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Rishi Sunak has invited Britain’s trade union leaders to talks on Monday in an attempt to find a solution to the wave of disruptive strikes across the UK. The prime minister said that government departments had written to relevant unions inviting them for talks. Workers including nurses, postal staff and train drivers have been taking

The UK government has announced new legislation to enforce “minimum service levels” in eight sectors including the health service in an attempt to tackle a rash of strikes across the country. Unions representing workers in various sectors — ranging from nurses and paramedics to train drivers — have gone on walkouts to protest at real-terms

Rishi Sunak on Wednesday outlined five promises on which he wants the public to judge him at the next general election, including growing the UK economy and cutting NHS waiting lists. In his first big domestic policy speech as prime minister, Sunak said he wanted to deliver “peace of mind” to a country confronted by

German inflation slowed more than expected in December, sliding into single digits for the first time since the summer and providing some relief for the European Central Bank in its battle to control price rises. Consumer price inflation dropped to 9.6 per cent in the year to December, well down on the 11.3 per cent

Moscow said a Ukrainian air strike hit army barracks in the Russian-occupied town of Makiivka in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 63, as it continued to target Kyiv with drones. Four high-explosive warheads struck the Makiivka temporary deployment base, while two were shot down by Russian air defences, Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement

ExxonMobil and Chevron are expected to rake in almost $100bn in combined profits from 2022 as the US corporate oil titans capitalise on surging fossil fuel prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The profit bonanza is seen by the oil majors as vindication after the companies resisted pressure from activists and some shareholders to pivot away

Pension funds should be “extremely careful” when investing in illiquid assets, as rising interest rates and falling stock markets increase the likelihood of their having to access cash quickly, the OECD has warned. In the recent era of low interest rates, pension funds poured money into alternative investments, such as infrastructure projects and private equity,

UK house prices fell for the fourth consecutive month in December, marking the longest contraction since the 2008 financial crisis, as rising interest rates deterred prospective buyers. Prices contracted 0.1 per cent between November and December, following falls every month since September, according to figures provided by Nationwide, the mortgage provider. It was the worst

The EU is debating a bloc-wide response to the abrupt end of China’s zero-Covid containment policy, as capitals across the world seek to contend with surging infections in the country. Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s new prime minister, called on Thursday for the EU to follow Rome’s move to test all air arrivals from China for coronavirus

European natural gas prices have fallen to levels last recorded before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, as warmer weather helps the continent to preserve its reserves. The Dutch TTF gas future for the coming month, the benchmark European contract, dropped as much as 7.4 per cent on Wednesday to €76.78 per megawatt hour

China will remove quarantine requirements for inbound travellers from January 8 as the country dismantles the remnants of a zero-Covid regime that closed it off from the rest of the world for almost three years. The National Health Commission on Monday unveiled the move as part of a wider announcement that downgraded the country’s management

Hedge funds trading bonds and currencies are on track for their best year since the global financial crisis, boosted by the steep interest rate rises that have inflicted heavy losses on equity specialists and mainstream investors. So-called macro hedge funds, made famous by the likes of George Soros and Louis Bacon, endured a barren period

Apple’s business is under threat from a widespread coronavirus outbreak in China, with supply chain experts warning of a growing risk of months-long disruption to the production of iPhones. The US tech giant has had to contend with more than a month of chaos at its main assembler Foxconn’s megafactory in Zhengzhou, China, known as

Hospitals in Beijing are being overwhelmed by sick elderly Covid-19 patients just weeks after China abandoned its tough coronavirus containment measures with little preparation for the exit wave now ripping through the country. Emergency rooms have run out of portable beds for patients, the infirm are waiting hours for ambulances and many doctors are too

Chinese officials estimate about 250mn people or 18 per cent of the population were infected with Covid-19 in the first 20 days of December, as Beijing abruptly dismantled restrictions that had contained the disease for almost three years. The estimates — which include 37mn people who were infected on Tuesday alone, or 2.6 per cent

The UK economy contracted by more than previously estimated in the third quarter and lagged further behind other advanced economies, as households struggled with high inflation. Data published by the Office for National Statistics on Thursday also suggested that consumers are not dipping into their savings as much as forecast, suggesting the UK’s recession could

UK health secretary Steve Barclay on Wednesday doubled down on the government’s decision not to negotiate on pay with striking NHS staff, as he accused ambulance unions of jeopardising patient safety. The government is braced for severe disruption within the NHS across England and Wales, following the decision by about 10,000 ambulance workers represented by

A UK health minister has urged the public to avoid “any risky activity” during ambulance staff walkouts in England and Wales on Wednesday, as hospital trusts reported a surge in critical incidents within the NHS. More than 10,000 ambulance workers affiliated with the country’s three main trade unions — GMB, Unite and Unison — are

Twitter users have voted for Elon Musk to step down as the social network’s chief executive, adding to turmoil over the future of the San Francisco-based company. The billionaire entrepreneur, who bought Twitter for $44bn in October, launched a poll via the platform on Sunday asking whether he should remain at the helm, adding: “I

The government remains “resolute” in its determination to face down the unions, cabinet minister Oliver Dowden said on Sunday ahead of what is set to be the most widespread week of strike action in recent British history. On Tuesday, nurses from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to take part in their second