Royal Mail warns over service delays amid storms and staff sickness

Royal Mail has warned over potential service delays across more than 100 UK postcodes as storms and workers being off sick cause disruption.

It comes as the postal firm faces complaints of delayed mail and parcels being prioritised over letters.

Royal Mail listed 38 delivery offices in the UK on Monday, covering around 100 postcodes, that may be most affected by a slower service.

X outage hits thousands of social media platform users

X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, crashed on Monday hitting thousands of users.

The platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk was hit by a global outage early in the afternoon but was restored after around two hours.

The issue prevented users from accessing the platform on web browsers, through its app or completing searches on the site.

Rowan Atkinson’s Toyota GR Yaris heading under the hammer at auction

A Toyota GR Yaris once owned by actor Rowan Atkinson could fetch up to £30,000 when it goes up for sale at auction later this month.

Having been owned by the Blackadder star for the past three years, the GR Yaris has now covered just 6,700 miles and is accompanied by a full main dealer service history.

It’s finished in a Platinum White Pearl exterior colour and is also equipped with a ‘Circuit Pack’ factory upgrade, which brings front and rear limited-slip differentials and stiffer suspension for a more involving driving experience. The pack also adds forged BBS alloy wheels.

FTSE 100 up in quiet trading as defence stocks rise

Stock prices in London closed mixed on Monday after a day of thin trading due to a holiday in the US, while banking and defence stocks buoyed the blue-chip index.

The FTSE 100 index closed up 27.34 points, 0.3%, at 10,473.69. The FTSE 250 ended down 51.80 points, 0.2%, at 23,375.47, and the AIM all-share closed down 0.44 points, 0.1%, at 811.41.

In European equities on Monday, the CAC 40 in Paris closed up 0.2%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt ended down 0.5%.

Monday on Car Dealer

Waddell complained about ‘too many muslims’ as he ran Big Motoring World as a ‘chiefdom’, court hears

Peter Waddell ran Big Motoring World as a ‘chiefdom’ and made racist, sexist and bullying remarks, including claiming there were ‘too many Muslims in Enfield’, as his High Court trial got underway. Waddell denies any wrongdoing.

Peter Waddell says he was victim of Big Motoring World ‘coup’ as High Court trial gets underway

Peter Waddell has told the High Court his removal from Big Motoring World was a planned ‘coup’ by investors and directors. He claims unfair dismissal and discrimination, while respondents argue serious misconduct justified his ousting. The seven-week trial continues.

Proposed £575m takeover of Pinewood.AI collapses amid ‘challenging market conditions’

A proposed £575m takeover of Pinewood.AI by Apax Partners LLP has collapsed, with the investment group citing challenging market conditions. Apax may revive its interest within six months under certain circumstances, according to a London Stock Exchange filing.

Subaru celebrates best dealers of 2025 with family-run Dales taking overall gong

Subaru UK honoured its top-performing retailers at its Annual Conference in Manchester, with Dales Subaru named 2025 Retailer of the Year. Awards also went to S & S Services, Keith Price Garage and others for excellence across sales, finance and customer service.

Supply, EVs and how dealers can use tech to succeed on Car Dealer Live agenda

Supply pressures, used EV growth and turning technology into profit will headline discussions at Car Dealer Live. Sponsored by Auto Trader, the March 19 event at the British Motor Museum will feature industry panels, research sessions and networking opportunities for dealers and suppliers.

Rogue used car dealer slapped with hefty fine after being found guilty of clocking scam

Rogue dealer Grzegorz Seczkowski, of GNA Car Sales in Abingdon, avoided immediate jail after clocking six high-mileage vans and selling them via Autotrader. He received an 18-month suspended sentence, compensation orders and costs after prosecution by Oxfordshire County Council trading standards.

Police make arrest as they continue to investigate £70,000 raid on Porsche dealership

Police have arrested a suspect following a £70,000 burglary at Porsche Centre Bolton over Christmas. Officers seized a vehicle believed used in the raid and recovered some stolen parts. The Rochdale-area suspect has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Car buyers more interested in hybrids and EV for their next purchase

Research from Motors & Cazoo shows 55% of buyers plan to choose hybrid or electric for their next car, versus 45% for petrol or diesel. EV confidence is higher for new models, while grants have limited influence on purchasing decisions.

Council elections to go ahead in May after legal challenge to Government

The Government has abandoned plans to postpone elections across 30 councils this May after receiving advice from lawyers following a legal challenge from Reform UK.

Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had approved proposals to delay the polls to help deliver a major reorganisation of local authorities.

But in a letter to council leaders on Monday, the Cabinet minister said the Government had written to the High Court confirming he was withdrawing the decision ‘in light of recent legal advice’.

The Godfather star Robert Duvall dies aged 95

The Godfather star Robert Duvall has died at the age of 95.

The Hollywood actor – who won an Oscar for Tender Mercies – died ‘peacefully’ at his home, according to a statement by his wife Luciana Duvall.

The statement, shared on his Facebook page, continued: ‘Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time.’

Further yellow snow and ice warnings to come into force across much of UK

Further yellow warnings for snow and ice have come into force, covering large swathes of the UK.

They come on the heels of a series of similar alerts throughout the weekend, as well as flood warnings in more than 70 areas in England.

A yellow warning for snow and ice, covering much of Scotland, came into effect at 3pm yesterday (Mon). In the warning area, a period of sleet and snow may lead to icy surfaces and disrupt car and train journeys, the Met Office said.