England

UK faces tough economic choices as policymakers confront debt, inflation

The central bank held interest rates steady on Thursday, a decision that came at a time when British policymakers and lawmakers are confronting economic challenges

England to teach school kids about fake news, AI in curriculum overhaul

In what is being dubbed as the biggest curriculum shake-up in a decade, pupils in England will be taught about identifying fake news and learn more about artificial intelligence as part of a UK government revitalisation drive for schools. Responding to the recommendations of a Curriculum and Assessment Review' by an academic on Wednesday, the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed steps to ensure every young person is equipped with the knowledge and skills required over the next decades. The review also recommends cutting the overall volume of exams faced by teenagers by 10 per cent, with the current examination levels seen as "excessive". From the fundamentals of reading to the present danger of spotting fake news, as part of our Plan for Change, these landmark reforms will help young people step boldly into the future, with the knowledge to achieve and the skills to thrive as the world around us continues to rapidly evolve, said Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. It has be

Train derails in northwest England with no immediate reports of injuries

A train has derailed in northwest England and emergency services are on the scene, but there are no reports of injuries, authorities said on Monday. Railway operator Avanti West Coast said the train came off the rails between Penrith and Oxenholme stations in the mountainous Lake District region. The North West Ambulance Service said its staff were at the site. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said there are no reported injuries. We will work swiftly to make sure that people can get off the train safely, she told LBC radio. Avanti West Coast said all lines on the route that snakes from London up England's west side to Scotland were blocked and there would be major travel disruption.

UK PM Keir Starmer to visit India on Oct 8-9 on PM Modi's invitation

During the visit, the two leaders will meet in Mumbai on October 9 to review progress under the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, aligned with the Vision 2035 roadmap

Man arrested in UK over alleged cyberattack that affected European airports

A man in his 40s has been arrested in southern England over an alleged cyberattack that caused disruption at several European airports in recent days, including at London Heathrow, law enforcement officials said Wednesday. The UK's National Crime Agency said the suspect was held in West Sussex on Tuesday on suspicion of offenses involving the misuse of computers. The man has been released on conditional bail. Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing," said Paul Foster, head of the NCA's national cyber crime unit. Cybercrime is a persistent global threat that continues to cause significant disruption to the UK" Starting late Friday, airports in Berlin, Brussels and London were hit by disruptions to electronic systems that snarled up check-in and sent airline staffers trying options like handwriting boarding passes or using backup laptops. Many other European airports were unaffected. The cyberattack ...

Starmer reshuffles Downing Street team to reset govt after first year

The moves are an attempt by Starmer to get a grip of his administration after criticism that he has lacked direction on overall strategy as well as on policy areas ranging from economy to immigration

Japan, UK hail deeper defence ties as Royal Navy carrier docks in Tokyo

Defence ministers from Japan and Britain hailed their deep strategic alignment on Thursday as a Royal Navy aircraft carrier made a historic port call in Tokyo. The HMS Prince of Wales, which heads a 12-nation carrier strike group of 4,000 service members on an eight-month deployment in the region, is the first foreign aircraft carrier to visit the city, UK Defence Secretary John Healey told a joint news conference. We are proud to be taking our air and our naval cooperation now to new levels, Healey said after holding talks at Japan's Defence Ministry with his counterpart, Gen Nakatani. The strategic cooperation with Japan is part of the UK's commitment to be more engaged in the economy and security in the Indo-Pacific. Japan and the UK are the closest security partners in Asia and Europe and we have steadily enhanced cooperation, Nakatani said. I'm extremely happy to share this historic moment when Japan-UK defence cooperation has reached a new level." The two countries are invol

England's water crisis renews focus on data centre cooling and consumption

England's drought is putting attention on data centres, which use large amounts of water to keep servers cool, adding to the pressure on already low water supplies

British F-35 fighter jet makes emergency landing in Japan airport

Earlier in July, a British F-35B fighter jet left India after making an emergency landing in Kerala's capital city of Thiruvananthapuram due to a hydraulic system fault

Watch: King Charles III meets Indian men's and women's cricket teams | India vs England | Test match

King Charles III met the Indian men's and women's cricket teams on tour to England at St. James' palace in London on Tuesday.

