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☆ South Korea's Yoon Vows Clearer Rules After Wife's 'Dior Bag Scandal'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Heekyong Yang and Josh SmithSEOUL (Reuters) - The release of hidden camera footage showing South Korea's first lady accepting a Dior bag as a gift was a "political manoeuvre", President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday, but vowed to draw clearer lines to ensure such incidents do not happen again. The comments were his first public response to a controversy, dubbed the "Dior bag scandal" by local media, that has roiled his ruling party ahead of a key election in April. "What's important is to set clearer boundaries with others to prevent something like this from happening in the future." A Gallup Korea weekly poll on Friday showed that Yoon's approval ratings had fallen to 29%, the lowest in nine months. (Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Ju-min Park, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)

Persons: Heekyong Yang, Josh Smith SEOUL, Dior, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon, it's, Kim's, Abraham Choi, Josh Smith, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: People Power Party, KBS, Reuters, Gallup Korea Locations: North Korea, April's

☆ US Receives Thousands of Reports of AI-Generated Child Abuse Content in Growing Risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The NCMEC has not yet published the total number of child abuse content reports from all sources that it received in 2023, but in 2022 it received reports of about 88.3 million files. "We are receiving reports from the generative AI companies themselves, (online) platforms and members of the public. It's absolutely happening," said John Shehan, senior vice president at NCMEC, which serves as the national clearinghouse to report child abuse content to law enforcement. Content flagged as AI-generated is becoming "more and more photo realistic," making it challenging to determine if the victim is a real person, said Fallon McNulty, director of NCMEC's CyberTipline, which receives reports of online child exploitation. OpenAI, creator of the popular ChatGPT, has set up a process to send reports to NCMEC, and the organization is in conversations with other generative AI companies, McNulty said.

Persons: Sheila Dang, John Shehan, Fallon McNulty, NCMEC's, McNulty, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: U.S . National Center for, Reuters, Meta, Stanford Internet Observatory Locations: NCMEC, Austin

☆ Britain to Announce New Sanctions Against Houthis in Coming Days - PM Sunak
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain plans to announce new sanctions in the coming days targeting Houthi financing of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday. U.S. and British forces carried out a fresh round of strikes on Monday in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group. "We're going to use the most effective means at our disposal to cut off the Houthi's financial resources, where they are used to fund these attacks," Sunak told parliament. "We are working closely with the United States on this and plan to announce new sanctions measures in the coming days." Sunak also said British Foreign Secretary David Cameron would visit the Middle East this week.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, David Cameron, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan, William James Organizations: British Locations: Britain, Red, ., Yemen, Iran, United States

☆ Britain sends Royal Navy ship to Gulf for security
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Britain has sent the Royal Navy ship Diamond to help bolster regional security in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean, the government said on Thursday. The Diamond will "work to deter escalations from malign and hostile actors who seek to disrupt maritime security", Britain said, conducting operations to ensure freedom of navigation, reassure merchant vessels and ensure the safe flow of trade. The Galaxy Leader cargo ship was seized by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis in the southern Red Sea earlier this month. Britain already has the frigate Lancaster, three mine hunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship in the region. Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Diamond, Grant Shapps, Kylie MacLellan, Grant McCool Organizations: Royal Navy, Galaxy Leader, Yemen's, British, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Thomson Locations: Britain, Gulf, Yemen's Iran

☆ Tech companies to sign agreement with UK government to tackle online fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Eleven of the world's biggest tech companies, including Amazon.com (AMZN.O), Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google and Microsoft (MSFT.O), will sign an agreement with the British government on Thursday to step up their efforts to tackle online fraud, the interior ministry said. Under the "Online Fraud Charter," due to be signed at a meeting chaired by Interior Minister James Cleverly in London, the companies pledge to take further action to block and remove fraudulent content from their sites, the government said. "Fraud is now the most common crime in the UK, with online scammers targeting the most vulnerable in society," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement. "By joining forces with these tech giants we will continue to crack down on fraudsters, making sure they have nowhere to hide online." The British government says fraud accounts for around 40% of all crime in England and Wales, with data from industry body UK Finance showing almost 80% of all authorised push payment fraud originates online.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, James, ByteDance's, Rishi Sunak, Kylie MacLellan, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Google, Microsoft, Interior, eBay, Facebook, YouTube, Finance, Thomson Locations: London, England, Wales

☆ Britain to send seven Royal Navy ships to patrol areas with undersea cables
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Britain said on Thursday it will send seven Royal Navy ships and a maritime patrol aircraft to take part in Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) patrols of areas with vulnerable undersea infrastructure next month. Europe and NATO have become increasingly concerned about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure around and under the Baltic Sea. JEF, a 10-nation military alliance of northern European countries, is focused on security in the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea region. That followed explosions in September 2022 that ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea and cut Europe's supply of Russian gas. Vessels will be spaced to cover a wide area from the Channel to the Baltic Sea, it added.

