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☆ 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

☆ 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 court rejects appeal over where critically ill baby's treatment ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Kylie Maclellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Eight-month-old Indi Gregory suffers from a rare mitochondrial disease which means that her cells do not produce enough energy and has been on full life support since early September. Her doctors say she suffers from significant pain and distress and there is no point in continuing treatment. On Wednesday, a judge ruled her life support should be removed, either in hospital or at a hospice. The UK Court of Appeal dismissed their challenge in a remote hearing on Friday. Earlier this week the Italian government granted her citizenship in a further move aimed at preventing doctors from taking her off life support and allowing her to be moved to Italy.

Persons: Indi Gregory, Gregory, Peter Jackson, Jackson, Claire, Dean Gregory, Gregory's, Kylie MacLellan, Sachin Ravikumar, Alex Richardson, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, of Appeal, Christian Concern, Thomson Locations: Nottingham, Britain, Rome, Italy

☆ Devils seek revenge on Capitals after October's high-scoring affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

November 9 - The New Jersey Devils will battle the Washington Capitals Friday night in Newark, N.J., in a game that will have a hard time matching the action from their last encounter. Washington visited New Jersey on Oct. 25, and that night the Capitals scored the only three goals in the first period, the Devils notched all four in the second and the Capitals scored three in the third for a 6-4 win. Captain Alex Ovechkin -- in pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's goals record -- has scored twice in 11 games for new coach Spencer Carbery. "It's still early and I think younger players and older players are adjusting here," general manager Brian MacLellan told NHL.com regarding Ovechkin. In that game, the Capitals lost a 3-2 lead in the third period and the Panthers scored 15 seconds into overtime for the win.

Persons: Washington, Captain Alex Ovechkin, Wayne Gretzky's, Spencer Carbery, It's, Brian MacLellan, NHL.com, Ovechkin, they'll, Carbery, Anthony Mantha, Connor McMichael, Darcy Kuemper, Mantha, Nic Dowd, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Tomas Nosek, Lindy Ruff, Ryan Johansen, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Ruff, MacKinnon, Tyler Toffoli, Dougie Hamilton, Vanecek Organizations: New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Capitals, Devils, Washington, Carbery, Florida Panthers, Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Avalanche, Thomson Locations: Newark , N.J, New Jersey, . New Jersey

☆ Poor Visibility Hampered Channel Rescue Effort in 2021 Migrant Accident -UK Report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Kylie MacLellanLONDON (Reuters) - Unsuccessful attempts to rescue migrants from a sinking boat in the Channel in November 2021 were hampered by poor visibility and confusion over locating the right vessel, Britain's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said on Thursday. "The UK search and rescue response ... was hampered due to poor visibility and by the lack of a dedicated aircraft conducting aerial surveillance," it said in a report published on Thursday. The Channel between France and Britain is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous. On the day of the deaths, 1,227 people attempted to cross the Channel, the British government said. More than 25,000 people have arrived in small boats so far in 2023.

Persons: Kylie MacLellan, MAIB, Mark Harper, Rishi Sunak, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Kylie MacLellan LONDON, Channel, Investigation, " Coastguard, British Transport, British Locations: France, Britain, French, British, Rwanda

☆ UK antitrust regulator to take on Big Tech with new legal power
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A 3D printed Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta is seen in front of displayed Google logo in this illustration taken on November 2, 2021. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) set up a dedicated Digital Markets Unit more than two years ago, armed with the expertise to examine rapidly evolving markets like social media. The proposed "Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers" law, whose powers were originally intended to come into force in 2022, will give the unit the "teeth" to underpin its remit. A small group of big tech companies with designated status will have to comply with the rules, the government said. They could be fined up to 10% of global turnover for breaches under the proposed bill announced on Tuesday.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Paul Sandle, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: REUTERS, Markets Authority, Markets Unit, Markets, Competition, Thomson

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said it’s unlikely Nicklas Backstrom plays again this season after the Swedish center stepped away from the team last week, citing the ongoing issues with his surgically repaired left hip. MacLellan stopped short of ruling Backstrom out for the remainder of the season or saying the franchise cornerstone had played his final NHL game. He’s been such a big part of the organization,” MacLellan said Monday. He had just one point in eight games this season, was taken off the top power-play unit and had his ice time drastically reduced. “I don’t think I’m going to be the guy that’s going to be able to just replace Nicklas Backstrom," McMichael said.

