The UK government’s aid to China has fallen rapidly but there is limited transparency over where it is still being spent, a watchdog has said. According to a new report by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), UK aid to China fell to approximately £48 million in 2021-22—down from £82 million in 2019—and is…

The UK government is “in negotiations” after reports that three British men are being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the home secretary said on Sunday. The Presidium Network, a UK-based non-profit organisation, named one of the men as Kevin Cornwell, a 53-year-old charity medic from Middlesbrough. Presidium said it is assisting Cornwell and another…

British nationals who are still in Russia have been told they should leave if it is not essential they stay in the country. The Foreign Office updated its advice on Saturday to say Britons should use the remaining commercial routes to flee the nation. A post on the Foreign Office website said: “If your presence…

Hong Kong’s freedoms have come under “increasing pressure” from the Chinese regime since the National Security Law came into effect, the UK government said in its latest report on the former British colony. In the “Six-monthly report on Hong Kong” published on Dec. 14, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said: “Freedom of…

The UK government will stop advising Britons to avoid non-essential travel to a country not on the red list solely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel advice has been relaxed for 32 countries including Bangladesh, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, and Malaysia, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) said. This will make it easier for people…