World News

No major changes to UK travel list likely until August

The four-week delay in removing coronavirus restrictions in England could lead to most European locations remaining on the “amber list” until August, the UK's Independent has revealed. This might mean…

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UK’s financial watchdog goes real-time to catch online criminals

Britain's financial regulator has to make daily sweeps of the internet to warn about online scams in real time and keep pace with fraudsters who are often based outside the country, one of its officials said on…

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N.Ireland leader stands down, starts countdown for new government

Northern Ireland's biggest parties have up to seven days to agree to go back into government with each other after the Democratic Unionist Party's Arlene Foster formally notified the assembly…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Geneva, Switzerland

Sail boats line up for the start of the 82nd 'Bol d'Or' sailing race on Lake Geneva, in Geneva, Switzerland, 12 June 2021. Over 450 boats participate in this weekend's…

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Dutch economy to rebound faster from COVID slump than expected -central bank

Economic growth in the Netherlands will rebound faster from the coronavirus slump than previously expected, as consumers start spending pent up savings and international trade continues to recover, the Dutch…

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UPDATE – UK’s Johnson delays lockdown easing by a month, citing Delta variant risk

Prime Minister Boris Johnson delayed his plans to lift COVID-19 lockdown restrictions by a month on Monday, warning that the more infectious Delta variant meant if he did nothing thousands…

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Women in the UK working more hours in Covid crisis than first thought, study finds

Women’s average working hours in the UK have taken a far smaller hit during the pandemic than men’s, according to the Resolution Foundation. Defying predictions of a “shecession” at the…

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Brexit drives up wages in the UK by ending free movement

Staff are enjoying significantly higher salaries as Brexit, the pandemic and the furlough scheme cut competition for jobs - in an early sign that leaving the EU is benefitting lower-skilled…

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UPDATED: At NATO, Biden says defence of Europe a “sacred obligation”

U.S. President Joe Biden told fellow NATO leaders on Monday the defence of Europe, Turkey and Canada was a "sacred obligation" for the United States, a marked shift from his…

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UK holiday group Saga expects to resume cruises from June 27

British over-50s holidays group Saga Plc said on Monday it would likely resume its cruises on June 27, encouraged by high demand for tours despite repeated lockdowns, echoing similar projections…

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Decisions for NATO’s first summit with Biden

NATO leaders hold their first summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday, aiming to repair transatlantic ties after his predecessor Donald Trump said the Western military alliance was "obsolete".…

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Jun

UPDATED: Philips recalls 3-4 mln sleep apnea, ventilator machines due to risks

Philips, the Dutch medical equipment company, said on Monday it would recall some "CPAP" breathing devices and ventilators globally because of a foam part that might degrade and become toxic.…

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UPDATED: UK’s Johnson set to announce delay to end of COVID restrictions

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce on Monday that the end of COVID-19 restrictions will be delayed by several weeks following concerns about a rapid rise of…

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Swiss reject law to help country meet Paris carbon emissions goal

Swiss voters rejected a trio of environmental proposals on Sunday, including a new law intended to help the country meet its goal for cutting carbon emissions under the Paris Agreement…

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Amazon raises minimum pay in Germany to 12 euros per hour

Amazon will guarantee an entry-level wage at its German warehouses of 12 euros ($15) an hour, the company said in the face of a long-running battle with a top labour…

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UPDATED: G7 calls for study in China on COVID origins, agree on increased climate finance

Group of Seven leaders called for a transparent, science-based study, including in China, into the origins of COVID-19, to be convened by the World Health Organization, a draft communique showed.…

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Britain’s Raab says EU should stop treating N.Ireland as ‘separate country’

British foreign minister Dominic Raab criticised the European Union on Sunday for treating Northern Ireland as if it were a separate country rather than part of the United Kingdom, and…

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UPDATED: G7 provides 1 billion COVID vaccine doses, will work to give more – communique

Group of Seven countries will provide 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses over the next year and work with the private sector, the G20 and other countries to increase the contribution…

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Aer Lingus passengers stranded as operator Stobart Air ceases trading