Persons: JEF, Grant Shapps, Kylie MacLellan, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Royal Navy, Expeditionary Force, NATO, British, Royal Fleet, Royal Air Force, Channel, Thomson Locations: Britain, Europe, Baltic, North Atlantic, Sweden, Estonia, Finnish, Estonian

☆ Britain to Send Seven Royal Navy Ships to Patrol Areas With Undersea Cables
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Thursday it will send seven Royal Navy ships and a maritime patrol aircraft to take part in Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) patrols of areas with vulnerable undersea infrastructure next month. Europe and NATO have become increasingly concerned about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure around and under the Baltic Sea. JEF, a 10-nation military alliance of northern European countries, is focused on security in the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea region. That followed explosions in September 2022 that ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea and cut Europe's supply of Russian gas. Vessels will be spaced to cover a wide area from the Channel to the Baltic Sea, it added.

Persons: JEF, Grant Shapps, Kylie MacLellan, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Royal Navy, Expeditionary Force, NATO, British, Royal Fleet, Royal Air Force, Channel Locations: Britain, Europe, Baltic, North Atlantic, Sweden, Estonia, Finnish, Estonian

☆ Britain Sends Royal Navy Ship to Gulf for Security Operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has sent the Royal Navy ship Diamond to help bolster regional security in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean, the government said on Thursday. The Diamond will "work to deter escalations from malign and hostile actors who seek to disrupt maritime security", Britain said, conducting operations to ensure freedom of navigation, reassure merchant vessels and ensure the safe flow of trade. The Galaxy Leader cargo ship was seized by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis in the southern Red Sea earlier this month. "It is critical that the UK bolsters our presence in the region, to keep Britain and our interests safe from a more volatile and contested world," British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said. Britain already has the frigate Lancaster, three mine hunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship in the region.

Persons: Diamond, Grant Shapps, Kylie MacLellan, Grant McCool Organizations: Royal Navy, Galaxy Leader, Yemen's, British, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Locations: Britain, Gulf, Yemen's Iran

☆ UK reaches deal with unions which could end senior doctor strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Kylie Maclellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Susannah Ireland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The British government and medical trade unions said on Monday they had reached a deal which could see an end to months of disruptive strike action by senior doctors in England. This would see a clearer link between pay progression and evidence of skills, competencies and experience, it added. Under the offer, consultants will reach the top of the pay scale five years sooner than now, it added. Sunak has made cutting NHS patient waiting lists one of his top priorities ahead of an election expected next year. More than 7.8 million people in England are on a waiting list for hospital treatment and more than a million appointments have been rescheduled by strike action.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Vishal Sharma, Kylie MacLellan, William James, Christina Fincher Organizations: St Thomas’s Hospital, REUTERS, British, of Health, Social Care, British Medical Association, BMA, Hospital Consultants, Specialists Association, Thomson Locations: England, St Thomas’s, London, Britain

A sign is seen at the arrivals passport control area of Terminal 5, at Heathrow Airport, London, Britain, March 23, 2023. High levels of legal migration have for more than a decade dominated Britain's political landscape, and will be a key battleground again in the vote which is expected next year. For the year ending December 2022, the ONS revised up the net migration figure to 745,000, a new record high and up 139,000 on its previous estimate. It also said the net migration number for the year ending June 2023 was 672,000, up from 607,000 a year earlier. "The government remains completely committed to reducing levels of legal migration," he said in a statement.

