The United Kingdom stated that China should back up its support for the respect of territorial integrity and demand that Russia end its war in Ukraine. “We hope President Xi uses this opportunity to press President Putin to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, hospitals, schools, to halt some of these atrocities that we are seeing on a daily basis,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said.
Before the meeting of AUKUS leadership, China warned that the group could set off an arms race. It also accused the three countries of setting back work on nuclear non-proliferation. "We urge the US, the UK, and Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum games, honour international obligations in good faith and do more things that are conducive to regional peace and stability," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing.
The United Kingdom and the European Union struck a new post-Brexit deal aimed at resolving their long-running trade dispute over Northern Ireland. The agreement came after high-level talks in Windsor, England, between UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission. "We have now made a decisive breakthrough.....today announcing the new Windsor Framework,” Sunak said at a news conference alongside von der Leyen.
British businesses reported an unexpected bounce in activity this month. The preliminary "flash" reading of the S&P Global/CIPS UK Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) jumped to 53.0 in February from 48.5 in January, above the 50 thresholds for growth for the first time since last July. "Many expected the UK to be in recession by now, with the PMI now showing the end of a consistent trend of contraction over seven months," said Rhys Herbert, senior economist at Lloyds Bank.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that the UK wants to start training Ukrainian fighter pilots as soon as possible. “The prime minister has tasked the defense secretary with investigating what jets we might be able to give, but to be clear this is a long-term solution, rather than a short-term capability which is what Ukraine needs most now,” he added.
Islamabad: The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday rejected UK media reports that a uranium package seized at London’s Heathrow Airport came from Pakistan. According to the FO spokeswoman, the reports were “not factual”. Yesterday, the British police revealed that a "very small quantity" of uranium was detected in a package that arrived at Heathrow Airport last month.
Dubai: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards arrested seven people on Sunday, including dual nationals linked to the United Kingdom. According to a statement published by state media: "Seven main leaders of the recent protests related to the UK were detained by intelligence services of the IRGC (Revolutionary Guards) including dual nationals who were trying to leave the country," the statement read.
Islamabad: Ambassadors from China, the United States, and the United Kingdom assured Finance Minister Ishaq Dar of their full support to Pakistan in the rehabilitation of flood-hit areas. Islamabad has been trying to shore up the support of the international community to provide all possible relief to the calamity-stricken people. According to the Finance Division, the ambassadors held separate meetings with the finance minister, where matters related to bilateral relations, the economy, and the government's works in the flood-hit areas came under discussion.
The United Kingdom supports Germany, Brazil, India and African representation as the permanent members of 'reformed United Nations Security Council(UNSC)'. Speaking at UN General Assembly meet on UNSC reforms, UK's permanent representative to UN Dame Barbara Woodward said, "We support the creation of new permanent seats for India, Japan, Germany, Brazil, as well as permanent African representation on the Council."
London: On Nov 16, Foreign Minister James Cleverly said that Britain would not make a judgment about a missile which exploded in Poland until there were full details. Although he said that the incident was ultimately a result of Russia's aggression towards Ukraine. "Poland will lead the investigation to establish exactly what has happened and the UK stands ready to provide any practical or technical assistance," Cleverly told parliament.
The United Kingdom warned Russia that there would be “severe consequences” if it used nuclear weapons in Ukraine. “No other country is talking about nuclear use. No country is threatening Russia or President [Vladimir] Putin,” foreign minister James Cleverly remarked. “He should be clear that for the UK and our Allies, any use, at all, of nuclear weapons would change the nature of the conflict. There would be severe consequences for Russia,” he added.
London: On Oct 21, Boris Johnson and his former finance minister Rishi Sunak were leading potential contenders to replace British Prime Minister Liz. Truss, chosen by party members to succeed Johnson after he was ousted by his lawmakers in July, quit herself after six turbulent weeks in power. The winner will be announced on Monday or next Friday.
Brussels: On Oct 20, French President Emmanuel Macron and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin voiced hope that the next British leader would bring stability to the country. The remarks were made after Liz Truss resigned just six weeks into the job. Macron, whom Truss had referred to as not clearly "friend or foe", said it was important Britain found stability as soon as possible.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Liz Truss insisted on her devotion to “sound” economics as she headed into crisis talks with her new finance minister. Truss wrote on Sunday: “We cannot pave the way to a low-tax, high-growth economy without maintaining the confidence of the markets in our commitment to sound money.” That confidence was jeopardized on September 23 when former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Truss unveiled a right-wing program.
On Monday, the United Kingdom announced a new raft of sanctions in response to what it described as Russia’s “sham” referendums in four occupied regions of Ukraine. “The Russian regime has organized these sham referendums in a desperate attempt to grab land and justify their illegal war,” the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said in a statement. “These referendums do not represent the demonstrated will of the Ukrainian people and are a severe violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and political independence,” it added.
London: On Aug 9, Britain's weather service issued an amber "Extreme Heat" warning for parts of England and Wales. The amber warning, the second-most severe after red, will be in place from Thursday through to the end of Sunday. Temperatures are expected to peak at 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) on Friday and may hit 36C in some places on Saturday, the UK Met Office said.
