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5 Things You Need To Know, Today, on Wednesday 19th January 2022
5. Aldi has opened its first checkout-free supermarket where people can shop without having to scan a product.
The grocer is operating a "trial" store in Greenwich, London, which allows customers to complete their shop and pay without going to a till.
4. Average pay rises are failing to keep up with the rise in the cost of living, the latest official statistics show.
Regular pay, excluding bonuses and adjusted for inflation, fell 1% in November compared to the same month in the previous year.
3. The price of oil hit its highest level in more than seven years to $87 a barrel as traders worried that an attack on a fuel storage facility in the Middle East could affect supply.
A suspected drone attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels in the United Arab Emirates blew up three fuel tankers.
2. Shares in Japanese technology giant Sony have slumped in Tokyo trade after Microsoft said it plans to buy mega games company Activision Blizzard.
The deal worth $68.7bn (£50.5bn), would be Microsoft's biggest ever buyout and the largest deal in gaming history and would see them owning popular gaming franchises including Call of Duty, Warcraft and Overwatch.
1. Boris Johnson is expected to announce an easing of England's Covid rules when he makes a statement on Plan B later which is due to expire on 26 January.
A government spokeswoman said the decision was "finely balanced" but the latest data was "encouraging", with cases falling since early January.