Britain

The British government has tabled a new law to prioritise UK-trained medical graduates for specialty training posts in the National Health Service (NHS), a move set to impact Indians as the largest group of internationally trained medics employed in the state-funded system. Secretary of State for Health Wes Streeting tabled the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday to address what he described as the catastrophic mismanagement of the previous Conservative government. Under the Labour government proposals, UK graduates will no longer be expected to compete with doctors from overseas for NHS training posts that lead to medical specialisations and expertise for new medics. British taxpayers spend 4 billion pounds training medics every year, so it makes little sense for many of them to then be left struggling to get speciality training places and fearing for their futures," said Streeting. The catastrophic mismanagement of the system by the previous

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged allies to step up their security presence in the High North and recently reached out to European leaders

The US requested the help of the UK's armed forces in the days leading up to Wednesday's seizure of the M/V Bella 1 in the North Atlantic

British and French warplanes carried out an airstrike in central Syria on an underground facility where members of the Islamic State group are suspected to have stored weapons and explosives, the British defence ministry said Sunday. The strikes occurred Saturday evening on the structure in the mountains just north of the historic town of Palmyra in the country's Homs province, the ministry's statement said. Britain and France are part of the US-led coalition that has been fighting IS militants for more than a decade. The ministry said the British military used Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker and were joined by French aircraft in the joint strike. The British air force used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the facility, the statement said, adding that while a detailed assessment is now underway, initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully. This action shows our UK leadership, and determinati

The highly anticipated free trade deal between India and the UK, in the works for over four years, came to fruition in 2025, alongside a Vision 2035' pact to revitalise bilateral ties beyond the realm of trade and investment. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations dominated the headlines for the major part of the year as both sides looked determined to get the deal over the line and formally signed off during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK in July. Keir Starmer, celebrating his own one-year mark as British Prime Minister, laid out an especially warm reception for Modi over cups of chai at his countryside residence Chequers, near London. We have agreed a landmark deal with India one of the fastest growing economies in the world, declared Starmer, formally accepting Modi's reciprocal invitation to lead the biggest British trade delegation to India ever within weeks in October. According to the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) analysis, the Comprehensiv

A series of crises has left two vacancies at the top of the UK statistics body and one at the Office for Budget Responsibility, the fiscal watchdog

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed a new UK ambassador to the United States on Thursday, replacing a diplomat who was fired over his over his links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Christian Turner, currently the UK's permanent representative to the United Nations, will replace Peter Mandelson, who was sacked in September because of his friendship with Epstein. The appointment comes as US President Donald Trump has been critical of Europe and at a time when Starmer and his European peers are pushing to make sure that a US brokered peace plan between Russia and Ukraine does not leave Kyiv vulnerable. The United Kingdom and United States have a very special relationship, and Christian's extensive experience as an outstanding diplomat will support this uniquely close bond and ensure it continues to flourish," Starmer said. Turner, a veteran diplomat, will take on the role after US agreement. He was previously political director of the Foreign, Commonwealth and

The cumulative monetized cost of the changes to the immigration system, which were put forward by the government in a May white paper, ranges from £2.2 billion to £10.8 billion

Following weeks of speculation, Britain's unpopular Labour government will deliver its second budget later Wednesday since it returned to power in a landslide election victory in July 2024 after 14 years in opposition. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves, the first woman to hold the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer, is set to tell lawmakers that more tax-raising measures are necessary to plug a hole in the public finances. Reeves said much the same at her first budget a little more than a year ago. That budget, she had insisted, would be the one and only big tax-raising budget in this parliamentary term, which is due to run to 2029. Unfortunately for Reeves, the British economy, the world's sixth-largest, is not doing as well as she hoped, with many critics blaming her decision last year to slap taxes on business. Though there were signs that the economy was on the mend in the first half of the year when it was the fastest-growing among the Group of Seven leading industrial nations, it'

The BBC's chairman acknowledged Monday that it was too slow in responding over a misleading edit of a speech by US President Donald Trump but rejected claims that the broadcaster's impartiality was being undermined from within its own board. Senior BBC leaders were quizzed by Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee amid a major crisis at the publicly funded corporation after its director general and head of news both quit earlier this month and Trump threatened to file a billion-dollar lawsuit. The BBC drew Trump's ire and deep public scrutiny after an internal memo compiled by one of its former external advisers was leaked to the British media. The memo criticised cases of alleged biased reporting over a documentary on Trump that was aired days before the 2024 US presidential election, as well as other BBC coverage including its stance on transgender issues, Gaza, and race. Chairman Samir Shah said the broadcaster should have acted much quicker in addressing the ...

