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«We have held many meetings and looking at what best can be done,» said Dr Anupam Prakash, chairman of the OTC sub-committee. Unlike other countries like the US, UK or China, India does not have a policy framework to support and regulate distribution, marketing and consumption of OTC drugs. This is despite the fact that commonly used medicines for cough and cold as well as contraceptives are sold over the counter. Neither the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 nor the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 (D&C) defines OTC medicines.

At a meeting in the UK Parliament complex this week, stakeholders gathered to reflect on the report's findings and make the case that investing in ending malaria is the economically smart thing to do. It was noted how community health workers in India, comprising mainly women, are reaching remote populations and «significantly driving down malaria cases and deaths».

King Charles III on Friday joked that he was «still alive» as he met east London community members at the end of a year in which the British monarch has battled cancer, as per a report. The quip, which came after a member of the public asked Charles how he was, followed reports on Friday that the 76-year-old sovereign will continue his cancer treatment into next year, AFP reported. Buckingham Palace sources told Sky News that «his treatment has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year».

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, borrowing – measured as the difference between public sector spending and income – was £3.4bn less than 12 months ago. Figures came in slightly less than economists' expectations, who were polled by Reuters, leading to a boost for the chancellor Rachel Reeves with the new year on the horizon.  Outlook 2025: The state of the UK's capital markets as we enter 2025 According to Jessica Barnaby, deputy director of public sector finances at the ONS, this reduction this was driven by central government tax receipts which «grew com...

Cummings' statements came as the IA's How investment management supports UK growth report found over 15 million UK adults have investable assets worth more than £10,000, with more than half owning at least three-quarters of them in cash. According to the IA CEO, «this means they are missing out on the potential investment growth while being exposed to the detrimental impact of inflation», which has led to a drop in the real value of investments in cash individual savings accounts (ISAs). Number of ISA millionaires hits all-time high of nearly 5,000 «If these consumers had put £10,0...

With president-elect Donald Trump threatening punitive tariffs of 25 per cent, Canada should look to a reliable, old ally for expanding trade: the United Kingdom.

According to data the Office for National Statistics, the 0.2% rise in retail sales in November is below the annual sales volumes leading up to that month, which stood at 0.5%. The largest decline in sales came from textile clothing and footwear stores, which experienced a 2.6% drop in volumes in November after a 3.5% decrease in October of this year. «This left clothing stores sales volumes at their lowest level since January 2022, with retailers reporting that economic factors were affecting sales,» the ONS stated. UK retail sales slump to 0.6% as shoppers protect their coffers f...

Nitin Gadkari has expressed strong opposition to live-in relationships and same-sex marriages, calling both “wrong” and stating they could destabilize society. In a recent YouTube podcast, Gadkari said that same-sex marriages would «collapse the social structure» and warned that their legalization could lead to the acceptance of other controversial practices. «Same-sex marriage would lead to the collapse of the social structure,» Gadkari said, adding that if such marriages were allowed, it could pave the way for future governments to consider enabling men to have multiple wives. «Both live-in relationships and same-sex marriages are inappropriate,» he added. Gadkari also shared insights from his visit to the British Parliament, where he said he asked UK leaders about the key challenges facing their country. He recalled that they identified a major issue as the growing trend of young men and women in European nations opting for live-in relationships instead of marriage. In the podcast, Gadkari stressed the importance of balancing the sex ratio and emphasized that married couples should have children to ensure societal stability. “If the sex ratio reaches a point where there are 1,500 women and only 1,000 men, we may have to allow men to have two wives,” he said.

An Australian computer scientist who falsely claimed to be the founder of the bitcoin cryptocurrency has been found to have committed contempt of court by breaching an order of London’s High Court

The Series C funding round valued the company at $2.1 billion and the investment will be used for further global growth strategy, bolttech said in the statement. That is 31.3% higher than the $1.6 billion disclosed in its previous Series B funding round in May 2023.

The jury in a US federal court in Delaware is considering whether Qualcomm or Nuvia, a startup Qualcomm purchased for $1.4 billion in 2021, breached a license agreement with U.K.-based Arm, which supplies intellectual property to both firms. The case could upend Qualcomm's push into the PC market with a chip meant to rival Apple and Intel on speed.

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data protection watchdog on Thursday criticised Google for an «irresponsible» policy change on how online user information can be tracked and collected for targeted advertising. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) warned Google against a policy «U-turn» allowing advertisers to use «fingerprinting» technology, which involves cross-referencing device hardware and software information to uniquely recognise a user. «Fingerprinting is not a fair means of tracking users online because it is likely to reduce people's choice and control over how their information is collected,» the ICO said in a statement.

The U.K.’s central bank warned Thursday of “heightened uncertainty” as it kept interest rates on hold after inflation moved further above target, even at a time when the British economy is flatlining at best.

Siddiq, whose ministerial brief includes stamping out corruption in the UK's financial sector, is alleged to have brokered a deal with Russia in 2013 that inflated the price of a new nuclear power plant in Bangladesh at a time when Siddiq's aunt, Sheikh Hasina, was prime minister of the country, according to court document seen by the Daily Mail. The probe is part of a wider investigation into Siddiq's family by Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), after her aunt was ousted as prime minister and forced to flee the country in August this year.  Tulip Siddiq: FCA 'has gone too...

Six MPC members, including BoE governor Andrew Bailey, voted in favour of maintaining the current interest rate, while three members voted to trim it down by 25 basis points to 4.5%. The decision followed a 2.6% rise in the annual inflation rate in November, up from 1.7% two months earlier in September. The data for November was slightly below FactSet's consensus, which expected that figure to stand at 2.7% last month. Rise in UK inflation 'unwelcome' ahead of BoE interest rate meeting According to BoE, the inflation came in slightly higher than previously expected, «owing in la...

LONDON — The U.K.'s central bank has kept interest rates on hold as inflation moves further above its target rate, even though the British economy is flatlining at best.

Besides a so-called «step change» in tackling illegal working with new technology for frontline border officers, the Home Office will also introduce an Immigration White Paper next year to set out further details of its plan to reduce legal migration. ALSO READ: Indians have highest concentration of professionals in UK: Report

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As OpenAI and Google joust this December, with the former’s 12 Days of Innovation challenge, and the latter countering it with its Gemini 2 AI model, I look beyond these skirmishes to predict my Twelve Trends for AI going into 2025 and beyond. I will describe them over three columns.

influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan over unpaid taxes. As reported by Reuters, the ruling from Westminster Magistrates’ Court follows allegations that the Tates failed to pay taxes on £21 million in revenue generated from their online businesses between 2014 and 2022. Judge Paul Goldspring found evidence of deliberate tax evasion, marking a critical escalation in the brothers' legal troubles across multiple jurisdictions.

According to Teneo's latest CEO and Investor Outlook Survey, 56% of UK-based businesses took into account listing abroad in 2024, up from 27% a year before. The latest figures came after a year which saw the London Stock Exchange suffer its largest exodus since the 2009 financial crisis. According to data from the London Stock Exchange Group, a total of 88 companies have delisted or transferred their primary listing from London's main market in 2024, with a mere 18 taking their place.  Over the past couple of weeks, FTSE heavyweight Ashtead Group became the latest company to announ...