Richard Sharp: Who is the surprise new frontrunner for the BBC top job? January 6, 2021 Speculation over the top contenders for the BBC chairmanship has been rife in recent weeks, with a string of well-known names entering (and exiting) the fray. But the race was this week thrown wide open after it emerged a relatively unknown candidate had emerged as the new frontrunner Richard Sharp, a multi-millionaire former Tory party [...]
Hong Kong police arrest 53 pro-democracy activists in dawn raids January 6, 2021 Hong Kong police have today arrested 53 pro-democracy activists in a series of dawn raids in Beijing’s biggest crackdown on the city-state since introducing controversial new security legislation last year. Almost 1,000 police officers were involved in raids on 72 premises across the city, which saw some of the former British province’s most prominent activists [...]
UK has now vaccinated 1.3m against Covid-19 as cases surge above 60,000 January 5, 2021 The UK has now vaccinated 1.3m people against Covid, with almost a quarter of people over the age of 80 in this country now given their first jab. Boris Johnson said this meant in two to three weeks that all these people would have a “significant degree of immunity” against the virus. The Prime Minister [...]
Boris Johnson cancels trip to India after announcing Covid lockdown January 5, 2021 Boris Johnson has today cancelled his plan trip to India later this month, after he announced a new England lockdown last night. Johnson spoke to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to deliver the news and reaffirm his commitment to visit the country later this year. A Downing Street spokesperson said: “In light of the national [...]
Trump phone call: Democrats ask FBI to open criminal investigation January 5, 2021 Two Democrats have asked the FBI to open a criminal investigation into US President Donald Trump over a phone call in which he pressurised a top Georgian official to overturn his election defeat. In the call this weekend, Trump told Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to reverse Joe Biden’s victory [...]
Rishi Sunak rolls out more financial support after sinking businesses demand immediate lifeline January 5, 2021 Rishi Sunak has set out plans to offer more financial support to businesses struggling under England’s third nationwide lockdown. Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are set to receive a one-off grant of up to £9,000 per property to help them survive. Taxpayers will fork out another £4bn for the business grants, which will benefit more [...]
England Covid lockdown: What does it mean for Londoners? January 4, 2021 Boris Johnson has tonight announced a new seven-week national lockdown to deal with surging Covid rates that are now higher than during the country’s first peak last March. The new measures will make little difference in London, which is already in Tier 4, however people in the capital will still have less freedoms from tomorrow. [...]
‘Stay home’: England in national Covid lockdown from tonight January 4, 2021 People living England have tonight been told to stay home for at least six weeks
Scotland set to go into Covid lockdown from midnight January 4, 2021 Nicola Sturgeon has announced that Scotland will go into a Covid lockdown from midnight tonight for the rest of the month, in what is likely a sign of things to come for England. Sturgeon said the new measures would be “similar to the lockdown of March last year” and could be extended past the end [...]
National lockdown looms as teachers go head-to-head with government January 4, 2021 Ministers have refused to rule out a third national lockdown in England, as coronavirus cases and hospitalisations surge beyond numbers seen in the peak of the first wave. Health secretary Matt Hancock said this morning that the new strain of coronavirus was spreading rapidly across the country. “We can’t rule anything out,” he told Sky [...]