Dutch PM calls Saudi Crown Prince to discuss Gaza situation    Indian doctors remove parasitic foetuses from baby's stomach    Saudi Crown Prince and UAE President discuss latest developments in Palestine    King Salman and Crown Prince offer condolences to Gen. Al-Burhan of Sudan over landslide victims    Restored Big Ben tower up for architecture award    OpenAI puts parental controls in ChatGPT but critics say it is a 'vague promise'    Commerce Ministry recalls 611 Infiniti and Altima vehicles due to engine defect    Ministry of Municipalities updates specifications for periodic vehicle inspection facilities    Out of control: Witnesses describe fatal Lisbon funicular crash    Florida plans to end vaccine mandates statewide, including for schoolchildren    Historic California gold mining town overrun by fast-moving wildfire    17th-century painting stolen during World War II recovered in Argentina    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series laptops redefine learning, creating and gaming    Chloe Malle to become top editor at American Vogue    Saudi parents more engaged in co-play than global peers, Ithra study finds    Al Qadsiah sign German midfielder Julian Weigl to strengthen defensive midfield    Al Ahli secure Flamengo starlet Matheus Gonçalves in long-term deal through 2027    Al Hilal sign Turkish defender Yusuf Akcicek on €22m deal until 2029    Dances With Wolves star Graham Greene dies aged 73    Saudi Arabia officially documents 123 years of football history    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Johnson tries to head off Tory revolt over new COVID restrictions
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 01 - 12 - 2020

Boris Johnson faces a rebellion among UK MPs from his ruling Conservative Party on Tuesday, over planned new restrictions in England to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Alarmed at the impact on an already severely weakened economy, several dozen Tory parliamentarians are reported to be threatening to vote against the new tiered system, due to replace the current month-long national lockdown which expires on Wednesday.
However, the prime minister seems assured of winning the vote in the House of Commons. The governing party has an 80-seat majority, but the determining factor looks set to be the Labour Party's intention to abstain.
It is the first time the UK's main opposition party has refused to support government strategy over the pandemic.
Under the new three-tiered system, almost 99% of England's 56 million inhabitants will continue to live under strict constraints. These include the ongoing closure of pubs and restaurants in the worst-affected areas or the ban on different households from mixing indoors across the great majority of the country.
In an attempt to calm its detractors, on Monday the government published an impact study of the new restrictions. It acknowledges that they bring significant costs to the economy, but argues that the consequences of allowing the virus to spread out of control would be much worse for public health.
Opening the debate in parliament on Tuesday, Johnson announced a flat compensation payment in December of £1,000 (€1,113) for pubs that were unable to serve food and therefore have to remain closed.
He said he was encouraged by progress made towards vaccines against COVID-19, but it was too early to say when they would get regulatory approval.
The new coronavirus has killed nearly 58,500 people in the UK — the highest number of any country in Europe — and there have been more than 1.6 million confirmed cases, according to official figures.
The British government and leaders of the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — which implement their own pandemic strategies — have agreed to allow families and friends to get together over Christmas. A maximum of three households will be able to meet between Dec. 23 and 27. — Euronews


Clic here to read the story from its source.