UK

London mayor says Brexit has cost UK over $178 bln so far

By David Milliken LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Britain's departure from the European Union has reduced the size of its economy by 6% so far - an annual cost of…

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London underground strikes from Mon-Thurs suspended, union says

LONDON (Reuters) - Strikes planned by rail union RMT members working for London Underground from Monday to Thursday have been suspended after the union said it had made progress in…

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PM Sunak makes election appeal for Britain to ‘stick with’ his plan

Sunak says his plan will deliver 'long-term change' UK PM faces hurdles for polices from fractious party Starmer accuses Sunak of vanity By Elizabeth Piper LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) -…

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Tube strikes to affect commuters over several days

Tube strikes will affect commuters over several days from 7 January as London Underground workers walk out over pay. A strike by Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) members is…

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British NHS asks patients to choose from 12 genders, 10 sexual preferences and 159 religions

NHS patients are being asked to choose from 159 religions, 12 genders and 10 sexual preferences before they attend hospital appointments. The questions are asked when patients register with an…

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UK’s Sunak: expect to hold election in second half of year

LONDON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday he expected to call a national election in the second half of this year, all but ruling…

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British students find Erasmus replacement scheme inadequate

Students taking part in the government’s post-Brexit replacement for the EU’s Erasmus+ student exchange scheme were forced to drop out because places were confirmed too late, while others failed to…

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GCSE English will no longer be handwritten under exam board plans

GCSE English exams will no longer need to be handwritten under plans by one of the country’s largest assessment boards. From 2025, pupils taking both English Language and English Literature…

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Almost half of British teens feel addicted to social media

Almost half of British teenagers say they feel addicted to social media, according to findings that come amid mounting pressure for big tech companies to be held accountable for the…

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Majority of Britons say Brexit has completely failed for UK – poll

A clear majority of the British public now believes Brexit has been bad for the UK economy, has driven up prices in shops, and has hampered government attempts to control…

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Record-breaking doctors’ strike to pile pressure on health service in England

LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Junior doctors in England will begin a six-day walkout on Wednesday, the longest strike in the state-run National Health Service's (NHS) 75-year history which is…

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Climate change: 2024 might offer room for optimism

We don’t want to give you the wrong idea: things are bad. Antarctic ice sheets are melting, the fossil fuel lobby was everywhere at the COP talks, and even solutions…

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Flooded tunnel near London disrupts Eurostar train services

PARIS, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Flooding in a railway tunnel near London forced the cancellation of more than a dozen trains linking Britain with the European mainland early on Saturday,…

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Liz Truss rewards loyalists and Brexiteers in resignation honours list

Liz Truss, the shortest-serving prime minister in British history, awarded some of the nation's highest honours to her political aides and allies during her brief spell in office in 2022…

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‘Pints’ of wine to be sold in Britain for the first time

Britons will soon be able to buy a "pint" of wine, with a new 568ml bottle set to appear on supermarket shelves and in pubs, clubs and restaurants. Pint bottles…

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Self-driving cars could be on UK roads by 2026 -minister

LONDON, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Self-driving cars could be on some British roads by 2026, the country's transport minister Mark Harper said on Wednesday. Cars with full self-driving technology are…

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British drivers urged to check unused cars as animals cause record breakdowns

Breakdowns in the UK caused by animals getting inside vehicles have reached record levels, the RAC has said. The insurance company was called out to 303 incidents of damage caused by animals…

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King Charles’ Christmas Day message to feature living tree and Buckingham Palace backdrop

King Charles will deliver his second Christmas message on Monday from Buckingham Palace. In keeping with the King’s strong beliefs in sustainability, this year’s Christmas Day broadcast features a living…

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Pantomime and carol singing proposed for Unesco cultural status

British Christmas traditions, such as pantomime, carol singing and wreath-making could receive protected status. It comes as the government confirms it will ratify the 2003 Unesco Convention for Safeguarding Intangible…

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Royal family persuaded Queen Elizabeth to spend her last days at Balmoral

