January, 2022

• 25 January

  Americans aren’t bothered about the grocery inflation

    It’s official: Americans are paying up for their favourite goods. December saw the biggest 12-month gain in inflation since 1982. Last week, Procter & Gamble Co. raised its sales outlook for the year to the end of June on the back of higher prices. In the three months to December 31, organic sales (which exclude the impact of currency ...

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• 25 January

  The magical land of low inflation, no rate hikes

    Bonds are sliding and forecasts for US interest rate increases are escalating rapidly. Borrowing costs have moved up in the UK, South Korea, New Zealand and a swathe of emerging markets. There are outliers, however. Among them, Asia’s two most powerful economies: China, which cut a key rate this week, and Japan, a country that’s battled deflation for a ...

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• 25 January

  European gas falls amid higher Russian flows, mild weather

  

    Bloomberg Natural gas prices in Europe declined as Russia’s shipments increased and weather forecasts pointed to milder temperatures in the region. Orders to send gas through Ukraine via Velke Kapusany, a major entry point in Slovakia, rose to the highest level since January 1, according to data from operator Eustream. Shipments still remain below normal. Above-average temperatures are expected ...

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• 25 January

  UK takes steps to prevent power blackouts

  

    Bloomberg The UK plans to bulk up the amount of power capacity it has ready for next winter, beyond the amount recommended by network operator National Grid Plc. The government set the target for the 2022-23 power capacity auction 14% higher than National Grid’s recommendation, according to a letter from Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng. Under the system, Britain pays ...

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• 25 January

  US troops ‘ready to go’ to bolster Nato forces, says White House

  

    Bloomberg A Kremlin spokesman warned that a US move to put as many as 8,500 troops on alert “exacerbates tensions,” as a top White House official said the reinforcements for Nato forces in Eastern Europe are “ready to go at a moment’s notice.” Evidence also emerged that European governments are split on what Russian actions short of a military ...

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• 25 January

  Ukraine’s defense minister downplays risk of Russian invasion

  

    Bloomberg Ukraine’s top military official played down the risk of a full-scale Russian invasion and laid part of the blame for heightened tension on international media, insisting that the threat from the Kremlin hasn’t significantly changed in eight years. Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov pushed back against war-footing rhetoric and called for calm as Russia masses over 100,000 troops, along ...

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• 25 January

  Peril mounts for Johnson as police probe lockdown parties

  

    Bloomberg The crisis engulfing Boris Johnson escalated dramatically after the police began formally investigating allegations he and his staff held parties that broke the government’s pandemic rules. Johnson is battling for his political survival over a slew of reports about events in his Downing Street office, which were held at a time when social gatherings were banned under restrictions ...

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• 25 January

  North Korea fires two cruise missiles: Seoul

  

    Bloomberg North Korea appears to have fired two cruise missiles Tuesday morning toward waters off its east coast, according to a South Korean military official, ramping up a barrage of tests this month that have rattled regional security. South Korea was closely monitoring the situation, the official said, without offering further details. The launch comes as North Korea this ...

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• 25 January

  Atlanta prosecutor gets judge’s approval for Trump grand jury

    Bloomberg The Atlanta prosecutor investigating former President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn Georgia’s election results received approval to convene a special-purpose grand jury to hear evidence. The approval of the special panel, which came in an order filed by Fulton County Chief Judge Christopher S. Brasher, clears the way for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to subpoena witnesses, ...

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• 25 January

  UK borrowing undershoot hands Sunak $18b windfall

  

    Bloomberg UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is on track for a windfall of around 13 billion pounds ($17.5 billion) this financial year as borrowing figures for the first nine months came in well below official forecasts, despite a sharp rise in debt interest costs. The budget deficit was 16.8 billion pounds last month, taking the shortfall from ...

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