6:44 am, February 28, 2022
BP to sell stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft after Ukraine invasion
BP will sell its $14bn (£10.4bn) stake in oil producer Rosneft, which it co-owns with the Kremlin, after facing pressure from the government.
Chief executive Bernard Looney is also resigning from the Rosneft board with immediate effect, it said in a statement.
The move happened after Russian president Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine last week in what BP’s chairman called an ‘act of aggression’ with ‘tragic consequences’.
Plans fast-tracked to tackle Russian ‘dirty money’ in UK
The government is fast-tracking plans to tackle ‘dirty money’ and expose foreign oligarchs who launder their wealth through the UK’s property market in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ministers will table the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill – previously expected later in the session – in Parliament tomorrow.
It will establish a new register of overseas entities requiring foreign owners of property in the UK to declare their true identity, so that criminals cannot hide behind secretive webs of shell companies. The law will apply retrospectively to property bought by overseas owners up to 20 years ago in England and Wales and since December 2014 in Scotland.
Business confidence in Scotland dips
Scotland is the only UK nation to record a lower reading for business confidence versus January figures.
Firms reported a lull in confidence in their own business prospects, down three percentage points at 42 per cent, and their optimism in the economy went down two points to 28 per cent. It means overall business confidence fell by two points to 35 per cent in February.
The figures come from the Business Barometer, which questions 1,200 businesses monthly to provide early signs about UK economic trends regionally and nationwide. Overall UK business confidence is at a five-month high, though, rising five percentage points to 44 per cent.
Community pharmacies ‘could save NHS £640m a year’
Community pharmacies could save the NHS in England up to £640m a year if more patients used them instead of GPs, sector representatives have said.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee estimates that around 40m more GP appointments could be transferred to pharmacies every year if patients with minor conditions were to use them for advice and treatment rather than their GP.
Most sought-after job ‘is a pet sitter’
A pet sitter is the most sought-after job, with other popular positions including aircraft cleaner, chauffeur and NHS call handler, new research suggests.
Adzuna said its analysis of more than 5,200 different job titles found that pet sitter had the most amount of interest, even though the salary was £24,210.
Other popular job adverts, based on the number of times they were looked at, included animal handler, animal groomer and farm manager, said the jobs site.
Oxford starts Zero Emission Zone
Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone begins in Oxford today, covering a number of streets in the city centre.
Between 7am and 7pm, electric cars and other zero-emissions vehicles incur no fee, while ultra-low emissions vehicles emitting under 75g/km will face a £2 daily charge.
Vehicles with four or more wheels that meet Euro 4 petrol or Euro 6 diesel standards must pay £4, while any vehicle not meeting any of these standards will be charged £10 to enter the zone.
Teachers resorting to buying books for their classrooms – report
Primary school teachers are having to buy books to stock their classrooms because of limited access to budgets, a new report reveals.
In a study released for the 25th anniversary of World Book Day, a survey of more than 800 primary school teachers in January found that six in 10 teachers said they had no access to new books.
Meanwhile, nearly four in 10 – 38 per cent – said they were having to buy books for their classrooms themselves.
Sunday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Investigation: Will crazy used car prices last in 2022? Why have used car prices gone up?
- Student declared bankrupt after claiming £50,000 bounce back loan for car dealership that did not exist
- Dealers offering discounts over 15 per cent ahead of March plate change, according to What Car? data
- Mini appoints new director for UK and Ireland after incumbent made boss of BMW Group Canada
- Automotive sector can lead the drive for change over mental health, says campaigner
We’ll mint again: £2 coins celebrating Dame Vera Lynn go on sale
Forces sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn is being celebrated with the launch of a £2 coin designed by the Royal Mint.
The singer and entertainer, who died in June 2020 aged 103, lifted people’s spirits during the Second World War with songs including We’ll Meet Again and The White Cliffs Of Dover.
The reverse design features a detailed portrait of Dame Vera accompanied by her name and the dates denoting the years of her life. The coin also features an edge inscription that reads: ‘We’ll meet again’.
Weather outlook
It’ll be mostly windy and wet today, with heavy rain sweeping in from the west, says BBC Weather, although the far south-east of England will remain drier. It’ll also become drier with sunny spells plus some blustery showers in the north.
Tuesday will see overnight showers in the north-west lessen, and it’ll be dry and sunny in central and northern areas. However, the south will be cloudier, with the far south experiencing rain.
