The UK government has rejected the chance to join the European Union’s coronavirus vaccine programme due to concerns over “costly delays”, according to sources.
The EU is planning to spend around €2bn (£1.8bn) on the advance purchase of vaccines that are undergoing testing on behalf of the 27 member states.
Negotiations with Brussels have been ongoing but Alok Sharma, the business secretary, is believed to have opted out of the opportunity, according to The Daily Telegraph. The European commission is expected to be notified of on Friday.
The decision not to participate is expected to provoke a backlash among opposition MPs, who believe that ministers are reluctant to collaborate with the EU on projects after Brexit.
Government sources told the Guardian that officials fear signing up to the scheme could delay the rollout of a vaccine by up to six months while talks on distribution took place.
They also raised concerns that countries which opted in would be subject to a cap on the number of doses allocated to each member state.
Read more via The Guardian
Disruption to global oil supplies from the Iran war has added more than $100 to the price of long-haul flights from Europe, a cost likely to trigger higher ticket prices, campaign group...
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have caused the biggest oil supply disruption on record by daily output lost, though at least one earlier shock had...
Morning Briefing
Diesel shock strains Maltese freight sector as costs surge across Europe
A sharp rise in diesel prices across Europe is placing renewed pressure on Malta’s freight...
Updated 1230
Borg: Global Trade Shifting to ‘Trusted Corridors’ as Uncertainty Grows: Foreign Minister Ian Borg told a Commonwealth trade summit in London that global trade fragmentat...
The European Parliament is moving closer to finalising its position on the EU’s next long-term budget, setting the stage for a key institutional milestone in shaping the 2028–2034 Multia...
EU lawmakers have approved new rules aimed at strengthening how failing banks are managed, extending protections to a wider range of institutions and depositors across the bloc.
The p...
Disruption to global oil supplies from the Iran war has added more than $100 to the price of long-haul flights from Europe, a cost likely to trigger higher ticket prices, campaign group...
Lufthansa is ending 20,000 short-haul routes across its network through October to achieve “jet fuel savings of more than 40,000 metric tons,” the airline announced.
Jet fuel costs ha...
“A company’s workplace culture praised by management, needs to be taken with caution. But when the recognition comes directly from employees, that carries greater weight,” says JONATHAN ...
EU lawmakers have approved new rules aimed at strengthening how failing banks are managed, extending protections to a wider range of institutions and depositors across the bloc.
The p...
Malta Public Transport announces that it will be operating two additional evening trips between Mġarr and Nadur in Gozo on Saturday 18 April 2026 to facilitate passenger travel following...
In line with its mission to drive a truly digital Malta, GO plc is making giga-speed internet the entry point for all business customers, with six months completely free for new Business...
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at a virtual standstill on Monday with just three crossings in the space of 12 hours, according to shipping data.
The oil prod...
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, say Iran carries out more executions per capita than any other country, and more in total than any nation except China, where reliable fig...
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
María Corina Machado is a prominent figure in Venezuela’s opposition. She has reported that one of her closest associates, Juan Pablo Guanipa, was abducted. This occurred mere hours afte...
Russian forces have taken 1,700 square km (656 square miles) of territory in Ukraine this year and are advancing on its so-called fortress belt in Donbas, Moscow's top general said whil...
Russia unleashed its deadliest attack so far this year on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities overnight, killing 16 people, including a 12-year-old child, and wounding scores, i...