Persons: Brian MacLellan, Nicklas Backstrom, MacLellan, He’s, ” MacLellan, everybody’s, Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, “ It’s, It’s, Connor McMichael, McMichael, “, ”, Rasmus Sandin, Sandin, he’s, Nic Dowd, Joel Edmundson, Max Pacioretty, Achilles Organizations: — Washington Capitals, NHL, Capitals Locations: ARLINGTON, Va, Swedish, Washington, Toronto

☆ Britain temporarily withdraws some embassy staff from Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Office said on Monday it was temporarily withdrawing some British embassy staff from Lebanon. It had already advised Britons against all travel to Lebanon due to the conflict between neighbouring Israel and Gaza, and encouraged any Britons still in the country to leave while commercial flights remain. Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kylie MacLellan, Kate Holton Organizations: Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Gaza

☆ Don't confuse customers over stablecoins, Bank of England warns lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Bank of England FollowLONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Bank of England told lenders on Monday that they must avoid any risk that customers might confuse new forms of e-money like 'stablecoins' with standard deposits which are guaranteed against bank failures. Stablecoins are a cryptocurrency backed by a traditional currency such as sterling or the U.S. dollar, or an asset. To the extent that systemic payment systems using stablecoins pose similar risks as other systemic payment systems, they should be subject to equivalent regulatory standards, the BoE said. There are no systemic sterling stablecoins, but Tether, issuer of the world's largest stablecoin, pegged to the U.S. dollar and backed by assets including U.S. government debt, said last year it would launch a sterling stablecoin.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, stablecoins, Sheldon Mills, David Milliken, Tom Wilson, Kylie MacLellan, Kirsten Donovan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Companies Bank of England, U.S ., Financial, European, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ UK secures commitments from Amazon and Meta over retail platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Amazon is seen at the Viva Technology conference at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Britain's competition watchdog said on Friday it had accepted commitments from tech companies Meta (META.O) and Amazon (AMZN.O) to help protect fair competition on their retail platforms. The commitments from the U.S. tech giants mark the end of the Competition & Markets Authority's (CMA) investigation into Amazon Marketplace and Meta's use of advertising data. Amazon has committed to not use rival sellers' marketplace data to gain an unfair advantage, ensuring that third-party marketplace sellers can compete on a level-playing field, the CMA said. CMA in July had said that Amazon's offer to change the way it treats third-party sellers using its Marketplace platform addresses competition concerns in its preliminary view.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Meta, Kylie MacLellan, Farouq Suleiman, Radhika Anilkumar, William James, David Evans Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Competition, Amazon Marketplace, CMA, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S, London, Bengaluru

☆ Britain to invest 300 million pounds in AI supercomputing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers a speech on AI at Royal Society, Carlton House Terrace on October 26, 2023 in London, England. Funding for the "AI Research Resource" will be increased to 300 million pounds ($363.57 million) from a previously announced 100 million pounds, the government said at an AI safety summit aimed at charting a safe way forward for the rapidly evolving technology. "Frontier AI models are becoming exponentially more powerful," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on social media platform X. "This investment will make sure Britain’s scientific talent have the tools they need to make the most advanced models of AI safe." The machines, which will be running from summer next year, will be used to analyse advanced AI models to test safety features, as well as to drive breakthroughs in drug discovery and clean energy, the government said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Peter Nicholls, Bristol's, Kylie MacLellan, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: British, Royal Society, Carlton, Terrace, REUTERS, Nvidia, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Dell, SME, Thomson Locations: London, England, Britain, Cambridge, Bristol

☆ Capitals' Backstrom stepping away from game due to 'injury situation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 18, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (19) skates with the puck in the third period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 1 (Reuters) - Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom announced on Wednesday his decision to step away from ice hockey so that he can focus on his health. "Given my ongoing injury situation, I decided to take some time and step away from the game," Backstrom said in a statement issued by the Capitals. Backstrom also thanked his team for their support and asked for privacy as he determines his next steps. Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan said the team stands behind Backstrom and will support him through the process.

