Data on firms that took UK Covid loans to remain secret, tribunal rules January 5, 2023 Information on thousands of small businesses that received taxpayer-backed loans during Covid-19 will remain confidential, a tribunal has ruled. The decision to keep the names of companies that took support during Covid a secret comes after a tribunal blocked an anti-corruption campaign group’s bid to obtain the data through a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. [...]
Djokovic likely to miss duo of US tennis competitions over Covid-19 rules January 4, 2023 Former world No1 tennis star Novak Djokovic is set to miss the Miami Open and Indian Wells in the United States this year due to changes in the country’s Covid-19 vaccination requirements. The United States have extended its requirement for visitors to prove they’re vaccinated against Covid-19 until 10 April and the Serbian has previously [...]
Airlines ‘extremely disappointed’ by wave of China-targeted Covid restrictions January 4, 2023 The global industry body for airlines has said it is “extremely disappointed” by countries’ decisions to introduce restrictions on travellers from China after Covid cases have skyrocketed in the country following Beijing’s decision to ditch its zero-Covid policy. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents around 300 airlines across the globe, described the wave [...]
Covid-hit China: What is Britain and the rest of the world doing on travel restrictions? January 4, 2023 Covid-19 cases have shot through the roof in China – but Beijing premier Xi Jingping is still dead set on removing the zero-Covid policy, including removing restrictions on travel. Countries across the world are being forced to once again grapple with what restrictions to put in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and any [...]
Transport secretary: Covid-positive China arrivals will not have to isolate January 3, 2023 Transport secretary Mark Harper has confirmed the UK will not require Covid-positive arrivals from China to quarantine despite mounting calls from the Health Security Agency to identify and test cases. The transport secretary told LBC today that travellers from China will not be forced to isolate and said the policy to test arrivals was put [...]
Australia welcome Novak Djokovic with open arms a year after deporting tennis star January 2, 2023 He may have been kicked out of the country 12 months ago but Australia gave Novak Djokovic a warm welcome on his return to tennis Down Under at the Adelaide International on Monday. The crowd chanted his name as he made his way out onto court and overwhelmingly supported him and doubles partner Vasek Pospisil [...]
Ben Wallace: UK approach to China travel ‘under review’ amid Covid concerns December 29, 2022 The possibility of the UK introducing restrictions for travellers from China is “under review”, as the nation prepares to open up overseas travel, the UK defence secretary has said. China has announced plans to ditch its Covid-zero policy and will reopen its borders in January. The US will require all arrivals from China to provide [...]
Lawyers for Covid contract firm Randox pile pressure on MPs over ‘misleading’ report December 29, 2022 Lawyers for a firm paid hundreds of millions of pounds for Covid-19 testing contracts have stepped up pressure on an influential Commons committee over a “misleading” report. The Public Accounts Committee has received a series of legal letters from Randox Laboratories’ lawyers Schillings, over the content of its report. Although some of the correspondence has [...]
One Chinese province faces a MILLION new Covid-19 cases every day December 25, 2022 China’s Zhejiang, a big industrial province near Shanghai, is battling around a million new daily COVID-19 infections, a number expected to double in the days ahead, the provincial government said on Sunday. Despite a record surge of cases nationwide, China reported no COVID deaths on the mainland for the five days through Saturday, the Chinese [...]
About time too: Hong Kong set to reopen border with mainland China December 24, 2022 Hong Kong’s leader says China has agreed to a reopening of the city’s border with the mainland, which has been largely closed by pandemic restrictions, and that he is aiming for a mid-January start. Chief executive John Lee, returning from a trip to Beijing where he met President Xi Jinping and other officials, told reporters [...]