World News

We discussed ousting Johnson, ex-adviser to UK prime minister says

LONDON (Reuters) - The former top adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he discussed the possibility of toppling Johnson shortly after an election triumph in 2019 because Brexit…

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Germany faces calls for mobile phone disaster alerts after floods

BERLIN, July 20 (Reuters) - German authorities faced pressure on Tuesday to set aside longstanding privacy concerns and send mobile phone alerts directly to people in potential disaster zones following…

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Britain to permanently deploy two warships in Asian waters

Britain said on Tuesday it would permanently deploy two warships in Asian waters after its Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and escort ships sail to Japan in September through seas where China…

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UK records 46,558 Covid cases and 96 deaths, the highest number since March

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has reported 46,558 new cases of COVID-19, government data showed on Tuesday, meaning the rise in cases between July 14 and July 20 stood at 40.7%…

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Germany hopes for EU money to rebuild infrastructure

The German government aims to rebuild government-owned infrastructure damaged by the floods in the western part of the country as quickly as possible and hopes for contributions to the cost from the…

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UK PM Johnson dismissed COVID-19 lockdown as only elderly would die, ex-aide says

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was not prepared to impose lockdown restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19 to save the elderly and denied the National Health Service would be overwhelmed, his…

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Critics accuse German government of flood warning failures

STEINBACHTAL DAM, Germany, July 19 (Reuters) - German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer rejected criticism the government had failed to sufficiently warn people of last week's floods, as the death toll…

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UK to demand vaccination proof for clubs, big crowd events, Johnson says

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that he would make proof of double vaccination a condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large…

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60% of people being admitted to UK hospitals had two COVID jabs – adviser

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - Britain's Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance said on Monday that 60% of people being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 have had two doses of vaccine.…

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Britain says most children and teens will not be given COVID jabs

Britain said on Monday it has decided against giving mass COVID-19 vaccinations to all children and they would only be offered in certain situations such as when young people have…

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Photo Story: Meuse flood water level in Limburg, The Netherlands

Residents are transported through the high water of the Meuse between Bergen and Nieuw, with the help of a shuttle service, operated by the Dutch defence, in Bergen, The Netherlands,…

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UK to warn EU it may deviate from Brexit deal on N.Ireland -sources

BRUSSELS/LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - Britain will threaten this week to deviate from the Brexit deal unless the European Union shows more flexibility over Northern Ireland, one UK and three…

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Brexit deal’s N.Ireland protocol not sustainable – UK’s Frost

The element of the Brexit deal which relates to trade with Northern Ireland is not sustainable and Britain is keeping all options on the table over how it might act,…

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Photo Story: Floods in Switzerland

A view of tents in the flooded VD8 camping in Cheseaux-Noreaz near Yverdon-les-Bains on the eastern shore of lake Neuchatel, Switzerland, on Monday morning, after heavy rains. Water levels across…

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Rhine river partially closed in Germany to shipping by floodwaters

Parts of the river Rhine in south Germany remained closed to shipping on Monday after a rise in water levels following recent torrential rain, German authorities said. The southern Rhine…

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Britain sets out plan to stimulate trade with developing economies

Britain will set out a plan on Monday to stimulate trade with 70 developing economies by lowering tariffs and simplifying rules, its latest push to promote freer global commerce after…

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UPDATED: England’s ‘freedom day’ marred by soaring cases and isolation chaos

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's 'freedom day' ending over a year of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in England was marred on Monday by surging infections, warnings of supermarket shortages and his own…

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‘Please, please be cautious’ as we lift COVID rules, says UK PM

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the British public to be cautious and said they must self-isolate when told to do so as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in…

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‘It’s terrifying’: Merkel shaken as flood deaths rise to 188 in Europe

BERCHTESGADEN/BISCHOFSWIESEN, Germany, July 18 (Reuters) - G erman Chancellor Angela Merkel described the flooding that has devastated parts of Europe as "terrifying" on Sunday after the death toll across the…