Persons: Toby Melville, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, James, Simon Clarke, Labour Party's, Yvette Cooper, Muvija M, Sarah Young, Kylie MacLellan, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Heathrow Airport, REUTERS, ONS, EU, Labour, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Ukraine, Hong Kong

☆ Nissan to make electric versions of Qashqai, Juke in Britain -Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A badge is seen on the new Juke car at Nissan's car plant in Sunderland Britain, October 10, 2019. REUTERS/Phil Noble/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Nissan Motor Co Ltd FollowLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) will announce on Friday that it will build the electric versions of its Qashqai and Juke models at its plant in Sunderland, northern England, Sky News reported on Wednesday. Citing automotive industry sources, Sky reported Nissan would commit hundreds of millions of pounds to the project. While no upfront taxpayer money will be involved, the British government is expected to provide guarantees, the report added. Nissan representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

Persons: Phil Noble, Kylie MacLellan, Nick Carey Organizations: REUTERS, Nissan Motor, Nissan, Sky News, Thomson Locations: Sunderland Britain, Sunderland, England

SummaryCompanies UK business investment has lagged since Brexit"Largest business tax cut" in modern history-HuntTax break costs 11 bln stg a yearOBR forecasts 3 bln stg a year investment boostLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt made a tax break for business investment permanent on Wednesday, aiming to kickstart growth in the country's sluggish economy. Hunt hopes that by making permanent the tax break known as "full expensing", companies will spend more on new kit and technology, lifting productivity. This is the largest business tax cut in modern British history," Hunt said in his Autumn Statement on Wednesday. BT (BT.L), a beneficiary of the tax break as it is investing billions in building a new fibre network, welcomed Hunt's move. British business investment has trailed that of other developed economies, according to research from the International Monetary Fund.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Hunt's, Philip Jansen, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Stephen Phipson, Robert Forrester, David Milliken, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Alex Richardson Organizations: LONDON, BT, Labour, Conservatives, Britain's, REUTERS Acquire, International Monetary Fund, Vertu, BBC Radio, Thomson Locations: Britain, London, British

[1/5] Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement, in London, Britain, November 22, 2023. "After a global pandemic and energy crisis, we have taken difficult decisions to put our economy back on track," Hunt told parliament on Wednesday in his Autumn Statement fiscal update. Hunt pointed to OBR forecasts showing the government would meet its targets for the public finances, leaving open the possibility of further pre-election giveaways to voters in his full budget statement expected in early 2024. Sunak this week promised "responsible" tax cuts, mindful of last year's "mini-budget" turmoil in financial markets triggered by his predecessor Liz Truss's plans for much bigger tax cuts. This time last year, the newly installed Sunak and Hunt raised taxes sharply to quell the bond market mayhem.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Stefan Rousseau, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Paul Johnson, we've, giveaways, Johnson, BoE, Philip Shaw, Liz Truss's, Muvija M, Paul Sandle, Sarah Young, William James, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, James Davey, Suban Abdulla, Farouq Suleiman, Kate Holton, Sumanta Sen, William Schomberg, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Labour, Labour Party, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Gross, Reuters Graphics, Bank of England, Graphics, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ Britain to launch South Korea trade talks as president visits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

King Charles greeted President Yoon Suk Yeol with a royal guard of honour following his arrival in London, and then rode with him by carriage to Buckingham Palace. He will hold talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, and sign an accord on closer diplomatic ties. Under the accord, the countries will agree to work closely on areas such as semiconductors - of which South Korea is an important producer - and artificial intelligence. [1/4]Members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) welcome South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee, as they arrive at Stansted Airport, near London, Britain, November 20, 2023. "REFRESHED, MODERNISED DEAL"Under Yoon, South Korea has focused on strengthening economic, political, and military ties with the U.S. while seeking to maintain trade with China and working to overcome historical disputes with Japan.

Persons: Yoon, King Charles Yoon, King Charles, Yoon Suk, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Toby Melville, David Beckham, Son Heung Min, Kemi Badenoch, Alistair Smout, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, Josh Smith, Alistair Bell, Stephen Coates, Timothy Heritage, David Gregorio Our Organizations: LONDON, British, Accord, Trade, Downing, North, Royal Air Force, South, Stansted Airport, REUTERS, Trans, Pacific Partnership, European Union, Thomson Locations: Britain, Korea, London, Buckingham, United Kingdom, Downing, South Korea, North Korea, U.S, China, Japan, Seoul

☆ UK says new science initiative to work on climate-resilient crops
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the opening session of the Global Food Security Summit at Lancaster House in London, Britian November 20, 2023. Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce a new science initiative to bring together work on developing climate-resilient crops as his government hosts a Global Food Security Summit in London on Monday. The summit, a joint initiative between Britain, Somalia, the UAE, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is due to be attended by representatives from more than 20 countries. "We must take action to address the underlying, and often unseen, causes of global food insecurity," Sunak said. ($1 = 0.8025 pounds)Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Dan Kitwood, Melinda Gates, Sunak, Kylie MacLellan, David Holmes Organizations: British, Global Food Security, Lancaster House, Britian, REUTERS Acquire, Food Security, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Melinda Gates Foundation, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Somalia, UAE, Ukraine, British, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Malawi

