Biden pledges his support for Ukraine in first call with President Zelensky

President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time as president Friday, amid escalating tensions with Russia.  ‘President Biden affirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea,’ the White House’s readout said.   Politico first reported the leaders … Read more

Boris Johnson pledges to create G7 rival to Beijing’s Belt and Road global economic expansionism

Boris Johnson pledges to create G7 rival to Beijing’s Belt and Road global economic expansionism Prime Minister addressed five MPs and Lords hit by sanctions from China Said world needed to be given a choice between the Chinese system ‘and ours’ US diplomat Henry Kissinger has said US will have to reach an understanding with … Read more

Chicago suburb Evanston pledges $10m to fund reparations for black residents

A Chicago suburb is on its way to becoming the first in the country to fund reparations for its black residents with a pledge of $10million over 10 years, but some say it isn’t enough.   Evanston’s reparations fund, established in 2019, is focused on housing inequities, using a 3 per cent tax on recreational marijuana … Read more

BBC Radio 3 pledges to play more classical music by ‘unfairly forgotten’ BAME composers

BBC Radio Three has pledged to play more music from composers from ethnic minority backgrounds – who bosses say have been ‘unfairly forgotten’. Amid a push for a ‘more diverse repertoire’, the radio station, which focuses on classical music and opera, will shine a spotlight on the work of BAME composers. It comes as seven … Read more

BBC boss pledges Woman’s Hour will ‘reflect’ on concerns over ‘strikingly hostile’ interview

Tim Davie has pledged that Woman’s Hour will ‘reflect’ on concerns over the ‘strikingly hostile’ interview with the Muslim Council of Britain’s first female leader. The interview on February 4 saw Zara Mohammed, from Glasgow, questioned by host Emma Barnett about the number of female imams in Britain, to which she replied: ‘I mean, I … Read more

Biden administration pledges almost $200 million to help identify and track coronavirus variants

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investing almost $200 million to help better identify and track coronavirus variants.  Currently, the federal agency maps the DNA no more than 0.5 percent of all positive samples of the virus. But, described as a ‘down payment,’ officials say the money will help scale-up the number … Read more

Government pledges half a billion to fix 10 MILLION potholes

Councils in England are to be allocated £500million to repair some 10 million potholes scattered across the country’s local roads, the Government has said this morning. The funding is the second instalment from the £2.5billion Potholes Fund launched by the Chancellor last year and is not a newly announced cash injection. The AA welcomed the … Read more

Pearson donates cash and 250 laptops to Mail Force drive… and pledges more on the way 

Education firm Pearson has backed Mail Force with a fantastic double donation. The company is offering 250 laptops and £50,000 cash on top. Both donations will go straight into the campaign to get lockdown schoolchildren online. Pearson, which publishes everything from pupils’ textbooks to educational resources for teachers and companies, pledged to add more laptops … Read more

Persimmon chairman Roger Devlin pledges to tackle cladding crisis

Clean up: Persimmon’s chairman Roger Devlin  By  ROGER DEVLIN PERSIMMON CHAIRMAN  We have all been concerned to read of innocent leaseholders facing huge bills for safety measures, insurance rises and the cost of repairs to remove now-banned cladding. There are also examples of the issue broadening to affect the ability of many to sell their … Read more

Government pledges £3.5bn to help fix crisis – but innocent victims STILL face massive bills

Politicians and campaigners angrily rejected long-awaited Government plans to end the cladding scandal yesterday as a betrayal of innocent leaseholders. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick pledged a further £3.5billion to help end the safety crisis following the 72 deaths in the Grenfell disaster. More than a million leaseholders face bills of up to £115,000 to fix … Read more