In CORONAVIRUS-RELATED NEWS, Omicron hits travel, markets and meat supplies. In M&A AND IPO NEWS, Meta's takeover of Giphy looks iffy, the Inmarsat acquisition gets conditions and it seems like a lot of IPOs are underwater. In CONSUMER/TRENDS NEWS, Black Friday gets US consumers back in shops but UK consumers face a perfect storm and ongoing real estate demand. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, gyms seek growth, another online car marketplace gets unicorn status and HGV driver shortages are set to last. AND FINALLY, I bring you a rather energetic Japanese science entertainer...