Prices of Uber rides climb as app seeks more drivers August 30, 2021 Uber rides have become more costly for consumers as the app has struggled to recruit enough drivers to match increasing demand. The average cost of a journey via the ride-hailing platform has risen by a third since April, from £9 to around £12, according to figures from market research company Edison. While the number of [...]
Decision on vaccine passports delayed as clubs hope to avoid policy August 30, 2021 Ministers are delaying a decision on making vaccination a mandatory requirement for nightclubs until the last minute. The Prime Minister said vaccinations would be made a condition of entry for nightclubs by the end of September, when most people will have received two Covid jabs. However, officials are delaying making any firm decisions about how [...]
Dividend payments threatened by new pension rules August 30, 2021 New rules could force blue-chip companies to allocate spare funds to pension schemes instead of increasing dividend payments after the pandemic. Actuarial firm LCP warned that companies should not underestimate the significance of the new Pension Schemes Act 2021, speaking to The Times. The fresh legislation was drawn up to avoid situations like the Carillion [...]
NHS chiefs ask Chancellor for £5bn more ahead of winter Covid surge August 30, 2021 NHS bosses have asked the government for billions more to cope with a winter coronavirus surge and a backlog. Health chiefs have implored Chancellor Rishi Sunak to inject £5bn more into the service to help it cope with the aftermath of the pandemic. In talks, the Treasury has been accused of working from “fantasy” figures [...]
US drone strike targets suspected bomber August 29, 2021 The US carried out a military airstrike in Kabul on Sunday targeting a suspected suicide bomber, US officials have confirmed. A drone carried out the attack and there were initial indications of no civilian casualties. CENTCOM confirmed that military forces conducted a “self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike” on a vehicle in the city which presented an [...]
Rocket strike in residential area of Kabul reported August 29, 2021 There have been reports of a child dying after a rocket hit a residential area in Kabul. An Afghan police chief said a child died after a rocket hit a residential area northwest of Kabul airport, the AP news agency has reported. A loud explosion occurred in the Khuwja Bughra neighborhood on Sunday with Rashid, [...]
Doctors face difficult choices as blood tests rationed August 29, 2021 GPs have called for more clarity over how long a shortage of blood test tubes will last as they face tough choices. Doctors have been forced to stop all non-urgent testing after a shortage of vials, caused by Covid demands and transport issues. The NHS in England and Wales has told doctors to temporarily halt [...]
Girls and boys will not study together at Afghan universities August 29, 2021 Mixed gender classes will no longer be allowed in Afghan universities under Taliban rule. Afghanistan’s largest TV news chanel, Tolo News, reported the Taliban’s interim higher education minister as saying that girls and boys would not study together in universities. Female and male students will “continue to study in separate classes in accordance with Islamic [...]
British ambassador returns to UK as troops leave Kabul August 29, 2021 Britain’s ambassador to Afghanistan has touched down in the UK as final flights carrying personnel are expected to land later. Ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow was among those landing at RAF Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire on Sunday while fights carrying military and civilian personnel will land later. The ambassador has returned home after helping process [...]
British universities charter flights for Chinese students August 29, 2021 Top universities will charter flights for Chinese students to get to the UK next month as travel restrictions continue. Universities are worried Covid restrictions could undermine their income from overseas students. More than 50 UK universities have chartered four flights to bring in 1,200 Chinese students ahead of a new university term next month, The [...]
