• Britain expands investigation into Vodafone-Three UK merger

    London, United Kingdom - Britain's competition regulator deepened Thursday its probe into Vodafone's planned merger of British mobile phone operations with those of Three UK, owned by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, citing concerns over higher prices. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which began in January a formal investigation into the...
  • Thousands gather for pro-Palestinian rally in London

    LONDON, UK – Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in London on Saturday, in the latest demonstration in the British capital demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and more aid for the war-ravaged territory. The event, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, began at Russell Square in the city center before attendees marched...
  • Yen plunges to 34-year low, mixed results for equity markets

    Hong Kong, China - The yen plunged Wednesday to a 34-year low against the dollar after a top Bank of Japan official indicated it would press ahead with a loose monetary policy, even after this month hiking interest rates for the first time since the global financial crisis. The fall raised...
  • Geopolitical tensions boost oil, weigh on equities

    Geopolitical tensions sent oil prices climbing and weighed on equities as investors also continued to worry about prospects for interest rate cuts amid stubbornly-high inflation. "Heightened tensions between Ukraine and Russia have brought a halt to the rally in equity markets seen last week," said Russ Mould, investment director at...
  • AstraZeneca to buy Fusion

    The $2.4bn deal is its latest expansion into cancer treatments.
  • AstraZeneca to buy Amolyt for $1bn

    It will pay $800 million upfront for the Lyon-based company.
  • Thousands rally in London seeking a truce in Gaza

    London, UK - Thousands of protesters marched in central London on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza amid ongoing bombardments by Israel after the Hamas attack on its territory on October 7. Regular marches protesting Israel's military response to the attacks have seen dozens arrested for anti-Semitic chanting and...
  • Leftist Galloway wins MP seat in UK amid anti-Semitism allegations

    London, UK- Controversial left-wing firebrand George Galloway was elected to the UK parliament on Friday after tapping into anger over the Israel-Hamas war in a chaotic by-election marred by anti-Semitism allegations. Galloway, 69, first became an MP in 1987 and will return to the House of Commons for the first time...
  • European airlines witness a rise in profits in 2023

    LONDON, UK – Europe's aviation industry is extending its bounceback from the Covid pandemic, as British Airways owner IAG and Franco-Dutch rival Air France-KLM posted bumper 2023 profits on Thursday. The sector is flying at cruising altitude on pent-up demand after emerging from the dark days of Covid, which grounded planes...
  • Major stock markets trade mixed as US inflation data awaited

    London, United Kingdom - Major stock markets traded mixed Thursday before the release of US inflation data that could present a clearer idea on when the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates as inflation cools. Traders reacted also to yet more earnings, with the Paris CAC 40 reaching a fresh...
  • British lawmaker suspended over ‘Islamophobic’ comments

    London, UK - Britain's ruling Conservatives on Saturday suspended their former deputy chairman from the parliamentary party, after he refused to apologize for saying London's Labor mayor Sadiq Khan was controlled by Islamists. Pressure had been growing on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Tories to act following lawmaker Lee Anderson's contentious remarks...
  • Price of natural gas in Europe falls to a 3-year low

    LONDON, UK – The price of natural gas in Europe fell again on Friday, taking it to its lowest in almost three years as mild winter weather continues and European stockpiles hold up. Mid-morning on Friday, the benchmark Dutch TTF futures contract was down 3.2 percent at US$24.3 (22.45 euros) a...
  • Shipping insurance rates soar on Red Sea missile attacks

    Maritime container transport has sunk by almost one third so far in 2024 compared with a year earlier, according to IMF data. The Iran-backed Houthis argue the attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
  • Islamophobia rises threefold in UK after Israel-Hamas conflict

    "We are deeply concerned about the impacts that the Israel and Gaza war are having on hate crimes and on social cohesion in the UK," said Tell MAMA director Iman Atta.
  • Lloyds Group profit is $6.2bn

    High interest rates benefitted the British lender and banking sector as a whole.
  • Rolls-Royce back into profit

    The engine maker swung to profit of $3bn from a loss of $1.64bn in 2022.
  • Stock markets diverge before Nvidia results, Federal Reserve minutes

    Stock markets diverged as traders awaited earnings from US tech darling Nvidia, in addition to minutes from the Federal Reserve that could shed fresh light on the outlook for interest rates. Wall Street shares fell at the opening bell, with downbeat guidance from other tech companies dampening the mood ahead...
  • London court rejects suspending arms exports to Israel

