High Court rules hiring process to bring in Dido Harding and Mike Coupe was unlawful February 15, 2022 The High Court ruled today that the process behind the Government’s appointment of Dido Harding and Mike Coupe to senior emergency healthcare jobs without competition was unlawful. The Court declared that the processes by which Matt Hancock appointed Dido Harding as Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection and Mike Coupe as Director of [...]
Ukraine: Kremlin claims victory over the west as Putin backs off troops February 15, 2022 Russia has begun to pull back troops from the Ukrainian border in a major de-escalation of tensions, with the Kremlin claiming victory over the west in an apparent concession that there will be no invasion. Russian media reported this morning that military units had been pulled back from the Ukrainian border, after a statement from [...]
See for yourself: Videos show Russian army closing in on Ukraine border amid warning invasion may start tomorrow February 15, 2022 The build-up of Russian armed forces approaching the Ukrainian border is in full swing, according to various media reports overnight. This includes submarines, landing ships in the Black Sea as well as tanks and howitzers, according to CNN. The news channel geolocated and authenticated a range of social media videos. A number of videos were [...]
Tory MP Nigel Adams pushed for biomass subsidies while receiving £62,000 in donations from industry February 15, 2022 It has been reported that one of the strongest biomass supporters in parliament, Nigel Adams MP, received more than £60k in donations from the industry while lobbying the government to provide biomass companies with subsidies. Adams reportedly accepted £62,411 in donations between 2012 and 2016, including more than £30,000 to attend a number of conferences [...]
Hong Kong hit by surging cases as city looks to sue airline for flying in Omicron February 15, 2022 A surge in Covid-19 cases is overwhelming Hong Kong’s emergency resources, despite the city’s infamously strict measures. Beijing has offered help to the financial hub, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said today. The city has maintained central government’s ‘zero-Covid’ stance on the virus, which has seen mass testing, quarantines and local lockdowns in the face [...]
Young people are coming back to London but population is still lower than pre-pandemic peak February 15, 2022 Young people, who left London in the midst of the pandemic, are coming back to the UK’s capital city, according to research from the Greater London Authority (GLA). Analysis by the GLA suggests the number of people aged 18-29 dropped sharply at the start of the pandemic, as thousands of young people left London to [...]
Sadiq Khan to create £90m City Hall green bond programme February 15, 2022 Sadiq Khan will issue City Hall green bonds as a part of a £90m programme intended to boost the UK’s investment in green infrastructure. The new programme, which will be in the mayor of London’s £16bn+ 2021-22 Budget, will see £86m spent on the green bond programme and a further £4m spent on developing “high-impact [...]
Government rejects less than one per cent of nearly 3m expenses February 14, 2022 The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has rejected just one claim out of more than 18,000 in the year to March 2021, which has raised eyebrows over at spend management firm Emburse. Across all government departments, rejected expense claims make up just 0.07 per cent of the total 2.95m submitted between 2019 [...]
EU deepens investigation into Gazprom’s European business amid supply concerns February 14, 2022 EU antitrust regulators will intensify information gathering on Gazprom's European business, amid the continent's growing supply crisis.
Metropolitan Police Federation turns against London Mayor saying it has ‘no faith’ in him following Cressida Dick’s resignation February 14, 2022 The Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents more than 31,000 officers in London, has said it has “no faith” in London Mayor Sadiq Khan following the resignation of Dame Cressida Dick last week. Ken Marsh, chairman of the federation, said: “We have let the Mayor’s office know in no uncertain terms how our brave and diligent [...]
