Aldi UK sales reached record levels as the supermarket unveiled plans to invest £800million in more than 20 new stores by the end of the year.

The supermarket chain, which currently has more than 1,000 stores, revealed its sales grew 16 per cent to £17.9billion for the 12 months to December 2023.

(PA) - Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has issued fresh calls for the resignation of the chief executive of air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats.

Mr O'Leary urged Martin Rolfe to step down and "allow someone competent" to take over after flights were disrupted at Gatwick Airport on Sunday due to "Nats staff shortages".

The airline's chief executive has repeatedly criticised Mr Rolfe, particularly over the widespread disruption at UK airports during last year's August Bank Holiday Monday, which was caused by a Nats technical failure.

Gatwick flights have frequently been disrupted due to ATC staffing issues.

Analysis of data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows 49 departures and 51 arrivals were cancelled on Sunday between 3pm and midnight, affecting more than 16,000 passengers.

Many other flights were delayed.

Nats previously said it is "working in line" with a staffing plan agreed with Gatwick bosses when it took over the provision of ATC services at the airport in October 2022, which includes training further controllers.

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, comments on the markets at the start of another week:

’The downbeat mood which has been percolating through markets has eased off, with the FTSE 100 staging a comeback in early trade. Investors appear to be shaking off worries about a deeper global economic slowdown, helped partly by a shift upwards in oil prices.

This rebound is likely to be part of a pattern of volatility, rather than a meaningful change of sentiment, given the concerns still lingering about a potential US recession and continued weakness in China.

Although China’s inflation rate has edged up, with the economy veering away from deflation, the headline rate of 0.6% wasn’t as high as expected, indicating slow progress.

The weaker than expected US jobs snapshot on Friday sparked a fresh sell-off last week, which reverberated into trading in Asia.

Tech companies with heady valuations have borne the worst of the risk-off sentiment, and semiconductor stocks saw fresh declines, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Samsung Electronics Co falling by more than 2%.

Although US inflation appears now to be largely tamed, the focus has switched to just how deep a downturn could be in the world's largest economy.

Businesses have put hiring on hold as Labour faces accusations of economic doom-mongering ahead of the Budget.

In a further sign that confidence among employers is ebbing away following the election, a report shows firms are 'holding back from hiring' new staff.

Labour is committed to levy taxes on those who can afford to pay. Among the known targets for Rachel Reeves in her October 30 Budget are the private equity barons.

A lengthy undervaluation of UK equities, against comparators in New York, means that the London-listed firms have offered rich pickings for buyouts.

Hundreds of British jobs are at risk if a mega-merger between Three UK and Vodafone gets the green light.

A deal between the two rivals would create the UK's largest mobile firm with an estimated value of £15billion.