations, to ensure eligible voters are not "deterred from voting". For too long, public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline, said UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, marking the release of a strategy paper that sets in motion plans to lower the voting age. "We are modernising our democracy, so that it is fit for the 21st century. By delivering our manifesto .

Pak Air Force says JF-17 jets set to participate in UK military airshow

Pakistan's advanced JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets are set to participate in a UK military airshow, the Air Force announced in a statement here on Thursday. PAF's participation in RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo), one of the world's largest military airshows, underscores Pakistan Air Force's commitment to showcasing its professional excellence, the statement said, adding that the aircraft have already landed at the Royal Air Force Base Fairford. "JF-17 Block-III is an EASA Radar and Long Range BVR equipped 4.5 generation multi-role fighter aircraft which is capable of undertaking a wide variety of combat missions, bolstering airpower application in the face of contemporary challenges, thereby strengthening national security, the statement added. Pakistan claims to have used JF-17 in the recent conflict with India. The aircraft's combat-proven capabilities and operational excellence have garnered significant global attention, making its appearance at RIAT a highly ...

UK lifts 5-year ban on Pak's national carrier PIA ahead of privatisation

The UK imposed a ban on PIA in 2020 after one of its aircraft crashed into a Karachi street, resulting in the death of nearly 100 people

Four people killed in small plane crash at London Southend airport: Police

All four people aboard a small plane that crashed shortly after taking off from London Southend Airport are dead, police said Monday. Essex Police said work continued to formally identify the victims of Sunday's crash. "At this stage, we believe all four are foreign nationals," Police Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin told reporters. Britain's national news agency, PA, reported that a document listing passengers indicated that two Dutch pilots and a Chilean nurse were among those aboard. The Beechcraft B200 Super King Air operated by Dutch firm Zeusch Aviation had flown from Athens, Greece, to Pula in Croatia before heading to Southend. It was due to return to its home base of Lelystad in the Netherlands on Sunday evening. The 12-meter (39-foot) turboprop plane came down moments after takeoff and burst into flames. At this stage, it is too early to speculate on what may have caused this tragic accident, said Lisa Fitzsimons of Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which s

King Charles to host Trump for state visit between September 17-19

US President Donald Trump will make an unprecedented second state visit to the UK between Sept. 17 and 19 when he will be hosted by King Charles II and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace said Monday. Trump, who is a big supporter of the royal family, particularly of the monarch, will be accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump during the three-day visit, the palace confirmed. No US president has been invited for a second state visit. Trump previously enjoyed the pomp and pageantry of the state visit in 2019 during his first term when he was hosted by Charles' late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The invitation for the second state visit from the king was hand-delivered by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in February during a meeting at the White House. After reading it, Trump said it was a great, great honor and appeared particularly pleased by the fact he will be staying at Windsor Castle, to the west of the capital. That's really something, he said. Precedent for ..

Over 70 arrested at UK protests in support of banned group Palestine Action

More than 70 people were arrested Saturday at protests in the UK against the Palestine Action group being proscribed a terrorist organisation by the British government following a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base. In London, the Metropolitan Police said 42 people had been arrested by late afternoon. All but one of the arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organisation, which police have said includes chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos. Another person was arrested for common assault. A further 16 arrests were made in Manchester, according to Greater Manchester Police, while South Wales Police said 13 people were also held in Cardiff. In London, it was the second straight week protesters gathered to support the pro-Palestinian activist group. Its outlawing has meant support for the organisation is deemed a criminal offense. Police arrested 29 people at a similar protest last weekend. Two groups gathered undernea

UK economy shrinks again in May, raising new worries amid global headwinds

Gross domestic product declined by 0.1 per cent after a 0.3 per cent drop in April, the Office for National Statistics said

France's Macron makes state visit to UK with migration, Ukraine on agenda

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Britain on Tuesday for a state visit mixing royal pageantry with thorny political talks about stopping migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also try to advance plans for a post-ceasefire security force for Ukraine, despite apparent US indifference to the idea and Russia's refusal to halt the onslaught on its neighbor. Macron's three-day visit, at the invitation of King Charles III, is the first state visit to the UK by a European Union head of state since Brexit, and a symbol of the British government's desire to reset relations with the bloc that the UK acrimoniously left in 2020. The president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, will be driven to Windsor Castle by horse-drawn carriage, greeted by a military honor guard and treated to a state banquet hosted by the king and Queen Camilla. The British royals made a state visit to France in September 2023. Macron also will address

20 years since 7/7 attack: How London bombings changed the UK forever

Britain marks 20 years since the 7/7 London bombings that killed 52 and injured nearly 800. A look back at the attacks, the failed 21/7 plot, investigations, and their lasting impact on the UK

