UK retail sales unexpectedly fell 0.3% in December, following a revised 0.1% rise in November. The decline, driven by weak food sales, adds to concerns about the economy and raises expectations for a Bank of England interest rate cut next month.
UK retail sales unexpectedly declined in December, according to official figures released on Friday. This adds to a series of disappointing economic data, strengthening expectations that the Bank of England may lower interest rates next month.
Retail sales, adjusted for the impact of Black Friday, dropped by 0.3% month-on-month in December, following a revised 0.1% increase in November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported. Economists had predicted a 0.4% rise in sales from November.
The drop was largely driven by weak food sales, which fell to their lowest level since 2013, with supermarkets hit particularly hard, said ONS senior statistician Hannah Finselbach.
In response to the data, the pound slipped around a quarter of a cent against the U.S. dollar, falling below $1.22.
For the fourth quarter as a whole, retail sales were down by 0.8%, which the ONS noted could reduce economic growth by approximately 0.04 percentage points.
President Donald Trump said he will be involved “indirectly” in nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran scheduled for Tuesday in G...
The Pentagon has threatened to designate artificial intelligence firm Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” amid a dispute over the military use of i...
Representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the United States are set to meet in Geneva for a third round of trilateral negotiations aimed at ending the ne...
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed two people in the past 12 hours, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday....
Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced on 16 February that the Honourable Janice Charette has been appointed as the next Chief Trade Negotiat...
Britain and Germany’s highest ranking military chiefs have made an unprecedented joint appeal to the public to accept the “moral” case for rearmament and prepare for the threat of war with Russia.
Buckingham Palace said it is ready to support any police investigation into allegations that Prince Andrew shared confidential British trade documents with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as King Charles expressed “profound concern” over the latest revelations.
Pressure is mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid resignations and a row over Peter Mandelson, a powerful figure in the ruling Labour Party. The episode has raised doubts about Starmer’s authority and how firmly his own party continues to back him.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, saying that “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.”
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said the United States could evaluate its own interests separately from those of Israel in ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (15 February) called it “troubling” a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using a toxin from poison dart frogs.
Cuba’s fuel crisis has turned into a waste crisis, with garbage piling up on most street corners in Havana as many collection trucks lack enough petrol to operate.
Norway is holding a commanding lead in the medal standings with 12 golds and a total of 26, with Italy having an historic performance on home soil on the ninth day of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday (15 February).
Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the U.S. that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying on Sunday (15 February), days before a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington.
Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor renowned for his steely intensity and commanding performances in films including The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has died at the age of 95.
Tourists from all over the world flock to Paris, France for elaborate Valentine’s Day proposals, with agencies reporting record bookings and luxury packages reaching up to €100,000.
Thousands of local residents and international visitors have gathered in northern Thailand for the 49th annual Chiang Mai Flower Festival, one of the city’s longest-running contemporary events.
More than 100 couples tied the knot at a mass civil ceremony in Lima, Peru on Thursday, ahead of Valentine’s Day. The Lima Metropolitan Municipality regularly holds community weddings to make civil marriage more accessible to local couples, provide legal protection and speed up the paperwork.
Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a major prehistoric site in South Sinai dating back around 10,000 years, revealing layers of human activity carved into rock across millennia. South Sinai is the least populated governorate of Egypt.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment