World Bank to bump Covid vaccine funding to $20bn June 30, 2021 The World Bank tonight said it would up to funding for Covid-19 vaccine purchases and deployment to $20bn due to a sharp increase in financing demand from developing economies. The multilateral body had previously targeted $12bn in spending on the vaccine programme. World Bank President David Malpass said the global development bank had given 51 developing countries more than $4bn to use [...]
UK to introduce new steel safeguards to protect industry June 30, 2021 The UK will introduce new safeguards for the steel industry after backing a recommendation to scrap some existing import quotas. International trade secretary Liz Truss tonight confirmed that the government would accept the Trade Remedies Authority’s (TRA) finding and scrap existing safeguards on nine out of 19 steel categories, while keeping them intact on the [...]
Most vulnerable could get third Covid jab from September June 30, 2021 The most vulnerable people could be offered a third Covid-19 jab from September, according to the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Pending final recommendations, millions of the most vulnerable will be given a booster vaccination in order that they maintain protection against the disease through the winter months. The [...]
The wurst is over: UK and EU strike ‘sausage war’ truce June 30, 2021 The UK has today agreed a three month grace period for the export of chilled meats to Northern Ireland with the EU as the two sides reached a truce in the so-called “sausage war”. The extension means that Northern Ireland consumers will be able to continue buying chilled meat products from Great Britain until 30 [...]
Babcock in talks with five countries over Type 31 frigate sales June 30, 2021 Defence giant Babcock is in talks with five other countries over selling them basic versions of the Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigate. Speaking to MPs today, the FTSE 100 firm’s chief executive David Lockwood confirmed that Greece, Indonesia and Poland were all potential customers. He declined to name the other two countries, although Babcock [...]
TfL under fire over ‘hidden subsidies’ for Uber Thames Clipper services June 30, 2021 Transport for London (TfL) is tonight under pressure after a complaint was lodged with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over “hidden subsidies” for the Uber Thames Clipper ferry service. Romford MP Andrew Rosindell and London Assembly Member Keith Prince have written to the CMA saying that the firm is being given “an unfair and [...]
Renault-Nissan alliance to build 1m electric cars a year by 2030 June 30, 2021 Renault and its partners Nissan and Mitsubishi will produce 1m electric cars a year by 2030, the French auto giant announced today, as it accelerates its move away from the internal combustion engine. Chief executive Luca de Meo said that the carmaker would launch 10 new electric vehicle models by 2025, with 90 per cent [...]
Commit to 10 gigawatts of new nuclear by 2030 to hit climate plans, government warned June 30, 2021 The government has today been urged to make sure that the country has at least 10 gigawatts of operational nuclear capacity by the early 2030s as the current fleet of power plants begin to be shut down. In a new report, the cross-parliamentary group for nuclear power urged ministers to commit to new nuclear projects [...]
UK airlines lagging behind European rivals as travel restrictions continue June 29, 2021 The UK’s airlines have been the slowest in Europe to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, new figures released tonight show, as travel restrictions continue to hammer the sector. According to the all-parliamentary group on the future aviation, airline passenger numbers in the UK are down 89 per cent compared to 2019 levels, behind the continental [...]
EU opens competition probe into IAG’s purchase of Air Europa June 29, 2021 The European Commission has tonight opened an in-depth probe into BA owner IAG’s planned purchase of Spain’s Air Europa. The Commission, which oversees EU antitrust policy, said it had concerns that the proposed transaction would reduce competition for Spanish domestic routes and on international routes to and from Spain. The body said it had 90 [...]
