Was the Duchess of Cambridge ‘working’ when she visited the Sarah Everard vigil? March 31, 2021 The UK’s most senior police officer has suggested the visit by the Duchess of Cambridge to the Sarah Everard vigil was legal because she was working, even though the trip was private and not an official engagement. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme today that it was possible under [...]
BBC journalist flees China amid Beijing’s criticism of ‘fabricated’ reporting March 31, 2021 BBC News has said this morning that one of its journalists based in China has relocated to Taiwan, as he revealed information China ‘did not want the world to know’. The move comes amid growing criticism from Beijing about the broadcaster’s reports on alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which led to BBC World News [...]
£9.5m boost will help make City Corporation buildings ‘greener’ March 31, 2021 | City Talk The City of London Corporation has been given a multi-million pound Government funding boost to help make its buildings more energy efficient. The Square Mile’s governing body has been awarded £9.445 million from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme administered by Salix Finance on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The money [...]
Meeting up: Fresh air is a vital weapon in our fight against the virus March 31, 2021 | Sponsored The successful rollout of the vaccine programme, and the sacrifices we’ve all made as part of lockdown, means that the UK has begun to take the first steps back to normal. We have now vaccinated more than half the population and are progressing on the roadmap out of lockdown. But what’s crucial now is that [...]
Thousands flock to parks, pools and beaches as UK basks in spring sunshine March 30, 2021 Thousands of people flocked to parks, pools and beaches in England today as the first easing of lockdown measures combined with unseasonably scorching temperatures. Under new rules that came into force yesterday, six people are allowed to meet outdoors or in a private garden, while the government has scrapped its ‘stay at home’ message. The [...]
Uber Boat chosen by TfL to run Hammersmith Bridge ferry service March 30, 2021 Uber Boat has been chosen by Transport for London (TfL) to run a Thames ferry service alongside the closed Hammersmith Bridge. The boat service, operated by Thames Clippers, will take up to 800 cyclists and pedestrians across the river at a time between 6am and 10pm daily. Uber’s ferry service is expected to be up [...]
City of London Police Authority Board aims for force to recruit 40% BAME officers March 30, 2021 | City Talk The City of London Police Authority Board (PAB) has agreed proposals to work with the City of London Police to ensure that the force is representative of the community that it serves. Under the plans, the PAB will challenge the force to recruit at least 40% BAME officers for the remainder of the Home Office [...]
Royal Mail shareholders set for bumper payday in ‘an astonishing reversal of fortunes’ March 30, 2021 Royal Mail shareholders are set for a bumper payday as the company announced it expects to pay them a dividend following a strong year during the global pandemic. The company said it expects to pay a 10p-a-share dividend by the end of the year with adjusted operating profits likely to hit around £700m this financial [...]
Strong West End recovery vital for City of London’s future, says Khan March 30, 2021 The UK’s financial services sector will be irreversibly damaged if the West End does not have a strong recovery and Frankfurt is left to scoop up City of London jobs, according to Sadiq Khan. Khan today called out the government for not providing targeted funding for central London, which has been adversely affected by Covid-19, [...]
Fortnite maker complains of Apple’s ‘anti-competitive’ behaviour to UK watchdog March 30, 2021 Fortnite maker Epic Games has complained to the UK’s markets watchdog today over Apple’s ‘anti-competitive’ rules, after a spat that led to the game being banned from the App Store last year. Epic took its competition complaint to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), claiming Apple exercised unfair control over app makers. Last August, Fortnite [...]