Page 7 - Uk Govt

UK elections: Five questions ratings firms have for the new government

With a relatively modest 1.3 percentage point of GDP primary budget deficit likely this year, the UK isn't as far away from a debt-stabilizing balance as G7 peers the US, France and Italy are at least

UK Election 2024: Key issues, candidates, and voting process explained

On July 4, voters across the United Kingdom will elect all 650 members of the House of Commons, with each member representing a local constituency

UK elections: Voters wonder if their votes will make a difference

A lot of politicians have promised change to voters in Hartlepool, a wind-whipped port town in northeast England. For decades, Labour Party representatives said they would fight for working people, even as well-paid industrial jobs disappeared. Later, Conservatives under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to bring new money and opportunities on the back of Brexit. But as British voters prepare to elect a new government Thursday, Hartlepool's many problems persist. It has higher unemployment, lower pay, shorter life expectancy, more drug deaths and higher crime rates than the country as a whole. Opinion polls put centre-left Labour well ahead of the governing Conservatives nationwide, but many voters remain undecided and even more are jaded. To regain power after 14 years, Labour must win back disillusioned voters in Hartlepool and other northern towns where decades of economic decline have spawned health and social problems, and a deep sense of disillusionment. At the last .

EU leaders agree on officials who will be face of European Commission

European Union leaders signed off on a trio of top appointments for their shared political institutions on Thursday, reinstalling German conservative Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission for another five years. At the side of von der Leyen, who heads the EU's executive branch, would be two new faces: Antonio Costa of Portugal as European Council president and Estonia's Kaja Kallas as the top diplomat of the world's largest trading bloc. Mission Accomplished, outgoing EU Council President Charles Michel told reporters after chairing a summit of the bloc's leaders, as von der Leyen and Kallas accompanied him at a joint a news conference. Costa took part via video-link. Von der Leyen expressed her gratitude for a shot at a second term of office, saying: I'm very honored and I'm delighted to share this moment. Kallas, who as the EU's top diplomat will lead the bloc's foreign and security policy with Russia's war on Ukraine in its third year, noted that there is

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange freed from London prison, flown out of UK

Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange, who has been fighting against his extradition to the US on espionage charges for over a decade, has been freed from prison and flown out of the UK under a plea deal with the American authorities. The 52-year-old Australian national was lodged at Belmarsh high-security prison in London since 2019 when he was taken into custody from the Ecuadorian Embassy, where he had sought asylum. It was revealed overnight on Monday that he has been freed. Assange will return to Australia, UK media reports said, citing a letter from the US Justice Department. He was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. In return for pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, the activist will be sentenced to time served, 62 months time already spent in a British prison, according to court documents. After a judge formally accepts this plea, Assange will be free to return to Australia, w

UK inflation at 2% for first time since 2021, underlying pressure persists

Sterling rose modestly against the US dollar after the data

EU leaders to discuss top jobs, policies goals at Brussels meeting

The leaders are to discuss who should be the next presidents of the European Commission and European Council, and the foreign policy chief, but their minds seem already made up

Highlights: BJP will break TDP, JDU if it fails to secure Lok Sabha speaker post, says Sanjay Raut

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As global central banks consider rate cuts, inflation worries loom

Canada and the European Central Bank have been the first ones to introduce rate cuts, however, they have expressed their concerns about inflation

Emmanuel Macron's election gamble gives Europe Brexit nightmares again

EU officials have spent much of the past decade dealing with the fallout from the UK vote

Prince Harry can now appeal rejection of publicly funded security in UK

Prince Harry has been given permission to appeal the British government's rejection to provide him with publicly funded police protection in the UK. The Court of Appeal gave the Duke of Sussex the go-ahead to challenge a ruling earlier this year in the High Court. The permission was granted in May but only reported Thursday. Judge Peter Lane ruled in February that a government panel's decision to provide bespoke security on an as-needed basis after Harry quit as a working member of the royal family was not unlawful, irrational or unjustified. Insofar as the case-by-case approach may otherwise have caused difficulties, they have not been shown to be such as to overcome the high hurdle so as to render the decision-making irrational, Lane wrote. The long-running fight began more than four years ago when Harry first challenged the panel's decision, arguing that he and his family need an armed security detail because of hostility directed toward him and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Susse

