Category: Britain

People Don’t Understand ‘Just How Difficult Life Is Going to Be’ Under Net Zero: Campaigner

The policy to erase Britons’ collective carbon footprint—otherwise known as Net Zero—has been a matter of broad political consensus for decades and has been little challenged by the media or in the court of public opinion. But that public support is “paper thin” and relies on people not really grasping just how much their lives…


Systems Error Affecting Electronic Gates Leaves Travelers to UK Waiting for Hours

LONDON—Travelers arriving in the UK faced long delays Saturday after a technical problem shut electronic border gates at airports across the country for most of the day, forcing everyone to have their passports checked manually on what was expected to be one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. The Home Office, the government…


Lord Patten, the Last Governor of Hong Kong, Receives Highest UK Honour

Christopher Francis Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, was presented with the Order of the Garter, the highest rank of knighthood in England, by King Charles III on Sunday, April 23, on Saint George’s Day. The recent statement from Buckingham Palace introduces Patten as, in order, “a former Conservative Member of Parliament who became…


UK Blocks Microsoft’s $69 Billion Activision Deal Over Cloud Gaming Concerns

LONDON—Britain will block Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard over concerns it would hinder competition in cloud gaming, dealing an unexpected blow to the biggest-ever deal in gaming. The country’s antitrust regulator said on Wednesday that Microsoft’s commitment to offer access to Activision’s multi-billion dollar “Call of Duty” franchise to…


More Than 100 Arrested as Activists Delay Grand National

The Grand National, one of the world’s most famous horse races, was delayed Saturday after animal rights activists scaled fences around the perimeter of Aintree racecourse and got onto the track. A total of 118 people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and public nuisance offenses in a bid to disrupt the race, Merseyside…


Modi Urges UK Leader to Take ‘Strong Action’ After Protest Outside Indian Embassy

India’s prime minister has demanded “strong action” from the British government after Sikh separatists conducted protests and vandalism outside the Indian High Commission in London last month. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a phone conversation with his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, on April 13 and raised the security issue of Indian diplomatic establishments in…


Britain Joins Asia-Pacific Free Trade Pact in ‘Biggest Trade Deal Since Brexit’

The United Kingdom has struck a deal to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) after almost two years of “intense negotiations,” the British government said on March 31. In a statement, the British government hailed the Asia-Pacific trade deal as the country’s “biggest trade deal since Brexit,” referring to the withdrawal of Britain…


Putin’s Threat Over Depleted Uranium Is ‘Latest Twist in Propaganda War’: Expert

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has threatened to “respond accordingly” if Britain goes ahead with supplying tank ammunition containing depleted uranium to the Ukrainian armed forces. Following talks in Moscow with China’s leader Xi Jinping, Putin raised concerns about the ammunition Britain was supplying to the government in Kyiv, along with a squadron of Challenger 2…


British BAE Systems Saw Record Orders in 2022 Due to Ukraine War

The United Kingdom’s largest defense firm experienced record orders as the Russia–Ukraine war boosted military spending in 2022. British defense giant BAE Systems said on Feb. 23 that orders for weapons systems soared last year amid an “elevated threat environment” in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The group is one of the largest builders…


Britain Facing Tomatoes Shortage After Overseas Harvests Disrupted

LONDON—Britons are facing a shortage of tomatoes after supermarket supplies, including at market leader Tesco and No. 2 Sainsbury’s, were impacted by disrupted harvests in southern Europe and North Africa. Warmer weather in these regions that affected crop yields was followed by recent cooler weather leading to longer growth times. “Difficult weather conditions in the…