United Kingdom

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will make a decision soon about whether to allow Huawei equipment to be used in its 5G networks but China must play by the rules if it gets access to Western markets, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.

Asked when a decision would be made by the United Kingdom on Huawei, Wallace said on Wednesday: “The government will come to its position soon. We will get to a decision pretty soon.

LONDON (Reuters) - Global oil demand is weathering economic headwinds, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, buoyed by lower prices brought on by abundant supply as the United States briefly dethroned Saudi Arabia as the world’s top exporter.

“With oil prices currently about 20% lower than a year ago, there will be support for consumers,” the IEA said in its monthly report.

Scotland’s highest civil court has ruled that British PM Boris Johnson’s suspension of the UK Parliament ahead of Brexit is unlawful. A panel of three judges at the Court of Session found in favour of a cross-party group of politicians who were challenging the prime minister's move.

Five week suspension of Parliament, a process known as proroguing, started on Tuesday. MPs are not scheduled to return to Parliament until 14 October, and UK is due to leave the EU on 31 October.

11 September 2019; AFP: Britain has never apologised for the 1919 massacre at Amritsar in India but the head of the Church of England prostrated himself to say sorry in a personal capacity and "in the name of Christ".

British troops fired on thousands of unarmed men, women and children in Amritsar on April 13, 1919, killing 379 people according to colonial-era records. Indian figures put the total closer to 1,000.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s governing Conservatives retain a significant lead over the opposition Labour Party according to a poll published on Wednesday as the country could soon hold an election to break the Brexit stalemate.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s party had the support of 38% of voters in the Kantar online survey conducted between Sep. 5 and Sep. 9 whilst the opposition Labour Party took 24%. Both parties are down four percentage points.

Just over half of respondents also support any final Brexit deal being put to another referendum.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s main opposition Labour Party should campaign against Brexit and push for a referendum to reverse its planned departure from the European Union before any election, deputy party chief Tom Watson, is due to say on Wednesday.

After parliament ordered Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week to seek a Brexit delay beyond Oct. 31 unless he strikes a deal to smooth the transition, Brexit is up in the air with options ranging from a turbulent no-deal exit to a referendum that could reverse the entire endeavour.

LONDON (Reuters) - Scotland’s highest court of appeal ruled on Wednesday that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament for five weeks is unlawful, the lawmaker who led the challenge said.

Parliament was prorogued, or suspended, on Monday until Oct. 14, a move opponents argued was designed to thwart their attempts to scrutinise his plans for leaving the European Union and allow him to push through a no-deal Brexit.

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday he would get a Brexit deal and leave the European Union on Oct. 31.

“We’re going to get a deal, and we’ll work very hard to get a deal,” Johnson told children during a visit to a school. “I was in Ireland yesterday talking to our Irish friends about how to do that. And we’re going to go to Brussels and chat to some other European capitals.”

He added: “There is a way of getting a deal but it will take a lot of hard work. We must be prepared to come out without one.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s opposition Labour Party said on Tuesday if it won power it would create a Ministry of Employment Rights to deliver better wages, greater job security and give workers more of a say over how their workplaces are run.

With a deepening crisis over Brexit in Britain, both Labour and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s governing Conservative Party are already drawing the battle lines for an early election, which many believe could be triggered later this year.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s Heathrow Airport said it will work to ensure it stays open and can operate safely during planned drone disruption by climate activists due to start on Friday.

A group calling itself Heathrow Pause has said it plans to disrupt the airport with toy drones from Sept. 13, a step they hope will ground flights and put pressure on the government to take tougher steps to reduce carbon emissions.