Ship attacked in Red Sea near Yemen amid ongoing regional tensions

A ship came under attack Sunday in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen by armed men firing guns and launching rocket-propelled grenades, a group overseen by the British military said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes as tensions remain high in the Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war and after the Iran-Israel war and airstrikes by the United States targeting Iranian nuclear sites. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said that an armed security team on the ship had returned fire and that the situation is ongoing. Authorities are investigating, it said. Yemen's Houthi rebels have been launching missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group's leadership has described as an effort to end Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killi

UK probes Bob Vylan's chants against Israeli army; US revokes band's visas

British police launched a criminal investigation Monday into a televised performance at the Glastonbury Festival by rap punk duo Bob Vylan, who drew intense criticism after they led crowds of music fans in chanting death to the Israeli military. Meanwhile, the US State Department said it has revoked the US visas for Bob Vylan, who were set to go on tour in the United States later this year, after their hateful tirade at Glastonbury. Rapper Bobby Vylan who until the weekend was relatively little known led crowds in chants of free, free Palestine and death, death to the IDF" the Israel Defence Forces on Saturday at Britain's biggest summer music festival. The BBC said it regretted livestreaming the performance. The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves, the broadcaster said, adding that it respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and UK

Starmer moves to quell Labour mutiny ahead of key welfare policy vote

After a U-turn on disability benefit cuts, Starmer will spend Monday urging Labour MPs to support a revised plan ahead of a crucial vote that could test his authority within the party

Getty drops copyright allegations in UK lawsuit against Stability AI

Getty Images dropped copyright infringement allegations from its lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Stability AI as closing arguments began Wednesday in the landmark case at Britain's High Court. Seattle-based Getty's decision to abandon the copyright claim removes a key part of its lawsuit against Stability AI, which owns a popular AI image-making tool called Stable Diffusion. The two have been facing off in a widely watched court case that could have implications for the creative and technology industries. Tech companies have been training their AI systems on vast troves of writings and images available online. Getty was among the first to challenge those practices with copyright infringement lawsuits in the United States and the United Kingdom in early 2023. Getty's trial evidence sought to show the painstaking creative work of professional photographers who made the images found in Getty's collection, from a Caribbean beach scene to celebrity shots of actor Donald .

UK to buy F-35 jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs: PM Keir Starmer

The United Kingdom will buy 12 US-made F-35 fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs and will join NATO's shared airborne nuclear mission, in a major expansion of its nuclear deterrent, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday. The government called it the biggest strengthening of the UK's nuclear posture in a generation. Starmer made the announcement while attending a NATO summit in the Netherlands. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed the decision, calling it yet another robust British contribution to NATO. The UK phased out air-dropped atomic weapons in the 1990s after the end of the Cold War. Its nuclear arsenal now consists of submarine-based missiles. Only three NATO members the US, Britain and France are nuclear powers, while seven nations contribute to the alliance's nuclear mission by contributing jets that can carry either conventional weapons or American B61 bombs stockpiled in Europe. The use of nuclear weapons by the UK as part of the mission woul

UK heat wave could claim nearly 600 lives this week, scientists warn

Saturday is expected to be the deadliest day, with an estimate of 266 heat-related deaths, nearly half of which could be recorded in London, according to the researchers

UK car theft crisis near 15-year high as manufacturers face high-tech gangs

Car theft is a growing problem in the UK, as almost 130,000 vehicles were stolen in the year ending March 2024-near a 15-year high-costing insurers $867 million

UK govt to inject $1.2 bn for hosting sports events, upgrading facilities

British sport is getting a cash injection of more than 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion) from the government to help with the staging of big events such as the men's European Championship soccer tournament and Grand Departs in the Tour de France. The money will also be used to help deliver a bid by soccer federations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to host the Women's World Cup in 2035, the government said Thursday in announcing the funding commitment. While more than 400 million pounds ($540 million) will go toward investment in new and upgraded grassroots facilities around Britain, the rest of the money will be spent on what the government described as major sporting events. They include the men's Euros in 2028, staged alongside Ireland, as well as the Grand Departs of the Tour de France in men's and women's cycling in 2027 and the European Athletics Championships in 2026. Together, this strategic investment in sport will help to deliver on the government's missi

We grieve together: UK dy PM at vigil for Ahmedabad plane crash victims

The UK and India are united in their grief for all those impacted by the Ahmedabad-London Air India plane crash last week, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said. At a multi-faith memorial service organised by India House in London on Monday evening, Rayner was joined by fellow parliamentarians, Foreign Office officials and members of the Indian community as they paid solemn tributes to the lives lost and efforts of rapid deployment teams on the ground. The event was marked by spiritual reflections from all major faiths as well as floral tributes by the diverse congregation. What struck me over the last few days is that the UK and India may be two countries separated by a vast distance, but in the ways that really count we are so very, very close, Rayner said in her address at the High Commission of India. We mark our bond today in a simple and profound way. We grieve together. I'd like to extend my condolences to everybody who's here today, and beyond the High ...

UK walks tightrope on Israel amid Iran conflict and Gaza pressure

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet with fellow world leaders at the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Monday and continue his calls for de-escalation between Israel and Iran