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Category: UK News

  • Starmer covers defence, security in first call with Trump

    Starmer covers defence, security in first call with Trump

    During the call on Wednesday evening, both leaders agreed to work towards strengthening the “incredibly strong” US-UK special relationship and committed to ensure the bilateral ties continue to thrive.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer touched upon a range of topics, including defence and regional security, during his congratulatory phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump after a “historic” election victory.

    During the call on Wednesday evening, both leaders agreed to work towards strengthening the “incredibly strong” US-UK special relationship and committed to ensure the bilateral ties continue to thrive.

    “The Prime Minister offered his hearty congratulations and said he looked forward to working closely with President-elect Trump across all areas of the special relationship. From defence and security to growth and prosperity, the relationship between the UK and US was incredibly strong and would continue to thrive for many years to come, the leaders agreed,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

    Starmer is said to have also reflected on the situation in the Middle East and “underscored the importance of regional stability”. They went on to discuss their recent meeting at Trump Tower when Starmer was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

    “The leaders fondly recalled their meeting in September, and President-elect Trump’s close connections and affinity to the United Kingdom and looked forward to working with one another,” Downing Street added.

    The phone call came after a heated first exchange between Starmer and the newly elected UK Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch in the House of Commons.

    The Conservative Party chief challenged the Labour leader over his party volunteers having flown in to support the campaign of Trump’s Democrat rival Kamala Harris.

    “I am very sure that President Trump will soon be calling to thank him for sending all of those north London Labour activists to campaign for his opponent,” Badenoch taunted.

    “It is absolutely crucial that we have a strong relationship – that strong, special relationship, forged in difficult circumstances — between the US and the UK. We will continue to work, as we have done in our four months in government, on issues of security, our economy and global conflict,” Starmer responded.

    Earlier, Starmer had been forced to stress that any party activists in the US during the election campaign were there as volunteers on their own time. Badenoch also raised the risk of increased tariffs on UK exports by the new Trump administration, which would threaten the country’s manufacturing sector and urged him to revive UK-US free trade agreement (FTA) talks, which the previous Biden regime had cancelled.

    Meanwhile, Starmer is in Budapest on Thursday for a summit hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban where Trump’s victory and its implications on Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) are expected to dominate the agenda.

    The European Political Community (EPC), which holds these summits every six months, was set up in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a chance for the European Union (EU) to meet wider partners including non-members such as the UK and Turkiye to discuss key security challenges affecting Europe.

    ALSO READ: Bank of England cuts interest rates by 0.25 points to 4.75%

  • Bank of England cuts interest rates by 0.25 points to 4.75%

    Bank of England cuts interest rates by 0.25 points to 4.75%

    The Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of eight to one to reduce rates for the second time this year to ease the pressure on households and businesses from high borrowing costs

    Mortgage borrowers have been put on notice that interest rates will take longer to come down after the Bank of England warned Rachel Reeves’s budget would add to inflation while boosting economic growth.

    Giving its verdict on last week’s budget as it announced a quarter-point cut in interest rates to 4.75% on Thursday, the central bank said the chancellor’s plans would drive up inflation to a fresh peak next year.

    The Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of eight to one to reduce rates for the second time this year to ease the pressure on households and businesses from high borrowing costs.

    However, it said Reeves’s £70bn of additional spending backed by higher taxes and borrowing would add about 0.5 percentage points to headline inflation by the middle of next year and 0.75% to gross domestic product (GDP).

    Updating its forecasts after taking budget measures into account, the Bank said it expected inflation would now peak at 2.75% by the middle of next year and then remain above the 2% target in 2026, until falling back in 2027 – a year longer than it had expected in its previous forecasts, published in August.

    The pound rose against the US dollar after the Bank’s decision to cut rates, while financial markets reacted by betting that Threadneedle Street would cut interest rates fewer times and at a slower pace over the coming year.

    “While cutting interest rates from 5% to 4.75% today, the Bank of England implied that the budget means rates will continue to fall only gradually,” said Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics. He said rates were now on track to fall to about 3.5% by early 2026 rather than to 3%.

