- Thursday, April 25, 2024
Rishi Sunak's Conservative party is set to win less than 100 seats in the general election and draw a blank in Scotland and Wales, according to a survey published in The Sunday Times. Around 15,000 people were surveyed by Survation, on behalf of Best for Britain. It indicated that the…
INDIAN Defence Minister Rajnath Singh concluded his visit to the UK on Thursday (11) after a “warm meeting” with prime minister Rishi Sunak and interacting with members of the Indian diaspora at a community reception. Singh called on Sunak at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday (10) evening for discussions on…
INDIA’s defence minister Rajnath Singh arrived in London on Monday (8) for a three-day visit focusing on the India-UK defence partnership as well as security and industrial cooperation. Singh has been accompanied by a Ministry of Defence delegation comprising officials from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Service Headquarters,…
INDIAN defence minister Rajnath Singh will discuss bilateral issues with his UK counterpart Grant Shapps during his official visit, the ministry of defence said in a statement. Singh arrived in UK on Monday (8) night. Notably, this marks the first visit of a sitting Indian defence minister to the UK…
India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to commence a three-day visit to the UK, from Monday (8), aimed at revitalising strategic and security engagement between both nations. The visit aims to explore potential collaborations for joint development of fighter jets and other military platforms. Singh is scheduled to hold…
The UK is facing increased pressure to contribute additional evidence against individuals linked to the protests outside the Indian High Commission in London in March. This urging coincides with a meeting between the new foreign secretary, David Cameron, and the Indian external affairs minister, S Jaishankar. Jaishankar is supporting the…
THE number of non-white cabinet ministers has come down from five to four after prime minister Rishi Sunak reshuffled his core team on Monday (13). Suella Braverman was sacked as home secretary and former prime minister David Camaron was made foreign secretary as part of the exercise. While Sunak -…
India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Monday (13) that India and the UK are presently concentrating on a free trade agreement and expressed optimism that the two parties will identify a "landing point" that benefits both. Jaishankar, who is in London on a five-day official visit to the…
Around 250 protesters gathered outside the BBC's main headquarters in London on Monday (16) to express their dissatisfaction with the British broadcaster's refusal to label Hamas as terrorists. Demonstrators at the event, organised by Jewish groups, chanted "Hamas, terrorists" and "Shame on You" at the broadcaster for making the editorial…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak has scrapped the HS2 high-speed rail line from the West Midlands to Manchester during his Conservative Party conference speech on Wednesday (4). The cancellation includes everything beyond the London-Birmingham route, with the £36 billion saved set to be reinvested in transport initiatives across the North, Midlands,…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak is set to fire the starting gun Wednesday (4) on Britain's next general election campaign, with a much-anticipated keynote speech closing his ruling Tories' annual conference. He faces a daunting challenge rallying his beleaguered Tories to win the election -- due some time in 2024 --…
CONSERVATIVES opened their annual conference on Sunday (1), with the party's chairman conceding they were "the underdogs" heading into a general election expected next year amid widespread economic woes. The gathering in Manchester will be prime minister Rishi Sunak's first since he became Tory leader last October, and likely the…
TORIES started its annual conference Sunday (1), bidding to kickstart a resurgence before a general election expected next year that it is currently on track to lose. The four-day gathering in Manchester, northwest England, will be prime minister Rishi Sunak's first since he became Tory leader last October, and likely…
THE government on Thursday (31) named Claire Coutinho as secretary of state for energy security and net zero, replacing Grant Shapps who was named defence secretary. Coutinho, who is the first member of parliament elected in 2019 to be promoted to the cabinet, was previously a junior minister in the…
FORMER energy minister Grant Shapps replaced Ben Wallace on Thursday (31) as Britain's defence secretary, a promotion for a man relied upon by the government as a good media communicator but lacking in direct experience of the military. An ally of prime minister Rishi Sunak, Shapps takes on the brief…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak has backed plans to permit new fossil fuel exploration off Britain's coast, as he pledged to be "pragmatic and proportionate" about achieving net zero in an interview published Saturday (29). The stance is set to intensify criticism from environmental campaigners, who accuse the British leader of…
