The Latest: Britain makes masks mandatory in shops, markets

LONDON — British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed the wearing of masks will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets in England. The requirement is expected to take effect July 24. The decision follows weeks of discussion by the government about their value during the coronavirus pandemic. ...

UK, France set to extend rules on face coverings in public

LONDON (AP) — British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Tuesday that the wearing of face coverings will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets in England. The requirement is expected to take effect from July 24. The decision follows weeks of prevarication by the government over their worth during the...

UK to exclude Huawei from role in high-speed phone network

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government on Tuesday backtracked on plans to give Chinese telecommunications company Huawei a limited role in the U.K.’s new high-speed mobile phone network in a decision with broad implications for relations between London and Beijing. Britain said it imposed the ban...

UK government to exclude Huawei from role in supplying new high-speed network equipment to wireless carriers

Queen's Australia rep was assured of power before '75 crisis

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II’s office assured her representative in Australia he had the power to bring down the Australian government a week before he took the extraordinary move in 1975 and created a political crisis, according to letters released Tuesday. The National Archives of...

In reversal, UK says it will make masks mandatory in shops

LONDON (AP) — The British government decided Monday to require people to wear face coverings in shops, joining a long list of countries that have made masks mandatory under some circumstances in response to the coronavirus pandemic. After weeks of prevarication and days of confused messaging, Prime...

Brexit is back: UK aims to prepare public for Jan 1 EU break

LONDON (AP) — The British government told individuals and businesses Monday to get ready for new costs and red tape — but also an exciting “new start” — when the U.K. leaves the European Union's economic embrace in less than six months. The government unveiled details of new...

BT CEO warns of long road to excise Huawei from UK network

LONDON (AP) — The CEO of telecoms company BT has warned it may take a decade to remove Huawei equipment from Britain’s wireless infrastructure if the U.K. government follows the U.S. in dumping the telecom provider from its networks. Philip Jansen told the BBC that the Chinese tech giant has been in...

UK-China ties freeze with debate over Huawei, Hong Kong

LONDON (AP) — Only five years ago, then-British Prime Minister David Cameron was celebrating a “golden era” in U.K.-China relations, bonding with President Xi Jinping over a pint of beer at the pub and signing off on trade deals worth billions. Those friendly scenes now seem like a distant...

The Latest: Mexico tops 35,000 deaths, 4th highest toll

MEXICO CITY -- Mexican officials say the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths has passed 35,000, making it the country with the fourth highest total. A count by Johns Hopkins University has only the United States, Brazil and Britain with more confirmed deaths from the new coronavirus. Sunday’s rise to...