United Kingdom

London, Feb 19 (PTI) Home Secretary Priti Patel on Wednesday announced the launch of the UK's new points-based visa system, aimed at attracting the "brightest and the best" from the world, including from India, and cutting down numbers of cheap, low-skilled workers coming to the country.

The new system will come into force from January 1 2021 at the end of the transition period after the UK's exit from the European Union (EU) last month, which will formally end free movement of people within the economic bloc for the UK as a non-member.

London, Feb 19 (PTI) Indian universities had a good performance year within the emerging economies of the world as a record 11 made it to the top 100 Times Higher Education's (THE) Emerging Economies University Rankings 2020.

Only China has more universities than India in the top 100 at 30 from a total of 47 countries and territories included in the analysis released in London on Tuesday evening.

LONDON, Feb 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Storm Dennis killed at least five in the country since Saturday, and there is further wet and windy weather to come this week, Britain’s national weather service, the Met Office warned.

Body of a 55-year-old women, who was swept away in Worcestershire, was found Monday. One body was found in a south Wales river, while another was found dead in Scotland mountain track. The other two were found dead in Kent on Sunday, The Times newspaper reported.

LONDON (AP) — Britain announced new post-Brexit immigration rules Tuesday that will make it tougher for European Union citizens, but easier for people from many other nations, to move to the U.K. starting next year.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government said the new rules would “open up the U.K. to the brightest and the best from around the world” while ending “the reliance on cheap, low-skilled labor coming into the country.” But U.K. employers said the radical changes could bring about a labor crisis for sectors such as health and social care.

LONDON (Reuters) - An adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who had discussed the benefits of forced contraception quit on Monday, saying “media hysteria” about his old online posts meant he had become a distraction for the government.

Earlier, Johnson’s spokesman repeatedly refused to comment when asked about Andrew Sabisky, whose appointment drew widespread criticism after the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported statements made in his name online in 2014 and 2016.

LONDON (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met top European Union officials on a visit to Brussels on Monday, days before the bloc is expected to release new proposals on regulating artificial intelligence.

The billionaire social network founder is the latest U.S. tech executive to make the trip to the headquarters of the EU, which is becoming an increasingly important player in technology regulation. Zuckerberg’s visit came as the company warned that potential regulation risked stifling innovation.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain does not need any special arrangements in its future relationship with the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Monday, adding that it wants a trade agreement similar to other deals the EU has struck.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s EU advisor, David Frost, will give a speech later setting out what Britain wants from the future relationship. The spokesman said that Britain wants a relationship based on friendly cooperation and that it was ready to start negotiations with the EU now.

LONDON (AP) — Britain issued five “severe” flood alerts on Monday, warning there’s a danger to life after Storm Dennis dumped weeks worth of rain in some places. It gale-force winds also caused flooding and power outages across other parts of northern Europe.

The severe flood warnings were for the central English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire. The Met Office, Britain’s meteorological agency, issued another 221 flood warnings for England, along with 24 for Wales and 12 for Scotland.

LONDON, Feb 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A man died after falling into a river on Sunday as Storm Dennis swept across Britain with the army drafted in to help deal with heavy flooding and high winds.

The man fell into the River Tawe, in south Wales, police said.

The storm also battered much of France, with some 60,000 people suffering power cuts in the northwest of the country.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will “turn off the tap” of foreign, low-skilled labor and require all skilled workers wishing to come to the country to have a job offer and meet salary and language requirements as it sets post-Brexit rules from next year.

Britain formally left the European Union at the end of January but a transition period is in effect until Dec. 31, during which time little changes.