Double-decker bus carrying students plunges into river in England

A double-decker bus carrying high school students plunged into a river in southern England on Thursday, sending the driver and four teens to the hospital and leaving more than a dozen others with minor injures, officials said. The bus was bound for Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, a school for 16- to 18-year-olds, when it went off a road in Eastleigh and plunged into the River Itchen. The cause of the crash was being investigated by police and the bus company. It must have been terrifying, said Inspector Andy Tester of the Hampshire Constabulary. All 19 passengers on board were either able to get off the bus or were rescued, police said. The bus driver and one student had serious injuries but were expected to survive. Police said there was no indication as to why the bus veered off the road. But a woman who said she heard a screeching sound and saw the crash said the driver told her he couldn't stop. I heard some noise, I looked out of the window and he just came careening into

King Charles leads minute's silence for Ahmedabad plane crash victims

Britain's King Charles III on Saturday led a minute's silence in memory of the Ahmedabad-London Air India plane crash victims after making last-minute amendments to his annual Trooping the Colour birthday parade, with black armbands commemorating the victims. Buckingham Palace said the 76-year-old monarch wanted the alterations "as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy". It saw all members of the royal family in uniform sporting black armbands as a mark of respect to the 241 passengers and crew who lost their lives in Thursday's London-bound plane crash in Ahmedabad. Following the Air India incident this week, His Majesty has requested that members of the Royal Family in uniform at Trooping the Colour should wear black armbands, as will mounted Officers in the Procession and all liveried Mews staff, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. The parade will also incorporate a minute's silence, to be observe

Arise Sir David! Beckham to be awarded knighthood by King Charles: Report

Without citing sources, the BBC said Beckham is set to receive further recognition both for his soccer career, and his contributions to British society

Miss England exits Miss World; Org denies harassment claims in India

Miss World Organisation denies Miss England Milla Magee's claims of misconduct in India; releases unedited videos showing her appreciation for the event, calls media reports false

Ashok Leyland may shut loss-making electric bus plant in the UK

The company said it would review the feasibility of the plant in Sherburn, North Yorkshire in a consultation process with employees

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers full schedule, live time, streaming in India

This is the first-ever FIFA World Cup which will see 48 teams feature in the competition and three host countries (Canada, Mexico and USA) co-hosting the event.

Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty plan new math charity for children in England

Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty on Saturday revealed plans to set up a new charity focussed on improving the mathematics and numeracy skills among children and young people in England. The Richmond Project, named after the North Yorkshire home and constituency Sunak continues to represent as a backbench Conservative Party member of Parliament for Richmond and Northallerton, will be launched later this year as a registered charity. It marks the first major joint project by the couple, both 44, since Sunak left 10 Downing Street last year and will be aimed at helping schoolchildren build confidence in tackling numbers. Later this year, Akshata and I will launch The Richmond Project a new charity focused on improving numeracy, Sunak announced on social media. Confidence with numbers transforms lives. It unlocks opportunity, fuels social mobility, and helps people thrive. But right now, too many struggle. More to come soon, he said. Akshata Murty

AstraZeneca scraps $558 mn UK investment plans citing cut in govt support

The decision to ditch the development of an existing facility in the Speke area of Liverpool comes at a time when Prime Minister Keir Starmer is pushing hard to drum up investment in Britain

Elon Musk grooming attacks 'misjudged and misinformed': UK Health Secretary

A senior British politician pushed back Friday on Elon Musk's criticism of the government's handling of a historic child grooming scandal. In recent days, Musk has shared and reacted to posts on his X platform that have been critical of the British government after it rejected a call for a public inquiry into the grooming scandal in the north of England town of Oldham. Though Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Musk's views were was "misjudged and certainly misinformed, he urged the world's richest man and close confidant of US President-elect Donald Trump to work with the government on tackling the issue of child sexual exploitation. The government has argued that Oldham must follow in the footsteps of other towns and commission its own inquiry into the historical abuse of mainly girls. A 2022 report into safeguarding measures in Oldham between 2011 and 2014 found that children were failed by local agencies, but that there was no cover-up despite legitimate concerns that the ...

Bank of England set to stay in central bank slow lane, keep rates on hold

BoE has cut Bank Rate only twice from a 16-year peak, helping to make sterling the only currency from the Group of 10 leading economies that has not fallen against the US dollar in 2024