Travellers have been left stranded in cities in the UK and Ireland and nearly 500 jobs are at risk after a regional Irish airline announced it was going into liquidation.…

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UPDATED: Swiss voters look set to reject law to help cut carbon emissions

Swiss voters look set to reject a new law which would help the country meet its goals under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, according to early indications by national…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Yerseke, The Netherlands

Pools of an oyster farms in Yerseke, along the Oosterschelde estuary in Zeeland Province, The Netherlands. Two types of oysters are raised in Zeeland, the Zeeland Flat Oyster (Zeeuwse platte)…

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UPDATE – UK PM voices ‘serious concern’ over Delta variant in hint at delay to lockdown end

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday expressed "serious concern" about rising infections of the Delta variant of coronavirus, reinforcing suggestions that he is set to delay lifting England's last…

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Oxford vaccine inventors recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours

The Oxford University scientists who invented the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are among those to be honoured by Queen Elizabeth, among a number of recipients who played key roles in Britain’s…

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Germany’s Merkel to visit Biden at White House on July 15

U.S. President Joe Biden will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington on July 15 in what will likely be her farewell visit to the United States after almost 16…

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Germany’s economy is overcoming the pandemic, Bundesbank says

German output is rebounding from its pandemic-induced slump and inflation could rise faster than currently expected, potentially affecting behaviour in the economy, the German central bank said on Friday. The…

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German car authority investigates Porsche over fuel consumption data

Germany's car authority KBA has started a probe against Porsche, suspecting incorrect fuel consumption data for gasoline-powered cars, news portal Business Insider reported on Thursday. Porsche said it had made…

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HIV transmission could be eradicated in England by 2030

England is on course to have eradicated HIV in homosexual men by 2030, according to a new study from the University of Cambridge. Data shows that the annual number of…

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End of England’s Covid lockdown could be delayed by one month

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to delay lockdown lifting to July 19 after cases of the Delta variant, first identified in India, rose in the country. Total British…

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Are you supposed to be enjoying yourselves? Queen Elizabeth asks G7

Britain's Queen Elizabeth met U.S. President Joe Biden under the canopy of the world's largest indoor rainforest on Friday as she hosted a reception for leaders of the Group of…

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Lufthansa’s low-cost airline Eurowings to open Prague base

German airline Lufthansa's said on Friday its budget carrier Eurowings would open a new base in Prague with two aircraft in October, in a sign of growing confidence in the…

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Germany’s Greens suffer drop in opinion polls

The tide is turning against the German Green party. Only seven and a half weeks ago the future looked rosy for the Greens. Annalena Baerbock — their young and dynamic…

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UK’s Duchess of Cambridge ‘can’t wait to meet’ new niece Lilibet

Britain's Duchess of Cambridge Kate said on Friday she could not wait to meet her new niece Lilibet, the daughter of her brother-in-law Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. "I…

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Sir Elton John warns musicians face EU tour ‘catastrophe’

Sir Elton John has warned MPs that the UK music industry could lose "a generation of talent" because of post-Brexit restrictions on touring the EU. The musician accused ministers of…

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UK competition watchdog secures Google commitments on third-party cookies

Google has given commitments to Britain's competition regulator over its plan to remove third-party cookies from its Chrome browser, the Competition and Markets Authority said on Friday. The data watchdog…

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UK on track to offer over 50s second vaccine dose by June 21

British vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said that the country was on track to offer all those aged over 50 a second dose of a vaccine by June 21. "We are…

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Coronavirus Delta variant 60% more transmissible and more resistant to vaccines

The Delta (Indian) variant is about 60% more transmissible than the Alpha (Kent) variant and vaccines are less effective against it, Public Health England has said. More than 90% of…

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Germany removes U.S., Canada, parts of Greece from COVID travel risk list

Germany has removed several countries and regions including the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Austria and some regions in Greece from its coronavirus travel risk list, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)…

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UK economy posts record annual jump in April, up 27.6%

Britain's economic output in April was a record 27.6% larger than 12 months before, official data showed on Friday, an increase that reflects recent reopening and the scale of disruption…

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Britain’s Raab says ball in EU’s court over N.Ireland issue

Britain's foreign minister Dominic Raab said that it was up to the European Union to respond to the UK's proposals on resolving the Northern Irish trade issue. "The ball's very…

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What is on the G7 summit agenda?

