THE DAILY BRIEFING

FESTIVE CHEER Discount grocer Lidl notched up an 8pc rise in sales over Christmas as shoppers snapped up turkeys and mince pies. The rise in sales in the six weeks to December 30 was driven by its deluxe range, where takings were up 33pc.

BANK PROBE A major investigation into the Royal Bank of Canada has reportedly been launched by the City watchdog. Dozens of former employees are said to have complained about their treatment by RBC. The Financial Conduct Authority was alerted by Londonbased whistleblower John Banerjee, who won a tribunal case after the bank sacked him for raising concerns about its trading policies.

SLOW GROWTH The economy grew by just 0.3pc in the three months to November, its weakest pace for six months, as uncertainty over Theresa May’s Brexit deal took a toll. The manufacturing sector shrank by 0.3pc according to the

Office for National Statistics and is down for five months in a row, its longest losing streak since the Great Recession.

TRUMP OUT President Trump is pulling out of this year’s Davos conference to deal with political turmoil in the US which has seen a government shutdown over his plans for a wall along the Mexican border.

JOBS CUT Around 500 jobs are being cut at US investment group

BlackRock as it slims down in the face of market turmoil. The firm is slashing the roles from offices across the world.

‘RIGGING’ PAYOFF Lender HSBC agreed in a New York court to pay £23.5m to investors who claimed its staff rigged bond markets to boost their profits.

HIGH FLYING London airport Heathrow flew 80m passengers last year, 2.7pc higher than a year earlier. It posted a 2.5pc rise in passenger traffic in December as 6.5m travelled through the airport.