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UK PM to meet bereaved Covid families group

The BBC reported, Boris Johnson will meet a campaign group representing families bereaved by Covid later, after declining to meet them since last year.
According to the BBC, the prime minister will host Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice for a private reception in Downing Street, alongside senior officials.
He declined to meet them last year - citing a threat of legal action over an official pandemic inquiry.
The BBC mentioned, the government has since said an official probe will begin next spring.
It said, the meeting comes a week before the group attends the Conservative Party annual conference, which begins in Manchester on Sunday.

The BBC added, the group says it was initially denied permission to attend, before subsequently being told they could after "the news broke in the media".
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The group, representing families with relatives who have died with the virus, has been asking for a meeting with Mr Johnson since last year.
In September, he said he would be "happy to meet" them, when their "litigation" against the government had concluded.
The group had written to the government in August, saying it was considering a judicial review of the decision not to hold an immediate public inquiry.
But the group denied that legal action had started - and labelled Mr Johnson's reason for not meeting them a "poor excuse".
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In May, Mr Johnson announced a statutory public inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic would begin in spring 2022.
The families say they will use the meeting to share stories of how their loved ones died, and repeat their calls for a public inquiry to start now.
They have asked for the reception to be held outside, and for social distancing to be maintained.
Group co-founder Jo Goodman, whose 72-year-old father died after contracting Covid in the early stages of the pandemic, told BBC Breakfast they had heard "almost nothing about the next steps" since the official inquiry was announced.
She added they were "really glad to be finally meeting the prime minister", adding: "it's just a shame it's taken 15 months since we first requested a meeting".
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She added: "Every day that the inquiry doesn't start is a day that lives are potentially being needlessly lost."
"Although it feels as if the government is trying to move forward from the pandemic and trying almost to say the pandemic is over, actually we're still losing a thousand people a week.
"What we want to know is that we're doing absolutely everything we can to save lives going forward.
"We feel we have to be the voice for those people who are still at risk, for those families who are yet to be bereaved."
Source: BBC
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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