6:42 am, March 6, 2026
Watchdog to fine South East Water £22m over water supply failures
Ofwat has said it plans to fine South East Water £22m over water supply failures between 2020 and 2023 impacting more than 286,000 people.
The water regulator said it was consulting over the fine after homes in Kent and Sussex were hit by multiple supply interruptions over the years.
South East Water ‘lacked ownership’ for fixing the root cause of supply failures and did not maintain important infrastructure, the watchdog said.
Wet February leads to plunge in shopping trips
Shopping visits across the UK fell in February as wet weather kept consumers at home, figures show.
Total UK footfall was down 4.7% year on year, a plunge from January’s 0.6% decrease, according to British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic data.
Shopping centres saw a 5.5% fall while high street footfall was down 5.4%. London was among the weaker performers, recording its steepest drop in footfall since April 2024.
Cupra updates Born with sharp new look and upgraded tech
Cupra has sharpened up its electric Born model with a new design and a more intuitive cabin.
Design-wise, there are new headlights within a revised front bumper, and an illuminated Cupra logo on the tailgate. Inside, there’s a new 10.25-inch display ahead of the driver, and new door trims.
The new Born will be available with the same range of electric motor configurations as before, with range-topping VZ cars delivering up to 322bhp. Deliveries will commence in the summer.
The markets
The FTSE 100 gave up early advances to close lower on Thursday as the oil price jumped once more amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.
The FTSE 100 index ended down 153.71 points, 1.5%, at 10,413.94. The FTSE 250 closed down 196.47 points, 0.9%, at 22,700.20 and the Aim All-Share dropped 6.20 points, 0.8%, at 788.36.
The pound was lower at 1.3309 dollars on Thursday afternoon, down from 1.3365 dollars at the equities close on Wednesday. The euro stood lower at 1.1574 dollars from 1.1634 dollars.
Extra British fighter jets will deploy to Middle East, Keir Starmer announces
Four extra British Typhoon fighter jets are being deployed to Qatar amid the conflict in the Middle East, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street, the prime minister also announced that a government-chartered flight from Oman to Britain has now taken off, after it was delayed from doing so overnight.
In an effort to build Britain’s military presence in the region, Sir Keir said four further fighter jets would be sent to the Middle East. Two Wildcat helicopters armed with drone-busting missiles will arrive in Cyprus on Friday, but HMS Dragon isn’t expected to arrive in the Mediterranean until next week.
Husband of Labour MP and two other men bailed over alleged spying for China
The husband of a Labour MP and two other men have been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
David Taylor, the husband of Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid, is accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service. Taylor, 39, alongside two other men, aged 43 and 68, were arrested by counter-terrorism officers at addresses in London and Wales on Wednesday and have been released on bail until May, the Metropolitan Police said.
Following Taylor’s arrest, Reid, who sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee and is MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, said she had ‘never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law’.
Thursday on Car Dealer
Dubai firm DxB Auto Investments buys Harwoods’ JLR and BMW operations in UK expansion
Dubai-based DxB Auto Investments has entered the UK motor trade with the acquisition of a significant portion of the Harwoods Group’s automotive division.
New car registrations enjoy best February in 22 years – but ZEV mandate fears return
New car registrations in February were the best for over 20 years new data shows, but once again calls have been made to review the ZEV mandate.
Vertu Motors – New car market remains ‘challenged’ by ZEV mandate as used sales grow
Vertu Motors has revealed recent trading has been ‘strong’, despite the UK’s new car market remaining ‘challenging’ due to the government’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
Former Cazoo and Motors chief Phill Jones takes over vehicle movement specialist Engineius
Former Motors and Cazoo boss Phill Jones has been confirmed as the new CEO of vehicle movement specialist, Engineius.
New EU rules spark fury from SMMT as UK carmakers accuse bloc of ‘discriminating’
The SMMT has hit out at new proposals at from the European Commission which would ‘discriminate against UK-made vehicles and components’.
Weather
Cloudy with patchy rain across England and Wales today, with some morning hill snow in northern England and colder temperatures. Scotland and Northern Ireland will be dry and sunny, reports BBC Weather.
Tonight, England and Wales stay cloudy and damp with occasional rain, while Scotland and Northern Ireland remain dry, clear, and cold.
