International News

Durham and Hartlepool have failed to return to pre-housing crash levels of 14 years ago when prices went into meltdown. Overall, the cost of property continues to soar during the pandemic, figures show - but there are some notable exceptions. Recent statistics, released by home setup service Just Move In, show the average home in Durham was £119,447 in the latest Land Registry figures - £2,890 below its £122,337 pre-crash peak. House prices in Hartlepool are £129...

The cost of living surged by 5.1% in the 12 months to November, up from 4.2% the month before, and its highest level since September 2011. Higher transport and energy costs drove the rise, which was above forecasts of a 4.7% increase, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Its chief economist Grant Fitzner said more expensive fuel, energy, clothing and second hand cars were big factors. The cost of raw materials also rose significantly, he added. What is inflation? Inflation is t...

The government has said that all 11 countries will be removed from the UK's travel red list from 4am on Wednesday. Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe are on the list. The red list was reintroduced in late November as a precaution after the emergence of the Omicron variant. But Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it had spread so widely the rules no longer had much purpose. "Now that there is community transmi...

LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Growth in Britain's construction industry hit a four-month high in November, as supply-chain difficulties appeared to have passed their peak and a rise in commercial property work offset a slowdown in house-building, a survey showed on Monday. The monthly purchasing managers' data also showed an easing in inflation pressures to their lowest since April - although they are still high in outright terms. The survey largely predates the emergence of the Omicro...

The UK has approved another antibody treatment for people with Covid that cuts the risk of severe illness. It's called sotrovimab, and scientists say preliminary checks suggest it should work well even against new variants such as Omicron. The drug, given in a drip into a vein, binds to the virus to stop it from entering our cells. In a clinical trial, a single dose reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 79% in high-risk adults. It is the second drug of its kind - a mon...

UK house price inflation at +6.9% Average UK annual house price growth was +6.9% in October, up from +3.5% in October last year. Although this is a slight easing from the growth of more than +7% in August and September, the average rate of growth over the last three months is higher than at any time since 2014, underlining the strength of current market conditions. The trend for annual growth will be a continued slowing, although the path not may be linear. The easing in the pace of price gro...

The online bank Atom Bank has introduced a four-day work week for its 430 staff without cutting their pay. Employees now work 34 hours over four days and get Monday or Friday off, when previously they clocked up 37.5 hours across the whole week. Boss Mark Mullen told the BBC it was inspired by the pandemic and would help improve wellbeing and retain staff. However, employees will have to work longer hours on the days that they are in. "Before Covid, the conventional wisdom was you ha...

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Charging points for electric vehicles will be required to be installed in new buildings in Britain from next year under new legislation to be announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his office said in a statement on Sunday. It said the regulations would lead to up to 145,000 extra charge points being installed in England each year in the run-up to 2030, when the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will end in Britain. The requirement will apply to new homes and...