Page 5 - Uk Govt

No plans to talk with Putin: Starmer as he reaffirms support for Ukraine

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that he has no plan to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he pledged support for Ukraine as the UK's top priority at this week's G20 Summit. Speaking with reporters on the way to the meeting in Brazil, Starmer said he wouldn't speak to Putin as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz did on Friday. The call between the two leaders, which the Kremlin said was initiated by Germany, was the first publicly announced conversation between Putin and a major head of a Western power in almost two years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised the call and said it would only make Russia less isolated. Ukraine's allies fear that the election of President-elect Donald Trump, who has questioned US aid sent to Kyiv and spoken favourably about Putin, could alter support from Washington, its biggest backer. Starmer said allies have to double down now to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. "We are coming up to the 1,000th day of

Will treat people-smuggling gangs like terrorists: UK PM tells Interpol

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he will double funding for Britain's border security agency and treat people-smuggling gangs like terror networks in an attempt to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. In a speech Monday to a meeting of the international police organization Interpol, Starmer will say the gangs behind irregular migration are a serious threat to global security. Arguing that the world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge, Starmer will say that we're taking our approach to counterterrorism, which we know works, and applying it to the gangs, according to extracts released by his office. He'll call for more cooperation between law-enforcement agencies, closer coordination with other countries and unspecified enhanced powers for law-enforcement. Starmer plans to increase the U.K. Border Security Command's two-year budget from 75 million pounds ($97 million) to 150 million pounds ($194 million). The money will be used to fund high-tech .

UK's national health service pilots iPhone device to detect throat cancer

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) on Saturday claimed that thousands of patients could receive the all-clear for suspected throat cancer faster as a result of a new iPhone device and app piloted at some of its hospitals. The innovative adapter providing a 32 mm lens and accompanying app can turn an iPhone into a portable diagnostic gadget to be used by nurses to detect or rule out throat cancer. The device captures live endoscopy examinations of the throat in high definition (HD), which can then be instantly shared with specialist head and neck consultants via a secure data cloud. A consultant then reviews the video footage and can rapidly detect any traces of cancer reporting this back directly to the patient. Detecting cancer early is key to providing treatment as soon as possible to help give patients the best chance of survival. For those needing tests to investigate suspected cancer, it can be an extremely worrying time. And being able to rule out the disease sooner can m

UK PM asks for judgement on tackling 'unprecedented' challenges in budget

Starmer, whose Labour Party won a landslide election victory in July, has said generating growth is his number one priority, but he said that the situation was different to previous scenarios

UK Foreign Secretary Lammy urges China against supporting Russian army

Britain's foreign secretary raised concerns about China's support of Russia in its war against Ukraine on Friday, urging his Chinese counterpart to prevent Chinese firms from supplying to Russia's military in a meeting in Beijing. David Lammy made the comments as he made his first visit by a Cabinet minister to China since the Labour government took control in July. He met Friday with Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and held talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi later the same day. The two-day trip is an attempt to reset ties with Beijing after relations turned frosty in recent years over spying allegations, China's support for Russia in the Ukraine war and a crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong, a former British colony. While Britain's government stressed that engagement with China was pragmatic and necessary," officials said Lammy raised thorny issues including Russia and human rights concerns in Hong Kong and China's far-western Xinjiang province. Lammy stated how both the U.K. an

UK foreign minister Lammy travels to China seeking 'pragmatic' ties

Lammy's visit is not expected to yield major diplomatic agreements or intended to mark a reset in relations

Geopolitical concerns dent big UK biz optimism ahead of Budget: Deloitte

A British Chambers of Commerce survey last week showed the escalating conflict in the Middle East was a "major factor" behind anxiety in boardrooms - though potential tax hikes were a bigger worry

British Foreign Secretary Lammy likely to visit China in bid to reset ties

Lammy, who has vowed to overhaul Britain's ties with China, will meet Chinese officials in Beijing and representatives of British firms in Shanghai

India has major role for peace in Gaza, Ukraine: UK Labour Party Councillor

On conflict in Palestine, he said, 'It's high time that the powers, that is the Anglo-American alliance, stepped in and called for an immediate ceasefire because that is something needed urgently'

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