By , LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped Britain could return to normality before Christmas, setting out a phased removal of lockdown restrictions, but warned the country still needed to prepare for the worst.Britain’s death toll of more than 45,000 from confirmed cases of COVID-19 is Europe’s highest but the country has begun to lift lockdown measures as case numbers and infection rates fall.Johnson set out the latest timetable for easing on Friday, saying employers would be given more discretion over working from home rules, that the safety of larger gatherings...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped Britain could return to normality before Christmas, setting out a phased removal of lockdown restrictions, but warned the country still needed to prepare for the worst.Britain’s death toll of more than 45,000 from confirmed cases of COVID-19 is Europe’s highest but the country has begun to lift lockdown measures as case numbers and infection rates fall.Johnson set out the latest timetable for easing on Friday, saying employers would be given more discretion over working from home rules, that the safety of larger gatherings...WW…

By , LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a map out of lockdown for England on Monday that would keep some businesses shuttered until the summer, saying caution was necessary to ensure there were no reversals on a “one-way road to freedom”.After imposing one of the strictest lockdowns in the western world in January to counter a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus, Johnson said Britain was now in a position to enjoy the fruits of one of the world’s fastest vaccine programmes.Starting in two weeks with the reopening of schools, the phased plan will go through...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a map out of lockdown for England on Monday that would keep some businesses shuttered until the summer, saying caution was necessary to ensure there were no reversals on a “one-way road to freedom”.After imposing one of the strictest lockdowns in the western world in January to counter a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus, Johnson said Britain was now in a position to enjoy the fruits of one of the world’s fastest vaccine programmes.Starting in two weeks with the reopening of schools, the phased plan will go through...WW…

By , LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a map out of lockdown for England on Monday that would keep some businesses shuttered until the summer, saying caution was necessary to ensure there were no reversals on a “one-way road to freedom”.After imposing one of the strictest lockdowns in the western world in January to counter a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus, Johnson said Britain was now in a position to enjoy the fruits of one of the world’s fastest vaccine programmes.Starting in two weeks with the reopening of schools, the phased plan will go through...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a map out of lockdown for England on Monday that would keep some businesses shuttered until the summer, saying caution was necessary to ensure there were no reversals on a “one-way road to freedom”.After imposing one of the strictest lockdowns in the western world in January to counter a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus, Johnson said Britain was now in a position to enjoy the fruits of one of the world’s fastest vaccine programmes.Starting in two weeks with the reopening of schools, the phased plan will go through...WW…

By , LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) - A wave of COVID-19 lockdowns and curbs has stirred resistance across Europe, with the right-wing British politician who helped force an EU referendum harnessing popular anger at a new lockdown by recasting his Brexit Party under a new banner.Britain, which has the highest official death toll in Europe from COVID-19, is grappling with more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day and scientists have warned the “worst-case” scenario of 80,000 dead could be exceeded.Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended a second lockdown in England from critics who said it was...…By , LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) - A wave of COVID-19 lockdowns and curbs has stirred resistance across Europe, with the right-wing British politician who helped force an EU referendum harnessing popular anger at a new lockdown by recasting his Brexit Party under a new banner.Britain, which has the highest official death toll in Europe from COVID-19, is grappling with more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day and scientists have warned the “worst-case” scenario of 80,000 dead could be exceeded.Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended a second lockdown in England from critics who said it was...WW…

By , LONDON (Reuters) - Britain announced on Monday it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in an escalation of a dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament the treaty would be suspended immediately and an arms embargo would be extended to Hong Kong.“We will not consider reactivating those arrangements, unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards, which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation,” Raab...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - Britain announced on Monday it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in an escalation of a dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament the treaty would be suspended immediately and an arms embargo would be extended to Hong Kong.“We will not consider reactivating those arrangements, unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards, which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation,” Raab...WW…