    Britain's strategic licensing criteria states that weapons should not be exported when there is a clear risk they could be used in international humanitarian law violations. The court claimants, led by Palestinian rights group Al-Haq and including the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), argued that the government was ignoring its...
  • Global operation smashes ‘most harmful cyber crime group’

    LONDON, UK - An international operation led by UK and US law enforcement has severely disrupted "the world's most harmful cybercrime group", the Russian-linked ransomware specialist LockBit, officials announced on Tuesday. LockBit and its affiliates have targeted governments, major companies, schools and hospitals, causing billions of dollars of damage and extracting...
  • ‘Oppenheimer’ dominates BAFTAs in major Oscars boost

    London, United Kingdom - "Oppenheimer", Christopher Nolan's epic movie about the creation of the atomic bomb, swept the board at Sunday's BAFTA film awards in London, delivering a serious statement ahead of next month's Oscars. The movie earned seven awards in total, including best film, best director for Nolan, best actor...
  • Thousands take part in pro-Palestinian march in London as police arrest 12

    London, United Kingdom--Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London on Saturday, with police making 12 arrests for alleged offences including inciting racial hatred and assaulting emergency workers. The demonstrators gathered at Park Lane in the centre of the British capital holding banners demanding a "ceasefire now" while chanting "free...
  • Asian markets rally after Wall Street highs, oil prices slide

    "The weakness of yesterday's US retail sales release have given market doves a new lease of life and allowed them to refocus on the likelihood of an early Fed rate cut," Rabobank analyst Jane Foley told AFP.
  • London hosts showcase for world’s biggest grand opera in Arabic

    London, United Kingdom -- The production operations of Zarqa al-Yamamah Opera, the first grand opera to be produced by Saudi Arabia and the world’s largest grand opera in Arabic, were launched at Goldsmiths Hall in London by the Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission on Friday. The Zarqa al-Yamamah Opera is...
  • Global LNG demand to rise more than 50 percent by 2040: Shell

    "Demand for natural gas has already peaked in some regions but continues to rise globally, with LNG demand expected to reach around 625-685 million tons a year in 2040, according to the latest industry estimates," Shell said in a report.
  • Global conflicts herald ‘dangerous decade’, says military think-tank

    "The current military-security situation heralds what is likely to be a more dangerous decade, characterized by the brazen application by some of military power to pursue claims," the report said.
  • Britain sanctions ‘Israeli settlers’ in West Bank

    London, UK - Britain on Monday announced sanctions on four "extremist Israeli settlers" accused of committing human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, following a similar move by the United States earlier this month. The curbs follow what the UK called "unprecedented levels of violence by extremist settlers in...
  • Law, politics hamper UK museum return of artifacts

    LONDON, UK - British museums, like others across Europe, are under pressure to return artworks taken during the colonial era, including Bronzes from Benin, royal treasures from Ghana and friezes from Greece. However, politicians have little appetite to change the legal framework that is currently blocking full restitutions by national museums,...
  • European stocks firm as markets await US inflation data

    London, United Kingdom - Europe's main stock markets steadied Friday as traders reacted to more earnings updates from top companies, while awaiting revisions to US inflation data. Asia saw holiday-thinned trade, with investors there struggling to build on another record-setting day on Wall Street. "Today sees things slow down after a...
  • Rumors swirl over bitcoin inventor Nakamoto’s identity

    London, United Kingdom - An Australian man went on trial in London this week over his claims of inventing bitcoin -- not the first time someone has been linked to being the cryptocurrency's enigmatic creator. Computer scientist Craig Wright, 53, says he is "Satoshi Nakamoto", the pseudonym of bitcoin's creator and...
  • Scientists in UK create new fusion record

    LONDON, UK - Scientists in Britain announced on Thursday they had smashed a record for generating fusion energy in the final experiment using the Joint European Torus (JET) machines. Nuclear fusion is the same process that the sun uses to generate heat. Proponents believe it could one day help tackle climate...
  • Butter chicken battle hits Indian court

    Moti Mahal, one of the city's oldest restaurant chains, accuses rival of falsely taking credit for inventing the marinated chicken dish favorite across continents.
  • Vodafone Q3 revenue dips

    Poor display across Italy, Spain is said to be the reason for loss.
  • European markets surge as US jobs data batter rate cut hopes

