Page 6 - Uk Govt

UK approves second 'bivalent' booster for Omicron and Covid strain

The UK health authorities on Saturday approved a second bivalent vaccine to be used as a booster vaccine to target both the Omicron and original strain of COVID-19. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the updated booster vaccine made by Pfizer/BioNTech was found to meet its standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. The jab targeting two coronavirus variants has been approved for use in individuals aged 12 years and above. In each dose of the booster vaccine called Comirnaty bivalent Original/Omicron, half of the vaccine (15 micrograms) targets the original virus strain and the other half (15 micrograms) targets Omicron (BA.1). The clinical trial of the Pfizer/BioNTech bivalent vaccine showed a strong immune response against the Omicron BA.1 variant as well as the original strain, said Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive. Bivalent vaccines are helping us to meet the challenge of an ever-evolving virus, to help protect people against COVID-19 ...

UK's outgoing PM Johnson pledges millions to fund new nuclear plant

Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday pledged 700 million pounds (USD 810 million) of government funding for a planned new nuclear power plant as part of a drive to improve the UK's energy security. Johnson said the spike in global gas prices driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine showed why more nuclear generation capacity was needed in the UK. The plant, called Sizewell C, is located on eastern England's Suffolk coast. French energy company EDF, which will partly fund the project, has said it can generate low-carbon electricity for at least 60 years when the project is complete. The plant will reportedly cost about 20 billion pounds (USD 23 billion). Britain's government gave the greenlight for the plant in July, and talks about how to fund it are ongoing. Yes, nuclear always looks relatively expensive to build and to run, Johnson said in his final major policy speech as prime minister. But look at what's happening today, look at the results of Putin's war.

Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal faces more UK scrutiny amid concerns

Microsoft's plan to buy video game company Activision Blizzard faced a potential setback on Thursday after British regulators said their antitrust inquiry needed to take a closer look at the blockbuster deal after identifying competition concerns. The Competition and Markets Authority said it was worried the USD 69 billion deal would hurt rivals by restricting their access to Activision Blizzard games. It also worried that the combined company would stifle competition in the emerging cloud gaming market. The authority gave both companies five days to come up with proposals to address its concerns, otherwise it would escalate its investigation with more scrutiny. The watchdog had opened an initial inquiry in July to assess whether the deal would result in a substantial lessening of competition in the United Kingdom. The all-cash deal is set to be the largest in the history of the tech industry. It would give Microsoft, maker of the Xbox console and gaming system, control of popular

Indian students to the UK start getting priority and super priority visas

Under the Priority Visa service, the UK government decides on the student's visa application within five days. Under the Super Priority service, it is granted by the end of next working day

UK's Liz Truss considers 5% cut in VAT if she becomes PM: Report

The govt has been facing growing calls to provide immediate financial support to households struggling with squeezed budgets as energy bills jump 80% to an average of 3,549 pounds a year from Oct

UK to announce new support measures for population in September: Johnson

Outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that the government will announce new measures to support the population next month amid the pressure of rising energy bills

Wipro bags deal from UK government treasury, to deliver service integration

IT company Wipro Limited has bagged a multi-year contract to deliver service integration and management services to the UK government treasury. The service will enable seamless integration of IT services across multi-functional suppliers and partners, enhancing the user experience across HMT and its arm's length bodies, according to a statement on Thursday. Wipro and Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT) will collaborate to enable end-to-end SIAM (Service Integration And Management) services, from strategy, design, and implementation to running business-as-usual services such as day-to-day coordination of service integration across HMT's vendors. "I am looking forward to working with Wipro in shaping and delivering the next generation of IT services at HM Treasury. This new partnership will support the department by improving end-to-end IT services by delivering more responsive services for our users," HM Treasury Chief Information Officer Huw Stephens said. Manager Director for UK and Irel

Tata Steel Europe: A tale of 2 plants and their transition to green future

Both the Netherlands and UK facilities have turned around but the transition to a green steel future may differ

Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss? Tories shouldn't write off 'Trussonomics' yet

According to a recent YouGov poll, 62% of them want Truss for leader, giving her a colossal 24-point advantage over Sunak

UK Parliament panel warns against rushing India FTA to meet Diwali deadline

A UK parliamentary panel warned the government against accepting a poor deal to rush things through simply to meet a deadline set for the completion of a free trade agreement (FTA) with India.

Rishi Sunak's tax affairs back in spotlight in UK race to succeed Johnson

Sunak's tax arrangements were in the spotlight once again as he sought to position himself as the only candidate who could beat Labour leader Keir Starmer at the next general election

UK inflation surges to new 40-year high of 9.4% amid rising fuel prices

Inflation in the United Kingdom has accelerated to a new 40-year high, driven by rising food and fuel prices that are contributing to a cost-of-living crisis

Race for UK leadership heats up, Rishi Sunak nearly certain to make top two

Conservative Party MPs will vote for a fourth time in the contest to elect Johnson's successor as party leader and UK prime minister, after the latest ballot left Rishi Sunak looking almost certain

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak tops new UK PM vote as only 4 remain in race

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Monday topped the latest round of voting among the Conservative Party members of Parliament as the race to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister

Britons asked to avoid non-essential travel as UK faces hottest day ever

People in the UK are being advised to stay indoors and avoid non-essential travel as the country faces its hottest day on Monday, with temperatures set to edge towards the 40-degree Celsius mark

Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman on shortlist of eight in UK PM race

The others to make it include Foreign Secy Liz Truss, new Chancellor Zahawi, Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt, former Cabinet ministers Kemi Badenoch and Jeremy Hunt and Tory backbencher Tom Tugendha

Former FM Rishi Sunak hits threshold for UK PM race as nominations open

Former UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak emerged as one of the early candidates to hit the threshold of 20 supporting Conservative Party members of Parliament for his British prime minister nomination

UK's new PM to be announced on September 5 after Boris Johnson resigns

The 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs set out the timetable and rules of play for the elections, which will officially open and also close for nominations on Tuesday

Race for UK PM widens with 9 candidates in fray, Sunak maintains lead

British Indian former Cabinet minister Rishi Sunak maintained his lead as the race to replace Boris Johnson as the next PM

Candidates jostle to replace UK PM Boris Johnson in packed race

Nine candidates have launched campaigns to be next PM; new leader should be in place by Sept. 5, party officer says