Vietnam identifies new hybrid of Indian and Kent Covid-19 variant May 30, 2021 Authorities in Vietnam have discovered a new variant of Covid-19 that is a combination of the Indian and Kent variants and spreads quickly by air. “Vietnam has uncovered a new Covid-19 variant combining characteristics of the two existing variants first found in India and the UK,” health minister Nguyen Thanh Long said yesterday, describing it as [...]
Heathrow boss calls for government to reveal likely summer green list countries May 30, 2021 Heathrow’s chief executive has urged the government to reveal which countries are likely to be included on its travel green list in summer in order to give holidaymakers time to prepare. John Holland-Kaye said today that he thought Spain would eventually be “coming into the green zone” as it has low infection rates, but that families [...]
Fears grow that 21 June date to shed England restrictions will slip May 30, 2021 The government’s plan to lift England’s restrictions on 21 June may slip as Covid hospitalisations continue to rise across the country. Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi warned today that “we have to be cautious” and that the government would continue to examine the data until 14 June when a decision will be made. Covid cases and [...]
Boris Johnson announces Royal Yacht Britannia replacement May 30, 2021 Boris Johnson has announced that a replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia will be built and operational within four years. Downing Street last night unveiled the plan, which will see the new ship “host high level trade negotiations and trade shows and will sail all over the world promoting British interests” as a part of [...]
EU Brexit chief Sefcovic urges UK to not ‘further sour relationship’ over Northern Ireland May 30, 2021 The EU’s Brexit chief has today warned the UK to not “further sour our relationship” by taking unilateral actions in Northern Ireland as negotiations between the two sides continue. European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said the EU is committed to the Good Friday Agreement and not having a hard border on the island of [...]
Boris Johnson marries Carrie Symonds in secret wedding May 30, 2021 Boris Johnson has married his fiancee Carrie Symonds in a clandestine wedding ceremony yesterday at Westminster Cathedral. Johnson surprised SW1 yesterday when it emerged he had wed Symonds in a secretly planned ceremony in which no media was present. The couple released a wedding day picture this morning to celebrate the news. A Downing Street [...]
British agents think it is ‘feasible’ Covid came from Wuhan lab leak May 30, 2021 British intelligence agents now reportedly believe it is “feasible” Covid-19 originated in a Chinese research lab and not from a Wuhan wet market. Agents are now investigating whether the virus originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology and accidentally escaped, a prospect forcefully denied by Beijing, just days after Joe Biden said this theory needed [...]
Biden budget sees $6tn of spending and tax hikes on the wealthy May 29, 2021 US President Joe Biden’s first budget includes spending provisions that would see the country’s debt hit 117 per cent of GDP over the next decade. Biden announced the plans last night, with a $6trn (£4.3trn) spending boost at the centre. Read more: Put-in the diary: Biden to meet Russian President in June The President has [...]
England’s R rate climbs above 1 with London and the North West showing highest rates May 28, 2021 England’s R rate is now estimated to be between 1 and 1.1, meaning the virus is steadily growing, with some parts of the country worse affected than others. The epidemic could be growing as much as 3 per cent per day, according to the latest government figures. London and the North West have the highest [...]
Hungary PM seeks UK allyship post-Brexit ahead of Downing Street meeting May 28, 2021 Hungary has been missing the UK post-Brexit, as the country’s Prime Minister said this morning it ‘suffers’ from Britain’s absence and wants to build new bilateral ties. “We agreed on many things, which created a sort of balance in the EU,” prime minister Viktor Orban said ahead of his meeting with Boris Johnson later today.. [...]