England

British PM eyes "negotiated solution" on Northern Ireland protocol

LONDON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Liz Truss said on Wednesday that she hopes to find a "negotiated solution" to the row between Britain and the European Union (EU) over post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland.

"My preference is for a negotiated solution, but it has to deliver all of the things we set out in the Northern Ireland protocol bill, what we cannot allow is this situation to drift," said Truss in her first Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) session in the House of Commons since taking over from Boris Johnson as the country's leader.

UK leader Truss vows energy relief, rules out windfall tax

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Liz Truss told Parliament on Wednesday that she would tackle Britain’s “very serious” energy crisis while still slashing taxes, ruling out imposing a windfall levy on oil companies to pay for her plans to offset the soaring cost of heating and electricity.

Truss rebuffed opposition calls for a new windfall tax, even as she refrained from explaining how she would fund a plan meant to help the public pay energy bills skyrocketing because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the economic aftershocks of COVID-19 and Brexit.

UK: Putin shown in tense encounter with chief of staff at Far East war games

LONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin was shown in an awkward encounter with his military chief of staff on Tuesday as he inspected war games in Russia's Far East, thousands of miles from the war in Ukraine.

The Zvezda military news service published video of Putin and chief of staff General Valery Gerasimov entering an observation booth, sitting down with a wide space between them and maintaining an uncomfortable silence while waiting for Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to arrive.

Kwasi Kwarteng named Britain's new finance minister

LONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss has appointed business and energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng as the new finance minister, her office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Kwarteng, an ideological ally of Truss, has said that her government can afford to borrow more to fund support to households and businesses on their energy bills, but it will remain responsible with the public finances. 

He had been business and energy minister since January 2021, previously holding a junior role in the department, and he also worked in the Brexit ministry.

Russia blames Europe for gas crisis, warns West of oil retaliation

LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Monday blamed the West for triggering the worst European gas supply crisis ever and warned the Group of Seven advanced economies that Moscow would retaliate over its plan to impose a price cap on Russian oil.

Since he ordered the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin says the United States and its allies have embarked on economic war on Russia with the most severe sanctions in modern history, warning that they will face a energy crisis as a result.

Liz Truss set to become new UK Conservative prime minister

LONDON (AP) — Liz Truss has been elected as the Conservative Party’s new leader, the party announced Monday, and she will take office Tuesday as Britain’s new prime minister to steer the country through an acute cost-of-living crisis.

The 47-year-old Truss, who is currently foreign secretary, beat former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak after a leadership contest in which only about 170,000 dues-paying members of the Conservative Party were allowed to vote. Truss received 81,326 votes, compared with Sunak’s 60,399.

UK PM favourite Truss promises immediate action on energy

LONDON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - British foreign minister Liz Truss said on Sunday she would set out immediate action in her first week in power to tackle rising energy bills and increase energy supplies if she is, as expected, appointed prime minister.

The governing Conservative Party is widely expected to name Truss its new leader, and Britain's new prime minister, on Monday at a time when the country faces what is forecast to be a long recession, double-digit inflation and industrial unrest.

Over 40 pct of Americans believe civil war likely to happen in decade: poll

LONDON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Over 40 percent of Americans say a U.S. civil war is likely to happen within a decade as political polarization and street violence grow, British media outlet The Guardian said recently citing a poll result.

According to the survey conducted by the Britain-based data company YouGov and the Economist, around 43 percent of Americans believe a civil war is at least somewhat likely in the next 10 years.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth will appoint new prime minister at Balmoral

LONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth will break with tradition and appoint Britain's new prime minister at her Balmoral Castle residence in Scotland, rather than at Buckingham Palace in London, due to mobility issues.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Wednesday the queen would meet outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his yet-to-decided successor on Sept. 6 at Balmoral, where she spends her summers.

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