The U.K. will build new nuclear-powered attack submarines and create an army ready to fight a war in Europe as part of a boost to military spending.

The British government is about to outline the biggest increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War as it seeks to send “a message to Moscow.”.

The British government will roll out the use of medication to suppress the sex drive of sex offenders.

The four contenders to lead Britain’s Conservative Party have taken turns to argue why they have what it takes to lead the right-of-center party back from a catastrophic election defeat.

An attacker threw firebombs an immigration center in the English port town of Dover before killing himself.

The U.K. has opened a public inquiry into plans for the country’s first new deep coal mine in three decades amid complaints that permitting the project would send the wrong message as the government seeks to persuade other countries to give up coal.

Pharmacy Technician Katrina Bonwick draws a does of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine ready for use at the Wheatfield surgery in Luton, England, Thursday, March 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)LONDON – Britain is facing a shortfall in COVID-19 vaccine supplies that may delay the start of shots for people under 50 after deliveries from two suppliers were curtailed due to production and testing issues. Johnson’s comments came a day after the National Health Service told doctors that vaccine supplies would be “significantly constrained” beginning March 29. AdThe nation’s medicines regulator on Thursday recommended that people continue to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, despite concerns about blood clots raised in some European countries. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said a “rigorous review” of all the data available found no evidence that the AstraZeneca vaccine caused clots in veins.

After resolving a few remaining fair-competition issues, negotiators tussled over EU fishing rights in U.K. waters as they worked right into Christmas Eve to secure a provisional deal for a post-Brexit relationship after nine months of talks. A trade deal would avert the imposition of tariffs and duties that could cost both sides billions in trade and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Johnson has always insisted the U.K. will “prosper mightily” even if no deal is reached and the U.K. has to trade with the EU on World Trade Organization terms from Jan. 1. Rumors of a pre-Christmas trade deal surfaced in recent days based on progress on the main outstanding issues, other than fishing. On Wednesday, brokering on quotas and transition times for EU vessels to continue fishing in U.K. waters was in full swing, with progress reported from several sides.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham speaks to the media outside Bridgewater Hall, following last-ditch talks with the Prime Minister aimed at securing additional financial support for his consent on new coronavirus restrictions, in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. But he stressed that not acting would put lives and the health care system in Manchester at risk. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has been fighting for more financial support for workers and businesses affected by the restrictions in his region of almost 3 million people. At a minute past midnight on Friday, Greater Manchester will join the Liverpool and Lancashire regions of northwest England which have been placed in Tier 3, the highest level. Instead it has adopted a three-tier system for England, with areas classed as medium, high or very high virus risk.

A view of a beer glass, at the Dispensary pub in Liverpool, England, Monday Oct 12, 2020. The British government has carved England into three tiers of risk in a bid to slow the spread of a resurgent coronavirus. The northern city of Liverpool is in the highest category and will close pubs, gyms and betting shops. Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled the new system Monday in an orchestrated series of events that culminated with an address to the nation. “The trend in COVID related deaths is starting to rise quickly which is hugely concerning,'' said Dr. Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on Monday expected to back a new three-tier local lockdown system, which could see pubs and restaurants in coronavirus hotspots in England being temporarily closed. In response to the virus’ resurgence, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce in Parliament on Monday a three-tier local lockdown system, formally known as "Local COVID Alert Levels," for England, his office said. Under the new system, the country will be placed into “medium,” “high” and “very high” alert levels. The new lockdown system, which is intended to simplify the process by which local restrictions are imposed, has been widely anticipated for a couple of weeks following a sharp increase in new cases. England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, warned that the U.K. is at a “tipping point" akin to where the country was in March.

“In some parts of the country, the number of cases are rising very fast and we are taking that very seriously." In many areas of northern England, it's not clear the local restrictions have worked — in some areas, the number of new infections is 10 times higher than when the localized virus restrictions were announced. Unions are demanding that the government accompanies any lockdown changes with a financial support package to prevent mass unemployment. A national program that has helped keep a lid on unemployment is due to halt at the end of October. ___Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak