DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Exclusive: With UK health service in crisis, Tesco gives staff virtual doctors appointments
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A customer talks to an in store fishmonger at a Tesco supermarket near Liverpool, Britain, January 28, 2019. REUTERS/ Phil NobleLONDON, July 6 (Reuters) - Supermarket group Tesco (TSCO.L), Britain's largest private-sector employer, is to offer its staff virtual appointments with a private family doctor, in another indication of the pressures engulfing the country's National Health Service (NHS). The NHS, which celebrated its 75th anniversary on Wednesday, was launched after World War Two to provide health care free at the point of use, and remains a much-loved institution. "This is a direct investment in the health of our colleagues," Tesco's UK people director, James Goodman, said. Tesco, like other big employers and retailers, has previously provided more traditional benefits to staff, such as share schemes and staff discounts, and last year started offering advances on pay.

Persons: Phil Noble LONDON, YuLife, Booker, James Goodman, James Davey, Kate Holton, David Holmes Organizations: Tesco, REUTERS, National Health Service, Reuters, Health, Workers, Tesco Bank, Thomson Locations: Liverpool, Britain, England

☆ Microsoft's appeal of UK Activision veto to go ahead as planned
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - Microsoft's appeal against Britain's veto of its $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard will go ahead as planned at the end of July after the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) rejected the antitrust regulator's request for a delay. The Competition and Markets Authority, which blocked the takeover in April, wanted the hearing delayed from July 28 to October to give it more time to prepare and present its case. But the CAT said: "We consider that the CMA has not paid sufficient heed to the true public interest in this case – which is the swift resolution of Microsoft's Notice." Reporting by Muvija M and Paul Sandle; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Britain's, Muvija M, Paul Sandle, Kate Holton Organizations: Activision Blizzard, Markets Authority, CMA, Thomson

☆ 'Call of Duty' maker to invest in Barcelona after EU approves Microsoft deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) said its studio that developed "Call of Duty" would set up shop in Barcelona, putting into action its pledge to invest in Europe after Brussels approved Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of the company in May. In contrast, it said it would "meaningfully expand" its investment and workforce in the European Union after the deal received the green light there. Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are battling antitrust regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to clinch the deal, the biggest ever in video gaming. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and his Microsoft counterpart Satya Nadella are due to testify in a court in San Francisco on Wednesday to urge a judge to allow the merger. Microsoft is appealing the British veto with the "aggressive" support of Activision.

Persons: Bobby Kotick, Satya Nadella, Kate Holton, Alexander Smith Organizations: Activision, Digital Legends, Microsoft, European Union, Activision Blizzard, Atlantic, Federal Trade Commission, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Europe, Brussels, U.S, Spanish, Guildford, Warrington, England, European, San Francisco, Britain

☆ Who is on the missing Titanic sub?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Courtesy of Jannicke Mikkelsen/via REUTERS/File PhotoJune 20 (Reuters) - A five-person submersible vessel taking wealthy adventurers on a $250,000 trip to see the wreckage of the 1912 Titanic disaster 12,500 feet (3,800m) undersea is missing in the Atlantic off Canada. The British billionaire and chairman of aviation consultancy Action Aviation is among those missing, according to his stepson. The 77-year-old French explorer, whom media say is one of the five on board, is director of underwater research at a company that owns the rights to the Titanic wreck. The founder and CEO of the vessel's U.S.-based operating company OceanGate is also on the submersible, according to media reports. "It is an amazingly beautiful wreck," Rush told Britain's Sky news of the Titanic earlier this year.

