Covid 19: First and second jabs surge as Omicron spreads across the UK December 26, 2021 Nearly a quarter of a million people came forward for their first jab in the run up to Christmas - a 46 per cent increase on the previous week.
A British icon is now Thai: Weston family pockets £4bn after completing sale of Selfridges December 24, 2021 The sale of luxury retail group Selfridges to Thai family-owned retail and hospitality Central Group and European real estate group Signa has been completed by the Weston family. A statement released early this morning by Central Group said the acquisition would “create one of the world’s leading omni-channel luxury department store groups”. The sale was [...]
Mario Draghi and Emmanuel Macron call on EU to reform fiscal rules December 24, 2021 Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and French President Emmanuel Macron have called on the EU to reform its fiscal rules. In joint article published yesterday on the Financial Times, the two argued that even before the pandemic, the bloc’s fiscal rules were in need of reform as they are “too obscure and excessively complex”, constraining [...]
Lufthansa cancels record 33,000 flights after dramatic crash in demand December 24, 2021 German carrier is reportedly planning to slash around 33,000 flights as a result of the Covid-induced reduction in passenger demand this winter. According to the airline’s boss Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa was currently operating 60 per cent of its flights, as bookings for the mid-January to February period were hit the hardest, especially in the group’s [...]
Government summons energy chiefs for emergency meeting as gas prices climb and climb December 24, 2021 Energy industry bosses have been summoned for a meeting with the government today to address rapidly rising wholesale gas prices. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng will meet with chief executives of major suppliers on Monday, according to The Times, which reports the bosses are likely to ask for tax cuts and the relaxation of green levies. [...]
DCD Media travels upwards as 108 Media sale is finalised December 24, 2021 Independent TV production group DCD Media has registered positive results – including a 28 per cent hike in its adjusted EBITDA – in the six months ended 30 September. The company’s gross profits have gone up 11.4 per cent compared with the same time last year, while operating profits have jumped 7.8 per cent to [...]
Covid 19: People infected with Omicron up to 70 per cent less likely to need hospital care, says UK Health Security Agency December 23, 2021 People catching Omicron are 50-70 per cent less likely to need hospital care compared to other variants, according to The UK Health Security Agency.
Meta appeals against UK watchdog ruling that it must sell Giphy December 23, 2021 Facebook's parent company Meta is appealing against a decision by the UK's competition watchdog ordering it to sell Giphy.
Oil prices show signs of recovery after encouraging reports on Omicron variant December 23, 2021 Oil prices remain stable following multiple reports from the UK confirming the Omicron variant is milder than previous variants.
London markets rise as investors prepare to down tools for Christmas break December 23, 2021 London markets climbed today as investors prepare to down tools and clock off for the Christmas break. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index closed up 0.43 per cent to reach 7,373.34 points, while the FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned to the health of the UK economy, rose 0.81 per cent to 23,266.75 points. [...]