https://www.scmp.com/rss/327276/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The UK is expecting the arrival of thousands more asylum seekers in small boats, and has announced numerous plans to move undocumented migrants to unused military bases and large accommodation barges. UK Home Office figures showed that more than 11,000 people have made the Channel crossing so far in 2023, including about 3,300 this month amid warm weather. Sunday, June 11 saw the highest number of crossings on a single day this year, with 549 people making the risky Channel journey on dinghies... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3225652/uk-braces-new-waves-channel-asylum-seekers-barge-and-barracks-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3225652/uk-braces-new-waves-channel-asylum-seekers-barge-and-barracks-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jun 2023 02:35:05 +0000 Every family has its secrets. But when British journalist Alex Renton made a deep dive into his aristocratic ancestors’ archives, he uncovered a darker and more disturbing truth. Much of the wealth that entitled generations of his Scottish landed gentry family to elite education and privilege came from the heinous enslavement of Africans in the Americas around 250 years ago. His 2021 book Blood Legacy is a chronicle drawn from family papers of his mother’s forebears, the Fergussons, and their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3221073/britain-enslaved-millions-africans-its-time-apologise-aristocrat-heirs-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3221073/britain-enslaved-millions-africans-its-time-apologise-aristocrat-heirs-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 May 2023 02:10:26 +0000 Nearly five months since the UK Conservative Party installed multimillionaire Rishi Sunak as the country’s first prime minister of colour, the Scottish National Party (SNP), the ruling party north of England’s border, could also make history in its leadership race. Humza Yousaf, 37, the son of South Asian immigrants from Pakistan and Kenya, is considered the favourite to win the March 27 vote of SNP members to replace Nicola Sturgeon, who announced her resignation as party leader and first... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3214710/rise-uk-south-asians-politics-humza-yousaf-scotland-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3214710/rise-uk-south-asians-politics-humza-yousaf-scotland-next?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2023 22:30:20 +0000 Gary Lineker will be back presenting the BBC’s flagship sports programme on Saturday, a week after the former England footballer was suspended for using Twitter to criticise the UK government’s migration policy. The turnabout followed a huge backlash against BBC management, which took action after 62-year-old Lineker publicly expressed his opinion about a UK political issue. Lineker, a freelance broadcaster and the BBC’s highest-paid star, had compared the British government’s language about... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3213900/who-does-bbc-serve-lineker-row-revives-impartiality-debate-about-british-broadcaster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3213900/who-does-bbc-serve-lineker-row-revives-impartiality-debate-about-british-broadcaster?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Mar 2023 23:00:15 +0000 Half a million people could join one of Britain’s biggest strikes in decades next week, as the UK government pushes for new laws that could mean dismissal for essential workers who join in industrial action. Britain has in recent months been hit by waves of strikes that have shut down or significantly reduced public services, including health and transport. The next nationwide strike over pay, planned for Wednesday, comes as millions in the UK bear the brunt of the cost of living crisis and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3208244/british-workers-are-striking-uk-rights-come-under-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3208244/british-workers-are-striking-uk-rights-come-under-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jan 2023 22:30:08 +0000 A British romantic comedy series has thrown a spotlight on living in London, where sharing a flat can be a necessity as rents skyrocket to almost unaffordable levels. The Flatshare, based on a book of the same name, is a quirky story of two young adults who share a rented one-bedroom flat in London. One works days, the other works nights. They communicate with Post-it notes and take turns to sleep in the bed. London is one of the costliest cities in the world to live. Rents are climbing and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3205774/living-london-growing-more-costly-uk-inflation-bites-rents-rise-fewer-choices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3205774/living-london-growing-more-costly-uk-inflation-bites-rents-rise-fewer-choices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jan 2023 02:11:41 +0000 Activists and a journalists association in Britain are warning that proposed public order laws could give the UK government and police greater powers to restrict protests and media freedoms. Britain’s government insists it is not anti-protest, and that it has public backing to introduce tougher measures and new criminal offences against a “small minority” of protesters who use “guerilla” tactics to block roads, transport and other infrastructures. The Public Order Bill, which is now being... