6:57 am, August 11, 2021
Appeal against decision not to extradite Julian Assange reaches High Court
A legal challenge by the US over a judge’s decision not to extradite Julian Assange has reached the High Court.
The US government is appealing against a decision in January not to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to face espionage charges in America.
However, after a multi-week extradition hearing last year, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that Assange should not to be sent to the US, citing a real risk of suicide. Assange has been held in Belmarsh Prison since 2019 after he was carried out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London by police before being arrested for breaching his bail conditions.
Andrew’s legal team ‘stonewalling’ lawyers of his accuser
The lawyer representing the Duke of York’s accuser has warned against anyone ignoring the US courts as he claimed the royal’s legal team have ‘stonewalled’ appeals for information.
Virginia Giuffre is suing the Queen’s son for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager, and has said it was ‘past the time for him to be held to account’. She claims she was trafficked by Andrew’s former friend and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with the duke, when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law.
Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations in the past, and a spokesman for the duke said there was ‘no comment’ when she was asked to respond to Giuffre’s legal action.
Brexit lorry traffic controls to be made permanent
Lorry traffic controls designed to prevent post-Brexit disruption around the Port of Dover are to have their ‘sunset clauses’ removed, allowing the emergency measures to be used indefinitely.
It means that the implementation of a traffic reconfiguration to the M20 will be able to continue past its current October 31 deadline once changes have been made to the law after MPs return from their summer break.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said the alteration, which comes after a consultation, would allow Operation Brock to be used to respond to ‘any type of traffic disruption in the area’ and not only that related to Britain’s exit from the European Union.
Monday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Marshall Motor Holdings’ pre-tax profit soars by 426 per cent to £38.4m for first half of 2021
- Average used car retail prices rose 3% in July with SUVs flying off forecourts
- Man arrested after four vehicles taken from car dealerships and private sellers over eight months
- Used car market enjoys best ever second quarter as it grows by 108.6 per cent
- Mazda Motors UK celebrates its 20th Anniversary
- New Audi RS3 goes on sale with prices starting at £50,900
- Designers will unveil ‘iconic’ electric car charge point plans at Cop26 talks in November
Most and least affordable UK cities in 2021 revealed
Buying a home in a UK city will typically set a buyer back by more than eight times average earnings, analysis has revealed.
A 10.3 per cent surge in city house prices over the past year now sees the average property costing 8.1 times average earnings, Halifax found. While the average city house price increased to £287,440, average earnings in these locations increased by only 2.1 per cent annually, to £35,677.
Londonderry held its position as the UK’s most affordable city for the third year in a row, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.7, followed by Carlisle; Bradford, Yorkshire and the Humber. Winchester was identified as the UK’s least affordable city with homes now 14 times annual earnings for those living and working there. It was followed by Oxford; Truro; Bath; and Chichester.
Jaguar adds R-Dynamic Black Edition to F-Pace
Jaguar has revealed the F-Pace R-Dynamic Black edition.
It gets a black exterior pack including the option to fit 20-inch black alloys, along with an improved cabin air purification system, adaptive cruise control with steering assist and 30-colour ambient lighting. The model also comes in 10 colours.
The R-Dynamic Black comes in all F-Pace models, barring the SVR, with prices ranging from £52,465 to £65,575.
A mostly dry day
A dry for most of the UK with variable levels of sun and cloud, reports BBC Weather, however northern and western areas will see some rain, turning sunny later.
Tonight, light rain will persist over south-western England and central parts. Dry for other areas apart from the far north-west which will see showers.
