Uk

Former Prince Andrew released 11 hours after his arrest amid Epstein probe

Former Prince Andrew has been released after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The Thames Valley Police force said the former prince was released Thursday evening. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was photographed in a car leaving the station near his home in eastern England about 11 hours after his arrest. He was released under investigation, meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated. Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested early Thursday at his home by detectives investigating his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein. Police said they had finished searching Mountbatten-Windsor's home but were still searching another property. The former Prince Andrew was arrested by British police Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein, an extraordinary move in a country where authorities once sought to shield the royal family from embarrassment. It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was plac

UK PM Starmer seeks powers to regulate online access for child safety

Britain's government said last month it would consult on an Australian-style social media ban for children under 16

Australia to spend $2.7 bn on shipyard for nuclear submarines under Aukus

Aukus is Australia's largest-ever defence investment and will see US-commanded Virginia-class submarines based in Australia from 2027

Apple, Google agree app store changes after UK regulator's intervention

Thousands of businesses rely on Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store to review and distribute their apps, and many have complained the process is unclear and inconsistent

US, UK condemn 20 yrs prison sentence to Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai

US' Rubio called it tragic and unjust while British Foreign Secretary Cooper reiterated support to the people of Hong Kong

Work 'no longer a route out of poverty' for millions in UK: Think tank

Resolution's warning, comes with the incumbent Labour government in turmoil

Starmer says won't quit after losing 2 aides over Mandelson-Epstien ties

The resignation of Starmer's communications director, Tim Allan, on Monday, after just five months on the job will feed the sense of crisis engulfing his office

UK PM Starmer under pressure as chief of staff quits over Mandelson row

Starmer's vulnerability was laid bare in the wake of McSweeney's departure, when two key Labour-linked groups suggested accountability shouldn't end with the chief of staff

Trump warns Britain on China ties as Starmer hails progress in Beijing

As Western leaders reel from Trump's unpredictability, Starmer is the latest to head to China

Starmer arrives in Shanghai, seeks business opportunities for UK

PM Keir Starmer lands in Shanghai to push UK business ties with China, even as US President Donald Trump signals opposition to London-Beijing deals

Britain, China hail reset in ties as Starmer seeks 'sophisticated' bond

Britain and China signalled a reset in relations as PM Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping to boost trade, investment and cooperation amid global uncertainty

UK's Starmer heads to China seeking reset in ties amid US strains

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is heading to China, seeking a thaw in relations with Beijing at a time of strained ties with the United States. He's hoping for an economic boost to Britain, but risks the wrath of China hawks at home and of US President Donald Trump, who's already heaping tariffs and criticism on America's closest allies. Starmer is due to meet China's President Xi Jinping during the visit that starts Wednesday, the first by a UK leader since 2018. He is expected to be accompanied by UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle and dozens of corporate chiefs as Britain seeks Chinese technology and investment, alongside greater access to the world's second-largest economy for UK financial services, cars and Scotch whisky. "China is no longer just the world's factory; it is also becoming a global market," said Zhao Minghao, a professor in the Institute of International Studies at Shanghai's Fudan University. From golden era to big chill ----------------------------- Kerry Brow

Staff cuts, red tape may derail India FTA gains, warns UK Parliament panel

Billions of pounds of tariff savings from Britain's free trade agreement with India could be jeopardised by deep cuts to UK export support staff helping firms use the deal in practice, an influential Parliament panel cautioned in a report on Wednesday. The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee, with a remit to scrutinise the country's trade deals, released its analysis as the government tables the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in Parliament for ratification. It finds that initial duty savings for UK exporters to India could total400 million pounds a year, potentially rising up to3.2 billion pounds after 10 years as export volumes increase. "This is the biggest free trade deal since Brexit with the potential to deliver billions in tariff savings for UK exporters, boosting growth and creating new jobs," said committee chair Liam Byrne. "But Parliament is being asked to ratify a deal promising billions in tariff savings while the government is ...

