United Kingdom

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.

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he was looking at all kinds of measures to keep the Omicron coronavirus variant under control as the situation was extremely difficult, cautioning that further restrictions might be needed.

Britain has reported record levels of COVID-19 cases over the past week, with officials and ministers warning that hospitalisations are also rising.

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. Supreme Court ruled Monday that Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó should be recognized as the nation’s interim president in a case that will ultimately determine who controls almost $2 billion of gold held by the Bank of England.

LONDON, December 18. /TASS/: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on Saturday said he declared a "major incident" in the city due to a surge of Omicron cases.

"I have taken the decision, along with our partners, to declare a major incident," the mayor said on Sky News television.

He said hospital admissions and staff absences were going up "by massive levels" and Omicron was the dominant variant. Still, he didn’t announce any new measures.

Last time a major incident was declared was on January 8 amid the spread of the coronavirus’s Alfa variant.

LONDON, December 18. /TASS/: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on Saturday said he declared a "major incident" in the city due to a surge of Omicron cases.

"I have taken the decision, along with our partners, to declare a major incident," the mayor said on Sky News television.

He said hospital admissions and staff absences were going up "by massive levels" and Omicron was the dominant variant. Still, he didn’t announce any new measures.

Last time a major incident was declared was on January 8 amid the spread of the coronavirus’s Alfa variant.

LONDON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Living in U.S. counties with high poverty rates might face a higher risk of firearm-related deaths among children and young adults, according to a study carried by Britain's News Medical website.

"Notably, children and young adults living in these counties accounted for 22 percent of all firearm deaths, 25.5 percent of firearm homicides, 15.3 percent of firearm suicides, and 25.1 percent unintentional firearm deaths in the U.S. during this period," said the study originally published in the U.S. medical journal JAMA Pediatrics.

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s first choice to investigate allegations that government officials held Christmas parties last year when COVID-19 rules barred such gatherings has stepped aside after he, too, was caught up in the “partygate” scandal.

Simon Case, the head of the civil service, resigned from leading the investigation after the Guido Fawkes website reported Friday that Case’s department held two parties in December 2020. Johnson tapped Sue Gray, a former senior government ethics adviser, to take over the inquiry.