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LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - British rail workers kicked off the new year with a week-long strike on Tuesday, disrupting the return to work for millions of commuters in the latest bout of industrial action to hit the country. Repeated rail strikes have crippled the network in recent months while nurses, airport staff, paramedics and postal workers have also joined the fray, demanding higher pay to keep pace with inflation that is hovering around 40-year highs, reaching 10.7% in November. "Due to industrial action, there will be significantly reduced train services across the railway until Sunday 8 January," Network Rail said. "Trains will be busier and likely to start later and finish earlier, and there will be no services at all in some places." Mick Lynch, the head of the RMT rail union, said the government seemed content for the strikes to go ahead.

☆ Factbox: Key facts about pioneering broadcast journalist Barbara Walters
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The following are key facts about the life and career of pioneering broadcast journalist Barbara Walters, the first woman to anchor an American network evening newscast, who died on Friday:* Walters was born in Boston on Sept. 25, but she did not like to reveal the year, which reportedly was 1929, 1930 or 1931. * Walters started at NBC's "Today" show as a writer in 1961 and in 1976 became the first woman to co-anchor a network evening news broadcast on U.S. television. * Walters singled out her "Today" co-host Frank McGee and Reasoner on ABC News for making her life miserable. * Walters felt she was unfairly mocked for her asking actress Katharine Hepburn what kind of tree she would like to be. * Walters' marriages to businessman Robert Katz, theatrical producer Lee Guber and television executive Merv Adelson all ended in divorce.

☆ Pioneering U.S. television journalist Barbara Walters dead at 93
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Bill Trott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Television personality Barbara Walters arrives for the premiere of the film "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" in New York September 20, 2010. "I asked Yeltsin if he drank too much, and I asked Putin if he killed anybody," Walters told the New York Times in 2013. "These two men were really quite brutal to me and it was not pleasant," Walters told the San Francisco Examiner. The New York Times called her "arguably America's best-known television personality" but also observed that "what we remember most about a Barbara Walters interview is Barbara Walters." Walters' three marriages - to businessman Robert Katz, theatrical producer Lee Guber and television executive Merv Adelson - ended in divorce.

☆ Vivienne Westwood, Britain's provocative dame of fashion, dead at 81
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Designer Vivienne Westwood poses for a portrait before her catwalk show at London Fashion Week Men's in London, Britain June 12, 2017. "Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London. Instantly recognisable with her orange or white hair, Westwood first made a name for herself in punk fashion in 1970s London, dressing the punk rock band that defined the genre. Westwood used her public profile to champion issues including nuclear disarmament and to protest against anti-terrorism laws and government spending policies that hit the poor. "I've used fashion to challenge the status quo."

☆ In Finance, as in Our Universe, Big Bangs Only Happen Once
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jon Sindreu | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Britain aspires to a second “Big Bang” in financial services such as the one famously unleashed by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. But the point of a Big Bang is that it only happens once. Earlier this month, British Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt unveiled the so-called Edinburgh Reforms, an ambitious loosening of financial regulations aimed at restoring some of the international competitiveness lost by the U.K. in recent years. This includes easing the “ring-fencing” separating retail and investment banking, scrapping the cap on bankers’ bonuses, overhauling the regime that makes senior managers responsible for infractions and repealing aspects of European Union rules. Officials also want to lower taxes on asset managers and make it easier to raise capital in the U.K.

☆ A bombing suspect in the 1988 explosion aboard Pan Am Flight 103 has been taken into US custody. Here's what has happened in the decades since the deadly attack.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

The day after the bombing, then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited Lockerbie to meet with residents impacted by the tragedy. "The damage to this town is worse in daylight than we could possibly have seen at night," Thatcher said at the time. "The destruction of the houses near the road and the crater and the amount of metal and debris all around, and the many houses that must have been affected is far worse than I thought, and one had no idea until one came here." British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher talks to local residents in the town of Lockerbie, Scotland, shortly after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, December 1988. Tom Stoddart Archive/Getty ImagesSource: ITN

☆ Premarket stocks: Betting on a market bounce? You may be waiting a while
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —‘Tis the season for Wall Street strategists to pack their clients’ inboxes with market predictions for 2023. Market analysts aren’t alone. “US equity returns will be driven by earnings against a backdrop characterized by elevated market volatility,” write JPMorgan analysts. The effort was initially touted as a “Big Bang 2.0” — a nod to the rapid deregulation of UK financial markets under former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1986. The changes are a bid to maintain London’s role as a global financial hub after Brexit, which, alongside political turmoil, has boosted uncertainty for companies thinking about where to invest.

