Britain | DD News

July 16, 2025 10:24 AM

Thousands of Afghans secretly moved to Britain after data leak

Britain set up a secret scheme to bring thousands of Afghans to the UK after their personal details were disclosed in one of the country's worst ever data breaches, putting them at risk of reprisals from the Taliban after their return to power. Concerns that individuals could be targeted by the Taliban led the previous Conservative government to set up the relocation scheme, involving thousands of people and estimated to cost the government about 2 billion pounds ($2.7 billion). The leak by th...

July 11, 2025 1:02 PM

France, Britain unveil nuclear weapons cooperation to counter threat to Europe

France and Britain on Thursday agreed to reinforce cooperation over their respective nuclear arsenals as the two European powerhouses seek to respond to growing threats to the continent and uncertainty over their U.S. ally. The announcement came after French President Emmanuel Macron concluded a three-day state visit to Britain, where the two allies sought to turn the page of years' of turbulence following Britain's decision to withdraw from the European Union. "This morning, we signed the Nor...

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...