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3199722/public-order-bill-britain-get-tougher-disruptive-protests-activists-fear-new-powers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3199722/public-order-bill-britain-get-tougher-disruptive-protests-activists-fear-new-powers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Nov 2022 02:00:26 +0000 History was made when Britain’s Conservative MPs installed Rishi Sunak as prime minister. A devout Hindu of Indian heritage, he is the UK’s first leader of colour. At 42, he is the country’s youngest premier in more than 200 years. He will also be the richest person to live in the flat above 10 Downing Street. But ultra-rich Sunak, the former Chancellor of Exchequer, will need to overcome perceptions he is out of touch with struggling Britons as he steers the country through its worst economic... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3197582/many-uk-struggle-rishi-sunaks-wealth-liability-or-asset?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3197582/many-uk-struggle-rishi-sunaks-wealth-liability-or-asset?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Oct 2022 23:30:18 +0000 In office for just six weeks, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is fighting for her political survival, and likely hoping to avoid becoming the shortest serving leader in modern British history. Many Conservatives say Truss must resign after she triggered a crash in the British pound, was forced to make multiple policy U-turns and sacked her closest political ally Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor of exchequer. She is also the least popular prime minister in the history of UK polling, with just 10 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3196583/britains-shortest-serving-pm-lasted-119-days-will-liz-truss-make-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3196583/britains-shortest-serving-pm-lasted-119-days-will-liz-truss-make-history?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Oct 2022 04:36:27 +0000 Barely a month after taking power, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss already faces the question of how long she will last as leader. Her government’s first major economic plan in late September was widely derided after it triggered financial market turmoil and sent the pound plunging to its lowest level against the US dollar. Within days of announcing the “mini-budget”, Truss’ government was forced into a humiliating U-turn on part of the package that proposed tax cuts for the rich. With Britain... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3195164/how-long-will-liz-truss-last-uk-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3195164/how-long-will-liz-truss-last-uk-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:00:14 +0000 A UK anti-monarchy group says it has seen more public support, raised extra funds and recruited new members since Queen Elizabeth died and Charles ascended the throne as king. King Charles has yet to enjoy the same level of popularity as Queen Elizabeth, who died on September 8 at age 96. She was Britain’s longest serving monarch, having ruled for 70 years. The queen was laid to rest on Monday after a historic state funeral in London attended by hundreds of world leaders, royals and other... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3193308/king-charles-era-begins-british-anti-monarchists-claim-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3193308/king-charles-era-begins-british-anti-monarchists-claim-have?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:26:36 +0000 UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is widely expected to win the Conservative Party leadership ballot next week and become Britain’s new prime minister. One person who may not be cheering is her dad. Truss is reported to have a strained relationship with her father John Truss, a prominent mathematics professor, whose left-wing political views run counter to those of his 47-year-old daughter. In the 1980s, Truss’ father and mother brought her along on nuclear disarmament marches. Both parents were... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3191125/who-liz-truss-ambitious-thatcher-fan-cusp-power-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3191125/who-liz-truss-ambitious-thatcher-fan-cusp-power-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Sep 2022 08:24:53 +0000 In London, saving water is taking on a sense of urgency amid the driest and hottest summer in decades. That’s because next year could be worse. From next Wednesday, people in Britain’s capital will be banned from using hosepipes – commonly used to water gardens, wash cars and fill up paddling pools – as water restrictions kick in. The ban potentially marks the first of more water saving measures to come, after a drought was declared in most parts of England last week. The declaration followed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3189512/if-little-rain-drought-hit-england-could-face-dreadful-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3189512/if-little-rain-drought-hit-england-could-face-dreadful-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Aug 2022 09:06:05 +0000 Come September 5, the UK will either get its first prime minister of colour, Rishi Sunak, or third woman prime minister, Liz Truss. The decision won’t be made by an ethnically diverse electorate, but by 180,000 or so Conservative Party members, 97 per cent of whom are white. A victory for Sunak would be historic, as he would be the first person of South Asian heritage to lead the UK, the world’s fifth-biggest economy. But the 42-year-old former chancellor of the exchequer trails rival Truss, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3187845/sunak-vs-truss-race-factor-uk-leadership-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3187845/sunak-vs-truss-race-factor-uk-leadership-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Aug 2022 23:00:14 +0000 He may be down and almost out, but the UK’s outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson seems determined to show he is not ready to ride off into the sunset. In his typical theatrical style, Johnson ended his last appearance in parliament as prime minister last week by declaring: “Mission largely accomplished – for now” and “Hasta la vista, baby”, borrowing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s catchphrase from the 1991 movie Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Scandal-hit Johnson resigned as Conservative Party leader... