UK homeware retailer Wilko has apologised after issuing guidance to staff in England telling them they should attend work even if they are Covid-positive, as concerns grow over a fresh wave of hospital admissions (The Financial Times £).
Camelot is to lose its licence to run the UK national lottery after 28 years as the Gambling Commission named rival Allwyn as its preferred applicant to take over (The Guardian).
Allwyn is a UK-based subsidiary of Europe’s largest lottery operator Sazka, which is owned by Czech oil and gas tycoon Karel Komarek (BBC News).
The Gambling Commission, which made the selection, said Allwyn’s investment commitments would mean “growth and innovation” for the lottery resulting in increased contributions to good causes (Sky News).
German drug and agrochemical conglomerate Bayer has threatened to suspend crop supply sales to Russia next year unless the country stops its attacks on Ukraine (The Financial Times £).
The world is facing a potential food crisis, with soaring prices and millions in danger of severe hunger, as the war in Ukraine threatens supplies of key staple crops, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has warned (The Guardian).
Fears are growing that lockdowns to tackle a sharp rise coronavirus cases in China will disrupt shipping from one of the world’s biggest ports and cause shortages to ripple through global supply chains (The Times £).
Petrol could soar to £2.50 a litre, while diesel could hit £3 and might even be rationed, experts told MPs on Monday, as they warned of worsening pain for consumers as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hits global energy markets (The Guardian).
Petrol prices are likely to fall back from record levels due to the costs of wholesale fuel and global oil easing, UK motoring groups have said (BBC News).
Antibacterial wipes, sports bras and a less formal alternative to men’s suits will contribute to the UK’s official measure of inflation for the first time, reflecting changes ushered in by the pandemic ahead of a cost of living crisis (The Financial Times £).
A switch to casual clothing since the start of the pandemic has become so pronounced that men’s suits have fallen out of the official “basket of goods” used to track inflation (The Times £).
Other items that will no longer be tracked include doughnuts, which are being replaced by multipacks of cakes (The Guardian).
The Telegraph notes that vegetarian sausages have also been added.
To account for pandemic trends, pet collars and antibacterial surface wipes have been added to the inflation basket, as households embraced new cleaning habits and lockdowns led to a boom in pet ownership (The Mail).
The co-founder of Cake Box is stepping down as the retail chain’s finance chief, weeks after admitting that its full-year accounts contained a number of “inconsistencies” and “transcription errors” (The Times £).
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