    Threadneedle Street said it expected the government’s increasing of the rate of employer national insurance contributions (NICs) and the “national living wage” risked adding to inflationary pressures if companies passed on the costs in the form of lower wage rises and higher prices in the shops.

    Other measures including raising the cap on bus fares and VAT on private schools could also push prices up. The development led one member of the MPC, the external economist Catherine Mann, to push for interest rates to be held at 5%.

    Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at the investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, said the slower pace of rate cuts would have an impact for hard-pressed households.

    “The fact so few cuts are expected during 2025 will be a blow for anyone who was hoping for their mortgage to be less of a burden in the coming months,” she said.

    The Bank of England’s governor, Andrew Bailey, signalled that borrowing costs were still likely to come down in future, although cautioned against expectations for rapid action.

    “We need to make sure inflation stays close to target, so we can’t cut interest rates too quickly or by too much. But if the economy evolves as we expect it’s likely that interest rates will continue to fall gradually from here,” he said.

    Inflation fell back to 1.7% in September – after peaking at 11.1% in October 2022 – but was already on track to return to above 2% after an increase in the Ofgem energy price cap for households in Great Britain in October.

    Reeves said the interest rate cut would be “welcome news” for millions of families but that households were still facing a challenge after Liz Truss’s mini-budget.

    She said: “Today’s interest rate cut will be welcome news for millions of families, but I am under no illusion about the scale of the challenge facing households after the previous government’s mini-budget.

    “This government’s first budget has set out how we are taking the long-term decisions to fix the foundations to deliver change by investing in the NHS and rebuilding Britain, while ensuring working people don’t face higher taxes in their payslips.”

    With expectations that Donald Trump’s US election victory would also pave the way for renewed inflationary pressures in the world economy, Bailey said a “gradual” approach to cutting borrowing costs was required.

    He signalled the Bank would “wait and see” if Trump would impose sweeping import tariffs on America’s trading partners – as threatened by the president-elect during the campaign – while saying it was too early to “prejudge what might happen”.

    However, he warned Britain was an open economy exposed to disruptions in global trade. “We do have to watch very carefully the fragmentation of the world economy … There are a lot of risks attached,” he said.

    “There is greater uncertainty out there. First of all there is greater global uncertainty, without a doubt. The second thing to say is, of course there are domestic uncertainties. We need to obviously see how the budget measures pass through in terms of their economic effects.”

    ALSO READ: US Fed slashes interest rates

  • UK to persuade Trump to not raise tariffs

    UK to persuade Trump to not raise tariffs

    Trump has said he wants to increase tariffs on goods imported from around the world by 10%, rising to 60% on goods from China, as part of his plan to protect US industries

    Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she is “confident” trade flows with the United States will continue under President-elect Donald Trump despite his proposal to put up tariffs.

    The chancellor was asked what implications the result of the American election will have on her plans for growth as she faced questions from the Commons Treasury Committee.

    Trump has said that, when he becomes US president again, he will impose a 60% tariff on Chinese goods and a 10% tariff on goods from all other countries.

    The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) says UK growth could be halved as a result. And Goldman Sachs has reduced its growth forecast for the UK next year following Trump’s election.

    It was put to her that investment banking company Goldman Sachs has downgraded its forecast for the UK’s economic growth next year from 1.6 to 1.4%, while EU officials are anticipating a reduction in exports to the US of €150bn (£125bn).

    Asked if she agreed with the Goldman Sachs forecast saying growth next year will be 1.4% not 1.6%, Reeves replied: “I think it is too early to start making changes to forecasts for our economy because of the election of a president in the United States. But I would say this, our trading relationship, our economic relationship with the United States, is absolutely crucial. The US are our single biggest trading partner.”

    Reeves said that in Trump’s first term “we continued to have a strong and healthy economic relationship” with the US. And she went on, “We’re not just a passive actor in this. It’s a trade relationship with the United States and we will make strong representations about the importance of free and open trade, not just between ourselves and the United States, but globally. The US also benefits from that access to free and open trade with us and other countries around the world, and it’s what makes us richer as societies, to benefit from that open trade.”