The climate change mitigation policies in Britain may face challenges due to the intersection of political worries about the cost-of-living crisis, soaring energy prices, and other factors, all while aiming to achieve decarbonization by the middle of the century, say observers. Last week's unexpected by-election outcome has raised concerns that…
INDIA’S Tata Group confirmed it will build an electric vehicle battery plant in Britain to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories, delivering a major boost for a UK car industry in need of domestic battery production to help secure its future. The announcement marks Britain’s biggest move in the car…
INDIA and the UK are working closely on energy security, a senior British minister said on Friday (21). Britain's energy security and net zero minister Grant Shapps said that it was important for India, with its "tremendous ambition", to have energy security to realise its potential. He was speaking on…
THERE has been a new Sunday morning routine in our house this year. Since my ten- year-old daughter got into football by watching Euro 2020 and the Lionesses triumph in the women’s Euros, the alarm goes off at 7.30am so we can get up to watch the early morning repeat…
PRIME minister Rishi Sunak, Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham and pathbreaking lawyer Ayesha Vardag were among the winners at the annual GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards, held at the Park Plaza hotel on Tuesday (7). Sunak took home the coveted GG2 Hammer Award for smashing through the ultimate glass ceiling by…
RISHI SUNAK paid tribute to his family as his elevation to become Britain’s first Asian prime minister kept him on top of the 2023 GG2 Power List for the second consecutive year and was also recognised with a coveted award in London on Tuesday (7). Sunak tops the ranking of…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak named Grant Shapps energy security minister and Kemi Badenoch business and trade minister on Tuesday, as he created four new government departments and made several changes to his top team. Sunak established a department for energy security and net zero, and one for science, innovation…
Britain will offer grants to help its two largest steelmakers replace dirty blast furnaces with less carbon-intensive technology, media reported. The BBC reported that grants worth £600 million ($744m) will "likely" be unveiled this week for Chinese-owned British Steel and Indian-owned Tata Steel UK, to help slash damaging emissions, cut…
Tata Steel said on Monday that it is studying the British government’s support package plans for the steel industry and will consider it carefully before arriving at strategic decisions on the future of its UK business. It comes amid British media reports that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to sign…
India's Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra on Tuesday (10) hailed the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the launch failure of UK space organisation. "I recognise that this was a very different type of orbital launch but it stills tells me how much more we should appreciate and admire the…
The British government will introduce legislation to parliament on Tuesday which would require key public services to maintain minimum safety levels during strike action by workers. Britain is experiencing a wave of industrial action as pay rises fail to keep up with double-digit inflation, which is now around 40-year highs.…
British Indian Priya Lakhani OBE is among the five industry experts appointed by the government to accelerate development and deployment of emerging technologies in the UK. A member of the AI Council, Lakhani has been appointed to support work to harness new digital technology such as artificial intelligence, a statement…
British Conservative Rishi Sunak was on Monday (24) poised to become prime minister and the country's first leader of colour, after a dramatic decision by Boris Johnson to abandon a political comeback bid. Just weeks after he lost out to Liz Truss to lead the ruling Tories, Sunak could pull…
Britain's Suella Braverman has left her job as Home Secretary, the Guardian reported on Wednesday (19), adding to the turmoil surrounding Prime Minister Liz Truss's six-week premiership. The Sun's political editor said Braverman had been fired. In her resignation letter posted on twitter she wrote, "Earlier today, I sent an…
The Truss experiment is over. Her premiership may now prove the shortest in modern history. Yet its legacy in shifting the tectonic plates of British politics might endure for much longer. The mini-budget, pitched as an audacious break with Treasury orthodoxy, proved a reckless gamble. Its result was the triple…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Monday (10) handed a junior trade minister's job to an ally of her leadership rival Rishi Sunak, in a move seen as an attempt to rally the governing Conservative Party behind her and curb rebellious moves on the backbenches. Greg Hands, a vocal supporter…
Prime minister, Liz Truss, and chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, have “risked” the Conservative Party’s election chances because of their “incompetent handling” of the mini budget, Asian parliamentarians have told Eastern Eye. In a so-called mini budget on September 23, Kwarteng abolished the 45p higher tax rate. However, on Monday (3) the…