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations begin a three day meeting in Cornwall, England, on Friday, discussing issues ranging from COVID-19 vaccines and economic recovery to climate…

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UPDATED: G7 to donate 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to poorer countries

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expects the Group of Seven to agree to donate 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to poorer countries during its summit starting on Friday, and help…

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Auto Trader sees online car sales improve, chip crunch threatens supply

British online car marketplace Auto Trader Group said it expects to benefit from a "dramatic shift" to online car buying, sending shares up 6.3% on Thursday, but warned that a…

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British watchdog plans investigation into Amazon’s use of data

Britain's competition watchdog is planning a formal competition investigation into e-commerce company Amazon.com Inc, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing three unidentified people familiar with the situation. The Competition…

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Britain’s airlines say extra support needed if travel stays shut

Airlines based in Britain have told the government they will need industry-specific support to help them survive if COVID-19 rules continue to keep travel markets shut. Companies including British Airways,…

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UPDATED: Pope rejects German cardinal’s resignation over abuse scandal

Pope Francis has rejected German Cardinal Reinhard Marx’s offer to resign as archbishop of Munich over the Church’s sexual abuse crisis, a letter released by the Vatican on Thursday showed.…

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UPDATED: Queen Elizabeth II marks late husband Prince Philip’s 100th birthday with a new rose

Britain's Queen Elizabeth has been given a rose named after her late husband Prince Philip to mark what would have been his 100th birthday on Thursday, as the royals paid…

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Biden warns Russia as he begins European visit

President Joe Biden on Wednesday began his first trip abroad since taking office by hailing America's unwavering commitment to the NATO alliance and warning Russia it faced "robust and meaningful"…

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Irish COVID-19 jobless claims fall to six-month low

The number of people in Ireland claiming temporary coronavirus-related jobless benefits fell by 8% to 285,000 this week, its lowest level since December last year, the department of social protection…

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German exports rise slightly in April

German exports rose in April, prompted by increasing trade with the United States, suggesting a continued recovery in Europe's biggest economy. Seasonally adjusted exports increased by 0.3% on the month…

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Andrew Lloyd Webber determined to open theatres in the UK on 21 June

Andrew Lloyd Webber has said he will open his theatres on 21 June, and is prepared to be arrested if authorities try to intervene. The composer has also warned he…

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BBC reports Harry and Meghan did not ask Queen to use Lilibet name

The Queen was not asked by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about naming their daughter Lilibet, a Palace source has told the BBC. Lilibet has been the Queen's nickname…

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Why are EU, UK arguing over Northern Ireland?

David Frost, the UK’s minister in charge of ties with the European Union, and Maros Sefkovic, vice head of the European Commission, meet on Wednesday to try and resolve differences…

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UPDATED: UK urges EU to move on post-Brexit trade with N.Ireland

Britain will tell the European Union on Wednesday time is running out to find solutions to ease post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland, saying any further legal action by the bloc…

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UPDATED: UK launches action against Ryanair and BA over refunds

Britain's competition authority said on Wednesday it was launching enforcement action against Ryanair and British Airways over their failure to offer refunds to passengers who were barred from taking flights…

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UPDATED: UK pushes for financial services to be exempt from G7 global tax plan

British finance minister Rishi Sunak is pushing for financial services firms to be exempt from a new global tax system which was agreed last week by the Group of Seven…

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Group of UK lawmakers call for raising age of sale of cigarettes to 21

A group of British members of parliament has called on the UK government to consider raising the age of sale of cigarettes to 21 from 18 to end the "tobacco…

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Queen Elizabeth to have lunch with Prince Harry at Windsor Castle next month

Queen Elizabeth has reportedly invited Prince Harry for lunch at Windsor Castle when he’s back in the UK next month. The Duke of Sussex will be returning to Britain for the…

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