6:46 am, September 4, 2022
Strikes involving thousands of workers could take place in coming months – Unite
Tens of thousands of workers could go on strike in the coming months in the battle for better pay, a union leader has warned.
In Sharon Graham’s first year as general secretary of Unite, the union’s members have fought for better pay in more than 450 disputes.
Unite said eight out of 10 have been won, securing £150m in new wages and benefits for union members, with 76,000 members taking industrial action to secure the wins.
Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 booster approved by UK medicines regulator
An updated Covid-19 booster vaccine has been approved for use in the UK.
The second ‘bivalent’ vaccine, made by Pfizer/BioNTech, targets two coronavirus variants and has been approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in those aged 12 and above. The regulator confirmed on Saturday that the vaccine had met its standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
The vaccine targets both the original strain of coronavirus and the Omicron variant that emerged at the end of 2021, and follows a similar booster from Moderna which was approved in August.
Fuel leak halts Nasa’s second attempt to launch moon rocket
Nasa’s new moon rocket has sprung another dangerous fuel leak, forcing launch controllers to call off their second attempt to send a crew capsule into lunar orbit with test dummies.
The first attempt earlier in the week was also marred by escaping hydrogen, but those leaks were elsewhere on the 322ft (98-metre) rocket, the most powerful ever built by Nasa.
Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson and her team tried to plug Saturday’s leak the way they did the last time: stopping and restarting the flow of super-cold liquid hydrogen in hopes of removing the gap around a seal in the supply line. They attempted this twice, and also flushed helium through the line. But the leak persisted.
‘Significant improvements’ needed to meet offshore renewable targets – report
Meeting offshore renewable energy targets by 2030 are ‘potentially achievable’ if the rate of wind turbine installation is doubled or tripled, industry experts have warned.
The UK government has set a four-fold increase target, however, ‘significant improvements’ will be needed for this to be possible, according to a new study from Offshore Energies UK (OEUK).
Research found that almost half of the offshore wind projected needed to reach the target are only at the concept stage and it typically takes more than 13 years to move to the operation stage due to planning and approval delays. As a result, the UK is at risk of missing net zero targets, according to the report.
Audi revises its RS Q e-tron electric racer ahead of upcoming rally
Audi has showcased an evolution on its RS Q e-tron which has been redesigned to help it conquer some of the world’s most gruelling rally events.
Called the RS Q e-tron E2, it sports a ‘completely new’ body that helps to bring improved aerodynamics alongside lower weight. The car’s cockpit is now significantly wider, while the front and rear sections have been redesigned. It also brings the car’s centre of gravity lower down.
The E2 nameplate is also significant, as it was also used by the famous Audi Sport quattro during its final development stage for Group B rallying in the 1980s.
£13.5m donated in two days to UK charities to help people in flood-hit Pakistan
More than £13m has been donated to UK charities in just two days to help people in flood-stricken Pakistan.
The Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) appeal to help those affected by the large-scale flooding in Pakistan has raised £13.5m after launching on Thursday. The total includes £5m matched pound-for-pound by the UK government through the aid match scheme.
The appeal aims to help some of the 33m people affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan which have submerged one third of the country.
Gorbachev buried in Moscow as Putin snubs ceremony
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who launched drastic reforms that helped end the Cold War and precipitated the break-up of the Soviet Union, has been buried after a farewell ceremony attended by thousands of mourners but snubbed by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin’s refusal to declare a state funeral reflects its uneasiness about the legacy of Gorbachev, who has been venerated worldwide for bringing down the Iron Curtain but reviled by many at home for the Soviet collapse and the ensuing economic meltdown that plunged millions into poverty.
Asked what specific business will keep Putin busy on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the president will have a series of working meetings, an international phone call, and needs to prepare for a business forum in Russia’s Far East he is scheduled to attend next week.
Bristol Zoo shuts its doors as tearful visitors and staff say a final goodbye
Visitors and staff were in tears as Bristol Zoo shut its doors for the last time after 186 years.
Scores of people gathered outside the entrance on Saturday to watch the last visitors walk out through the doors and to wave goodbye to the much-loved Clifton landmark.
The zoo has had more than 90m people visitors, and will be moving in 2024 to a new site at the Wild Place Project, near junction 17 of the M5 motorway.
Weather outlook
A cloudy and rainy day for much of the country, reports BBC Weather, although south-east England will remain dry and sunny.
A band of rain will push north-eastwards across the country tonight, leaving very few areas dry overnight.