Only a few days are left for the election of the new British prime minister by the Conservative party. The new Tory leader will be announced on September 5. As expected, there will be major changes in the cabinet following the election of the new leader. Latest report suggests that…
RISHI SUNAK, former chancellor and a candidate to be the next prime minister, received a hero’s welcome with loud cheering and Indian drums at a hustings event in north London on Monday (22). Sunak’s popularity in the community was evident as more than 650 British Asians from across the country…
Britain said on Friday (19) it wanted a widespread rollout of self-driving vehicles on roads by 2025, announcing plans for new laws and £100 million ($119.09m) of funding. The government said it wanted to take advantage of the emerging market for autonomous vehicles, which it valued at £42 billion and…
Number plates and insurance could be made mandatory for bikes as the government is in the process of overhauling road laws amid a cycling boom in the UK. If the proposed rules are brought in, cyclists would have to respect speed limits which are currently applicable to only motorists. As…
Around 40,000 British railway workers staged a walkout on Wednesday, a month after the largest strike in 30 years as the UK battles its worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. The nationwide walkout over pay and conditions brought the rail network to a virtual standstill with only one in five training…
THE boss of Heathrow airport has pleaded with passengers not to fake the need for wheelchairs to skip long security queues at the airport, according to media reports. Chief executive John Holland-Kaye told LBC radio that people are using this 'hack' after watching a video on TikTok. “For passengers requiring wheelchair…
FORMER health secretary Matt Hancock has described Rishi Sunak as an “incredible talent” and a proven decision-maker who would make a “great” prime minister. Sunak, who resigned as the chancellor earlier this month, is expected to be in the final two in the race to become prime minister after he…
BRITAIN recorded its highest ever temperature of 40C (104F) on Tuesday (19) as a heatwave gripping Europe intensified, forcing train tracks to buckle and fuelling a spate of fires across London. The Met Office said the provisional record, which still needs to be confirmed, was recorded at 12.50 pm (1150…
A fierce heatwave sweeping western Europe was on Tuesday set to smash Britain's all-time temperature record, as swathes of the continent wilted under a scorching sun which has fed ferocious wildfires and stretched emergency services. Forecasters in the UK have for days been predicting the current national record of 38.7…
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has gained backing from former Brexit negotiator David Frost and British lawmaker Suella Braverman to become the next UK prime minister, British media reported on Thursday.Truss, who received 64 votes in the second round of the Conservative Party's leadership election on Thursday, pledged an "upward…
British rail workers and station staff will strike this month in disputes over pay and conditions, two unions said, announcing the latest in a growing catalogue of industrial unrest as workers demand wage rises to cope with soaring inflation. The 24-hour walkout by members of the RMT and TSSA will…
Britain's former finance minister, Rishi Sunak, set out his leadership campaign pitch on Tuesday, offering himself up as an "honest" prime minister who would balance the books, reduce the role of the state and grow the economy.A frontrunner who received a further boost from two senior ministers, Sunak said he…
Britain's new prime minister will be announced on Sept. 5, with the first votes to begin eliminating candidates in a crowded and increasingly unpredictable and divisive contest to replace Boris Johnson coming this week. So far 11 candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to succeed Johnson as leader…
While several possible successors are seen as frontrunners, there is no clear favourite -- and such contests are notoriously volatile. Rishi Sunak The UK's first Hindu finance minister, Sunak quit on Tuesday and declared he was standing three days later. Long seen as Johnson's most likely successor, his prospects were…
BRITAIN's former health secretaries have launched leadership bids to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister, according to a report. Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid used interviews with the Telegraph newspaper to announce their intention. Both Hunt, who lost out to Johnson in the 2019 leadership race, and Javid, said as…
RUSH-HOUR commuters in the UK faced chaos on Tuesday (21) as railway workers began the network's biggest strike action in more than three decades, with a cost-of-living crisis threatening wider industrial action. Last-ditch talks to avert the strike broke down on Monday, meaning more than 50,000 members of rail union…
NETWORK Rail has urged passengers to plan ahead and travel only if necessary as there was 'no real hope' of avoiding the biggest railway strike in 30 years next week, according to a report. Network Rail confirmed that large parts of Great Britain will have no passenger services on strike days.…