    "The markets continue to forge ahead despite a blowout jobs report from the US last Friday which seems to have finally put the nail in the coffin of the idea rates will be cut next month," said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
  • GSK profit in 2023 falls

    The drug maker said revenues swelled 3 percent to $38.54bn.
  • Global stock markets swing ahead of Fed’s latest rate decision

    "Markets are eagerly anticipating today's meeting from the Federal Reserve with traders looking for signs over whether a March rate cut is plausible," said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.
  • UAE and UK seek to boost economic cooperation

    Abu Dhabi, UAE-- Looking to enhance economic ties between the UAE and the United Kingdom, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, recently met with Greg Hands, British Minister of State (Department for Business, Energy Industrial Strategy). The bilateral meeting explored new opportunities for economic and investment cooperation, as...
  • UK expresses concern over UN court decision on Gaza

    The British government said it had "considerable concerns" about a ruling by the United Nation's top court that Israel should do everything it can to prevent any acts of genocide in Gaza. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague handed down its first judgement in a landmark case...
  • Telegraph boss quits as UK investigates UAE-backed takeover

    London, United Kingdom - The head of Britain's Telegraph Media Group has stepped down, the company announced on Friday, as the government probes its contentious proposed takeover by a United Arab Emirates-backed fund. TMG and parent company Press Acquisitions Limited said that chief executive officer Nick Hugh, in the post since...
  • Paris stocks hit record thanks to luxury

    Europe's main stock markets shot higher, with Paris closing at a record high as shares in LVMH surged on record annual profits at the French luxury group. Wall Street's main indices pushed further into record territory as inflation dipped according to the US Federal Reserve's preferred gauge.
  • Education campaigners alarmed as homeschooling rises in England

    LONDON, UK - Education campaigners demanded government action on Friday after new figures revealed that the number of children in England being homeschooled jumped more than 13 percent in one term last year. The spike -- from an estimated 86,200 in homeschooling at the start of 2023 to 97,600 in the...
  • European market up on record-busting Wall Street

    A surge in tech titans including Apple, Amazon, Nvidia and Facebook parent Meta on Friday pushed New York's S&P 500 index to its first new all-time high since early 2022 thanks to bets on lower borrowing costs this year.
  • Google to invest US$1bn in UK data centre

    It will meet growing demand for internet services in the region.
  • Tata Steel to slash 2,800 UK jobs

    Tata Steel employs about 8,000 staff in the United Kingdom.
  • Markets drop as Middle East tensions rise, rates cut delayed

    While inflation is on a general downward path, there is a worry that it could pop back up anytime, particularly with tensions in the oil-rich Middle East showing no sign of calming.
  • Stock markets: Germany drags Europe down, Tokyo rises again

    In Asia, Tokyo rose for a sixth successive day to build on last week's advances, which saw the Nikkei break above 35,000 points for the first time since 1990 thanks to a revival of Japanese inflation and a weaker yen that helps exporters.
  • Oil prices rise after US, UK strike Houthi rebels

    Oil prices surged four percent after US and UK forces launched strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels after attacks on ships in the Red Sea, fueling worries about a wider conflict. Tokyo and European stock markets ended the week with gains as traders brushed off data showing US inflation rose more...
  • GSK to buy Aiolos Bio

    The focus is on an asthma medication still at the testing stage.
  • Europe stocks rise, Asia tepid as oil jumps and Bitcoin shines

    Following record highs in 2023 for the likes of Paris, Frankfurt and Tokyo, investors are predicting more gains as central banks prepare a series of interest-rate cuts as inflation cools. Oil prices rallied 2.5 percent on supply concerns after Iran dispatched a warship to the Red Sea in response to...
  • Cerberus buys HSBC France retail

    The takeover was finalized for an undisclosed amount.
  • Saudi defense minister hosted by UK counterpart at Lancaster House in London

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — UK's Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps welcomed Saudi Arabia's Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman at Lancaster House Palace in London on Thursday. Upon Prince Khalid bin Salman's arrival, a formal reception ceremony was held, featuring a review of the guard of honor, Saudi...
  • London’s transport shifts gears with TfL’s cargo bike action plan

    London, United Kingdom - On a busy north London street, plumber Ben Hume-Wright zipped through the heavy rush-hour traffic to his next job by bike. Trades such as his used to rely on vans but many are now choosing to do more business using two or sometimes three wheels. Since switching...