EU orders more Pfizer vaccine doses as Sweden joins countries halting Astrazeneca jab March 16, 2021 The EU has ordered more doses of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine to plug a shortfall that has arisen from a swathe of countries banning the Astrazeneca jab over safety concerns. European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen announced on Twitter that the EU had agreed an “accelerated delivery of 10m doses” of the Pfizer vaccine to [...]
ABN Amro shares drop as concerns over size of money laundering fine grow March 15, 2021 ABN Amro shares were down by 4 per cent this morning following reports that the Dutch bank could face a much higher-than-expected fine in an ongoing money laundering investigation. The bank’s annual report, published last week, gave a detailed account of a pending investigation in its home market, making it clear the probe is much [...]
EU considers turning to Russia’s Sputnik vaccine as Astrazeneca scepticism swells March 15, 2021 The EU is in discussions to place an order of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine, according to reports, as scepticism about the efficacy and possible side effects of Astrazeneca’s Covid jab considers to spread across the continent. The bloc is now turning to Moscow’s Sputnik V vaccine as it attempts to speed up its sluggish immunisation programme, [...]
Parallel markets: The City must push back against Europe’s protectionist financial walls March 12, 2021 Governments, however enlightened and visionary, can so often make two fundamental errors of judgement about global financial service markets: they grossly underestimate their multi trillion dollar power and manoeuvrability. They forget their close attention to competition, cost and risk, and the pursuit of liquidity. In continuing to raise protectionist walls around its internal financial markets, the [...]
EU extends vaccine exports checks by three months amid Astrazeneca row March 11, 2021 The European Commission has extended export controls on Covid vaccines until the end of June, amid an ongoing row with the UK over “vaccine nationalism”. The export authorisation scheme was introduced in January amidst a separate dispute over low supplies of the Astrazeneca jab within the EU. The scheme, which was originally intended to run [...]
Boris Johnson hits back at ‘completely false’ EU vaccine ban allegations March 10, 2021 The Prime Minister has hit back at EU claims that the UK has banned all Covid-19 vaccine exports, telling MPs that Britain “opposes vaccine nationalism in all its forms”. Charles Michel, president of the European Council, yesterday falsely claimed that the UK had an “outright ban” on exports of vaccines produced within Britain. Boris Johnson [...]
EU rejects charges of ‘vaccine nationalism’ despite export rows and slower rollout on continent March 9, 2021 EU Council President chides UK over outright ban on vaccine exports despite slow European rollout
Microsoft hack: Biden sets up emergency taskforce as EU banking regulator hit March 9, 2021 US President Joe Biden has launched an investigation into a widespread cyber attack on Microsoft’s email services that may have compromised tens of thousands of businesses. The attack, which was first uncovered last week, has taken advantage of previously undiscovered vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s mail server software to potentially gain access to swathes of organisations in [...]
Sputnik V makers demand apology from EU after comparing vaccine to ‘Russian roulette’ March 9, 2021 The developers of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine have questioned the neutrality of the European Medicines Agency after an official urged EU members not to approve its jab. Christa Wirthumer-Hoche, head of EMA’s management board, told an Austrian talk show on 7 March that emergency rollouts would be “comparable to Russian roulette”. The developers took to [...]
Norwegian watchdog mulls blocking Rolls-Royce sale of Bergen Engines March 9, 2021 Norway’s NSM security watchdog may prevent the agreed $178m sale of Rolls-Royce’s unit Bergen Engines unit to a Russian entity. According to a Reuters report this morning, citing a Norwegian ministry of justice statement from today, the Russian buyer is controlled by TMH Group.