News And Announcements
US to blacklist Chinese companies including SMIC - report
The US is ready to add dozens of Chinese companies including chipmaker SMIC to a trade blacklist on Friday, according to a report.
UK retail sales fall in November as lockdown bites
Retail sales fell in November as lockdown restrictions took their toll, but they remain above pre-pandemic levels, according to figures released on Friday by the Office for National Statistics.
Consumer confidence improves with vaccine rollout - survey
UK consumer sentiment picked up in time for Christmas after the government started vaccinations against Covid-19, a survey showed.
Chancellor extends furlough, business loan schemes
The government’s furlough scheme has been extended to the end of April 2021, the Chancellor announced on Thursday, with the government continuing to contribute 80% towards wages.
'Stumbling blocks' remain in EU-UK trade talks, but progress being made - Barnier
Michel Barnier has said that "good progress" has been made on securing a trade deal with the UK, despite outstanding issues remaining.
BoE leaves monetary policy unchanged
The Bank of England left monetary policy unchanged at ratesetters' last meeting of 2020 and said it would take whatever action was needed in an unusually uncertain time for the economy.
Lloyd's to quit fossil fuel investments by 2022
Lloyd’s, the world’s biggest insurance market, said it would no longer invest in fossil fuel projects from January 2022 and would pull insurance on existing investments by 2030.
Oil prices move higher on lower inventories, stimulus hopes
Oil prices have risen after US inventories came in lower than expected, boosting the market.
New car sales tumble across European Union
New car registrations tumbled across the European Union in November, industry data showed on Thursday, as fresh restrictions to contain Covid-19 dented demand.
Facebook to take UK users out of EU privacy laws in 2021
Facebook is set to shift all its UK users into privacy agreements with its corporate headquarters in California and thus out of the stricter EU laws which are binding on its Irish unit.
Von der Leyen sees 'path' to Brexit deal
The president of the European Commission raised hopes of a Brexit trade deal on Wednesday but the UK urged caution as talks continued.
UK economy shows signs of life, despite headwinds from Covid-19 and Brexit
Economic activity in the UK picked up slightly at the end of 2020, despite the evident headwinds from Covid-19 and Brexit, led by an expansion in factory sector activity, the results of two closely-followed surveys revealed.
House prices boom as buyers take advantage of stamp duty holiday - ONS
UK house prices jumped in October, official data showed on Tuesday, as pent-up demand and the stamp duty holiday boosted the market.
ECB urges "extreme prudence" as it lifts dividend ban
Eurozone banks can start paying dividends again from the start of 2021, the European Central Bank has said, but only under strict limitations.
UK inflation slows sharply in November
UK inflation slowed sharply in November as the price of clothing, food and non-alcoholic drinks declined, with Black Friday playing its part, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics.
US lawmakers edge towards agreement on fresh stimulus package
Hopes were growing on Tuesday that Washington could be close to agreeing pandemic relief worth $748bn after a compromise package of fiscal measures was presented by a group of bipartisan lawmakers.
New online safety law in UK set to curb illegal content
The UK’s new Online Safety Bill looks to block illegal and harmful content on the web.
China's economic recovery continues to strengthen
China’s post-pandemic economic recovery continued into November, the latest official data showed on Tuesday.
UK redundancies hit record high as pandemic takes its toll
The UK unemployment rate ticked higher in October while redundancies rose to a record high as the coronavirus pandemic continued to take its toll.
London to enter tier 3 as new Covid-19 variant spreads
London will move into the strictest tier 3 category for Covid-19 restrictions from midnight on Wednesday morning to combat a new form of the virus, the health secretary told MPs.