United Kingdom

LONDON, Dec 26 (Reuters) - A man who entered the grounds of Windsor Castle, where Britain's Queen Elizabeth is spending Christmas, is being held under the Mental Health Act, London's police said on Sunday.

The 19-year-old from Southampton in southern England did not enter any buildings, and security processes were triggered within moments, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

24 Dec 2021; MEMO: British Labour MP Alex Sobel has called on Samuel Hayek, the chairman the Jewish National Fund (JNF UK), to resign or be removed from office for offensive anti-Muslim remarks.

LONDON, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Britain has reported another 122,186 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, exceeding 120,000 daily cases for the first time since of the start of the pandemic, according to official figures released Friday.

It brought the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 11,891,292.

The country also reported a further 137 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 147,857, with 8,240 COVID-19 patients still in hospital.

LONDON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Britain reported another day of record COVID-19 cases on Friday, with new estimates showing swathes of London's population are carrying the virus, underlining the relentless advance of the Omicron variant.

Omicron's rapid spread has driven a surge in cases over the last seven days, especially in the capital.

Around 1 in 20 Londoners likely had COVID-19 on Dec. 16 and early estimates - which could yet be revised - suggest this may have risen to 1 in 10 on Sunday, models from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed on Friday.

LONDON, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- People with Omicron are significantly less likely to develop severe symptoms, according to new analysis by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) released Thursday.

Early results suggest people are 30-45 percent less likely to go to A&E if they are infected with Omicron than with Delta. They are also 50-70 percent less likely to need to be admitted to hospital, according to the UKHSA.

24 Dec 2021; MEMO: Four asylum seekers who crossed the English Channel to the UK in small boats have managed to have their conviction for immigration offences revoked, with the UK's Court of Appeal acknowledging a lack of proof that they intended to illegally enter the country.

21 Dec 2021; MEMO: Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has been ordered by the High Court in London to provide a British record of more than £554 million ($733 million) to settle a custody battle with his ex-wife over their two children, reports Reuters.

LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement in the next 48 hours on whether to impose "circuit-breaker" restrictions in England to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, The Sun newspaper reported on Tuesday.

It said Johnson is considering a return to "Step 2" curbs that would limit pubs and restaurants to outdoor service only and ban indoor mixing between households.

LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Countries across Europe considered new curbs on movement on Tuesday as U.S. President Joe Biden called on military medics to support hospitals and fight the Omicron variant that has swept the world days before the second Christmas of the pandemic.

Omicron infections are multiplying across Europe, the United States and Asia, including in Japan, where a single cluster of COVID-19 cases at a military base has grown to at least 180.

LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has been ordered by the High Court in London to provide a British record of more than 554 million pounds ($733 million) to settle a custody battle with his ex-wife over their two children.

The bulk of the massive award to Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, half-sister of Jordan's King Abdullah, and the couple's two children, is to ensure their lifetime security, not least to address the "grave risk" posed to them by the sheikh himself, said the judge, Philip Moor.