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☆ Rail passenger paid $720 for return ticket but the train cancelled 2 minutes after departure, making his trip 10 hours long
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A train passenger who spent $720 on a ticket has criticized the rail firm for cancellations and delays. He said Avanti West Coast cancelled one of the trains two minutes after the departure time. But the Avanti train was cancelled two minutes after the expected departure time. Gateau said he ended up taking a train north via Manchester for another Avanti train, which departed late. Le Gateau told Insider he "absolutely would" because "the ticket was just shy of £600."

☆ Andrew Flintoff hospitalized after accident during 'Top Gear' filming
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

London CNN —Former England cricket captain Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has been hospitalized after an accident during filming of the popular motoring show “Top Gear.”The incident occurred at the Dunsfold Aerodrome track in Surrey, southern England, which features regularly in the BBC show. “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track yesterday morning – with crew medics attending the scene immediately,” a BBC spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday. Flintoff is not the first “Top Gear” host to be injured during filming. In 2006, Richard Hammond nearly died after losing control of a Vampire dragster that he had been driving at speeds of up to 288 miles per hour. In 2017, he was hospitalized after the electric supercar he was driving crashed and burst into flames.

☆ UK snow causes travel chaos and energy fears
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Snow has blanketed London and large parts of the United Kingdom on Monday, shutting schools, grounding flights and causing widespread disruption across a country struggling through a winter energy crisis. The cold snap left many parts of the country, including London, covered in snow from Sunday evening. Despite the disruption, the arrival of snow two weeks before Christmas brought a festive atmosphere to Britain’s parks and streets. Victoria Jones/PA Images/Getty ImagesSnowfall is relatively rare in southern England compared to northern Britain and mainland Europe, and Britons frequently gripe about the ill-preparedness of the country’s infrastructure when cold weather hits. The company said it was a “contingency” plan, which aimed to “give the public confidence in Monday’s energy supply,” according to PA.

☆ Japan, Britain and Italy to build jet fighter together
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Japan, Britain and Italy are merging their next-generation jet fighter projects in a ground-breaking partnership spanning Europe and Asia that is Japan’s first major industrial defense collaboration beyond the United States since World War II. Amid what it sees as deteriorating regional security, Japan this month will announce a military build up plan that is expected to double defense spending to about 2% of gross domestic product over five years. “It’s also good for our international reputation”The proposed jet fighter aircraft Tempest, shown during the Farnborough Airshow, in southern England in July. Britain also wants Japan to improve how it provides security clearances to contractors who will work on the aircraft, sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters. “The United States supports Japan’s security and defense cooperation with likeminded allies and partners, including with the United Kingdom and Italy,” the U.S. Department of Defense said in a joint statement with Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

'REFUGE FOR WINTER' AND BEYONDVisitors and more permanent residents are also arriving from Germany, which was highly dependent on Russian gas before the Ukraine war and is anxious about possible winter energy shortages. Airlines will increase by 31% the number of seats available to the Canary Islands, the regional tourism office said. Airbnb, the short-term rentals firm, said searches for winter stays in southern Europe tripled between April and June. "Even before the energy crisis, we would have liked to be in Portugal because of the weather," the 28-year-old said. "But with the energy crisis, (being in Portugal) gives us more security because of the climate."

REUTERS/Toby MelvilleLONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Net migration to the United Kingdom rose to a record high of around 504,000 in the year to June 2022, official statistics showed on Thursday, driven by an increase in the number of non-European Union nationals. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said a recovery of travel following COVID-19, and an increase in arrivals of international students who had been studying remotely during the pandemic had contributed to the rise. At the time then Prime Minister David Cameron had failed for several years to hit a net migration target of less than 100,000 a year. The previous record high for net migration was just over 330,000 in 2015. August saw the highest number of small boat arrivals of any month since data has been collected, it said.

☆ UK MI5 chief says expulsion of Russian spies has delivered significant blow
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary UK spy chief says Russian aggression will last yearsMore than 400 Russian spies expelled from Europe, he saysChina playing 'long game' to influence future UK assetsLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The expulsion of more than 400 suspected Russian spies from across Europe this year has struck the "most significant strategic blow" against Moscow in recent history and taken Vladimir Putin by surprise, Britain's domestic spy chief said. McCallum said Britain had refused more than 100 Russian diplomatic visa applications on national security grounds since then. "The serious point is that the UK must be ready for Russian aggression for years to come," he said. The spy chief also said Chinese authorities were monitoring and intimidating the Chinese diaspora, with action ranging from forcible repatriation to assault. "To intimidate and harass UK nationals or those who have made the UK their home cannot be tolerated," McCallum said.

