UK Treasury chief in position of power as PM Truss struggles
As British Prime Minister Liz Truss struggles to retain her authority, one man is seen to be in the real position of power to restore order and credibility to the Conservative government and limit the damage caused by Trussโ economic plans.
New UK Treasury chief: Mistakes were made, tax rises coming
Britainโs new Treasury chief has acknowledged mistakes made by his predecessor and suggested that he may reverse much of Conservative Prime Minister Liz Trussโ tax-cutting plans, in order to bring stability to the country after weeks of economic and political turbulence.
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UK eyes traveler quarantine as virus toll passes 100,000
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts while leading a virtual press conference on the Covid-19 pandemic, inside 10 Downing Street in central London Tuesday Jan. 26, 2021. The government said 100,162 people have died in the pandemic after testing positive for the virus, including 1,631 new deaths reported Tuesday. U.K. statistics agencies say that the number of deaths registered that mention COVID-19 on the death certificate is more than 108,000. British authorities are banking on a successful vaccination program to help the country suppress the outbreak and ease the lockdown. People arriving in the U.K. from abroad also must show they have tested negative for COVID-19.
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UK lawmakers set to quiz Johnson amid pressure to fire aide
Dominic Cummings, top aide to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, leaves his home in north London, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. (Kirsty O'Connor/PA via AP)LONDON Senior British lawmakers are set to question Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday amid growing pressure to fire his closest adviser for allegedly flouting COVID-19 lockdown rules. Now, I think, is the time for us all to move on,'' Housing and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told the BBC. But Johnson appears determined to retain the aide seen as instrumental to his rise to power even if it erodes public trust in Britains response to the pandemic. One senior lawmaker on the panel, former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has already said Cummings broke the rules.

Hong Kong protests spark diplomatic spat between UK and China
Protestors confront during police clearance after the Legislative Council building was damaged by demonstrators during a protest on July 2, 2019, in Hong Kong, China. (CNN) - A diplomatic spat between the UK and China deepened Wednesday after London summoned the Chinese ambassador over what it said were "unacceptable and inaccurate" comments made by Beijing regarding the UK's role in ongoing Hong Kong protests. China's ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, followed up with his own criticism, blasting London for its "interference" in Hong Kong and saying the UK-China relationship "has been damaged" because of it. "I think it's totally wrong for Jeremy Hunt to talk about the freedom (of Hong Kong protesters) ... this is not a matter about freedom it's a matter about breaking laws in Hong Kong," Liu said. "We all remember what Hong Kong was 22 years ago under British rule, there was no freedom (or) democracy."

Hong Kong protesters urge world leaders to support them at G20 summit
(CNN) - Hong Kong protesters are appealing for foreign support in their fight for political freedom, calling on world leaders to act ahead of the summit of the Group of 20 major economies in Osaka, Japan, this week. Carrying signs reading "Liberate Hong Kong," activists at an evening assembly, many of them wearing black, sang protest anthems and called on G20 leaders to defend their rights. The Legislative Council -- Hong Kong's Parliament -- closed for a number of days in response to the protests. Although Hong Kong is part of China, it has different laws, a principle called one country, two systems. The protesters have also drawn support from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who tweeted that the people of Hong Kong are "not alone."