☆ UK PM Sunak promises tax cuts after meeting his inflation pledge
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Under pressure from within his traditionally low-tax Conservative Party, Sunak said his government needed to prioritise lowering the tax burden but stressed he would not repeat the unfunded tax cut plan that his predecessor Liz Truss announced last year, triggering turmoil in bond markets. Sunak said the government would cut taxes over time and would not do anything that added to inflation. "You can trust me when I say we can responsibly start to cut taxes," he said. Conservative lawmakers have long called on Sunak to cut taxes to help reduce the gap in the opinion polls with the opposition Labour Party before an election expected next year. Blowing tens of billions of pounds on unfunded spending is just as dangerous as blowing tens of billions of pounds on unfunded tax cuts," he said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Sunak, Liz Truss, Hunt, Sarah Young, Alistair Smout, William Schomberg, Kylie MacLellan, Kate Holton, Christina Fincher Organizations: British, Conservative Party, Data, Conservative, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: Rwanda

☆ UK police question Russell Brand over sex assault allegations - The Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Comedian Russell Brand poses for photographers before signing copies of his new book entitled "Revolution" in central London, December 5, 2014. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Actor and comedian Russell Brand has been questioned by detectives from London's Metropolitan Police over allegations of historical sex offences, the Times newspaper reported on Sunday. Earlier that month the Sunday Times newspaper and Channel 4 TV's documentary show "Dispatches" reported four women had accused Brand, 48, of sex offences, including a rape, between 2006 and 2013. Brand has rejected what he has described as "very serious allegations", saying on his social media channels he has never had non-consensual sex. "He was interviewed under caution by detectives in relation to three non-recent sexual offences.

Persons: Russell Brand, Suzanne Plunkett, Brand, Kylie MacLellan, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, London's Metropolitan Police, Times, Sunday, Sunday Times, Brand, Metropolitan Police, Thomson Locations: London, South London

"We do want to bring down the tax burden but we will only do so responsibly," Hunt told Sky News. "The one thing we won't do is any kind of tax cut that fuels inflation." OPTIONS LIMITED AFTER HEAVY SPENDINGLabour's finance spokesperson Rachel Reeves said cutting inheritance tax would be the wrong priority in a cost-of-living crisis. "Lower taxes on working people - if the government can explain where the money is coming from - is something I would support," Reeves told Sky News. "We want to show people there is a path to lower taxes but we also want to be honest with people this is not going to happen overnight."

Persons: Hunt, Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Rachel Reeves, Reeves, Kylie MacLellan, Andy Bruce, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Sunday Times, Labour, Sky News, Times Radio, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Britain, Thomson Locations: British

☆ UK Says New Science Initiative to Work on Climate-Resilient Crops
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce a new science initiative to bring together work on developing climate-resilient crops as his government hosts a Global Food Security Summit in London on Monday. The summit, a joint initiative between Britain, Somalia, the UAE, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is due to be attended by representatives from more than 20 countries. "We must take action to address the underlying, and often unseen, causes of global food insecurity," Sunak said. Priorities will include mobilising international finance and harnessing innovation, Britain's Foreign Office said. ($1 = 0.8025 pounds)(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by David Holmes)

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Melinda Gates, Sunak, Kylie MacLellan, David Holmes Organizations: British, Food Security, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Melinda Gates Foundation Locations: London, Britain, Somalia, UAE, Ukraine, British, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Malawi

☆ British author A.S. Byatt, who won Booker prize for 'Possession' dies aged 87
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Man Booker Prize shortlisted authors Adam Foulds (L), Hilary Mantel (2nd L), A S Byatt (2nd R) and Simon Mawer pose for photographers in London October 5, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Booker-prize winning British novelist Antonia Susan Byatt, known most commonly as A.S. Byatt, has died aged 87, her publisher said in a statement on Friday. Byatt, whose career spanned nearly 60 years, was best known for her 1990 novel "Possession: A Romance". Seven years later came her breakthrough with Possession, which became a bestseller and won the coveted Booker Prize for Fiction the same year. Byatt won a number of awards and titles including a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) and DBE (Dame of the British Empire).

