Twitter to hand over @Potus account to Joe Biden on 20 January November 21, 2020 Twitter will hand over the official account of the US president to the Joe Biden administration on 20 January, the company said today. The @Potus account is the president’s official account, and is separate from the personal account used to tweet by Donald Trump to tweet. “Twitter is actively preparing to support the transition of [...]
UK signs rollover trade deal with Canada ahead of post-Brexit talks November 21, 2020 Britain today secured a continuity trade deal with Canada, ensuring the two countries’ £20bn trading relationship will be maintained after Brexit. The government said it has secured an “agreement in principle” to roll over current EU-Canada trading arrangements when the transition period ends on 31 December. This will pave the way for negotiations on a [...]
Boris Johnson ‘tried to tone down’ Priti Patel bullying report November 21, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing accusations that he attempted to tone down a damning report that found Priti Patel had bullied staff. Johnson yesterday came out in support of the home secretary, despite an inquiry concluding that she had broken ministerial code by shouting and swearing at staff. But media reports this morning suggested [...]
Brits to be granted ‘week of Christmas freedom’ in lockdown easing plan November 21, 2020 Lockdown rules could be relaxed for a week over Christmas but Brits would face continued restrictions until late December, according to reports. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will next week announce a nationwide relaxation of Covid rules from 22 to 28 December, allowing several families to join in one “bubble”, the Telegraph reported. But the festive [...]
Donald Trump Jr tests positive for coronavirus November 21, 2020 Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of the outgoing US president, has tested positive for coronavirus. Trump Jr was diagnosed at the start of the week and has been quarantining in his hunting cabin since the results, according to his spokesman. “He’s been completely asymptomatic so far and is following all medically recommended Covid-19 guidelines,” [...]
Rishi Sunak to unveil multi-billion pound spending boost in bid to woo regions November 21, 2020 Rishi Sunak is set to unveil plans to pour billions of pounds into infrastructure projects in a bid to woo regions and narrow the UK’s north-south divide. The chancellor will next week announce the launch of a new UK infrastructure bank, based in northern England, which will play a crucial role in fuelling the country’s [...]
Vaccine by Christmas: Government ready to start vaccinating ‘next month’ November 20, 2020 The NHS is ready to start vaccinating people in England against coronavirus from next month, the health secretary confirmed today. “If the regulator approves a vaccine, we will be ready to start the vaccination next month with the bulk of the rollout in the New Year,” Matt Hancock said at a Downing Street coronavirus briefing. [...]
MPs demand answers from Rishi Sunak on PPE procurement November 20, 2020 MPs have demanded an explanation from chancellor Rishi Sunak on the government’s awarding of contracts to procure personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic, following a damning report from the UK’s accounts watchdog. At least £18bn-worth of PPE contracts signed by the government showed “a lack of transparency” and were missing essential paperwork, the National [...]
Coronavirus: R rate falls across UK to between 1 and 1.1 November 20, 2020 The UK’s coronavirus reproduction number has fallen slightly to a maximum of 1.1, according to official figures. The current estimate of Britain’s coronavirus R rate now stands between 1 and 1.1, down from a previous estimate of 1.1 and 1.2. It means on average every 10 people infected will infect between 10 and 11 other [...]
Boris Johnson vows ‘no return to austerity’ amid plans to freeze public sector pay November 20, 2020 Nearly 4m public sector workers may face a pay freeze next year, including soldiers, police officers, teachers and civil servants