Latest United Kingdom government News

Sale of UK's Observer, world's oldest Sunday newspaper and a bastion of liberal values, is agreed

Dec. 06, 2024 12:39 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — The sale of the Observer, the world's oldest Sunday newspaper and a bastion of liberal values in Britain's media landscape, was approved Friday despite two days of strike action from journalists this week. The Scott Trust, the owner of the Guardian Media Group, which...

Senior UK military commander warns of a 'third nuclear age'

Dec. 05, 2024 22:48 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — The head of Britain’s armed forces has warned that the world stands at the cusp of a “third nuclear age,’’ defined by multiple simultaneous challenges and weakened safeguards that kept previous threats in check. Adm. Tony Radakin, chief of the defense staff,...

UK leader Starmer vows to take on 'alliance of naysayers' as he outlines plan for change

Dec. 05, 2024 11:01 AM EST

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed Thursday to take on the “alliance of naysayers” and the bureaucratic “nonsense” that have hampered construction projects in the U.K., as he outlined a series of new pledges that he hopes will change the narrative on his...

Today in History: December 5, Nelson Mandela dies at 95

Dec. 05, 2024 00:11 AM EST

Today is Thursday, Dec. 5, the 340th day of 2024. There are 26 days left in the year. Today in history: On Dec. 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first Black president, died at age 95. Also on this date: ...

Princess of Wales joins royals as Qatari state visit to the UK starts

Dec. 03, 2024 21:13 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — The Princess of Wales helped kick off the emir of Qatar’s trip to Britain on Tuesday as the U.K. government enlists one of the most popular royals to ensure the success of a state visit by the leader of a key ally, even as the princess recovers from cancer treatment. ...

UK's Starmer hosts Greek leader but says Parthenon Marbles are not on the agenda

Dec. 03, 2024 10:39 AM EST

LONDON (AP) — Greece’s prime minister visited London on Tuesday for his first top-level U.K. meeting since a spat last year over the contested Parthenon Marbles, as the British Museum said talks with Greece on a deal over the antiquities are constructive. British Prime Minister...

Trump says he'll attend Notre Dame Cathedral reopening celebration in Paris this weekend

Dec. 03, 2024 08:28 AM EST

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election. The cathedral is set to reopen Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a devastating...

Left behind in Kenya, children of British soldiers struggle to find their identity

Dec. 01, 2024 00:05 AM EST

NANYUKI, Kenya (AP) — Margaret Wandia became pregnant after a week-long relationship with a British soldier training near her community in Kenya. They met while she worked at a bar in her early 20s. She knew little about him. He left her with a biracial child. Now that son is 26,...

British lawmakers give initial approval to a bill to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives

Nov. 29, 2024 13:55 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers gave initial approval on Friday to a bill to help terminally ill adults end their lives in England and Wales, following an impassioned debate that saw people sharing personal stories of loss and suffering. Members of Parliament approved the assisted...

Massachusetts lawmakers push for an effort to ban all tobacco sales over time

Nov. 29, 2024 00:19 AM EST

BOSTON (AP) — A handful of Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping to persuade their colleagues to support a proposal that would make the state the first to adopt a ban meant to eliminate the use of tobacco products over time. Other locations have weighed similar “generational...