United Kingdom

LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family back the Black Lives Matter movement, one of her senior representatives said in a television interview to be broadcast Friday.

Philanthropist Kenneth Olisa, the first Black Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, told Channel 4 News that he had discussed the issue with members of the Royal Family since George Floyd died in police custody in the United States last year, sparking global protests over racial injustice.

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s economic growth slowed more than expected in July as concern about the spread of the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 overshadowed the government’s decision to end most social distancing rules.

The economy expanded 0.1% in the month, down from 1% in June. Economists had expected gross domestic product to increase by 0.5%, according to a survey conducted by Pantheon Macroeconomics.

LONDON, Sept 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Environmental groups have called for crucial UN climate talks set to be conducted in Glasgow this year to be postponed amid fears people from poorer countries will not be able to fully take part.

But the British government insists it is rolling out vaccines for foreign delegates and will fund quarantine hotels for those who would not be able to pay as part of efforts to ensure the COP26 conference in November can go ahead.

LONDON/PARIS, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Britain has approved plans to turn away boats illegally carrying migrants to its shores, deepening a rift with France over how to deal with a surge of people risking their lives by trying to cross the Channel in small dinghies.

Hundreds of small boats have attempted the journey from France to England this year, across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The summer surge happens every year, but is now larger than normal as alternative routes have been shut down.

LONDON (AP) — British airline easyJet said Thursday it rejected an unsolicited takeover approach as it announced plans to raise another 1.2 billion pounds ($1.7 billion) from shareholders to shore up its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, the company said its board had “unanimously” rejected the offer from an unnamed company, which according to widespread speculation in financial markets is thought to have come from rival Hungarian airline Wizz Air.

Wizz Air declined to comment on the speculation.

09 Sep 2021; MEMO: A teenager who arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied minor has committed suicide believing he might be deported back to Afghanistan after his eighteenth birthday.

The 19-year-old, who has not been named on request of his family members who fear for their safety back home, was found dead at home in Birmingham on 21 April.

A senior coroner for Birmingham and Solihull, Louise Hunt, concluded that he committed suicide.

LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out plans on Tuesday to raise taxes on workers, employers and some investors to try to fix a health and social care funding crisis, angering some in his governing party by breaking an election promise.

After spending huge amounts of money to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson is returning to an election pledge to address Britain's creaking social care system, where costs are projected to double as the population ages over the next two decades.

Tokyo, Sep 6 (AP-PTI) Japan's defence minister on Monday welcomed the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as it made its first Japanese port call, saying the involvement of European nations in the Indo-Pacific region is key to peace and stability as China's military strength and influence grow.

Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi met the strike group's commander, Commodore Steve Moorhouse, on board the carrier.

LONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to hike taxes to fund social care has provoked fury among many of his own lawmakers, who fear that such a clear violation of his election promises shows he is happy to oversee a sweeping expansion of the state.

After the fiscal splurge on the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson is now addressing Britain's creaking social care system, whose costs will soar as the population ages, while facing numerous other thorny policy matters.

LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - British vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi on Sunday said a decision had not yet been taken on whether healthy children aged 12- to 15-years-old should be vaccinated against COVID-19, following reports that a rollout could begin in the coming days.

Britain's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on Friday declined to recommend vaccinations for children in that group, taking a precautionary approach due to a rare risk of heart inflammation, but adding the issue was finely balanced.