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UK shopper numbers improve in August, data shows

UK shopper numbers improve in August, data shows

THE number of shoppers hitting Britain's high streets, shopping centres and retail parks continued to improve in August, with the gap on the same month in 2019 reducing to -18.6 per cent from -24.2 per cent in July, footfall data compiled by Springboard showed.

Footfall in central London, which has been hit by an absence of foreign tourists and a reduced numbers of commuters, was 38 per cent below the 2019 level, Springboard said on Thursday (2), considerably better than -50.4 per cent recorded in July.


In large cities outside of the capital, the improvement in footfall in August was nearly double that in smaller high streets, putting them at a comparable level versus 2019 for the first time, Springboard said.

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Russian oil producers

This also aligns with US sanctions on major Russian oil producers Rosneft and Lukoil, set to take effect on Friday.

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Reliance halts Russian oil imports at export refinery amid global pressure

Highlights

  • Reliance Industries has stopped importing Russian crude oil for its export-only refining unit at Jamnagar in Gujarat.
  • The European Union has barred the import of fuel made from Russian crude, starting January 2026.
  • India's crude oil imports from Russia have surged from 2.5 per cent before the 2022 Ukraine war to around 35.8 per cent in 2024-25.
Reliance Industries, owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has stopped importing Russian crude oil for its export-only refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat.

Reliance said the move aims to comply with an EU ban on fuel imports made from Russian oil through third countries, which takes effect next year. It also aligns with US sanctions on major Russian oil producers Rosneft and Lukoil, set to take effect on Friday.

"This transition has been completed ahead of schedule to ensure full compliance with product-import restrictions coming into force on 21 January 2026," Reliance said in a statement.

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