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Johnson makes U-Turn and self isolate after being exposed to COVID

LONDON, July 18 (Sky/Reuters) - Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will now self-isolate following uproar over their plans to avoid staying at home after Sajid Javid's positive COVID-19 test, Downing…

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Bavaria hit by fresh flash-floods as German death toll climbs to 156

FRANKFURT, July 18 (Reuters) - Flash floods hit southern Germany on Sunday, killing at least one person and adding to the devastation after flooding in the country this week that…

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Police call for cocaine users to be banned from attending football matches after Euros mayhem

The Independent reports that police want the power to ban football fans who take cocaine at matches, over concerns that the drug could be driving disorder and violence. Some England supporters were filmed openly…

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UK reports another 6-month high in daily COVID cases

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Saturday reported 54,674 new COVID-19 cases, a rise on the 51,870 new cases reported on the previous day to post a fresh highest daily total…

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British supermarkets may shift supply chains to EU if N.Ireland trade not addressed

LONDON (Reuters) - British supermarket groups, including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda, said on Sunday they may shift some supply chains from the UK to the European Union unless the future…

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Photo Story: Mourning at the site of journalist Peter R. de Vries attack

People mourn and lay flowers for Peter R. de Vries, at the spot where he was shot in the Lange Leidsedwarsstraat, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The Dutch crime reporter died…

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British health minister tests positive for Covid-19

LONDON (Reuters) - British health minister Sajid Javid on Saturday said he had tested positive for COVID-19, but that his symptoms were mild and he had had two doses of…

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German floods kill at least 133, search for survivors continues

Rescue workers searched flood-ravaged parts of western Germany for survivors on Saturday as water levels remained high in many towns and houses continued to collapse in the country's worst natural…

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UK to keep quarantine rules for travellers from France

Britain said that it was scrapping a planned easing of coronavirus rules for travellers from France, which had been due to take effect on Monday, because of the continued presence…

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Belgium sets day of mourning as flood deaths hit 20

Belgium declared a national day of mourning next week as the death toll from burst rivers and flash floods in the south and east of the country rose to 20…

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Some 114,000 western German households without power after floods

Heavy floods in western Germany had left 114,000 households without power on Friday, said a spokesperson for Westnetz, the country's biggest power distribution grid company. The death toll rose to…

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Families told to flee as flood waters breach Dutch dyke

Hundreds of people fled their homes in and around the southern Dutch town of Meerssen after floods broke through a dyke on Friday, as rising waters left a path of…

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High water still closes Rhine in south Germany to shipping

Parts of the river Rhine in south Germany remain closed to shipping on Friday after a rise in water levels following recent torrential rain, German authorities said. At least 42…

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UK Royal Navy aircraft carrier crew test positive for coronavirus

Coronavirus has broken out on the UK's second aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, meaning that both of the Royal Navy's largest vessels have COVID cases on board. About eight…

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Germany lists Greece and the Netherlands as coronavirus risk areas

Germany has declared all of Greece a coronavirus risk area, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Friday, which means that tourists and returning German nationals need to present a…

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German floods show urgency to act on climate change – EU head

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday that the flooding across western Europe is a clear indication of climate change and urgent action is needed. "It is…

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Half of hospital patients in UK’s first wave developed at least one complication, says study

Half of people admitted to hospital in the UK's first coronavirus wave developed at least one complication, according to a study. It looked at more than 73,000 patients admitted with…

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Brussels Airport warns of long queues due to strict checks on travel documents

Brussels Airport is warning travellers that long queues could form during peak hours, as the authorities earlier this week announced stricter checks on passengers’ Passenger Locator Forms (PLF). On Wednesday,…

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UPDATED: COVID-19 crisis could return quickly, England’s chief medical officer says