The late Queen was persuaded to spend her final days at Balmoral as she and the Royal family made preparations for her death, it has emerged. Queen Elizabeth II had…

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UK and Switzerland strike ‘first of its kind’ financial services deal

The U.K. and Switzerland have signed a financial services deal described as the “first of its kind” by British Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. The mutual recognition agreement will allow British firms…

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Angola’s Isabel dos Santos loses fight against freezing order over assets

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos on Wednesday lost her fight against an application to freeze up to 580 million pounds ($735 million) of her assets…

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Unionists do not expect Northern Ireland deal by Christmas – spokesperson

Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party does not expect to reach a deal with London to secure its return to the power-sharing government by Christmas, a spokesperson for the region's largest…

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Muhammed and Lily top popular UK baby names chart

For the boys, Muhammed remains a consistent favourite amongst parents, and shows no signs of falling from first place position. Non-movers Noah, Theo, Leo and Oliver also refused to budge,…

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UK Prime Minister Sunak’s favourability hits all-time low – YouGov

LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is the most unpopular he has been since moving into Downing Street with his net favourability rating slipping by 10…

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UK’s Sunak sees off revolt to win vote on Rwanda migrant plan

By Andrew Macaskill, Michael Holden and Alistair Smout British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak avoided defeat in parliament on Tuesday on an emergency bill to revive his plan to send asylum…

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UK lenders face smaller impact from Basel rules than rivals, BoE says

The Bank of England said on Tuesday that implementing the final leg of the global Basel bank rules will increase capital requirements at UK banks by 3%, far less than…

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Whooping cough cases increasing in the UK

You may have read recent alarming reports of a cough that “lasts 100 days” is “quickly spreading across the UK” and can “fracture ribs”. If you didn’t look beyond the…

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UK PM Sunak battles to unite divided party in pivotal week

Government faces parliament battle over Rwanda plan Policy threatens to splinter party in Brexit-style divide Prime minister to defend reputation at COVID-19 inquiry By Andrew MacAskill LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters)…

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UK creates unit to clamp down on companies evading Russian sanctions

LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The British government said on Monday it was creating an enforcement unit to increase its power to crack down on companies evading Russian sanctions. The…

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Global warming threshold could be hit temporarily in 2024-UK’s Met Office

By Nina Chestney LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Global average temperature could temporarily cross a 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) threshold next year, Britain's Met Office said on Friday, a milestone…

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Post-Brexit ‘Big Bang’ reform of UK financial sector a ‘damp squib’, say lawmakers

By Huw Jones LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Britain's "big promises" to boost the financial sector's post-Brexit global competitiveness have been a "damp squib", with many of the changes yet…

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UK’s Sunak tells divided party his Rwanda migrant plan is the only way

Sunak faces right-wing challenge over key migration policy Immigration minister quits, says bill does strong enough PM needs to get new legislation through parliament Sunak says he cannot go any…

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Britain summons Russian ambassador over FSB cyberespionage

By James Pearson LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The British government has summoned the Russian ambassador and sanctioned two people for what it said was a sustained but failed attempt…

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Child poverty levels in the UK worst among world’s richest nations, UNICEF report finds

LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Child income poverty rates in the United Kingdom were the highest among the world's richest countries, a report by U.N. children's agency UNICEF said, ranking…

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UN ship agency adopts tougher resolution to tackle illicit ‘shadow’ fleet

By Jonathan Saul LONDON, (Reuters) - The United Nations' shipping agency adopted a resolution targeting illicit shipping practices from the so-called unregulated "shadow fleet" in an effort to clamp down…

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UK PM Sunak’s new Rwanda plan suffers blow as immigration minister quits

LONDON, (Reuters) - Britain's immigration minister Robert Jenrick resigned on Wednesday saying the government's published draft emergency legislation aimed at getting its Rwandan migrant deportation scheme up and running did…

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Three years on, UK factories still face Brexit challenges – survey

