UK

Home Office U-turns on rights of EU citizens who were in UK pre-Brexit

The Home Office has made a significant U-turn on the rights of EU citizens who were in the UK before Brexit. It is going to reverse a rule it made…

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London transport fares frozen to ease cost-of-living pressures

LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Most public transport fares in London will remain the same this year, in a move aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures and boosting the retail and…

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Tata Steel to close UK blast furnaces with loss of up to 2,800 jobs

LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Tata Steel said on Friday it will close its two blast furnaces in Britain by the end of this year, resulting in up to 2,800…

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UK retail sales slump points to new risk of recession

Retail sales slump 3.2% in December, biggest drop since Jan 2021 Sales volumes now at lowest ebb since May 2020 Reading raises risk of recession Recession would be political headache…

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Weakened UK PM Sunak survives Conservative asylum law rebellion

By Andrew Macaskill and Elizabeth Piper British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defeated a Conservative rebellion on Wednesday over his plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, winning a costly victory…

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Kate, UK’s Princess of Wales, has surgery, Charles in hospital next week

LONDON, (Reuters) - Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, has undergone successful planned abdominal surgery and will be in hospital for up to two weeks, while King Charles will also undergo…

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UK inflation picks up unexpectedly in December after tobacco duty rise

UK inflation rises to 4.0% in Dec from Nov's 3.9% Rise in tobacco duty adds to price pressure Markets scale back bets on May rate cut by BoE Core inflation…

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17

Jan

Britain’s Labour would need record vote swing to win majority, research shows

Britain's opposition Labour Party would need a record swing in votes to win a majority in parliament at the next national election, according to analysis which looked at the country's…

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UK to ‘wait and see’ on possible further strikes against Houthis, says defence minister

Adds background in paragraphs 3-4, Shapps quotes in 5-6 LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Britain will "wait and see" before deciding to launch fresh military strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis…

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UK commits 20,000 military personnel for NATO exercise in Europe

LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Britain will commit 20,000 military personnel to serve across Europe in a major NATO exercise in the first half of this year, as well as…

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UK job vacancies down by a third in December: REC

LONDON, (Reuters) - British employers advertised 32% fewer job vacancies last month than they did in December 2022, industry figures showed on Friday in a further sign of a cooling…

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Sterling holds near 5-month high as UK growth beats expectations

By Harry Robertson LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Sterling was little changed on Friday, not far off its highest level in five months, after data showed British growth beat expectations…

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UK economy grew in November but running close to recession

By David Milliken and William Schomberg LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Britain's economy grew slightly more strongly than expected in November but weakness in previous months leaves it at high…

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Partying Britons boost Tesco and M&S at Christmas but cautious for new year

By James Davey and Paul Sandle LONDON, (Reuters) - Britons splashed out on premium and party food at Tesco and Marks & Spencer over Christmas, prioritising treats at home over…

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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 companies see rising revenue but wary of investment – BCC

LONDON, (Reuters) - British companies are a bit more optimistic about sales growth this year after a largely flat 2023 but remain wary about increasing investment, according to a survey…

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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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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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Discounters, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are UK Christmas winners – Kantar

Sainsbury's sales up 9.3% in 12 weeks to Dec. 24 - Kantar Tesco sales up 7.5% in 12 weeks to Dec. 24 - Kantar UK grocery inflation slows to 6.7%…

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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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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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Britain to send 200 air defence missiles to Ukraine

Britain is sending around 200 air defence missiles to Ukraine to help protect civilians and infrastructure from Russian drones and bombing, the British ministry of defence said on Friday. The…

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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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Venezuela’s Maduro slams deployment of British warship to Guyana

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the deployment of a British warship to waters off the coast of Guyana breaches the "spirit" of an agreement reached between Venezuelan and Guyanese authorities.…

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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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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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Rail fares in England to go up by almost 5%

LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Regulated rail fares in England will rise by up to 4.9% in March, less than the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation which was…

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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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UK budget deficit shows limited room for election giveaways

UK runs 14.3 billion-pound budget deficit in November Reuters poll had pointed to 12.9 bln pound shortfall Budget deficit so far this tax year running higher ONS revises up borrowing…

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UK lawmakers call on Premier League to reduce volume of gambling adverts

By Lori Ewing MANCHESTER, England, Dec 21 (Reuters) - British members of parliament are calling on the Premier League and other governing bodies to reduce the volume of gambling adverts…

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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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Complaints about car financing, insurance race up UK ombudsman’s in-tray

By Huw Jones LONDON, (Reuters) - Britain's Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) said this week that complaints about financing and insuring cars have spiked as claims management firms pile in with…

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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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Sterling tumbles after UK economy shrinks

By Amanda Cooper LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The pound was among the worst performing major currencies against the dollar on Wednesday, after data showed the UK economy shrank in…

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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 to transfer two minehunters to Ukraine as it launches maritime support plan

LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday it would transfer two Royal Navy minehunter ships to the Ukrainian Navy, as it sets up a new maritime defence coalition…

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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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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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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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