EU vaccine: Europe still negotiating for Novavax jabs that UK bought five months ago

The EU’s vaccine shambles descended further into chaos today as it emerged the bloc has not yet signed a deal to buy British-made Novavax jabs which passed phase III trials yesterday with a 90% success rate.  Ministers from the EU commission only completed ‘exploratory’ talks to buy Novavax, which is being made in a Tesside … Read more

Hungary turns to CHINA for Covid jabs in wake of EU’s vaccine shambles

Hungary turns to CHINA for Covid jabs in wake of EU’s vaccine shambles, after already agreeing deal to buy Russia’s Sputnik V Hungary looking at buying vials of China’s Sinopharm vaccine, Viktor Orban says Comes after country purchased 1million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine Hungary, an EU country, has gone elsewhere amid bloc’s shambolic … Read more

EU to unveil vaccine export crackdown plans as row over supplies grows

Brussels will unveil dramatic new powers tomorrow that could see the shipment of millions of vaccine doses to Britain being blocked within days. As the row over the EU jabs shortage intensifies, the European Commission will establish a mechanism to allow member states to refuse vaccine exports. The move will heighten fears about whether Britain’s … Read more

BBC ‘impartiality’ row: Katya Adler says Boris Johnson ‘berated’ EU

A £215,000-a-year BBC journalist was today embroiled in an impartiality row after claiming Boris Johnson had ‘berated’ the EU over the coronavirus vaccines dispute. Europe editor Katya Adler, 48, who is based in Brussels, prompted fury with a tweet after the EU tried to requisition tens of millions of vaccine doses made from the UK. … Read more

Nicola Sturgeon accused of taking EU’s side in vaccine supply row

Nicola Sturgeon was accused of taking the EU’s side in the bitter vaccine row today as she vowed to publish details of the UK’s supplies despite Boris Johnson ordering her to keep them secret. In an extraordinary move, the First Minister risked undermining Britain’s position, with Brussels heaping pressure on firms to give the bloc … Read more

ROSS CLARK: What are we to make of Brussels’ hypocritical stunt to distract from its vaccine fiasco?

How grand, how admirable it sounded back in June when the European Union set up a Covid-19 vaccine-buying programme to pool the purchase power of all member states. This pan-European approach would, it was claimed, ‘ensure fair and equitable access for all across the EU’. Under the terms of the programme, individual countries were forbidden … Read more

A layer of waste covers Serbian lake as the Balkans loses its battle with pollution

Cranes and building machinery were sent to a lake in Serbia last week to clear a thick layer of waste covering its surface. Tons of floating waste have accumulated at the foot of the Lim River hydro-electric power plant on the Potpeć Reservoir in southwest Serbia following heavy rains earlier this year. The islands of rubbish … Read more

UK could miss out on 3.5m doses between now and February and rely totally on AstraZeneca’s plan

What would happen if the EU forced Pfizer to stop delivering Covid vaccines? UK could miss out on 3.5m doses between now and February and rely totally on AstraZeneca’s plan to hit 2m per week by Monday Eurocrats proposed plans to stop vaccine exports could cut Britain’s supplies  Pfizer – which manufactures doses in Belgium … Read more

Vaccine battle as EU threatens to BLOCK Pfizer jabs going to UK

Furious Tories today warned that the EU will ‘poison’ relations for ‘a generation’ if it follows through on extraordinary threats to block Pfizer vaccines going to the UK – as ministers insisted they are ‘confident’ supplies will be maintained. Amid a shambolic rollout across the bloc, Brussels has demanded drug firms give them early warning … Read more

Mastercard increases card fees five-fold for UK shoppers buying from EU companies

Mastercard is blasted for ‘greed’ and ‘opportunism’ by charging British card users FIVE TIMES the fees on items ordered from EU then blaming Brexit Mastercard is hiking fees for UK shoppers buying  from EU-based companies The European Union brought in a cap in 2015 amid fears over hidden fees Mastercard says the cap does not … Read more