By Suban Abdulla LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Nine in 10 British manufacturers still face problems doing business with the European Union and difficulties in hiring skilled workers due to…

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UPDATED: Former PM Boris Johnson apologises to families at UK COVID inquiry

By Andrew Macaskill Johnson apologises for mistakes made during pandemic Former PM begins two days of giving evidence Campaigners claim Johnson treated people like toxic waste Johnson arrives early to…

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UK interior minister signs new Rwanda treaty to resurrect asylum plan

By Philbert Girinema, Andrew Macaskill and Michael Holden KIGALI/LONDON, (Reuters) - Britain signed a new treaty with Rwanda on Tuesday which it said would overcome a court decision blocking its…

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Britain announces stricter visa measures to reduce migration

Britain sought to cut the number of migrants arriving in Britain through legal routes on Monday, raising the minimum salary they must earn in a job by a third after…

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Labour leader Starmer praises Thatcher in bid to woo UK Conservative voters

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, has praised former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a deeply unpopular figure among many Labour supporters, as he seeks to woo Conservative…

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UK armed forces face nearly $22 bln equipment-funding shortfall over next decade – watchdog

LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Britain's armed forces face an equipment funding shortfall of 17 billion pounds ($21.6 billion) over the next 10 years, a public spending watchdog said on…

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UK needs new plan to reverse hit to living standards, researchers say

LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Britain needs a new economic strategy to reverse 15 years of falling living standards and worsening inequality, a leading think tank and an academic research…

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Britain yet to make the case for a digital pound, lawmakers say

By Huw Jones LONDON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - A digital pound should not be available in large sums initially to avoid the risk of bank runs, UK lawmakers said in…

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British lawyer sentenced for ‘tipping off’ Malta-based client about fraud probe

A British lawyer was spared jail following his conviction for "tipping off" his client about a money laundering investigation, Britain's fraud watchdog said. William Osmond, 69, was sentenced to nine…

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New book reignites British royal race row

By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Almost three years after Prince Harry and his wife Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey sent shockwaves through the British monarchy, their most sensational claim…

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Angola’s Isabel dos Santos fights bid to freeze $736 mln in assets

By Sam Tobin Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos is fighting an application to freeze up to 580 million pounds ($736 million) of her assets, telling London's High Court on Wednesday…

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Majority of Britons support rejoining the EU single market – poll

LONDON (Reuters) - A majority of Britons support rejoining the European Union's single market even though that would mean the restoration of the free movement of workers from the bloc,…

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Spain ready to sign a deal with Britain on Gibraltar

Spain is ready to sign a deal on the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar as early as Wednesday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said, before setting off to meet newly…

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UK braces for -5C temperatures

A cold front from Scandinavia is set to hit Britain with freezing temperatures and snow in the next few days. Temperatures may plunge to as low as -5C (23F) even…

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UK PM Sunak’s tax cuts yield polling boost – Times/YouGov

LONDON, (Reuters) - Support for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party has risen by four percentage points following the announcement of tax cuts and financial support this week, the…

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UK voters face ‘living standards disaster’, think tank says

By William Schomberg and David Milliken LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - British voters are set to suffer a "living standards disaster", despite Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt's new tax cut plan,…

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UPDATED: UK net migration hit new record high in 2022 in latest blow for Sunak

Net migration figure for 2022 revised up to 745,000 Official data shows 12 months to end June at 672,000 Interior minister says wants to target visa abuse By Sarah Young…

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Britons face higher energy bills after Ofgem raises price cap

By Susanna Twidale Nov 23 (Reuters) - Most British households will face higher energy bills from January after regulator Ofgem increased its price cap by 5% to reflect a rise…

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Britain’s Hunt makes business investment tax break permanent to drive growth

Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt made a tax break for business investment permanent on Wednesday, aiming to kickstart the country's economy with more investment. Britain has suffered from weak business…

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UK says new science initiative to work on climate-resilient crops

LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce a new science initiative to bring together work on developing climate-resilient crops as his government hosts a Global…

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