Biden fundraiser Jane Hartley tapped as new US ambassador to the UK July 17, 2021 Joe Biden is set to pick Jane Hartley, a prolific Democrat fundraiser and former US ambassador to France, as the new envoy to the UK, according to diplomatic sources. It comes after weeks of deliberation over who would occupy the role – with billionaire former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, former secretary of state [...]
France placed under new ‘amber plus’ quarantine rules in last minute government U-turn July 17, 2021 Double-vaccinated travellers from France to the UK will still have to quarantine on return from Monday, after a last minute U-turn announced by the government late on Friday night. As the majority of England’s coronavirus restrictions are dropped on 19 July, fully vaccinated adults arriving to the UK from “amber list” countries will not be [...]
Weekend Read: Job market tension threatens to derail Britain’s economic recovery July 17, 2021 The UK labour market is roaring back to life. After months of being shuttered due to Covid, businesses are finally welcoming customers back through their doors – and ramping up hiring to cope with soaring demand. Companies added 356,000 workers to payrolls over the last month. Total weekly hours worked has reached its highest level [...]
How do you solve a problem like Bitcoin scaling? July 17, 2021 Steve Shadders, Chief Technical Officer with nChain, discusses the Bitcoin scaling problem.
Pingdemic: Plans to overhaul Covid app mothballed July 16, 2021 The government has shelved plans to overhaul the NHS Covid-19 app amid a surge in cases. A senior government source revealed on Friday that Health Secretary Sajid Javid had explored options for tweaking the app, but has decided against making any changes for now, although the options remain on the table. Read more: ONS update: [...]
US stocks fall despite upbeat retail sales in June July 16, 2021 An unexpected rebound in retail sales was not enough to prevent falls among US stocks on Friday. The blue-chip S&P 500 dropped 0.22 per cent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.22 per cent. The Dow Jones lost 0.23 per cent during morning trading. The losses came as the US Labour Department released figures showing retail [...]
International scientists warn UK Freedom Day is ‘murderous’ as Whitty says numbers could ‘get scary’ July 16, 2021 A group of 1200 international scientists have clubbed together to condemn Boris Johnson’s decision to go ahead with Freedom Day next week as “murderous”, as Whitty warned Covid-19 still had a “long way to run in the UK.” It builds upon an open letter penned last week and signed by1400 scientists and doctors that accused [...]
GB News director John McAndrew quits to avoid fuelling culture-wars July 16, 2021 The director of GB News John McAndrew has quit the new rightwing broadcaster today, according to reports. It has been suggested McAndrew had come under pressure to up culture war topics instead of his local reporting focus, and so chose to resign. The senior executive handed in his resignation after a row regarding the gesture [...]
US retail sales smash expectations to surge above pre-pandemic levels July 16, 2021 Retail sales in the US surged unexpectedly last month, providing further evidence that the American economy is roaring back to life after Covid. Sales were 18 per cent higher annually in June and are now above pre-pandemic levels, primarily driven by a sharp uptick in spending in the hospitality industry. Read more: US inflation surges [...]
Bitter Summer: Asterley Bros’ Vermouth and Amaro July 16, 2021 Summer might finally be arriving in London this weekend, with a forecast for sun and temperatures expected to hit 30°C on Sunday. It’s the perfect weather for a tall, refreshing cocktail made with ice-cold tonic water and an Italian aperitivo. But if England’s loss in the Euros has left a bitter taste in your mouth, [...]
