United Kingdom

LONDON (AP) — Detectives are investigating the alleged theft of a Banksy work of art after witnesses shot photos and video of a man removing a red stop sign adorned with three military drones, London police said Saturday.

The sign was taken less than an hour after the elusive street artist posted a photo of the work on his Instagram page Friday.

LONDON (AP) — A boy and a girl were found guilty Wednesday of murdering a transgender teenager in northwest England earlier this year, in a frenzied knife attack that was described as “horrific” by police.

Brianna Ghey, 16, was stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back in broad daylight after being lured to a park in the town of Warrington on Feb. 11.

LONDON, December 18. /TASS/: EU member states are considering the possibility of stripping Hungary of its voting rights in order to conclude an agreement on allocating funds to Ukraine, The Financial Times has quoted European diplomats as saying.

LONDON (AP) — A member of Britain’s House of Lords has acknowledged that she repeatedly lied about her links to a company that was awarded lucrative government contracts to supply protective masks and gowns during the coronavirus pandemic.

Underwear tycoon Michelle Mone said that she had made an “error” in denying connections to the company PPE Medpro, and regretted threatening to sue journalists who alleged she had ties to the firm. Her husband, Doug Barrowman, has acknowledged he led the consortium that owns the company.

LONDON, December 15. /TASS/: The United Kingdom will impose a ban on imports of diamonds from Russia beginning from January 1, 2024, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office said in a statement.

"The UK government is introducing separate legislation to ban the import of diamonds from Russia and plans to proceed with a prohibition on ancillary services relating to metals when this can be done in concert with international partners," the statement says.

LONDON (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels have escalated attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea during the Israel-Hamas war, raising concerns about the impact on the flow of oil, grain and consumer goods through a major global trade artery.

Israeli-linked vessels have been targeted, but the threat to trade has grown this week as a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker was struck and missiles were fired at a vessel carrying jet fuel toward the Suez Canal, where about 10% of the world’s trade passes through.

LONDON, December 11. /TASS/: The United Kingdom will supply two Sandown type minehunter ships to Ukraine, the country’s Ministry of Defense said.

"Defense Secretary Grant Shapps will announce the procurement of two Sandown Class mine countermeasures vessels (MCMVs) by Ukraine through UK Export Finance today in London," the ministry informed.

The United Kingdom together with Norway will form a new maritime coalition to comprise countries desirous of providing naval aid to Ukraine, the ministry noted.

LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended Britain's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday, telling an official inquiry he did not recognise the description of a dysfunctional government that bounced from one idea to the next.

The inquiry is examining Britain's response to the pandemic which killed more than 230,000 people in the country. It has heard testimony that the government of then-prime minister Boris Johnson was gripped by infighting and incompetence, and unable to make a decision.

LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The British government will on Monday publish a summary of its legal advice on draft legislation aimed at reviving a policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said.

Sunak is struggling to maintain his authority as politicians on both the left and the right of his Conservative Party who are unhappy with the legislation threaten to vote against it.

LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Six former London police officers on Thursday were given suspended prison sentences for sharing offensive and racist messages on WhatsApp, including references to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and other members of the royal family.

In a statement after the sentencing hearing Commander James Harman, who leads the Metropolitan Police's Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, said "the racist and discriminatory content of these messages is absolutely appalling".