United Kingdom

LONDON (AP) — A British judge ruled Friday that a lawsuit by Prince Harry, Elton John and five other celebrities accusing a newspaper publisher of unlawful information-gathering should go to a full trial.

The claimants, who include John’s husband David Furnish and actors Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, accuse the publisher of the Daily Mail of paying private investigators to illegally bug homes and cars and to record phone conversations.

LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The British arm of defence firm MBDA has signed a 4 billion pound ($4.92 billion) deal to supply Poland with ground-based air defence systems, the British government said on Tuesday.

Britain's Ministry of Defence said the partnership would boost Poland's Narew air defence programme and help bolster European security amid the conflict in Ukraine.

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Conservative government set out a pre-election policy slate including tougher sentences for serious crimes and promises of elusive economic growth on Tuesday in a speech delivered by King Charles III at the grand State Opening of Parliament.

LONDON, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom's (UK) departure from the European Union (EU) has not damaged trade between the country and the region, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) said in a report published on Monday.

"The UK's trade patterns with the EU fail to show a Brexit effect, either since the referendum or at the end of the transition period," it said.

The UK's goods exports rose by 13.5 percent to EU countries and 14.3 percent to non-EU countries between 2019 and 2022, before and after Brexit, indicating no impact of Brexit on goods trade.

LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom is hosting the AI Safety Summit, bringing politicians, computer scientists and tech executives to a site chosen for its symbolism: Bletchley Park, synonymous with codebreaking and the birth of computing.

During World War II, a group of mathematicians, cryptographers, crossword puzzlers, chess masters and other experts gathered at the Victorian country house 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of London to wage a secret war against Nazi Germany. Their goal: cracking Adolf Hitler’s supposedly unbreakable codes.

30 October 2023; MEMO: The Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) has called on the UK’s Counterterrorism and Major Crime Division, SO15, to investigate the enlistment of reservist soldiers with dual British-Israeli nationality who join the Israeli military units to participate in the war waged against civilians in the Gaza Strip.

29 October 2023; MEMO: Tens of thousands of people once again held a massive pro-Palestine rally in the British capital on Saturday amid intensifying attacks on Gaza.

Chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, people gathered in Embankment and later held a march towards Parliament Square with Palestinian flags.

As the Israeli attacks on Gaza intensified, the protesters called for an immediate cease-fire, criticizing the British government for its support to Israel.

LONDON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators rallied in cities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday to show support for the Palestinians as Israel's military widened its air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip.

In one of the biggest marches, in London, aerial footage showed large crowds marching through the centre of the capital to demand the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak call for a ceasefire.

LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The explosion at a hospital in Gaza City was most likely caused by a missile fired from within Gaza, and not by a rocket from Israel, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday.

"The British government judges that the explosion was likely caused by a missile, or part of one, that was launched from within Gaza towards Israel," Sunak told parliament.

"The misreporting of this incident had a negative effect in the region, including on a vital U.S. diplomatic effort and on tensions here at home."

LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - About 100,000 people joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London on Saturday, marching through the British capital to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel two weeks ago.

Chanting "Free Palestine", holding banners and waving Palestinian flags, the protesters moved through London before massing at Downing Street, the official residence and office of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.