Political News
Trump signs Covid-19 relief package preventing government shutdown
US President Donald Trump signed a bill on Sunday to approve the $2. 3tn pandemic and spending package that would restore benefits to millions of American citizens.
Lufthansa airlifts fruit, veg to supply-strapped Brits
Germany’s Lufthansa has airlifted 80 tonnes of fruit and vegetables to panicked Britons as fears of festive-season supermarket shortages grew despite France lifting its Covid-19 blockade.
Trump demands changes to $900bn US stimulus bill, suggests veto
US President Donald Trump attacked the $900bn pandemic relief package that passed by Congress on Monday night, calling it a “disgrace” and demanded changes before he signed the bill.
Trump signs temporary bill to avoid government shutdown
US President Donald Trump signed a temporary spending bill on Sunday night to avoid a government shutdown, the White House said in a statement.
Alibaba 'dismayed' by its ethnicity profiling algorithm
Alibaba said it was “dismayed” after learning that Alibaba Cloud had developed facial recognition technology to identify ethnicity and thus profile “Uyghur” muslims.
US to blacklist Chinese companies including SMIC - report
The US is ready to add dozens of Chinese companies including chipmaker SMIC to a trade blacklist on Friday, according to a report.
Chancellor extends furlough, business loan schemes
The government’s furlough scheme has been extended to the end of April 2021, the Chancellor announced on Thursday, with the government continuing to contribute 80% towards wages.
Von der Leyen sees 'path' to Brexit deal
The president of the European Commission raised hopes of a Brexit trade deal on Wednesday but the UK urged caution as talks continued.
US lawmakers edge towards agreement on fresh stimulus package
Hopes were growing on Tuesday that Washington could be close to agreeing pandemic relief worth $748bn after a compromise package of fiscal measures was presented by a group of bipartisan lawmakers.
New online safety law in UK set to curb illegal content
The UK’s new Online Safety Bill looks to block illegal and harmful content on the web.
London to enter tier 3 as new Covid-19 variant spreads
London will move into the strictest tier 3 category for Covid-19 restrictions from midnight on Wednesday morning to combat a new form of the virus, the health secretary told MPs.
EU regulators approve €30bn scheme to reduce CO2 emissions
Competition regulators in Brussels approved a €30bn scheme on Monday that will support projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands.
France fines Google $120m and Amazon $43m data protection breach
France’s data protection agency, the CNIL, issued fines against Google and Amazon for dropping so-called tracking cookies without consent.
EU unveils plan to avoid disruption in case of no-deal Brexit
The European Commission has drawn up contingency plans to ensure both transport links and fishing access can continue in the case of a no-deal Brexit.
US preparing fresh sanctions on Chinese officials - report
Washington is looking to impose further sanctions on a number of Chinese officials over the political crackdown in Hong Kong, it was reported on Monday.
Treasury committee quizzes DMO on gilt sales
The UK's Debt Management Office is facing political scrutiny over whether it achieved the best price when selling more than £300bn of government bonds during the past decade.
UK govt slashes £1bn from rail infrastructure budget
The UK government on Friday said it had cut Britain’s rail infrastructure budget by £1bn after its spending review.
Investors pay 2.95% to lend UK £1bn in Gilts auction
Investors competed to pay the UK almost 3% to lend the country £1bn in the latest auction of gilt-edged bonds.
Iranian parliament approves bill to potentially end nuclear inspections
Iran gave preliminary approval to a draft legislation that could potentially end inspections of nuclear sites by the start of 2021.
Over-budget, delayed Crossrail gets another £825m lifeline
London’s delayed and over-budget Crossrail project has been given another £825m in government funding, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Tuesday.