Persons: Nicklas Backstrom, Marc DesRosiers, Swede, Backstrom, Brian MacLellan, Frank Pingue, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, Canadian Tire Centre, Capitals, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Toronto

☆ Britain's aviation regulator increases air traffic control charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

General view of planes on the tarmac at Farnborough Airport, in Farnborough, Britain March 9, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Britain's aviation regulator said on Thursday it would increase the amount airlines can be charged for air traffic control services to help national provider NATS recoup costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Airline executives last week called for new rules on passenger compensation in the event of such disruption. The average cost of UK air traffic services per passenger per flight would go up by 43 pence on average, to approximately 2.08 pounds, the CAA said. The process of raising price controls began before the NATS outage and is unrelated to the review and investigation into the glitch, it added.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, NATS, Joanna Plucinska, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: Farnborough Airport, REUTERS, Civil Aviation Authority, CAA, Thomson Locations: Farnborough, Britain, Europe

☆ Two dead as Scotland hit by severe flooding after Storm Babet
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Emergency services assist in the evacuation of people from their homes in Brechin, amid floods during "Storm Babet", in Scotland, Britain October 20, 2023. Britain's national weather forecaster, the Met Office, issued its first red warning for rain since February 2020, predicting some locations would see as much as 250 millimetres (9.84 inches). "This is an exceptional event, and we are likely to continue to see significant impacts with the potential for further flooding," Met Office Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said. The Met Office also has amber and yellow weather warnings in place for much of England. Local emergency services said there were no reported injuries.

Persons: Russell Cheyne, Storm Babet, Andy Page, Angus, Kylie MacLellan, William James, Michael Holden Organizations: REUTERS, Met Office, Police Scotland, Office, Southern Electricity Networks, Angus, Met, Leeds Bradford Airport, Thomson Locations: Brechin, Scotland, Britain, England

☆ Hamas hostages: what we know so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Israel has responded by pounding Gaza with air strikes, killing thousands, and has said it will act to free the hostages while wiping out Hamas. Hamas has suggested the hostages could be swapped for approximately 6,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Israel has said that there will be no end to the blockade of the enclave without freedom for Israeli hostages. Israel says the hostages were taken to Gaza but their exact whereabouts within the enclave are unknown, making their rescue more complicated. U.S. President Joe Biden said his administration is "workin’ like hell" to find American hostages held by Hamas.

Persons: Rachel Goldberg, Hersh Goldberg Polin, Ammar Awad, Israel, Kan, Mia Schem, Jake Sullivan, Jim Risch, Alberto Fernandez, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Ofir Engel, Kibbutz Be'eri, Garcovich, Ivan Illaramendi, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gal Hirsch, Hakan Fidan, Joe Biden, Britain's Sunak, Argentina's Fernandez, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Biden, Charlie Devereux, Crispian Balmer, Kylie MacLellan, Patricia Rua, John Irish, James Mackenzie, Patricia Zengerle, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, Reuters, U.S, French, Tel Aviv . U.S, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Jerusalem, Rafah, Egypt, Thailand, Argentine, France, Portugal, Portuguese, Chilean, Spanish, Italy, Turkey, Germany, U.S, Franco, Berlin, Tel Aviv

☆ Israel's Netanyahu says Hamas attack was aimed at derailing peace
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Rami Amichai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Netanyahu says Hamas attack aimed at derailing peace bidSunak welcomes aid decision for GazaSunak due to meet Saudi crown princeJERUSALEM, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday the Hamas attack on Israel was aimed at preventing the expansion of peace in the Middle East, and called on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to keep supporting Israel's Gaza counteroffensive. Netanyahu said the attack from Gaza by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which killed 1,400 people in Israel, was aimed at derailing attempts to establish a wider peace in the region. At least nine British nationals have been killed and seven are still missing since the attack on Israel, Sunak's spokesperson said. In Israel, Sunak met the families of two of the missing, who are believed to have been taken hostage and held in Gaza. The last British prime minister to visit Israel and the occupied West Bank was David Cameron in 2014.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Biden, Evelyn Hockstein, Netanyahu, Sunak, JERUSALEM, Rishi Sunak, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Isaac Herzog, Israel, Herzog, Sunak's, James, Sameh Shoukry, David Cameron, Rami Amichai, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, William James, Alistair Smout, Sachin Ravikumar, Dan Williams, Elizabeth Piper, Angus MacSwan, Alison Williams, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Hamas, REUTERS, British, Israel, Crown, Palestinian, West Bank, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Saudi, Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia, U.S, British, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Britain, London, United States, North Africa, South Asia

