Reuters UK Domestic

LONDON (Reuters) – The National Health Service in England faces an unprecedented challenge from backlogs, workforce issues and rising demand, a budget watchdog said on Tuesday in a report outlining the scale of the challenges facing Britain’s new government. The Labour government, which took office this month, has said the Britain’s state-run health system is …

England’s health service facing unprecedented challenge, budget watchdog says Read More »

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s new Labour government will end the use of the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge to house migrants off the south coast of England as part of its overhaul of the asylum system, it said on Tuesday. Use of the vessel, which can house up to 500 men, began under the Conservative government with …

UK to end use of controversial Bibby Stockholm migrant barge Read More »

By Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) – Britain failed to set proper objectives in its climate adaptation strategy, environmental campaigners argued on Tuesday in a case which relies on a landmark recent ruling by Europe’s top human rights court. Friends of the Earth is taking legal action over Britain’s national adaptation programme, which was published last …

Britain’s climate change plan challenged in landmark court case Read More »

(Reuters) -Britain’s communications regulator on Tuesday said it would review the annual licence fees that mobile network operators were charged for the use of three mobile spectrum bands, after BT earlier this year requested the move. BT had written to Ofcom in March asking for a reevaluation of the fees that the regulator changed for …

UK regulator to review annual licence fees after BT’s request Read More »

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s Conservative Party said on Monday it will name its new leader on Nov. 2, following the party’s worst-ever election performance this month that prompted former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to say he would stand down. Sunak will remain acting leader until the appointment of a successor, the Conservative Party said in a …

UK Conservative Party to announce new leader on Nov. 2 Read More »

FARNBOROUGH, England (Reuters) – The British Army has carried out its first test of Raytheon’s anti-drone laser weapon from a military vehicle, the company said on Monday, in the latest sign that drone warfare is a growing priority for Western armed forces. The high-energy laser, which is designed to wipe out aerial drones, was fired …

Britain tests Raytheon’s anti-drone laser from military vehicle Read More »

By David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) – A jump in British household saving since the COVID-19 pandemic appears here to stay and cannot be fully explained by higher interest rates or unemployment fears, according to the country’s statistics agency. Analysis published on Monday from the Office for National Statistics showed Britain’s households saved 11.1% of their …

Four years after pandemic shock, UK household saving stays high Read More »

By Paul Sandle FARNBOROUGH, England (Reuters) -Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday stressed the importance of Britain’s fighter jet capability, but stopped short of guaranteeing its next generation combat air programme with Japan and Italy would not be affected by a defence policy review. “It’s important for me to put on record just how important …

Starmer says UK warplane capability important amid defence review Read More »

(Reuters) -Britain’s former finance minister Nadhim Zahawi is assembling a 600 million pound ($776.34 million) bid for the Daily Telegraph, Sky News reported on Monday. Zahawi, who left parliament in May after opting not to stand again in his Stratford-on-Avon seat, has approached a number of billionaire backers about helping to finance an offer for …

Former UK finance minister Zahawi working on 600 million pound Telegraph bid, Sky News reports Read More »

(Reuters) – Britain’s Ofcom has fined telecoms provider BT Group 17.5 million pounds ($22.60 million) for network disruption that affected 14,000 emergency calls in June last year, the communications regulator said in a statement on Monday. “We found that BT did not have sufficient warning systems in place for when this kind of incident occurs, …

UK regulator fines BT 17.5 million pounds for emergency call-handling failure Read More »