    Asked by John Glen, a Conservative former Treasury minister, if it was realistic to seek to influence Trump, Reeves said, “We’ve got another couple of months before the inauguration. Obviously, we will begin those conversations. We’ll prepare for different eventualities. I absolutely do not want to sound in any way sanguine. On the other hand, I am optimistic about our ability to shape the global economic agenda, as we have under successive governments.:

    A tariff is a tax on imports or exports of goods between countries and is used to encourage or safeguard domestic industry.

    Trump has said he wants to increase tariffs on goods imported from around the world by 10%, rising to 60% on goods from China, as part of his plan to protect US industries.

    Trump’s victory in the US presidential election over Democratic opponent Kamala Harris has drawn a mixed reaction in the UK.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have both congratulated him on the “impressive” result and vowed to work closely with him.

    However, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said it was a “dark, dark day for people around the globe” as he called Mr Trump a “dangerous destructive demagogue”.

    Trump’s victory was confirmed when he surpassed 270 electoral college votes by winning Wisconsin, and he remains on course to claim all seven swing states.

    It said that the impact of the global tariffs would be inflationary, pushing up prices by between two and three percentage points, while the Bank of England would be forced to keep interest rates higher.

    This in turn would push up the cost of government borrowing, damaging both public and private sector investment. The Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy (CIPT) said that, if Trump’s policies were implemented, total UK goods and services exports to the US could fall by between £19 billion and £34 billion. At its highest level this would represent a 4 per cent drop in total UK global exports.

    Alan Winters, emeritus economics professor at the University of Sussex, warned Trump’s tariff policies could create a global “tit for tat” tariff war Alan Winters, emeritus economics professor at the University of Sussex and founder of the CIPT, said while domestic pressure might mean such tariffs were not “inevitable” there was little sign that Trump would heed the economic warnings.

    “You have to remember that the primary objective here is to restore manufacturing jobs to the US,” he said. “And fear of the consequences, from past experience, won’t energise him much.”

    Winters added that the greatest danger was a global “tit for tat” tariff war in which countries sought to protect their own domestic industries by putting up barriers to imports. “That would be very damaging to the global economy,” he said.

    Since Trump’s re-election, US and European bond markets moved in opposite directions as investors bet that tariffs would hit growth in Europe at the same time as Trump’s economic package boosts the US economy.

    The yield on the 10-year Treasury traded 0.15 percentage points higher at 4.44 per cent, its highest level since July, while the yield on German Bunds fell 0.03 percentage points to 2.40 per cent.

    ALSO READ: Trump Vows Deeper Ties with India Ahead

  • UK to Reboot Ties with Trump

    UK to Reboot Ties with Trump


    Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy Congratulate on ‘Historic Victory’…reports Asian Lite News

    UK is preparing to recalibrate its relationship with the US as Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his unexpected return to the White House. Trump’s victory, which came after a bitterly contested campaign, promises a significant shift in American leadership, and Starmer has expressed the UK’s readiness to work with Trump’s administration.

    In his message, Starmer commended Trump on a “historic election victory” and emphasised the enduring strength of the UK-US alliance, known as the “special relationship.” He stated, “As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of our shared values of freedom, democracy, and enterprise.”

    “Congratulations President-elect Trump on your historic election victory,” the prime minister said. “I look forward to working with you in the years ahead. As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy, and enterprise,” he added, “From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come.”

    Starmer’s remarks reflect his willingness to maintain strong ties with the US regardless of its leadership, a principle he upheld throughout the election. Ahead of the vote, Starmer had refrained from backing either candidate, declaring, “It’s for the American people to decide who they want for their president.” The decision to remain neutral during the US election underscores Starmer’s belief in respecting American democratic processes and suggests his intention to forge diplomatic ties with any president.

    These sentiments were echoed by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who also extended congratulations to Trump.

    Lammy tweeted on X: “The UK has no greater friend than the US, with the special relationship being cherished on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 80 years. We look forward to working with you and JD Vance in the years ahead.”