BRITAIN's department for transport denied a report that the government was considering issuing temporary visas to workers from the European Union to ease a staffing crisis at airports. The Telegraph newspaper on Saturday (11) reported that transport secretary Grant Shapps has discussed plans to issue baggage handlers and check-in staff…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson has pledged that the government will not simply ‘roll over and surrender' to union demands in the face of threats to bring the railways to a standstill, according to a report. He added that the government will help the industry weather the storm if a deal…
Britain's railway network faces its biggest strike action in more than three decades later this month in a row over pay as inflation erodes earnings, a union has announced. Rail union RMT said more than 50,000 workers will take part in a three-day national strike coinciding with major events including…
ROADS in the British capital were 85 per cent congested just after 9 am on Tuesday (7) due to the 24-hour Tube strike called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, media reports said. Traffic congestion happened when commuters used their cars or splashed out on taxis to go to…
BRITAIN's transport secretary Grant Shapps has told airlines to stop selling tickets for flights they cannot staff after a spate of airline cancellations caused widespread disruption for holidaymakers. Airports across Europe have struggled to cope with the rebound in demand but British airports are facing a particularly difficult week as…
LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan has said that the Metropolitan Police must “explain” why prime minister Boris Johnson was not fined for attending a party during the Covid lockdown, according to a report. Khan's comments came after Britain's ITV news channel on Monday (23) published new photographs of Johnson drinking at…
Ferries sailing regularly in and out of UK ports will be required to pay their employees the equivalent of the country's minimum wage, the government announced Tuesday (10). The Department for Transport said new laws, if passed, would protect tens of thousands of seafarers and crack down on companies who…
THE Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has alleged that Indian agency workers hired to replace P&O Ferries crews in Dover are being paid £1.81 an hour, reported the BBC. Terming the low pay as a 'shocking exploitation', the union added that the firm also betrayed the sacked employees. P&O…
THE UK government will lift all its remaining Covid-19 pandemic-related international travel restrictions from Friday (18), including the requirement for travellers to fill in a compulsory Passenger Locator Form prior to entering the country.From 4 am GMT on Friday, arrivals into the UK will no longer be required to submit…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson on Thursday (24) condemned Russia's "unprovoked" and "horrific" attack on Ukraine, as he prepared to chair an emergency meeting of top ministers and officials. Johnson spoke to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky overnight and vowed "the West would not stand by as (Russian) president (Vladimir) Putin…
FULLY vaccinated travellers arriving in Britain will no longer have to take a Covid-19 test, transport secretary Grant Shapps said on Monday (24), as the government sets out plans to move beyond restrictions and live with the virus. Currently, vaccinated people arriving in Britain are required to take a lateral…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson was on Tuesday fighting fresh allegations that he broke the Covid lockdown rules he imposed by attending a surprise birthday party in Downing Street when social gatherings indoors were banned. Johnson, who in 2019 won the biggest Conservative majority in more than 30 years, is…
UK prime minister Boris Johnson has signalled to his backbenchers that he is prepared to let the UK live with the virus, the Guardian reported. All Covid restrictions in England could end in March as Johnson looking at ending mandatory self-isolation for positive Covid cases, the report added, quoting a senior…
BRITAIN will pause the rollout of new "smart motorways" for five years while it gathers safety data on those already operational, the government announced Wednesday (12).The announcement follows the criticism that the "smart motorways" are dangerous.Campaigners have resisted the high-speed roads, in which variable speed limits are introduced and the…
LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan said he would have to raise council tax in London and reduce free travel for over-60s, with the government yet to offer a deal to fund the pandemic-hit transport system, The Guardian reported. He accused ministers of planning to “unfairly punish Londoners” by refusing to agree…
A former Conservative mayoral candidate who breached Covid regulation by attending a Christmas party, has quit as chair of a police and crime committee. When London was under Tier 2 restrictions banning household mixing, Shaun Bailey's team had organised a gathering at the Conservative Campaign headquarters on 14 December 2020.…