☆ UK police arrest journalists covering a climate protest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN Business —UK police arrested and detained three journalists covering a climate protest earlier this week, raising concerns that the country’s press freedoms are under threat. “It was absolutely terrifying being in a cell with a pad for a bed in one corner and a metal toilet in the other. Lynch told LBC on Wednesday that police arrested her on suspicion of “conspiracy to commit a public nuisance.” She was eventually released with no further action. The incident came just a day after documentary filmmaker Rich Felgate and photographer Tom Bowles, also covering Just Stop Oil protests, were arrested by Hertfordshire police on a bridge. The concerns add to fears that new policing laws will restrict Britons’ right to protest more generally.

☆ Exxon isolating a unit at Britain's Fawley refinery after incident
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Exxon Mobil Corp FollowLONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) said on Wednesday it was isolating a unit at its Fawley oil refinery in Hampshire, southern England, following an incident that had led to gas flaring on Tuesday, adding that the site remains operational. A spokesperson for the oil major said onsite teams were working on isolating the unit in question after it reported on Tuesday an "operational matter" at the plant. The company did not provide any further details on the unit involved. Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Guy Fawkes Night: What those fireworks and bonfires are all about
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Every year on November 5, skies across England, Scotland and Wales are illuminated by fireworks as Brits head out into the night to enjoy Guy Fawkes Night celebrations. Also called Fireworks Night or Bonfire Night, this autumn tradition has been a staple of the British calendar for the past 400 years. A photograph from 1955, depicting children at a school in Surrey, England, preparing the Guy Fawkes Night bonfire. What’s Guy Fawkes Night like today? Lewes Bonfire Night celebrationsEffigies of former UK prime minister Boris Johnson and fellow UK Conservative politician Jacob Rees-Mogg are paraded through the streets of Lewes during traditional Bonfire Night celebrations in 2019.

Persons: Guy Fawkes, Guido Fawkes, Fawkes, Tudor King Henry VIII, Robert Catesby, Catesby, King James I, James Sharpe, Sharpe, ”, What’s Guy Fawkes, Ronald Hutton, ” Hutton, Hutton, That’s, you’re, Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees, Mogg, Peter Summers, it’s, that’s, “ They’re, Donald Trump, “, Mary, Phil Clarke Hill, Ottery, Mary’s, Patrick Kinsella, parkin, there’s, –, Alexandra, Chris J Ratcliffe, Hallows, Halloween’s, you’ll Organizations: CNN, Getty, Catholic, of, London, University of York, CNN Travel, Conservative, Lewes, Lewes Bonfire Society, Alexandra Palace, Celtic, Battersea Power Locations: England, Scotland, Wales, of England, Surrey, Britain, Lewes, Zulu, Lewes . The, spectate, Ottery St Mary, Devon, Ottery, North America, In Yorkshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, London, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, York, South, Battersea

It wants 3.8 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) to build a gigafactory in northern England but its plans are hanging by a thread as it struggles to lure enough investment. French battery startup Verkor, for example, announced on Wednesday that it had raised 250 million euros ($249 million) to fund a megafactory. The European Battery Alliance (EBA) acknowledges Asian firms, and Chinese companies in particular, are likely to increase their market share in the coming years, helped by their track record and offtake agreements. "Even if we have the production in Europe, it doesn't mean we have the know-how or the control," she said. The EU has approved 6.1 billion euros since 2019 in funding by member states for battery research and innovation while Britain has a 1 billion pound fund to support investments in EV supply chains.

☆ UK counter-terrorism police lead investigation into Dover bomb incident
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] Members of the military and UK Border Force extinguish a fire from a petrol bomb, targeting the Border Force centre in Dover, Britain, October 30, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File PhotoLONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Britain's counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation into an incident in which petrol bombs were thrown at an immigration centre in the southern English port of Dover, police said on Tuesday. The attack came as British policy towards migrants and asylum seekers remains a heated political issue. Sunak's interior minister Suella Braverman is facing heavy criticism for describing the arrival of asylum seekers as an invasion. Reporting by William Schomberg and Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Kate Holton and Michael HoldenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Suspect in UK immigration centre attack was 66 year-old male, now deceased - police
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] Immigration and police officers stand next to a car believed to have been used in a petrol bomb attack on the Border Force processing centre in Dover, Britain, October 30, 2022. REUTERS/Peter NichollsLONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - British police said the suspect who threw petrol bombs at an immigration centre in Dover on Sunday was a 66 year-old man from High Wycombe, southern England, who was later found dead at a nearby service station. On Sunday, a man threw petrol bombs attached to fireworks at a centre for processing migrants in the southern English port of Dover and then killed himself, a Reuters photographer said. Police were working to search the suspect's property on Monday, they said in a statement. Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, writing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LONDON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Fresh vegetables and fish are falling off the menu. Joanne Farrer used to regularly serve her three children roast beef dinners or stews packed with fresh vegetables. Volume sales of fresh vegetables fell by more than 6% and fresh meat by over 7% in August, for example, while sales of snacks and candy rose almost 4%. "We also know that cheap highly processed foods are the ones most likely to cause obesity." "If fresh food is cheaper then we'll get that, but it's not often on offer."

