EPA France and Poland have reintroduced partial lockdowns as both countries battle a sharp rise in Covid infections in recent weeks. Some 21 million people in 16 areas of France, including the capital Paris, are affected as the country fears a third wave. In Poland, shops, hotels, cultural and sporting facilities are closed across the
Month: March 2021
EPA Coronavirus cases are rising exponentially in Germany, officials warn, as continental Europe braces for a third wave of infections. Germany’s public health body, the Robert Koch Institute, said that highly contagious virus variants could force the country back into lockdown. France, Poland and other nations are reintroducing restrictions. German Health Minister Jens Spahn has
PA Media The prime minister is to receive his first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after reassuring the public it was “safe”. Boris Johnson, 56, has urged people to get inoculated and said England’s roadmap out of lockdown was “on track”. He said there was “no change” to the plan despite a drop in
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is “safe and effective” and should continue to be used, the European Medicines Agency announced today after a review of concerns about blood clotting. But the agency said it could not rule out a link with two rare blood-clotting conditions seen in 25 people who were given the vaccine. It added that
PA Media A majority of MSPs on the Alex Salmond committee have said Nicola Sturgeon misled their inquiry, sources have told the BBC. It is understood MSPs on the committee voted by five to four that Ms Sturgeon gave them an inaccurate account. The committee’s final report is expected to be published next Tuesday. Ms
Getty Images The UK government is facing questions over coronavirus vaccine supply after warnings of a significant reduction. It is understood a delivery of millions of doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, produced by the Serum Institute of India, has been held up by four weeks. The NHS warned of a reduction in supply in England
The NHS has warned of a “significant reduction in the weekly supply” of Covid vaccines in England next month in a letter to local health organisations. The letter says there has been a “reduction in national inbound vaccines supply” and asks organisations to “ensure no further appointments are uploaded” to booking systems in April. The
Getty Images Uber says it will give its UK drivers a guaranteed minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions. The ride-hailing app giant said drivers would earn at least the UK’s National Living Wage, paid to the over 25s, of £8.72 an hour. It comes one month after the US firm lost a legal battle in
This is part of the FinCEN Files investigation. To read more, click here. Want to help us expose corruption and hold the highest levels of power to account? Become a BuzzFeed News Member here. It looked like a major windfall for Nigeria’s taxpayers, more than half of whom were living in “absolute poverty.” Two giant
The UK is set to reverse plans to reduce its stockpile of nuclear weapons by the middle of the decade, as part of a foreign policy overhaul. The overall cap on the number of warheads will now increase to 260, having been due to drop to 180 under previous plans from 2010. The UK will
Germany, France, Italy, and Spain have all halted vaccinations with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, following reports of rare blood clots in people given the shots. These moves by the four largest countries in the European Union follow pauses in several smaller member nations — and mark a new crisis in confidence for an affordable vaccine that
PA Media The government is to set out its post-Brexit foreign policy, promising to reshape an “outdated international system” into one that better protects the UK’s interests and values. Its year-long review of foreign and defence policy marks a shift towards Indo-Pacific countries such as India, Japan and Australia. It will also pave the way
EPA The World Health Organization has said there is no evidence that incidents involving blood clots are caused by the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. In a statement, the WHO said it was reviewing reports relating to the jab, but it was important that vaccination campaigns continued. It was good practice to investigate potential adverse events, it added.
Boris Johnson has said he is “deeply concerned” by footage showing police officers detaining women at Saturday’s vigil to remember Sarah Everard. The prime minister will chair a meeting of the crime and justice taskforce later to discuss ways to protect women. Officers handcuffed women and removed them from the gathering on Clapham Common in
EPA Angela Merkel’s ruling Christian Democrats (CDU) have suffered poor results in two key regional votes seen as an indication of what might happen in September’s general election. The CDU is on course for about a quarter of the vote in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The two western states were once conservative strongholds. Mrs Merkel is
PA Media The Army is likely to find itself “outgunned” in any conflict with Russian forces, MPs have warned. In a damning report, the Commons Defence Committee described efforts to modernise the Army’s fleet of Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV) as “woeful”. The ageing and depleted fleet puts the Army at “serious risk” of being outmatched