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☆ Bahrain activist al-Khawaja says airline denied her boarding to Manama
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Human rights activist Maryam al-Khawaja flashes a "V" sign after being released outside the Airport Police Station, in Muharraq, north of Manama September 18, 2014. Maryam al-Khawaja said she was told at a British Airways' counter at Heathrow Airport that she was not allowed to board her flight and should contact Bahraini immigration authorities. "Effectively we are being denied boarding by British Airways on behalf of the Bahraini government," she said in a video taken in British Airways' check-in area, and posted on X, formerly called Twitter. British Airways did not immediately respond to request for comment. Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, also a Danish citizen, is a former president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and is serving a life sentence for his role in Bahrain's pro-democracy protests in 2011.

Persons: Maryam al, Khawaja, Hamad, Mohammed, Abdulhadi al, Maryam, General Agnes Callamard, Olive Moore, Maryam Al, Zainab, Mary Lawlor, Abduljalil, Naji Fateel, " Lawlor, Abdulhadi, Al Khalifa, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Muvija M, Emma Farge, William Maclean, Mark Potter Organizations: Police, REUTERS, Rights, British Airways, Heathrow Airport, Bahraini, Reuters, Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Muharraq, Manama, Rights RIYADH, London, Gulf, Bahrain, Danish, Riyadh, Shi'ite Iran, Teheran

A Union Jack flag flutters in front of the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, November 5, 2019. "Chinese recruitment schemes have tried to headhunt British and allied nationals in key positions and with sensitive knowledge and experience," the government said. The arrest of the young researcher, who denied being a spy, has led to calls by British members of parliament for a tougher stance. Sunak told parliament that he accepted the report and recognised that it identified areas where "we can do better". Last year, MI5 issued a rare security alert, warning members of parliament that a suspected Chinese spy was "involved in political interference activities" in Britain.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Sunak, Andrew MacAskill, Kylie MacLellan, Michael Holden, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, CAN, Intelligence, Security Committee, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, Beijing

☆ UK government says China attempting to headhunt Britons in sensitive positions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Union Jack flag flutters in front of the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, November 5, 2019. "The government recognises that Chinese recruitment schemes have tried to headhunt British and allied nationals in key positions and with sensitive knowledge and experience," the government said. The arrest of the young researcher, who denied being a spy, has led to calls by British members of parliament for a tougher stance on China. Chinese spying efforts in Britain were once focused on the hacking and stealing of intellectual property, according to lawmakers. But there has been a growth in human intelligence, targeting officials in senior positions, the lawmakers said.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Sunak, Andrew MacAskill, Kylie MacLellan, Michael Holden Organizations: REUTERS, Conservative Party, Intelligence, Security Committee, ISC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, Beijing

☆ Barclays cutting around 450 staff, UK trade union says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Barclays Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - A British union that represents workers at Barclays (BARC.L) said on Tuesday that the bank was cutting around 450 staff, as the lender cuts costs as it weighs a wider strategy overhaul. The Unite trade union said its members were informed by the bank of the decision. Venkatakrishnan is separately embarking on a wider strategy review, amid some investor dissatisfaction at the bank's underperformance relative to Wall Street investment banks. Reporting by Iain Withers and Muvija M; editing by William James; Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Dominic Hook, Venkatakrishnan, Iain Withers, Muvija, William James, Louise Heavens Organizations: Barclays Bank, REUTERS, Barclays, Reuters, C.S, Thomson

☆ Debate needed on impact of a digital pound, says BoE official
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A woman holds an umbrella outside the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, July 30, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - A "national conversation" is needed on whether to press ahead with a digital version of the pound, given concerns over privacy and other "anxieties", Bank of England deputy governor designate Sarah Breeden said on Tuesday. Breeden, currently an executive director at the Bank, told parliament's Treasury Committee that the impact on financial stability is also a concern regarding a digital pound. Reporting by Huw Jones and Muvija M, editing by Sachin RavikumarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Sarah Breeden, Breeden, Huw Jones, Muvija, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Bank of, Bank, Treasury, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ All of UK retailer Wilko's stores to shut, with over 9,000 job losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A branch of the discount retail homeware store Wilko is seen in Altrincham, Britain, September 11, 2023. PwC confirmed that 124 Wilko stores were set to close by Sept. 21, while the timing for the closure of the remaining 222 stores has yet to be announced. Some job losses in addition to those set out on Monday had been announced in recent weeks. Earlier this month London-listed retailer B&M (BMEB.L) struck a deal to buy 51 Wilko stores for up to 13 million pounds ($16.26 million). "Wilko should have thrived in a bargain retail sector that is otherwise strong, but it was run into the ground by the business owners."

