Equity interest requirement removed from new £800m taxpayer-funded research agency February 1, 2022 Proposals to create a new taxpayer-backed £800m research agency have been considered further by MPs. The Government wants the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) to focus on “high-risk, high-reward” research to explore new ideas while having “strategic and cultural” independence and the freedom to fail. The House of Lords had supported an amendment which [...]
Hasta la vista: Arnold Schwarzenegger vows to ‘terminate pollution’ at climate change summit February 1, 2022 Former California governor and Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger has vowed to “terminate pollution” at the sixth annual Austrian World Summit climate conference. The former bodybuilder and actor said he and Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen would be welcoming “climate action heroes” from around the world for the event. The conference will take place in [...]
PM pulls out of tech chief meet-up following Sue Gray party report February 1, 2022 The Prime Minister pulled out of a well-publicised meeting with tech chiefs yesterday as he focussed on responding to the report into lockdown parties at Downing Street.
DARPA exec Highnam set to lead Cummings’ £800m research agency ARIA January 31, 2022 Peter Highnam is set to become the new chief executive of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency, the UK’s new pioneering research body and the brainchild of Dominic Cummings. Dr Highnam is currently working as the deputy director of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and an official announcement is expected this week [...]
Truss: All major Russian businesses at risk of heavy UK sanctions if Putin invades Ukraine January 31, 2022 The UK will not hesitate to freeze the assets of any major Russian business or any oligarch linked to the Kremlin if Vladimir Putin invades Ukraine, Liz Truss today announced. The foreign secretary said any Russian business that has “economic or strategic significance” to Russia could be shut out of operating in Britain and that [...]
Sue Gray report: Johnson apologises as Met given 300 photos of Downing Street parties January 31, 2022 Boris Johnson has sensationally apologised over the Downing Street parties scandal as it was revealed the Metropolitan Police have been handed 300 photos from the boozy events. Catherine Roper, the Met commander leading the investigation, today said she received “a bundle of material” from Sue Gray on Friday, including 500 pages of documents and 300 [...]
Hitting the wrong note: Hong Kong official resigns after attending karaoke bash January 31, 2022 Hong Kong’s home affairs secretary has resigned after he broke the city’s tough “zero-Covid” guidelines to attend a karaoke party. Caspar Tsui attended the bash alongside 14 other senior officials including the police and immigration chiefs, as well as pro-Beijing lawmakers. Hong Kong enforced heavier restrictions following a new Omicron outbreak in the city. Hong [...]
Big tech may be forced to pay for UK journalism as Dorries pushes new laws January 31, 2022 Tech giants may be forced to pay British newspapers for their stories as Westminster draws up new plans to clamp down on the likes of Google and Meta.
Ukraine crisis: Johnson to travel to Kiev on Tuesday and speak to Putin today January 31, 2022 Boris Johnson will travel to Kiev tomorrow to meet with president Volodymyr Zelensky over the Ukraine-Russia crisis, with the Prime Minister also set to speak to Vladimir Putin today. Johnson will hold a press conference tomorrow in Ukraine following his meeting with Zelensky. It comes as foreign secretary Liz Truss will today outline a set [...]
Johnson eyes measures to help families deal with rising energy bills January 31, 2022 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are set to agree upon a package of measures this week designed to ease the burden of incoming energy bill hikes next month for low-income households. The pair are expected to only target support for millions of low-wage workers, pensioners and unemployed people, with three existing schemes to be extended [...]