The Bank of England on Thursday froze interest rates at a record-low but forecast a “temporary” inflation spike as the economy reopens, echoing warnings from the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve. The world’s major central banks are grappling with fears of an inflationary spike, fuelled by commodity price gains, and worries over […]
Britain
UK police officer convicted of killing ex-Villa star Atkinson
A British police officer who tasered ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson and then kicked him twice in the head was Wednesday convicted of manslaughter but cleared of murder. Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court took nearly 19 hours to reach unanimous verdicts on Benjamin Monk, who said he was put in fear of his life by […]
UK supermarket Morrisons shares soar on £5.5bn bid
Shares in British supermarket chain Morrisons surged Monday after it rejected a £5.5-billion ($7.6-billion, 6.4-billion-euro) takeover approach as too low. The company’s share price rocketed almost a third to 231.80 pence in early deals, after it snubbed the unsolicited cash bid from US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) over the weekend. Shares […]
Italy re-imposes quarantine on arrivals from Britain
Italy is reintroducing a five-day quarantine on arrivals from Britain after a spike in coronavirus cases there, Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced on Friday. “I have signed a new order that… introduces a five day quarantine with a requirement to take a test for those coming from Britain,” he wrote on Facebook. Britain on Thursday […]
UK, US strike deal over Airbus-Boeing dispute
Britain and the US have suspended retaliatory tariffs levied during a 17-year dispute over state aid for European planemaker Airbus and US rival Boeing, London announced Thursday. The moves came in the wake of a similar long-term deal between the European Union and US unveiled Tuesday. The Airbus-Boeing dispute, the longest-running in the history of […]
Man held in Italy over UK Vietnamese migrant deaths
Italian police said Saturday they had arrested a man wanted by Britain in connection with a people-smuggling plot that led to the death of 39 Vietnamese migrants in the back of a lorry. Stefan Damian Dragos, a 28-year-old Romanian citizen, is accused of having provided the truck that transported the migrants to England, according to […]
UK hails G7 declaration on preventing future pandemics
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday acclaimed a “historic” action plan by G7 nations to prevent future pandemics, after Covid-19 wrecked economies and claimed millions of lives around the world. The “Carbis Bay Declaration” — named after the seaside town in Cornwall, southwest England, where world leaders are currently holding their summit — comprises […]
UK govt ‘unlawfully’ gave contract to PM adviser’s friends
The UK government unlawfully awarded a communications contract to friends of a key adviser of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a High Court judge ruled Wednesday. The ruling comes as Johnson has faced accusations of cronyism and lack of transparency in handing lucrative supply contracts during the coronavirus pandemic. The claim was submitted by The Good […]
Sex attack survivors praise Bafta-winning ‘I May Destroy You’
The hard-hitting British television series “I May Destroy You“, which depicts the impact of a sexual assault on a young woman, has won praise from real-life survivors of sexual violence. The show, recognised with several of the prestigious Bafta TV awards handed out Sunday, chronicles a successful young black blogger and novelist piecing together details […]
G7 commits to ‘at least 15% global minimum corporate tax’
Finance ministers from wealthy G7 nations on Saturday pledged to commit to a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15 percent, rallying behind a US-backed plan. “We… commit to a global minimum tax of at least 15 percent on a country by country basis,” a statement said after their London meeting, adding that they […]