Persons: Hamish Harding, Jannicke Mikkelsen, HAMISH HARDING, Harding, Buzz Aldrin, Aldrin, SHAHZADA DAWOOD, SULEMAN, Shahzada, PAUL, HENRI NARGEOLET, Rush, Britain's, OceanGate, Ariba Shahid, Kate Holton, Dominique Vidalon, Yousef Saba, Andrew Cawthorne, Christina Fincher, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Titanic, WHO, Action Aviation, Engro Corporation, SETI, French Navy, France Bleu, STOCKTON RUSH, Britain's Sky, Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Atlantic, Canada, British, Dubai, Newfoundland, fertilisers, California, Britain, U.S, Everett, Washington State, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Karachi, London, Paris

☆ Lab crunch: British science has nowhere to go
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kate Holton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Property consultants Bidwells put demand for lab space in Cambridge at 1.19 million square feet (110,000 square metres) - but only 7,000 sq ft are available. That has led to an explosion in venture capital, with much of it coming from the United States. Michael Chen moved to Cambridge from the United States in 2012 to do a doctorate in chemistry. She leads a joint venture between Oxford University and Legal & General (LGEN.L) to build lab space and homes. Pioneer Group, which provides funding and lab space in Britain, said action was needed now to address the "crazy" demand.

Persons: Zoe, Toby Melville OXFORD, Ros Deegan, Catherine Elton, Bidwells, Elton, Deegan, Diarmuid O'Brien, Rishi Sunak's, Gordon Sanghera, Michael Chen, Artem Korolev, Anna Strongman, Strongman, Glenn Crocker, Alistair Cory, Qkine's Elton, Kate Holton, Toby Melville, David Clarke Organizations: University of Oxford, Science, REUTERS, European Union, Therapeutics, McKinsey, Oxford, Cambridge Enterprise, U.S, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Reuters, Company, Cambridge, PACE, Laboratory, Oxford University, Legal, Thomson Locations: Kidlington, Oxford, Britain, England, Cambridge, United States, London, U.S, France, Boston, North America, Europe, Asia, China

"We do believe that we're past the peak inflation," CEO Ken Murphy told reporters. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's key economic pledge to halve inflation in 2023 has been undermined by persistent high food inflation, which was running at over 19% in April, according to the most recent official data. Murphy warned though that while some commodity prices were coming down, higher labour costs which are feeding into inflation are likely to stick. Tesco has said it expects prices to rise in 2023 but with the rate of inflation declining through the year. Reporting by James Davey and Sarah Young; editing by Kate Holton and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ken Murphy, Rishi Sunak's, Murphy, James Davey, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Jason Neely Organizations: Tesco, Britain's, Aldi, Thomson

☆ Travis Perkins warns on profit in sign of UK housing market difficulty
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - Travis Perkins (TPK.L), Britain's biggest supplier of building materials, warned profit would be hit by difficulties in the country's housing market in one of the latest warning signs that rising interest rates are beginning to be felt by consumers. For 2023, Travis said it now expected full-year adjusted operating profit to be around 240 million pounds ($307 million), a downgrade from guidance in April when it said it was on track to meet market forecasts of about 272 million pounds. Worries over higher mortgages now appear to be feeding through to the housing market, with Travis saying that the volumes in new build housing and private domestic building projects were lower. Travis said the other half of its business, which serves large commercial and public infrastructure projects, however, was seeing resilient demand. ($1 = 0.7817 pounds)Reporting by Sarah Young in London and Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Travis Perkins, Travis, Sarah Young, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Rashmi Aich, Kate Holton Organizations: Britain's, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: London, Bengaluru

LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - Britain's ITV (ITV.L) is "actively exploring the possible acquisition" of production company All3Media, it said on Friday after Reuters reported the broadcaster's interest. One of Britain's leading independent production companies, All3Media is owned by Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) and Liberty Global (LBTYA.O). Sources told Reuters in a story released on Thursday that Warner Brothers could sell its All3Media holding while Liberty Global could retain a stake in a merged entity, which would comprise ITV Studios and All3Media. Speaking generally about its finances, ITV in March said that it had accessible funds of more than 1 billion pounds, comprising cash and undrawn debt facilities. In a potential deal, ITV would combine All3Media with the Studios business it has built to offset more volatile revenue from its advertising-dependent TV channels and new ITVX streaming service.

