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☆ British retail rebound provides some hope for recession-hit economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(Photo by Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images)LONDON — Stronger-than-expected January retail sales provided a glimmer of light for the struggling British economy on Friday — and suggest that the country's recession will be short-lived, according to some economists. Sales rebounded by 3.4% from December, according to the Office for National Statistics, the strongest monthly gain since April 2021. The latest figures follow the news of Thursday that the British economy entered a technical recession in the final quarter of 2023. British retail sales meanwhile remain 1.3% below their pre-pandemic level from February 2020, according to the ONS. Kris Hamer, director of insight at the British Retail Consortium, said two months of higher sales volumes over the last three months were "promising" after 19 months of decline.

Persons: Alberto Pezzali, Joe Maher, Maher, —, Kris Hamer, Hamer, Kallum Pickering, Pickering Organizations: Charing Cross, Getty, Office, National Statistics, Reuters, Gross, Capital Economics, British Retail Consortium Locations: Charing, London, England, –

☆ She arranged a date with a guy she met on a plane. When he didn’t show, she unexpectedly met her future husband
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

“I loved London,” Cristina tells CNN Travel today. Matt’s family was staying at Claridge’s, the historic, swanky five star hotel in Mayfair. Matt’s parents knew he was going on a spontaneous date. “And then they would never forward the mail.”Cristina’s idea of writing to Matt’s parents’ address was a good one. After years of working and living in Italy, Matt’s fluent in Italian.

Persons: she’d, Cristina Farina, Cristina, ”, “ Let’s, they’d, “, ” Cristina, Trafalgar Square’s, William Shakespeare’s “ Romeo, Juliet, London Here's Cristina, Matt, Matt Reinecke, Cristina gestured, he’d, Cristina couldn’t, Here's Matt, Cristina he’d, ‘, ’ ”, welling, you’ll, wouldn’t, Weeks, Claridge’s, Matt hadn’t, Read, Matt’s, Matt wasn’t, Florence Matt, Matt reckons they’d, ” Matt, Cristina’s, Davide, Francesca, Cristina Farina Matt, they’re, ” Here's Matt, Ludovica Barone, They’ve, – Organizations: CNN, Florence, Heathrow Airport, CNN Travel, Bond, Cristina’s Locations: London, Trafalgar, California, Claridge’s, Mayfair, Hyde, Italy, Europe, ”, Florence, Greece, San Francisco, Francisco, San Francisco’s, Prato , Tuscany, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Milan, Turin, Tuscany, American, “, Italian

About a mile away from the start of the march, about 1,000 people lined the streets to watch the remembrance events at the Cenotaph war memorial. Among the crowd, some right-wing counter-protesters opposed to the pro-Palestinian march chanted messages including "We want out country back". DISRESPECTFULSunak has criticised the pro-Palestinian rally as disrespectful amid concerns it could spark violence. There has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments, including Britain's, and many citizens over the Hamas attacks. But the Israeli response has also prompted anger, with weekly protests in London demanding a ceasefire.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Laurence Taylor, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Suella Braverman, Taylor, I've, Michael Holden, Hannah McKay, Sarah Young, Ed Osmond, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Government, Cenotaph . Police, Charing, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, PSC, U.S, Embassy, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, London, Britain, Palestine, Waterloo, Victoria, Downing, Western

☆ Turmoil in UK government after key minister slams police ahead of pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Saturday, the UK will mark Armistice Day – the date commemorating the de-facto end of World War I. Also on Saturday, pro-Palestinian protesters will march through central London demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Every living UK Prime Minister lays a wreath at the monument, along with other senior politicians, visiting dignitaries and members of the royal family. Banning such a protest in the name of those who died for precisely these sorts of freedoms is not the best look on Armistice Day. The Conservative Party’s poll ratings are poor and Sunak is already barely holding together a fragile coalition of parliamentarians.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Suella Braverman, Leon Neal, Banning, Sunak’s, Braverman, ” Braverman, Keir Starmer, Downing, Mark Kerrison, ” Sunak, Brexit, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, – Organizations: London CNN, Getty, London’s Metropolitan Police Service, Conservative, National Conservatism Conference, Emmanuel Centre, Conservative Party Locations: London, Israel, Downing, Times, England, Gaza, Northern Irish, Charing, Westminster

☆ UK train drivers to strike on Sept. 30, Oct. 4
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A view of an empty Charing Cross train station during planned strike action in London, Britain May 12, 2023. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - British train drivers will strike on Sept. 30 and Oct. 4, the ASLEF trade union said on Friday, the latest walkouts in a long-running industrial dispute. ASLEF said there would also be an overtime ban across the network between Sept. 29 and Oct. 6. The strikes will coincide with the ruling Conservative Party's annual conference, which is being held in Manchester from Oct. 1-4. Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; writing by Sarah Young; Editing by Sachin RavikumarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maja Smiejkowska, ASLEF, Farouq Suleiman, Sarah Young, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Conservative, Thomson Locations: Charing, London, Britain, Manchester

Economic output fell 0.1% in May from April, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, after growth of 0.2% in the previous month. All sectors of the economy contracted with the exception of services, which showed no growth. Finance minister Jeremy Hunt said high inflation continued to hamper the economy and he called for patience in bringing it down. Some companies in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector said they had benefited from the extra bank holiday, as well as hotels and restaurants, the ONS said. Britain's economy often shows some rebound in subsequent months when output is temporarily dented by extra bank holidays.

Persons: Maja Smiejkowska, King Charles, Paul Dales, Dales, BoE, Jeremy Hunt, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg, Kate Holton, Peter Graff, Toby Chopra Organizations: Charing Cross, REUTERS, National Statistics, Bank of England, Capital Economics, Reuters, ONS, European Union, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Germany

☆ I've been a cab driver in London for 20 years. Graveyard shifts were the best — you never know what'll happen in the back of a cab.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Olivia Atkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Asher Moses completed The Knowledge, a memory test, and became a London black-cab driver in 1989. He said the test was very challenging and that he loved the excitement of graveyard shifts. London is the most incredible capital in the world, and I've been a cab driver in the city since 1989. Learning London's road map committed me to become a taxi driver. Memorizing the 46,000 London streets in the 6-mile radius around Charing Cross was one of the most challenging things I've ever done.

☆ The Tucker Carlson origin story
▼ + stars: | 1998-01-28 | by ( Aaron Short | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +57 min

Tucker Carlson is remembered as a provocateur and gleeful contrarian by those who knew him in his early days. It was Tucker Carlson. (Note on style: Tucker Carlson and the members of his family are referred to here by their first names to avoid confusion.) In 1979, Richard Carlson married Patricia Swanson, heiress to the Swanson frozen foods empire that perfected the frozen Salisbury steak for hassle-free dinners. Tucker Carlson attended St. George’s School, a boarding school starting at age 14.

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