Next: Fashion chain starts January sales early ahead of update January 1, 2023 Fashion chain Next is set to shine a light on the health of the retail sector in the aftermath of the “crucial” Christmas shopping period. Investors will be closely watching the clothing and homeware giant’s trading update on Thursday for detail on its sales figures over the festive season. In August, chief executive Lord Wolfson [...]
Putin’s forces shell Ukraine as war continues in 2023 January 1, 2023 Ukrainians have had a grim start to 2023, with yet more sirens and fresh missile attacks on their territory, as the death toll from Russia’s massive New Year’s Eve assault across the country climbed to at least three. Night-time shelling that battered parts of the southern city of Kherson killed one person, wounded another and [...]
London house prices: How bad will the crash be in the 2023 recession? January 1, 2023 London house prices are expected to fall this year as interest rates rise and the recession bites – but will it be a small slide or a full-blown crash? Property experts are torn A housing market cooldown is expected in 2023 but prices will remain higher than before the coronavirus pandemic started, experts have suggested. [...]
Gloomy skies: London’s FTSE 100 set for a rocky start to 2023 January 1, 2023 FTSE 100 could benefit from China re-opening but global headwinds threaten The London market kicks off 2023 with a gloomy backdrop as the UK is forecasted to plunge into recession and economies globally wrestle with sky-high inflation amid the energy and cost crisis. After the extreme volatility of 2022, the FTSE 100 Index is expected [...]
Oil prices hit three week high as traders bet on the end of Chinese zero-Covid rules December 27, 2022 Oil prices hit a three-week high on Tuesday as China’s latest easing of COVID-19 restrictions spurred hopes of a fuel demand recovery, with further support coming from cuts to U.S. energy production caused by winter storms. China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine, starting from Jan. 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday [...]
Putin “knows he’s in trouble” in Ukraine: Former head of British Army speaks out December 27, 2022 The former head of the British Army has said Vladimir Putin is pushing the idea of peace talks to end the Ukraine war because he’s in a “position of weakness.” Lord Richard Dannatt said of Putin’s negotiation hints that “the reason why he’s talking about this at the present moment is that he knows he’s [...]
Meeting of minds? Putin and Xi to meet before the end of the year December 26, 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will speak before the end of the year, Russian state news agency TASS said on Monday, without giving details of the timing or format. It quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying the two sides would release details in due course. Putin and Xi proclaimed [...]
South Korea scrambles jets after North Korean drone fly-by December 26, 2022 South Korea scrambled warplanes and attack helicopters and fired warning shots on Monday after North Korean drones violated its airspace, the South Korean military said. South Korea tracked the drones crossing from North Korea over what is known as the Military Demarcation Line between the two countries after detecting them in the skies of the [...]
Show of strength? China sends dozens of aircraft into Taiwanese airspace December 26, 2022 Seventy-one Chinese air force aircraft including fighter jets and drones entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone in the past 24 hours, the island’s government said on Monday, the largest reported incursion to date. Of the aircraft, 43 also crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides that lies within the [...]
End of the exodus? Number leaving London begins to fall December 26, 2022 Moves away from London appear to have passed a peak, with estimates suggesting around 20,000 fewer properties being bought outside the capital this year than in 2021. In a year which has seen strong house price growth outside London, just over a quarter (26%) of “London leavers” in 2022 bought properties with at least four bedrooms, down from 30% [...]
