UK

Nigel Farage says he won’t stand in UK general election

Britain's Nigel Farage, a leading Brexit campaigner and the honorary president of the right wing Reform Party, said on Thursday that he would not stand in the July general election.…

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Russia says it will strike British targets if UK weapons are used to hit its territory

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow will retaliate with strikes on British targets if British weapons are used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory. Zakharova…

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UK police investigating unexplained death of man charged with spying for China

British police are investigating the unexplained death of a man charged earlier this month with assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service. Police said in a statement they were investigating an…

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The Road To The Vote: What happens in a UK national election?

Britain will hold a national election on July 4 which opinion polls indicate will end 14 years of Conservative Party-led government, spanning one of the most turbulent periods in the…

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Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to hit campaign trail as UK election race begins

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labour Party rival Keir Starmer will kick off their election campaigns in earnest on Thursday, a day after Sunak surprised the nation by…

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UK says neutral countries should join NATO if they want protection

Neutral countries which aren't NATO members but enjoy its "umbrella of protection" should have to join the military alliance, Britain's defense secretary said Wednesday. In a speech in London, Grant…

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Rishi Sunak Announces Snap General Election for the UK on 4 July

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a surprise development, calling for a snap general election in the United Kingdom during a speech delivered outside Downing Street. The election will…

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British defense minister accuses China of providing lethal aid to Russia

British defence minister Grant Shapps accused China on Wednesday of providing or preparing to provide Russia with lethal aid for use by Moscow in its war against Ukraine. Shapps told…

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The Maltese High Commission in London owes over £700,000 in unpaid traffic charges, the United States tops the list with £14 million

The Maltese High Commission in London has racked up more than £700,00 in unpaid traffic charges, though this is far from the most among the embassies and diplomatic missions in…

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King Charles hands military title to son William in rare joint appearance

Britain's King Charles handed over a senior military role to his son Prince William at a ceremony on Monday, marking a rare joint appearance for the pair as the king…

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Four of the most consequential political defections in British history

Chris Smith, Coventry University The hitherto Conservative MP for Dover, Natalie Elphicke, has sensationally defected to the Labour party. This has sent shockwaves through Westminster, as Elphicke was a figure…

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UK’s Labour holds 30-point poll lead over Sunak’s Conservatives

Britain's opposition Labour Party has increased its poll lead over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives to stand 30 points ahead, according to a YouGov poll for the Times newspaper. The…

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UK refuses to sign global vaccine treaty

Britain is refusing to sign the World Health Organization's (WHO) pandemic accord because the country says it would have to give away a fifth of its vaccines, the Telegraph reported.…

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Another British Conservative lawmaker defects to opposition Labour Party

A lawmaker in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party defected to the opposition Labour Party on Wednesday, the second to do so in less than two weeks, criticising what she…

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UK rules out cyber threat after resolving passport gate outage

Britain's Home Office said border control systems are operational after an outage that it deemed was not a cyber attack led to lengthy queues and chaotic scenes at airports nationwide.…

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Sadiq Khan wins landmark third term as mayor of London

Labour's Sadiq Khan has won a landmark third successive term as mayor of London. Khan, who was first elected in May 2016, beat his Conservative rival Susan Hall by more…

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UK’s Boris Johnson, who introduced voter ID rule, forgets his while voting

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson, who introduced a contentious requirement for voters to show photo ID while voting, was turned away from a polling station on Thursday for forgetting…

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Cameron: Ukraine has ‘right’ to strike Russia using British-supplied weapons

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron was in Kyiv Thursday, where he promised £3bn of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes". He added Ukraine had a right…

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UPDATED: UK’s Labour claim big early win over PM Sunak’s Conservatives

Britain's opposition Labour Party won a parliamentary seat in northern England on Friday, inflicting a heavy loss on the governing Conservatives at the start of what could be a bruising…

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UK begins detaining migrants set to be deported to Rwanda

British authorities have started to detain migrants in preparation for them to be sent to Rwanda in the next nine to 11 weeks, the government said, laying the groundwork for…

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More price rises and empty shelves on the cards as UK brings in Brexit border checks

Small independent businesses may pass on the cost of import checks to customers. Alena Veasey/Shutterstock Kamran Mahroof, University of Bradford and Emilia Vann Yaroson, University of Huddersfield New import checks…

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London police arrest sword-wielding man after reports of stabbing

British police have arrested a man armed with a sword following reports of people having been stabbed during a serious incident in northeast London although it was not thought to…

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Britain starts physical checks on fresh food imports from the EU

Britain launched physical checks on fresh food products imported from the European Union on Tuesday some three years after it left the bloc's single market and eight years after it…

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US, Britain urge Hamas to accept Israeli truce proposal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to swiftly accept an Israeli proposal for a truce in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli hostages held by the…

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Two million Britons suffer long COVID symptoms

Two million people across England and Scotland are still suffering from long COVID symptoms, of whom 381,000 have had their day-to-day activities limited a lot, according to an official study…

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Cost of living still top concern for UK

Regular polling by the Office for National Statistics, tracking public attitudes to the big issues of the day, have just been released. For some time the cost of living crisis…

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British man tests first personalised melanoma vaccine

An important trial of the world's first "personalised" mRNA vaccine against the deadliest form of skin cancer - melanoma - is now under way in the UK. Steve Young, 52,…

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UK polling guru predicts new Brexit referendum by 2040

Top political scientist John Curtice predicted another referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU could take place in the next 16 years. “I think the 2016 referendum is going to…

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UK anger at MEPs for saying ‘colony’ Gibraltar is undermining Russian sanctions