England's coronavirus crisis could return again surprisingly quickly and the country is not yet out of the woods, the British government's chief medical adviser said, as infections surged ahead of…

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Germany has first African swine fever case in farm pigs

The first cases of African swine fever have been confirmed in farm pigs in Germany, the country's federal agriculture ministry said on Friday. The disease was confirmed in pigs on…

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UPDATED: Belgium warns against travel as flood death toll hits 14

Belgium's crisis centre urged people in the south and east of the country to avoid all travel on Friday as the death toll from swollen and burst rivers and flash…

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UPDATED: Further flooding feared in western Germany with death toll above 80

Further flooding was feared in western Germany on Friday as a breach at another dam loomed and the death toll rose to more than 80 in what is Germany's worst…

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UK supermarkets ask shoppers to keep wearing masks

Britain's biggest supermarket groups will encourage staff and customers to keep wearing face coverings from Monday despite new rules making it a matter of personal choice. The government is removing…

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Germany calls on China to allow further investigations into COVID origins

German Health Minister Jens Spahn called on China to make it possible for investigations into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic to continue, saying more information was needed. Speaking during…

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ASOS sales up 21% on pandemic demand

British online fashion retailer ASOS reported a 21% rise in sales in the four months to June 30 but said trading in the latter three weeks was more muted as…

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UK jobs leap as economy bounces back, pay jumps too

The number of employees on British company payrolls surged in June by the most since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to data which painted a picture of a…

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Ireland expects unemployment as high as 15% by year-end

Ireland expects its unemployment rate to be between 13% and 15% at the end of 2021, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said on Thursday as the government continues the gradual unlocking…

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Bring bags to Heathrow the night before to avoid queues, says British Airways

British Airways is reportedly encouraging passengers to check in their bags at Heathrow airport the night before their flight to avoid delays. The bag drop off is available from 4-9pm…

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UPDATED: At least 44 dead in floods in western Europe, dozens missing

At least 42 people have died in Germany and dozens were missing on Thursday as record rainfall in western Europe caused rivers to burst their banks, swept away homes and…

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A thousand people infected with coronavirus at Dutch outdoor festival

More than 1,000 festivalgoers tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a 20,000-person event in Utrecht on the first weekend of July, leading to the city's mayor to apologize, Dutch…

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UPDATED: Dutch crime reporter De Vries dies after being shot

Dutch crime reporter Peter R. De Vries has died just over a week after being shot in the street, his family and his employer RTL Netherlands news said on Thursday.…

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Most Britons want COVID restrictions to remain – poll

Two thirds of people in Britain think at least some coronavirus restrictions should stay in place after July 19 when Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to do away with them…

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UK’s Revolut valued at $33 bln after Softbank-backed fundraising

British-based digital banking app Revolut has raised around $800 million in a new funding round led by Softbank's Vision Fund and Tiger Global Management, valuing the company at around $33…

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Floods cut power to 200,000 households in western Germany, parts of Rhine closed to shipping

Floods in western Germany have cut electricity to 200,000 households, a spokeswoman for Westnetz, the country's biggest power distribution grid company, said on Thursday. "We are trying to resolve the…

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UPDATED: Death toll rises to 11 in German floods, dozens missing

At least 11 people have died and dozens were reported missing on Thursday as record rainfall in western Germany caused rivers to burst their banks, swept away homes and inundated…

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Photo Story: Flooding in the Netherlands

A person wearing rubber boots walks near sandbags in front of a door in the municipality of Valkenburg aan de Geul, South Limburg region, the Netherlands, early 15 July 2021.…

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Masks to remain mandatory on London transport after national rule easing

Masks will remain mandatory on London's public transport network after July 19, the city's mayor said, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government plans to lift most COVID-19 restrictions from that…

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Research sheds light on why people switch political parties

Why do some people switch political parties? After all, if someone is committed enough to a particular vision of politics, wouldn’t they be relatively immune to the charms of its competitors? It turns…

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