☆ UK's Sunak visits Israel, will warn against Gaza war escalation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Rami Amichai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

With Israel's counter-offensive against Hamas in Gaza spiralling, Sunak will share his condolences for the loss of life in Israel and in the Palestinian enclave and warn against further escalation, his office said. Sunak was due to visit other regional capitals after Israel. Sunak will also urge the opening up of a route to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt as soon as possible, and to enable British nationals trapped in Gaza to leave. At least seven British nationals have been killed and at least nine are still missing since the attack on Israel, Sunak's spokesperson said on Wednesday. Britain said the three countries were "vital to international efforts to uphold regional stability, free hostages and allow humanitarian access to Gaza".

Persons: BEN, Rishi Sunak, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sunak, Sunak's, James, Kylie MacLellan, Jonathan Oatis, Jason Neely, Gareth Jones Organizations: British, Hamas, Thomson Locations: GURION, Israel, Gaza, United Kingdom, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Britain

☆ UK CFOs lose their appetite for debt after rates climb -Deloitte
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A similar proportion said debt sales were unattractive while equity finance became more popular. "Higher interest rates have flipped a decade-old consensus which was previously in favour of debt finance," Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte, said. "Finance leaders are preparing for a period of high interest rates with predicted rates falling only slightly over the next year." The Bank of England raised rates 14 times in a row between December 2021 and August this year, before pausing its increases in September. The CFOs quizzed by Deloitte on average expected the BoE to cut Bank Rate to 4.75% in a year's time from 5.25% now.

Persons: Suzanne Plunkett, Ian Stewart, Top BoE, BoE, William Schomberg, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: REUTERS, Finance, Deloitte, Bank of, Thomson Locations: London, Bank of England, Israel

☆ UK's Cleverly takes shelter as siren goes off during Israel visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly speaks on stage at the Conservative Party's annual conference in Manchester, Britain, October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - British foreign minister James Cleverly took shelter as a siren went off during his visit to Israel on Wednesday, a video clip posted on social media by the Israeli foreign ministry showed. Cleverly, who is visiting Israel to show solidarity following attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, could be seen running into a building in Ofakim in southern Israel. Cleverly visited Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and southern Israel, the Foreign Office said. Britain, along with its Western allies, has expressed steadfast support for Israel and condemned the attacks by Hamas.

Persons: James, Hannah McKay, I’ve, William James, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: British, Conservative, REUTERS, Hamas, Foreign, BBC, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, Israel, Ofakim, United Kingdom, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem

☆ UK housing market challenging but rate pause offers hope -RICS
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) house price balance, which measures the difference between the percentage of surveyors seeing rises and falls in house prices, edged down to -69 after August's sharp drop to -68. Echoing other gauges of British house prices, RICS' latest figure was the weakest since February 2009 and was below the median forecast of -63 in a Reuters poll of economists. Britain's housing market boomed during the coronavirus pandemic as demand for homes with more space surged, but it has been a victim of the BoE's run of 14 interest rate hikes, which began in December 2021. "Although the decision to pause monetary policy tightening a few weeks ago provided a glimmer of relief for the market, interest rates are likely now set to remain on hold for a prolonged period," Parsons said. The weak state of the housing market has hurt companies such as building materials supplier Travis Perkins (TPK.L), which on Wednesday downgraded its annual profit forecast by as much as 27%.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, RICS, Tarrant Parsons, Parsons, Travis Perkins, William Schomberg, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: REUTERS, Bank, Royal Institution, Chartered Surveyors, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ UK's opposition Labour on course for landslide election victory, poll predicts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer arrives with his deputy Angela Rayner ahead of the start of, Britain's Labour Party annual conference in Liverpool, Britain, October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party is on course to win a landslide victory at a national election expected next year, according to an opinion poll published on Saturday. It predicted a range of 402-437 seats for Labour, and 132-169 seats for the Conservatives. At the last national election in 2019, the Conservatives won 365 seats and Labour 203. The polling, which took place before the Conservatives' annual conference this week, found that in every constituency, the cost-of-living crisis and the state of the National Health Service were the two most important issues to voters.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Phil Noble, Rishi Sunak's, Survation, Oliver Dowden, Grant Shapps, Kylie MacLellan, Nick Macfie Organizations: Britain's Labour, Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS, Labour Party, Labour, Conservatives, Observer, Liberal Democrats, National Health Service, Thomson Locations: Liverpool, Britain, England

