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☆ UK's Sunak says hard work needed to secure India trade deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Evan Vucci/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Saturday he was confident a free trade deal with India could be secured but cautioned there was still hard work to do. Negotiations on a trade deal began in January 2022 and have already missed several political deadlines. Ahead of the visit, Sunak said the British government had no plans to change its approach to cutting net migration in order to seal a deal with India. A top Indian trade ministry official said later in July that both countries could sign the trade deal this year as they have reached consensus on the broad contours.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Rishi Sunak, Evan Vucci, Sunak, James Davey, Mark Heinrich, Ros Russell Organizations: Indian, British, Bharat, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Britain

☆ UK's Sunak Says Hard Work Needed to Secure India Trade Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Saturday he was confident a free trade deal with India could be secured but cautioned there was still hard work to do. Negotiations on a trade deal began in January 2022 and have already missed several political deadlines. Ahead of the visit, Sunak said the British government had no plans to change its approach to cutting net migration in order to seal a deal with India. A British source close to the negotiations told Reuters in July that talks had gained momentum but that further work was needed on services and tariffs to secure an agreement. A top Indian trade ministry official said later in July that both countries could sign the trade deal this year as they have reached consensus on the broad contours.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Narendra Modi, James Davey, Mark Heinrich, Ros Russell Organizations: British, Indian, Reuters Locations: India, New Delhi, Britain

The Metropolitan Police said Friday they were searching Richmond Park in southwest London, near where the delivery van Daniel Khalife used to escape Wandsworth prison was spotted on Thursday. Khalife orchestrated a bold jail break from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday morning while dressed as a chef. Richmond Park, the largest of London’s Royal Parks, is designated National Nature Reserve and stretches for 2,500 acres. The Met Police said Friday it was looking into the possibility that someone inside Wandsworth prison helped Khalife escape. By then, Khalife was gone and all that remained of his escape was the strapping officers discovered under the van.

Persons: strapping, van Daniel Khalife, Khalife, Daniel Khalife, ”, Mark Rowley, ” Rowley, Alex Chalk, Chalk Organizations: London CNN — Police, Metropolitan Police, UK’s, Media, Met Police, Nature Reserve, LBC, Police, The Metropolitan Police, strapping, British Locations: London, Richmond, Wandsworth, Richmond Park, Royal Parks, Putney, Britain

☆ No Bidders in British Offshore Wind Auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Stanley Reed | More About Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Why It Matters: Wind developers say they are facing steep costs. Hit with rising costs on all aspects of offshore wind farms, from wind turbines to steel and copper, developers are signaling that they need higher revenues to make the projects financially viable. The costs of electric power from offshore wind, which have declined sharply over the last two decades, also seem likely to rise. The British auction did attract bidders for onshore wind and solar schemes. Recently, Orsted, the largest offshore wind developer, announced a potential $2 billion write-down on planned projects in the United States and warned that it could wind up canceling them.

Persons: Deepa Venkateswaran, Bernstein, ”, Venkateswaran, “ Organizations: British, Offshore Locations: Europe, United States, Britain

☆ UK, Singapore partner to boost economic growth, strengthen security
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Atomico (UK) Partners LLP FollowSept 8 (Reuters) - The British government has signed a partnership with Singapore to grow its economy and enhance shared security, Downing Street said on Friday, adding it was the UK's first treaty since leaving the European Union. They said the partnership will give Singaporean companies more confidence to invest in Britain and vice-versa, while also creating jobs. The British government added that the partnership will strengthen security cooperation, science and technology innovation, and research and development, including countering cyber threats, through a partnership between Singapore's Digital and Intelligence Service and Britain. "This new agreement with Singapore will take us even further in delivering our priorities and ensure that, as we map the future of the world economy, we are doing so alongside our closest partners," Rishi Sunak said. Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Downing, Rishi Sunak, Lee Hsien Loong, Rishabh, Josie Kao Organizations: Atomico, Partners, British, European Union . British, Singapore's Digital, Intelligence Service, Britain, Thomson Locations: Singapore, India, Britain, New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ 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

LONDON (AP) — Britain is rejoining the European Union’s $100 billion science-sharing program Horizon Europe, the two sides announced Thursday, more than two years after the country's membership became a casualty of Brexit. British scientists expressed relief at the decision, the latest sign of thawing relations between the EU and its former member nation. Britain is also rejoining Copernicus, the EU space program’s Earth observation component. Relations between Britain and the bloc were severely tested during the long divorce negotiations that followed Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the EU. British scientists, who feared Brexit would hurt international research collaboration, breathed sighs of relief at the Horizon deal.

