Angela Merkel lowers hopes as talks start over €750bn EU Covid fund July 17, 2020 European Union leaders face “very, very difficult” negotiations over a €750bn coronavirus bailout fund, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned ahead of the start of talks today. EU heads of state today go into the first in-person leaders’ meeting for five-months to try to thrash out a deal over a huge fund that could kickstart [...]
Firefighters tackle blaze at Blackpool’s historic Central Pier July 17, 2020 Around 50 firefighters have been tackling a blaze which broke out overnight at Blackpool’s historic central pier. Emergency services were alerted to the incident at around 3 o’clock in the morning, with 10 crews involved in the effort. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said that they found a ride and workshop on the pier on [...]
Britishvolt chooses Welsh site for UK’s first battery ‘gigafactory’ July 17, 2020 Battery firm Britishvolt has chosen a site in Wales for the development of the UK’s battery manufacturing “gigafactory”, it was announced today. In a statement, the start-up said it had signed an MoU with the Welsh government to work on plans for the 30 gigawatt facility at Bro Tathan in south Wales. The company said [...]
British Airways retires entire fleet of Boeing 747 jumbo jets July 17, 2020 British Airways marked the end of an era today as the world’s largest operator of Boeing 747s said it will retire its entire fleet of jumbo jets with immediate effect due to the coronavirus pandemic. Global travel bans imposed to stem the spread of the virus has put the future of many airline companies in [...]
Government reviewing response to ‘unacceptable’ Russia hack, says minister July 17, 2020 The UK is reviewing its response to Russian-backed attempts to steal coronavirus vaccine research, security minister James Brokenshire said this morning. Yesterday the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued a statement in conjunction with counterparts in the US and Canada saying that hacking group Cozy Bear had been attempting to steal Covid-19 research from institutions [...]
Green fingers: How cannabis can fuel a British agri-tech revolution July 17, 2020 Since time immemorial, the human race has slashed and burned its way through wilderness to fuel its rapacious growth. Food, medicine and building materials have required more and more deforestation, with the resultant decline in biodiversity and rise in the emission of greenhouse gases. Finally, comprehension is dawning about the impact of climate change and [...]
PM set to unveil ‘lightning lockdowns’ and £3bn Covid cash for NHS July 17, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to give local councils the capacity to implement “lightning lockdowns” without first notifying the government when he gives a major speech today. The PM is also set to announce more than £3bn extra funding for the NHS to ensure it can cope with a second peal of coronavirus cases [...]
Twitter says around 130 people targeted in bitcoin scam hack July 17, 2020 Twitter has said around 130 accounts were targeted by hackers in an incident that led to the accounts of high profile figures such as US presidential candidate Joe Biden posting messages asking for bitcoin. The hack has caused embarrassment for Twitter and raised questions about its safety ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Tesla owner [...]
The Friday Interview: Fortnum’s looks to the future July 17, 2020 It’s an iconic London brand, but like the rest of the capital, Fortnum & Mason was hit by the Covid-19 lockdown. We catch up with the store’s Retail & Hospitality Director Simon Thompson – who tells us that while it’s all a little different, loyal customers still have smiles on their faces. Fortnum & Mason [...]