Britain reacted with fury after European lawmakers accused Gibraltar of making it easy for Russia to exploit sanctions loopholes and branded the territory a "colony." The spat, just the latest…

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UK advertising spend drops amid brutal market

UK advertising spend reached £36.6bn in 2023 representing a real term contraction of 1.2% and underscoring the brutal advertising downturn in TV, regional media and magazine advertising, according to a…

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British TV station GB News can continue to use politicians as presenters

British TV station GB News can continue to use politicians as presenters, after the media regulator Ofcom concluded the British public does not want to ban the likes of Jacob…

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Runaway horses cause havoc through the streets of London

Horses from the Household Cavalry caused chaos around central London. The animals, with saddles and bridles, were seen running on the road near Aldwych on Wednesday morning. Pictures and…

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FA Cup final to kick off as usual at 3pm, in relief for travelling fans

The FA Cup 2023-24 final between holders Manchester City and Manchester United will kick off at 3pm local time, the English FA said on Tuesday, in welcome news for travelling…

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What is UK’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda?

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised on Monday to start sending asylum seekers to Rwanda within 10 to 12 weeks after parliament passed much-delayed legislation to facilitate the deportation of…

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UK’s Sunak says nothing will stop Rwanda policy; migrants die in channel

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed that nothing would prevent him from sending asylum seekers to Rwanda after parliament finally approved the divisive policy that is designed to deter migrants…

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Wet wipes containing plastic to be banned from sale in UK

Wet wipes containing plastic will be banned from being sold in the UK, with legislation expected to be announced by Environment Secretary Steve Barclay on Monday. The government is planning…

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British MPs back smoking ban for those born after 2009

British MPs have backed a plan to ban anyone born after 2009 from buying cigarettes, effectively ensuring it will become law. The measures, championed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, survived…

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UK unemployment rate jumps to 4.2%

Britain’s unemployment rate has risen to 4.2%, as the number of workers in payrolled jobs falls and more people leave the jobs market. The latest healthcheck on the UK’s labour…

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Cost of UK passports to rise for second time in 14 months to up to £100

The cost of a new or renewed UK passport is going up again for the second time in 14 months – rising by 7% to £88.50 for an adult online…

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Microsoft to launch AI hub in London

By Martin Coulter Microsoft has has announced plans for a new artificial intelligence (AI) hub in London, focused on product development and research. The unit will be led by Mustafa…

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Women in UK finance earn a third less than male colleagues, data shows

Some of Britain's top financial firms pay women 28.8% less on average than male counterparts, salary data from 21 companies reviewed by Reuters shows, even though they say they are…

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Train drivers in England begin three-day series of strikes

Rail passengers across England will face significant disruption on Friday as train drivers at five operating companies carry out industrial action. The 24-hour strike will be the first of three…

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Uproar in the UK as MP admits passing colleagues’ numbers to stranger met on dating app

A senior member of Britain's governing Conservative Party has admitted supplying the personal details of fellow lawmakers to someone he met online, saying he had felt compromised after he sent…

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Food price fears as Brexit import charges revealed

The British government has revealed how much companies will have to pay to import foods from the EU due to Brexit. Small imports of products such as fish, salami, sausage,…

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Easing of UK airport security rules on liquids and laptops delayed

A planned relaxation of rules around airline passengers carrying liquids in hand luggage has been delayed by a year. Major UK airports are believed to have been granted an extension…

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Conservatives set for heavy UK election defeat to opposition Labour, survey shows

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party is set for a heavy defeat at a national election expected this year, according to a seat projection published on Wednesday which showed…

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Illness, scandal and discord leave UK royal family looking depleted

By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - King Charles is due to make his first public appearance at a royal event since his cancer diagnosis on Sunday, but the likely absence…

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British Army allows beards as it ends 100-year ban

British Army soldiers and officers will finally be allowed to grow a full beard after King Charles gave his approval, allowing military chiefs to end the more than 100-year ban. Head…

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Mandelson dismisses prospect of UK rejoining EU

Peter Mandelson has dismissed the prospect of an incoming Labour government taking Britain back into the EU, saying “you’ve got to be joking” that Brussels would want to renegotiate the…

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Migrant crossings to UK hit new record

More than 4,600 asylum seekers have arrived in Britain on small boats so far in 2024, a record total for the first three months of the year and giving Prime…

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Britain plans to boost nuclear workforce

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will set out plans to boost Britain's nuclear workforce on Monday, as increased submarine building and the growing needs of the nuclear energy industry are forecast…

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Turbulent 2024 for Britain’s royal family

Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, said she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests following an abdominal surgery revealed that cancer had been present. Below is a timeline of recent events…

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King Charles, Prince Harry, politicians offer support to Kate after cancer announcement

LONDON, (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles, Prince Harry and political leaders offered support to Kate, Princess of Wales, after she said tests following abdominal surgery showed cancer had been present…

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Kate, Princess of Wales, says she has cancer

By Michael Holden LONDON, (Reuters) - Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, said on Friday she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests taken after she had major abdominal surgery in January…

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UK businesses keep up recovery but prices still a worry, PMI shows

LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - British businesses kept up their recovery from recession this month but stubborn price pressures could bolster the Bank of England's wait-and-see approach to interest rates,…

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Australia, UK to boost defence cooperation

By Kirsty Needham and Renju Jose SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a new defence and security cooperation agreement that makes it easier for their…

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Easing UK inflation keeps BoE on track for rate cuts later in 2024

UK inflation falls to 3.4% in Feb from 4.0% Data bolsters expectations for rate cuts Inflation rate still highest among G7 BoE still expected to hold rates on Thursday Finance…

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