Persons: Copernicus, ”, Ursula von der Leyen, Rishi Sunak, “, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Paul Nurse, Francis Crick, didn’t, Peter Kyle Organizations: EU, Horizon, Northern, Republic of Ireland, Labour Party, Labour Locations: Britain, EU, Northern Ireland, Republic of, Europe

☆ Daniel Abed Khalife: UK government insists escaped terror suspect will be captured amid serious questions over rare jail break
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sugam Pokharel Niamh Kennedy Sana Noor Haq | Sugam Pokharel | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Authorities are hunting for 21-year-old Daniel Abed Khalife, who orchestrated a bold jail break from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday while dressed as a chef, according to London’s Metropolitan Police. Addressing the UK parliament on Thursday, Chalk said he had already ordered an internal probe into the decision to place Khalife in a lower-security jail. Who was on duty that morning, in what roles ranging from the kitchen to the prison gate, what protocols were in place,” Chalk said. Wandsworth prison is located in the southwest of the British capital. Staff shortagesLast year, the UK’s prison inspection watchdog warned staffing levels “remained a serious problem” at Wandsworth prison.

Persons: Daniel Abed Khalife, Alex Chalk, Chalk, ” Chalk, ”, “, Khalife, Rishi Sunak, Shabana Mahmood, Yui Mok, Gareth Fuller, Yvette Cooper, wasn’t, ” Cooper, ” HMIP, Michelle Donelan Organizations: London CNN, Metropolitan Police, UK’s, Media, PA Media, British, Labour, Tory Government, Port, Press Association, Shadow, Labour Party, BBC Radio, Staff, of Prisons, Government, Met, Gatwick Airport, CNN Locations: Wandsworth, ” ‘ State, Britain, Dover, Kent, England, Wales, London

☆ British Museum appoints new interim director after theft crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Mark Jones was appointed as the new interim director at the British Museum on Wednesday as the institution seeks to restore its reputation following the theft of about 2,000 artifacts from its collection. Jones replaces German art historian Hartwig Fischer after he stepped down last month over failings in the investigation into the theft of artifacts at the museum. Jones, who previously held roles as director of the National Museums of Scotland and the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), was appointed following approval by the British government. The British Museum houses the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles. The British Museum initially said it had carried out a thorough investigation, but a follow-up probe found the first response to be insufficient, Osborne said last month.

Persons: Mark Jones, ” Jones, Jones, Hartwig Fischer, Stone, Toby Melville, Sir Mark Jones, George Osborne, Osborne Organizations: Reuters, British Museum, Museum, National Museums of, Victoria & Albert Museum, Elgin, British Locations: London, National Museums of Scotland, British, Danish

☆ British Bees Face a Deadly Invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A sharp increase in the number of an invasive species of hornets in Britain is raising concerns that they could threaten native bee populations. There have been 22 sightings of the so-called Asian hornet, or Vespa velutina, this year, more than in the past six years combined, according to British officials. Smaller than Britain’s native hornet, most Asian hornets are about an inch long and have brown thoraxes, yellow legs and black heads with orange faces. Since arriving in France, the population of Asian hornets has grown rapidly. As of last year, the hornets have been seen in European countries including Germany, Spain, Portugal and Italy, according to the National Bee Unit, a British agency.

Organizations: Secretariat, hornets, National Bee Unit Locations: Britain, Asia, Pacific Northwest, United States, France, China, British, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy

☆ UK to declare Russia's Wagner a terrorist organisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A flag with the logo of Wagner private mercenary group is attached to a car during an automobile rally at a patriotic festival marking Russia's National Flag Day in the Moscow region, Russia, August 23, 2023. Britain's interior minister Suella Braverman described the Wagner Group as "violent and destructive", adding it "acted as a military tool of Vladimir Putin's Russia overseas". "They are terrorists, plain and simple - and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law," she said. The Wagner mercenary group has operated in Syria, Libya and a number of countries across northern and western Africa. Lawmakers on parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in July urged more targeted sanctions on what it said were a "web of entities" beneath the Wagner Group.

