January, 2022

• 24 January

  Shell sees $4.5b investment potential in France

  

    Bloomberg Shell Plc has identified 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion) of potential investments in France in a bid to support the country’s efforts to develop sustainable sources of energy, Le Figaro reported, citing an interview with Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden. Shell wants to invest in offshore wind farm projects, the creation of electric vehicle battery charging stations ...

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• 24 January

  UK’s energy price cap rise to hit 22m homes

  

    Bloomberg An April increase to the government’s price cap on energy bills will affect more than 75% of British households, according to The Times. The number of households covered by the price limit has risen to 22 million from 15 million, the newspaper said, citing energy regulator Ofgem. Standard variable tariffs are capped at 1,277 pounds ($1,731) a year ...

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• 24 January

  Central banks are facing a moment of truth on crypto

  

    The head of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Agustin Carstens, set out a dark vision for our financial future, quoting Goethe’s “Faust” and claiming that the “soul” of money was at stake. He warned that the proliferation of unregulated cryptocurrencies and the spread of Big Tech firms into payments risked damaging consumer trust and splitting the monetary system. ...

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• 24 January

  Cyberwar on Ukraine may spread globally

  

  In cyberwarfare, the toughest question to answer definitively is “Who did it?” It’s no surprise then that Microsoft Corp avoided the attribution on everyone else’s lips in its analysis of cyberattacks on Ukraine. That would be Russia. But several clues suggest they not only came from the Kremlin but will follow a pattern of spilling into other countries in Europe ...

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• 24 January

  A pandemic is a dream come true for gamers

    About a year ago around this time, on impulse, people bought a Nintendo Switch — and they’ve never looked back. Stuck indoors for months at a time in 2021, people took up the controllers with youthful enthusiasm. Games — whether it was on the Switch, PlayStation or PC — allowed people to escape the four walls of their apartment ...

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• 24 January

  Citi’s problems, solutions look suspiciously European

  Citigroup Inc has long been valued like a European bank. Its British-born Chief Executive Officer Jane Fraser has reached for a European-style solution, but so far investors aren’t impressed. The bank is on a mission to reshape its sprawling global businesses and make them simpler and easier to understand. It wants to invest in the parts of the bank that ...

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• 24 January

  UK: Airlines must fly more, stirring industry anger

  

    Bloomberg Britain will compel airlines to use 70% of takeoff and landing slots this summer to boost competition after the coronavirus crisis, angering carriers still struggling with demand far short of pre-pandemic levels. To ease the transition towards use-it-or-lose-it requirements that are closer to 2019 levels, the Department for Transport also published an extended list of get-out clauses, such ...

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• 24 January

  China blasts US as ‘bullying’ amid flight suspension row

  

    Bloomberg China accused the US of “bullying” over its decision to suspend dozens of flights from America by Chinese airlines, underscoring lingering tensions between the world’s biggest economies. The US “wantonly suspended Chinese flights and disrupted their normal operations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday. “It is irresponsible and unreasonable.” ...

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• 24 January

  United Airlines: Covid surge to cut 2022 capacity, pressure costs

  

    Bloomberg United Airlines Holdings Inc. expects a delayed recovery in air travel this year as the coronavirus resurgence pressures business and leisure travel, slowing the carrier’s momentum after a robust holiday season pushed its fourth-quarter results above Wall Street’s estimates. The spreading omicron variant prompted United to lower its capacity forecast for 2022 to below the 2019 level, according ...

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• 24 January

  Airline bosses urge UK to drop curbs for vaccinated travelers

    Bloomberg Airline bosses are urging UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid to restore restriction-free international travel at least for the fully vaccinated, citing evidence that recent curbs haven’t been effective in preventing the spread of omicron. In a letter to Javid, chief executives of British Airways, Ryanair and other carriers asked for a clear protocol for managing future outbreaks “without ...

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