Boris Johnson rules out any further restrictions before Christmas December 21, 2021 The Prime Minister has confirmed that the government will not introduce any further Covid restrictions in England before Christmas, but cautioned that the situation remains “finely balanced” thereafter. In a video posted on Twitter from Downing Street, Boris Johnson delivered a message ensuring “people can go ahead with their Christmas plans” and said that the [...]
London markets whipsaw on Omicron curbs uncertainty December 21, 2021 A whipsawing in the likelihood of fresh restrictions to curb the spread of Omicron being imposed in England is generating wild swings on London markets. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index closed 1.38 per cent higher today to reach 7,297.41 points, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned to the health of [...]
Vodafone auctions the world’s first text message as an NFT for £91k December 21, 2021 The first text message ever sent, reading "Merry Christmas," was sold today for €107,000 (£91,000) as a 'Non-Fungible Token' at a Paris auction house.
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 [...]