Persons: Booker, Adam Foulds, Hilary, Simon Mawer, Toby Melville, Antonia Susan Byatt, Byatt, Margaret Drabble, Antonia, Charles, Gwyneth Paltrow, Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Mike Collett, White, Kylie MacLellan, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Chatto & Windus, Penguin Random, Quaker, Cambridge, Oxford, Thomson Locations: London, British, English, Sheffield, York

☆ BoE's Ramsden: UK interest rates to stay high for extended time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Bank of England is likely to need to keep interest rates high for an extended period, Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden said on Thursday, sticking close to the central bank's existing language on the topic. Ramsden voted with the majority on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) this month to keep interest rates on hold at a 15-year high of 5.25%. "Monetary policy is likely to need to be restrictive for an extended period of time," Ramsden said in prepared remarks for the European Systemic Risk Board's annual conference. "The MPC have communicated that monetary policy will need to be sufficiently restrictive for sufficiently long to return inflation to the 2% target sustainably in the medium term," he added. The BoE currently holds 748 billion pounds ($931 billion) of gilts, down from a peak of 875 billion pounds in December 2021, and committed to reduce its stockpile by 100 billion pounds between October 2023 and September 2024.

Persons: Dave Ramsden, Ramsden, BoE, David Milliken, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: Bank of England, Monetary, Financial, Thomson

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party, speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain November 15, 2023. But the backing of so many Labour lawmakers showed the levels of disquiet in the party over the Middle East conflict. Eight members of Starmer's 'shadow' ministerial team left their roles in order to defy the party position. But I wanted to be clear about where I stood, and where I will stand," Starmer said after the vote. A large protest by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign outside parliament demanding lawmakers back a ceasefire took place while the vote was going on.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Maria Unger, Handout, Rishi Sunak, Jess Phillips, Starmer, Elizabeth Piper, Kylie MacLellan, Deepa Babington Organizations: Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS Acquire, Labour, Scottish National Party, European Union, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Israel, United States, Gaza, Britain's, Palestine

The figure represented a slight slowdown in regular pay growth from 7.9% in the previous two ONS reports, the highest since the data collection began in 2001. "The labour market remains very tight and businesses are still struggling to hire the people they need," Alexandra Hall-Chen, a policy advisor at the Institute of Directors, said. Including bonuses, which are typically volatile, pay growth slowed to 7.9% from 8.2% in the three months to August. "While there is some uncertainty around the accuracy of this data release, other indicators also suggest the labour market is gradually cooling, not collapsing," Jake Finney, an economist at PwC UK, said. Hunt said his Nov. 22 update on the budget and economic count would include "plans to get people back into work and deliver growth for the UK."

Persons: Big Ben, Toby Melville, Alexandra Hall, Chen, BoE, Sterling, Jake Finney, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan, David Milliken, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, LONDON, of, Office, National Statistics, Reuters, Institute of Directors, U.S, ONS, Labour Force Survey, PwC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ British environment minister Coffey resigns in reshuffle
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Britain's Environment Secretary Therese Coffey walks outside 10 Downing Street next to Larry the cat, in London, Britain November 13, 2023. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - British environment secretary Therese Coffey resigned on Monday as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reshuffled his top team of ministers. "I consider it is now the right time to step back from government," Coffey said in a letter to Sunak which was published by his office. Coffey has held several ministerial jobs including health minister and work and pensions minister, and also served as deputy prime minister under Sunak's predecessor Liz Truss. In a letter responding to Coffey, Sunak thanked her for "dedicated service".

Persons: Therese Coffey, Larry, Suzanne Plunkett, Rishi Sunak, Coffey, Liz Truss, Sunak, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, William James Our Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ UK PM Sunak appoints Victoria Atkins as new health minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday appointed Victoria Atkins, formerly Financial Secretary to the Treasury, as the new Secretary of State for Health and Social care as part of a reshuffle of his senior team of ministers, his office said. Atkins replaces Steve Barclay, who was moved to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She will assume oversight of the National Health Service (NHS), Britain's state-funded health system that is under pressure from industrial action by health workers and a growing list of patients waiting for treatment. There are currently around 7.8 million people waiting for NHS treatment, a new record high, compared to about 7 million a year ago. Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Alistair Smout, Writing by Sachin RavikumarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Victoria Atkins, Atkins, Steve Barclay, Kylie MacLellan, Alistair Smout, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: British, Monday, Treasury, State, Health, Department for Environment, Food, Rural Affairs, National Health Service, Thomson

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