All posts tagged: UK

UK snow latest: New maps turn white as brutal 474-mile snow wall smashes into Britain | Weather | News

UK snow latest: New maps turn white as brutal 474-mile snow wall smashes into Britain | Weather | News

Teeth-chattering temperatures and a band of snow stretching from northern Scotland to Manchester are what weather maps are showing Britain can expect as the nation welcomes spring. With just a few weeks gone into the new season, the budding trees and sprouting daffodils might be hidden by a covering of the white stuff from April 4. Forecast maps from WXCharts show a large band of cold weather bringing wintry showers over most of Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England. In some areas areas around Belfast and in the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands the snowfall could be heavier, with Newcastle in the north east of England also suffering similar conditions. Fascinating maps looking ahead to the week starting Monday April 8 show a stark contrast between cold temperatures in Britain and warmer temperatures in France. A line separating the hot from cold can be seen running almost exactly down the middle of the English Channel. In the immediate future there are two yelllow weather warnings in place from the Met Office for tomorrow (Thurs). …

Wikileaks’ Assange can take appeal to fresh hearing, UK judges rule

Wikileaks’ Assange can take appeal to fresh hearing, UK judges rule

Two UK judges delayed a decision Tuesday on whether to grant WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a last-ditch appeal against extradition to the United States, giving Washington three weeks to provide further “assurances” in the case. Issued on: 26/03/2024 – 05:13Modified: 26/03/2024 – 13:09 3 min The US wants the 52-year-old Australian citizen to stand trial there for WikiLeaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of secret military and diplomatic files in 2010 relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Attempting to halt the process, Assange had suffered a string of court losses in the long-running legal saga, which his supporters see as a battle for media freedom.  But following two days of evidence last month, the judges in London said he had “a real prospect of success” on three of his nine grounds of appeal. Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson gave Washington three weeks to allay concerns that he will be prejudiced at trial because he is not an American citizen and that he could face the death penalty if convicted. “Before making a final …

UK in shock after Kate, Princess of Wales, announces cancer diagnosis

UK in shock after Kate, Princess of Wales, announces cancer diagnosis

After weeks of wild speculation, the UK was on Saturday digesting the shock news that Catherine, Princess of Wales, has cancer, with many praising her courage and others criticising those who spread conspiracies.   Issued on: 23/03/2024 – 12:10 3 min Catherine revealed the news on Friday in a highly personal video, which came just weeks after King Charles III revealed he too is battling the disease. The candid disclosure leaves the British monarchy in an unprecedented crisis in modern times with two of its most senior members simultaneously fighting serious illness. Head of state Charles — 17 months into his reign when Buckingham Palace announced in February that he had cancer and would be cancelling all public engagements — led tributes to his “beloved daughter-in-law”. The ailing 75-year-old monarch spoke of his pride in “her courage in speaking as she did,” shortly after Kensington Palace posted the video on social media. Following other warm words from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the White House, British newspapers directly quoted Kate on their Saturday front covers …

Kate Middleton cancer: UK reels as princess joins King Charles in sharing health diagnosis

Kate Middleton cancer: UK reels as princess joins King Charles in sharing health diagnosis

LONDON — Kate Middleton’s shocking announcement that she is undergoing treatment for cancer comes as the U.K. is already mired in a period of turbulence. After weeks of speculation about her health, the Princess of Wales, whose husband Prince William is heir to the throne, issued a video statement Friday saying tests following the “major” abdominal surgery she underwent in January had detected cancer. Her announcement comes just weeks after her father-in-law, King Charles, went public with his own cancer diagnosis, meaning two of the most senior U.K. royals will be absent from the public gaze as they face major health crises. The mother-of-three , 42, said she is in the early stages of a course of preventative chemotherapy. Her diagnosis comes as a major shock for a nation still mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, monarch for 70 years until her death in September 2022. The monarchy’s role is largely ceremonial, but Charles is the head of state and carries out a number of political functions, including opening parliament and signing new laws. …

UK confirms in-depth antitrust probe into Three and Vodafone’s planned B merger

UK confirms in-depth antitrust probe into Three and Vodafone’s planned $19B merger

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that it’s launching a formal “phase 2” investigation into the planned merger between Vodafone and Three UK. The CMA says that the deal could lead to higher prices for consumers, while also impact future infrastructure investments. However, the CMA has given both parties a token five working days to address its concerns with “meaningful solutions” before it formally progresses the investigation. “Our initial assessment of this deal has identified concerns which could lead to higher prices for customers and lower investment in U.K. mobile networks,” Julie Bon, the CMA’s deputy chief economic adviser, said in a statement. “These warrant an in-depth investigation unless Vodafone and Three can come forward with solutions.” The news comes some nine months after plans of the $19 billion deal first emerged, in a move that would effectively reduce the U.K.’s main mobile network operators from four to three (the others being EE and O2). The duo clearly anticipated regulatory headwinds, having already allowed until the end of 2024 to conclude the …

