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— In his speech at Bloomsberg on Friday, the Chancellor has quashed speculation that HS2 trains will not run to Central London.
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— Brexiter MP Andrew Bridgen, who lost the Conservative whip in the Commons after appearing to compare COVID vaccines to the Holocaust on Twitter, is taking legal action against Matt Hancock for criticising his remarks.
Women in Politics
— It is disheartening to note that not many countries in the world have been female-led. Despite the progress made in recent years, the number of nations that have had female leadership remains disappointingly low.
Opinion Polls
— A majority of the British public is unimpressed with Zahawi’s conduct over his tax issues and believes that he should step down from his role as Conservative party chairman.
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— The suggestion put forward by Sajid Javid in the Times that NHS patients should be charged for visiting GPs or hospital emergency departments is indicative of the Conservative party’s intention to “test the water for a different kind of NHS”, according to former Labour PM Gordon Brown.
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— A majority of the British public believes the UK should maintain its current level of support for Ukraine, according to a YouGov poll.
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— More than 90% of the world’s leading carbon offsets provider’s rainforest offset credits are likely to be “phantom credits” and do not represent genuine carbon reductions.
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— The latest ZOE COVID Study estimates indicate that the winter wave of the virus is decreasing rapidly. But there is a potential for a second winter wave.
COVID-19 Guidance
— The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its guidelines on mask-wearing in community settings, COVID-19 treatments, and clinical management.
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— The British government and royal family must take responsibility for their involvement in the horrendous transatlantic slave trade and its legacy of oppression and exploitation, Barbados ambassador says.
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— More than 100 charities and activists are calling on PM Rishi Sunak to facilitate the resettlement of family members of Afghan refugees.
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— The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a stern and formal appeal to China to provide more detailed information regarding its COVID outbreak, as travel is expected to surge in the lead up to the nation’s new year celebrations.
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— HarperCollins has announced that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be publishing a memoir of his years in office.
Strikes
— Teachers’ strikes will result in the closure of the majority of English and Welsh schools.
UK Politics
— Sir Keir Starmer argues that the SNP are using the Gender Recognition Bill to distract from pressing issues in Scotland, and accuses the Tories of using it as a tool to divide people and play politics.
COVID-19
— Rapid antigen and lateral flow tests are powerful tools, and it is important to recognize that even a faint line on a test should be interpreted as a positive result.
