Uk Govt

UK inflation steady at 2.2% ahead of Bank of England's next rate decision

Inflation in the UK held steady at an annual rate of 2.2 per cent in August, with higher air fares offset by lower fuel costs and restaurant and hotel bills, official figures showed Wednesday. The latest reading from the Office of National Statistics means inflation remains just above the Bank of England's target of 2 per cent. Last month, the central bank reduced its main interest rate by a quarter-point to 5 per cent, the first cut since the onset of the pandemic. Central banks around the world dramatically increased borrowing costs from near zero during the coronavirus pandemic when prices started to shoot up, first as a result of supply chain issues built up during the pandemic and then because of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine which pushed up energy costs. Most economists think the bank will opt to keep borrowing costs unchanged after its latest policy meeting on Thursday. However, they think that the bank will most likely cut again in November, in the wake of the ...

Foreign partners of the deceased in UK no longer have to pay settlement fee

Before this change, applicants seeking settlement in the UK after the death of a British citizen partner were required to pay the full fee, regardless of their financial situation

UK govt can reclaim GBP 500 mn funding if Tata Steel fails on commitments

Tata Steel signed a GBP 500 million grant funding pact with the UK government to advance the installation of a low-carbon electric arc furnace at Port Talbot

US, UK diplomats pledge $1.5 bn in extra aid for Ukraine during Kyiv visit

The United States and Britain pledged nearly USD 1.5 billion in additional aid to Ukraine on Wednesday during a visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats as Ukrainian officials renewed their pleas to use Western-provided missiles against targets deeper inside Russia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced more than USD 700 million in humanitarian aid, while British Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that his country would provide another USD 782 million in assistance and loan guarantees. Much of the effort was aimed at bolstering the energy grid that Russia has repeatedly pounded ahead of an expected difficult winter. Blinken and Lammy travelled together to the Ukrainian capital on a rare joint tour to underscore their commitment to the country in its war. Two air-raid sirens sounded during the visit, causing delays in their schedule, including forcing them to cancel a wreath-laying ceremony. Blinken said he would bring the discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr ...

UK govt's decision to suspend some arms for Israel frustrates both sides

His foreign minister, David Lammy, said the move to limit the licences Britain gives for arms exports to Israel was because there was a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations

UK to deploy officers, speed up returns in illegal migration crackdown

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the new officers will be deployed at the National Crime Agency (NCA) to target, dismantle and disrupt organised immigration crime networks

Ship not under command after attacks target it in Red Sea: British military

A commercial ship travelling through the Red Sea came under repeated attack Wednesday, leaving the vessel not under command in an assault suspected to have been carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels, the British military said. Details remained few about the attack, though it comes during the Houthis' monthslong campaign targeting ships over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. The attack saw men on small boats first open fire with small arms, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The ship also was hit by three projectiles, it added. The vessel reports being not under command, the UKMTO said, likely meaning it lost all power. No casualties reported. The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, though it can take them hours or even days before their acknowledge one of their assaults. The Houthis have targeted more than 70 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sunk t

Soccer spending and discounts help UK retail sales inch up by 0.5% in July

Compared with February 2020, the last month before COVID-19 lockdowns started, sales volumes are still 0.8% lower

UK pay growth slowest in nearly 2 years, surprise fall in unemployment

Average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, were 5.4 per cent higher than a year earlier in the three months to the end of June, down from 5.8 per cent in the three months to May

Elon Musk's riot tweets spur UK to seek tougher social media rules

Not to mention large amounts of racist content posted by other X users that UK officials say has helped fuel disturbances that have erupted in isolated pockets across country, particularly in north

UK man, held as 'slave' for 26 years, awarded Rs 3.75 cr in compensation

The man, only known as Victim A, was beaten, given scraps of leftover food and forced to live in filthy conditions in a caravan

