United Kingdom

LONDON (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar fell on Thursday amid expectations of the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates further, after slashing them by 50 basis points this week in an emergency move to shield the economy from the effects of coronavirus.

The Fed had mentioned the epidemic 48 times in its latest Beige Book report, suggesting policymakers were highly concerned about the economic damage of the disease.

“The reports in the Beige Book are likely to have been important for the Fed’s inter-meeting rate cut,” said Olle Holmgren, chief strategist at SEB.

LONDON (Reuters) - Brent oil prices rose on Wednesday on expectations that major producers have moved closer to an agreement to enact deeper output cuts aimed at offsetting the slump in demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Brent crude LCOc1 was up by 30 cents, or 0.6%, at $52.16 a barrel at 0954 GMT. It had risen more than $1 earlier in the session.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) CLc1 was up by 32 cents, or 0.7%, at $47.50 a barrel. The contract had gained 98 cents earlier in the session.

LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Wednesday they had charged another man as part of their investigation into the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in the back of a truck near London last year.

Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 27, was charged with an immigration offense and was due to appear later at Basildon Magistrates’ Court, east of London.

Detectives also said they wanted to speak to any other Vietnamese nationals who had entered Britain illegally via a similar route through the port of Purfleet.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices extended gains on Tuesday on expectations that central banks are likely to enact financial stimulus to offset the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak and growing optimism that OPEC will order deeper output cuts this week.

Brent crude LCOc1 rose $1.40 per barrel, or 2.7%, to $53.30 per barrel by 0940 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) CLc1 rose $1.48 cents, or 3.2%, to $48.23 a barrel.

Both futures contracts rose by more than 3% earlier in the session.

(Reuters) - UK’s Treasury Committee said on Monday it will question outgoing Bank of England Governor Mark Carney alongside members of the monetary policy committee on Tuesday.

The lawmakers will hold an evidence session with Andrew Bailey on Wednesday on his appointment as the new governor of the BOE, the committee said on Twitter bit.ly/3csIA9B.

LONDON, March 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson chaired a Monday meeting of the government’s COBRA emergency committee amid rising threat of the novel coronavirus as Britain confirmed four new COVID-19 cases on the same day, bringing its total number of infections to 40.

During the meeting, a four-stage “battle plan” was agreed by ministers, which lays out in detail the measures that could be used if and when they are needed.

LONDON, March 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain announced a jump in coronavirus cases, with 13 new infections taking the total to 36, as health minister Matt Hancock said the government was preparing for the global epidemic to get worse.

Scotland confirmed its first case on Sunday evening.

LONDON, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Britain and the United States are set to begin transatlantic trade talks, the Department for International Trade (DIT) announced here Monday.

The British government published its negotiating objectives for the post-Brexit free trade agreement with its largest bilateral trading partner, saying it would deliver a 3.4-billion-pound (4.36-billion-U.S. dollar) boost to the British economy.

LONDON, Mar 01 (APP): The United Kingdom (UK) has welcomed the United States (US) deal with the Taliban and called for Afghan leaders to seize opportunity to end decades of conflict.

In a statement issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth office today, the UK Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP placeholder said the United Kingdom has welcomed the United States’ Joint Declaration with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the United States’ agreement with the Taliban, which paved the way for a meaningful peace process and an end to decades of conflict in Afghanistan.

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British finance minister Sajid Javid said he would have cut income tax cut if he had not resigned this month after a clash with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Javid told The Times newspaper the centerpiece of next month’s budget would have been a cut from April in the basic rate of income tax to 18 pence in the pound, from 20 pence, and he had plans to reduce the basic rate to 15 pence from 2025.