let s start here in the uk, where chancellor rishi sunak has set out a £1 billion fund to help businesses hit by the rise in covid cases. pubs, restaurants and theatres have welcomed the new government grants. under the plans, hospitality and leisure firms can apply for grants of up to £6,000 per premises. but others, including beauty salons and nightclubs, say the package is merely scratching the surface. the national hair and beauty federation said, in response to the latest funding, that over 70% of salons are experiencing unprecedented cancellations which will have a huge impact on their turnover. it s also not clear whether they can apply for financial assistance. let s talk this through with lesley blair, chief executive of the british association of beauty therapy and cosmetology. a warm welcome to the programme. do you know yet whether you are able to access the billion pound funding? unfortunately not. by looking at it and quite in depth, i do believe we have nothi
This in germany. 0ur the general public going with the government s decision making or are they antsy about the soul? good morning. the public in germany is going with the government decision. many in the public would have liked to have had some tighter restrictions already before that. there is a bit of dismay that. there is a bit of dismay that in the transition of power from the old to the new government, there was a period where germany did not do enough and flip flop a bit on restrictions. despite the occasional practice, there is significant support or stopping this pandemic as soon as possible, especially the spread of the 0micron variant. for possible, especially the spread of the omicron variant.- of the omicron variant. for the relatively of the omicron variant. for the relatively new of the omicron variant. for the relatively new chancellor, - of the omicron variant. for the relatively new chancellor, olaf| relatively new chancellor, 0laf scholz, this is his first real c
Offered? it through this. what has germany offered? it is through this. what has germany offered? it is offering offered? it is offering significant support to businesses and also to workers and the major programmes that have been used for the last 20 months to support workers, the furlough schemes are in place and have been extended. as a result this will likely be a drag on economic activity to some extent but it will probably mean that businesses will not have to close the good and it will not impact living standards of people as extra people need to go on furlough for instance the hospitality sector is well supported. while the restrictions are in place, we have seen the pre christmas shopping was below normal. having said that, if we can lift these restrictions sometime in late january, the
This is bbc news with the latest business headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the uk government announces a £1 billion fund to help businesses hit by the pandemic. the news is welcomed by some, however others like the beauty industry are less than impressed. frustrated mcdonald s customers injapan have a chip on their shoulder, after the fast food chain runs short of potatoes. gaming obsession the bbc has exclusive access to the uk s only facility for gaming addiciton and examines the growing problem. and spider man takes the box office by storm, but the industry is bracing itself for further closures with new lockdowns looming.