Tag Archives: Britain

A senior Conservative lawmaker accused the British government on Thursday of intimidating and attempting to “blackmail” those lawmakers they suspect of wanting to force Prime Minister Boris Johnson out of power. Johnson is facing growing calls to step down over a series of scandals, including admitting he had attended a …

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday extended a heartfelt apology in the House of Commons in response to growing anger around reports of a bring-your-own-booze party in the 10 Downing Street garden during COVID-19 lockdown in May 2020. Johnson has been under intense pressure from the opposition Labour Party …

Britain on Tuesday launched a £1.0 billion support package for Covid-hit businesses, as staff absences from rising cases began to bite in the run-up to Christmas. Finance minister Rishi Sunak said some 200,000 firms would be eligible for one-off grants to offset losses from what is normally the busiest time …

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may introduce new restrictions to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant after Christmas, the Times and other media reported on Monday. Britain has reported record levels of COVID-19 cases over the past week, with officials and ministers warning that hospitalizations are also rising. …

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 …

The French government has said it will call on the EU to open legal proceedings against the UK over London’s alleged withholding of fishing licenses. Paris says 73 licenses are now outstanding. Speaking on Friday, Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune told reporters that France had obtained 93% of 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 …

If Julian Assange were a Chinese journalist and publisher, he’d have the Nobel Prize, be the centerpiece of Human Rights Day, and this week his portrait would’ve been planted atop President Joe Biden’s Democracy Summit. Assange’s name would’ve been the first on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s list of …

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 …

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 …

Belgium and Britain said on Tuesday they will cooperate more closely to fight illegal migration, days after France snubbed Britain and said it needed to get serious before talks on the matter could resume. France and Britain were already at loggerheads over immigration, post-Brexit trading rules and fishing rights and …

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, …

At least 27 migrants died after their dinghy capsized on Wednesday while trying to cross the Channel from France to Britain, a local mayor said. According to fishermen, more migrants left France’s northern shores than usual to take advantage of calm sea conditions, although the water was bitterly cold. One …

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 …

Britain’s GSK and partner Vir said on Friday their antibody-based COVID-19 drug has shown in a trial to work as well when given as a shot in the arm when administered via the standard infusion, potentially offering more convenience. GSK said it would now speak to global regulators, including 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 …