About: United Kingdom
UK opposition leader sets out plans to tackle small boats crossings
Est. 3minBritish opposition leader Keir Starmer will say on Friday (10 May) a Labour government would hire hundreds of enforcement officials and use counter-terrorism powers to target people-smuggling gangs to stop asylum seekers arriving in England on small boats.
Cameron, in Kyiv, says Ukraine can use UK weapons for strikes inside Russia
Est. 3minBritish Foreign Secretary David Cameron promised three billion pounds (€3.5 billion) of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes" on Thursday (2 May), adding that London had no objection to the weapons being used inside Russia.
US, allies press UAE over Russia trade, sanctions
Est. 5minThe US, Britain and the EU are pressing the United Arab Emirates to show it is cracking down on firms evading sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine, according to three sources aware of the diplomatic outreach.
Cameron urges stronger ties with Kazakhstan on Central Asia tour
Est. 5minDavid Cameron was the first British prime minister to visit Kazakhstan. That was 11 years ago, now reincarnated as the UK’s foreign secretary, Cameron has urged stronger ties between the two nations during his Astana pit-stop.
Paris leads coalition of EU states to demand actions against UK ban on bottom fishing
Est. 4minAccording to French government sources, nine EU countries will meet in Brussels at the start of the week to discuss the impact of the UK's decision to ban bottom fishing in 13 marine protected areas, a measure London says applies equally to its own fishermen and those from the EU.
Ireland says UK’s Rwanda policy drives migrants over its border
Est. 2minThe threat of deportation to Rwanda is causing migrants to head for Ireland instead of staying in Britain, Ireland's deputy prime minister told a British newspaper on Friday (26 April).
Migrant deportations loom after parliament passes UK-Rwanda plan
Est. 5minThe UK readied on Tuesday (23 April) to start detaining migrants within days for deportation to Rwanda after the controversial plan got parliament's approval, sparking outrage from the UN and rights groups.
UK-Rwanda migrant plan passes after parliament marathon
Est. 4minControversial UK government plans for deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda cleared their final hurdle on Monday (22 April), after a marathon tussle between the upper and lower chambers of parliament lasting late into the night.
Assange extradition moves closer as US provides UK court with assurances
Est. 4minThe United States has provided assurances requested by the High Court in London which could finally pave the way for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to be extradited from Britain.
Britain to equip ships with lasers to take down drones from 2027
Est. 2minBritain's defence ministry on Friday (12 April) said it would install lasers on warships designed to cheaply shoot down drones from 2027, five years earlier than previously expected, under reforms designed to speed up the deployment of new technology.
UAE signals interest in European nuclear energy investments
Est. 4minThe United Arab Emirates has approached European nations including Britain to gauge their interest in the Middle Eastern state investing in their nuclear power infrastructure, according to three sources familiar with the talks.
Russia links concert rampage to ‘Ukrainian nationalists’, US says ‘nonsense’
Est. 3minRussian investigators said on Thursday (28 March) they had found proof that gunmen who killed more than 140 people at a concert last week were linked to "Ukrainian nationalists", an assertion immediately dismissed by the US as baseless propaganda.
Migrant crossings to UK hit new record, heaping pressure on Sunak
Est. 2minMore than 4,600 asylum seekers have arrived in Britain on small boats so far in 2024, a record total for the first three months of the year and giving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak a fresh political headache.
Russia’s FSB chief says US, Britain, Ukraine behind Moscow attack
Est. 4minThe director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, said on Tuesday (26 February) that the US, Britain and Ukraine were behind the Moscow concert hall attack that killed at least 139 people on Friday.
Julian Assange to hear result of crucial ruling on US extradition
Est. 2minWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out on Tuesday (26 March) whether the High Court in London will allow him to appeal against his extradition from Britain to the United States or if his British legal challenges have finally come to an end.
UK unveils new extremism definition amid rise in hate crimes against Jews, Muslims
Est. 3minBritain unveiled a new definition of extremism on Thursday (14 March) in response to an eruption of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims since the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, although critics said the change risked infringing on freedom of speech.
UK government pledges extra cash for Muslims’ security
Est. 3minThe British government on Monday pledged 117 million pounds (€137 million) towards protecting Muslim communities amid a rise in Islamophobia as it promises more action to tackle extremism.
UK plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda suffers first parliamentary defeats
Est. 3minBritish Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suffered his first defeats over his legislation to send asylum seekers to Rwanda after the upper house of parliament demanded greater protections to be introduced before deportation flights can take off.
UK, EU eye deal to prevent import of boats used for migrants crossings
Est. 3minA grouping of northern European countries on Monday (4 March) agreed to work on a new "customs partnership" to disrupt the supply of small boats used to carry migrants cross the Channel, Britain's interior ministry said.
Wikileaks founder Assange should not be extradited to the US, Germany’s Scholz says
Est. 3minBritish judges should protect Wikileaks founder Julian Assange from extradition to the US, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday (4 March) in an unusual intervention, adding that the proportionality of Assange’s punishment in the US was questionable.
Western ally coalition pledges one million drones for Ukraine
Est. 3minThe UK and Latvia took the lead in a Western industry coalition to manufacture drones for Kyiv, as a move to bolster military support in the long run, they announced on Thursday (15 February).
EU, UK urge scientists to join research programme after Brexit concerns
Est. 3minEU and UK science chiefs on Monday (12 February) launched a push to attract scientists to Europe's €95,5-billion Horizon research programme after warnings of high costs and red tape in Britain.
King Charles diagnosed with cancer, will postpone duties and undergo treatment
Est. 5minKing Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer and will postpone public engagements to undergo treatment, Buckingham Palace said on Monday (5 February), but added he remained "wholly positive" about the scare less than 18 months into his reign.
US, Britain wage strikes against Houthis while Borrell urges no escalation
Est. 6minThe United States and Britain launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday (3 February), in the second day of major US operations against Iran-linked groups following a deadly attack on American troops last weekend.