Ministry of Defence faces backlash after awarding contracts to foreign shipyards Backlash ensued after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced its latest decision to consider foreign firms in the race to build Royal Navy supply vessels. Yesterday marked a vital stage in the battle to secure a £1.5bn deal to deliver the ships the Royal Fleet Auxiliary need to support the Royal Navy. The MoD awarded [...]
Williamson pushes for under 16s to be vaccinated to restore ‘normal school experience’ Williamson: Vaccination key for return to normal school life Gavin Williamson has said that under 16 year olds should receive the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible to restore a “normal, pre-pandemic” school experience. With the start of a new school year looming, millions of children will be returning to the classroom this week despite repeated expert warnings that rising case numbers could follow. [...]
Bucking the trend: Revolut sets no vaccination requirement for US staff Revolut will not require US staff to be vaccinated Bucking the Wall Street trend, Revolut will not require its US staff to be vaccinated in order to get into the office. The US boss of the tech darling told Financial News Revolut had chosen not to make vaccination against Covid-19 a requirement of returning to work in its offices in New York, San Francisco [...]
London property: The gothic castle on sale in Belsize Park for £17.5m August 31, 2021 Complete with a swimming pool, champagne lounge and wine tasting room- this historic home is truly fit for a king. Hunter’s Lodge is a Grade-II listed Georgian Mansion located off Belsize Lane in Belsize Park, built in 1812 in a Gothic-revival style. The building has turrets and battlements, making it perfect for anyone with dreams [...]
Pension vehicle strikes £67m affordable housing deal with Bromley council August 31, 2021 The Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) has invested £67m in an affordable housing deal with the London Borough of Bromley. The investment vehicle is aiming to help alleviate local emergency homelessness in the South London borough. The investment will be used to purchase up to 300 affordable properties outright. Through this it aims to reduce the [...]
EU hits Covid vaccination target with two shots for 70 per cent of adult population August 31, 2021 The European Commission announced today that 70 percent of the European Union’s adult population has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, meeting a target set earlier this year. It marks an important milestone in the EU vaccination strategy after a slow start. However, it also reveals big differences amongst member states. While some nations hit well [...]
Japan’s top medical advisor slams Olympics chief Bach over return to Tokyo August 25, 2021 Japan’s top Covid-19 advisor has blasted International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach for returning to Tokyo to attend the opening ceremony of the Paralympics. Bach’s visit comes as the country continues expanding emergency curbs to contain the pandemic. Shigeru Omi, chairman of a government subcommittee on the coronavirus response, criticised the decision at a [...]
Afghanistan: World Bank freezes funding after Taliban takeover August 25, 2021 The World Bank has halted funding for projects in Afghanistan after the country’s fall to Taliban control. The Washington-based financial institution cited concerns over Afghanistan’s future development prospects in the wake of drastic leadership change, particularly for the nation’s women. The halt on aid disbursements is set to continue while the bank assesses how the [...]
Scottish Covid inquiry set to commence this year August 24, 2021 The Scottish Government has announced it will be launching its own inquiry into the handling of the Covid pandemic amidst pressure from grieving families. Today, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that Scotland intends to hold its own judge-led inquiry into all matters concerning the pandemic, within the devolved competence of the Scottish government. This will include the [...]
Third vaccine looming as JVCI fear two doses are not enough August 19, 2021 The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JVCI) are discussing a potential booster campaign amidst concerns that two doses are not effective enough. In a JVCI meeting this morning, a government scientific adviser claimed there may be people who “really need” a third dose of the Coronavirus vaccine. JVCI member Professor Adam Finn spoke of [...]