White House assures Fed chairman job is safe despite Trump’s Christmas Eve criticism December 26, 2018 A White House official has assured that the head of the US Federal Reserve is not at any risk of losing his job, amid jitters on Wall Street throughout December caused in part by Trump’s criticism of the Fed. Asked on Boxing Day if Fed chairman Jerome Powell’s job was safe, economic advisor Kevin Hassett [...]
Snap lunchtime statistics suggest Boxing Day footfall down 4.2 per cent December 26, 2018 Footfall on the morning of the Boxing Day sales dropped 4.2 per cent on last year, according to initial figures, in yet another portentous signal for high street retailers. In snap statistics from the morning’s trading, footfall dropped for the third consecutive year on 26 December, a traditional shopping day as shops reopen offering post-Christmas [...]
Earthquake hits Sicily after volcanic eruption from Mount Etna, injuring 30 on Boxing Day December 26, 2018 A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit Sicily early this morning, damaging buildings and injuring about 30 people around the city of Catania, on the slopes of active volcano Mount Etna, officials said. The quake follows an eruption from the volcano two days ago, which sent a huge plume of ash into the sky, forcing the temporary [...]
High street hopes for Boxing Day boost as spending expected to hit £4.75bn December 26, 2018 High street retailers will have their fingers crossed for a festive boost as shoppers take to the streets for the Boxing Day sales, while online sales are expected to rise 20 per cent year-on-year. British consumers are set to spend £4.75bn today, with £3.71bn of that expected to come from physical sales, according to research [...]
FTSE 100 falls in Christmas Eve trading after Wall Street selloff dashing hopes of a Santa rally December 24, 2018 The FTSE 100 has fallen in Christmas Eve trading as Wall Street troubles dash hopes of a late Santa rally. The blue chip index dropped 0.8 per cent in early trading at the beginning of a half-day session. A partial US government shutdown, trade tensions between the US and China and reports President Donald Trump [...]
Gatwick drone pair released by police without charge December 23, 2018 A pair of suspects arrested in the Gatwick Airport drone inquiry have been released without charge today. A 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman from Crawley were arrested by Sussex Police yesterday on suspicion of "the criminal use of drones" near the Gatwick airfield on Wednesday and Thursday. More than 140,000 passengers were hit by delays [...]
Northern Line extension to Battersea Power Station faces 12 month delay in latest TfL setback December 22, 2018 The £1.1bn Northern Line extension to Battersea Power Station has been delayed by at least 12 months in the latest setback for cash-strapped Transport for London. The two mile spur from Kennington was forecast to open in 2020 but will now not be ready until September 2021 at the earliest, pushing up the project's cost. London mayor Sadiq Khan [...]
Jeremy Corbyn: Brexit will go ahead if Labour win a snap election December 22, 2018 Leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn has said that Brexit would go ahead if Labour won a snap election in the New Year. Corbyn has insisted he would try and secure a better deal with Brussels should Labour take power but refused to rule out a second EU referendum. "My proposal at this moment is [...]
US government is partially shutdown in border wall standoff December 22, 2018 The US government was partially shutdown at midnight on Friday with President Donald Trump's demands for billions of dollars in funding for a border wall not met. Trump insisted on Friday that if the Senate could not reach a deal with the House regarding the wall then a "very long shutdown" would commence. It began going into [...]
Police arrest two people in connection with “criminal use” of drones at Gatwick Airport December 22, 2018 Sussex Police have arrested two people in connection with the "criminal use of drones" that resulted in major disruption at Gatwick Airport this week. More than 100,000 people were affected by grounded flights between Wednesday and Friday, just days before Christmas. Flights were temporarily suspended again on Friday evening after reports of a drone near the airfield and [...]