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3186810/britain-talk-boris-johnsons-return-no-10-hes-even-left?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3186810/britain-talk-boris-johnsons-return-no-10-hes-even-left?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jul 2022 00:20:38 +0000 Boris Johnson’s downfall as Britain’s prime minister came after he defiantly survived numerous scandals and missteps during three years in office. The final straw involved a Tory MP who drunkenly groped two men at a private club. Chris Pincher was deputy chief whip for the Conservative Party before he quit his post in disgrace last week. Other past allegations about Pincher then emerged, and that Johnson knew about them in 2019, but still appointed him in February this year. Support for Johnson... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3184664/boris-johnson-era-ending-what-about-westminster-sleaze-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3184664/boris-johnson-era-ending-what-about-westminster-sleaze-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Jul 2022 01:30:10 +0000 Rail workers are fed up, so are postal workers. Even barristers and doctors are complaining about their salaries. As the UK’s cost of living crisis grows, so has anger among workers across the economy who are demanding better pay and conditions. The UK media has dubbed the current period the “summer of discontent”, harking back to the “winter of discontent” in the late 1970s when strikes brought the UK government and country virtually to its knees. Today, unions are ramping up industrial action... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3183767/uk-summer-discontent-cost-living-worker-anger-soar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3183767/uk-summer-discontent-cost-living-worker-anger-soar?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2022 04:23:51 +0000 Having narrowly survived a no-confidence vote by his own lawmakers, Boris Johnson’s position as UK prime minister appears safe for now, but for how long? More than 40 per cent of Conservative Party MPs voted in a secret ballot earlier this week to oust their leader, following the publication of civil servant Sue Gray’s report into parties at Downing Street during Covid-19 lockdowns. The ballot, organised by the party’s powerful 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, weakened Johnson’s authority both... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3181289/uks-boris-johnson-had-bad-week-here-are-next-potential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3181289/uks-boris-johnson-had-bad-week-here-are-next-potential?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jun 2022 21:00:27 +0000 Hong Kong rail giant MTR Corporation is operating London’s newest train line, which finally opened this week four years behind schedule. The Elizabeth Line, named after Queen Elizabeth, is a mixed overground and underground railway that’s meant to slash journey times across London from Shenfield in the east to Reading in the west. Its estimated final cost could be about £19 billion (US$24 billion). MTR Elizabeth line is a wholly owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation, which will run the line and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3179455/londons-new-elizabeth-line-running-and-its-being-run-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3179455/londons-new-elizabeth-line-running-and-its-being-run-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 May 2022 23:30:24 +0000 A new UK plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda has been criticised by the UN, senior British political figures and a religious leader. It has also put a spotlight on one of the UK government’s most divisive ministers: Home Secretary Priti Patel. Patel, who is in charge of the UK’s post-Brexit immigration policy, has been mobilised to explain and defend her government’s Rwanda plan, which was announced earlier this month to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel in small... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3175821/priti-patel-uk-home-secretary-who-wants-asylum-seekers-sent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3175821/priti-patel-uk-home-secretary-who-wants-asylum-seekers-sent?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Apr 2022 00:00:28 +0000 UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been accused of failing to carry out a promised security probe into the controversial takeover of Britain’s largest semiconductor manufacturer by China’s biggest smartphone assembler Wingtech. Reports emerged last week that the government had quietly approved the sale of the Newport Wafer Fab plant in Wales to Wingtech’s Dutch subsidiary Nexperia. Wingtech, which is based in Zhejiang, is believed to be a third owned by the Chinese Communist Party. UK business... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3173070/boris-johnson-accused-failing-probe-chinese-takeover-newport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3173070/boris-johnson-accused-failing-probe-chinese-takeover-newport?