London: The Bank of England on Wednesday insisted it would end emergency buying of UK bonds by the weekend but sent markets into further frenzy as economic uncertainty grips Britain. The BoE launched a bond-buying drive in late September aimed at quelling market turmoil triggered by an uncosted budget unveiled by the government of new […]
Britain
King Charles III faces a home-front reshuffle
London: King Charles III has built up a string of cherished residences across Britain but now faces having to give them up to meet the demands of state. The death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II means the new king will have to rejig his home life as her official and private residences become his […]
Tens of thousands queue in London to pay respects to queen’s coffin
London: Tens of thousands of mourners, some waiting through the night, queued for hours Thursday to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II on the first full day of her coffin lying in state. Britain’s longest-serving monarch, who died a week ago aged 96 after 70 years on the throne, is at rest in […]
Shell says CEO stepping down at end of 2022
London: British energy giant Shell announced Thursday that chief executive Ben van Beurden will step down at the end of the year to be replaced by renewables director Wael Sawan. Van Beurden, who will have been at the helm for nine years, will be succeeded by the head of integrated gas, renewables and energy solutions, […]
Premier League fixtures postponed to mark queen’s death
London: All Premier League matches this weekend have been postponed as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, it was announced on Friday. The English top flight took the decision despite guidance from the British government that cancelling sporting events was not compulsory during a period of national mourning. “At a […]
Alleged British IS ‘Beatle’ charged after arrest in UK
LONDON: Alleged British IS ‘Beatle’ charged after arrest in UK. A British man accused of being part of an (IS) kidnap-and-murder cell known as the “Beatles” has been charged with terrorism offenses after returning to the UK, police said Thursday. “A 38-year-old man has been charged with various terrorism offenses following an investigation by the […]
Johnson warns Macron off settling Ukraine war ‘now’
GERMANY: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that they saw an “opportunity to turn the tide” in Ukraine, as London warned against trying to “settle” the conflict now. A Downing Street spokesman said the leaders, meeting at the G7 summit in Germany, “agreed this is a critical moment […]
UK PM braced for Tory no-confidence vote
LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a no-confidence vote Monday among his Conservative MPs after dozens rebelled over a string of scandals that have left the party’s public standing in tatters. The beleaguered leader has spent months battling to maintain his grip on power after the “Partygate” controversy saw him become the first serving […]
Sinn Fein set for historic N.Ireland victory
Irish nationalists Sinn Fein were poised Saturday for a historic first-ever win in elections for Northern Ireland’s assembly, but pro-UK unionists threatened anew to boycott the devolved government. Tallies from Thursday’s complex proportional voting showed Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the IRA paramilitary group, had secured 21 seats for the 90-seat legislature, setting […]
France to restrict travel from UK over Omicron surge
France is to tighten restrictions on travel from Britain to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 that is causing record numbers of cases on the other side of the Channel, the government said Thursday. “We will put in place a system of controls drastically tighter than the one we have already,” government […]