    Lammy’s warm message of solidarity is notable given his previous criticism of Trump. In 2017, he had condemned Trump as a “KKK/neo-Nazi sympathiser” and vowed to protest if Trump visited London. His turnaround reflects a diplomatic pivot, focusing on the importance of fostering international alliances, particularly with a close ally like the United States.

    Another figure celebrating Trump’s victory was Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and Member of Parliament for Clacton. Farage has long supported Trump, both ideologically and practically, even attending Trump’s post-election address in Florida. He praised Trump for assembling a “remarkable coalition,” one that includes the billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who owns X, and even a member of the Kennedy family. According to Farage, the coalition marks a significant shift in American politics and an unprecedented alliance across different political backgrounds.

    Farage characterised Trump as a “genuine radical,” predicting that the president-elect would challenge the existing political establishment. He anticipated that Musk would play a leading role in what he described as a “big fightback against the administrative bureaucratic state, which is far too big, far too powerful, and actually very undemocratic.” Farage’s prediction signals an expected push by Trump to dismantle parts of the federal bureaucracy, a stance likely to appeal to Trump’s conservative base, which advocates for smaller government and fewer regulations.

    During a BBC Radio 4 interview, Farage expressed confidence in Trump’s victory, noting that he “wasn’t surprised” by the result. “No, absolutely not. I really wasn’t. I’d been feeling very bullish about the thing all day,” he said. Farage attributed Trump’s success to his broad appeal across diverse groups, including Hispanic voters, Jewish voters, and young voters. Trump’s coalition managed to attract more support from these demographics than any Republican candidate in recent history, suggesting a shift in the party’s outreach strategy.

    In his victory speech at his Florida campaign headquarters, Trump celebrated a “magnificent victory” and declared a “powerful mandate” to carry out his agenda. His address, which lasted nearly 25 minutes, conveyed his intention to bridge political divides, calling for unity and a focus on American prosperity. “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he told supporters, who had gathered to witness what Trump called a “magnificent victory” for the country. He added, “It’s time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us. It’s time to unite … success will bring us together.”
    Trump’s speech underscored the message of his campaign: a return to American greatness by prioritizing national interests and tackling issues that he claims have plagued the country under previous administrations. He also celebrated the success of his “MAGA movement,” crediting it with Republican wins in Senate and House races. These victories, he argued, amounted to a “powerful mandate” from the American people, not only to enact his policies but to continue the Republican Party’s conservative agenda. Trump praised Senate Republicans for reclaiming the upper chamber and expressed support for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
    Although the final control of the House remains unclear, Republican wins in the Senate signal an advantage for Trump in appointing cabinet members and pushing forward his legislative goals. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, called the election outcome “the greatest political comeback in American history,” highlighting the significance of Trump’s return to office.
    In a surprising nod to Musk’s role in the campaign, Trump referred to the billionaire tech mogul as a “star,” recognizing Musk’s financial contributions and influence. “A star is born – Elon,” Trump said. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, reportedly poured millions into Trump’s campaign, and his support aligns with Trump’s goal of revitalising American innovation and technology.
    Trump also hinted at a sense of destiny in his victory, saying, “Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason. And that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness. And now we are going to fulfill that mission together.”

    ALSO READ: Queen Camilla cancels events due to chest infection

  • UK, China locked in embassy dispute

    UK, China locked in embassy dispute

    Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister and housing secretary, faces a politically fraught decision over whether to approve plans for a new Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court…reports Asian Lite News

    China is blocking requests to rebuild the British embassy in Beijing while the fate of its controversial mega-embassy in east London is being decided.
    Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister and housing secretary, faces a politically fraught decision over whether to approve plans for a new Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court.

    The Chinese government has resisted UK requests to carry out a major reconstruction of the British embassy in Beijing for at least a year on the basis that its own proposals in east London had been blocked.

    Three UK sources with knowledge of the negotiations said the embassy had become a top issue for China in its relations with Britain, the Guardian reported.
    China wants to build a giant complex on 20,000 sq metres of land at Royal Mint Court, a historic site near the Tower of London that it bought six years ago. Tower Hamlets council refused planning permission for the embassy in 2022, citing security concerns and opposition from residents.
    By calling in the decision last month, Rayner took it out of the council’s hands, though she has ordered a local inquiry into the matter.