Persons: Kate Holton, William James, David Goodman Organizations: ITV, Reuters, Warner Bros Discovery, Liberty Global, Warner Brothers, ITV Studios, Thomson

☆ Vodafone and Three merger faces scrutiny from competition regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The $19 billion tie-up will be scrutinised by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority, the antitrust regulator which made global headlines in April when it blocked Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard. The long-awaited mobile deal reduces the number of networks from four to three, challenging a tenet long held by regulators that four help to keep prices low in major markets. "The government's desire to make the UK a 5G powerhouse requires a lot of investment," he said. One London-based investment banker, who declined to be named, said he put the chance of the deal receiving the green light from regulators at 50%. A major telecoms investor said the deal could be approved, but only with strong remedies, and that could risk undermining its rationale.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Activision Blizzard, Hutchison, Paolo Pescatore, Peter Broadhurst, Moring, James Gray, Sarah Cardell, Robert Finnegan, Gray, Paul Sandle, Amy, Jo Crowley, Sinead Cruise, Kate Holton, Emelia Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Hutchison, O2, Vodafone, CK, HK, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, Ofcom, European Commission, Foresight, Hutchison's, UK plc, Victoria, Crowell, CMA, Reuters, National Security and Investment, Britain's, Tesco Mobile, Telefonica, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Britain, Europe, China, London, Germany

The more than 100-page report detailed six events held at Downing Street, the prime minister's offices and residence. There is no precedent for a prime minister having been found to have deliberately misled the House (of Commons, lower house of parliament)." It recommended that he should not be entitled to a former member's pass, which enables most former prime ministers and lawmakers to gain automatic access to parliament. But so-called Partygate spelt the beginning of the end for his tenure as prime minister. They have also rowed this week over the former prime minister's resignation honours list.

Persons: Johnson, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Mr Johnson, Sunak, Thangam Debbonaire, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, Kylie MacLellan, Muvija, William James, Kate Holton, Frank Jack Daniel, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Conservatives, Downing, Street, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: COVID

☆ Retail and films drive modest growth in UK economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's economy grew by 0.2% month-on-month in April, the Office for National Statistics said, matching the consensus in a Reuters poll of economists. Over the three months to April, Britain's economy expanded just 0.1% - a "low growth trajectory" according to the British Chambers of Commerce. The ONS said the economy in April stood 0.3% above its pre-pandemic level of February 2020. Services output rose 0.3% on the month, with the wholesale and retail trade the biggest driver of growth. But manufacturing output dropped 0.3% and the construction sector contracted unexpectedly by 0.6%, the figures showed.

Persons: Samuel Tombs, Jeremy Hunt, Sumanta Sen, William James, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Andrew Heavens Organizations: National Statistics, Financial, Bank of England, British Chambers of Commerce, Reuters, ONS, Thomson Locations: British

Under the terms, Vodafone will own 51% and Hutchison 49% of the combined group, which will be led by current Vodafone UK boss Ahmed Essam. The finance chief of Hutchison's Three UK, Darren Purkis, will take the same role in the new group. The combined operator will have about 27 million customers, overtaking BT's (BT.L) EE and VM O2, jointly owned by Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Liberty Global (LBTYA.O). Vodafone, which is currently Britain's third-biggest mobile operator, and fourth-placed Hutchison will have options which would allow Vodafone to acquire the Hong Kong-based conglomerate's 49% stake in the future. Shares in Vodafone, which fell to a 25-year low of 71 pence on Tuesday, rose 3.6% after the deal was announced.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Canning Fok, Ahmed Essam, Darren Purkis, Hutchison, Vodafone's Essam, Robert Finnegan, Gail Cartmail, Paul Sandle, Clare Jim, Kate Holton, Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Vodafone, CK, HK, Hutchison, Hutchison's, BT's, VM O2, Telefonica, Liberty Global, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, CMA, Unite, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Britain, Hong Kong, China, London

[1/2] Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle poses in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters on May 16, 2023. "For Vodafone this transaction is a game changer in our home market," Della Valle, a 29-year company veteran, told reporters. That is likely to take time, but Kester Mann, a director at CCS Insight, said the British announcement would give Della Valle a boost. "She has shown clear intent to make changes at Vodafone as she bids to turn the embattled company's performance around," he said. "Securing approval for a tie-up with (Hutchison's) Three would be a major boost to her early tenure."