Persons: Wagner, Yulia Morozova, Suella Braverman, Vladimir Putin's, David Lammy, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lavanya, Sarah Young, Peter Graff, William Schomberg Organizations: REUTERS, Wagner Group, Labour, Twitter, Britain, Prigozhin, Central African, Lawmakers, parliament's Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russian, British, Vladimir Putin's Russia, Ukraine, East, Africa, Syria, Libya, Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan, Bengaluru, London

CNN —A serving member of the British Army awaiting trial on terror charges escaped from prison in London on Wednesday, the city’s Metropolitan Police said. Daniel Abed Khalife went missing from Wandsworth prison, in the southwest of the British capital, shortly before 8 a.m. UK time. He had been awaiting trial for terror offenses and alleged breaches of the Official Secrets Act. Khalife is a soldier accused of planting fake bombs at a military base, according to the PA Media news agency. “Khalife was on remand at HMP Wandsworth, awaiting trial in relation to terrorism and Official Secrets Act offences,” it continued.

Persons: Daniel Abed Khalife, “ Khalife, Khalife, Dominic Murphy, “, ” Murphy Organizations: CNN, British Army, city’s Metropolitan Police, PA Media, “ Police, Metropolitan Police, Police, Command Locations: London, Wandsworth, England, Wales

☆ LSEG explores blockchain for cross-asset digital 'ecosystem'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage for the London Stock Exchange Group is seen outside of offices in Canary Wharf in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG.L) is looking into using blockchain to build what it described on Monday as "an end-to-end digital market ecosystem to raise and transfer capital across asset classes". Blockchain, best known as the technology underpinning cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and other crypto assets, is a digital ledger which records and verifies transactions. LSEG's move comes as a number of mainstream financial institutions are talking about the potential for blockchain to streamline the process of issuing and trading financial assets. "The idea is to use digital technology to make a process that is slicker, smoother, cheaper and more transparent .

Persons: Toby Melville, Murray Roos, Roos, LSEG, Akanksha, Radhika Anilkumar, Savio D'Souza, Rashmi Aich, Alexander Smith Organizations: London Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Financial Times, Reuters, Treasury, Thomson Reuters, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, LSEG, Bengaluru

☆ Novo Nordisk launches weight-loss drug Wegovy in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A 0.25 mg injection pen of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy is shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, September 1, 2023. The Danish drugmaker said in a statement that Wegovy would be available in the United Kingdom "through a controlled and limited launch". Surging demand for the drug, and Novo's highly effective diabetes drug Ozempic, have sent the company's shares and earnings to record highs. Novo did not say how much supply it would make available in Britain or how much Wegovy would cost in either of the two treatment scenarios it mentioned. It was not immediately clear what the implications would be of the drug being available through private healthcare professionals.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, United Kingdom Novo, Danish drugmaker, LVMH, Novo, Maggie Fick, Susan Fenton, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Novo, Novo Nordisk, Wegovy, Reuters, National Health, NICE, NHS, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, United Kingdom, Britain, Europe, Danish, United States, Denmark, Germany, England, Wegovy

☆ Britain in talks with Tata Steel over $630 million aid package -Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Tata Steel plant is seen in Port Talbot, south Wales, November 23, 2012. REUTERS/Rebecca Naden/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The British government is in advanced talks with Tata Steel, the country's biggest steel producer, to provide 500 million pounds ($629 million) of funding to help secure the long-term future of a key part of its steel industry, Sky News reported on Saturday. But the talks have faced difficulties over potential job losses because the new style furnaces require fewer staff. About 8,000 people are employed by Tata Steel in Britain and Sky News cited industry sources as saying the company had warned that it may need to make as many as 3,000 redundancies in the future. Tata Steel has in the past warned that without government support, it will need to consider closing its sites.