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Apr 2022 23:00:10 +0000 The UK’s iconic fish and chip shops could be facing their worst battering in decades, in part because of Western sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), the official body that represents the fish and chip industry, is warning that up to half the country’s 10,500 operators may shut or convert int0 chicken or kebab takeaways unless the UK government helps. “The cost of fish is the highest it’s ever been – and this is all before the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3171472/ukraine-war-russia-sanctions-could-batter-british-fish-and-chip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3171472/ukraine-war-russia-sanctions-could-batter-british-fish-and-chip?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Mar 2022 00:33:55 +0000 The UK government is coming under pressure to crack down on company registrations amid concerns Britain has become a hub for shell businesses that can be set up cheaply by people whose identity isn’t clear. The UK has a reputation as a hub for money laundering – particularly “laundromat London” for the vast amount of corrupt wealth parked in the city. It is an issue that has gained renewed focus this week as Western sanctions failed to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from deploying forces... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3168142/push-uk-crackdown-ps12-companies-and-their-mystery-backers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3168142/push-uk-crackdown-ps12-companies-and-their-mystery-backers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Feb 2022 04:57:16 +0000 The attendance of Charles, Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at London’s Chinatown’s Lunar New Year festivities last week was a high profile boost for the district as it recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic. There had been some concerns in Chinatown of how to celebrate the Lunar New Year after a confrontation between pro-Beijing groups and newly arrived Hong Kong immigrants there last November. This came amid spiralling relations between the UK and China, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3166332/queen-elizabeths-platinum-jubilee-year-uk-ready-yet-king-charles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3166332/queen-elizabeths-platinum-jubilee-year-uk-ready-yet-king-charles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Feb 2022 03:10:15 +0000 Mired in lockdown party scandals, the fate of embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson could be determined by two powerful institutions. One is the Metropolitan Police, which on Tuesday said was investigating “a number of events” in last two years at Downing Street and Whitehall for “potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations” when the country was in lockdown. The other, the Conservative Party’s own powerful 1922 Committee, which is made up of 18 backbench MPs. Unlike the frontbench ministers... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3164782/boris-johnsons-fate-uk-partygate-could-rest-police-powerful-1922?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3164782/boris-johnsons-fate-uk-partygate-could-rest-police-powerful-1922?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jan 2022 07:56:18 +0000 As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces calls to resign following revelations of booze-fuelled parties at his official residence in Downing Street – in breach of his own coronavirus lockdown rules – a teetotaller of Indian heritage is emerging as a possible successor. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, 41, is the bookmakers’ favourite to take over should Conservative MPs trigger a vote of no confidence in Johnson. If Sunak – who the tabloids once dubbed “Dishy Rishi” for his good... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3164089/after-party-loving-boris-johnson-will-rishi-sunak-son-law-indias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3164089/after-party-loving-boris-johnson-will-rishi-sunak-son-law-indias?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jan 2022 11:00:24 +0000 Fifteen years after leaving office, Tony Blair has received what UK prime ministers wait for – a knighthood. But the resulting furore, including more than a million signatures on a Change.org petition asking Queen Elizabeth to rescind the title, shows how, even after all these years, the former Labour politician and UK leader remains one of the most polarising figures in Britain. The queen on New Year’s Day made Blair, 68, a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, an honour... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3163373/tony-blair-big-knighthood-backlash-and-why-hes-still-polarising?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3163373/tony-blair-big-knighthood-backlash-and-why-hes-still-polarising?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jan 2022 21:00:18 +0000 As speculation mounts that embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson could face a leadership challenge as early as the new year, potential contenders for the Conservative throne are sharpening up their image. Johnson’s reputation is reeling following a series of scandals and missteps, including supporting the former MP Owen Patterson, who was found guilty by the House of Commons’ own standards commissioner of paid lobbying. Revelations that Johnson allowed boozy Christmas parties in Downing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3160027/uks-boris-johnson-takes-hammering-potential-successors-sharpen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3160027/uks-boris-johnson-takes-hammering-potential-successors-sharpen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Dec 2021 02:34:48 +0000 A free-trade deal with its closest ally United States was meant to be the cornerstone of the UK’s commercial policy after it had left the European Union. But five years after a “massive” deal was promised to London by then US president Donald Trump, and two years after Brexit, a US-UK free-trade agreement seems elusive as negotiations