South African coal-fired power stations have received limited exemptions from air quality laws and harmful emissions reduction regulations, the environment minister said on Monday, but he stressed that the measures did not constitute a “blanket reprieve”. The government is struggling to strike a balance between calls to reduce its carbon footprint and stop harmful emissions and the need to provide electricity to Africa’s most advanced economy, which has stagnated due…

Japanese banks may need to offer business turnaround support to companies hit by tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the head of the country’s banking lobby said. Many large Japanese firms, including major exporters and manufacturers, are grappling with U.S. duties on imports of steel and aluminium and a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks starting this week. “We think tariffs could lead to…

The future of the far-right leader Marine Le Pen – and France’s political landscape – will be decided on Monday when a court hands down its verdict on charges she and party officials embezzled money from the European parliament. If convicted, the three-time presidential candidate of the National Rally (RN) could be barred from standing to succeed Emmanuel Macron in the 2027 presidential election. Public prosecutors have demanded Le Pen…

The chairperson of an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry accused the royal on Sunday of orchestrating a bullying and harassment campaign to try to force her out as she pushed back following his abrupt resignation from the organization. Sophie Chandauka, the Sentebale chair, took several shots at Harry on Sky News in which she described how the prince’s Netflix deal interfered with a scheduled fundraiser and how an incident…

WH Smith is set to sell its more than 230-year-old British high street business to Hobbycraft-owner Modella Capital, a private equity firm for 76 million pounds ($98 million) to focus on global travel retail. The sale means that the WH Smith name will disappear from British shopping streets as the group’s nearly 500 stores will be renamed TGJones by the new owner, which intends to retain existing products and services,…

Ratings agency Moody’s said yesterday that the UK government’s moves to address budget challenges were timely and positive steps aimed at tackling declining public finances amid a worrisome fiscal outlook. British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, on Wednesday, rebuilt the fiscal buffer against which the government measures its fiscal rules, partly by cutting welfare payments. “There is a significant risk that the Chancellor will have to cut spending further or introduce…

In what could be regarded as a historic moment, the sole British soldier charged with murder over the 1972 ‘Bloody Sunday’ killings of 13 unarmed Catholic civil rights marchers in Northern Ireland ,will face trial in September, a court yesterday revealed.. Bloody Sunday became one of the defining moments of the Troubles, three decades of sectarian violence involving nationalists seeking a united Ireland, unionists wanting to remain part of the…

Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury and once the spiritual leader of millions of Anglicans worldwide, has admitted he failed to act adequately on allegations of abuse within the Church of England. His remarks come in the wake of a damning report detailing decades of unchecked abuse by a senior church volunteer. In an interview with the BBC, Welby acknowledged that he had not ensured proper investigations into the…

The Chief Financial Officer(CFO) of Thames Water, Alastair Cochran, has disclosed that he will quit his position at the end of this month. Cochran’s decision is coming after three and a half years as the firm battles to avoid financial downturn. Thames Water is in a £16 billion debt and  recently  got court approval to obtain extra £3 billion as loans to keep it running into 2026. His departure comes…

By Connor Stringer On Friday, the Canadian prime minister and former governor of the Bank of England was forced to deny allegations he copied 10 passages of text for his 1995 doctorate. The allegations are a blow to his election campaign. He faces a knife-edge vote on April 28 after calling a snap election against the backdrop of an aggressive trade war with Donald Trump. Passages of his thesis from his doctorate…

Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to form a “coalition of the willing” in support of Ukraine are facing mounting scepticism from senior Conservative figures, who argue that the proposed alliance lacks substance and staying power. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, cast doubt on the initiative, questioning whether European allies would commit meaningfully to the project—particularly under UK leadership. “I am sceptical about proposals for a pan-European coalition of the willing,…

The 76-year-old King Charles was briefly hospitalized on Thursday after experiencing side effects related to his ongoing cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace confirmed. Although discharged later that day following a short period of observation at the London Clinic, the King has postponed official engagements scheduled in Birmingham. He has been hospitalized at least twice since the beginning of 2024. A statement from Buckingham Palace emphasized that His Majesty’s recovery remains on…