The company has partnered with Bengaluru-based Bilberry Brands under a licensing deal, starting with an online launch before expanding into physical stores

Backed by up to 50 million pounds in new funding, the strategy seeks to ensure no more than 60 per cent of the UK's supply of any one critical mineral comes from a single country by 2035

Government proposes sweeping changes to settlement rules, shifting the standard qualifying period to 10 years while adding new criteria and varied routes

The measures, modelled on Denmark's strict asylum system, were announced late on Saturday (local time) as PM Starmer comes under pressure from surging popularity for the anti-immigrant Reform UK party

The central bank held interest rates steady on Thursday, a decision that came at a time when British policymakers and lawmakers are confronting economic challenges

Aviva, Phoenix, EY and Google are among more than 60 large businesses taking part in a trial that aims to establish the best ways to cut sickness absence and improve return-to-work rates

British police said Sunday that one of two men arrested in connection with a mass stabbing attack that spread fear and panic on a London-bound train a day earlier has been released without charge, and that one person, a heroic member of the railway staff, remains in a life-threatening condition. In a statement Sunday evening, police said the only remaining suspect is a 32-year-old British man who remains in custody on suspicion of attempted murder. A second man initially arrested as a suspect was released without charge after it was determined the 35-year-old was not involved. Police said they are not treating the stabbings as an act of terror and are confident they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack. They have not disclosed a possible motive or the type of knife used. Our investigation is moving at pace and we are confident we are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident," said Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy of the British Transport

Multiple people were stabbed on a train in the UK's Cambridgeshire, following which armed police intercepted the train and arrested two men in connection with the incident on Saturday evening, authorities said. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said its officers are working with British Transport Police (BTP) after they intercepted the train in Huntingdon and the injured were taken to hospital. We were called at 7:39 pm (local time) with reports that multiple people had been stabbed on a train, Cambridgeshire Constabulary said in a statement. Armed officers attended and the train was stopped at Huntingdon, where two men were arrested. A number of people have been taken to hospital, the police said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took to social media to condemn the appalling incident and urged people to follow police advice. "The appalling incident on a train near Huntingdon is deeply concerning, said Starmer. "My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emerge

King Charles III on Monday dedicated Britain's first national memorial to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender troops, 25 years after the UK ended a ban on homosexuality in the armed forces. The king, who is the ceremonial head of the armed forces, laid flowers at the monument in the National Memorial Arboretum in central England at a service attended by scores of serving troops and veterans. The sculpture takes the form of a crumpled bronze letter bearing words from personnel who were affected by the ban. Between 1967 and 2000, soldiers, sailors and air force personnel who were or were thought to be gay or transgender were labelled unfit to serve and dismissed or discharged from the forces. Some were stripped of medals or lost their pension rights, and many struggled with the stigma for decades. The government lifted the ban after a 1999 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights. In 2023 then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak formally apologised for what he called an appalling .

He won't call himself a duke anymore, but that is not enough for many of Prince Andrew's critics. Buckingham Palace and the British government were under pressure on Monday to formally strip Prince Andrew of his princely title and sumptuous home after new revelations about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After discussions with his elder brother King Charles III, Andrew agreed on Friday to stop using titles including Duke of York. It was the latest effort to insulate the monarchy from years of tawdry headlines about Andrew's suspicious business deals, inappropriate behaviour and controversial friendships. But he still technically holds the title of duke, bestowed by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. And as the son of a monarch, he remains a prince. Andrew's statement relinquishing some of his royal titles came after emails emerged showing he had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he previously admitted, and days before publication of a ...