LONDON (Reuters) – The British government has asked public sector managers to test their contingency plans against a worst-case scenario of 25% staff absence as part of efforts to minimise disruption from the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. With daily infection numbers at a record high and people who test positive required…
LIMA (Reuters) – Peru has ended 2021 with inflation of 6.43%, the highest rate in 13 years and well above the upper end of the central bank’s target, the government said on Saturday. The South American country, one of the world’s largest producers of minerals, had an annual inflation target of 1% to 3% last…
By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) – Businessman Calisto Tanzi, who transformed a small family milk company into the multi-national food powerhouse Parmalat only to see it collapse in one of Italy’s biggest fraudulent bankruptcies, died on Saturday, aged 83. Tanzi died of pneumonia in a hospital in Parma, the city in central Italy where he…
HELSINKI (Reuters) – Some 3,000 workers at Finnish forestry group UPM went on strike on Saturday, shutting plants, the company said on Saturday. Three unions representing paper workers, managerial staff and electricians had previously warned they would strike if a new agreement about wages and working conditions was not reached before the previous agreement ended…
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong flagship carrier Cathay Pacific Airways said on Saturday two of its aircrew whom have tested positive for the Omicron variant were sacked for breaching medical surveillance regulations. Cathay said five of its aircrew had tested positive following their return to Hong Kong from duty, and investigation into the cases…
By Kate Abnett and Simon Jessop (Reuters) -The European Union has drawn up plans to label some natural gas and nuclear energy projects as “green” investments after a year-long battle between governments over which investments are truly climate-friendly. The European Commission is expected to propose rules in January deciding whether gas and nuclear projects will…
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany wants to use its presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) to support the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen efforts to improve climate protection, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Saturday. “Germany has taken over the G7 presidency for 2022 – the G7 countries stand for freedom, democracy…
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany has pulled the plug on three of its last six nuclear power stations as it moves towards completing its withdrawal from nuclear power as it turns its focus to renewables. The government decided to speed up the phasing out of nuclear power following Japan’s Fukushima reactor meltdown in 2011 when an…
TOKYO (Reuters) – The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd are set to cooperate with the United States and Bill Gates’ venture company to build a high-tech nuclear reactor in Wyoming, the daily Yomiuri reported on Saturday. The parties will sign an agreement as early as January for JAEA and Mitsubishi…
By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) – Thousands of flights within the United States and internationally were delayed or canceled on Friday, adding to the travel disruptions during the holiday week due to adverse weather and rising cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Over 3,090 flights were canceled globally as of early Friday evening, including nearly 1,550…