☆ The UK just had a major market scare. Now it wants to relax financial rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Just two months after UK markets suffered their worst meltdown since the global financial crisis, the British government is promising a major relaxation of financial regulation in a bid to shore up the country’s banking and insurance industries against growing competition from cities such as Amsterdam and Paris. “We are committed to securing the UK’s status as one of the most open, dynamic and competitive financial services hubs in the world,” Jeremy Hunt, the UK finance minister, said in a statement. The effort was initially touted as a “Big Bang 2.0” — a nod to the rapid deregulation of UK financial markets under former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1986. Yet they also come on the heels of a major financial shock. The industry lobby representing UK’s financial services, TheCityUK, said the measures should “help boost the UK’s attractiveness as a place for businesses to list, invest, grow and do business.”But there are some in the sector who back regulations such as the “ring-fencing” rules.

☆ How did Democrats make it so close in the House midterm elections?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +18 min

While the GOP did still take the House, the close margin of victory was a performance well below what was possible. Here are eight perspectives from across the ideological spectrum on why the Democrats were able to make it so close. And this reality was essential given the defection of Black and Latino voters to the Republican Party and its candidates. America can credit Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s obstruction of a democracy bill and an economic bill for the narrow Republican House majority. But now, America needs to deal with a Republican House, thanks in good part to Manchin’s obstruction.

☆ Britain's electric grid transformation was sparked by political cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( James O'Malley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. That didn't happen by accident: They are the result of a profound transformation of Britain's national grid. "The revenues you got as a wind generator were still tied to the market price, which is set by gas," Lord said. "The risk does not go away," Rahmat Poudineh, the director of research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies' electricity program, said. "Cornerstone of decarbonization"In any case, Britain's national grid today is in a much greener position than it once was, and the scale of the transformation is striking.

☆ NHL roundup: Surging Jets tie it late, sink Kraken in OT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With Winnipeg goalie David Rittich pulled for the extra skater, Blake Wheeler scored his 300th career NHL goal on the power play to tie the score with 5.2 seconds left. Jordan Eberle and Brandon Tanev scored for Seattle, which is 5-1-1 in its past seven games. The Kraken took a 2-1 lead on Tanev's goal at 7:02 of the third. Bruins 5, Canucks 2Five different players scored goals and defenseman Hampus Lindholm assisted on three as Boston downed visiting Vancouver for its fourth straight win. Travis Konecny scored the lone goal for the Flyers, who went 0-for-6 on the power play en route to losing their third straight game.

☆ NHL roundup: Spencer Knight, Panthers blank Hurricanes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Nov 9, 2022; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight (30) watches the puck on the shot of Carolina Hurricanes right wing Stefan Noesen (23) during the third period at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY SportsNovember 10 - Spencer Knight made 40 saves for his first shutout of the season as the Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on Wednesday in Sunrise, Fla. The 40 stops were a season-high for the 21-year-old goalie, and when Carolina pushed back in the third period, Knight was particularly sharp, stopping 18 shots in the final stanza. Nick Cousins, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett scored for Florida, which has won back-to-back games despite missing Matthew Tkachuk because of a suspension. Jason Zucker, Brock McGinn and Jeff Petry each scored during a three-goal second period and Jake Guentzel tallied into an empty net in the third for the Penguins.

☆ NHL roundup: Alex Ovechkin nets NHL-record 787th goal with one team
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Ovechkin's power-play goal at 8:55 of the second period came in his 1,287th game with Washington, snapping a tie with Hockey Hall of Famer Gordie Howe. Anthony Mantha set up that goal and scored one of his own before the Coyotes stormed back. Ritchie's first goal of the game sailed just under the crossbar and over the goal line to forge a tie at 9:45. Zetterlund's second goal of the game also snapped New Jersey's eight-game losing streak to Calgary. Gourde finished with a goal and two assists, Tanev added an assist, and Vince Dunn also scored for the Kraken.

☆ Union Boss Becomes U.K.’s Surprise Media Star
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( James Hookway | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the heat and bluster of Britain’s summer rail strikes, there is one man keeping his cool—gruff-talking union boss Mick Lynch . Over the past few days, Mr. Lynch, 60 years old, has earned a cult following, making him the highest-profile union leader since the days when Margaret Thatcher tried to break the labor movement in the 1980s.

☆ How U.N. climate conferences have tackled global warming
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Andrea Januta | Kim Harrisberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File PhotoNov 2 (Reuters) - This year’s U.N. climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, marks the 27th time since 1995 that world leaders have gathered to confront global warming. Here are some key moments in the global climate conversation:1800s - Throughout the 1800s, several European scientists study how different gases and vapours can trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. 1990 - At the U.N.’s so-called Second World Climate Conference, scientists highlight the risks of global warming to nature and society. 2015 - Global warming passes 1 degree Celsius. Signatories promise to try to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees C of the preindustrial average.

Average two-year and five-year fixed rates hit 6.65% and 6.51% on Thursday, according to Moneyfacts, the highest since 2008. FALLING PRICESA drop in gilt yields following Rishi Sunak's victory in the Conservative Party leadership race could potentially feed through to lower mortgage rates. But the number of loans available for first-time buyers remains at less than half those on offer before the mini-budget, according to Moneyfacts. NEW FIXESAs well as first-time buyers, brokers are dealing with thousands of people whose fixed rate mortgages are due to expire in the coming months. Redmond, who has had an offer accepted in east London, said it felt as though every turn of political event only made the fixed interest rate higher.

