Author: Fatimah Idera

Britain has moved the Hartlepool nuclear power station in northeast England operated by France’s EDF into enhanced regulatory attention for safety, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said on Monday. In a statement relayed the ONR said the station remained safe to operate, the decision was made after areas for improvement were identified. EDF is seeking to extend the life of the plant by a further year to March 2027. The ONR said the higher scrutiny did not relate to EDF’s decision to extend the operating lifetime, which was subject to ongoing safety standards being demonstrated. The ONR’s Superintending Inspector…

British police on Friday charged Russell Brand with rape and sexual assault following an 18-month investigation sparked when four women alleged they had been assaulted by the controversial comedian. London’s Metropolitan Police force said Brand, 50, faces one count of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two of sexual assault. Brand denied engaging in “non-consensual” sexual activity. The alleged offenses involve four women and took place between 1999 and 2005 — one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in the Westminster area of central London. Brand, who was once one of…

Britain has completed a successful test of a new engine for hypersonic missiles in what marks a critical step for defence in Europe. The latest UK hypersonic research, which could see weapons travelling at several thousand miles per hour, has reached a landmark moment after it was established that the new engine would power a cutting-edge hypersonic cruise missile, covering greater ranges than a conventional rocket. The engine, which successfully demonstrated the performance of high-speed air-breathing – using air for combustion rather than a separate onboard oxygen device – is set to greatly advance the UK’s hypersonic weapon capabilities. The…

Russian sensors suspected of trying to spy on British nuclear submarines are reported to have been found hidden in the seas around the UK. The British military made the discovery after a number of them washed ashore and were located by the Royal Navy, minehunter ships. They are being seen as a potential threat to national security. The situation has not previously been made public but it has been reported and was looking to try and collect intelligence on the UK’s four Vanguard class submarines, which carry nuclear missiles. At least one of the submarines is at sea as part…

Ed Miliband has sunk an extra £2.7bn into Sizewell C after EDF slashed its stake in the nuclear power project. The Energy Secretary said the additional money would boost energy security, jobs and the race for net zero. But anti-Sizewell campaigners questioned the wisdom of pouring billions into a project that the Government has still not taken a final decision to build. It means UK taxpayers have so far spent a total of £8bn on the nuclear power station. The latest cash is thought to be aimed at building confidence in the project, potentially attracting other investors as EDF steps…

Hotels predominantly in London are threatening to evict hundreds of asylum seekers after failing to receive contracted payments from an accommodation company ditched by the Home Office. The hotels, largely in the London area, say that they should have received payments from Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL) for housing the asylum seekers last month. They claim that means they have been unable to pay their insurance premiums, leaving them in breach of their contracts and potentially without cover. “We are saying that if there is no payment, there is no option. We will have to evict the asylum seekers,” the owner…

Ed Miliband has approved a £4bn development off the Sussex coast despite hundreds of objections, the plans for a giant wind farm to be built in the English Channel with dozens of turbines as tall as the Eiffel Tower. The wind farm, called Rampion 2, received the green light from the Energy Secretary despite objections from hundreds of locals who fear it will damage ecosystems and ruin views from the coastline and South Downs National Park. Once complete, the £4bn development will stretch 50 miles along the coast from east of Brighton to west of Bognor Regis.The plans are part…

Britain’s Prince William was joined by celebrities and soccer stars to announce on Friday that he would take the annual awards ceremony for his multi-million dollar environmental prize to Brazil this year. The heir-to-the throne launched the Earthshot Prize in 2020, with the aim of making huge strides towards fixing environmental problems within a decade. A nod to former U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s “moonshot” project which led to the 1969 lunar landing, its goal is to find innovations to combat climate and other green issues, and awards five winners 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) each to drive their projects.…

London shares plunged on Thursday, as investors avoided risky assets after U.S. President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs amplified global trade war and recession worries. The blue-chip FTSE 100 touched a two-month low, closing down 1.6%, posting its largest daily drop since August 2024.The midcap FTSE 250 index fell 2.2%, hitting a one-year low. Recall, Trump’s new tariffs announced on Wednesday set a baseline of 10% for all imports and higher duties on some of the biggest trading partners of the U.S., crystallizing the global markets’ fears of economic stagflation. However, London said a trade deal with the U.S. is close,…

Chair Helge Lund intends to steping down from his role as BP chairman,with the UK processing to pick his successor, the energy group said on Friday amid a campaign by activist hedge fund Elliott for more change at the company. Lund informed the board of his intention to step down in due course which take effect in 2026. Lund had backed BP’s 2020 strategy under former CEO Bernard Looney to move away from oil and gas, including an ambition to cut its hydrocarbon output by 40% this decade. BP’s shares have been underperforming rivals such as Shell and Exxon. BP’s…