The free trade agreement (FTA) talks with India are no longer working towards a Diwali deadline though negotiations are progressing well, UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has said as New Delhi expressed confidence on Friday of an "early date" for a mutually beneficial deal. "There are ongoing negotiations as we know on the FTA. There is interest on both sides to see if we can work towards a deal, an FTA, that is beneficial to both the countries at an early date," external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in New Delhi. It came as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his UK counterpart, James Cleverly, and referenced the Roadmap 2030 bilateral agreement signed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former UK PM Boris Johnson in May last year, with no specific reference to the FTA.

The poll found that among those who voted for the Conservatives at the last election, 62 per cent said that party members had made the wrong choice when the race was shortlisted between Truss and Sunak.

The high court in London on Tuesday began hearing evidence from two leading experts in the field of psychiatry to determine the level of suicide risk faced by Nirav Modi if he is extradited to India to face charges of fraud and money laundering, amounting to an estimated $2 billion in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam case. Lord Justice Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Justice Robert Jay heard from Andrew Forrester, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at Cardiff University, and Seena Fazel, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at Oxford University, in the final stages of the extradition appeal being pursued by the 51-year-old diamond merchant. The two psychiatrists weighed up Nirav's level of depression, which could pose a "substantial" or "elevated" risk of suicide.

Labour Leader Keir Starmer told a gathering of hundreds of British Indians that he was determined to put an end to 'divisive politics' and extremist elements exploiting social media to spread hatred within communities.

In a joint appeal on Saturday, the community leaders and local politicians from the eastern England region described Leicester as a great place to live and work and called for solutions to the 'hate-filled violence.'

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has met with local police officers and Hindu and Muslim community leaders in Leicester and assured them that thugs behind the recent violent clashes would face the full force of the law.

Videos of Tuesday's protest outside Durga Bhawan temple on Spon Lane in Smethwick area of the West Midlands city were circulating on social media overnight, with groups of masked men seen shouting and hurling items. Police officers could be seen holding and pulling some of these masked men trying to scale the temple fence.

Leicestershire police said a 20-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon during clashes in the city.

The Queen's coffin then lowered into the royal vault in preparation for her final resting place by the side of her late husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, in an enclave of the historic chapel on her south-east England estate of Windsor.

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday joined around 500 world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and royals from across the world, at Westminster Abbey for a sombre ceremony to bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch.

India on Monday strongly condemned violence against the Indian community and vandalisation of Hindu premises in the eastern England city of Leicester as it sought immediate action against those involved in these attacks.

"Over the last 10 days, my wife and I have been so deeply touched by the many messages of condolence and support we have received from this country and across the world," Charles said in a statement

The UK's first state funeral in 57 years follows a strict protocol and will be steeped in military traditions, with rehearsals being undertaken for many days.

Ahead of Monday's funeral service, the President is invited to a reception hosted by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla at Buckingham Palace.

A man has been arrested after running towards the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall in London as thousands of mourners file past to pay their respects.

"The incident is not being treated as terror-related," the Met Police said.

According to reports, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping as Head of State of a country with which the UK has diplomatic relations.

Queen Elizabeth II will be buried with her late husband Prince Philip at the conclusion of a solemn state funeral service made up of an hour-long ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.

Members of the public began filing past at 5pm local time and will have until 6.30am on the day of the funeral, by which time several thousands are expected to have queued for hours to pay their respects to the Queen.

The UK capital on Wednesday unleashed a major operation to manage the several thousands of people expected to queue over the next few days to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state at Westminster Hall.