☆ How 'trickle-down economics' backfired on Britain's shortest-serving prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

On October 20th, 2022 — after just 44 days in office — British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned. Trickle-down economics, a term most closely associated with Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. So just why did the U.K. try to revive trickle-down economics? Watch the video above to find out why the U.K. attempted to revive trickle-down economics and how it caused the country's fiscal strategy to implode. Disclaimer: CNBC conducted the interviews in this feature prior to Liz Truss' resignation on October 20.

☆ Who Is Rishi Sunak, Front-Runner to Become Britain’s Next Prime Minister?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( David Luhnow | Max Colchester | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Rishi Sunak’s economic plans are seen as more pragmatic and less ideological than those of former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss. In early September, Rishi Sunak narrowly lost a race to lead the Conservative Party and become prime minister. The person he lost to, Liz Truss , went on to have a tumultuous premiership and was forced to resign, becoming the shortest serving British prime minister in history and paving the way for a new leadership contest. Mr. Sunak’s rise to the top of British politics is one of the more spectacular “I told you so” stories in modern politics. To do that, she promised sweeping tax cuts, along with new spending, that she claimed would boost economic growth without damaging public finances.

Then, the former finance minister repeatedly described his predecessor's ideas as "fairytale" economics that would spook the markets. He will also be the first person of colour to become Britain's prime minister. "I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and I could not even imagine a non-white prime minister in my lifetime... COVID CHAMPIONSunak rose swiftly up the ranks of the Conservative Party, becoming, in 2020, one of the youngest finance ministers. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Britain, Sunak dropped the Conservatives' small-state instincts to borrow massively and stave off the risk of an economic depression.

☆ NHL roundup: Lightning topple Islanders again
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The Lightning, who beat the host Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime Friday, improved to 8-2 in their past 10 games against the Islanders. Devils 2, Sharks 1Yegor Sharangovich and Dawson Mercer scored second-period goals to lead New Jersey to a victory over visiting San Jose. The Blues controlled the first eight minutes of the game and scored the game's first goal on a power play. Avalanche 3, Golden Knights 2Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin and Evan Rodrigues scored goals, and visiting Colorado beat Vegas. He also became the first defenseman in NHL history to begin a season with a five-game goal streak.

☆ UK's Channel 4 explores non-profit trust ownership, The Telegraph reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 22 (Reuters) - British publicly-owned broadcaster Channel 4 is exploring whether it could be acquired by a non-profit trust as an alternative to a commercial privatisation, the Telegraph reported on Saturday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterFormer prime minister Boris Johnson's government was pursuing the sale of Channel 4, arguing such a move would ensure the future of the publicly-owned but commercially funded broadcaster. But the government changed tack after UK's Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said last month she was re-examining the case for privatisation. Channel 4 was created by Conservative former prime minister Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s to deliver an edgy alternative to the BBC and ITV, with a focus on under-served audiences. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Breakingviews: Delusions of grandeur are root of Britain’s chaos
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The immediate cause of the chaos Truss unleashed was her failure to heed the advice of her hero Margaret Thatcher. Truss might have got away with large tax cuts and a big increase in spending if central banks were still flooding the global economy with cheap money. Its supporters maintained leaving the EU would put rocket boosters under the UK economy. But delusions of grandeur meant this global phenomenon played out in the UK in a specific way. BRITAIN’S MANY STRENGTHSObservers such as former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers have described Britain as a bit like an emerging market.

☆ NHL roundup: Sabres top Flames behind Alex Tuch's hat trick
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsOctober 21 - Alex Tuch produced his first career hat trick to help the visiting Buffalo Sabres earn a 6-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt each added a goal and an assist while Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the Sabres. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTuch extended his goal streak to three games 46 seconds into the second period. Dahlin has scored in each of the Sabres' first four games, the longest season-opening goal streak by a blue-liner in NHL history. The Canadiens also got first period goals from Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield and Brendan Gallagher to get off to a 5-0 start.

☆ Delusions of grandeur are root of Britain’s chaos
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

☆ Lettuce 1, Liz Truss 0
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Henry Austin | Henry Austin Is A London-Based Editor For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — Liz Truss lost to a head of lettuce. The leafy vegetable's decay was more gradual than Truss' crumbling tenure as British prime minister, which ended with her resignation Thursday. Her decision provided an unlikely victory for the lettuce, which had been pitted against her by a tabloid newspaper last Friday. Amer Ghazzal / Shutterstock“The lettuce outlasted Liz Truss,” the caption declared as a remix of “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang kicked in, lights flashed in the background and bottles of alcohol were added to the scene. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev tweeted “congrats to lettuce” shortly after Truss’ speech.

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