☆ What do Indians think about Rishi Sunak’s rise? Like UK-India relations, it’s complicated
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Now, an Indian-origin man has become the Prime Minister of England,” a Zee News anchor said. Leon Neal/Getty Images Sunak and Boris Johnson watch as a sheep is sheared during a visit to a farm in North Yorkshire, England, in July 2019. Danny Lawson/PA Images/Getty Images Sunak speaks during a general election debate in Cardiff, Wales, in November 2019. Hollie Adams/Bloomberg/Getty Images Sunak and Murty are seen with their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, while campaigning in Grantham, England, in July 2022. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested as much in a tweet welcoming Sunak’s appointment.

Like Truss, Sunak promised a tough approach to illegal immigration and vowed to expand the government’s controversial Rwanda immigration policy. At the time Johnson was running to lead Britain's Conservative Party and Sunak was a member of Parliament. Danny Lawson/PA Images/Getty Images Sunak speaks during a general election debate in Cardiff, Wales, in November 2019. Danny Lawson/PA/Getty Images Sunak delivers a speech during the annual Conservative Party Conference in Manchester in October 2021. Hollie Adams/Bloomberg/Getty Images Sunak and Murty are seen with their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, while campaigning in Grantham, England, in July 2022.

Out on Southall High Street, pensioner Asma Choudry said she had been living in Britain for 42 years. YOUTH, WEALTH AND RACE1/2 New leader of Britain's Conservative Party Rishi Sunak walks outside the party's headquarters in London, Britain, October 24, 2022. Whatever the driving forces, Sunak will climb even further on Tuesday to take the top job in the land. Rishi Trivedi, 50, a chartered accountant and Conservative Party member from West Drayton in west London, said he was "happy beyond belief", though worried that wealthy Sunak might lack the common touch. Jignesh Patel, a 49-year-old mural painter and another Conservative Party member from nearby Hounslow, just saw "a proud moment" and a potential turning point.

☆ Hacker who stole unreleased songs from Ed Sheeran and Lil Uzi Vert sentenced to 18 months, U.K. prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — A computer hacker who stole unreleased songs from British pop star Ed Sheeran and American rap artist Lil Uzi Vert has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, U.K. prosecutors said Friday. Adrian Kwiatkowski, 23, of Ipswich in southern England, hacked the artists’ cloud-based accounts and sold their songs on the dark web in exchange for cryptocurrency. It then identified the IP address of the device used to hack one of the accounts as his home address. After further investigation, Kwiatkowski was arrested by the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit in September 2019. “Cybercrime knows no borders, and this individual executed a complex scheme to steal unreleased music in order to line his own pockets,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L Bragg Jr said.

☆ Staff at British nuclear warhead facility to vote on strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Staff at a British company responsible for developing nuclear warheads will vote on whether to strike in a dispute over pay, a union said on Wednesday, as rising inflation spurs more industrial unrest. The Prospect union said a ballot for its members at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) would open on Oct. 24 and run for two weeks after its members rejected a 5% pay award. An additional lump sum payment offered was still inadequate and failed to address a real-terms pay reduction, it added. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"It should attract a commensurate level of pay and respect for these staff who keep the country safe." Headquartered in Aldermaston, Berkshire, in southern England, it develops and maintains nuclear warheads for Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent.

☆ UK's Sainsbury's in talks to sell stores worth 500 mln stg
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Trolleys stacked together inside a Sainsbury’s supermarket in Richmond, west London, Britain, June 27, 2022. LXi REIT said it would seek to fund the deal through a mix of new equity and debt. If the LXi REIT transaction goes ahead, the cash from that would part-fund the Highbury and Dragon deal, Sainsbury's said. Shares in Sainsbury's were up 1.8% at 0922 GMT, while shares in LXi REIT were up 2.6%. ($1 = 0.8807 pounds)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by James Davey; editing by William James and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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