Incredible moment UK’s Air Force One refuels RAF warplane in the middle of the sky | UK | News

Incredible moment UK’s Air Force One refuels RAF warplane in the middle of the sky | UK | News

Incredible scenes show the UK’s Air Force One refueling a warplane over Dorset. Amateur photographer Paul Dibben spotted the RAF Voyager ‘Vespina’ as it hooked up with a Typhoon fight jet on Monday (18 March). Paul says: “I saw the RAF tanker / VIP transport Vespina grazing the moon this whilst refueling a quick response Typhoon flight over Sherborne.” Vespina was refurbished in 2020 to provide a secure, cost-effective and suitably profiled transport for the royal family and government ministers, including the Prime Minister. The aircraft displays the Union Flag alongside RAF markings in its role to represent the UK across the globe. Operating from Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, Vespina is fitted with secure satellite communications system, missile detection, fifty-eight business-class seats in the front cabin and one hundred ‘premium economy’ standard seats in the rear. There are also media facilities, similar to other dedicated air transports of heads of state and Government. Despite its VIP role, the Vespina, like all RAF Voyagers, is a refueling tanker able to carry a total fuel load of …

Warmer weather to return despite reports of ‘super storm’ hitting UK, Met Office says

Warmer weather to return despite reports of ‘super storm’ hitting UK, Met Office says

The Met Office has said the UK will experience a “typical mix of spring weather” this week with sporadic periods of sunshine and has dismissed reports that a two-week storm will drench the country. Milder and sunny conditions over the weekend are set to continue this week, with temperatures in the mid-to-low teens for many in the south of the country. Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon told The Independent: “It’s a typical mix of spring weather for the UK this week, with periods of sunshine, showers and gusty winds and rain at times for some. “The set-up ahead of the weekend is for temperatures to gradually shift back more towards average for the time of year, with a mix of sunshine and showers for many, though details are still being determined.” The forecaster dismissed reports that a 400-mile “superstorm” is heading from the US and was set to bring extreme conditions to the UK at the end of this month with large amounts of rain for a period of two weeks. Mr Dixon said there …

The ‘entrance’ to a UK McDonald’s that’s cost drivers £500k | UK | News

The ‘entrance’ to a UK McDonald’s that’s cost drivers £500k | UK | News

Trostre Roundabout in Llanelli, where motorists have paid more than £500k in fines in just 12 months (Image: Google) A roundabout exit in Wales has cost thousands of drivers a whopping half a million pounds in just one year. On a cloudy day in Carmarthenshire, I decided to treat myself to a coffee from McDonald’s on my way home from an interview in Llanelli. Little did I know, it would turn out to be the most expensive coffee I’ve ever bought. It was lunchtime on November 29 last year. I was driving north on the B4304 (Trostre Road) away from the Machynys area. As I approached Trostre Roundabout, a big yellow McDonald’s sign caught my eye. It brightened up the gloomy day and tempted drivers to pull off and use its drive-thru facility. The weather was dreary, and I wasn’t familiar with the roads in Llanelli. So, I drove around the roundabout and took the exit right next to the McDonald’s sign, reports Wales Online. I then took a left into the drive-thru, got my …

No.10 says it’s monitoring TikTok national security threat after US ban | Politics | News

No.10 says it’s monitoring TikTok national security threat after US ban | Politics | News

Downing Street has warned that Britain’s top security boffins are monitoring any potential national security threat from social media app TikTok, after the US passed a landmark bill that could lead to its ban in months. This week the House of Representatives passed a new law giving the Beijing-based owners of TikTok, ByteDance, six months to sell the social media site or face it being blocked from US users’ phones. While TikTok boss Shou Zi Chou has insisted that data on the social media platform is “free from outside manipulation”, many China hawks worry that the hit app could be used by the Chinese Communist Party for nefarious means. Following Joe Biden saying he will sign the US anti-TikTok Bill into law, pressure is mounting on Britain to follow suit. The Government banned the app from civil servants’ and ministers’ phones in March last year, however still allow the public to download it. The Prime Minister’s spokesman has now said that while using the app remains a “personal choice’ for Brits, security chiefs will be …