Britain

June 30, 2025 6:37 PM

Britain, France and Germany condemn ‘threats’ against head of IAEA watchdog

Britain, France and Germany denounced threats against the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Monday, after a hardline Iranian newspaper said IAEA boss Rafael Grossi should be tried and executed as an Israeli agent. "France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemn threats against the Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi and reiterate our full support to the Agency and the DG in carrying out their mandate," said a statement from the three countries' foreign ministries. "We call on Iranian...

June 18, 2025 1:22 PM

Piyush Goyal visits UK to boost economic ties, fast-track India–UK FTA implementation

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal is on a two-day official visit to the United Kingdom from June 18 to 19, aimed at strengthening India–UK economic relations and expediting the implementation of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The visit follows the announcement of the successful conclusion of the India–UK FTA by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on May 6. “Goyal’s visit aims to accelerate bilateral engagements, harness emerging...

June 16, 2025 11:42 AM

Britain appoints first female head of MI6 spy agency

Britain on Sunday named Blaise Metreweli, a career intelligence officer, as the first female head of the Secret Intelligence Service, the foreign spy service known as MI6. Metreweli, 47, who is currently MI6's head of technology, known as "Q", joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1999, and has spent most of her career in operational roles in the Middle East and Europe, the government said in a statement. Richard Moore, the current chief of MI6, will step down in the autumn after a five-ye...

June 15, 2025 1:22 PM

Germany, France, UK offer Iran talks over nuclear programme: Berlin

Germany, France and Britain are ready to hold immediate talks with Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme in a bid to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said. Wadephul, who is on a visit to the Middle East, said he was trying to contribute towards a de-escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran, and noted Tehran had previously failed to take the opportunity to enter into constructive talks. "I hope that's still possible," Wadephul told G...

June 3, 2025 1:22 PM

Top UK leaders back India’s zero tolerance policy against terrorism

An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday held high-level engagements in London with UK ministers, lawmakers, leaders, think tanks, and India friendship groups, highlighting Operation Sindoor as a significant shift in the country's counter-terrorism approach. The delegation received wide-ranging support during the discussion on strengthening India–UK collaboration against cross-border terrorism, reaffirming shared commitments to global security, ...

May 27, 2025 8:57 AM

Car ploughs into fans at Liverpool parade, 27 in hospital

A car ploughed into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a parade celebrating their side's Premier League soccer title on Monday, hospitalising 27 people, with two seriously injured, but police said they did not believe the incident was terrorism-related. Police said they had arrested a "53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area," whom they believed to be the driver of the vehicle which struck a large group of supporters who were celebrating in the city in northwest England. Twenty peo...

February 28, 2025 9:14 AM

Trump dodges plea from Britain’s Starmer for Ukraine security guarantee

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a minerals deal with Ukraine is the security guarantee Kyiv needs against Russia, brushing aside a plea from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a commitment of U.S. military support. Starmer, who was meeting Trump at the White House for the first time since the U.S. leader took office, turned on the charm, saying peace in Ukraine had only become possible because of Trump. Starmer also delivered an invitation from King Charles for a future s...

July 7, 2024 3:55 PM

Britain prioritising jobs in Tata Steel talks – minister

Britain's new government is prioritising avoiding job losses in talks with Tata Steel over government backing for a transition to lower-carbon technologies, business minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday. Tata, Britain's biggest steel producer, started closing one of its carbon-intensive blast furnaces on Thursday while the shutdown of its other one is slated for September, resulting in the loss of up to 2,800 jobs at Port Talbot in South Wales. The new government will need to sign the 500...

July 6, 2024 10:57 AM

Know the team set to govern Britain under new PM Starmer

Keir Starmer led Britain's Labour Party to a landslide victory in the 2024 parliamentary election, taking over from the Conservatives after 14 years in opposition. Below are details on new Prime Minister Starmer and his freshly appointed team of senior ministers: KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER Starmer, 61, took charge of Labour in 2020 following its worst electoral defeat in 84 years in 2019 under left-wing veteran Jeremy Corbyn. He has sought to develop Labour as a party of competence and prag...

June 25, 2024 5:18 PM

Landmark trial for 47 Hong Kong democrats enters final stretch before sentencing

Mitigation pleas for Hong Kong's biggest ever national security trial against the city's democratic opposition kicked off on Tuesday, in what is expected to be the final stage before sentencing that could see some defendants jailed for life. The 47 democrats were among those arrested in early 2021 for taking part in an unofficial, non-binding poll to select candidates for a legislative election. They were charged with "conspiracy to commit subversion" under a China-imposed national security law...