Page 7 - Britain

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 ...

Look forward to fostering ties with partners in UK, says Mamata Banerjee

Speaking at the High Commission of India in London where she attended a high-tea reception, CM Banerjee called the relationship very deep

UK welfare spending cuts pose unexpected risk to carmakers' EV ambitions

A review of the benefits system announced in recent days could hit a car-financing program called Motability, which provides vehicles to disabled customers on mobility benefits

Britain pledges $775 million to tackle construction skills shortages

Housebuilding and improving British infrastructure are key parts of the Labour government's growth strategy

BoE set to keep UK rate unchanged at 4.50% despite gloomy economic news

The Bank of England is set to keep UK interest rates unchanged Thursday even though the economy is barely growing and set for further uncertainty in light of the tariff policies being enacted by the Trump administration in the US. The nine-member Monetary Policy Committee is expected to keep the bank's main interest rate at 4.50%, given that inflation remains above target and set to go higher in the coming months, as firms are expected to raise prices as a result of a big increase in the minimum wage and higher payroll taxes. Inflation in the UK rose to a 10-month high of 3% in January further above the bank's target of 2%. And many economists think it could rise as high as 4% in the coming months. The rate-setting panel has reduced the bank's main rate from a 16-year high of 5.25% by a quarter of a percentage on three occasions since last August, most recently in February, after inflation fell from multi-decade highs of over 10%. If it pursues this gradual approach, then it would

UK, EU to ramp up pressure on Russia and boost defence initiatives

The talks will coordinate cooperation on Ukraine and discuss efforts to increase economic pressure on Russia, UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement

Carney meets Britain, Germany leaders as Trump targets Canada's sovereignty

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met the leaders of Britain and France on Monday during his first official overseas trip, seeking support from two of Ottawa's oldest allies as US President Donald Trump targets Canada's sovereignty and economy. Canadians have criticized the leaders of the two countries that founded Canada for their muted response to Trump's attacks. The president has imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and repeatedly commented on turning Canada into the 51st state. Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron did not take journalists' questions, and a joint news conference was not scheduled with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, either. An official familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the Canadians proposed a press conference in Paris but the French declined. Starmer has called Canada a friend and ally of the U.K. but has declined to directly call out Trump's talk of annexati

Canada PM Carney to meet European allies as tensions with Trump admin rise

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Paris Monday to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, seeking support from one of Canada's oldest allies as tensions with the Trump administration spike. This is Carney's first official foreign trip since he was sworn in on March 14. He will next land in London where he will sit down with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III, the head of state in Canada. Carney has deliberately chosen the two European capital cities that shaped Canada's early existence. During his swearing-in ceremony, he noted the country was built on the bedrock of three peoples, French, English and Indigenous, and said Canada is fundamentally different from America and will never, ever, in any way shape or form, be part of the United States. Since US President Donald Trump came to office, he has imposed whopping tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and repeatedly commented on turning Canada into the 51st state, infuriating Canadians and ...

Chagos Islanders seek to take UK govt to court over deal with Mauritius

Two women born on the Chagos Islands are seeking to take the British government to court over a proposed deal to transfer sovereignty of the disputed Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius. Lawyers for the two women argued Monday that it was unlawful to exclude Chagossians from deciding the future of the tropical archipelago, home to a strategically important UK-US naval and bomber base. The UK government announced in October that it intends to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius though Britain would retain control of Diego Garcia, the largest island where the military base is located. But negotiations have stalled, pending agreement from US President Donald Trump's government. Britain evicted hundreds of people from the remote islands in the 1960s and 1970s so the US military could build the base on Diego Garcia. Many of the islanders were relocated to the UK and have faced legal challenges returning to their birthplace. Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, both British citize

Virgin Group aims to raise $900 million to fund Eurostar rival: Report

Virgin Group intends to raise 300 million pounds in equity and 400 million pounds in debt and plans to be a cornerstone equity investor in the project

EAM Jaishankar holds talks with UK PM Keir Starmer, ministers in London

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in London on Tuesday evening to convey warm greetings from Prime Narendra Modi. Jaishankar said bilateral cooperation and the UK's perspective on the Russia-Ukraine conflict were among the topics covered during his meeting with the UK PM. Discussed taking forward our bilateral, economic cooperation and enhancing people to people exchanges. PM Starmer also shared the UK's perspective on the Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar said in a social media post. Earlier on Tuesday, the External Affairs Minister (EAM) held a series of ministerial dialogues on the first day of his six-day visit covering the UK and Ireland. During a meeting with UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, the ministers discussed the progress of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. Discussed the progress on our FTA talks, Jaishankar said in a post on X after his meeting with Reynolds. Ind

South Asian-origin men guilty of one of UK's largest money laundering plots

Four British men, including two of South Asian heritage who ran jewellery businesses, were on Tuesday convicted in one of the UK's largest money laundering prosecutions worth an estimated GBP 266 million following a complex eight-year investigation. Arjun Babber, 32, and Haroon Rashid, 53, were found guilty alongside Gregory Frankel and Daniel Rawson, both 46, at Leeds Cloth Hall Nightingale Crown Court in northern England over large amounts of unexplained cash passing through their businesses. Babber ran Goldsteel Limited and is said to have started laundering cash for others through Fowler Oldfield Limited in 2015. According to the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Babber's family members ran RPS Jewellers Limited, a well-known and reputable gold and jewellery business based in west London and Hatton Garden. Meanwhile, Rashid was the sole director of Rashid Jewellers Ltd and was a frequent visitor to the premises of Fowler Oldfield and had access to its computers. This case is

UK investigates TikTok, Reddit over children's personal data practices

Social media companies use complex algorithms to prioritise content and keep users engaged