War enters new phase: Nato agrees to arm Ukraine to the teeth with heavier weapons as Putin ‘has changed his tactics’ April 8, 2022 As Nato foreign ministers met in the Belgian capital of Brussels to hear the demands from Ukraine for more equipment, they agreed to arm Kyiv to the teeth with much more modern weapons. Nato allies have agreed to supply “new and heavier” weapons to Ukraine as Kyiv warned it needs immediate reinforcement in its struggle [...]
Panic in China’s richest city as 25m residents of Covid-ridden Shanghai run out of food in world’s strictest lockdown April 8, 2022 Frustration, panic and anger is growing in Shanghai as millions of residents are struggling to get their hands on meat, rice and other food supplies while the government tries to contain a spreading Covid outbreak with anti-coronavirus controls that confine most of its 25m people to their homes, People in China’s business capital have complained [...]
Britain will become a ‘wholly owned subsidiary of China’ if sale of Newport microchip giant is approved, govt is warned April 7, 2022 If businesses like Newport Wafer Fab are sold to companies linked to the Chinese government, Britain will simply become a “wholly owned subsidiary” of China, ministers were warned today. Lord Alton of Liverpool called on ministers to reveal whether the Government had any contracts with Newport Wafer Fab, which manufacturers microchips, and whether the Government [...]
Boris Johnson: ‘Nuclear is coming home as UK will have a new reactor every year’ April 7, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this morning “nuclear is coming home” as a result of the Government’s energy strategy. In a social media video to promote the plan, which is finally being released on Thursday after repeated delays and Cabinet wrangling, the Prime Minister said: “In the country that was the first to split the [...]
Fuel robbery: Thugs manage to steal £250,000 of diesel from Babcock-run tanker on high-security Royal Navy base April 7, 2022 Thieves reportedly managed to steal a huge volume of diesel from a high-security naval base, as the Ministry of Defence has launched an investigation. They made off with fuel from tankers at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth that was used to power electricity generators at the base. The stolen fuel was due to fill up generators [...]
Boris Johnson exploits anti-Russia sentiment to put blame for rising energy bills solely on Moscow April 7, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson said rising energy bills “absolutely soared” after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “We just can’t carry on like this,” he said in a social media video promoting his new energy strategy. The plan has been criticised for not saying enough about tackling high bills now, instead focusing on longer-term shifts in [...]
Retailer sell off drags down London indexes April 6, 2022 A retailer sell off caused by concerns over a pull back in spending amid a tight cost of living squeeze led London’s top indexes lower today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.34 per cent to 7,587.70 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK [...]
UK inflation to scale to twin peaks in April and October April 6, 2022 Inflation in the UK will have twin peaks this year in a sign that households will absorb a double hit to their living standards. At the start of the year, the cost of living was originally forecast to peak in April, driven by the energy watchdog hiking the cap on energy bills 54 per cent. [...]
Bank of England to launch 1980s style rate hike cycle as it scrambles to douse down rampant inflation April 6, 2022 The Bank of England will hike interest rates at the quickest pace since 1988 this year as it scrambles to douse down rampant inflation. 0Threadneedle Street will lift borrowing costs four more times this year, taking the calendar year total number of hikes to six, according to forecasts by investment banking giant JP Morgan. The [...]
UK building firms’ confidence plummets on Russia-Ukraine war April 6, 2022 Existing supply chain disruption intensified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has eroded confidence in the UK construction sector to its lowest level in around a year and a half, reveals a closely watched survey released today. Swelling raw material costs, elongating delays in sourcing components and higher staffing bills all compounded to spike optimism among [...]