stall. “The main reason it’s not happening is because the US doesn’t want trade deals at the moment,” said trade expert David Henig, of the European Centre for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159104/closest-allies-why-does-uk-us-trade-deal-seem-elusive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159104/closest-allies-why-does-uk-us-trade-deal-seem-elusive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Dec 2021 02:00:27 +0000 The UK Royal Navy is undergoing its biggest revamp in a generation. But its new First Sea Lord Vice-Admiral Sir Ben Key will have his work cut out as the country aims to boost its sea power. Key took the helm of the 30,000-sailor Royal Navy last month, after overseeing the UK’s evacuation effort in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Taliban’s quick military victory over Kabul’s government in August. New additions to the fleet include five Type 31 frigates, eight Type 26 “submarine hunters” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3156775/how-uk-modernising-its-navy-dreadnought-subs-frigates-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3156775/how-uk-modernising-its-navy-dreadnought-subs-frigates-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Nov 2021 00:06:28 +0000 A woman has appeared in court and UK police have detained another after nine female Chinese students were struck on the head in separate attacks in Sheffield, England. The assaults happened in the city centre between September 7 and 26. All the victims were foreign students at the University of Sheffield. Police have charged 33-year-old former University of Sheffield student Shan He with two counts of assault and possession of an offensive weapon. She was arrested at her home in Sheffield... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3150908/chinese-students-attacked-sheffield-uk-police-charge-woman-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3150908/chinese-students-attacked-sheffield-uk-police-charge-woman-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Oct 2021 10:04:31 +0000 Parliamentarians in London have launched a new inquiry into allegations that British banks, including HSBC, helped Beijing punish pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hong Kong, which includes both unelected peers and MPs, is asking for written witness statements from activists who have had their bank accounts frozen. The aim is to determine if British banks contributed to the suppression of human rights in Hong Kong, including freedom of expression,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3149978/inquiry-launched-role-british-banks-hong-kong-suppression-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3149978/inquiry-launched-role-british-banks-hong-kong-suppression-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Sep 2021 08:30:23 +0000 Bare supermarket shelves, no milkshakes at McDonald’s, not enough chickens for Nando’s. Food supply chains in the UK are said to be struggling because of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. Unless action is taken, industry bosses warn the shortages will only get worse in the run-up to Christmas, the busiest time of the year. UK retailers and restaurants are struggling to cope with a shortage of drivers, and in particular heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers, and food processing staff after... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3146445/brexit-and-covid-19-uk-food-supplies-hit-double-whopper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3146445/brexit-and-covid-19-uk-food-supplies-hit-double-whopper?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Aug 2021 06:20:28 +0000 The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan has caused collateral damage to the UK and its ambitions for a “Global Britain”, politicians and analysts say. The UK, like its main ally United States, has been left stunned by the speed in which Taliban forces took control of Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul’s Western-backed government. It sparked a refugee exodus and chaotic evacuation operation by foreign powers, including Britain. Former UK prime minister Theresa May this week lamented the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3145782/afghanistan-seen-bringing-global-britain-down-size?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3145782/afghanistan-seen-bringing-global-britain-down-size?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Aug 2021 08:25:08 +0000 London locals say the city’s famed Chinatown is bouncing back, 18 months after the Covid-19 pandemic dealt a huge blow to businesses in the iconic West End district. A wetter than usual summer aside, foot traffic has steadily risen ahead of the anticipated return of Chinese students and foreign tourists once international travel becomes easier. For now, it’s Londoners of all ages and ethnic groups spending money in the area. Chinatown was hit hard by Britain’s first lockdown in 2020 and felt the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3144874/londons-chinatown-bouncing-back-despite-covid-19-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3144874/londons-chinatown-bouncing-back-despite-covid-19-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Aug 2021 07:30:23 +0000 British MPs are calling for the government to block Chinese ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing from launching in the UK over data protection fears in a move that could threaten the company’s European expansion. The cross-party group of hawkish lawmakers said in an article published in The Times on Monday that they were concerned Beijing could compel the company to hand over data, in line with a 2017 National Intelligence Law that requires all Chinese companies to cooperate with state intelligence... