Tag: Britain

Pfizer’s Antiviral COVID-19 Pill Approved by Britain’s Health Regulators

Britain’s drugs regulator approved use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 antiviral pill just about one month after it became the first country to approve a similar oral antiviral treatment produced by Merck & Co.’s. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said Pfizer’s pill, named Paxlovid, can be given to people aged 18 and older…


Stonehenge Revellers Bring in the Winter Solstice

Revellers gathered at Britain’s Stonehenge in the English county of Wiltshire on Wednesday to bring in the winter solstice. People, many wrapped in blankets and cloaks, stood inside the stone circle of the neolithic monument, singing as the sun rose. Cheers erupted, followed by singing and dancing around the prehistoric stones. The visitors traveled to…


UK Seeks Public Opinions on Lifting Japanese Food Imports Restrictions

The British government is soliciting public opinions on lifting Japanese food imports restrictions that have been in place since the Fukushima incident in March 2011, as part of the process to ease the curbs, which are likely to take effect next spring. Britain’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has concluded that the removal of import requirements—a limit…


COVID Variant Spreads to More Countries as World on Alert

LONDON—The new potentially more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in more European countries on Saturday, just days after being identified in South Africa, leaving governments around the world scrambling to stop the spread. The UK on Saturday tightened its rules on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two cases….


BoE’s Pill Sees Growing Case for December Rate Rise, but No Guarantee

BRISTOL, England—Bank of England chief economist Huw Pill said the weight of evidence was shifting towards a rise in interest rates next month but that he had not made a decision, and markets would do better to focus on the longer term. Speaking to reporters at an economics conference in Bristol, Pill also cautioned against…


Ireland Dusts Off Brexit Contingency Plans as Trade Tensions Mount

DUBLIN—Irish government ministers have met to dust off contingency plans in case disagreements between Britain and the European Union trigger major trade disruption, deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar said on Tuesday. The European Union last week said that Britain had made no move to seek a compromise on post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland and cautioned…


Swiss Banks Expect Market Access Deal With Britain in 2022: NZZ

ZURICH—The head of the Swiss banking lobby expects his country to strike a deal with Britain next year to open up the financial sector to cross-border business, he told the NZZ newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday. Both countries, which are outside the European Union, are negotiating an accord for market access by banks…


Pause Britain’s Rollout of Smart Motorways Over Safety, Says MPs Committee

The rollout of Britain’s controversial so-called smart motorways should be put on hold due to safety concerns, says a committee of MPs. A report by the Commons Transport Select Committee (TSC) published on Nov. 2 said that more data is needed on safety and economics. Smart motorways were developed to increase capacity without having to…


Train Collision in Southwest Britain Injures Several People

LONDON—Two trains collided at Fisherton Tunnel in the southwestern English city of Salisbury on Sunday, injuring a number of people, police said, declaring the crash a major incident. “A number of people have been injured, but thankfully no one has died,” British transport police said. While most of the people are “walking wounded”, a small…


13 Hurt After 2 Passenger Trains Crash in Southern England

LONDON—British authorities on Monday were investigating the crash of two passenger trains that left more than a dozen people injured. The rear carriage of a train derailed Sunday after “striking an object” as it approached the station in Salisbury in southern England. Network Rail said the derailment knocked out all the signaling in the area,…