UK polls: Britain's rich race to save their wealth from election hit

The UK was expected to lose a net 3,200 high-net-worth individuals last year, the most in Europe and double 2022's level, citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners estimated

King Charles III banknotes to enter circulation, may be rare for some time

The Bank of England said that new notes will only be printed to replace those depicting Queen Elizabeth II that are worn or to meet any rise in demand at a time when cash usage is in decline

2,500 job cuts inevitable in Tata Steel's UK operations: CEO Narendran

Loss of jobs for around 2,500 workers at Tata Steel's operations in the UK, which are in a transition phase, is "inevitable", the company's CEO T V Narendran said. Fear of job losses has attracted criticism of the workers' unions and they are continuously protesting against the company in the UK. India-based Tata Steel owns the UK's largest steelworks of 3 million tonne per annum (MTPA) at Port Talbot in South Wales and employs around 8,000 people across all its operations in that country. As part of its decarbonisation plan, the company is shifting to low-emission electric arc furnace (EAF) process from the blast furnace (BF) route which is nearing its end of life cycle. Speaking to PTI, Narendran said the transition to EAF with the UK government aid will make the company competitive in terms of reduced production cost, and also help in reduction of 5 million tonnes of Co2 per year. "But all this involves 2,500 job losses and that is what the unions obviously are not happy with.

Rishi Sunak backtracks plan to restrict Graduate Route; tightens visa rules

The UK government decided to keep the Graduate Route intact for now after facing opposition from cabinet but introduced stricter measures for student visas to prevent abuse of the immigration system

Early general elections in UK may further delay FTA deal with India

Sunak sprang a surprise on Wednesday by advancing the election to July 4, well ahead of the January deadline

Find out why the High Commissioner for India owes 8 mn pounds to the UK

London's embassies and international bodies owe more than GBP 143 million 'outstanding congestion charge' to the Transport for London

India, UK reaffirm their FTA commitment at annual Strategic Dialogue

India and Britain have reaffirmed their commitment to conclude a mutually beneficial free trade agreement (FTA) at the annual UK-India Strategic Dialogue here, as the two sides reflected the "good progress" on the 2030 Roadmap since the last review. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, who is on a visit to the UK, held discussions with his counterpart, Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on Friday. After their meeting, the FCDO said the two leaders reviewed the progress made on the UK-India 2030 Roadmap since the last strategic dialogue in January last year and looked ahead to the next phase of bilateral cooperation. The two reflected on good progress on the 2030 Roadmap since the last review, noting key areas where the UK and India have worked together to tackle some of the world's biggest challenges, the FCDO said in a statement. This included collaborating on the world's first malaria vaccine, working closely on Indi

Russia asks British diplomat to leave country in a week in tit-for-tat move

Russia on Thursday declared Britain's defence attach persona non grata and gave the diplomat a week to leave the country in response to London's decision to expel the Russian defence attach earlier this month over spying allegations. Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it summoned a representative of the British Embassy in Moscow on Thursday to express its strong protest in connection with the unfriendly and groundless decision to expel the Russian attach from London. We emphasized that we regard this step as a politically motivated action of clearly Russophobic nature, which is causing irreparable damage to bilateral relations, the statement read. Britain on May 8 announced several measures to target Moscow's intelligence gathering operations in the UK Those included a decision to boot Maxim Elovik, a Russian colonel who the British government termed an undeclared military intelligence officer, rescinding the diplomatic status of several Russian-owned properties ...

UK PM Rishi Sunak asks university chiefs to fight rise in antisemitism

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday urged university chiefs to address the rise in antisemitic abuse on campus and disruption of learning in reaction to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Sunak and his ministers will meet with university vice-chancellors to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitic abuse is adopted on all campuses, Downing Street said. The government said it wants to make it clear that debate and the open exchange of views in universities is essential but that this can never tip over into hate speech, harassment or incitement of violence. Universities should be places of rigorous debate but also bastions of tolerance and respect for every member of their community, said Sunak. A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse. That has to stop, he said. The meeting is to also help to inform planned government guidance on combatting ...