    “Until that one gets moving the British embassy in Beijing won’t move,” one source who was involved in the discussions under the Conservatives said. “The grounds for turning it down were pretty spurious … It came about more because they were so angry that [planning permission for the Chinese embassy in London] was just turned down without any support.”
    Another source said of the Chinese government’s thinking:

    “They see it as a reciprocal-type thing where both people want changes, but our system doesn’t really work quite as centrally as theirs does.”
    Half a dozen people who have visited or worked in the British embassy in Beijing in the past two years told the Guardian it was in a dire state and in need of major reconstruction.

    An official who visited the embassy for meetings in the past year said the issue would “come up at every single meeting”.

    In a sign that the UK government is hopeful of finding a resolution to the matter, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) submitted a procurement notice in August setting out plans to demolish the embassy in Beijing and rebuild it. The work is estimated to cost about £100m and is subject to local planning permission.

    The Chinese government bought the Royal Mint Court site for £255m in 2018 as part of a plan to relocate its embassy from Portland Place near Regent’s Park, where it is housed in a townhouse that has become a target for Uyghur and Tibetan protesters.
    After Tower Hamlets declined planning permission and the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, chose not to intervene, China refused to appeal and made it clear to Conservative ministers it wanted them to step in and give assurances they would back a resubmitted application.
    Relations between the UK and China were worsening, amid security and hacking concerns, Beijing’s crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong and reports of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
    China’s decision to resubmit its application with no significant changes after Labour won the election marks a shift in relations. Rayner called in the proposal days after David Lammy, the foreign secretary, returned from a trip to China. If approved, the new embassy would be China’s biggest in Europe and almost twice the size of its embassy in Washington.
    A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Applications for a new Chinese embassy in Tower Hamlets have been called in for ministers to decide. A final decision will be made in due course.”
    A statement on the Chinese’s embassy website in August said: “Six years ago, the Chinese government purchased the Royal Mint Court, London, for the use as the new Chinese embassy premises. The UK government had given its consent to this. Now we are in the process of applying for planning permission.
    “Host countries have the international obligation to support and facilitate the building of the premises of diplomatic missions. Both China and the UK have the need to build a new embassy in each other’s capital, and the two sides should provide facilitation to each other.”

    ALSO READ: Queen Camilla cancels events due to chest infection

  • Queen Camilla cancels events due to chest infection

    Queen Camilla cancels events due to chest infection

    The Queen returned to the UK last Wednesday after a trip with the King to Australia and Samoa, which included a stopover in India on the way back…reports Asian Lite News

    Queen Camilla has pulled out of a number of scheduled engagements because of a chest infection, says Buckingham Palace.

    Doctors have advised a short period of rest at home, but she hopes to be well enough to attend Remembrance events at the weekend, says the Palace.

    The Queen, who is 77, will miss the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, where she will be represented by the Duchess of Gloucester.

    The Queen returned to the UK last Wednesday after a trip with the King to Australia and Samoa, which included a stopover in India on the way back.

    It is understood there is no cause for alarm – and her plans to attend engagements at the weekend suggest a relatively minor bug, of the type which could have been picked up during her long-haul travels. The Remembrance events at the weekend will include the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday and the commemorative service on Sunday morning at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

    But the Queen will not be at the Field of Remembrance commemoration on Thursday, where she has been the senior royal in recent years. Standing in for her will be the Duchess of Gloucester, a working royal, aged 78, who is married to a cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
    This annual remembrance event sees people placing memorials outside Westminster Abbey to those who have lost their lives while serving in the armed forces.
    The Queen will also miss a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes, which will be hosted King Charles on Thursday evening. Prime Minister Keir Starmer wished the Queen a “speed recovery” in a message posted on social media.
    A statement from the Palace on the Queen’s health said: “Her Majesty The Queen is currently unwell with a chest infection, for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest. With great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week, but she very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal.”