Persons: Molly Darlington, PwC, Wilko, Doug Putman, Nadine Houghton, James Davey, Muvija, Sachin Ravikumar, Paul Sandle, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, HMV, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain, Leicester, England, Wilko, London

☆ UK says Russia targeted civilian cargo ship in Black Sea port on Aug 24
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Britain on Monday accused Russia of targeting a civilian cargo ship at port in the Black Sea on Aug. 24 in a previously unconfirmed missile attack it said was successfully thwarted by Ukrainian defences. The missiles had targeted a Liberian-flagged cargo ship berthed in port and were successfully shot down, Britain's foreign office said in a statement. The missiles included two "Kalibr" missiles fired from a Black Sea Fleet missile carrier, it added. Since Russia quit a U.N.-brokered deal allowing Ukraine to safely export its grain via the Black Sea in July, Moscow has been accused by Ukraine of threatening civilian vessels in the Black Sea. "In targeting cargo ships and Ukrainian infrastructure, Russia is hurting the rest of the world."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Putin, James, William James, Muvija, Jonathan Saul, Guy Faulconbridge, Hugh Lawson, Chizu Organizations: Monday, UN, Liberian, Fleet, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Odesa, New Delhi, Moscow, United States, London

☆ UK scientist who created Dolly the Sheep clone dies at 79
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/3] Dr Ian Wilmut leading scientist at the Roslin institute answers questions from the world's media on the institutes ground breaking discovery, Dolly the worlds first cloned sheep from a test tube containing sheep eggs, February 25. FILE PHOTO Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - British scientist Ian Wilmut, whose research was central to the creation of the famous cloned animal, Dolly the Sheep, has died at 79, the Roslin Institute of Edinburgh said on Monday. Wilmut, along with Keith Campbell from the animal sciences research institute in Scotland, generated news headlines and heated ethical debates in 1996 when they created Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. Reporting by Muvija M; editing by Michael HoldenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ian Wilmut, Roslin, Wilmut, Keith Campbell, Dolly, Muvija, Michael Holden Organizations: Roslin, Edinburgh, Thomson Locations: British, Scotland

☆ Britain rejoins EU's Horizon science programme in further boost for ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to Kent Scientific Services in West Malling, Kent, Britain, May 30, 2023. The agreement, which excludes the EU's Euratom nuclear research scheme, signals a further improvement in bilateral relations seven months after a row over trade was resolved. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said in a statement he had secured "improved financial terms of association" with the Horizon project. "This is the right deal for the UK, unlocking unparalleled research opportunities, and also the right deal for British taxpayers," Sunak said. Sunak's office said Britain would also associate with the European earth observation programme Copernicus, but not with the EU's Euratom programme, instead choosing to pursue a domestic fusion energy strategy.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Daniel Leal, Sunak, Copernicus, Rishi Sunak's, Ursula von der Leyen, Alistair Smout, Kylie MacLellan, Elizabeth Piper, John Stonestreet Organizations: Britain's, Kent Scientific Services, REUTERS Acquire, EU, LONDON, Union's, Horizon, Twitter, Northern Ireland, Thomson Locations: West Malling, Kent, Britain, Horizon Europe, Europe, EU

☆ UK PM Sunak faces new vote to fill seat after lawmaker accused of groping resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces another difficult vote to fill a vacant seat in parliament after a lawmaker who was given an eight-week suspension for groping two men at a London club last year announced he plans to resign. Johnson's initial perceived downplaying of the allegations added to pressure that ultimately led to Johnson's resignation as prime minister. But he lost that appeal on Monday and faced removal by his constituents due to the length of the suspension. The vote to replace him is held on the same day as a by-election to replace former culture minister and Sunak critic Nadine Dorries. Reporting by Muvija M, Alistair Smout and Andrew MacAskill; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Chris Pincher, Boris Johnson, Pincher, Nadine Dorries, energise, Sunak, Muvija M, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, William James Our Organizations: British, London, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, Thomson

