United Kingdom

07 May 2023; MEMO: The Cambridge Union is facing accusations of undermining free speech after it changed the title of a debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

LONDON, May 7 (Reuters) - Anti-monarchists on Sunday criticised the policing of the coronation of King Charles as heavy-handed, saying there was no longer a right to peaceful protest in Britain after dozens of protesters were arrested and detained into the night.

Police arrested Graham Smith, leader of the Republic group, and 51 others in central London as thousands of royal fans gathered in the capital for the event on Saturday, saying their duty to prevent disruption outweighed the right to protest.

LONDON (AP) — After the gilded spectacle of King Charles III’s crowning in an ancient religious ceremony, coronation festivities took a more down-to-earth turn Sunday with thousands of picnics and street parties held across the U.K. in his honor.

The community get-togethers, part of a British tradition known as the Big Lunch, were intended to bring neighbors together to celebrate the newly crowned king even as support for the monarchy wanes. Critics complained about the coronation’s cost at a time of exorbitant living expenses amid double-digit inflation.

London, May 6 (PTI) Rishi Sunak on Saturday made history as the first Indian-origin British Prime Minister to perform a reading at the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey in London.

The 42-year-old British Hindu leader read from the Epistle to the Colossians from the New Testament reflecting the theme of service to others, in keeping with the recent tradition of UK Prime Ministers giving readings at State occasions.

London, May 6 (PTI) King Charles III was on Saturday crowned the King of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey, in a solemn religious ceremony that dates back almost a thousand years.

The king and his wife, Camilla, the queen consort, travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey - a distance of 2.2-km - at a stately pace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach bearing a gilded crown, which was commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony built on ancient traditions at a time when the British monarchy faces an uncertain future.

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives suffered steep losses in Friday's local election result, undermining his attempts to revive their fortunes and emboldening the opposition Labour Party before a national vote expected next year.

Sunak came to power in October following a year of political scandals, surging inflation and stagnant economic growth. In office he has faced a cost-of-living crisis, mounting concern about healthcare and widespread industrial action.

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Conservative Party endured big losses Friday in results from local elections being viewed as a test of support for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ’s government as a national election approaches.

The left-of-center main opposition Labour Party made gains that raised its hopes of winning a national election that is due by the end of 2024. Labour leader Keir Starmer said “we are on course for a Labour majority at the next general election.”

The Conservatives acknowledged it had been “disappointing” election for the party.

LONDON, May 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are braced for heavy losses in their first major electoral test since he became the UK’s third leader in the space of a few chaotic weeks last year.

In the depths of the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, the local council elections across England on Thursday will shed light on the main parties’ standing ahead of a UK-wide general election expected next year.

LONDON (AP) — The coronation of King Charles III involves one of the most important and complex security operations in U.K. history, Britain’s security minister said Wednesday, after police arrested a man and blew up a suspicious bag outside Buckingham Palace.

A suspect was being questioned by police over Tuesday’s incident, which happened four days before scores of foreign royals, dignitaries and heads of state are expected to attend the coronation of King Charles III.