Author: LoveWorld UK

The U.S. Department of Defense is halting all actions relating to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate after President Joe Biden signed a bill—the Fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—that includes an end to the mandate, the department said on Dec. 23. “The NDAA requires that, not later than 30 days after enactment, the Secretary of Defense rescind the mandate that members of the Armed Forces be vaccinated against COVID-19. As a result, the Department will rescind the mandate and is currently in the process of developing further guidance. During this process, we are pausing all actions related to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate,” a Pentagon…

Border Force officials will on Friday join the wave of industrial action across Britain, starting the first of a series of strikes at airports, while Royal Mail workers strike again for two days before Christmas. Passengers travelling into the UK have been warned to be prepared for longer queues at immigration in airports, while many letters and parcels will now go undelivered before Christmas, as staff take action over pay trailing behind inflation. Heathrow, the biggest of the six airports where Border Force staff are to strike, said it expected the vast majority of journeys to be unaffected, with no flights cancelled…

The chief health officer of Australia’s most populous state has defended the COVID-19 vaccine in response to calls from a prominent medical expert after she suffered severe side-effects from the jab, compelling her to call for more transparency around vaccine injuries. Former president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr. Kerryn Phelps, who had been a passionate advocate of vaccination, says she suffered neurological and rheumatological conditions including breathlessness and blood-pressure fluctuations after her COVID-19 vaccinations around 18 months ago. Yet she tried to openly discuss the issue she says she faced “obstruction and resistance,” according to her submission to a federal Parliament inquiry into Long COVID.…

The FBI on Wednesday responded to the Elon Musk-endorsed “Twitter Files” releases that appear to show the FBI having worked closely with the social media company, alleging that “conspiracy theorists” are trying to discredit the bureau. “The correspondence between the FBI and Twitter show nothing more than examples of our traditional, longstanding and ongoing federal government and private sector engagements, which involve numerous companies over multiple sectors and industries,” the FBI statement, issued to Fox News, said in response to the files. “As evidenced in the correspondence, the FBI provides critical information to the private sector in an effort to allow them to…

Pep Guardiola praised the “grumpy” Kevin De Bruyne but said Kalvin Phillips’s post-World Cup condition ruled him out of Manchester City’s Carabao Cup victory over Liverpool. De Bruyne created Erling Haaland’s opener and Nathan Aké’s winner yet Guardiola stated that Phillips had arrived unfit following a break after participating at Qatar 2022 with England. Of De Bruyne the manager said: “Today he was outstanding. Kevin has had eight years here, you know him like me – he has to find the right fire inside of himself, just to be a little bit, I would say grumpy or upset to play his…

Rishi Sunak’s government is threatening to block a new law that would make Scotland the first part of the UK to introduce a self-identification system for people who want to change gender. In a significant escalation that brings tensions around transgender rights into the constitutional arena, Westminster made clear it would consider a “nuclear option” of blocking the bill from going for royal assent, a move that would enrage supporters of the changes and nationalists. The Scottish government pledged to “vigorously contest” any such intervention. The first minister and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, called Sunak and his cabinet “democracy deniers” after the supreme…

The U.N. Security Council adopted its first resolution on Myanmar in 74 years to demand an end to violence and urge the military junta to release all political prisoners, including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar has been in crisis since the army took power from Suu Kyi’s elected government in February last year, detaining her and other officials and responding to pro-democracy protests and dissent with lethal force. The 15-member council has long been split on how to deal with the Myanmar crisis, with China and Russia arguing against strong action. They both abstained from the vote on…

The British government’s post-Brexit settlement scheme for EU citizens is unlawful, London’s High Court ruled on Wednesday. The Independent Monitoring Authority, a body funded by the government to oversee citizens’ rights, took the action against the Home Office, arguing Britain is breaching its withdrawal agreement with the European Union by requiring EU citizens to reapply for the right to live and work in the United Kingdom. The IMA’s lawyers argued at a hearing last month that the scheme unlawfully requires EU citizens to make a second application after being allowed to remain in the UK or lose their rights of residence. EU…

A Texas judge has ruled against a federal program that enabled minors to obtain birth control from physicians without informing their parents, but did not block clinics from providing them. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled Tuesday that the Title X program violates parental rights and state law. While he struck down the secrecy component of the Title X program, Kacsmaryk didn’t impose an injunction barring clinics from giving contraceptives to adolescents without parental consent. According to the ruling (pdf), the secrecy rule violated a Texas Family Code section that gives parents the right to decide their child’s medical care, as well as parents’ 14th…

The acquisition by investment managers BlackRock and Vanguard of ever-increasing shares in America’s public utility companies is setting off alarm bells from conservatives and progressives alike. In April, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a request from BlackRock to increase its ownership up to 20 percent of a public utility’s voting shares without being deemed an “affiliate” and incurring the regulatory scrutiny and disclosures that come with that. To gain FERC approval, BlackRock and Vanguard promised they’d be “passive” investors and not use their share ownership to influence management. Because utilities are often monopolies in the regions they serve and because electricity and heating are essential in…