UK

FACTBOX-COP26: What would success look like at the climate summit?

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Making a final assessment of the progress achieved over the two weeks of the COP26 talks in Glasgow will be complex. Unlike past climate summits, the…

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COP26: World makes new bid to avert climate disaster

GLASGOW, Oct 31 (Reuters) - World leaders will start descending on the Scottish city of Glasgow on Sunday for the United Nations COP26 summit, billed as a make-or-break chance to…

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UPDATED: Britain, France again at loggerheads over easing fishing row

Britain and France clashed again over a post-Brexit fishing row on Sunday, with London calling on Paris to withdraw its threats and rejecting assertions there had been any agreement to…

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UK’s Frost calls French PM remarks on Brexit ‘very troubling’

LONDON (Reuters) - British Brexit minister David Frost said remarks made by France's prime minister in a letter to the European Union suggesting the bloc should demonstrate there is "more…

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Not ruling out trade action, UK’s Johnson tries to calm waters with French

ROME, Oct 30 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday he could not rule out triggering trade dispute action against France next week in a post-Brexit row…

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World should shut nearly 3,000 coal plants to keep on climate track -study

The world will need to shut down nearly 3,000 coal-fired power plants before 2030 if it is to have a chance of keeping temperature rises within 1.5 Celsius, according to…

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A look at the sticking points at the COP26 U.N. climate conference

Representatives from nearly 200 countries will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, from Oct. 31-Nov. 12 for climate talks to strengthen action to tackle global warming under the 2015 Paris Agreement. Against…

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UK PM: Concerns about European Court of Justice role in N. Ireland

LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Britain has concerns about the role of the European Court of Justice in Northern Ireland, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his Polish counterpart, amid a…

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Queen Elizabeth told to rest for ‘at least two weeks’ by doctors

Queen Elizabeth II has been advised by her doctors to rest for at least the next two weeks, avoiding official visits and only undertaking light, desk-based duties during this time,…

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UK’s Johnson warns on climate, recalls fall of Roman Empire ahead of G20 summit

ROME, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Global leaders must step up the fight against climate change, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Friday, saying world civilisation could collapse as swiftly…

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Photo Story: Nessie in London

A sculpture of the Loch Ness monster made entirely from recycled denim jeans on display in London, Britain. 'Messy the COP Ness Monster' is a collaborative work by artist Billie…

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England’s COVID prevalence rises to new highest level since January, ONS says

The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England hit its highest level since the start of the year, reaching around 1 in 50 people in the week ending Oct. 22, Britain's…

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UPDATED: France, Britain locked in fishing standoff as Brexit tensions mount

By Costas Pitas and Sarah Meyssonnier LONDON/LE HAVRE, France, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Britain threatened on Friday to board French fishing boats and France stood by a plan to impose…

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A look at the post-Brexit fishing rules at the heart of new UK-France clash

France’s seizure of a British trawler in French territorial waters marked a serious escalation in a dispute between Paris and London over post-Brexit fishing rights. Tensions between the two sides…

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English regulators to consider use of e-cigarettes by health service

LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Health regulators in England have paved the way for e-cigarettes to be prescribed by doctors for the first time in any country to help people…

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UK to remove final seven countries from COVID-19 travel ‘red list’

Britain will remove next week the last seven countries on its coronavirus "red list", which currently requires newly arrived travellers from these destinations to spend 10 days in hotel quarantine,…

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UK summons French ambassador in post-Brexit fishing row

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's government said on Thursday it would summon France's ambassador to London to protest France's actions in a post-Brexit fishing dispute. "I have instructed Europe Minister Wendy…

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Support for N.Ireland protocol grows among voters – poll

BELFAST, Oct 28 (Reuters) - A slim majority of voters in Northern Ireland view its post-Brexit trade arrangements as being on balance a "good thing" for the British-run region, a…

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UPDATED: UK has no plans to scrap COVID red travel list, PM’s spokesman says