THE UK is to drop 11 African countries including South Africa from its "red list" barring incoming travel, ministers said on Tuesday (14). From 0400 GMT on Wednesday (15), all will be removed from the list, said transport secretary Grant Shapps. The UK government had responded to the identification of…
BRITAIN said on Friday (26) that a newly identified coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa was considered by scientists to be the most significant one yet found and so it needed to ascertain whether or not it made vaccines ineffective. Defending a ban on flights from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana,…
BRITAIN ditched plans to link London and the northern city of Leeds as part of a new high-speed rail network, drawing accusations that prime minister Boris Johnson was going back on a promise to fix regional prosperity gaps. The £96-billion project, known as High-Speed 2 or HS2, has been touted…
FOLLOWING leaked reports that the British government would be scrapping plans for the UK’s long-awaited high-speed rail network to extend to Leeds, transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced in the House of Commons that the eastern leg of HS2 will now reach only from Birmingham to the East Midlands. He…
BRITAIN said India’s Covaxin will be added to its list of approved Covid-19 vaccines for international travellers from November 22, meaning that those inoculated with the Bharat Biotech-manufactured jab will not have to self-isolate after arrival in England. The move follows the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Emergency Use Listing for…
THE UK on Sunday (24) started a cheaper lateral flow test instead of a PCR for fully vaccinated passengers arriving from countries not on the red list. Passengers and most under 18s can use the test on or before day 2 of their arrival in England, a statement said. Bookings…
VACCINATED Indians will not be required to quarantine on arrival in the UK from Monday (11) as Britain has scrapped tough Covid-19 quarantine requirements for 47 destinations. Travellers vaccinated in those countries, including India and Pakistan, will be treated the same as returning fully vaccinated UK residents, so long as…
THE UK government on Tuesday (28) faced calls for nurses, police and other key workers to be given priority at petrol pumps, as the army was put on standby to ease a fuel supply crisis. Pump prices for fuel in the UK have reached their highest level in eight years…
BRITAIN will issue up to 10,500 temporary work visas to lorry drivers and poultry workers to ease chronic staff shortages, the government has announced, in a U-turn on post-Brexit immigration policy. The short-term visas, to run from next month until late December, come as ministers grapple with a huge shortfall…
PAKISTAN, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are among eight countries which will come out of the red list next week as the British government on Friday (17) relaxed pandemic restrictions on travel into England. The UK government overhauled its complicated "traffic light" watchlist with a simpler regime for fully vaccinated arrivals. …
A GREEN hydrogen-powered underwater transportation submarine system being developed by a company led by an Indian-origin CEO has been named among the winners of the UK government's Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. Dhruv Boruah's Oceanways won backing from the £23-million government-funded research and development (R&D) drive with its concept of a…
Pakistan’s top health official has written to the UK’s health secretary highlighting the 'discrepancies' in the British government’s policy to retain Pakistan on the COVID-19 travel red list while moving India to the amber list. Pakistan was placed on the red list in early April and India on April 19…
Business barriers remain despite change in India's travel status, says analyst THE UK government’s decision to move India from the red list of countries to amber will help UK-India bilateral trade and business – but more needs to be done to reduce the barriers. This is the view of Anuj…
TRAVEL agents said they have been “inundated” with flight bookings to India after the UK government moved the country from the red to the amber list, with some predicting the sharp increase in bookings could last months. India, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were moved to the…
LABOUR MP Naz Shah on Wednesday (4) criticised the Conservative government for promoting India to the amber list while not moving Pakistan from the red zone. As per the guidelines updated today (5), India is now on the amber list while Pakistan continues to remain in the red zone. Calling…
INDIA has been moved from red list to amber list, as per UK government announcement made on early hours of Thursday (5). The move will be effective from Sunday (8). The move implies that fully-vaccinated Britons and children upto the age of 18 need not quarantine or take the…
PLANS to create an "amber watchlist" for countries at risk of moving to red have been shelved after a revolt in the cabinet and a backlash from the travel industry, media reports said on Tuesday (3). The plans for the extra level namely “amber watchlist”- other than existing red,…
