Tag: UK

Church of England Establishes £100 Million Fund to ‘Address Past Wrongs of Slavery’

The Church of England (CofE) and the Archbishop of Canterbury have announced plans to pay £100 million in a reparations-style fund to support “communities affected by historic slavery.” On Tuesday, the Church Commissioners for England published a report into historic links to transatlantic chattel slavery, and announced a new funding commitment of £100 million. It…


UK Urges Iran to Halt Execution of British–Iranian Alireza Akbari

The UK government has condemned the planned execution of a British–Iranian dual national by Iran and has appealed for it not to go ahead. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Twitter on Wednesday: “Iran must halt the execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari and immediately release him. This is a politically motivated act by a…


Doctors Have Doubled Antipsychotic Prescriptions to Children and Youth: Study

Despite the lack of evidence of the safety of antipsychotics in children, who are smaller in size and still rapidly developing, the number of prescriptions to English youth has doubled between 2000 to 2019, a study suggests. The researchers from the University of Manchester examined over seven million children and adolescents aged three to 18. They discovered…


UK, Japan Sign Historic Defence Pact Allowing Reciprocal Military Access

Britain and Japan have signed a defence agreement to allow the two countries to deploy military forces in one another’s territories, making the UK the first European country to have a reciprocal access agreement with Japan. Downing Street called the pact—signed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in London on…


UK Ministers Urged to Investigate Excess Deaths in Private Homes

Lawmakers in the House of Lords questioned the government on Tuesday over excess deaths in private homes, asking whether strains on the ambulance service and COVID-19 lockdowns have contributed to the number. It comes after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) counted 4,107 deaths in private homes in England and Wales that were registered during week 51 last…


Met Police Chief Outlines Sweeping Reforms Following Damning Review

The chief of London’s Metropolitan Police force has outlined sweeping plans for reform following a damning report on policing in the British capital. Sir Mark Rowley, who became Met commissioner in September last year, said on Tuesday that the force “must change.” But he added that the force already has “a practical plan for turning…


Jimmy Lai’s Lawyers Meet British Minister to Discuss Release

The global legal team of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Next Media, who has been imprisoned for two years to date, proposed to meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urgently, hoping to discuss ways to ensure Lai’s release. The British Prime Minister’s spokesperson confirmed on Jan. 10 that Lai’s legal team met with Anne-Marie…


Gang Supplied ‘Genuine’ Passports to Murderers and International Fugitives, UK Court Told

READING, Berkshire—A British gang supplied fraudulently-obtained genuine passports (FOGs) to enable drug traffickers, murderers, and other fugitives to cross borders without being noticed, a court has been told. Six people went on trial at Reading Crown Court in England on Wednesday after a National Crime Agency investigation into “an organised crime group” which provided passports…


Anti-Psychotic Prescriptions for Children in England Have Nearly Doubled in a Decade

The number of children and young people prescribed anti-psychotic drugs in England almost doubled between 2000 and 2019, according to new research. A study by the University of Manchester’s Centre for Women’s Mental Health published in The Lancet Psychiatry looked at the records of 7.2 million children and adolescents, aged 3 to 18, registered at…


Former Tory Energy Minister Quits Party and Backs Labour Leader

A former Conservative minister has attacked her own party, praising Labour for its “sober, fact-driven, competent political leadership” while applauding leader Keir Starmer for his green energy ambitions. Claire Perry O’Neill, who served as UK minister for energy and clean growth in Theresa May’s Cabinet before leading the UK’s Cop26 team until she left politics…