PM to make lockdown decision by Christmas Eve December 21, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement in the next 48 hours on whether to impose "circuit-breaker" restrictions in England to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
Scotland follows Wales in banning fans from sport due to Covid-19 December 21, 2021 Scotland has followed Wales in banning spectators from sport in response to increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases. First minister Nicola Sturgeon said most sport due to take place in Scotland over the Christmas period would be “effectively spectator-free”. From Boxing Day for a period of up to three weeks, outdoor events will be limited to [...]
Omicron delivers ‘chilling’ blow to UK retail sales December 21, 2021 UK retail sales have slowed to a crawl driven by the emergence of Omicron chilling consumer confidence, according to new research published today. Retail sales growth slowed over the last year, rising eight per cent annually in December, down sharply from 39 per cent in November, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Brits [...]
Man City stars Grealish and Foden warned by Guardiola over night out December 21, 2021 Manchester City stars Jack Grealish and Phil Foden have been warned about their behaviour after being dropped by manager Pep Guardiola. Guardiola left Grealish and Foden on the bench for the Premier League leaders’ 4-0 win over Newcastle United on Sunday after the pair were pictured on a night out days earlier. “I pay a [...]
Biden to focus on testing and vaccines instead of lockdowns this winter December 21, 2021 US President Joe Biden reportedly has no intention of pushing for a lockdown this winter, despite the reintroduction of restrictions across Europe.
Sunak to let small and medium sized firms claim back Covid sick pay December 21, 2021 Small and medium-sized businesses will be allowed to claim back money from the government to cover Covid related statutory sick pay.
Hospitality bosses say Treasury support ‘borders on insulting’ as firms call for more aid December 21, 2021 Hospitality and leisure bosses have welcomed the announcement of a short-term support package for businesses but called for more. Venues have been hit hard by cancellations as the public stays away from the capital in a last attempt to dodge the highly transmissible Omicron variant before Christmas. After calls from industry bosses, Chancellor Rishi Sunak [...]
UK government launches £1bn Omicron rescue package for pubs, bars and restaurants December 21, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has launched a fresh £1bn rescue package to help sectors worst hit by the Omicron-induced economic storm survive. Pubs, bars and restaurants across England can now receive a one-off no strings attached payment of £6,000 per venue, the UK government announced today. Sunak said: “We recognise that the spread of the Omicron [...]
Bitcoin sees strong start to the week as investors shake off winter blues December 21, 2021 It’s been a strong start to the week in the cryptocurrency markets, with Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies all seeing gains of around five per cent today.
A34 and M4 crowned the UK’s most congested roads December 21, 2021 Hampshire’s major road, the A34, was crowned today the UK’s most congested, with an average delay of 70.7 seconds per car per mile. According to Office for National Statistics data gathered between 2017 and 2020, the A34 was closely followed by Hounslow’s M4 westbound within J1 and J2, with an average waiting time of 70.1 [...]