King Charles III shares first Christmas card as head of Britain
LONDON: Britain’s royal family shared a look at the first Christmas card under newly crowned monarch King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla reported UPI. Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year, the card reads, with a photo of the king and queen consort. The simple season’s greetings are the first since 1952 […]
Queen Elizabeth II to miss UK parliament opening as PM eyes political revival
LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II will miss Tuesday’s ceremonial opening of Britain’s parliament, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson tries to reinvigorate his faltering government by unveiling its plans for the coming year. The 96-year-old monarch, who usually presides over the pomp-filled event and reads out her government’s legislative programme from a gilded throne in the House […]
‘Britcoin?’: UK looks into digital currency
LONDON: Britain is looking into the possibility of creating a digital currency that households and businesses could use instead of cash — an initiative the finance minister dubbed “Britcoin”. The use of cash has fallen during the coronavirus pandemic as people try to avoid contact, and several central banks across the world are considering whether […]
Prince Philip dead age 99
LONDON: Britain’s Prince Philip, a constant presence at Queen Elizabeth II’s side for decades, died on Friday at age 99, Buckingham Palace announced. The death of the Duke of Edinburgh is a profound loss for the 94-year-old monarch, who once described him as her “strength and stay all these years”. The outspoken former navy commander […]
Britain opens visa scheme for millions of Hong Kongers
HONG KONG: A new visa scheme offering millions of Hong Kongers a pathway to British citizenship will go live later on Sunday as the city’s former colonial master opens its doors to those wanting to escape China’s crackdown on dissent. From Sunday afternoon, anyone with a British National (Overseas) passport and their dependents will be […]
Britain to apply to join Asia-Pacific free trade bloc
LONDON: Britain will apply to join a massive 11-nation free-trade bloc of Asia-Pacific countries, it announced Saturday, weeks after leaving the European single market with its departure from the EU. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss will formally request Monday for Britain to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a market representing […]
Boris Johnson reluctant to use national lockdown again
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he will only impose another nationwide coronavirus lockdown as a last resort, comparing the tool to “a nuclear deterrent” in a Sunday newspaper interview. Johnson, who is hoping Britain can return to “normality” by Christmas despite fears of a second wave of cases over winter, insisted the […]
Britain unveils plans to impose EU border checks in stages
AMMAN, Jordan: Britain will introduce border checks with the European Union (EU) in stages from Jan 1 next year, reversing an original plan so it can now give companies struggling with the coronavirus crisis more time to fill out forms and pay tariffs. The government said for the first six months of 2021 the new […]
Britain revises up virus-related deaths to 46,000
LONDON: Britain’s number of deaths “involving” the coronavirus has risen to 46,000, substantially higher than the 36,914 fatalities officially reported so far, according to a statistical update released Tuesday. The daily death tolls released in Britain only include fatalities that have been confirmed by a positive test. But the Office for National Statistics (ONS) conducts […]
British PM in intensive care after Covid-19 symptoms worsen
LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was taken to intensive care on Monday night after his Covid-19 symptoms worsened, Downing Street said. Johnson has asked British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him, Xinhua newa agency reported a Downing Street spokesman as saying. The prime minister, 55, was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital in […]
