UNITED KINGDOM

Prolonged use can cause anaemia, nerve damage and spinal injuries, doctors warn.

Polling indicates that around 45 percent of Scots are currently in favour of Scotland leaving the United Kingdom

A combative Boris Johnson fought for his political career on Wednesday, as the former British prime minister said "hand on heart" he did not lie to parliament over COVID-19 lockdown parties at a hearing with lawmakers.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson welcomed progress on the issue but said "the imposition of EU law" on Northern Ireland had not been resolved.

The California-based SVB bank, which was closed by US authorities on Friday, manages the money of some of the UK's most promising businesses.

The government, which wants to restore 35,000 hectares of English peatlands by 2025, backs the market while also providing grants.

Swiss fragrance and flavour maker Givaudan said on Tuesday that it was being investigated by European Union and Swiss antitrust authorities.

Britain's labour market showed further signs of cooling as permanent job placements fell for the fifth month in a row in February and pay growth slowed, reflecting employers' concerns about the economy, a survey published on Wednesday showed.

The new legislation comes days before a summit Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron, where enhancing cooperation to "stop the boats" is expected to feature high on the agenda.

The decision was announced just as Britain's minister for the Americas, David Rutley, was visiting Buenos Aires for what he called "productive" meetings.

The historic Coronation Chair on which Henry VIII and other monarchs of England and later Britain have been crowned for some 700 years is getting a makeover ahead of this year's ceremony for King Charles, London's Westminster Abbey said.

The new "Windsor Framework" creates a check-free lane for goods coming from the rest of the UK that are intended to stay in Northern Ireland.

The pound held steady on Tuesday, retaining gains overnight after Britain struck a new trade deal with the European Union, which brightened the outlook for the post-Brexit UK economy and signalled improved relations between London and the bloc.

British finance minister Jeremy Hunt may have a 30 billion-pound ($36 billion) windfall at next month's budget, but this will be too short-lived to fund permanent tax cuts or public-sector pay rises, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen on Monday in an effort to finalise a new deal for Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Britons may face shortages of salad staples, including tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, for up to another month, the government said on Thursday.

Britain will scrap the requirement for around 12,000 asylum seekers to undergo face-to-face interviews and instead ask them to fill out a questionnaire, the government said on Thursday, in an attempt to clear record levels of backlogs.

British employers offered the biggest annual pay rises in 32 years during the three months to the end of January, but these increases are still a long way behind double-digit inflation, industry data showed on Wednesday.

Administrators of Sova Capital, a collapsed London broker formerly controlled by Russian banker Roman Avdeev, are seeking UK court approval to sell a pile of Russian securities to Avdeev in a complex and novel attempt to shift illiquid Russian assets.

Britain's support for Ukraine will not change if the main opposition Labour Party wins power in an election next year, Labour leader Keir Starmer said during a visit to Ukraine on Thursday.

She departs after facing mounting pressure over her tactics for independence and over transgender rights.