Page 6 - Britain

Will support efforts to tackle terror threat: UK on India-Pakistan conflict

The UK stands ready to work with India and Pakistan to ensure a lasting ceasefire and will lean in to support efforts on both sides to deal with horrendous terrorism, Foreign Secretary David Lammy has told the British Parliament. During a debate on Kashmir in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Lammy said he remains in regular contact with his counterparts in New Delhi and Islamabad to encourage both nations to maintain their commitment to hard-won areas of diplomatic cooperation, such as the Indus Water Treaty. The UK welcomes the commitments made by India and Pakistan to pause any further military action. Given our strong and close relationships with both countries, the UK stands ready to work with both sides to make a lasting ceasefire a reality, Lammy told MPs. Let me be clear that the horrendous terrorism we saw 26 nationals stripped and shot was horrific, and we condemn it. We will continue to work with close partners to deal with this terrorist threat all of us have to lean in

UK jobs market cools down offering some relief to Bank of England

Economists said the figures reflected concerns among employers about a tax increase imposed on them by finance minister Rachel Reeves and over US President Donald Trump's trade war

UK police investigate after fire erupts at Keir Starmer's London house

Nobody was hurt in the incident, though the front door was damaged and a cordon remains in place on the street and police is present at the site

Trump, Starmer hail limited US-UK trade deal, but 10% tariffs remain

President Donald Trump agreed on Thursday to cut tariffs on UK autos, steel and aluminum in a planned trade deal but played down the possibility of other nations getting similarly favourable terms on his import taxes, which are roiling the global economy. Under the framework agreement, the United Kingdom is to buy more American beef and ethanol and streamline its customs process for goods from the United States. But Trump's baseline 10 per cent tariffs against British goods are to stay in place, and the Republican president suggested that even higher import taxes would be charged on other countries trying to reach deals with the US. That's a low number, Trump said of the UK's 10 per cent tariff rate, adding that other countries would face higher tariff rates in their deals because the US runs trade deficits with them and in many cases they didn't treat us right. The announcement provided a political victory for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and offered a degree of validation for .

Britain set to make it harder for migrants to get permanent residency

Under the current system, migrants can apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK after they have lived and worked there for five years

Piyush Goyal meets UK business minister Reynolds to discuss trade deal

"The business and trade secretary will meet with the Indian Minister of Commerce in London today and tomorrow to progress negotiations on a UK/India free trade agreement," UK PM's spokesperson said

Tata inks $990.79 million loan to fund Britain's biggest battery plant

The deal is among the three largest foreign currency loans for an Indian company this year

UK inflation slows to 2.6% in March, lowest level in three months

Falling fuel prices and unchanged food costs helped bring down the inflation rate but the price of clothes rose strongly after a surprise fall in February

Hong Kong defends immigration procedures after British MP denied entry

Hong Kong's government on Monday defended its immigration procedures after a British member of parliament was denied entry to the Chinese city last week, an incident that has prompted concerns among UK officials. Wera Hobhouse, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party representing Bath, on Sunday wrote on the social media platform Bluesky that authorities gave her no explanation for what she described as a cruel and upsetting blow. She noted that she was the first British MP to face such a situation upon arrival in the former British colony since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Hobhouse had told British media that she flew to Hong Kong to visit her newborn grandchild. She is also a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China that has scrutinised Beijing's human rights record. The Hong Kong government, in a statement released late Monday, maintained that its immigration officers are duty-bound to question individuals to ascertain the purpose of any visit. The person ..

UK makes $26 bn export finance support available amid US tariff turmoil

The tariffs, introduced by US President Donald Trump, have deepened uncertainty for UK businesses about their exposure to the new trade regime

UK reduces import tariffs on everyday essentials in a bid to boost growth

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) stated that the UK Global Tariff will face a temporary suspension for 89 products

UK govt takes over British steel operations from Chinese owner Jingye

The UK government took effective control of Britain's last remaining factory that makes steel from scratch from its Chinese owners, after lawmakers approved an emergency rescue. Prime Minister Keir Starmer summoned lawmakers for the unusual Saturday sitting, only the sixth since World War II, to back a bill primarily aimed at blocking British Steel's Chinese owners, Jingye Group, from closing the two massive blast furnaces at its Scunthorpe plant in the north of England that are key in the steelmaking process. The bill, which was debated over several hours and which is now law after being given royal ascent by King Charles III, gives Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds the power to direct the company's board and workforce, ensure its 3,000 workers get paid and order the raw materials necessary to keep the blast furnaces running. Jingye has said the Scunthorpe plant is losing 700,000 pounds ($910,000) a day as a result of challenging market conditions and increased environmental ...