Persons: Margherita Della Valle, Della Valle, CK Hutchison, Nick Read, Kester Mann, Kate Holton, Sinead Cruise, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Vodafone, Reuters, Handout, REUTERS, HK, CCS Insight, Thomson Locations: Britain, Hong Kong, Germany, Spain, Italy, British

☆ British police dealing with "ongoing serious incident" in Nottingham
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - British police said they were dealing with an "ongoing serious incident" in the central English city of Nottingham, where multiple roads have been closed and the local tram network suspended. Pictures on Twitter showed main roads cordoned off by blue and white police tape, and officers looking relatively calm. "Officers are currently at an ongoing serious incident," the police said. The city's tram network said it had suspended operations until further notice due to the incident. Reporting by Sarah Young and Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Kate Holton and Michael HoldenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Jenrick, Sarah Young, Sachin Ravikumar, Kate Holton, Michael Holden Organizations: British, Twitter, National Inter, Agency, Nottinghamshire Police, Thomson Locations: English, Nottingham

☆ Hot UK labour market raises pressure on BoE to act again
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Employment and wage growth soared during the three months to April while the unemployment rate fell, according to the Office for National Statistics. Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, when wage statistics were skewed by furlough schemes, it was the highest reading on record. Including bonuses, wage growth jumped to 6.5% from 6.1% previously, but it still lagged inflation, meaning Britons are suffering declining pay in real terms. "With the possibility of higher-for-longer rates, a UK recession looks unavoidable as tight monetary policy filters into the real economy - including the housing market," Medhi said. BoE officials are likely to note that the headline employment and wages data came in above all forecasts, while the unemployment rate was below all forecasts.

Persons: BoE, Sterling, Hussain Mehdi, Medhi, Andy Bruce, Sachin Ravikumar, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Reuters, Bank of England, Office, National Statistics, RBC, HSBC Asset Management, Thomson

Another man was also found dead on a road just outside the city centre. "This is an horrific and tragic incident which has claimed the lives of three people," Chief Constable Kate Meynell said. [1/5] A police officer walks near a van in a cordon on the Bentinck Road following a major incident in Nottingham city centre, Nottingham, Britain, June 13, 2023. The woman went on the kerb, the man went up in the air," she said. "Awful news for our city to wake up to today," Alex Norris, a lawmaker for Nottingham, said on Twitter.

Persons: van, Kate Meynell, Phil Noble, Lynn, Rishi Sunak, Meynell, Alex Norris, Michael Holden, Sarah Young, Sachin Ravikumar, Kate Holton, Kevin Liffey, Alexandra Hudson, Nick Macfie Organizations: NOTTINGHAM, British, Police, East Midlands Ambulance Service, REUTERS, BBC, Ilkeston, Twitter, Thomson Locations: English, Nottingham, Britain

The EPL was raised from its initial 25% rate to 35% in November, bringing the overall tax burden to 75%. With Friday's changes the windfall tax would fall away, reducing the tax burden to 40%, if average oil and gas prices fall to or below $71.40 a barrel for oil and 0.54 pounds ($0.6784) per therm for gas in two consecutive quarters. However, the government said independent price forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility suggest the price floor mechanism is unlikely to be triggered before the windfall tax’s planned end date in March 2028. UK North Sea oil and gas producers including TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) and Harbour (HBR.L) have said the levy would result in them cutting investment in the basin. Reuters GraphicsBritain was a net exporter of oil as recently as the 2000s, but now depends on both oil and gas imports.

