6:19 am, June 16, 2026
Summer holiday strike action at two airports averted as pay deals struck
Strike action at two Scottish airports during the summer holidays have been averted after pay deals were reached.
Unite the Union said that more than 400 workers employed by Edinburgh Airport Ltd have secured a two-year pay deal after previously backing strikes in an industrial action ballot.
Unite said the new offer, which was ‘overwhelmingly’ backed by members at Edinburgh airport, will benefit the workers by £1,800 or 5.5% – whichever is greater – in 2026 alongside improvements to shift, sickness and paternity pay. Next year, they will receive 4% or the RPI inflation rate plus 0.5%, effective as of January 2027.
Cost of Iran oil crisis to UK drivers reaches £4bn
The Iran oil crisis has cost UK drivers £4bn through higher fuel prices, according to new analysis.
Motoring research charity, the RAC Foundation, estimated that rises in pump prices since the conflict in the Middle East began on February 28 have led to motorists paying £3bn more for diesel and just over £1bn more for petrol.
The analysis also shows that the additional VAT received by the Treasury because fuel is more expensive has reached almost £670m.
Bovensiepen’s 06 GT is a high-performance estate car
Bovensiepen has unveiled its own take BMW’s M5 Touring.
The German brand, which was formerly known as Alpina before BMW bought the license to the name, is building its line-up after unveiling its limited-run Zagato last year.
Based on the same platform as the current BMW M5 Touring, the 06 GT uses a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine which, when combined with a full plug-in hybrid system, brings 790hp – more than the 718bhp you’ll get from the M5. As a result, it’ll manage a top speed of 190mph and will go from 0-60mph in under 3.6 seconds. Prices for the 05 GT are expected to be in the region of €198,000 (£171,000).
The markets
The FTSE 100 gave back early gains in the wake of the US-Iran peace deal on a mixed day for stocks in London on Monday.
The FTSE 100 closed down 41.10 points, 0.4%, at 10,430.62. It had earlier traded as high as 10,570.09. The FTSE 250 ended up 36.91 points, 0.2%, at 23,362.62, while the AIM All-Share shot up 17.96 points, 2.3%, to 805.29.
The pound traded at 1.3436 dollars on Monday afternoon, up from 1.3422 dollars on Friday. Against the euro, sterling ebbed to 1.1580 euros from 1.1587 euros on Friday.
Social media ban for under-16s ‘watershed moment for child protection’
Under-16s in the UK could be banned from using social media by spring next year in what has been hailed a ‘watershed moment for child protection’.
Bereaved parents and child safety campaigners welcomed prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement as a necessity for young people who they say are exposed to harmful content online.
But some big tech firms have hit back, saying a blanket ban on social media for under-16s could drive them into unregulated online spaces.
Starmer to step up pressure on Russia at G7 with new sanctions
Sir Keir Starmer will seek to step up pressure on Russia with a package of new sanctions as he attends the G7 summit in France.
The prime minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky on Tuesday.
The measures, to be announced as the prime minister discusses Ukraine with G7 counterparts at the summit in Evian-les-Bains, will target Russia’s shadow fleet and the finance networks the country uses to circumvent western sanctions. They will also sanction several vessels identified as moving banned Russian liquefied natural gas.
Monday on Car Dealer
BMW M not looking to ‘provoke’ with first look at new electric M3 concept, says boss
BMW M boss Frank van Meel has said that the brand wasn’t looking to ‘provoke’ with its latest concept, despite recent polarising launches from the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes.
Toyota CH-R named the most reliable crossover in warranty claims data
The Toyota CH-R has been named the most reliable crossover based on claims made to Warranty Solutions Group in a year.
Arnold Clark announces closure of Inverness dealership this month
Car dealer Arnold Clark has announced it is closing its Renault and Dacia dealership in Inverness this month.
Weather
Northern and western areas will be cloudy today with patchy rain spreading in from the south-west, becoming more widespread by evening, reports BBC Weather. Southern and eastern England should stay largely dry with some sunshine.
Tonight, rain pushes eastwards across much of the UK, while the south-east remains mostly dry with occasional clear spells.