Persons: Rebecca Naden, Sarah Young, John Stonestreet, Ros Russell Organizations: Tata, REUTERS, British, Tata Steel, Sky News, Port, British Steel, government's Department for Business, Trade, Thomson Locations: Port Talbot, Wales, Britain

☆ Mohamed al-Fayed, ex-Harrods owner whose son died with Princess Diana, dead at 94
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, al-Fayed began his career selling fizzy drinks and then worked as a sewing-machine salesman. Al-Fayed died on Wednesday, his family said, a day before the 26th anniversary of Dodi and Diana's death. After a quarter of century of ownership, al-Fayed sold Harrods to Qatar's sovereign wealth fund in 2010. DIANA AND DODIThat summer, al-Fayed's son Dodi began a relationship with Princess Diana, who had divorced Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne. Dodi and Diana were pictured by British tabloids on holiday on a yacht in the south of France.

Persons: Diana's, Mohamed al, Fayed, Princess Diana, –, Diana, Dodi, Prince Philip, Mohamed Al Fayed, Mohamed, sequined, Michael Jackson, Eye, Roland, Tiny, Rowland, al, sleaze, Tony Blair, DIANA, Prince Charles, Mercedes, Blair, Sarah, I'm, Andrew MacAskill, Nilutpal, Giles Elgood, Rosalba O'Brien, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Fulham FC, Ritz, Harrods, Fulham, HARRODS, Department of Trade, Conservatives, Labour, Paris, Thomson Locations: Paris LONDON, Harrods, Egyptian, Alexandria, al, Europe, Fulham, Paris, Britain, France, British, Egypt, Al, Pont, London, Bengaluru

☆ Fintech giant Wise allowed Russia sanctions target to withdraw money, U.K. government says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

British financial technology giant Wise allowed an individual on the Russian sanctions list to withdraw money, a U.K. government body said Thursday. The user was allowed to make a withdrawal of £250 ($316.63) from a business account on Wise, according to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. According to the OFSI, Wise reported a suspected sanctions breach on June 30, 2022. It's one of a rare number of cases of publicly disclosed breaches by a fintech company. Wise CEO Kristo Kaarmann was previously fined by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs for failing to pay his taxes on time.

Persons: Wise, Kristo Kaarmann, Kaarmann, Harsh Sinha, Jefferies, Sinha, Kristo Organizations: OFSI, Customs, Financial, Wise, PayPal, eBay, Jefferies Locations: Ukraine

☆ 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

☆ U.K. Replaces Defense Secretary Ben Wallace With Grant Shapps
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Mark Landler | More About Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

His replacement, Grant Shapps, a politically astute Conservative Party operative, has signaled that he would maintain Britain’s support for Ukraine. Mr. Shapps has held multiple cabinet posts and is a close ally of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, though he has far less foreign policy and security experience than Mr. Wallace. Mr. Wallace’s departure has been long in the works — he was floated by Downing Street in an unsuccessful bid for NATO secretary general — but Mr. Shapps’ appointment was a surprise. Mr. Shapps has already held no fewer than four ministerial posts in the past year, a tumultuous stretch for Britain’s government. Mr. Sunak’s predecessor, Liz Truss, named him home secretary in the chaotic final days of her tenure.

Persons: Ben Wallace, Grant Shapps, Shapps, Rishi Sunak, Wallace, Mr, Wallace’s, —, Sunak’s, Liz Truss, Truss’s, Boris Johnson Organizations: White House, Pentagon, Ukraine, Russia, Conservative Party, NATO Locations: Ukraine

The British Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that previous investigations failed to meet the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights. Victims’ advocates believe that as many as one-third of more than 3,500 Troubles deaths bear the fingerprints of British security forces. Or perhaps security forces cleared the path for escaping gunmen by inexplicably removing roadblocks. Each of those things happened over and over again in Northern Ireland, and most of them happened in the Finucane case. — still suffuses Northern Ireland.

Persons: “, ” Michael Finucane, ’, Finucane, it’s Organizations: British, European, Human, Justice, British Army Locations: Northern Ireland, South Africa, British

[1/2] British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China August 30, 2023. "We are clear-eyed about the areas where we have fundamental disagreements with China and we raise those issues when we meet," he told broadcasters. China Vice President Han Zheng told Cleverly at their meeting that he hoped the two countries could make new advances in their relations. Cleverly's visit to China comes as other countries in the West also try to improve their relations with the country. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is on a four-day visit in China but warned that U.S. companies have complained to her that China has become "uninvestible".

