UK

British Brexit minister David Frost resigned on Saturday over disillusionment with the direction of Boris Johnson’s government, dealing a major blow to the embattled prime minister as the Omicron variant sweeps the country. The resignation of Frost, a core architect of Johnson’s tumultuous Brexit strategy, raised questions about the future …

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has admitted it’s unlikely that the UK will send military forces to help defend Ukraine in the event of a conflict with Russia. He disclosed that Kiev is aware of the situation. “It’s a fact [that Ukraine is] not a member of NATO, so it …

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a ‘major incident’ in the UK capital over the quickly deteriorating epidemiological situation prompted by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. “Today I have declared a major incident in London because of the serious threat of Covid-19 to our city. This will help us avoid …

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has suffered a stunning defeat in a parliamentary by-election that was a referendum on his government. His ruling Tories had held the seat in North Shropshire, central England, by a massive majority just two years ago, but saw that wiped out by the …

British lawmakers will vote Tuesday on whether to approve new restrictions to curb the spread of the omicron variant of coronavirus — and many will have more than public health on their minds when they say yes or no. The votes are also an opportunity to express unhappiness with embattled …

While Russian President Vladimir Putin keeps the West guessing over Ukraine, it was the might of Chinese President Xi Jinping that garnered the long-term strategic focus when the diplomats from the Group of Seven richest democracies met this weekend. The United States and its other G7 allies are searching for …

The British High Court has overturned a ruling that blocked the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, deciding that he can be sent to America, where he faces possible life in a prison sentence. Washington accuses Assange of 18 counts relating to WikiLeaks’ release of vast …

Violent gusts of over 150 kilometers per hour disrupted everyday lives across Ireland and Scotland, as Storm Barra hit and left people without power. The storm from the Atlantic, which broke earlier in the week, tore through numerous regions of the UK and Ireland for at least two days. Dubbed …

Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a “call to get jabs in arms” on Wednesday as Britain stepped up its COVID-19 booster programme to fend off the Omicron variant after another 10 cases of the new strain were identified. Britain has now recorded 32 cases of the Omicron variant, which appears …

At least two people died and tens of thousands were left without power as Storm Arwen brought strong winds across many parts of the United Kingdom, with gusts of up to 100 miles per hour (160 kph). One man died in Northern Ireland’s County Antrim when his car was struck …

Two linked cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in Britain connected to travel to southern Africa, health minister Sajid Javid said on Saturday. Omicron dubbed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization on Friday, is potentially more contagious than previous variants of the disease, …

France said on Friday it was still waiting for Britain to issue 150 more fishing licences to French vessels in a post-Brexit row that has strained British-French relations, and that it would “fight every day” to obtain them. The dispute has dragged on since Britain left the European Union, with …

A senior British minister said on Friday that he was confident London could break an impasse with the EU over post-Brexit trade arrangements for Northern Ireland without having to trigger emergency measures to safeguard the movement of goods. Britain and the EU agreed to intensify efforts to resolve Northern Ireland …

Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, arrived in Cairo on Thursday for the first time in 15 years, hoping to promote tolerance and cement bilateral ties. The visit is part of the royal couple’s first tour since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. It is also their first visit …

Negotiators shuttled between delegations at the U.N. climate talks in Scotland on Saturday, seeking a deal to give the world a fighting chance of avoiding the worst effects of global warming, as the British host told them they had just hours left. Alok Sharma delayed a public meeting in the …

The UK and the European Union inched away from a diplomatic cliff edge on Friday but remained miles apart in a post-Brexit spat that risks escalating into a cross-Channel trade war. Talks to resolve differences over Northern Ireland trade have dragged on for almost a month, with EU officials increasingly …

Russia said on Thursday it had scrambled a fighter jet to intercept a British spy plane operating near Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Russia’s defense ministry said the British foray was part of a wider uptick in military activity by the United States …

British Brexit minister David Frost said on Wednesday that Brussels should stay calm and avoid embarking on “massive and disproportionate retaliation” if London follows through on its threat to escalate a post-Brexit trade dispute. Frost said he wasn’t yet ready to give up on talks aimed at finding a solution, …

Former British Prime Minister John Major on Saturday attacked fellow Conservative Boris Johnson’s handling of a corruption row, calling the conduct “shameful” and saying this could undermine his popularity. Johnson was forced to make an embarrassing U-turn after he abandoned plans pushed through parliament to protect a lawmaker found to …

Britain and India launched a plan on Tuesday to improve connections between the world’s electricity power grids to help accelerate the world’s transition to greener energy. Launched at the COP26 climate talks in Scotland, the plan dubbed the “Green Grids Initiative –- One Sun One World One Grid,” was backed …