☆ UK government vows escaped terrorism suspect will be found
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A wanted sign featuring an image of Daniel Abed Khalife, a former soldier who is suspected of terrorism offences, is displayed, near Wandsworth prison which he escaped from, in London, Britain, September 7, 2023. "Daniel Khalife will be found and he will be made to face justice," Alex Chalk, the government's justice minister, told parliament. Police said he was not thought to pose a risk to the wider public but advised people not to approach him. Opposition lawmakers have demanded answers into how he had been able to escape and why he was not being held at a maximum security prison. Reporting by Michael Holden, Farouq Suleiman and Muvija M; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Daniel Abed Khalife, Anna Gordon, strapping, Daniel Khalife, Alex Chalk, Khalife, Chalk, Mark Fairhurst, Michael Holden, Farouq Suleiman, Muvija, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, London's HMP, Police, Officers, Association, Thomson Locations: Wandsworth, London, Britain, London's, London's HMP Wandsworth, England

☆ UK has not backed down in tech encryption row, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan walks on Downing Street in London, Britain March 15, 2023. Junior minister Stephen Parkinson appeared to concede ground to the tech companies' arguments on Wednesday, saying in parliament's upper chamber that the Ofcom communications regulator would only require them to scan content where "technically feasible". Tech companies have said scanning messages and end-to-end encryption are fundamentally incompatible. Donelan, however, denied on Thursday that the bill had been watered down in the final stages before it becomes law. She said further work to develop the technology was needed, but added that government-funded research had shown it was possible.

Persons: Technology Michelle Donelan, Peter Nicholls, Michelle Donelan, Stephen Parkinson, Paul Sandle, Helen Popper Our Organizations: State for Science, Innovation, Technology, REUTERS, Junior, Ofcom, Tech, Times Radio, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ UK aviation regulator to review air traffic control failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Raphael Satter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Britain's civil aviation regulator said on Wednesday it would undertake an independent review of the circumstances surrounding an air traffic control failure last week that caused widespread disruption to flights and left thousands of passengers stranded. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the review would also consider the response of NATS, the country's air traffic control provider, which has apologised for the failure. Air traffic controllers then closed the system to maintain safety and switched to manual operation to continue service. The CAA, Britain's independent aviation and aerospace regulator, said it had shared analysis this with the government on Monday and outlined its next steps. The regulator said the event was now understood and, if it happened again, should be fixed quickly with no effect to the aviation system.

Persons: Raphael Satter, Rob Bishton, NATS, Mark Harper, Muvija, Farouq Suleiman, William James Our Organizations: REUTERS, Civil Aviation Authority, Interim, CAA, Air, Thomson Locations: London, Stansted, Britain

☆ UK could lose global climate leadership, says former energy minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chris Skidmore is seen outside Downing Street, as uncertainty over Brexit continues, in London, Britain May 21, 2019. "We are in this global net zero race, we have been climate leaders in the past, we're about to lose that leadership," he said. There is no free rider opportunities in net zero. Asked if Sunak should attend the COP28 climate summit in person to help Britain hold onto its net zero leadership, Skidmore said it was policy outcomes which were the most important thing. "Yes, it's nice if we can have a prime minister turn up, but I don't think it's essential," he said.

Persons: Chris Skidmore, Brexit, Hannah Mckay, decarbonisation, Jobs, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Skidmore, William James, Sachin Ravikumar, Muvija, Sarah Young Organizations: REUTERS, Rights Companies Edf Energy Nuclear Generation, Reuters IMPACT, Thomson Locations: Downing, London, Britain

☆ British defence firm BAE sets up Ukrainian base
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Trade visitors walk past an advertisement for BAE Systems at Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, Britain, July 17, 2018. As the UK's biggest defence contractor, BAE has manufactured much of the equipment that Britain and other governments have provided to Ukraine as it fends off Russia's invasion. Britain is a key defence supplier for Ukraine and in May became the first country to start supplying Kyiv with long-range cruise missiles. BAE, which has benefited from increased defence spending as a result of the conflict, is already providing training and repair services to Ukraine's armed forces. Western defence companies have been weighing opportunities to make weapons in Ukraine against the possible security risks, Reuters reported in June.

Persons: Toby Melville, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Charles Woodburn, Zelenskiy, BAE's Woodburn, Muvija, Sarah Young, Sachin Ravikumar, Frances Kerry Organizations: BAE Systems, REUTERS, BAE, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Farnborough, Britain, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Sweden, Swedish

☆ HMV owner finalising deal to buy most of collapsed UK retailer Wilko -Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A branch of the discount retail homeware store Wilko is seen in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Canadian businessman Doug Putman is finalising a deal to buy the majority of collapsed British homeware retailer Wilko from its administrators in a deal which could save up to 9,000 jobs, Sky News reported on Thursday. The administrators are consulting Wilko's biggest creditors about the deal, Sky News said, adding that there was still some uncertainty around whether it would go ahead. Poundland's parent company and B&M European Value Retail (BMEB.L) have also shown interest in acquiring a smaller portion of Wilko stores. Wilko's administrators PwC said earlier on Thursday that there were parties interested in buying the retailer but none of them wanted the whole group.

