United Kingdom

LONDON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- While there is marked difference between U.S. red states and blue states in COVID-19 vaccination rate, the United States as a whole trails every other advanced country in vaccine uptake as its people selfishly put themselves first, The Guardian said in an opinion article Sunday.

29 Nov 2021; MEMO: Israel urged world leaders to keep up pressure on Iran and not lift sanctions as part of nuclear negotiations that were set to resume in Vienna on Monday, saying that tighter supervision of Tehran was needed, Reuters reports.

LONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Israel urged world leaders to keep up pressure on Iran and not lift sanctions as part of nuclear negotiations that were set to resume in Vienna on Monday, saying that tighter supervision of Tehran was needed.

Negotiators were to convene in a last-ditch effort to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal abandoned three years later by the United States under then-President Donald Trump, who then reimposed sweeping U.S. sanctions on Iran. That led to breaches of the deal by Tehran, and dismayed the other powers involved.

SUNDERLAND, England, Nov 29 (Reuters) - When Britain left the European Union on Jan. 31 last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his top ministers travelled to Sunderland for a special cabinet meeting and hailed "a new chapter in the United Kingdom's story."

The post-industrial city, in northeast England, holds a special significance for Johnson and his fellow Brexit campaigners. It became known as "Brexit city" when it was the first region to fall to the "Leave" side in a 2016 referendum, with support of nearly two thirds of Sunderland voters.

29 Nov 2021; MEMO: Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid arrived in the UK capital London yesterday on a two-day trip that will also see him visit France in a bid to mobilise against the possible signing of a new Iranian nuclear deal, a statement said yesterday.

According to Haaretz, Lapid will meet several high-ranking British officials including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron.

LONDON (AP) — The new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in more European countries on Saturday, just days after being identified in South Africa, leaving governments around the world scrambling to stop the spread.

The U.K. on Saturday tightened its rules on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two cases. New cases were confirmed Saturday in Germany and Italy, with Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong also reporting that the variant has been found in travelers.

LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - A Kurdish woman from northern Iraq, who was among 27 migrants who died trying to cross the Channel between France and Britain this week, has become the first victim to be named by British media.

The migrants died when their dinghy deflated as they made a perilous crossing of the English Channel on Wednesday, the worst tragedy on record in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Maryam Nuri Mohamed Amin, 24, made the journey in order to see her fiance, the BBC reported, citing family members and a close friend.

LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - At least two people died and tens of thousands were left without power as Storm Arwen brought strong winds across many parts of the United Kingdom, with gusts of up to 100 miles per hour (160 kph).

One man died in Northern Ireland's County Antrim when his car was struck by a falling tree on Friday evening, police said in a statement. Local media reported the man was the principal of a primary school.

Another man was killed in Cumbria in the northwest of England when he was hit by a falling tree, police said.

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Central London shops and businesses hoping to receive a much-needed boost from Black Friday sales were hit by disruption to the tube network as drivers held their biggest strike since 2018.

The 24-hour strike, which started at 0430 GMT, led to the suspension of the Piccadilly, and Waterloo and City lines, and delays on the Jubilee, Central, Victoria and Northern lines.

Transport for London (TfL) said it was running 58% of its usual services.

LONDON/GENEVA, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Global authorities reacted with alarm on Friday to a new coronavirus variant detected in South Africa, with the EU and Britain among those tightening border controls as researchers sought to find out if the mutation was vaccine-resistant.

Hours after Britain banned flights from South Africa and neighbouring countries and asked travellers returning from there to quarantine, the World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned against hasty travel bans.

The head of the UN World Tourism Organisation called for a quick decision.