    The Queen previously missed a week of engagements with ill health in February 2023, when she tested positive for Covid. It was the second time she contracted the virus, having previously had it in February 2022. In recent weeks, the Queen had accompanied the King on a tour of Australia and Samoa, which included a Commonwealth summit. There were reports that she had visited a health spa in India on the way back.

    The Queen has also recorded a TV documentary raising awareness about domestic violence, which will be broadcast next week. King Charles received a cancer diagnosis in February. His treatment was paused during his overseas trip but was expected to begin again on his return to the UK.

    Slice of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding cake sells for £2k

    A “very rare” slice of wedding cake from the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has sold at auction for £2,200. The fruit cake was found under a bed in a suitcase, 77 years after the original 9ft (2.7m) cake was dished out to 2,000 guests.

    It was gifted by the then-Princess Elizabeth to Marion Polson, the housekeeper at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh from 1931 to 1969. “It’s a real little find, a little time capsule of glorious cake,” said James Grinter, of Colchester-based auction house Reeman Dansie.
    The cake, initially expected to fetch £500, was sold to a bidder from China who purchased it over the phone. The cake was still in its original presentation box when it was discovered by Polson’s family. Polson was given a slice as a token of thanks for purchasing the newlyweds a “delightful” dessert service.

    She kept hold of it until her death in the 1980s, when it was stashed away under a bed with some of her belongings. The cake was still in its original presentation box and came with a letter from the Queen, dated November 1947.
    It read: “My husband and I are deeply touched to know that you shared in giving us such a delightful wedding present. We are both enchanted with the dessert service; the different flowers and the beautiful colouring will, I know, be greatly admired by all who see it.”
    Polson’s Scottish family contacted the auctioneers earlier this year as they sought to sell it under the hammer. The royal couple’s lavish cake consisted of four tiers and was laced with alcohol for the wedding on 20 November 1947. Grinter, Reeman Dansie’s royal expert, said Polson’s slice was the first piece ever sold “in its completeness”. He said, “This one actually has its original contents which is very, very rare. Bear in mind it was produced at a time of rationing… They had the most magnificent cake made for them. I’ve seen photographs of it – it would fill half a room, it was absolutely enormous.”
    Grinter said the cake was no longer in the best condition, adding: “I don’t think I’d particularly want to eat it, I must admit.”

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  • Zimbabwe demands repatriation from Britain

    Zimbabwe demands repatriation from Britain

    Mnangagwa said Britain should not remain indifferent to Zimbabwe’s pleas for compensation…reports Asian Lite News

    Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa reiterated his call for former colonial power Britain to apologise and compensate for injustices suffered by indigenous Zimbabweans during the 1890-1980 colonial period.

    Speaking on Monday at the burial of a senior member of Zimbabwe’s ruling party ZANU PF at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, the country’s capital, Mnangagwa said Britain should not remain indifferent to Zimbabwe’s pleas for compensation.”We demand an apology and reparations from the British government. We call upon the British government, whose predecessor governments were responsible for pillaging and brutalizing us, to take responsibility and not remain indifferent to the cries of Zimbabweans for justice,” he said.

    Mnangagwa made the same call to Britain last Friday while announcing an initiative to study the impacts of Britain’s colonialism on indigenous Zimbabweans and launch legal proceedings against Britain for compensation and apology.

    On Monday, Mnangagwa hailed the Zimbabwe National Elders Forum for the initiative. “I applaud our elders for this great initiative that will document the suppressed and untold story of the injustices, trauma, and loss of lives as well as livelihoods suffered at the hands of the British government,” he said.

    “We remind the British Government and people that the spirits of our heroes will not rest until their remains are repatriated and interred in a dignified manner.

    “Going forward, we urge the British Government to return the remains of our people to Zimbabwe,” he said. This follows his recent call for colonial reparations and an apology from Britain.

