Brits scrambling for early Christmas presents boosts credit lending to 16-month high January 4, 2022 Brits scrambling to get their hands on Christmas presents early to avoid shortages boosted credit card spending to a 16-month high, reveal official figures released today. Households in the UK took on £1.2bn in net consumer debt in November, the highest level in nearly a year and a half, according to the Bank of England. [...]
London can bounce back from pandemic in 2022, says small business minister January 4, 2022 This year could be the year London “bounces back” from the pandemic, small business minister Paul Scully has urged. His comments come as the city’s businesses battle reduced levels of footfall and fear sudden restrictions amid the latest wave of Covid-19. “All Londoners can play their part” in the capital’s recovery, he told the Evening [...]
The present might look gloomy, but a brighter future awaits the City January 4, 2022 The start of the year is usually a time for optimism, resolutions, and new beginnings. But many people across the City are also experiencing a case of the January blues now that the festive period is behind us. The Omicron variant continues to drive record Covid-19 case numbers across the country. London is particularly affected. [...]
Post-Christmas slump: UK shopper numbers fall 15 per cent in a week January 3, 2022 UK shoppers shirked the high street in the week following Christmas as concerns about the the rapid spread of omicron continued to bite.
Staff shortages could force business closures in the New Year January 3, 2022 Businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors are being hit hard by staff absences as Omicron surges according to industry chiefs.
Gazprom likely to have missed gas export targets to Europe amid deepening energy crisis January 2, 2022 Gazprom is likely to have fallen short of its natural gas export targets in Europe as wholesale costs soar to record levels amid global supply shortages.
Santander mistakenly sends Christmas bonus to thousands of Brits leaving lender £130m out of pocket January 2, 2022 High street lender Santander has handed out an unexpected Christmas bonus to thousands of Brits. The Spanish bank mistakenly sent out £130m to around 75,000 business and people on Christmas day. The news was first reported by The Times. Businesses and people who receive one-off recurring payments from 2,000 companies with Santander accounts were accidentally [...]
Drivers unaware of Highway Code changes, data reveals December 31, 2021 The majority of UK drivers are still unaware of the changes made to the Highway Code which – if approved by Parliament – will come into effect on 29 January. According to a poll carried out by the AA before Christmas, two thirds of its 13,000 members didn’t know changes were under way. British charity [...]
Jubilant South Africa lifts curfew as Omicron wave subsides rapidly with minimal Covid hospital admissions and Delta killed off: ‘Expect the same in other countries’ December 31, 2021 Optimism is growing rapidly in South Africa as the wave of Covid infections caused by the Omicron variant seems to subside as quickly as it came. Infections are down and multiple Covid experts have confirmed the Omicron wave is subsiding quickly. The government therefore lifted the months-long curfew last night, allowing South Africans to party [...]
BREAKING: Nationwide app down, thousands of Brits unable to make payments on New Year’s Eve December 31, 2021 Nationwide’s mobile banking app has just gone down, with thousands of Brits unable to make any payments or access their funds. Thousands of frustrated customers have taken to social media. Nationwide is responding to customers, saying it does not know yet when the problems may be solved. According to the website Downdetector, problems started late [...]