Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British unemployment dipped to 4.8 percent in the first quarter, official data showed Tuesday, helped by the UK government’s jobs furlough scheme keeping millions in work during the pandemic. That compared with 4.9 percent in the three months to the end of February, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement. Britain’s government is paying the bulk of wages for millions of private-sector workers during the coronavirus pandemic, […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — French pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi and Britain’s GSK reported on Monday “strong immune responses” in early tests of their Covid-19 vaccine, raising hopes it could join the fight against the pandemic. The companies said the results of the Phase 2 study will enable them to move to a late-stage trial in the coming weeks — a reversal of fortune after their research was dealt a setback late last year. The experimental vaccine […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain on Sunday passed the milestone of vaccinating 20 million adults with two doses of the coronavirus jab, just a day before a raft of restrictions are lifted across most of the country. According to government statistics, 20,103,658 million have now received their full two vaccine doses — 38.2 precent of the adult population. Still more have received a first dose — 36,573,354, or 69.4 percent of the adult population […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — One child died and four adults were injured early on Sunday after two houses collapsed in a suspected gas explosion in northwest England, police said. Police in the county of Lancashire said they were called to the row of terraced houses at 2:40am (0140 GMT) where they evacuated other residents and set up a safety cordon. “We remain at scene of a suspected gas explosion on Mallowdale Ave Heysham which […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — A rise in cases of the Indian coronavirus variant could “pose serious disruption” to Britain’s reopening plans, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Friday. England will take the next step of reopening on Monday as planned, but the final stage, currently scheduled for June 21, could be in doubt. “I do not believe we need to delay our roadmap,” said Johnson. But, “this new variant could pose a serious disruption to […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s economy contracted by 1.5 percent in the first quarter as the country suffered a fresh coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Wednesday. The UK however is currently exiting lockdown at a gradual pace, allowing the economy to recover from pandemic fallout. “As we cautiously reopen the economy, I will continue to take all the steps necessary to support our recovery,” finance minister Rishi Sunak said in reaction to the […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The British government is to announce a timeline for lifting anti-virus restrictions in England on Monday including the reopening of indoor seating in pubs and restaurants and allowing hugs, Downing Street said late Sunday. Johnson will hold a news conference on Monday afternoon set to announce a May 17 start for the third step in Britain’s “roadmap” out of the crisis. The government said Johnson would agree the exact measures […]
LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom (AFP) — Thousands danced without face coverings at a music festival in northern England as the UK government permitted the country’s first post-lockdown gig. A crowd of 5,000 people cheered, danced and sang along to performances from bands including English indie pop act Blossoms at the sold-out event on Sunday at Liverpool’s Sefton Park. The festival was part of a pilot project by the UK government called the Events Research Programme (ERP) […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The UK said Sunday it was sending an extra 1,000 oxygen ventilators to Covid-struck India, as a group of doctors staged their own intervention by offering long-distance telemedicine from Britain. British authorities have already sent 495 oxygen concentrators and 200 ventilators to India as the country grapples with a devastating surge in coronavirus cases, and are shipping three larger production units, dubbed oxygen factories. The 1,000 additional ventilators will come […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain announced Wednesday it was sending three oxygen generation units to Covid-struck India following a first consignment of aid this week, but said it had no spare vaccines to offer. The three units, dubbed oxygen factories, are each the size of a shipping container and can produce 500 litres of oxygen per minute, the UK government said. “We stand with our Indian friends in their fight against Covid-19,” Foreign Secretary […]
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — The first shipment of Covid medical supplies from Britain to India, including 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators, arrived early Tuesday, the foreign ministry said. Foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted photos of the equipment being unloaded from a German Lufthansa aircraft in New Delhi, calling it “international cooperation at work”. Britain, one of several countries to announce sending help as India’s health care system buckles under a huge surge […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain said Sunday it was sending life-saving medical equipment to India, including ventilators and oxygen concentrators, as the south Asian country reels from record numbers of daily Covid-19 infections and deaths. London will ship more than 600 pieces of equipment to New Delhi to support its fight against the virus, following a request from India and Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledging the UK would do “all it can” to help. […]
