Page 15 - Uk

UK PM Sunak deploys Royal Navy ships to support Israel against Hamas

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has directed UK military assets to be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel, reinforce regional stability and prevent escalation, Downing Street announced in London on Thursday. A Royal Navy task group will be moved to the eastern Mediterranean next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts and maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft will begin flying in the region from Friday to track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups. The military package, which includes P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, two Royal Navy ships RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus three merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines, will be on standby to deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance. We must be unequivocal in making sure the types of horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated. Alongside our allies, the deployment o

LIVE updates: India drops further in Global Hunger Index rankings

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UK foreign secretary runs for cover as siren goes off during Israel visit

UK foreign secretary James Cleverly, who is currently in Israel, ran for cover as sirens go off in the Jewish nation, according to the foreign ministry here on Wednesday. Cleverly is in Israel to meet survivors of the Hamas attacks and senior Israeli leaders. Posting a video on X, the Israeli foreign ministry said, "Watch: while UK FM @JamesCleverly visits Ofakim in southern Israel, a siren goes off warning of incoming Hamas rocket fire." "This is the reality Israelis live with every day," it said. Talking about the experience, Cleverly on X wrote that the threat of Hamas rockets lingers over every Israeli man, woman and child. "Today I've seen a glimpse of what millions experience every day...This is why we are standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel," he said. Israel, which mobilised 360,000 reservists, has vowed an unprecedented offensive against Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, after its fighters broke through the border fence and stormed into the country's south through

Indian woman spends day as British High Commissioner in New Delhi

This year's winning entry was chosen from a pool of more than 180 applications from talented young women around the country

US, UK, Germany, Italy, France extend support to Israel amid Hamas attack

"We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned," the statement by leaders read

Maharashtra signs pact with UK museum for loan of Shivaji's Tiger Claws

Maharashtra Minister for Cultural Affairs Sudhir Munganitwar on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London for a 17th century Tiger Claws' weapon believed to have belonged to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj make a journey back to India for a historic exhibition. Munganitwar signed the pact with Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, at a meeting at the museum. It's a day of great happiness and celebration for all of us Indians, said Munganitwar. The MoU is in place for the historic wagh nakh of Shivaji Maharaj to be part of our 350th anniversary celebrations. We now hope after the required processes, it will be available for our darshan in a few months' time, he said, speaking in Hindi on the sidelines of a diaspora event organised by the Maharashtra Mandal in London in celebration of the MoU signing. Hunt hailed the historic partnership between the V&A, the government of Maharashtra and the Chhatrapati Shivaji ...

UK companies to design, manufacture AUKUS nuclear submarines

The SSN-AUKUS program aims to enhance the capabilities of the UK, Australia, and the US to counter regional security challenges, particularly from China in the Asia-Pacific region

UK's Jeremy Hunt says will hike minimum wage but rules out tax cuts

Britain's Treasury chief is to announce a hike in the national minimum wage on Monday, as the governing Conservative Party tries to persuade voters it is on the side of those who are struggling financially. Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has ruled out tax cuts, saying they would fuel inflation. According to excerpts of Hunt's speech released in advance by the Conservative Party, he will tell the Conservatives' annual conference that the hourly rate for workers 23 or older will rise in April from 10.42 pounds ($12.70) to at least 11 pounds ($13.40). The exact amount will be set after a recommendation by the Low Pay Commission, an advisory body. That will mean a raise for more than 2 million workers. Hunt is also to pledge to toughen the rules on social benefits in an attempt to stem the flow of working-age people out of the workforce, a trend that has accelerated since the coronavirus pandemic. Those who won't even look for work do not deserve the same benefits as people

Adani group appoints new auditor for its main UK subsidiaries: Report

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's Adani group has switched the auditor of its main UK subsidiaries to the smaller London-based firm Ferguson Maidment & Co after previous auditor Crowe UK resigned in March, FT reported.

Maharashtra CM Shinde postpones UK, Germany tour scheduled for Oct 1

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's visit to the United Kingdom and Germany, scheduled from October 1 to 8, has been postponed, an official from the CMO said on Tuesday. The new dates are being worked out now, the official said. No reason has been given for the tour postponement. Shinde was to lead a delegation of representatives from the industries and other departments for investment conferences and signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between cities of Maharashtra and Germany. Also, an MoU was to be signed to bring back the 'wagh nakh' (tiger claws), an iron weapon shaped like tiger claws that was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, from the UK. The CMO official said details of the tour programme were being worked out. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray in a post on X on Monday said, "The illegal cm has planned a week long foreign trip. While I have no objection to foreign trips that bring investment or recognition to our nation or state, it cannot be l

