24 hours of economics in 240 words! An economic snapshot number 15

For January 5^th

5:02 a.m.  Britain’s £5billion-a-year scrap metal industry is going to get tougher restrictions, to prevent metal theft.

7:37 a.m.  Clinton Cards has reported with the like-for-like sales falling 1.4% in the months leading up to the New Year.

9:50 a.m.  Waitrose claims it’s sales rose 3.8%, during the Christmas period, with the online operation’s sales rising 49%!

10:49 a.m. JJB reports a 5% rise in sales for the Christmas period, with a cash margin increase of 6%. Their like-for-like sales, however, fell around 7.8% in the months leading up to it, which was still a 10% improvement on the months before that period.

A bitter health pill: Unite union continues
to oppose NHS pensions!

11:38 a.m. Hungarian currency, the forint, has fallen to 323.40 against the euro, a record low.

1:51 p.m.  China’s largest airlines will not pay the EU tax on carbon emissions, according to their trade body.

4:14 p.m.  Mercedes-Benz has had record sales as the company’s sales rose 8% last year!

4:56 p.m.  The Euro has fallen to $1.2780 dollars, a 16-month low!

5:18 p.m.  Shell has closed its final-salary pension scheme, being replaced by a 2013 pension membership scheme.

5:32 p.m.  Cameron and Clegg have hopes for progress on an “anti-avoidance” tax rule in the budget and have pledged a crack down on tax avoidance.

6:43 p.m.  Petroplus has had its credit lines blocked, after borrowing freeze.

8:25 p.m.  The Unite union continues to reject the government’s public-sector pensions for NHS workers, despite latest offer, even threatening to strike during the Olympics.