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Davos day one: Zelenskiy, von der Leyen and Li Qiang to address WEF amid…

Key events 7m ago Bill Gates: progress reducing child deaths in Africa has stalled 23m ago Full story: Geopolitical tensions and AI dominate start of World Economic Forum 26m ago Chief economists see more economic uncertainty on the horizon 27m ago Introduction: Davos begins.... Filters BETA Key events (4) Davos (5) WEF (4) Middle East (3) 1m ago 03.00 EST Bill Gates also warned that there was a lack of preparedness for another pandemic, which required the right tools and the right institutions. There is some money being spent and some attention paid but not nearly enough, Gates warned. 4m ago 02.57 EST Larry Elliott Bill Gates…

Red Sea disruption, container freight rates, and shipper disputes

“Sinking margins of container liners will likely turn around in 1Q in wake of the Red Sea disruption,” in the opinion of ING THINK - an analytical research group under the ING umbrella. The hostilities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are being watched closely in and around Washington, DC including at the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) , the agency with regulatory oversight of liner shipping that touches US ports. The FMC announced that it will be holding an in-person hearing (with live-streaming), in early February, “to examine how conditions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden regions are impacting commercial shipping and global…

Scotch whiskey brought in over £7billion to the UK economy in 2022

The industry supports 66,00 jobs across the UK with 41,000 in Scotland (Image: Getty) Scotch whisky brought £7.1billion into the UK economy in 2022, a report has revealed. The Scotch Whisky Association said whisky's contribution to the economy in that year had increased by 29% since 2018. The industry is worth £5.3billion to Scotland alone, equating to around 3% of Gross Value Added - its contribution to the economy. The drink amounted to 77% of Scotland's food and drink exports as well as 26% for the UK overall. Mark Kent, SWA head, said the report "has again proven its economic significance to the UK". He added: "The past five…

Ocado sales jump after expanding Marks & Spencer range - latest updates

Ocado has posted a rise in sales after expanding the number of Marks & Spencer products it sells, in a sign the retailer’s joint venture with M&S is beginning to bear fruit. The online supermarket said that revenues were up 10.9pc to £609m over the 13 weeks to November 26, after record sales over the Christmas period. It comes as the company bolstered the number of M&S products it sells on its website in a bid to ease tensions with its joint venture partner over performance. Ocado shares surged 5.4pc in early trading to take it to the top of the FTSE 100. Ocado Retail now stocks around 90pc of M&S’ total product range, after adding…

Ocado sees return to annual earnings as sales leap

Business | Business News Online supermarket Ocado has said it returned to annual earnings after seeing sales growth ramp up at its year end. Ocado Group’s retail arm, which is run as a joint venture with Marks & Spencer, revealed sales lifted 10.9% to £609.4 million in the three months to November 26, up from growth of 7.2% in the previous quarter. The firm said it would meet its forecast to return to earnings for the full year to November 26 after the fourth-quarter performance saw annual sales rise 7% overall. The business has been looking to boost trade after slumping to a half-year loss of £2.5 million, by cutting its own costs…