6:44 am, April 13, 2026
Shopper footfall fails to meet expectations in March despite Easter boost
Shopper footfall failed to meet expectations in March despite Easter and the school holidays falling earlier than usual, figures show.
Total UK footfall was up by 2.4% year on year, although this was distorted by the month’s inclusion of Easter, which fell in April last year, data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic shows.
High street footfall increased by 2% in March, up from a drop of 5.4% in February, while shopping centre visits were up by 2.6%, an improvement on the 5.5% fall seen the month before.
North Sea oil price rises to record high amid tension over ceasefire
North Sea oil prices have risen to a new record high as traders rush to secure supplies.
It came as US president Donald Trump accused Iran of not abiding by a ceasefire agreement to immediately open the Strait of Hormuz.
Forties Blend, the marker used for cargoes of oil produced off the coast of the UK, rose to almost 147 US dollars (£109.50) a barrel late on Thursday.
Honda’s Super-N electric city car will go on sale in July
Honda has announced that the Super-N electric city car will go on sale in the UK in July.
The Super-N is the successor to the firm’s ‘E’ electric supermini and takes inspiration from the Honda City Turbo II hot hatch from the 1980s.
Honda has not revealed the size of the battery at this stage, but it has confirmed it will have a claimed range of up to 128 miles or 199 miles in city driving.
The markets
The FTSE 100 closed barely changed on Friday ahead of peace talks between the US and Iran at the weekend – which later broke down.
The FTSE 100 closed down just 2.95 points at 10,600.53. The FTSE 250 ended up 145.38 points, 0.7%, at 22,351.02, and the AIM All-Share rose 8.13 points, 1.1%, to 777.48.
The pound rose to 1.3472 dollars on Friday afternoon from 1.3437 dollars on Thursday. Against the euro, sterling ebbed to 1.1482 euros from 1.1484 euros.
US blockade of Iranian ports to start as Trump threatens to hit infrastructure
The US military announced it will begin a blockade of all Iranian ports on Monday, tempering president Donald Trump’s earlier vow to entirely block the strategic Strait of Hormuz as early reports indicated that ships had stopped crossing the waterway.
The move came after marathon US-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement, and it set the stage for a showdown. Iranian leaders vowed to counter the blockade.
US Central Command announced the blockade would involve all Iranian ports, beginning on Monday, to be ‘enforced impartially against vessels of all nations’.
Irish government announces 505m euro in fuel-cost measures after protests
Further reductions of duties on fuel and a delay in a carbon tax increase have been announced by Irish premier Micheal Martin after an emergency Cabinet meeting agreed on a response to the fuel crisis following major protests.
The size of the package announced on Sunday is around 505 million euro (£440m), and comes on top of 250 million euro (£218m) worth of measures announced almost three weeks ago.
The protests – including blockades of Ireland’s only oil refinery and other key depots – strangled fuel distribution across the country and prompted an escalated policing response that resulted in several arrests amid clashes between public order units and protesters.
Latest on Car Dealer
Peter Waddell v used car dealer Big Motoring World: What happens next?
It’s the court case that has gripped the motor trade for weeks, and both sides in the Peter Waddell legal saga are now facing an anxious wait to hear the result.
Government announces £700m of funding to support EV manufacturing in the UK
The government has announced that £700m of taxpayer funding has been assigned to boosting EV production in the UK – with more than half of the cash going on JLR’s new Somerset gigafactory.
Nissan gets seal of approval after stepping in to help injured coastal wildlife
Nissan has earned the ultimate seal of approval, after it provided a specially adapted Qashqai to help rescue and rehabilitate vulnerable wildlife along the north coast of Scotland.
Weather
Today starts sunny and dry for most, reports BBC Weather, but cloud will build through the afternoon with scattered showers and a risk of thunderstorms, especially in the north.
Tonight turns largely clear and dry, though some cloud and showers linger in western Scotland, with rain reaching southwest England and Wales by early morning.