UK govt calls on Elon Musk to act responsibly amid provocative posts

The British government has called on Elon Musk to act responsibly after the tech billionaire used his social media platform X to unleash a barrage of posts that officials say risk inflaming the violent unrest gripping the country. Justice Minister Heidi Alexander made the comments on Tuesday morning after Musk posted a comment saying that Civil war is inevitable in the UK. Musk later doubled down, highlighting complaints that the British criminal justice system treats Muslims more leniently than far-right activists and comparing Britain's crackdown on social media users to the Soviet Union. Use of language such as a civil war' is in no way acceptable,' Alexander told Times Radio. We are seeing police officers being seriously injured, buildings set alight, and so I really do think that everyone who has a platform should be exercising their power responsibly.' Britain has been shaken by violence for more than a week, as police clashed with crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamopho

UK should double public investment to boost long-run growth: Think tank

NIESR forecasts Britain's economy will only grow by 1.1 per cent this year and does not expect annual growth to exceed 1.3 per cent in between now and 2029

UK's worst unrest in 13 yrs: What led to riots; how's govt handling it?

UK riots: While 'far-right' groups are protesting against 'uncontrolled' immigration, asylum seekers are also holding counter-protests

UK's Starmer to hold emergency meet as anti-immigration protests intensify

The murders were seized on by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim groups as misinformation spread online that the suspected attacker was a radical Islamist who had just arrived in Britain

PM Starmer announces police unit to counter violence after fatal stabbings

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday that he will create the ability for police forces to work across the UK to crack down on violent protesters after clashes with police across England on the past two nights that followed a horrific stabbing. Starmer condemned the violence by a tiny mindless minority and said: We will put a stop to it. The announcement came after police were pelted with bottles in several cities by what Starmer called marauding mobs who apparently were reacting to a stabbing Monday at a children's dance class that killed three and wounded 10. The attack at a Taylor Swift-themed summer holiday dance class shocked a country where knife crime is a long-standing and vexing problem, though mass stabbings are rare. Far-right activists have used the deaths to stoke anger at immigrants and Muslims though the suspect is not an immigrant, and his religion has not been disclosed. The announcement came as the 17-year-old boy charged with murdering three girls and stabbi

UK PM Keir Starmer meets police after 100 arrests in violent protests

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday called a meeting with police chiefs after violent protests outside Downing Street in London over the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport, north-west England, as the teenage male suspect in the attack was charged with murder. The Metropolitan Police said that over 100 people have been arrested during the clashes on Wednesday evening for offences including violent disorder, assault on an emergency worker, and breach of protest conditions as some of its officers suffered minor injuries. It followed violent protests in Southport and also in Hartlepool, north-east England, and Aldershot, south-east England, believed to involve far-right groups whipped up by social media misinformation claiming the male suspect behind the stabbing was a Muslim asylum seeker who arrived illegally in the country on a boat. Following the tragic events in Southport, it is understandable the public have strong feelings about this shocking incident b

India committed to elevating ties with UK, desire to conclude FTA: PM Modi

India remains committed to elevating its ties with the UK and welcomes the desire to conclude a mutually beneficial free trade pact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met him on Wednesday. In a post on 'X', Modi also appreciated the priority accorded by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to broaden and deepen the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership. Lammy is on a two-day visit to India to galvanise negotiations for the trade pact and reset the overall bilateral partnership in crucial areas such as clean energy, new technologies and security. The British foreign secretary's visit to New Delhi is the first high-level engagement between India and the UK after Prime Minister Starmer's Labour government came to power on July 5. "A pleasure to meet UK FS @DavidLammy. Appreciate the priority accorded by PM @Keir_Starmer to broaden and deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," Modi said. "Remain committed to elevating the ties.

New UK govt pushes Tata Steel to protect local jobs before approving grant

The new UK Labour government insists on job protection at Tata Steel's Port Talbot plant as a condition for approving a £500 million support package for the company's low-carbon transition project

Keir Starmer's UK election win: What it means for Indian immigrants

UK PM pledged that his government would make the tough decisions needed to turn things around