Rising scabies cases across the UK raise fresh public health concerns

Once considered a disease of the past, scabies is affecting more people in the UK, with doctors highlighting how stigma and delayed treatment are worsening outbreaks

World Wide Web inventor wants to bring his digital data system to India

World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee said India could benefit from adopting SoLiD, a digital data platform designed to give users greater control over how their personal data is shared

UK names new road safety rules 'Dev's Law' after Indian-origin victim

The UK on Wednesday unveiled a series of stricter road safety norms, including Dev's Law named after an eight-year-old Indian-origin boy killed in a 2018 accident on a busy highway. The Department for Transport (DfT) said its new road safety strategy will save thousands of lives on UK roads by tackling drink driving, improving training for young learner drivers and introducing mandatory eye tests for older motorists. It will also make Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) compulsory in new vehicles, something Dev's mother Meera Naran has been campaigning for since losing her son in the tragic road collision over seven years ago. I welcome this much-anticipated road safety strategy and am pleased to see a number of measures set out to reduce road deaths and serious injuries, said Naran, a senior lecturer at De Montfort University in Leicester. I am especially grateful to the Secretary of State [Heidi Alexander] for giving me her word that she would honour Dev and recognise the importan

KC Das eyes UK comeback after 50 years, backs bilateral trade pact

Iconic sweetmeat chain KC Das is eyeing a return to the United Kingdom after more than five decades, encouraged by the proposed India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and rising demand for authentic Indian food brands overseas. Dhiman Das, executive director of the legendary confectionery brand and a fifth-generation descendant of Nobin Chandra Das, the inventor of the rosogolla, said there is "huge scope" for Indian food businesses and restaurants in the UK market, particularly as the pact is expected to ease regulatory and tariff barriers for food exports. "We are actively looking for a suitable partner for the UK venture. The important thing is that the partner should be technically sound in dairy, as finance is not a critical issue," Das told PTI. "We are planning to set up a manufacturing base in Birmingham, which is relatively close to London, to cater to the metropolis market and adjoining regions. We have requested the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata to

After months of protests, UK eases inheritance tax burden on farms

Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers Union, said the original proposals represented a "pernicious and cruel tax" that his organisation had fought for 14 months

Nirav Modi's Bank of India trial adjourned over UK prison paperwork delays

A London court has allowed a plea by fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, wanted in India on fraud and money laundering charges, to adjourn a trial in an unrelated Bank of India unpaid loan case until March over UK prison delays. The 54-year-old accused, fighting extradition to India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam, was shifted from Thameside prison in south London to HMP Pentonville, north London, in October to facilitate an appearance at the High Court in London. At an online review hearing for the USD 8-million Bank of India case on Friday, Judge Simon Tinkler partially granted Nirav's application to adjourn the eight-day January trial by a few weeks until March 23 next year following delays by UK prison authorities in providing access to important legal paperwork. There must, in my judgment, be some doubt as to whether those papers will ever make their way to Mr Modi if they indeed currently still exist, Justice Tinkler noted. It does seem t

Britain appoints new ambassador to US, replaces Epstein-linked diplomat

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed a new UK ambassador to the United States on Thursday, replacing a diplomat who was fired over his over his links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Christian Turner, currently the UK's permanent representative to the United Nations, will replace Peter Mandelson, who was sacked in September because of his friendship with Epstein. The appointment comes as US President Donald Trump has been critical of Europe and at a time when Starmer and his European peers are pushing to make sure that a US brokered peace plan between Russia and Ukraine does not leave Kyiv vulnerable. The United Kingdom and United States have a very special relationship, and Christian's extensive experience as an outstanding diplomat will support this uniquely close bond and ensure it continues to flourish," Starmer said. Turner, a veteran diplomat, will take on the role after US agreement. He was previously political director of the Foreign, Commonwealth and