Ukraine hit with massive Russian missile barrage as UK commits to £2.3bn more in funding December 29, 2022 Several regions of Ukraine, including its capital Kyiv, were facing a massive Russian missile attack on Thursday, the latest in a series targeting national infrastructure. Air raid sirens sounded across the country. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia launched more than 120 missiles. In Kyiv, air defence systems were activated [...]
S&P 500 set for worst year since 2008 as US stocks slide again December 29, 2022 A broad slide for stocks added to Wall Street’s recent losses on Wednesday, as investors count down to the end of the worst year for the S&P 500 since 2008. The S&P 500 fell 1.2 per cent , with technology, energy and industrial stocks among the biggest weights on the benchmark index. The tech-heavy Nasdaq [...]
Government ‘sabotaging’ efforts to resolve strike waves, new TUC boss claims December 29, 2022 The new general secretary of the TUC has accused the Government of “sabotaging” efforts to resolve the wave of strikes continuing to sweep across the country. Paul Nowak takes over the job amid the biggest outbreak of industrial unrest in a generation, with leaders of health, rail, civil service, teaching and postal unions increasingly angry [...]
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 [...]
Govt accused of ‘rank double standards’ as civil servants paid £30m in vouchers December 29, 2022 The Government has been accused of “rank double standards” after giving almost £30 million in high-street vouchers to civil servants amid a pay freeze prompted by the cost-of-living crisis. Sixteen Whitehall departments in 2021-22 paid out a combined total of £29.57 million to staff in the form of ‘reward and recognition’ vouchers, a third more [...]
UK has now recouped £18m from fraudulent PPE contracts December 28, 2022 The Government has so far recouped £18m from potentially fraudulent personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts, according to Department of Health figures. Health minister Will Quince, responding to a written parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper, confirmed that as of December 12 the Department of Health had recovered £18 million from PPE contracts deemed [...]
Johnson urged Ireland to adopt ‘hard egg’ approach to peace process and ‘let nationalists go to hell’ December 28, 2022 Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson urged the Irish Government to adopt a “hard egg” approach to the Northern Ireland peace process and “let the nationalists go to hell”, newly declassified documents show. Mr Johnson claimed in 1996 the IRA were close to defeat in 1994, adding “let them use the bomb and the bullet” [...]
Travel disruption continues TODAY as commuters return to work despite strikes December 28, 2022 Travel disruption is expected across railways again on Wednesday, with many commuters returning to work following the Christmas break, as industrial action by rail workers continues. Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at Great Western Railway will walk out from noon to 11.59am on Thursday, and at West Midlands Trains for 24 hours [...]
Sunak can’t afford to lose another ethics adviser, says appointments board chair December 27, 2022 The Government cannot afford to lose another ethics adviser, the head of the business appointments watchdog has warned. The warning by Lord Pickles, chairman of the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), comes days after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak filled the six-month vacancy by appointing veteran banker and Historic England chairman Sir Laurie Magnus. [...]
‘Bank of mum and dad’ to return in fight against mortgage and rent double whammy December 27, 2022 The “bank of mum and dad” may be called upon for more help in the new year, as aspiring first-time buyers deal with a double whammy of higher mortgage rates and surging rental costs while they try to save. But for those buyers who are able to make the jump onto the property ladder next [...]