A change to the Highway Code has put the pedestrians at the top of a new “road user hierarchy”, been announced by the UK transport secretary. In order to boost cycling and walking all across Britain, plans will be made as part of £338m package from the Department for Transport…
DOUBLE-vaccinated travellers from the US and European Union can now avoid quarantine when arriving in England from amber list countries, as per a government announcement recently made today (28). The policy change was agreed at a top-level ministerial Covid meeting on Wednesday (28) afternoon, and will apply from 4…
BRITONS who have taken the India-made AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine have to wait for a month before they can travel to nearly half of Europe, it has been reported. The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), which manufactured the jabs and was administered to nearly five million people in the UK,…
NHS is set to invite more than half a million people for their second Covid jab early as part of a last minute vaccine dash ahead of Freedom Day, state media reports, as daily new infections in England crossed 42, 000. In the coming few days, more than 65…
TWO-THIRDS of UK adults have now been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the government said on Wednesday (14), arguing that the breakthrough justified its contentious move to drop most pandemic curbs next week. A total of 35,155,767 second doses have now been administered since the Western world's first mass vaccination…
BRITAIN'S transport secretary Grant Shapps said NHS Covid contact tracing app needs to change, especially its sensitivity needs to be reduced as coronavirus restrictions are being eased by the country. Shapps added with 1m-plus rule ending on July 19, the sensitivity of the app needs to change. Currently the app…
BRITON holidaymakers travelling to amber list countries will not have to quarantine on return if they are fully vaccinated, the government has confirmed, as daily new cases crossed 32, 500, something which medics are calling as “unfolding of the third wave”. Transport secretary Grant Shapps on Thursday (8) announced the…
BRITISH government looks to provide a boost to the travel industry badly hit by the pandemic and next month will draw plans to allow vaccinated people to travel unrestricted to all countries except those with the highest Covid-19 risk. Airlines have welcomed the move and they were further cheered by…
BRITAIN has removed Portugal from its quarantine-free travel list, the country's transport minister said on Thursday (3), essentially shutting down the UK's leisure travel market and deepening the pandemic crisis for airlines. Airline easyJet also said no new countries would be added to the so-called green list. Britain relaunched travel…
By Nadeem Badshah COVID certificates could trigger discrimination against ethnic minorities in the jobs market and access to services, academics and campaigners have warned. They have raised concerns about the government considering plans to have documents to prove someone’s vaccine, test or antibody status to enter a sports venue,…
By Pooja Shrivastava Britain has announced that the coronavirus ban on international holiday travel to some of the destinations will be lifted due to their low infection and high vaccination rates. The announcement was made on May 7, Friday, and will be effective from May 17. "I'm announcing today that…
Concern over global standard for certificates UK to meet G7 transport leaders on transport Data looks good, minister says on prospects of travel BRITAIN plans to use a National Health Service phone app as its Covid-19 'vaccine passport' certificate that will allow its population to travel internationally this summer, transport…
By Nadeem Badshah NEW coronavirus rules for travellers to England are not tough enough compared to measures implemented in other countries including India, according to experts and MPs. From Monday (18), everyone arriving by boat, train or plane have to test negative for Covid-19 before they can enter the UK.…
THE UK was on Monday(21) shut off from much of Europe after its closest allies cut transport ties due to fears about a new strain of the coronavirus, sowing chaos for families and companies just days before it exits the EU's orbit. France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland,…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson's adviser Dominic Cummings will leave his position when Brexit is done at year-end, after an internal battle over who should be Johnson's chief of staff. Cummings, who masterminded the 2016 Brexit referendum vote and Johnson's 2019 landslide election bid, told the BBC that his position had…
London's transport system has secured a bailout from the government worth nearly £2 billion, following weeks of politically-charged wrangling as the coronavirus continues to decimate revenues. Transport for London (TfL), which runs the British capital's public transport network, said the deal worth £1.8 billion would enable it to keep operating…
THE UK government on Friday (28) urged people to return to work amid concern about the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on the economy and struggling high-street businesses. "Our central message is pretty straightforward: we are saying to people it is now safe to return to work," said Transport Secretary…