By , LONDON (Reuters) - Britain announced on Monday it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in an escalation of a dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament the treaty would be suspended immediately and an arms embargo would be extended to Hong Kong.“We will not consider reactivating those arrangements, unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards, which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation,” Raab...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - Britain announced on Monday it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in an escalation of a dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament the treaty would be suspended immediately and an arms embargo would be extended to Hong Kong.“We will not consider reactivating those arrangements, unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards, which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation,” Raab...WW…

By , LONDON (Reuters) - The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada criticised China on Thursday for imposing a new security law on Hong Kong that they said would breach the 1984 Sino-British agreement on the former colony and threaten its freedoms.“Hong Kong has flourished as a bastion of freedom,” the four countries said in a joint statement expressing their deep concern over Beijing’s move.The security law would “curtail the Hong Kong people’s liberties, and in doing so, dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous,” they said.China’s...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada criticised China on Thursday for imposing a new security law on Hong Kong that they said would breach the 1984 Sino-British agreement on the former colony and threaten its freedoms.“Hong Kong has flourished as a bastion of freedom,” the four countries said in a joint statement expressing their deep concern over Beijing’s move.The security law would “curtail the Hong Kong people’s liberties, and in doing so, dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous,” they said.China’s...WW…

By , LONDON (Reuters) - Britain wants to expand its influence among countries in the Indo-Pacific region to try to moderate China’s global dominance, a document laying out post-Brexit foreign and defence policy priorities said on Tuesday.It sets out a planned increase to Britain’s nuclear arsenal to weigh against evolving global security threats, and underlines the importance of strong ties with the United States while naming Russia as the top regional threat.Britain’s biggest foreign and defence policy review since the 1990 end of the Cold War sets out how Prime Minister Boris Johnson...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - Britain wants to expand its influence among countries in the Indo-Pacific region to try to moderate China’s global dominance, a document laying out post-Brexit foreign and defence policy priorities said on Tuesday.It sets out a planned increase to Britain’s nuclear arsenal to weigh against evolving global security threats, and underlines the importance of strong ties with the United States while naming Russia as the top regional threat.Britain’s biggest foreign and defence policy review since the 1990 end of the Cold War sets out how Prime Minister Boris Johnson...WW…

By , LONDON (Reuters) - Britain wants to expand its influence among countries in the Indo-Pacific region to try to moderate China’s global dominance, a document laying out post-Brexit foreign and defence policy priorities said on Tuesday.It sets out a planned increase to Britain’s nuclear arsenal to weigh against evolving global security threats, and underlines the importance of strong ties with the United States while naming Russia as the top regional threat.Britain’s biggest foreign and defence policy review since the 1990 end of the Cold War sets out how Prime Minister Boris Johnson...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - Britain wants to expand its influence among countries in the Indo-Pacific region to try to moderate China’s global dominance, a document laying out post-Brexit foreign and defence policy priorities said on Tuesday.It sets out a planned increase to Britain’s nuclear arsenal to weigh against evolving global security threats, and underlines the importance of strong ties with the United States while naming Russia as the top regional threat.Britain’s biggest foreign and defence policy review since the 1990 end of the Cold War sets out how Prime Minister Boris Johnson...WW…

By LONDON (Reuters) - Restaurants and pubs in England will be able to serve customers on pavements, terraces and even in car parks under a relaxation of planning laws put before parliament on Thursday, as ministers seek to restart the stalled hospitality sector on July 4.Britain is slowly reopening after more than three months of lockdown that has pushed some businesses to the brink and forced the government to borrow billions to support its economy.The government will present legislation aimed at allowing pubs, cafes and restaurants more freedom to operate outside, where experts say the...…By LONDON (Reuters) - Restaurants and pubs in England will be able to serve customers on pavements, terraces and even in car parks under a relaxation of planning laws put before parliament on Thursday, as ministers seek to restart the stalled hospitality sector on July 4.Britain is slowly reopening after more than three months of lockdown that has pushed some businesses to the brink and forced the government to borrow billions to support its economy.The government will present legislation aimed at allowing pubs, cafes and restaurants more freedom to operate outside, where experts say the...WW…