    Added Mnangagwa, “Last week, I was privileged to launch a study initiated by the Zimbabwe National Elders Forum titled: ‘Land Displacements: The Untold Stories of Crimes, Injustices, Trauma, and Losses Experienced by Indigenous Zimbabweans During the Colonial Era (1890 to 1980), A Case for Reparations.’
    “We demand an apology and reparations from the British Government.” Meanwhile, Mnangagwa assured the government’s commitment to compensate former white farmers whose land was taken during the land reform program, while telling the British government that it must also accept responsibility and not remain indifferent to the demands of Zimbabweans for justice.

    “The Second Republic is forthright in accommodating compensation for white former farmers regarding improvements they made on the land redistributed by the state.
    “We call upon the British government, whose predecessor governments were responsible for pillaging and brutalizing us, to take responsibility and not remain indifferent to the cries of Zimbabweans for justice.”

    ALSO READ: Modi Congratulates ‘Friend’ Donald Trump On Victory

  • Tube drivers call off planned strikes

    Tube drivers call off planned strikes


    It comes after the RMT union agreed last week to suspend planned strikes on the London Underground…reports Asian Lite News

    Tube driver strikes scheduled for later this week have been suspended amid ongoing talks between trade unions and Transport for London. Members of the Aslef union had been due to walk out on Thursday and again next Tuesday in a move shop stewards said would being the capital “to a halt”. Tube services will now run as normal on both days.

    It comes after the RMT union agreed last week to suspend planned strikes on the London Underground. Aslef said it had received a “significantly improved offer” from Transport for London (TfL) on pay and working conditions, although TfL sources said the pay rise still stood at 3.8 per cent.

    Union representatives want TfL to drop pay reforms that would see bands, or grading, introduced for Tube drivers. At the moment, all Tube drivers are paid £67,100, a sum that would rise to just shy of £70,000 per year if the unions accepted TfL’s proposed 3.8pc pay rise.

    Finn Brennan, Aslef’s full-time organiser on London Underground, said: “Following fresh talks, and an improved offer, Aslef has agreed to suspend our planned industrial action on London Underground. Details of the offer will be discussed with our reps at a meeting on Thursday. We are pleased that this progress has been made and that strike action has been averted at this time.”

    Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “We are pleased that Aslef has suspended its planned industrial action on the Tube, and that Londoners will not be disrupted this week or next. “We believe that we have made an offer to our trade unions that is fair, affordable, good for our colleagues and good for London, and we urge our trade unions to continue working with us.”

    The RMT said around 10,000 of its members were involved in the ongoing dispute, adding that it was prepared to engage in talks if a “fair and fully consolidated” pay offer were to be put forward. Although strikes have been suspended for now, the threat of fresh walkouts remains, with threats of strike action seen by union bosses as a routine negotiating tactic to wear down London’s transport authorities.

    In January, Tube workers were given a five per cent pay rise by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, that cost the taxpayer £30 million, prompting accusations that he had found a “magic money tree”.

    Keith Prince, the City Hall Conservatives’ transport spokesman, said that a £30 million, 5 per cent pay rise handed to Tube staff in January by Sadiq Khan had failed to prevent fresh strike threats later in the year.

    “Londoners have had to make alternate plans and adjust to these unions holding the city hostage, and so far it seems that the Mayor’s £30 million bung to address that has gone up in smoke,” said Prince.

    “If this is Khan’s union negotiation strategy, it’s no wonder that his record on industrial action is 100 strikes worse while in office than Boris Johnson’s was, despite Khan’s 0 strike promise.”

    When campaigning to be elected as mayor in 2016, Khan promised there would be “zero days of strikes” in the capital during his tenure.

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  • Univs could miss out on millions from tuition fee increase

    Univs could miss out on millions from tuition fee increase

    The government announced on Monday that undergraduate tuition fees are to go up for the first time in eight years next autumn, taking annual payments to £9,535 a student…reports Asian Lite News

    Some universities in England could lose out on millions of pounds from increased tuition fees because their contracts with existing students may prevent changes to terms and conditions.

    The government announced on Monday that undergraduate tuition fees are to go up for the first time in eight years next autumn, taking annual payments to £9,535 a student.

