Property in short supply

Property shortfall

There’s a lack of homes for sale at the moment after the recent surge in buying activity, according to Rightmove. The first half of 2021 saw 140,000 more sales agreed than average, and 85,000 fewer new homes listed, creating a shortfall of 225,000. The demand is pushing prices up - average asking price hit £338,447 in July, a new record high for the fourth month in a row.

Double jab to dance

Boris Johnson announced yesterday that from the end of September, you’ll need to have both coronavirus jabs to go into nightclubs and other crowded places. The u-turn came just a week after the government said neither jabs nor testing would be needed to go clubbing - and just 17 hours after clubs reopened for the first time since March 2020.

Ready for take-off

EasyJet is ramping up its capacity to 60% of its pre-pandemic business, offering more European routes to countries with looser restrictions. It’s a huge jump up from the 17% they’re running at the moment - but the airline says it’s confident people are keen to travel.

Power of attorney overhaul

The lasting power of attorney (LPA) system is set for a revamp, letting people go online to nominate someone to take financial and health decisions on their behalf. 5 million people already have LPAs, but the current paper system is slow and tricky to use.

Bezos in space

At 12:30pm UK time, Jeff Bezos will blast off into space alongside his brother and 2 other passengers who’ll be the youngest and oldest people in space. The Amazon founder will be the richest man off the planet for 11 minutes before descending back to Earth.