Britain has no plans to scrap a travel red list country system that requires arrivals to stay in a hotel to quarantine, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said…

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Businessman who organised fatal flight for footballer Emiliano Sala found guilty of endangering safety of an aircraft

David Henderson, the businessman who organised the flight that crashed, killing footballer Emiliano Sala, has been found guilty at Cardiff Crown Court of endangering the safety of an aircraft. Sala,…

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Camilla condemns how society has come to believe ‘violence against women is normal’

The Duchess of Cornwall has condemned the way society has come to believe that "violence against women is normal", asking: "How many more women must be harassed, raped or murdered?"…

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UK’s Prince Charles to deliver opening address at COP26

British heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles will speak at the opening ceremony of the COP26 United Nations climate summit on Monday to welcome world leaders, his office said, after Queen Elizabeth pulled…

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UPDATED: UK’s Sunak delivers budget speech and spending review

LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Finance minister Rishi Sunak was expected to announce multi-billion-pound public investments alongside tight controls on day-to-day outlays in a budget speech and three-year spending plan…

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UK opposition Labour leader tests positive for COVID-19

LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the party said. House of Commons speaker…

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UK retailers warn of pre-Christmas price rises

LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - British retailers warned on Wednesday of pre-Christmas price rises after they reported the smallest year-on-year decline in the average selling price of goods in their…

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UK’s Queen Elizabeth pulls out of COP26 following advice to rest

Britain's Queen Elizabeth has pulled out of the COP26 conference in Glasgow next week after she was advised by doctors to rest, Buckingham Palace said, in a blow to the…

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UK reports 263 COVID-19 deaths, highest daily total since March

Britain reported 263 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test on Tuesday, the highest daily total reported since March 3 following a steady rise in cases in the…

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UK’s Sunak to squeeze spending after pandemic splurge but will unfreeze public sector pay

After blowing the biggest hole in the public finances ever seen in peacetime to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Britain's finance minister Rishi Sunak is expected to squeeze spending in a half-yearly budget…

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Each day without climate action is ‘a day wasted’ – UK’s Attenborough

British naturalist David Attenborough warned world leaders on Tuesday it would be too late to tackle climate change if a U.N. climate summit in Scotland does not succeed, and said richer…

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UK’s Heathrow Airport flags tepid travel recovery until 2026

Britain's Heathrow Airport Ltd said on Tuesday it was still reporting losses and does not expect air traffic to recover completely until at least 2026 even as the travel industry gathered steam…

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Beset by bad news, UK consumers gloomiest since lockdown

People in Britain are their most downbeat since they were under lockdown in February, and are increasingly worried about the year to come as prices and COVID cases rise, according…

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Britain sets out long-term fund rules to aid climate action, COVID recovery

LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Britain's financial watchdog set out new rules for funds that invest over the longer term to help tackle climate change and economic recovery from COVID-19,…

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COP26 in Glasgow: Who is going and who is not?

Several prominent figures are in doubt to attend the Oct. 31-Nov. 12 U.N. COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in person. Here is the latest on the status of delegates: OUT…

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UK plans 6 billion pound package to boost health service capacity

British finance minister Rishi Sunak's budget this week will include an extra 5.9 billion pounds ($8.1 billion) of spending for the health service over the next few years to drive…

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Queen Elizabeth hoping to attend COP26

LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth is hoping to be fit enough to meet world leaders at the COP26 climate conference next week after she followed doctor's advice…

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Health Secretary Sajid Javid says UK likely to force NHS staff to have COVID shots

LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Britain is likely to require staff in the National Health Service to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Monday. He…

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Tesco says online services back up after interference ‘attempt’

LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - British supermarket chain Tesco said its website and app are back up after the services were disrupted by an attempt to interfere with its systems.…

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Guilt, grief and anxiety as young people fear for climate’s future