Britain has said it will reimpose quarantine for travellers from France and the Netherlands, prompting Paris to quickly announce a "reciprocal measure". The UK government declared the change, which will likely spark a mass exodus among the estimated half a million British holidaymakers currently in France, after a rise in…
BORIS JOHNSON rode a made-in-India Hero Cycles bike designed in the UK as he recently launched a £2-billion cycling and walking drive as part of his national anti-obesity strategy. The prime minister was seen riding on a Hero Viking Pro bike to Canalside Heritage Centre at Beeston in Nottingham on…
BORIS JOHNSON has promised to spend £2 billion on walking and cycling projects in England, seeking to improve public health and capitalise on a shift away from cars during the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier on Monday (27), the prime minister cited his own struggle with weight to urge Britons to get…
TAXI and private hire vehicle drivers in the UK will have to undergo criminal record checks every six months and cabs could be fitted with CCTV under fresh regulations to improve the licensing system, the country's transport ministry said. A recommendation for licensing authorities that CCTVs would be "beneficial or…
BRITAIN will lift its Covid-19 quarantine requirement for people arriving in England from countries, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy from July 10. A full list of "50-plus countries" posing a "reduced risk" would be announced on Friday (3), the country’s transport ministry said. Under the existing rules, travellers must…
The wearing of face coverings on public transport is to be made mandatory from June 15 as the coronavirus lockdown is further eased, the UK government announced on Thursday. UK transport secretary Grant Shapps told the daily Downing Street briefing in London that the rule would not mean the public…
PRITI PATEL has stressed that quarantine for travellers from abroad -- set to be introduced from June 8 -- is crucial to avoid a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. "From Monday, people arriving to the UK will need to self-isolate for 14 days", the home secretary wrote along…
PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson has resisted calls to sack senior adviser Dominic Cummings after he travelled 400 km (250 miles) to northern England while his wife showed Covid-19 symptoms. Cummings, who masterminded the 2016 campaign to leave the European Union during the Brexit referendum, travelled to Durham in late March,…
PEOPLE living in England have more freedom to leave their homes and to go to work if necessary in the first stage of an easing of the coronavirus lockdown. The worst-hit country in Europe with more than 40,000 deaths from Covid-19 according to official data, Britain has been in extensive…
Britain could introduce a 14-day mandatory quarantine for international arrivals to stem the spread of coronavirus, an airline association said Saturday, sparking alarm in an industry already hard hit by the global pandemic. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, the trade body for UK-registered airlines, confirmed that the government…
MORE commuters should consider cycling or walking when Britain's coronavirus lockdown is eased to take the pressure off public transport capacity that is likely to drop by 90 per cent under social distancing requirements, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Saturday (9). He also announced a "once in a generation"…
SADIQ KHAN has urged the government to make wearing face masks mandatory during travel in London. The city mayor has written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that UK was "lagging behind the international community on this issue". Notably, on Wednesday (15), New York had made face covering compulsory in public…
The UK government on Sunday (5) announced the first seven chartered flights next week to bring home British nationals stranded in India amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic. An estimated 35,000 British nationals are currently in India, out of whom over 20,000 have contacted the British High…
RISHI SUNAK is a man in a hurry. After his surprise promotion as chancellor last week, his first big task is presenting the government’s “scene-setter” Budget. Though he was "down to work" right from the word go, Sunak might postpone the current Budget date of March 11. He was likely to…
By Nadeem Badshah A MOTHER whose eight-year-old son was killed on a stretch of smart motorway wants to honour his legacy by making Britain's roads safer and prevent more deaths. Meera Naran said her talented son Dev was "angelic" and her "best friend". The schoolboy, from Leicester, died when his…
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service and Minister for the Union Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP HM Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer – Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP Chief Secretary to the Treasury – Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP*&** Financial Secretary to the Treasury…