Author: LoveWorld UK

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks on course to win Thursday’s election though the race has tightened markedly and he can no longer be sure of a majority, according to opinion polls published on the eve of the vote. The Dec. 12 election has been described by all parties as Britain’s most important in memory, with Johnson calling for a big majority so he can swiftly pull Britain out of the European Union next month. The main opposition Labour Party promises a new referendum on Brexit as well as a renationalisation of utilities and railroads in its most left-wing platform…

Just days before Britain votes in an election he called to try to break the deadlock over Brexit, Johnson will repeat his desire to “finally get Brexit done” on a tour of traditionally Labour-supporting areas he hopes to win over. He will also hope to get his campaign back on track after he was criticised on Monday for his response to being shown a photo of a sick child lying on a hospital floor and after being heckled by a voter over his election tactics. Johnson has put his oft-repeated pledge for a quick Brexit at the heart of his…

Whoever leaked UK-U.S. trade papers online ahead of Britain’s general election took extensive precautions to cover their tracks, which experts who suspect Russia was behind the effort say points to a professional and well-planned operation. The heightened security measures, including a web of disposable email addresses and virtual phone numbers, are not typical of ordinary internet users and draw further parallels with a previous Russian information operation, said outside researchers and government officials. British intelligence officials are now investigating whether the documents, which detail negotiations between Britain and the United States over a future trade deal, were part of a…

Britain is looking at whether or not to decriminalise the penalty for non-payment of the 154.50-pound ($198) annual BBC “licence fee” tax on all television-watching households, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said on Tuesday. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday questioned why the BBC should continue to be supported by the annual fee, one of the biggest hints to date that the funding of Britain’s main news provider could be upended. “What we are talking about as a first step is the decriminalisation of failing to pay the TV licence,” Buckland told BBC radio. He said people during election campaigning…

World No. 1 shipbuilding group Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co Ltd’s (267250.KS) $1.8 billion merger with rival shipbuilder Daewoo is expected to face a full-scale investigation in Europe due to serious EU antitrust concerns, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday. In January, Hyundai announced the deal to create the world’s biggest shipbuilder with a 21 percent market share, in part a response to the over-capacity in the industry. The European Commission will launch an investigation into the deal next week, the people said. Source: Reuters

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he would try to find a way to honour his promise to oppose Heathrow airport expansion by lying down in front of bulldozers but that it might be difficult for him. The British parliament has approved an expansion plan for Heathrow, including building the first full-length new runway in the London area for 70 years, but the plans are being challenged in the courts. Before he won the top job, Johnson opposed Heathrow expansion and promised to lie down before bulldozers to stop it. “On Heathrow, it’s a private-sector project which is…

The proceeds from Saudi Aramco’s record initial public offering have risen to $29.4 billion after the oil company exercised an option to sell 15% more stock, an executive at one of the banks leading the deal told Al Arabiya news channel on Monday. Wassim Al-Khatib, head of investment banking at the investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s biggest bank, National Commercial Bank (1180.SE), said the state-controlled oil giant had exercised the so-called over-allotment option. Aramco’s main IPO raised $25.6 billion on Thursday. “The final number of shares sold is 3.450 billion shares, and the final value of the deal is $29.4…

Sterling is the big mover first thing as we enter a critical week for world markets. The pound surged to 2-1/2 year highs against the euro and 7-month highs on the dollar, with traders increasingly confident the ruling Conservative Party will be returned to power with an overall parliamentary majority in Thursday’s UK election. A swathe of opinion polls over the weekend showed PM Boris Johnson’s Conservatives with a lead of 10 percentage points or more over the main opposition Labour Party, with Monday’s opinion poll by Survation for ITV’s Good Morning Britain showing the gap as high as 14 points.…

British house prices rose in November at the fastest annual rate in seven months, mortgage lender Halifax said on Friday. House prices increased 2.1% year-on-year after a 0.9% rise in October. In November alone, prices rose by 1.0% after a 0.1% drop in the previous month. “While a degree of uncertainty remains evident, it’s also clear that buyers and sellers are responding to factors such as improved mortgage affordability and the limited supply of available properties,” Halifax managing director Russell Galley said. Source: Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli says it may have been a combination of “arrogance and over-confidence” that caused his side’s 2-1 defeat by Manchester United in the Premier League on Wednesday. Spurs came into the game on a three-match winning streak under new manager Jose Mourinho but failed to build on that momentum at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford put United ahead but a piece of technical brilliance from Alli brought Spurs level, only for a 49th-minute Rashford penalty to secure the three points for the hosts. “We had to match their energy. We lost the game not by them outplaying…