6:12 am, April 28, 2026
Claire’s shuts all UK and Ireland stores with 1,300 redundancies
Claire’s has shut all its 154 high street shops across the UK and Ireland.
Administrators for the fashion accessories chain said that around 1,300 workers will be made redundant as a result. The move does not affect the retailer’s 356 concessions, including many in Asda stores, and its head office.
The retailer – which is known for its jewellery, clothing accessories and ear-piercing services – was founded in the US and first launched in the UK in 1996. It quickly expanded across UK high streets, but has come under pressure from low-priced online competitors in recent years.
Shop price inflation falls on back of heavy discounting by retailers
Shop price inflation fell in April on the back of heavy discounting by retailers amid warnings consumers are yet to see the ‘full force’ of the Middle East conflict.
Shop prices overall are now 1% higher than last April, down from 1.2% in March and below the three-month average of 1.1%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NIQ.
Non-food prices are 0.1% cheaper year on year, against growth of 0.1% in March. Food inflation also fell from March’s 3.4% to 3.1% while fresh food prices are 3.9% higher than last April.
Geely adds flagship ‘Ultra’ variant to EX5 model line-up
Geely has added a new flagship variant to the EX5 electric SUV model line-up with the Ultra specification.
The EX5 is Geely’s first model to arrive in the UK and now, it has added a range-topping Ultra variant which boasts a new 68.39kWh battery pack with an electric motor to deliver a claimed range of up to 280 miles between trips to the plug. Meanwhile, the EX5 with this setup has a towing capacity of up to 750kg.
The Ultra is priced from £38,990 and goes on sale on May 5, 2026.
The markets
The FTSE 100 closed down on Monday, weighed by falls in Marks & Spencer, J Sainsbury and Shell, as the stalemate in the Middle East dragged on.
The FTSE 100 closed down 57.99 points, 0.6%, at 10,321.09. The FTSE 250 ended down just 3.38 points at 22,579.43, and the AIM All-Share fell 1.22 points, 0.2%, at 795.18.
The pound firmed to 1.3549 dollars on Monday afternoon from 1.3497 dollars on Friday. Against the euro, sterling rose to 1.1543 euros from 1.1532 euros. The euro traded higher against the greenback, rising to 1.1733 dollars on Monday from 1.1703 dollars on Friday.
Starmer faces crunch vote on Mandelson vetting row
Sir Keir Starmer is facing a critical day for his premiership as MPs vote on whether there should be a parliamentary sleaze inquiry into the Lord Mandelson vetting row.
The prime minister has urged Labour backbenchers to ‘stand together’ against the motion to refer him to the Privileges Committee over claims he misled the Commons about the way the former US ambassador’s appointment was handled.
Evidence from senior figures including former top Foreign Office (FCDO) mandarin Sir Philip Barton about Lord Mandelson’s vetting for the role has the potential to throw up further challenges for Sir Keir’s position at a committee hearing early on Tuesday.
Man charged with attempted assassination of Donald Trump
A man who authorities allege tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives has been charged with the attempted assassination of US president Donald Trump.
Cole Tomas Allen appeared in court to face charges over a chaotic encounter that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being rushed off the stage and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables.
He was taken into custody after the shooting on Saturday night and is being charged in federal court in Washington. He was also charged with transport of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce and with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Allen did not enter a plea.
Monday on Car Dealer
FLA has ‘concerns’ over FCA’s £9.1bn motor finance redress scheme but won’t challenge
The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) £9.1bn motor finance compensation scheme has been given a clearer path to be rolled out after the main industry body joined major lenders in backing out of any legal challenge.
Autotrader’s AI tools write 2.5m car adverts in first 12 months
Autotrader has revealed that 85% of its car dealers are now using its AI-powered Co-Driver tools with more than 2.5m vehicle descriptions and smart image re-ordering in the last 12 months.
Marching against Japanese motors: When the British Legion took a stand at Datsun
Resistance to Chinese car brands is nothing compared to what dealers of Japanese cars faced back in the 1970s.
Santander accepts FCA motor finance redress scheme and will compensate customers
Santander has confirmed it will not challenge the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) motor finance redress scheme, and will pay compensation for its portion of unfairly sold agreements.
Weather
Cloudy and damp for most this morning, except the far north-west, reports BBC Weather. Sunshine spreads in the afternoon, with warmer conditions in north Scotland and windy weather in the south.
Tonight is mostly clear, with slight rain risk near the Channel and some cloud over the Pennines and north-east Scotland.