UK steps up Ukraine aid as Western allies rally to secure arms, ammunition

Britain on Friday announced a surge of military support to Ukraine, as the war-ravaged country's Western backers gathered at NATO headquarters to drum up more weapons and ammunition to help fight off the Russian invasion. Britain said that in a joint effort with Norway just over $580 million would be spent to provide hundreds of thousands of military drones, radar systems and anti-tank mines, as well as repair and maintenance contracts to keep Ukrainian armoured vehicles on the battlefield. On the eve of the meeting in Brussels, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said a key issue was strengthening his country's air defences. Ukraine needs a sufficient number of modern systems like Patriot missile systems, he said in a post on social media. A political decision is needed to supply these systems to protect our cities, towns, and the lives of our people especially from the threat of Russian ballistic weapons. Our partners have such available systems, Umerov said. Russian forces

British PM visits JLR's UK headquarters amid Trump's car tariff turmoil

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chose the UK headquarters of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the country's largest carmaker owned by Tata Motors, to deliver a key speech on Monday amid ongoing turmoil unleashed by US President Donald Trump's global trade tariffs. The car industry is among the worst hit as it has been targeted with 25 per cent tariffs on imported vehicles and prompted Starmer to pledge a change of course on the UK's electric vehicle (EV) regulations to support carmakers such as JLR. It follows the firm's recent announcement that it would pause shipments to the US as it assesses the impact of the new trading terms. I think EV targets are a good thing, they're good for the climate, good for business certainty and investment, good for British manufacturing, said Starmer, addressing JLR workers in the West Midlands region of England. "But I accept that those targets have to work for British manufacturers and I don't want British firms like this one put in a position where y

UK, UAE, US withdraw nearly $1 billion from Pakistan's treasury bills

Pakistan has witnessed major outflows of foreign investment with just three countries withdrawing nearly USD 1 billion from the treasury bills during the current financial year. According to the State Bank of Pakistan, between July 1 and March 14 this fiscal year, inflows into T-bills totalled USD 1.163 billion while outflows stood at USD 1.121 billion, leaving a net balance of just USD 42 million. The withdrawal of USD 1 billion has left the outflows almost matching total inflows in Pakistan's fragile economy leading to investor caution despite attractive returns. The United Kingdom, traditionally Pakistan's largest T-bill investor, had invested USD 710 million during FY25 but withdrew USD 625 million. The United Arab Emirates and the United States recorded outflows of USD 205 million and USD 130 million, respectively. The Pakistan government to bring in foreign inflows has announced higher yields on its T-bills in comparison to most developed and developing economies. A financi

UK foreign secretary calls Israeli detention of two MPs 'unacceptable'

Lammy further emphasised the UK government's commitment to supporting the MPs and reiterated its focus on achieving a ceasefire

UK's Primark boss Paul Marchant resigns after 'error of judgement'

The group said that Marchant had cooperated with an investigation led by external lawyers, acknowledged his error of judgement

King Charles III seen in public a day after hospitalisation for treatment

King Charles III was briefly hospitalised for observation on Thursday after experiencing "temporary side effects" related to a scheduled cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. His engagements for Thursday afternoon and Friday were cancelled. "His majesty has now returned to Clarence House and as a precautionary measure, acting on medical advice, tomorrow's diary programme will also be rescheduled," the palace said. "His majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result," it added. The king's health has been closely watched ever since early last year when he announced that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. Charles, 76, stepped away from public duties for about three months but continued fulfilling state duties, such as reviewing government papers and meeting with the prime minister. Charles' cancer diagnosis has heaped pressure on the British monarchy, which is still evolving after

SL criticises Britain's 'unilateral' sanctions on its former generals

Sri Lanka on Wednesday slammed the British government's "unilateral action" to sanction its three former military commanders, who led the campaign that crushed the LTTE in 2009, saying the move will complicate the national reconciliation process. A UK foreign office statement Monday said Sri Lanka's three military commanders - former Army Commanders Gen Shavendra Silva, Jagath Jayasuriya and former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda - were among those sanctioned and subjected to UK travel bans and asset freezes. The UK government also sanctioned Vinyagamurthy Muralidaran, the deputy leader of the LTTE, who later turned a rebel of the group and became a deputy minister in the national parliament. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that "such unilateral actions by countries do not assist but serve to complicate the national reconciliation process underway in Sri Lanka". "The government is in the process of strengthening domestic mechanisms on ...

UK sanctions 4, including Sri Lanka military commanders, for rights abuses

The UK has sanctioned four individuals, including military commanders, who had led the Sri Lankan government's successful campaign against the LTTE in 2009, for human rights abuses and violations. A UK foreign office statement on Monday said General Shavendra Silva, former Head of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, Wasantha Karannagoda, former Navy Commander, and Jagath Jayasuriya, former Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, and Vinyagamurthy Muralidaran, the deputy leader of the LTTE who later turned a rebel of the group and became a deputy minister in the national parliament, were sanctioned and subjected to UK travel bans and asset freezes. The UK government has imposed sanctions on 4 individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations during the Sri Lanka civil war, including extrajudicial killings, torture and/or perpetration of sexual violence," the statement said. The UK government's sanctions on General Silva follow a similar action against him by the US State ...