Page 6 - Britain

British Indian twins join Mensa club after top scores in IQ tests

The twins, Krish and Keira Arora, scored in the top two per cent globally, making them some of the youngest members of the elite Mensa club

Third man charged over fires at properties linked to UK PM Keir Starmer

A third suspect has been charged with arson over a series of fires targeting property linked to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, police said Wednesday. Petro Pochynok, 34, has been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life. The Ukrainian national is scheduled to appear at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning. Two other men have already been charged with setting fire to Starmer's personal home, along with a property where he once lived and a car he had sold. They are Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 26. Lavrynovych and Carpiuc have already appeared in court and were ordered detained until a hearing on June 6. No injuries were reported from the fires, which occurred on three nights in north London between May 8 and May 12. Starmer and his family had moved out of his home after he was elected in July, and they live at the prime minister's official Downing Street residence. A Toyota RA

Zelenskyy thanks Britain after UK announces new sanctions on Russia

Zelenskyy, during a call with the UK PM, emphasised the need for a coordinated international response, urging the US also to take stronger action against Russia

Second man charged over fires at properties linked to UK PM Keir Starmer

A second man was charged Tuesday over a series of fires that targeted properties linked to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, police said. Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, from Romford, east London, is accused of arson with intent to endanger life, the Metropolitan Police said. He had been arrested at Luton Airport, north of London, on Saturday. Last week, Roman Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian national, appeared in court on charges of setting fire to Starmer's family home, along with a property where he once lived and a small SUV he had sold. Lavrynovych, 21, didn't enter a plea Friday at Westminster Magistrates' Court to three counts of arson with intent to endanger life but denied the charges in a police interview. An unnamed 34-year-old was also arrested Monday in Chelsea, west London, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, the Met said. He remains in custody. No injuries were reported from the fires, which occurred on three nights in north Londo

UK, EU seal post-Brexit 'reset' deal to boost trade, security ties

UK and EU strike a landmark deal to ease post-Brexit trade barriers, enhance security ties, and launch youth mobility plans amid changing global dynamics and reduced US engagement in Europe

What does the British royal family and King Charles III cost the UK?

Assessing the true cost of the monarch's finances is a murky business, both opaque and highly secretive, with a myriad of rules and customs serving to stifle public debate.

UK, EU to hold first post-Brexit summit in London to deepen relations

The UK and the European Union will meet in London on Monday to discuss closer ties in their first official summit since Brexit. The meeting between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and top EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is intended to pave the way toward a new agreement between both sides. There is hope that a deal could improve the British economy, which has been hit by a drop in EU trade caused by increased costs and red tape after the United Kingdom left the bloc in 2020. Resetting relations Since becoming prime minister in July, Starmer has sought to reset relations with the EU, following years of tensions in the wake of the UK's Brexit referendum on June 23, 2016. Post-Brexit relations have been governed by a trade agreement negotiated by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Starmer thinks that can be improved in a way that boosts trade and bolsters security. It's unclear what will be announced at the summit, but Starmer said Sunday t

Ukrainian man charged over fires at properties linked to UK PM Keir Starmer

A 21-year-old man was charged Thursday with three counts of arson for fires that targeted two properties and a car linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Metropolitan Police force said Roman Lavrynovych, who was arrested Tuesday, was charged with arson with intent to endanger life. The charges are linked to three incidents over the past week a car fire on May 8, a fire Monday at Starmer's private home that damaged the door of the house, and a fire Sunday outside a north London house converted into apartments connected to the U.K. leader. No injuries were reported from any of the fires. Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian national, is due to appear in court on Friday. After he was arrested, Lavrynovych remained in custody after warrants of further detention were obtained, the police said in a statement. Starmer moved with his family to the prime minister's official Downing Street residence after taking office in July. The investigation was led by counterterrorism detectives as it

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 ...