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3144583/uk-mps-call-ban-chinas-didi-chuxing-over-data-privacy-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3144583/uk-mps-call-ban-chinas-didi-chuxing-over-data-privacy-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Aug 2021 15:06:08 +0000 Undocumented Asian migrants in Britain are travelling hundreds of kilometres to get coronavirus vaccine shots in London’s Chinatown instead of local doctors. On Monday, about 1,500 people were offered jabs at a pop-up vaccination centre at the China Exchange building in Gerrard Street. It was the sixth vaccination event organised by the Chinese Information and Advice Centre (CIAC). The first one in May had to be halted after hundreds of people turned up for only 150 vaccines available. Police... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3142709/coronavirus-people-uk-travel-hundreds-miles-chinatown-shots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3142709/coronavirus-people-uk-travel-hundreds-miles-chinatown-shots?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jul 2021 08:58:17 +0000 Britain should step up sanctions against China over its treatment of Uygur Muslims in Xinjiang, including banning cotton imports from the region, fast-tracking asylum procedures for dissidents and boycotting celebrations for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, according to an all-party parliamentary report published on Thursday morning Hong Kong time. The report, by the influential Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC), follows months of consultations and hearings. Titled “Never Again: The UK’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3140235/britain-report-calls-tougher-sanctions-against-china-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3140235/britain-report-calls-tougher-sanctions-against-china-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jul 2021 23:01:07 +0000 British politicians and security experts have raised concerns of potential foreign spying in the offices and corridors of Westminster following leaked video footage of a minister embracing his aide. Matt Hancock resigned as health secretary last weekend after he was caught kissing aide Gina Coladangelo at work, in breach of the government’s coronavirus social distancing rules. The government has said it does not believe there were any “covert concerns” after leaked video footage and images of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3139457/matt-hancock-kissing-video-leak-sparks-fears-bugged-uk-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3139457/matt-hancock-kissing-video-leak-sparks-fears-bugged-uk-government?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jul 2021 09:05:05 +0000 UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to build a £200 million (US$278 million) flagship has come under fire for being an expensive vanity project that even Queen Elizabeth appears not to be totally on board with. Downing Street announced last month plans to start building what would be the first national flagship since the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned in 1997. Johnson said it would be “the first vessel of its kind in the world”, would kick-start the UK’s diminishing shipbuilding... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3138727/new-uk-flagship-best-british-or-boris-johnson-vanity-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3138727/new-uk-flagship-best-british-or-boris-johnson-vanity-project?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jun 2021 06:25:35 +0000 The use of yellowface make-up in opera has become the latest flashpoint in Britain’s debate over cultural stereotypes and racial equality in the arts, with critics of the practice calling for broader reforms so that the genre can better reflect diversity in society. On June 11, Scottish Opera pulled its production of Nixon in China from the prestigious South Bank Sky Arts Awards, which recognises British achievements in the arts. News of the nomination had prompted complaints about the use of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3137600/white-singers-make-playing-chinese-characters-draw-scottish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3137600/white-singers-make-playing-chinese-characters-draw-scottish?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jun 2021 07:15:00 +0000 China and other nations were attempting to “seize control” of strategically important international organisations so they could be “weaponised”, a new report by the UK parliament’s influential Foreign Affairs Committee said. The report, published Thursday, accused China in particular of “bullying” states to back their position or their candidates for top jobs, using measures including financial leverage “to shift policies away from the cooperation the organisations were created to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3137606/china-attempting-seize-control-multilateral-organisations-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3137606/china-attempting-seize-control-multilateral-organisations-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jun 2021 03:24:41 +0000 Seventy-five years ago, hundreds of Chinese mariners were rounded up and deported from Britain after they risked their lives helping the Allies’ World War II effort. Now, the British parliament is being urged to formally apologise for what has been called one of the “most nakedly racist incidents ever instigated by the British government”. Liverpool MP Kim Johnson, who grew up near Liverpool’s Chinatown where many of the men were last seen, has tabled a motion in the Houses of Parliament calling... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3137015/formal-apology-sought-britains-deportation-chinese-sailors-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3137015/formal-apology-sought-britains-deportation-chinese-sailors-who?