Suella Braverman orders review into UK police firearms regulations

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has launched a review into the legal protections for officers on firearms duties after a revolt within Scotland Yard ranks following a murder charge against a Metropolitan Police officer who had discharged his gun while on duty. The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is said to have offered soldiers as backup support for armed police in London after several officers turned in their weapon-carrying permits since their colleague was charged last week. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had authorised charges against the officer, granted legal anonymity, in connection with a shooting in September last year. "We depend on our brave firearms officers to protect us from the most dangerous and violent in society. In the interest of public safety, they have to make split-second decisions under extraordinary pressures," Braverman said in a post on X on Sunday. "They mustn't fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties. Officers risking their

India fourth in number of startups with over $50 mn funding: Scaleup Report

In the survey involving 12,400 startups, India is ranked fourth with 429 scaleups, after the US (7,184), China (1,491), and the UK (623)

Canada's allegations may be based on intelligence of US or UK: Expert

Canada recently announced that the intelligence it is using to investigate the Nijjar case has got inputs from one of the other five Eye country members

Britain uses UN speech to show want to be a leader on how world handles AI

Britain has pitched itself to the world as a ready leader in shaping an international response to the rise of artificial intelligence, with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden telling the UN General Assembly his country was "determined to be in the vanguard". Touting the United Kingdom's tech companies, its universities and even Industrial Revolution-era innovations, he said Friday that the nation has "the grounding to make AI a success and make it safe". He went on to suggest that a British AI task force, which is working on methods for assessing AI systems' vulnerability, could develop expertise to offer internationally. His remarks at the assembly's annual meeting of world leaders previewed an AI safety summit that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is convening in November. Dowden's speech also came as other countries and multinational groups including the European Union, the bloc that Britain left in 2020 are making moves on artificial intelligence. The EU this year passed ..

Bank of England halts run of interest rate hikes as economy slows

It cut its forecast for economic growth in the July-September period to just 0.1% from August's forecast of 0.4% and noted clear signs of weakness in the housing market

India, Brazil, Germany, Japan should be permanent members of UNSC: Cleverly

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly emphasised that Africa deserves a louder voice on the world stage

UK inflation in surprise fall in Aug, though BoE still set to raise rates

Inflation in Britain fell unexpectedly in August to its lowest level since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which led to sharp rises in energy and food costs. The Office for National Statistics said Wednesday that inflation, as measured by the consumer prices index was 6.7 per cent in August this year, down from 6.8 per cent in July. The decline took inflation to its lowest level since February 2022. It said that lower hotel and air fare costs and a moderation in food price rises helped offset an increase in energy prices on the back of higher crude oil prices. The decline was unexpected. Most analysts had expected an increase to around 7 per cent. Though the surprise decline was encouraging, inflation remains way above the Bank of England's target rate of 2 per cent and most economists think it will raise its main borrowing rate once again on Thursday by a quarter of a percentage point to a near 16-year high of 5.5 per cent. Like other central banks around the world, th

UK leader Rishi Sunak signals plan to backtrack on some climate goals

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is preparing to water down some of Britain's climate commitments, saying the country must fight climate change without penalizing workers and consumers. Sunak issued a late-night statement Tuesday in response to a BBC report saying the prime minister is considering extending deadlines for bans on new gasoline and diesel cars currently due in 2030 - and on new natural-gas home heating. Sunak said that in a speech this week he will set out a proportionate approach to the environment. He did not set a date for the speech, which could come as early as Wednesday. For too many years, politicians in governments of all stripes have not been honest about costs and trade-offs, Sunak said in a statement. Instead they have taken the easy way out, saying we can have it all. Sunak did not confirm details of his announcements. He said he would keep a promise to reduce the UK's emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, but in a better, more ...

In touch with Canadian partners over Trudeau's allegations on India: UK

The UK Foreign Secretary stressed further that it was important that Canada's investigation into allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of the pro-Khalistan leader runs its course

Comedian Russell Brand denies allegations of sexual assault published in UK

Three British news organizations have reported that comedian and social influencer Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse based on allegations from four women who knew him over a seven-year period at the height of his fame. Brand denied the allegations and said that all of his relationships have been consensual. The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4's Dispatches said that one woman alleged she had been raped, while three others accused him of sexual assault. One of the women also said he had been physically and emotionally abusive. The women said that they only felt ready to tell their stories after being approached by reporters, with some citing Brand's newfound prominence as an online wellness influencer as a factor in their decision to speak. Before the stories were published, Brand posted a video online denying the allegations, which had been outlined in two extremely disturbing letters from a mainstream media television company and a ...