Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK launches HS2 construction, promises to create 22,000 jobs

BRITAIN has formally launched building the HS2 high-speed railway, which is set to deliver thousands of jobs to the country's virus-ravaged economy.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the project -- which is to cost more than £106 billion, funded mostly by the state -- will play a part in helping the country get back on its feet following the pandemic.


Prior to the virus outbreak, Johnson saw HS2 as a key infrastructure project aimed at helping drive Britain's post-Brexit economy.

"HS2 is at the heart of our plans to build back better (following the pandemic) and with construction now formally underway, it's set to create around 22,000 new jobs," Johnson said on Friday (4).

The start of construction comes amid huge financial losses for Britain's rail sector as office workers shun public transport to work from home during the virus outbreak.

Despite this, Johnson later told an event to mark the start of building works that he has "absolutely no doubt that mass transit transport infrastructure is going to be crucial for our country, not just now, but in the decades ahead".

HS2, while quickening train journeys between London in southeast England and major cities in the north, will also ease pressure on existing lines and possibly help rebalance a UK economy that is heavily centred on the capital.

"As the spine of our country's transport network, the project will be vital in boosting connectivity between our towns and cities," Johnson said Friday.

"But HS2's transformational potential goes even further.

"By creating hundreds of apprenticeships and thousands of skilled jobs, HS2 will fire up economic growth and help to rebalance opportunity across this country for years to come," he added.

The project's first stage -- connecting London to Britain's second-biggest city Birmingham in the English Midlands -- is due to open by around 2028-2031.

A second phase, extending the line north to English cities Manchester and Leeds, won't be completed before 2035-2040.

And while construction of HS2 is set to produce vast amounts of carbon emissions and destroy ancient woodlands and wildlife, according to experts, its electric trains will likely be far more environmentally friendly than planes making similar trips.

HS2 is Britain's second high-speed rail project after HS1, which links London with the Channel Tunnel that connects the UK to France.

More For You

Streeting: Health deal signals new era in UK-India ties

Foreign Office minister Catherine West, health secretary Wes Streeting and equalities minister Seema Malhotra during the Holi Reception in London.

Streeting: Health deal signals new era in UK-India ties

THE recent health and life sciences agreement between the UK and India will strengthen cooperation on healthcare innovation and security in both countries, health secretary Wes Streeting said.

Speaking at the Holi reception organised by the 1928 Institute, who are the secretariat for the India All-Party Parliamentary Group, in London on Monday (24), he added that the contribution of British Indians has been pivotal in the growth of the NHS since its inception in 1948, and a robust partnership between the two nations will ensure we have a healthcare provider 'fit for the future'.

Keep ReadingShow less
british-steel-iStock

An aerial view of Steel Plant Industry in Scunthorpe. (Photo: iStock)

British Steel to shut blast furnaces, up to 2,700 jobs at risk

BRITISH STEEL, owned by Chinese group Jingye, confirmed on Thursday that it will shut down its blast furnaces and steelmaking operations in England, attributing the decision to market challenges, tariffs, and rising environmental costs.

The closures, first proposed in late 2023, could lead to the loss of up to 2,700 jobs at the company’s main UK site in Scunthorpe, northern England, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Just Stop Oil

Just Stop Oil has garnered significant media attention with its direct action protests

Getty Images

Just Stop Oil ends direct action campaign after major policy success

The environmental activist group Just Stop Oil has announced an end to its disruptive direct action protests, declaring a significant victory in its campaign to halt new oil and gas developments. In a statement released by the organisation, the group confirmed it had successfully influenced government policy to abandon new fossil fuel exploration, marking a major turning point in the movement’s goals.

“Just Stop Oil's initial demand to end new oil and gas is now government policy, making us one of the most successful civil resistance campaigns in recent history,” the group’s statement read. It went on to claim responsibility for having kept over 4.4 billion barrels of oil in the ground, while legal victories in the courts have ruled new oil and gas licences unlawful.

Keep ReadingShow less
submarine-crash-reuters

People walk next to an ambulance in front of the hospital where the bodies of foreigners who were killed when a tourist submarine sank off Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Hurghada, and whose nationalities are still unknown, are kept. (Photo: Reuters)

Six foreign tourists die after submarine sinks off Egypt’s Red Sea coast

SIX tourists died on Thursday when a submarine carrying visitors sank near Hurghada, a resort city on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, state media reported.

According to the state-owned Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper, all the deceased were foreigners. The report also said 19 others were injured in the incident.

Keep ReadingShow less
EU Warns Citizens to Stockpile Essentials Amid War Concerns

Not all EU countries currently have the same level of preparedness

Getty Images

European Union urges citizens to stockpile food and supplies amid risk of war

The European Union (EU) has advised its 450 million citizens to stockpile essential items, including food and water, to prepare for potential emergencies. This call to action is part of a broader strategy to improve disaster preparedness across the 27-nation bloc, as it faces increasing risks from war, cyberattacks, climate change, and public health crises.

The EU’s recommendation comes in light of recent global developments that have raised concerns about security and stability. Citizens are encouraged to have enough food, water, medicine, and other essential supplies to last at least 72 hours during a crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less