Persons: Toby Melville, Doug Putman, Putman, PwC, Sarah Young, Muvija, Elizabeth Piper, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Sky News, HMV, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Canadian, British, Wilko

☆ Wallace confirms resignation as UK defence minister in letter to PM Sunak
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace walks on Downing Street on the day of the last cabinet meeting before the summer recess, in London, Britain, July 18, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Ben Wallace confirmed his resignation as defence minister on Thursday in a letter to Rishi Sunak, offering the government his continued support while warning the British prime minister not to see defence as a "discretionary spend". In his official resignation letter, Wallace renewed his appeal for the government not to turn to defence to make spending cuts. Sunak praised Wallace for his work, saying in a letter in response: "You have served our country in three of the most demanding posts in government: defence secretary, security minister and Northern Ireland minister." A former captain in the British army, Wallace, 53, was appointed as defence minister in 2019 by his friend and ally, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson after holding junior ministerial roles in earlier governments.

Persons: Defence Ben Wallace, Anna Gordon, Ben Wallace, Rishi Sunak, Wallace, Jens Stoltenberg, hollowing, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Muvija M, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Holton, Alex Richardson Organizations: State, Defence, REUTERS, NATO, Conservative Party, Ministry of Defence, Northern, Twitter, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Ukraine, Norwegian, Northern Ireland, Russia, Kyiv

☆ Grant Shapps replaces Ben Wallace as UK defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

British Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps walks on Downing Street on the day of the last cabinet meeting before the summer recess, in London, Britain, July 18, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The British government named ex-energy secretary Grant Shapps as the country's new defence minister on Thursday, replacing Ben Wallace who said he wanted to step down after four years in the role and would quit as a lawmaker at the next national election. Wallace, who had been touted as a potential successor to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, had taken a leading role in shaping Britain's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. The defence role will be Shapps' fifth government job over the last year, after serving in four different ministries - transport, interior affairs, business and then at energy and net zero. ($1 = 0.7872 pounds)Reporting by Muvija M, Editing by Kylie MacLellanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Grant Shapps, Anna Gordon, Ben Wallace, Wallace, Jens Stoltenberg, Britain, Muvija, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: State for Energy Security, REUTERS, NATO, Ukraine, Russia, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British, Ukraine

People walk outside the Bank of England in the City of London financial district in London, Britain, March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File PhotoLONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A handful of small UK commercial lenders are offering interest-free loans to high-risk borrowers, as part of a government-backed scheme to support people through the cost of living crisis. Reuters has confirmed that Social Credit, a collaboration between commercial startup lender Plend and two nonprofit organisations, has been delivering interest-free loans as part of the scheme. A hole in the credit market, caused by the collapse or exit of many payday lenders such as Provident and Quickquid, has left millions unable to access loans. HARD TIMESFair4All told Reuters a portion of the 45 million pounds would be used to fund no-interest loans, and the rest allocated to other financial support measures.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Fair4All, TotallyMoney, Tom Lake, John Cronin, Cronin, Rishi Sunak's, Martin Coulter, Muvija, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Bank of England, REUTERS, Fair4All Finance, Reuters, South Manchester Credit Union, Provident, Quickquid, Customers, Conservative, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, British

An aerial view shows the Bibby Stockholm barge moored at Portland Port, near Poole, Britain, August 7, 2023. Britain began moving the asylum seekers onto the Bibby Stockholm, a barge anchored off Dorset on the south coast, earlier this week as part of its high-profile strategy to deter people from arriving in the country on small boats. Ministers said they wanted to reduce the cost of accommodating asylum seekers in hotels, while human rights campaigners compared the barge to a prison ship and said its use was in inhumane. "Environmental samples from the water system on the Bibby Stockholm (barge) have shown levels of Legionella bacteria which require further investigation," a spokesperson at the Home Office, or interior ministry, said. "As a precautionary measure, all 39 asylum seekers who arrived on the vessel this week are being disembarked while further assessments are undertaken."

Persons: Bibby, Toby Melville, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Muvija M, Andrew MacAskill, Kate Holton, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Bibby, Ministers, Home Office, UK Health Security Agency, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: Portland Port, Poole, Britain, Bibby Stockholm, Dorset

☆ UK defends plan to demand access to encrypted messages to protect children
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - British technology minister Michelle Donelan defended plans to require messaging apps to provide access to encrypted private messages when needed to protect children from abuse, which major platforms say would undermine the privacy of their users. "I, like you, want my privacy because I don't want people reading my private messages. They'd be very bored but I don't want them to do it," said Donelan, minister for science, innovation and technology. Donelan said the responsibility lay with tech companies to invest in technology to protect children. "The safety mechanism that we have is very explicit that this (access) can only be used for child exploitation and abuse."

Persons: Michelle Donelan, Donelan, Muvija, Paul Sandle, Peter Graff Organizations: BBC, Britain's, Thomson

A branch of the discount retail homeware store Wilko is seen in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File PhotoSummaryCompanies Wilko enters administration93-year old retailer trades from 400 storesFailed to secure emergency investmentLONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - British discount retailer Wilko said it has fallen into administration on Thursday, a form of creditor protection that puts its 12,000 jobs in danger. The family-owned retailer, facing a cash squeeze after a downturn in trading, had failed to secure emergency investment. Despite the squeeze on household incomes from the jump in interest rates and high levels of inflation, most UK high street chains have traded resiliently so far this year. Reporting by James Davey and Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton and Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Wilko, Mark Jackson, PwC, McColl's, Jackson, Wilko's, we’ve, James Davey, Muvija, Kate Holton, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Morrisons, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Leicester, England

That has drawn fury from climate protesters who have stepped up their campaigns, disrupting high-profile sporting events, classical music concerts and political speeches. loadingPictures posted online by Greenpeace UK on Thursday showed four protesters atop the property in Yorkshire, northern England, covering it in swathes of black fabric, while a banner read "RISHI SUNAK - OIL PROFITS OR OUR FUTURE?" Around two hours later at 11:00 BST (1000 GMT), four protesters were still on the roof with a sign saying "NO NEW OIL." Greenpeace said they were protesting the government's backing for new North Sea oil and gas licences and a proposed development of Equinor's (EQNR.OL) Rosebank oilfield, which is subject to a final investment decision. "We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist," Greenpeace UK said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Rishi, Read, Sunak, YouGov, Vladimir, Putin, William James, Farouq Suleiman, Kate Holton, Giles Elgood Organizations: Greenpeace, British, Greenpeace UK, Wednesday . Police, Sunak's Conservative, Thomson Locations: Yorkshire, England, Britain, California, Ukraine, Sunak's

Kara-Murza, who holds Russian and British citizenship, lost an appeal against his 25-year jail sentence on Monday, the RIA state news agency reported. "This is desperate and unfounded," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. Britain said it has imposed asset freezes and travel bans on Moscow City Court Judges Vitaly Belitsky and Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dorokhina. "Kara-Murza, a dual British national, is being persecuted by the Russian regime for his anti-war stance," Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said in a statement. Others who were targeted in the sanctions include two prosecutors and an "expert witness" whom Britain said had provided false justification for Kara-Murza’s detention.

Persons: Murza, Sunak, Vladimir Kara, Rishi Sunak, Vitaly Belitsky, Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dorokhina, Vladimir Putin, Natalia Nikolaevna Dudar, Murza's, Kara, Britain, Putin, Muvija, William James, Leslie Adler Organizations: Russian, Commonwealth & Development, CNN, Representatives, Thomson Locations: Britain, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Basmanny, British, Arizona

The new plant is expected to be built in Somerset, south-west England, while Jaguar Land Rover's UK factories are based near Birmingham, central England. With an initial output of 40 gigawatt hours, Britain said the factory would provide almost half of the battery production needed by 2030. The Faraday Institution has projected UK battery demand to reach over 100 GWh a year by that time. "With this strategic investment, the Tata Group further strengthens its commitment to the UK," Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said in the statement. "Almost every car producing nation in the world (is) offering a lot of incentives in order to ensure that they preserve the integrity of their car industry," he said.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, N Chandrasekaran, Mike Hawes, Andy Palmer, Aston Martin, Jeremy Hunt, wouldn't, Alistair Smout, Sarah Young, William James, Paul Sandle, Emma Rumney Organizations: Tata Motors, REUTERS, Danish, India's Tata Group, Rover, Tata, BBC, European Union, Nissan, Rover's, Faraday, Tata Group, EV, BBC Radio, Britain, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Britain, Spain, Somerset, England, Birmingham, United States, Europe, China, EU

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