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jun 2021 21:00:00 +0000 British artists of Chinese heritage are calling for a boycott of the long-established Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA) in Manchester, northern England, amid allegations of “deep-rooted” institutional racism. The seven artists in question – Eelyn Lee, Enoch Cheng, Erika Tan, Gayle Chong Kwan, Jack Tan, Whiskey Chow and Yuen Ling Fong – were recruited by the CFCCA last September to address concerns over lack of representation in the decision-making process. But six months later, the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3136023/british-chinese-artists-call-boycott-racist-centre-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3136023/british-chinese-artists-call-boycott-racist-centre-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jun 2021 08:15:13 +0000 A “Uygur Tribunal” examining alleged human rights abuses and reports of genocide in China’s Xinjiang region begins in London on Friday. The hearings were requested by the Germany-based World Uygur Congress, the US-funded Uygur lobby group that wants greater autonomy for Xinjiang, to “investigate ongoing atrocities and possible genocide” in the far-west China region. The independent inquiry has no enforcement powers, but organisers hope to hold China accountable for its treatment of Uygur Muslims... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3135967/uk-uygur-tribunal-begins-china-and-west-clash-over-xinjiang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3135967/uk-uygur-tribunal-begins-china-and-west-clash-over-xinjiang?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jun 2021 21:00:15 +0000 Britain-born East and South East Asians (ESEA) are speaking out against racism after violent anti-Asian hate attacks in the UK. Among the latest to do so was Crazy Rich Asians actor Gemma Chan, who along with other celebrities is helping promote the #StopAsianHate crowdfunding campaign to raise money for community groups. The call for cash met its initial £50,000 (US$70,000) target in just two days. Other supporters of the campaign include actor Benedict Wong, Chan’s Crazy Rich Asians co-star... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3133279/asians-uk-tackle-racism-after-violent-hate-attacks-we-know?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3133279/asians-uk-tackle-racism-after-violent-hate-attacks-we-know?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 May 2021 02:27:45 +0000 The son of a Chinese sailor from Guangzhou is running to become Liverpool’s first independent mayor in a bid to tackle municipal corruption that has plagued the northern English city for years.  Stephen Yip, 66, is best known locally for his charity work with disadvantaged children. But following the arrest last year of Liverpool’s Mayor Joe Anderson as part of an ongoing police investigation into fraud, bribery and corruption, Yip decided to stand in the upcoming mayoral election on May... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3129696/can-stephen-yip-son-chinese-sailor-guangzhou-become-liverpools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3129696/can-stephen-yip-son-chinese-sailor-guangzhou-become-liverpools?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Apr 2021 11:30:11 +0000 UK trade secretary Liz Truss on Wednesday called for urgent reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to “get tough on China”, arguing it no longer warrants its status as a developing nation.Truss made her comments to the media and to the first ever G7 Trade Track Ministerial meeting, which was held online. The UK holds the current presidency of the G7 bloc of industrialised nations, which also includes the larger European economies, the US, Canada and Japan. “The WTO was established when... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3127845/uk-trade-secretary-liz-truss-urges-wto-reform-get-tough-china-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3127845/uk-trade-secretary-liz-truss-urges-wto-reform-get-tough-china-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Mar 2021 15:17:37 +0000 China’s plans for a huge new embassy complex in the British capital faces more controversy, after the local authority in charge of approving the construction on the former Royal Mint site supported a motion to rename streets nearby to Tiananmen Square, Hong Kong Road, Uighur Court and Tibet Hill. Councillor Rabina Khan, who seconded the motion on Wednesday evening, said she was delighted the Tower Hamlets London Borough Council was “making sure that we call out the Chinese Communist Party’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3126016/tiananmen-square-london-uk-council-seeks-rename-streets-near?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3126016/tiananmen-square-london-uk-council-seeks-rename-streets-near?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Mar 2021 11:37:32 +0000 Boris Johnson’s government was accused of inching towards authoritarian rule after the UK parliament voted for a bill that could end peaceful protests, even a one-person demonstration deemed too noisy. In the debate leading up to the vote, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was denounced by Labour MPs who drew on UK history to oppose the bill. It has also come under criticism from civil and human rights groups including Amnesty International. With the government presiding over an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3125768/uk-police-bill-could-end-peaceful-protests-would-make-dictator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3125768/uk-police-bill-could-end-peaceful-protests-would-make-dictator?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Mar 2021 06:10:58 +0000