Persons: Sarah Young, Shadia Nasralla, William James, Kate Holton, David Goodman Organizations: Brent, OPEC, Iraq, Reuters Graphics Britain, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Britain

[1/6] Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday agreed to deepen close economic ties between their countries, pledging to accelerate the clean energy transition and strengthen critical mineral supply chains. Biden and the British prime minister released the "Atlantic Declaration," which Sunak described as a first-of-its-kind economic partnership on issues like artificial intelligence, climate change and protecting technologies that would help shape the future. Biden and Sunak both underscored continued support for Ukraine to ensure its long-term security and deter aggression after the war ends. Biden and Sunak last met in Hiroshima, Japan, at the Group of Seven summit last month.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Evelyn Hockstein WASHINGTON, Biden, ” Sunak, We're, Sunak, Ukraine's, Vladimir Putin, Ben Wallace's, Trevor Hunnicutt, Andrea Shalal, Rami Ayyub, Kate Holton, Lincoln, Heather Timmons, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Britain's, U.S, White, REUTERS, British, Sunak, EU, NATO, Office, Northern, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Ukraine, Northern Ireland, Asia, Russia, Nova, Russian, Hiroshima, Japan, Belfast, San Diego, United States, Australia, Britain, Washington, London

☆ Exclusive: Vodafone and Hutchison to announce UK merger as soon as Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: The company logo of CK Hutchison Holdings is displayed at a news conference in Hong Kong, China March 17, 2016. REUTERS/Bobby YipHONG KONG/LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) - Vodafone (VOD.L) and CK Hutchison (0001.HK) are in the final stages of agreeing to merge their British operations, with a long-awaited announcement expected as soon as Friday or early next week, three sources have told Reuters. Including debt the deal could be valued at around 15 billion pounds ($18.6 billion), according to analysts. The deal will face intense scrutiny from regulators who have previously opposed deals that reduce the number of networks in major markets from four to three. ($1 = 0.8061 pounds)Reporting by Clare Jim in Hong Kong and Paul Sandle in London; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bobby Yip HONG, CK Hutchison, Hutchison, Clare Jim, Paul Sandle, Kate Holton Organizations: CK Hutchison Holdings, REUTERS, Vodafone, CK, HK, Reuters, British, Hutchison, BT's, VM O2, Telefonica, Liberty Global, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, Bobby Yip HONG KONG, London

☆ UK's Sunak seeks stronger economic ties with U.S. on Washington trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - Britain wants to put its economic ties with the United States on the same footing as the two countries' defence and security cooperation to help both counter global threats, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will tell President Joe Biden this week. Having left the European Union, Britain is seeking to further align itself with Washington to help navigate a more volatile world driven by the rise of China, the aggression of Russia and the development of Artificial Intelligence. Sunak will meet Biden, U.S. business leaders and members of congress this week, arguing that the existing ties between the two countries mean they are better placed to take on the new challenges together. [1/3] Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County, Maryland, ahead of his visit to Washington DC. Writing by Kate Holton; additional reporting by Bharat Govind Gautam in Bengaluru Editing by Elizabeth PiperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Sunak, Niall Carson, Biden, Kate Holton, Bharat Govind Gautam, Elizabeth Piper Organizations: European Union, Artificial Intelligence, Biden, Andrews Air Force Base, Washington DC, Thomson Locations: United States, Britain, Washington, China, Russia, Prince George's County , Maryland, Brussels, London, Bengaluru

☆ Microsoft searching for solutions over UK block on Activision deal -president
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - The president of Microsoft (MSFT.O) said he was looking for solutions to try to get British approval for the software giant's $69 billion acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O). British competition authorities blocked the biggest ever deal in gaming in April, in a shock decision which Microsoft has since appealed. "I'm in search of solutions," Microsoft President Brad Smith told the techUK Tech Policy Leadership conference in London on Tuesday. The EU's competition authorities approved the deal in May after they accepted remedies put forward by Microsoft that were broadly comparable to those it proposed in the UK. Microsoft has also appealed the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's action seeking to block the deal on the grounds that, the agency said, it would suppress competition.