Persons: James, Han Zheng, Florence Lo, Wang Yi, Liz Truss, Conservative Alicia Kearns, Gina Raimondo, Han, Sarah Young, Laurie Chen, Kate Holton, Elizabeth Piper, Conor Humphries Organizations: of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Conservative Party, China, British, Conservative, . Commerce, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, London, British, CHINA, Taiwan, Taipei, West

☆ Europe's weaker economy limits fallout of US bond rout
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Last week, U.S. 10-year Treasury yields touched their highest relative to Germany's since December. For rate-sensitive short-dated German bond yields yields are even down 17 bps in August as weak data has raised expectations of a European Central Bank rate hike pause in September. SPILLOVERBofA, Goldman Sachs and Barclays expect Treasury yields to end the year slightly below current levels. Barclays's Khanna estimates German bond yields would have been 50-60 bps lower had they only been driven by domestic factors. The spillover from higher Treasury yields is more challenging elsewhere.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mauro Valle, Valle, Salman Ahmed, Rohan Khanna, Fitch, Mondher, SPILLOVER BofA, Goldman Sachs, Jackson, Barclays's Khanna, Frederik Ducrozet, Ataru Okumura, Yoruk, Chiara Elisei, Junko Fujita, Kevin Buckland, Dhara Ranasinghe, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Generali Investment Partners, European Central Bank, Fidelity International, U.S, Fitch, AAA, Vontel Asset Management, Barclays, Treasury, Federal Reserve, ECB, Pictet Wealth Management, of Japan, Nikko Securities, Yoruk Bahceli, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Europe, Germany, Britain, Germany's, It's, Italy, France, Japan, Amsterdam, London, Tokyo

☆ Britain delays post-Brexit border checks on EU goods till 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lorries disembark from a cross channel ferry at the Port of Dover, in Dover, Britain September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - The British government will delay imposing full post-Brexit import controls on goods from the European Union by a further three months, it said on Tuesday, pushing the start date back to January 2024. Britain left the EU's single market in January 2021 and has delayed full implementation of border controls several times due to worries about disruption at ports and the risk of adding to a cost-of-living crisis. In contrast, Brussels immediately introduced checks and paperwork for goods moving from Britain into the EU, leading to delays and higher costs, and making it challenging for some businesses to compete. Further requirements, such as physical checks and safety declarations are due to be introduced in stages through 2024.

Persons: Toby Melville, William Bain ,, Kylie MacLellan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Northern Ireland, Target, Chambers of Commerce, Thomson Locations: Dover, Britain, British, Brussels, Europe

More than 1,500 flights were cancelled on Monday - a public holiday in parts of Britain, and one of the busiest travel days as the school holidays draw to close - when air traffic controllers were forced to switch to manual systems due to a technical problem. Ryanair, Europe's biggest airline, would be operating a normal schedule by Wednesday, said boss Michael O'Leary, as he criticised how Britain's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) had handled the situation. Harper chaired a meeting on Tuesday with NATS, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), airlines, airports, trade bodies and Border Force. EasyJet (EZJ.L) said that the knock-on impact meant some flights were cancelled on Tuesday morning. Heathrow Airport, Britain's busiest hub, told passengers to contact their airline before travelling to the airport on Tuesday.

Persons: Maria Ball, Charles De Gaulle, Mark Harper, Michael O'Leary, haven't, O'Leary, Raphael Satter, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Harper, NATS, Cirium, Sarah Young, Padraic Halpin, Farouq Suleiman, Kate Holton, Alistair Smout, Alison Williams, Mike Harrison Organizations: British, Ryanair, Europe's, Air Traffic Services, REUTERS, Civil Aviation Authority, CAA, Border Force, Aviation, British Airways, Heathrow, Thomson Locations: Europe, Britain, Liverpool, England, Paris, Edinburgh, London, Stansted, NATS

☆ Fact Check-UK government job ad not proof of new pre-planned pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Are they planning another ‘pandemic’?” (here)But the UKHSA told Reuters that the advert’s wording was copied from another listing that was published ahead of the UK’s rollout of COVID vaccines in December 2020. “The copy in the February 2023 job advertisement is a legacy from the initial job ad some time ago before the COVID-19 vaccination programme had started,” the UKHSA spokesperson said via email. The 2023 job listing copied sections from an old advertisement that had not been updated since the rollout of COVID vaccines. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.

Persons: Read Organizations: UK Health Security Agency, Vaccine, Twitter, Reuters Locations: British

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