London: On July 8, former British finance minister Rishi Sunak said that he was running to replace Boris Johnson after Johnson announced the previous day that he would stand down as prime minister. "Someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions. That's why I'm standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister," Sunak said in a campaign video released on Twitter.
During a phone chat with his British counterpart, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underlined his intention to expand connections with the United Kingdom in numerous spheres. During the call, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that he looks forward to working with PM Shehbaz on boosting bilateral relations with Pakistan, as well as strengthening commerce, world peace, and security. The prime minister praised the 1.3 million Pakistanis residing in the UK for helping to strengthen ties and build bridges between the two countries.
WARSAW: On April 5, Britain urged G7 and NATO nations to ban Russian ships from their ports, agree on a timetable to phase out oil and gas imports from Russia, and further tighten sanctions on banks and key industries. Speaking in Poland ahead of a meeting of NATO and G7 countries later this week, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said, "On Thursday, I will be urging our NATO and G7 partners to go further in sanctions by joining us in banning Russian ships from our ports, cracking down on more Russian banks, going after industries that are filling Putin’s war chest like gold, and agreeing on a clear timetable to eliminate imports of Russian oil, coal, and gas."
London: On March 22, it was reported that in a joint call, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Russia must adhere to the United Nations Charter. According to a readout provided by Johnson's office, "The pair agreed that Ukraine’s integrity and territorial sovereignty must be respected," a statement issued by Johnson's office following the call said. Johnson also said both countries required to enhance efforts to promote peace and de-escalation in the region
On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the United Kingdom would approve another 175 million pounds ($230m). The additional payment is in aid for Ukraine to assist it to deal with a growing humanitarian crisis. The extra funding brings the UK’s overall financial support for Ukraine to about 400 million pounds ($525m), Johnson told reporters.
London: On Feb 24, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Britain and its allies would unleash a massive package of economic sanctions to stagger the Russian economy after the Kremlin launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine. "Today, in concert with our allies, we will agree on a massive package of economic sanctions designed in time to hobble the Russian economy," Johnson said in a televised address to the nation. He said the West must end its reliance on Russian oil and gas which had given Russian President Vladimir Putin a grip over Western politics.
Piers Morgan, the former host of Good Morning Britain, has expressed his concern for Queen Elizabeth after Prince Charles was diagnosed with coronavirus. "Prince Charles testing positive for covid just 2 days after seeing the Queen is filling me with deep unease," he wrote on Twitter. Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son and heir, is undergoing isolation after testing positive for coronavirus for the second time, according to his office. A post on the prince's official Twitter feed claimed, "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Covid-19 and is presently self-isolating."
On the historic anniversary of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the White House delivered a heartfelt tribute to British Queen Elizabeth II. "Today we honour Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the historic occasion of her Platinum Jubilee," the White House said in a message on its official Twitter account. "She has strengthened the friendships, shared ideals, and faith in democracy that forever unite our country, throughout the past 70 years.
London: On Jan 30, the UK warned that sanctions law would be implied on Russia and it would have ‘nowhere to hide’. The UK planned legislation to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine, as Moscow said that NATO wanted to ‘drag’ Kyiv into the alliance. “Any company of interest to the Kremlin and the regime in Russia would be able to be targeted so there will be nowhere to hide for Putin’s oligarchs, for Russian companies involved in propping up the Russian state,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said on Sunday
People travelling in England or Scotland will no longer be required to take Covid tests if they are fully vaccinated, according to a statement from the UK Ministry of Health. The new policy will take effect on February 11, just in time for the half-term holiday, according to the statement. Travel restrictions for those who have not been vaccinated have also been tightened. They won't have to self-isolate anymore, but they'll still need a pre-departure and day-two exam. Regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated, all visitors to England must complete a passenger location form.
London/Kiyv: On Jan 23, a senior UK minister asserted that Russia would face severe economic sanctions if it installed a puppet regime in Ukraine. Britain accused the Kremlin of pursuing to install a pro-Russian leader there. "Russian intelligence officers had been in contact with several former Ukrainian politicians as part of plans for an invasion," alleged Britain.
According to international media sources, Queen Elizabeth has revoked Prince Andrew of his military titles and Royal patronages as a sex abuse investigation approaches. According to Sky News, the Queen of England has deprived Prince Andrew of his royal duties, which will not be recovered, following rumours of a civil sex lawsuit against him. "The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen with The Queen's approval and agreement," according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace.
London: On Dec 22, it was reported that almost 129 people were in the hospital with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and 14 people died so far. Junior health minister Gillian Keegan said the UK government would not balk to bring in additional COVID-19 restrictions if the data ascertained it was necessary.
The UK experienced the greatest number of Covid infections since January on Friday, according to a senior minister, as the government tries to contain the new variant's spread. Michael Gove, the Communities Secretary, said the country is in a "very concerning situation" as the Omicron variant spreads quickly, with case numbers doubling every two to three days in England. On Friday, the United Kingdom reported a total of 58,194 cases.
