Covid-hit China: What is Britain and the rest of the world doing on travel restrictions? January 4, 2023 Covid-19 cases have shot through the roof in China – but Beijing premier Xi Jingping is still dead set on removing the zero-Covid policy, including removing restrictions on travel. Countries across the world are being forced to once again grapple with what restrictions to put in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and any [...]
Matt Hancock leaves Matt Hancock app – and tells followers they can find him on TikTok January 4, 2023 Matt Hancock has said “farewell” to his app after almost five years and told its users they will be able to get his latest updates on TikTok. The former health secretary and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2022 contestant launched the “Matt Hancock MP” app in 2018. At the time, Mr Hancock [...]
Maths to 18: Sunak’s “personal” mission to boost the nation’s numeracy – but Labour tell him to “show his working” January 4, 2023 The Prime Minister will set out his plan to ensure all pupils in England study some form of maths until aged 18 in his first speech of 2023. On Wednesday, Rishi Sunak will lay out his priorities and ambitions for the year ahead, which will include a new mission to combat high rates of innumeracy [...]
Osborne set to OK loan of Elgin Marbles to Greece: reports January 4, 2023 The so-called Elgin Marbles could soon be returned to Greece as the British Museum reportedly closes in on a landmark deal. George Osborne, chairman of the British Museum and former Tory chancellor, is understood to have drawn up an agreement with Athens as part of a “cultural exchange”, according to The Daily Telegraph. It comes [...]
The never ending shakeup: Credit Suisse shuffle top bankers yet again January 3, 2023 Credit Suisse announced a series of staff changes on Tuesday following the departure of the co-head of its European investment banking operation, according to internal memos seen by Reuters and confirmed by a company spokesperson. The Swiss bank, in the midst of an overhaul that includes spinning-off its investment bank into a newly re-branded entity, [...]
Bowl food buffet: Poke House looks to raise almost £50m for expansion January 3, 2023 The boss of restaurant chain Poke House said it is planning to launch a funding round worth up to 50 million euros (£44 million) as the business continues to eye up opportunities to grow. Matteo Pichi, the group’s chief executive and co-founder, told the PA news agency he wants the chain to remain a global [...]
The Yanks are coming: Weak sterling sees Americans pile into London property January 3, 2023 The fall in the value of the pound in 2022 saw a host of wealthy American buyers pick up high-end London property on the cheap, according to a new report. In so-called ‘prime central London,’ some 50 per cent of property transactions over £15m completed in 2022 involved American buyers according to analysis by real [...]
Barracks blast leaves 63 Russians dead as pressure on Putin grows over war in Ukraine January 3, 2023 A blast which killed 63 Russians in a temporary barracks has once again ignited anger at home – with nationalist bloggers putting pressure on Kremlin top brass and Vladimir Putin Russia acknowledged on Monday that scores of its troops were killed in one of the Ukraine war’s deadliest strikes, drawing demands from Russian nationalist bloggers [...]
January blues: Rail strikes hit the return to work – with even London transport affected January 3, 2023 Rail strikes are severely reducing services across the UK train network – with commuters forced to work from home on the first working day of the new year. Some Transport for London services are also affected, with the Elizabeth Line and the London Overground the most badly hit. Some other services – including the stretch [...]
Sky high? Wizz Air enjoys Christmas bump as passenger levels increase January 3, 2023 London-listed budget airline Wizz Air will be avoiding the January blues this year after a pre-Christmas traveller bump boosted 2022’s passenger numbers. The airline flew 4.18m passengers in December, up more than 50 per cent on this time last year when some parts of its European network were affected by Omicron travel destinations. The December [...]