Latest United Kingdom News
UK leader Starmer is facing flak for taking freebies. He says he's done nothing wrong
LONDON (AP) — Less than three months after he was elected on a promise to restore trust in politics, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to shake off criticism over donations from a wealthy businessman and the hefty salary of his most senior aide. The Labour Party leader,...
A volunteer network of interpreters wants to make refugees' languages more accessible. Will AI help?
NEW YORK (AP) — They may be Tigrinya speakers fleeing the authoritarian Eritrean government's indefinite military service policy. Or Rohingya people escaping ethnic violence in Myanmar. But refugees navigating resettlement often face a shared hurdle: poor machine translations and a short supply...
Bank of England keeps its main interest rate on hold at 5% in wake of big US Fed rate cut
LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England kept its main interest rate unchanged at 5% Thursday despite a big cut from the U.S. Federal Reserve, its first since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic more than four years ago. The decision was widely expected amid ongoing concerns about...
The Bank of England is widely expected to hold interest rates as inflation stays above target
LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Thursday, a day after official figures showed inflation in the U.K. holding steady at an annual rate of 2.2% in August, with higher airfares offset by lower fuel costs and restaurant and hotel bills. ...
Britain's CEO of scandal-ridden Post Office will step down next year
LONDON (AP) — The chief executive of Britain’s scandal-ridden Post Office will step down next year, the company said Wednesday, as criticism mounts over the speed of compensation payments to branch managers wrongly convicted of theft or fraud because of a faulty computer system. ...
Biden administration to host international AI safety meeting in San Francisco after election
Government scientists and artificial intelligence experts from at least nine countries and the European Union will meet in San Francisco after the U.S. elections to coordinate on safely developing AI technology and averting its dangers. President Joe Biden's administration on...
Guardian Media Group in talks to sell the Observer newspaper to Tortoise
LONDON (AP) — News publisher Guardian Media Group said Tuesday it is in talks to sell The Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media, a “slow news” outlet founded by a former BBC executive and a U.S. diplomat. Founded in 1791, the Observer is the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper. It...
Percival Everett and Rachel Kushner are among 6 Booker Prize finalists
LONDON (AP) — American writers Percival Everett and Rachel Kushner are among six finalists shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize for fiction this year, organizers said Monday. Five of the six authors are women — the largest number in the prize's 55-year history. ...
UK leader Starmer seeks to learn from Meloni's tough migration policies at meeting in Rome
ROME (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday praised the migration policies of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni as the center-left British leader aimed to learn how her nationalist conservative government has made “remarkable progress” in reducing the number of migrants reaching...
Could YOU pass a citizenship test?
Immigrants seeking to become United States citizens have to show a working knowledge of the nation’s history and how the federal government functions. And they don’t get multiple choices. Could YOU pass even a dumbed-down citizenship test? Let’s find out! 1. When...
