The British economy shrank in the second quarter for the first time since 2012 as Brexit uncertainties weighed on business investment and firms reduced their stockpiling after Britain’s departure from the European Union was postponed, official figures showed Friday. The decline is set to raise an alarm that Brexit uncertainty …
Read More »Brexit ‘no matter what’, Johnson promises as sterling falls.
Britain Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised on Tuesday to lead Britain out of the European Union on Oct. 31 “no matter what” as sterling tumbled and Ireland warned that the bloc would not be renegotiating the thrice defeated divorce deal. The British pound fell on Tuesday as investors bet Johnson’s …
Read More »Dubai ruler and wife begin London court battle.
The ruler of Dubai, one of the most high-profile leaders in the Middle East, and his estranged wife are beginning a court battle in London over the welfare of their children. Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum’s wife, Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, is the third female member of his court to run …
Read More »Boris Johnson becomes Britain’s new prime minister.
Boris Johnson, Britain’s most high-profile Brexiteer, has won the leadership of the Tories to become the country’s next prime minister, replacing outgoing Theresa May. Johnson won 92,153 votes by members of the Conservative Party On Tuesday, Reuters reported. His main rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, won 46,656. He is to …
Read More »UK lawmakers back proposal to hamper a no-deal Brexit
British lawmakers on Thursday backed proposals to make it harder for the next prime minister to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament, showing again their determination to stop a divorce from the European Union without agreement. Boris Johnson, the clear frontrunner to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May next …
Read More »European leaders join Macron for Bastille Day parade.
European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday for the traditional Bastille Day military parade in Paris, which this year honored European military cooperation. After riding down the iconic Champs Elysees boulevard in a military vehicle escorted by motorcycles and a cavalry procession, Macron …
Read More »UK ambassador to the US quits amid Trump row.
Sir Kim Darroch has resigned as UK ambassador to the US, amid a row over leaked emails critical of Trump’s administration. The ambassador was branded “a very stupid guy” by the US president after emails emerged calling his administration “clumsy and inept”. The Foreign Office praised Sir Kim’s “professionalism and …
Read More »British Museum returns Iraq’s looted antiquities.
Ancient artifacts that have been looted from Iraq and Afghanistan after recent conflicts and illegally exported to the UK will be returned to their country of origin. The British Museum is working with the UK Border Force and other Government law enforcement agencies to help to return the seized items, …
Read More »Iran must seize UK oil vessel if tanker not released: Official.
A senior Iranian official has called for the seizure of a British oil tanker in case London refuses to release the Iranian vessel it has illegally detained in Gibraltar. “If Britain does not release the Iranian oil tanker, it is the authorities’ duty to make a reciprocal move and seize …
Read More »Trumpet of lies: Trump claims 1775 revolutionary army ‘took over airports’
Historical blunder in July 4th speech compounded by mixing up the war of 1812 with the war of independence Donald Trump made an awkward blunder during his speech on Independence Day, praising the army, which he said “took over the airports” from the British during the revolutionary war in the …
Read More »Iran summons British envoy for “illegal seizure” of an Iranian oil tanker: TV
Iran summoned the British ambassador in Tehran over the “illegal seizure” of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar on Thursday, Iranian state TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi as saying. British Royal Marines seized an oil tanker in Gibraltar on Thursday accused of bringing oil to Syria in violation …
Read More »China to Britain: Keep your ‘colonial’ hands off Hong Kong.
China told Britain to keep its hands off Hong Kong on Wednesday while London called for Beijing to honor the agreements made when the city was handed over in 1997, escalating a diplomatic spat over the former British colony. Beijing denounced British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt as “shameless” and said …
Read More »Rouhani: Iran will start enriching uranium at higher levels after this weekend.
Iran will begin enriching uranium at a higher level than what is allowed under the 2015 nuclear deal within days, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday. The announcement comes two days after Iran announced it had exceeded limits on its low-enriched uranium stockpiles. Under the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to …
Read More »Wales shifting towards independence.
The continuing political chaos at Westminster over Brexit and related matters is placing more and more pressure on the United Kingdom’s periphery. There is already a growing chorus of support for a second Scottish independence referendum. Now new opinion polling suggests that support for Welsh independence is also growing. Barring …
Read More »Johnson defends Brexit plan and ‘row’ silence
Boris Johnson has admitted he would need EU co-operation to avoid a hard Irish border or crippling tariffs on trade in the event of a no-deal Brexit. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, the favorite to be the next PM said: “It’s not just up to us.” But he …
Read More »New deal or no deal: How will Britain’s next PM deliver Brexit?
The toughest job for Britain’s next prime minister will be to leave the European Union. But the new leader will have few options: find a divorce deal that parliament will ratify, leave without a deal or delay. Legally, Britain leaves on Oct. 31, seven months later than planned, unless the …
Read More »Norway to reassess power cable to the UK over Brexit.
The Norwegian government has ordered a re-evaluation of a major project to transfer electricity to the United Kingdom amid growing uncertainties about Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. Norway’s oil and energy ministry said in a statement on Thursday that there was a need for the privately-owned NorthConnect to reassess …
Read More »Galloway sacked by UK radio after posting a sports tweet against Israel.
Prominent British journalist and political activist George Galloway has been sacked as the host of a popular radio show after her published anti-Israeli comments online. Galloway was fired by TalkRadio station after he sent a tweet congratulating football club Liverpool FC on their victory in UEFA Champions League final against …
Read More »Majority of UK voters do not want Johnson as prime minister: Polls
A study of recent polls carried out in the United Kingdom shows the majority of voters in the country have not a good opinion of Boris Johnson as their next prime minister. Polling expert Robert Hayward told the Guardian on Wednesday that voters in Britain have a “distinct antipathy” towards …
Read More »Scientists Edit Chicken Genes to make them resistant to Bird Flu.
Scientists in Britain have used gene-editing techniques to stop bird flu spreading in chicken cells grown in a lab – a key step towards making genetically-altered chickens that could halt a human flu pandemic. Bird flu viruses currently spread swiftly in wild birds and poultry, and can at times jump …
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