Persons: Brad Smith, Smith, Paul Sandle, Sarah Young, Kate Holton Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, techUK Tech, U.S . Federal Trade, Thomson Locations: British, London, EU

They accuse the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, of widespread phone-hacking and unlawful information gathering between 1991 and 2011. Green began by personally apologising to Harry on MGN's behalf over one instance in which it admitted unlawful information gathering. In his written witness statement, Harry denounced the treatment he had experienced at the hands of the press. [1/6] Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walks outside the Rolls Building of the High Court in London, Britain June 6, 2023. The publisher also argues that some of the personal information involved had come from senior royal aides, including from one of his father's former top officials.

Persons: Harry, Prince Harry, King Charles, Andrew Green, Green, MGN, Chelsy Davy, Duke of Sussex, Hannah McKay, David Sherborne, Harry's, Princess Diana, Piers Morgan, earwigging, Morgan, Rupert, I've, Michael Holden, Alex Richardson, Kate Holton, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Mirror Group, Daily, Sunday People, Court, REUTERS, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, Reach, Thomson Locations: LONDON, London, Britain, British

Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERSLONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday his plan to stop migrants arriving in small boats had reduced crossings by 20%, an update he hopes will ease criticism from his party and in the country over immigration policy. "In the five months since I launched the plan, crossings are now down 20% compared to last year," Sunak told a news conference in southern England. "The plan is working," he said, adding his government was not complacent and would work hard to make sure parliament passed a new law. Sunak urged parliament to pass his new Illegal Migration Bill, which will allow for the swift detention and deportation of people arriving on small boats back to their homeland or to so-called safe third countries such as Rwanda. Reporting by Sarah Young, writing by Farouq Suleiman and Elizabeth Piper; editing by Kate Holton and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Yui Mok, Sunak, Sarah Young, Farouq Suleiman, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Holton, Nick Macfie Organizations: Western Jet, REUTERS LONDON, British, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: Dover, Britain, England, Albania, London, Rwanda

☆ UK PM Sunak signals support for defence minister's NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised his defence minister Ben Wallace as "fantastic" and admired around the world on Monday, suggesting he was firmly behind a bid for him to become secretary-general of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance. Asked about Wallace's candidacy, Sunak told a news conference: "On NATO, Ben is a fantastic defence secretary. There is a general conversation around this among world leaders and I'm sure it will continue." We have been a leader in NATO operations, are perceived as a thought leader." Reporting by Sarah Young and Elizabeth Piper; editing by Alistair Smout and Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Ben Wallace, Sunak, Joe Biden, Wallace, Ben, Mette Frederiksen, Sarah Young, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Kate Holton Organizations: British, NATO, U.S, Danish, Thomson Locations: U.S, Britain, NATO, Washington, British, United States, Ukraine

☆ Harry to become first British royal in 130 years to give evidence in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SummarySummary Companies Prince, celebrities accuse tabloids of phone-hackingHarry to appear in witness box in London's High CourtRoyal aides likely to feature in cross-examinationHarry first senior British royal to testify since 1890sLONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - Prince Harry will become the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for 130 years when he testifies next week in his lawsuit against a newspaper group he accuses of unlawful behaviour. More than 100 people are suing MGN, with Harry and three others selected as test cases. MGN is contesting the allegations and says senior figures denied knowing anything about hacking and had any wrongdoing concealed from them. Instead, Buckingham Palace is likely to feature prominently in Harry's cross-examination, with MGN arguing that some information had come from royal aides. Harry has said that his family and their aides had been complicit in leaking negative stories to protect or enhance their own reputations.

Persons: Harry, Prince Harry, King Charles, Edward VII, David Yelland, Rupert Murdoch's Sun, MGN, David Sherborne, Piers Morgan, Meghan, Morgan, Yelland, Elton John, Michael Holden, Kate Holton, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Royal, Mirror Group, Daily, Sunday, Netflix, Reach, Sunday People, High Court, Sunday Mail, Thomson Locations: British, Buckingham, London

Search resuls for: "Holton"

25 mentions found