Coronavirus: Whole of Italy put on lockdown as death toll soars March 9, 2020 Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has placed the entire country on lockdown in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus, as the death toll jumped by 97. It extends the emergency measures the government put in place over the weekend for Lombardy and 14 other provinces in the north of the country, the epicentre [...]
10m people in UK have now received first dose of Covid vaccine February 3, 2021 Ten million people in Britain have now received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, the health secretary has announced, in a major boost for hopes of a return to normality. Matt Hancock took to Twitter this afternoon to announce the “hugely significant milestone in our national effort against this virus”. “Every jab makes us [...]
Europe’s sluggish vaccine rollout has been characterised by complacency and lack of innovation March 24, 2021 This week, the European Union will hold a crunch summit on whether to impose a vaccine export ban. Whatever the rights or wrongs of such a proposal, it is symptomatic of a rollout that has gone wrong from the very start. It is no exaggeration to say that the EU’s approach to the vaccine programme [...]
South Africa upbeat as battle of the Covid mutations rages: Omicron deaths still zero despite new coronavirus variant spreading twice as fast as deadly Delta December 8, 2021 Scientists and policy makers in South Africa and across the region are cautiously optimistic that the rapidly spreading Omicron variant is not going to cause a bloodbath as, so far, no deaths have been linked to the new Covid mutation. Despite a record number of new infections – more than 40,000 people tested positive in [...]
Higher yields not necessarily bad news for stocks, argues City-based investment veteran March 9, 2021 The spike in yields of late has sent shivers through stock markets, which recently reached an all-time high and whose valuations have been labelled as ‘stretched’ by more than one analyst. But this rise in yields, if contained, is not necessarily bad news for stocks. In fact, it suggests that the rotation into reflation-driven cyclical [...]
Omicron: what it means for markets November 30, 2021 Mark Ainsworth, Head of Data Insights: The new Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529, or Omicron, that was identified last week in southern Africa has officially been classed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization. Covid-19 infections had already been on the rise in a number of countries, notably in Europe. This is due to colder [...]
Legal Q&A: Why Rugby Australia can terminate Israel Folau’s contract – and what he can do about it April 17, 2019 Lawyer JJ Shaw explains the regulatory workings behind Rugby Australia's decision to terminate Israel Folau's contract over anti-gay social media posts, and how the player can contest the sanction. What grounds do Australian rugby chiefs have for terminating Folau’s contract? Rugby Australia’s code of conduct obliges players to “treat everyone equally, fairly and with dignity regardless of gender [...]
UK green list: Airline stocks sink as update adding Ibiza, Malta and Mallorca underwhelms June 25, 2021 UK green list updates: Malta, Madeira, Ibiza, Mallorca and Barbados added
After year of pain, Virgin Atlantic exec looking forward to clearer skies March 15, 2021 It was the moment it felt like everyone had been waiting for. On 22 February, Boris Johnson told a cold and tired nation that international travel could be back on the cards from 17 May, prompting a mad rush of pale Brits booking their summer getaways despite pleas that it was too early to do [...]
After four years, Trump has yet to master the art of the diplomatic deal November 3, 2020 “We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country,” Donald Trump urged crowds at a campaign rally in Indiana, months before his surprise 2016 election victory. As America once more heads to the polls today, the rest of the world can only stand by and watch. And while Joe Biden appears to be leading, [...]