Overwhelmed, sad, guilty are some of the emotions young people say they feel when they think of climate change and their concerns world leaders will fail to tackle it. Broadly…

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Britain reports highest weekly COVID-19 cases since July

LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Britain recorded the highest number of new cases of COVID-19 since July over the past week, government figures showed on Saturday, a day after Prime…

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Photo Story: Little Amal visits St Paul’s Cathedral in London

'Little Amal,' a 3.5-meter-tall puppet representing a young Syrian refugee girl visits St Paul's Cathedral in London, Britain, 23 October 2021. Amal arrived in Britain on 19 October 2021 on…

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UK’s Sunak rules out return to major COVID restrictions

British finance minister Rishi Sunak said there must be no return to "significant economic restrictions" despite a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the country, The Times newspaper quoted him…

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Delta ‘Plus’ Covid variant may be more transmissible

A new mutated form of coronavirus that some are calling "Delta Plus" may spread more easily than regular Delta, UK experts now say. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has…

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A few facts on Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch

Britain's Queen Elizabeth, the world's longest-reigning monarch, spent a night in hospital but returned to Windsor Castle on Thursday. Here are some facts about the 95-year-old queen: PRINCESS Elizabeth Alexandra…

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Card spending in UK falls below pre-COVID average – ONS

Spending on credit and debit cards in Britain fell last week to 97% of its pre-pandemic average in February 2020, official data showed. The sharpest falls over the past week…

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UK employers tell Johnson to ‘get serious’ about tax and investment

LONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - British employers told Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government on Friday to "get serious" about encouraging business investment and stop blaming them for the economy's problems…

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UPDATED: England’s COVID prevalence rises to new highest level since January, ONS says

The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England increased to around 1 in 55 people in the week ending Oct 16, Britain's Office for National Statistics said on Friday, once again…

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UPDATED: Queen will rest and undertake light duties

Britain's Queen Elizabeth, 95, will spend Friday resting and undertaking light duties after she spent a night in hospital for the first time in years for what Buckingham Palace termed…

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UPDATED: Queen Elizabeth back home after first night in hospital in years

Britain's 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth spent a night in hospital for the first time in years for what royal officials termed 'preliminary investigations' but was in good spirits and back at…

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More Britons struggling to pay their bills, poll shows

LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - More people in Britain are finding it hard to meet their bills and a growing number are worried about being unable to heat their homes…

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After Everard murder, London police to reassure women with video calls

London's Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday lone officers in plain clothes would call a supervisor to identify themselves when approaching lone women, in order to regain trust after the murder…

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UPDATED: Man charged with murder of British lawmaker Amess

British police on Thursday charged Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old Londoner, with the murder of lawmaker David Amess, who was stabbed to death last week in a church while meeting…

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UK adds nerve disorder as rare side-effect of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Oct 21 (Reuters) - The UK drug regulator added an extremely rare nerve-damaging disorder, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), as a very rare side effect of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, updates on…

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Britain and New Zealand strike free trade deal

Britain and New Zealand have reached agreement in principle on a free trade deal designed to reduce tariffs, improve services trade, and take London one step closer to membership in…

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British Queen turns down Oldie of the Year award

She may be 95, but it seems the Queen feels too young at heart to accept the main award for "Oldie of the Year". The monarch believes "you are as…

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Britain’s Royal Mint to extract gold from discarded electronics

Britain's Royal Mint said on Wednesday it planned to build a plant in Wales that could reclaim hundreds of kilograms of gold and other precious metals from electronic waste such…

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Daily UK Covid Cases can soar to 100,000 – Covid is not over – UK Health Minister

The Independent (UK) reports Health Minister Sajid Javid saying that the daily coronavirus cases could rise as high as 100,000 a day this winter. He added that the pandemic was not over, the health…

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UK inflation declines unexpectedly in September – ONS

British inflation slowed unexpectedly last month but the decline probably marked a temporary respite for consumers and the Bank of England is expected to address the acceleration by raising interests…

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