By LONDON (Reuters) - Tensions between Britain and the European Union over the supply of COVID-19 vaccines show how the world deserves a “failing” grade for its past efforts to prepare for unexpected shocks, OECD chief Angel Gurria said on Tuesday.Slideshow Gurria, a former Mexican finance minister who has headed the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for 15 years, said countries had done too little to ensure supply chains would remain robust in a crisis.“We don’t get a very high grade. We basically get a ‘failing’ grade,” he said.The European Union has...…By LONDON (Reuters) - Tensions between Britain and the European Union over the supply of COVID-19 vaccines show how the world deserves a “failing” grade for its past efforts to prepare for unexpected shocks, OECD chief Angel Gurria said on Tuesday.Slideshow Gurria, a former Mexican finance minister who has headed the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for 15 years, said countries had done too little to ensure supply chains would remain robust in a crisis.“We don’t get a very high grade. We basically get a ‘failing’ grade,” he said.The European Union has...WW…

By , LONDON (Reuters) - Police in London clashed with mourners and protesters on Saturday after more than a thousand people gathered to mark the killing of a 33-year-old woman, hours after the police officer charged with her murder appeared in court.Sarah Everard’s disappearance as she walked home on the evening of March 3 had led to a wave of accounts from women about the dangers of walking streets alone at night, and dismay at the failure of police and wider society to tackle this.Early on Saturday an impromptu memorial with flowers and candles sprang up around the bandstand on Clapham...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - Police in London clashed with mourners and protesters on Saturday after more than a thousand people gathered to mark the killing of a 33-year-old woman, hours after the police officer charged with her murder appeared in court.Sarah Everard’s disappearance as she walked home on the evening of March 3 had led to a wave of accounts from women about the dangers of walking streets alone at night, and dismay at the failure of police and wider society to tackle this.Early on Saturday an impromptu memorial with flowers and candles sprang up around the bandstand on Clapham...WW…

By , , LONDON (Reuters) - Finance minister Rishi Sunak delivered what he hopes will be a last big spending splurge to get Britain’s economy through the COVID-19 crisis, and announced a corporate tax hike from 2023 as he began to focus on the huge hit to the public finances.Sunak said in an annual budget speech on Wednesday that the economy would return to its pre-pandemic size in mid-2022, six months earlier than previously forecast, helped by Europe’s fastest coronavirus vaccination programme.But lasting economic damage equivalent to 3% of annual output would persist, and 65 billion pounds...…By , , LONDON (Reuters) - Finance minister Rishi Sunak delivered what he hopes will be a last big spending splurge to get Britain’s economy through the COVID-19 crisis, and announced a corporate tax hike from 2023 as he began to focus on the huge hit to the public finances.Sunak said in an annual budget speech on Wednesday that the economy would return to its pre-pandemic size in mid-2022, six months earlier than previously forecast, helped by Europe’s fastest coronavirus vaccination programme.But lasting economic damage equivalent to 3% of annual output would persist, and 65 billion pounds...WW…

By LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s government said on Saturday it would give financial aid to airports before the end of March, after the industry called for urgent support as tighter COVID-19 rules for international travellers start on Monday.Slideshow Aviation minister Robert Courts said the government would launch a new support program this month.“The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme will help airports reduce their costs and we will be aiming to provide grants before the end of this financial year,” he announced on social media, adding that more details would follow soon.From...…By LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s government said on Saturday it would give financial aid to airports before the end of March, after the industry called for urgent support as tighter COVID-19 rules for international travellers start on Monday.Slideshow Aviation minister Robert Courts said the government would launch a new support program this month.“The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme will help airports reduce their costs and we will be aiming to provide grants before the end of this financial year,” he announced on social media, adding that more details would follow soon.From...WW…

By LONDON (Reuters) - Britain looks on course to enter a double-dip recession this winter, as business surveys show economic growth almost halted last month even before the latest England-wide lockdown was announced, financial data company IHS Markit said.The IHS Markit/CIPS services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to a four-month low of 51.4 in October from 56.1 in September, closer to the 50 mark that represents zero growth than an initial reading of 52.3.“October data indicates that the UK service sector was close to stalling even before the announcement of lockdown 2 in England,”...…By LONDON (Reuters) - Britain looks on course to enter a double-dip recession this winter, as business surveys show economic growth almost halted last month even before the latest England-wide lockdown was announced, financial data company IHS Markit said.The IHS Markit/CIPS services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to a four-month low of 51.4 in October from 56.1 in September, closer to the 50 mark that represents zero growth than an initial reading of 52.3.“October data indicates that the UK service sector was close to stalling even before the announcement of lockdown 2 in England,”...WW…

By , LONDON/BARCELONA (Reuters) - Britain abruptly imposed a two-week quarantine on all travellers arriving from Spain after a surge of coronavirus cases, a dramatic and sudden reversal on Saturday to the opening of the European continent to tourism after months of lockdown.The quarantine requirement takes effect from midnight (2300 GMT on Saturday), making it almost impossible for travellers to avoid it by rushing home.The British foreign ministry also advised against all but essential travel to mainland Spain, a move likely to prompt tour operators to cancel package holidays and trigger...…By , LONDON/BARCELONA (Reuters) - Britain abruptly imposed a two-week quarantine on all travellers arriving from Spain after a surge of coronavirus cases, a dramatic and sudden reversal on Saturday to the opening of the European continent to tourism after months of lockdown.The quarantine requirement takes effect from midnight (2300 GMT on Saturday), making it almost impossible for travellers to avoid it by rushing home.The British foreign ministry also advised against all but essential travel to mainland Spain, a move likely to prompt tour operators to cancel package holidays and trigger...WW…

By , LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England slashed interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday and announced support for bank lending just hours before the unveiling of a budget splurge designed to stave off a recession triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.In what amounts to a choreographed double-barrelled stimulus programme, the BoE announced its unanimous emergency rate cut as London markets were opening and before Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government sets out its spending plans after midday.Mark Carney’s parting shot as governor, which returns the main interest rate to...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England slashed interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday and announced support for bank lending just hours before the unveiling of a budget splurge designed to stave off a recession triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.In what amounts to a choreographed double-barrelled stimulus programme, the BoE announced its unanimous emergency rate cut as London markets were opening and before Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government sets out its spending plans after midday.Mark Carney’s parting shot as governor, which returns the main interest rate to...WW…