England

Post-BREXIT crisis: UK rejects ‘uncontrolled immigration’ despite labour shortages

LONDON, Oct 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Kingdom will not return to “uncontrolled immigration” to solve fuel, gas and food crises, officials have said, suggesting such strains were part of a period of post-Brexit adjustment.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his country’s choice to leave the European Union on Sunday, after shortages of foreign workers have sown disarray in some sectors of the economy.

UK military begins fuel delivery amid driver shortage

LONDON (AP) — British military personnel have begun delivering fuel to gas stations after a shortage of truck drivers disrupted supplies for more than a week, leading to long lines at the pumps as anxious drivers scrambled to fill their tanks.

About 200 service personnel were deployed Monday to boost deliveries after undergoing training at commercial fuel depots last week, the government said.

No more uncontrolled immigration: PM says Britain in period of adjustment

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 3 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday he would not return to "uncontrolled immigration" to solve fuel, gas and Christmas food crises, suggesting such strains were part of a period of post-Brexit adjustment.

At the start of his Conservative Party's conference, Johnson was again forced to defend his government against complaints from those unable to get petrol for their cars, retailers warning of Christmas shortages, and gas companies struggling with a spike in wholesale prices.

UK: Eyes of the world will be on Scotland for climate summit, queen says

LONDON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The world's attention will be focused on Scotland for next month's climate summit, Queen Elizabeth told Scottish lawmakers on Saturday, adding that they would have an important role making a better, healthier world.

The queen opened the Scottish parliament on Saturday with fond remarks, four months after an election that returned a pro-independence majority pledging to hold a new referendum on whether to leave the United Kingdom.

UK extends truck driver visa program as fuel crisis persists

LONDON (AP) — The British government has extended an emergency visa program for truck drivers as fuel shortages showed few signs of abating Saturday, particularly in London and the southeast of England.

In an announcement late Friday, the Conservative government said temporary visas for nearly 5,000 foreign truck drivers it hopes to recruit would run until the end of February instead of expire on Christmas Eve as originally planned.

The short duration of the program announced last week drew widespread criticism for not being attractive enough to entice foreign drivers.

UK: PM Johnson says petrol crisis ‘stabilizing’ as he plans to save holidays

LONDON, Oct 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British troops will begin training to help deliver petrol supplies as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was making preparations to deal with potential problems until “Christmas and beyond.”

The prime minister said the situation on the filling station forecourts is “stabilizing” as he urged motorists to go about their business in the normal way.

British army to start driving tankers, fuel queues persist

LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Britain ordered soldiers on Wednesday tostart driving fuel tankers to replenish empty pumps, as motorists remained mired in queues after nearly a week of shortages, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the situation was improving.

Britain has been gripped by a rush of panic buying that has left pumps dry across major cities, after oil companies warned they did not have enough tanker drivers to move petrol and diesel from refineries to filling stations.

Prosecutor: UK officer detained slaying victim ‘by fraud’

LONDON (AP) — A prosecutor argued Wednesday that a serving London police officer handcuffed a woman on the pretext of breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules before he kidnapped and killed her.

Wayne Couzens, 48, appeared at London’s Central Criminal Court charged with the kidnap, rape and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard, who disappeared while walking home from visiting a friend in south London on March 3.

Couzens has pleaded guilty to the charges. He sat in court with his head bowed as members of Everard’s family listened to prosecutor Tom Little open his case.

UK's Labour Party members declare AUKUS deal "dangerous" to world peace

LONDON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Britain's main opposition Labour Party on Monday passed an emergency motion that described the new security pact among the United States, Britain and Australia, known as AUKUS, as a "dangerous move that will undermine world peace."

During the party's annual conference, delegates passed the emergency motion by 70.35 percent to 29.65 percent.

"AUKUS is starting a new nuclear arms race and cold war. We must keep speaking out against it," said former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Twitter on Monday.

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