United Kingdom

LONDON, Aug 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people, aged 50 to 70, are more likely to be in the poorest 20 percent of the population in England, a new study revealed yesterday.

Carried out by the Centre for Ageing Better, with the Institute for Public Policy Research and the University College London, the study said, with the proportion of people from BAME in this age group doubling in a generation, action is needed now to prevent inequalities from deepening.

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government was facing fresh criticism on Thursday over its handling of grading for school exams after results for hundreds of thousands of students were pulled.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has been accused of overseeing a fiasco over how grades have been awarded to teenagers who were unable to take their exams because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

LONDON (Reuters) - Brexit safeguards to stop asset managers in Britain running “shell” investment funds in the European Union to retain access to its markets should be hardwired into EU law, the bloc’s securities watchdog said on Wednesday.

After Britain voted in 2016 to leave the EU, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) issued guidance on minimum “substance” or senior boots on the ground at EU funds whose portfolio management has been “delegated” to London.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Tuesday, hanging on to gains from the previous session thanks to high compliance with production cuts from members of the OPEC+ producer group.

Brent crude LCOc1 was virtually flat at $45.39 a barrel at 0905 GMT, having gained 1.3% on Monday. U.S. crude LCOc1 edged down by 5 cents, or 0.1%, at $42.84 after a rise of 2.1% in the previous session.

A technical panel found that compliance with OPEC+ oil output cuts in July was between 95% and 97%, according to a draft report seen by Reuters.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Monday as news that China planned to ship large volumes of U.S. crude in August and September countered rising tensions between the two countries and a delay in the review of their trade pact over the weekend.

Brent crude LCOc1 was down 13 cents, or 0.3%, to $44.67 a barrel by 1048 GMT, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was down 4 cents, or 0.1%, to $41.97 a barrel.

LONDON, Aug 15 (APP): Thousands of the British Pakistani and Kashmiri community held a big peaceful demonstration outside Indian High Commission London on Saturday afternoon to mark India’s Independence day as ‘Black day’ which was also joined by Indian Sikh community.

The participants expressed their full solidarity with the defenceless and oppressed people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), who were struggling to achieve their inalienable right to self determination and freedom from Indian yoke for the last over seven decades.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to the sacrifice of soldiers on the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, which marks victory over Japan and the end of World War Two, as she recalled the anguish of the war and joy of its conclusion.

Japan signalled its intention to surrender on August 15, 1945, after atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. Japan’s emperor has expressed “deep remorse” for the country’s wartime past.

LONDON, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain said it will reimpose quarantine for travellers from France and the Netherlands, prompting Paris to quickly announce a “reciprocal measure”.

The UK government declared the change, which will likely spark a mass exodus among the estimated half a million British holidaymakers currently in France, after a rise in coronavirus cases there.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil edged further below $45 a barrel on Friday, giving up some of this week’s gain, under pressure from doubts about demand recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising supply.

Two prominent forecasters, the International Energy Agency and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, trimmed their 2020 oil demand forecasts this week. [IEA/M] [OPEC/M] OPEC and its allies are increasing output this month.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices held steady on Thursday after the International Energy Agency lowered its 2020 oil demand forecast following unprecedented travel restrictions and data showing a decline in U.S. inventories provided some support.

Brent crude LCOc1 fell 12 cents, or 0.3%, to $45.31 a barrel by 1027 GMT, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) CLc1 was down 7 cents, or 0.2%, to $42.60 a barrel.

“The oil market enjoys some calm summer weeks, seemingly taking a break from the turbulent times earlier this year,” said Norbert Rücker, analyst Swiss bank Julius Baer.