JetBlue given regulatory clearance to join transatlantic dogfight April 19, 2021 The UK’s aviation regulator has today given US carrier JetBlue clearance to begin operating flights to Britain, in a blow for transatlantic rivals such as British Airways. It is the first time since the UK left the EU that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has given regulatory approval to a foreign carrier. New York-based JetBlue [...]
UK reports lowest number of Covid deaths since September April 19, 2021 Just four people died of coronavirus in the UK today, the lowest such figure since September, the Department of Health and Social Care reported this afternoon. Death total are often lower of Mondays due to a lag in reporting data over the weekend, but the figure is yet another sign that Britain’s third lockdown has [...]
Rail union gears up for strike action amid fears of 10,000 job cuts April 19, 2021 The UK’s rail union is preparing for industrial action over fears that thousands of rail workers lose their jobs in the coming months. The RMT said that Network Rail had made plans that would result in “thousands of job losses by this September and a wholescale dilution of safety standards, including a halving the frequency [...]
UK puts India on travel ‘red list’ after surge in Covid cases April 19, 2021 The UK has this afternoon added India to its “red list” of countries due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases. From Friday, India will be placed on the list, meaning travellers will be subject to the strongest level of restrictions, said health secretary Matt Hancock today. “We’ve made the difficult but vital decision to [...]
Donald Tusk: Stop Russian aggression by cancelling Nord Stream 2 April 19, 2021 The former President of the European Council has called for the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to be cancelled in response to a build-up of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border. Writing on Twitter, Donald Tusk said: “If you really want to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine, you have to stop Nord Stream 2. [...]
Esken in ‘advanced talks’ with Isle of Man firm over Stobart Air sale April 19, 2021 Esken – formerly Stobart Group – has today confirmed that it is in “advanced talks” with Isle of Man-based Ettyl over the sale of Stobart Air. The firm has been looking to offload the regional carrier in recent months, having only bought back the airline from bankruptcy last April. Alongside a sale of the airline, [...]
Homeworkers less likely to be promoted or get bonus than office counterparts April 19, 2021 People who mainly worked from home prior to the pandemic were far less likely to have received a promotion or a bonus compared with their office-based counterparts. A new study by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that true gulf of the divide in professional opportunities for those who work from home as opposed to [...]
German-British businesses plot increased investment in UK despite Brexit April 19, 2021 More than a third of German-British businesses now plan to increase their investment in the UK over the medium term, a complete turnaround from six months ago. A new survey from the German-British Chamber of Commerce shows that 35 per cent of such firms now think they will raise investment, up from just 5.0 per [...]
NASA flies helicopter on Mars in world first April 19, 2021 NASA has today made history by performing the first ever powered, controlled flight from the surface of another planet with robot helicopter Ingenuity. The mini helicopter took off from the surface of Mars and was airborne for less than a minute before landing, the space agency said. MiMi Aung, project manager for Ingenuity at Nasa’s [...]
Nissan to idle Sunderland staff amid semiconductor shortage April 16, 2021 Car giant Nissan will reportedly put 800 staff at its factory in Sunderland on furlough due to the worldwide shortage of semiconductors. The Japanese automaker will send about a tenth of its 8,000-strong workforce at the plant home until the current squeeze eases, the Nikkei reported today. The decision comes as it was revealed that [...]