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 2 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt poured cold water on growing calls for tax cuts within the governing Conservative Party on Monday, saying he could not commit to any "inflationary" reduction before the next election. But his message was overshadowed by calls from senior Conservative lawmakers, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's predecessor, for tax cuts to try to close the gap in opinion polls with the opposition Labour Party before an election expected next year. He said any tax cuts this year would be inflationary, making it more difficult to achieve Sunak's pledge made in January to halve inflation by the end of the year. Yes, but it means difficult decisions and we're prepared to take those difficult decisions," Hunt told Sky News, adding that voters understood "how difficult these decisions are". "So ahead of this year's Autumn Statement, we must make the Conservative Party the party of business once again, by getting Corporation Tax back down to 19%.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, we're, Liz Truss, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Kylie MacLellan, Sachin Ravikumar, Sarah Young, Emelia Sithole, Catherine Evans Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservative, Labour Party, Times, Sky News, Labour, Corporation, Tax, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England, British, Manchester

☆ Bank of England tells lenders to watch more closely for risky borrowers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams Acquire Licensing Rights企業 Bank of England フォローLONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The Bank of England wrote to lenders on Friday to urge them not to underestimate the risk of loan defaults as higher inflation and increased interest rates hit more vulnerable borrowers. However, in its letter to lenders, the BoE said they needed to look beyond aggregate risks and should identify whether particular types of borrower had specific vulnerabilities. Banks, for example, could look at spending patterns in their customers' current accounts and whether they had fixed-rate mortgages which would soon need to be refinanced at higher rates, the BoE suggested. It said for business lending, banks should not rely on a broad sector-based approach to risk and instead should in some cases consider specific companies' liquidity risks.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, Victoria Saporta, Wilko, Banks, David Milliken, Kylie MacLellan 私 Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, 企業 Bank of England, prudential, Wales Locations: City, City of London, Britain, England

☆ Britain's Sycamore Gap tree felled in 'deliberate act of vandalism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Britain's Sycamore Gap tree, a much-loved landmark whose dramatic silhouette featured in a Hollywood movie and was photographed by tourists from around the world, was cut down overnight in what police called a "deliberate act of vandalism". It was also known as the 'Robin Hood Tree' after featuring in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". "An investigation was immediately launched following this vandalism, and this afternoon we have arrested one suspect in connection with our enquiries." The National Trust, who look after the site alongside Northumberland National Park, said it was "shocked and desperately saddened", while local lawmaker Guy Opperman said everyone was "bereft".

Persons: Lee Smith, Hood, Robin Hood :, Kevin Waring, Guy Opperman, Opperman, Farouq Suleiman, Kylie MacLellan, William James Our Organizations: REUTERS, Police, Northumbria Police, Trust, Thomson Locations: Northumberland, Britain, England, Northumbria

☆ UK killer nurse Letby to be re-tried over one alleged attempted murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Members of the media work near a large screen showing a picture of convicted hospital nurse Lucy Letby, ahead of her sentencing, outside the Manchester Crown Court, in Manchester, Britain, August 21, 2023. However, the jury were unable to agree on six charges of attempted murder involving five other infants. At a hearing at Manchester Crown Court, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced they would now seek a new trial over one of those charges, with the trial date provisionally set for next year. "These decisions on whether to seek retrials on the remaining counts of attempted murder were extremely complex and difficult," said Jonathan Storer, a chief crown prosecutor. Earlier this month, lawyers for Letby, who maintains her innocence, submitted an application seeking permission for an appeal against her convictions.

Persons: Lucy Letby, Phil Noble, Letby, Countess, Chester, Jonathan Storer, Michael Holden, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: Manchester Crown Court, REUTERS, Crown Prosecution Service, CPS, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, England

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