United Kingdom

LONDON (AP) — Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn struggled Tuesday to defuse harsh criticism about anti-Semitism leveled at both himself and the party by Britain’s chief rabbi.

In what was arguably his most difficult day in the general election campaign so far, Corbyn faced a multitude of questions over Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis’ damaging remarks in The Times newspaper.

LONDON/TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Tuesday on hopes of progress toward a trade agreement between the United States and China, the world’s biggest oil users, and predictions of a draw on U.S. crude inventories.

Brent crude LCOc1, the international price benchmark, gained 14 cents to $63.79 by 1144 GMT while West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was up 17 cents at $58.18.

LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England fined Citigroup (C.N) 43.9 million pounds ($56.3 million) on Tuesday, saying the U.S. banking group’s British operations failed to provide accurate regulatory returns to the BoE between 2014 and 2018.

“While Citi remained in surplus to its liquidity and capital requirements at all times, the failings persisted over a significant length of time and were serious and widespread in nature,” the BoE said.

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 2 million under-35s have applied to vote in Britain’s Dec. 12 election since the poll was called just four weeks ago, government data showed ahead of Tuesday’s registration deadline.

The outcome of next month’s election, which will determine how, when and even whether Britain leaves the European Union, remains uncertain. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives are ahead in opinion polls but two published this week have shown their lead narrowing.

LONDON, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- A man was arrested on Monday on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals that were found in a refrigerated lorry container in October in Essex in southeast England.

British police said the 36-year-old man, from Purfleet in Essex, remains in custody, media reports said.

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday that a UK-U.S. trade deal would be very difficult to agree, saying protectionist sentiment worldwide was making trade agreements harder to negotiate.

“I wouldn’t hold your breath on a United States-UK trade deal, I think it is going to be very difficult,” Blair told a Reuters Newsmaker event.

“In today’s world they (trade deals) are even more difficult because there is a lot of protectionist sentiment.”

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday that Britain was in a mess, warning that neither his own Labour Party nor the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, deserved to win a Dec. 12 election.

“We’re a mess,” Blair said at a Reuters Newsmaker event. “The buoyancy of the world economy has kept us going up to now, but should that falter, we will be in deep trouble.”

LONDON (Reuters) - A Northern Irish man, who is charged with the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese nationals found dead in a truck near London last month, pleaded guilty on Monday to assisting unlawful immigration and to acquiring criminal property.

Appearing by video link from Belmarsh Prison in east London, Maurice Robinson, 25, was not asked to enter a plea to 41 other charges, including 39 counts of manslaughter.

No trial date was set and Robinson is next due in court on Dec. 13.

TELFORD, England (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will promise to bring his deal to leave the European Union back to parliament before Christmas when he launches his Conservative Party’s manifesto on Sunday.

With less than three weeks before Britain heads to the polls on Dec. 12, the governing Conservatives and opposition Labour are trying to tempt voters with different visions but several pledges to spend more on public services.

24 Nov 2019; MEMO: The Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, hailed the pledge made by the UK’s Labour Party to suspend arms sales to Israel, describing it as a “historical” step.