    It said the increase would apply to new students starting university next October and those continuing their studies in their second and third years.
    The Department for Education has acknowledged, however, that some universities will be unable to charge existing students the higher rate if their contracts prevent it. One vice-chancellor said it would mean the difference between an additional £1.5m and £4m.

    All students have a contractual relationship with their university, meaning they are covered by consumer protection law, according to the Office for Students, which is the regulator for higher education in England. The contracts, however, differ between institutions.

    Even in the best-case scenario, with the higher fees applied to new and existing students, vice-chancellors said income generated by the increase would be cancelled out by the rise in national insurance contributions (NICs) announced in last week’s budget.
    The higher fees will do little more than enable them to stand still, they say, while other policies continue to erode their income, leaving many institutions in financial difficulties.
    The government has not ruled out future tuition fee increases. Further changes to higher education funding are likely to emerge in next year’s spending review as part of a package of wider higher education reforms.
    The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said she wants universities to provide more help for disadvantaged students to access and stay in higher education. She wants efficiency savings, including a crackdown on vice-chancellors’ pay rises, higher teaching standards, better value for money for students and more work with employers to deliver skills.
    Prof Steve West, the vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England, said he was checking if his institution was able to apply the fee increase to existing students. If so, the £4m generated would just about cover the NICs, he said. If only applied to new students it would raise £1.5m.
    “What we’ve got is still not a solution for sustainable funding for universities going forward. It’s the start of a conversation. What we’ve got is a one-year injection, not a long-term solution,” he said.
    David Bell, the vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland, said he agreed with the secretary of state’s priorities. “The question now is whether these priorities form part of a more substantial review of funding, given that yesterday’s announcement was never, in my view, intended to be a fix.
    “I now think the time is right for such a review, as the government is clearly interested in thinking about higher education for the long term.”
    Lénaïc Couderc, an analyst at Moody’s credit rating agency, said the fee increase was positive for English universities. “However, we expect that the increase will be insufficient to offset the likely loss of international tuition fee income from recent visa restrictions, which were introduced by the previous government, and to reverse the erosion in operating margins after two years of significant inflation.’’
    The health secretary, Wes Streeting, defended the fee rise as proportionate and reasonable. “I think the risk is if we didn’t put the fee price and the maintenance support up in line with inflation then students really would be sold short because the investment in their teaching wouldn’t keep up with rising cost pressures,” he said.

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  • Two UK mpox cases first local transmission in Europe

    Two UK mpox cases first local transmission in Europe


    The original case was detected after the person traveled to several African countries on holiday and returned to the UK on October 21….reports Asian Lite News

    Two new cases of the mpox variant clade 1b detected in the UK are the first locally transmitted cases in Europe and the first outside Africa, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed late Monday that the two new cases were household contacts of Britain’s first case identified last week, bringing the country’s total confirmed cases to three.

    The WHO warned that European states should be prepared for “rapid action” to contain the latest mpox variant, which spreads through close physical contact including sexual relations and sharing closed spaces.
    The two cases are also the first to be locally transmitted outside Africa since August 2024, when the WHO declared the outbreak of the new variant an international public health emergency — its highest level of alarm.

    Those affected are under specialist care and the risk to the UK population “remains low,” UKHSA said.

    The original case was detected after the person traveled to several African countries on holiday and returned to the UK on October 21.

    The patient developed flu-like symptoms more than 24 hours later and, on October 24, started to develop a rash that worsened in the following days.
    Mpox, a viral disease related to smallpox, has two types, clade 1 and clade 2. Symptoms include fever, a skin rash or pus-filled blisters, swollen lymph nodes and body aches.

    The WHO first declared an international public health emergency in 2022 over the spread of clade 2. That outbreak mostly affected gay and bisexual men in Europe and the United States.

    Vaccination and awareness drives in many countries helped stem the number of worldwide cases and the WHO lifted the emergency in May 2023 after reporting 140 deaths out of around 87,400 cases.

    In 2024, a two-pronged epidemic of clade 1 and clade 1b, a new strain that affects children, has spread widely in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
    The new strain has also been recorded in neighboring Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, with imported cases in Sweden, India, Thailand, Germany and the UK.

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