United Kingdom

In June 2020, TfL announced it would no longer allow passengers to use 60+ Oyster Cards or Older Person’s Freedom Passes during morning peak hours to help conserve space on public transport and aid social distancing for key workers. But over a year later and with all social distancing measures now lifted, the London Assembly unanimously called on Sadiq Khan and TfL to remove the restrictions on Thursday. Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon of the Liberal Democrats proposed the motion at City Hall and said the restrictions must be lifted or the mayor should provide sound scientific evidence to continue penalising people over 60 years of age. Ms Pidgeon said: “The suspension of concessionary travel for 60+ Oyster photocard and Older Person’s Freedom Pass holders before 9am on weekdays was ...

All teenagers could be cleared to receive vaccinations against coronavirus within days, after ministers ordered a review that could override the government’s immunisation experts who have refused to recommend jabs for healthy 12 to 15-year-olds. The chief medical officers of the four nations of the UK including England’s Prof Chris Whitty are expected to report as early as next week on whether the educational and social damage of the pandemic to teens should tip the balance in favour of vaccination. With public health experts calling for a swift programme of injections to see off a feared spike in cases as children return to classrooms, the NHS and schools have been told to be ready for mass vaccinations to start as soon as the judgement of the chief medical officers is delivered. Thi...

The BBC reported according to an inquiry, there are shocking failings and blatant hypocrisy in the way major UK religious groups handle child sex abuse allegations. According to the BBC, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said some religious organisations in England and Wales were morally failing children. It said, the inquiry examined evidence from 38 groups, including sects from Christianity, Orthodox Judaism and Islam. The report found, leaders discouraged reporting abuse to protect reputations. It said the religious leaders also blamed victims for their abuse, and relied on religious dogma when responding to allegations. According to the BBC, the report, which follows on from inquiries into the Catholic and Anglican Churches, comes after several weeks of public ...

The Government is facing a new challenge surrounding tax as a report by Pinsent Masons found a record number of people have rescheduled their payments. Around 850,000 taxpayers are now in Time to Pay arrangements, up 38 percent from a year ago, equating to £100billion in overdue tax which is yet to be covered. This comes as Chancellor Rishi Sunak eyes up potential tax reforms to raise funds after the pandemic. Speculation that Mr Sunak could opt for a short term rise in national insurance contributions for the self-employed is rife, with one expert warning the Government will have to raise taxes. Mark Collins, Head of Tax at Handelsbanken Wealth Management, is one such expert who said: Ultimately the government will need to raise taxes at some point. The government cannot rely on a pr...

Third coronavirus vaccines are not luxury boosters making vaccine inequity worse but a means of keeping the vulnerable safe, WHO's Europe director has said. Hans Kluge appeared to contradict his World Health Organisation (WHO) colleagues at a news briefing on Monday, saying third COVID-19 jabs are an important way of protecting the most clinically vulnerable. The UK government says it will start rolling out third vaccines to the most clinically vulnerable from September. So far, 42.6 million people have received both doses. Earlier this month, WHO senior officials criticised countries such as the US and Israel for rolling out a booster vaccine programme, when many people across the world have had no jabs at all. But Mr Kluge said: A third dose of vaccine is not a luxury booster [that ...

Coronavirus returned to the list of top ten causes of death in England in July. Last month, Covid-19 was the ninth biggest causes of death in England which was up from 26th place in June. Meanwhile in Wales last month, coronavirus was the 22nd leading cause of death after being unranked in June due to low death numbers. Office for National Statistics figures show the number of deaths in England was 7.6 per cent higher than average. In Wales, it was 10.4 per cent higher. Covid has had the number one spot for cause of death in England and Wales for six months since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. It does not include those who have Covid mentioned on the death certificate as a contributory cause. On Monday, the Government has said a further 40 people had died within 28 days of ...

The UK's evacuation mission at Kabul's airport has "a matter of hours" left and no more people will be called forward, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said. Mr Wallace told Sky News the effort was into its "final hours" after the closure of the main processing centre in Kabul at the Baron Hotel near the airport. He said: We, at 4.30 this morning, UK-time, closed the Baron Hotel, shut the processing centre and the gates were closed at Abbey Gate. We will process the people that we've brought with us, the 1,000 people approximately in the airfield now and we will seek a way to continue to find a few people in the crowds where we can, but overall the main processing is now closed and we have a matter of hours. The sad fact is not every single one will get out. The threat is obviously go...

The highest total of weekly coronavirus-related deaths has been recorded in the UK since March, latest figures show. There were 652 deaths registered in the week ending on 13 August, according to the Office for National Statistics - an increase of 6.7% on the previous week. This is the highest number since 800 fatalities involving COVID-19 were registered in the week to 26 March. The ONS said the latest total includes 550 deaths in England, 41 in Scotland, 40 in Northern Ireland and 19 in Wales. The combined figure for England and Wales was also at its highest since late March. There were 571 coronavirus-related deaths registered in England and Wales during the week ending on 13 August - an increase of 8% on the previous week. This is the highest total since 719 fatalities were recorde...

The highest total of weekly coronavirus-related deaths has been recorded in the UK since March, latest figures show. There were 652 deaths registered in the week ending on 13 August, according to the Office for National Statistics - an increase of 6.7% on the previous week. This is the highest number since 800 fatalities involving COVID-19 were registered in the week to 26 March. The ONS said the latest total includes 550 deaths in England, 41 in Scotland, 40 in Northern Ireland and 19 in Wales. The combined figure for England and Wales was also at its highest since late March. There were 571 coronavirus-related deaths registered in England and Wales during the week ending on 13 August - an increase of 8% on the previous week. This is the highest total since 719 fatalities were recorde...

Health secretary Sajid Javid said he is confident a Covid-19 jab booster campaign can start next month, despite a report that experts want more time to consider whether they are needed. NHS plans are in place to roll out third doses of the vaccine from 6 September for people who might really need another jab but no official decision has been taken yet. We are going to have a booster scheme, it will start sometime in September, Mr Javid told reporters on a visit to open a hospital in Carlisle on Thursday. The health secretary said: I couldn’t tell you exactly when because before we start it, as people would expect, we need to get the final advice from our group of experts, our independent scientific and medical advisers, the JCVI. He added: We’re waiting for their final opinion and, lo...