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.
Best of travel: The luxury yacht with more toys than Hamleys March 3, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Adam Hay-Nicholls’ stay on what might be the best pound-for-pound yacht in the world. ••• Luxury journalism: It won’t make me a billionaire, but I do get to act like one on occasion. The [...]
Rio Tinto chairman to step down over destruction of sacred site March 3, 2021 The chairman of Rio Tinto will step down as the mining giant has come under fire for destroying a sacred cave system in Australia. The global outcry over the destruction of the 46,000-year old Aboriginal site, known as Jukkan Gorge, has led the US government to rethink its plan for Rio Tinto and BHP to [...]
Precious metal price surge boosts Russian miner Polymetal March 3, 2021 Russian miner Polymetal today said that earnings hit a record high in 2020 as surging precious metal prices boosted the firm’s profit. The FTSE 100 firm said that earnings reached $1.1bn last year, up from $483m in 2019. In addition, revenue jumped 28 per cent to $2.9bn. A combination of higher production volumes, higher commodity [...]
Ocado opens hub in Bristol as it plans to boost UK capacity by 40 per cent March 1, 2021 Online supermarket retailer Ocado has opened a new mini customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in a bid to expand its reach across the country after a strong 2020. Supporting up to 815 jobs, the Bristol-based centre has the capacity for over 30,000 orders a week and will hep the retailer with its increased demand over lockdown. [...]