6:54 am, August 25, 2022
Burglar named as target of shooting that killed Olivia Pratt-Korbel, nine
A burglar has been named as the intended target of the shooting that killed nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
Joseph Nee, 35, from the Dovecot area of Liverpool, is understood to be the man hurt in the violence that left Olivia dead and her mother wounded on Monday.
He forced his way in to her family home while trying to flee a masked gunman, and while the little girl lay dying, Nee, who was also shot, was taken to hospital by his friends in a black Audi.
Rishi Sunak hits out at Liz Truss over ‘complacent’ economic policies
Rishi Sunak took a fresh swipe at his rival’s tax-cutting plans as he warned against complacency in the face of soaring inflation as he insisted that it is not ‘realistic’ to pretend there are no ‘hard choices’ in government.
The former chancellor visited his old family pharmacy in Southampton on Wednesday afternoon.
He said: ‘My plan is not to make inflation worse at a time when it is already high, rising and interest rates are rising.’
Strike at port will escalate unless improved pay offer is made, vows union boss
A strike at Britain’s largest container port will escalate unless workers are given an improved pay offer, a trade union boss said as she signalled that disruption could continue until Christmas.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite trade union, addressed a flag-waving crowd of striking workers gathered on a roundabout near dock gate number one at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk.
Almost 2,000 dockers have walked out in a dispute over pay, and on the fourth day of an eight-day strike Ms Graham joined some of them on the picket line.
No fuel imported from Russia in June as trade hits record low
No fuel was imported from Russia to the UK in June for the first month on record as total imports plummeted, according to new figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that imports of goods into the UK from Russia dived by 96.6 per cent to £33m compared to average levels in the 12 months before Russia invaded Ukraine.
Imports were worth roughly £1.8bn in February, the month when Russia launched its invasion, causing the Government to enforce a raft of sanctions.
Third day of FTSE losses as interest rate hike fears weigh down on markets
London’s top index has slipped to its third day of losses as rising gas prices continue to weigh down on major markets.
The FTSE 100 closed the day on Wednesday down 16.6 points, or 0.22 per cent, at 7,471.51.
Elsewhere in Europe, top indices had managed to lift by the end of the day unlike the FTSE. The German Dax was up 0.2 per cent and the French Cac had risen 0.39 per cent when markets closed.
Wednesday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- New Reg Day loses its appeal among car buyers, according to poll
- Lookers sees pre-tax profit for first half of 2022 slip to just under £50m
- Nissan makes promise of no job losses as Sunderland cylinder head operation comes to a close
- Tracks of Taunton blames pandemic and industry changes as it suddenly ceases business
- Toyota ad banned after regulator rules it ‘condoned and encouraged’ irresponsible driving
- Government outlines plans to install 1,000 new EV chargers across England in £20m scheme
Dozens arrested after M25 fuel pumps damaged
Thirty-one people were arrested after demonstrators blocked petrol stations and sabotaged fuel pumps at four M25 service stations on Wednesday morning.
Climate group Just Stop Oil targeted Clacket Lane services eastbound and westbound, Kent; Cobham services, Surrey; and Thurrock services, Essex.
Its supporters blocked access to petrol stations from around 5am by sitting in the road with banners.
Rising cost of low-end electric cars ‘could put them out of reach’
Fears have been raised that the increasing cost of EVs at the lower end of the spectrum is pricing many people out of making the switch to electric.
This time last year, electric cars costing under £35,000 still qualified for a £2,500 grant, with the cash support being cut to £1,500 in December, while also limiting the price threshold to £32,500.
However, this was scrapped completely in June, with the government focusing its attention and funding on charging points instead.
Majority of migrants crossing Channel are Albanian – reports
The majority of a record-breaking number of migrants who arrived in the UK were from Albania, according to reports from Border Force officers.
The ISU union, which represents staff working for the Home Office’s law enforcement body, said its members had seen an increase in people from the south-eastern European country making the Channel crossing in the last few months.
Government officials believe around 60 per cent of migrants making the crossing each day now are Albanian, although figures fluctuate, the PA news agency understands.
Updated Toyota Corolla now available to order
Toyota has announced that its updated Corolla is now available to order, with prices starting from £29,610.
The latest generation of the British-built Corolla arrived in 2019, with Toyota now updating the model to keep it competitive.
Still offered with a choice of 1.8 and 2.0-litre hybrid powertrains, these have been revised to offer greater power and performance.
Weather outlook
Today, there will be a dull and wet start in the south-east, but expect it to be bright and mostly dry elsewhere. In the afternoon, the rain in the south-east will clear whereas the north-west will turn cloudier with some showers, the BBC reports.
Tonight, a dry and mostly clear start for most but cloudy with some spells of rain in Northern Ireland, south-western Scotland and north-western England. A few showers will move into Wales by dawn.
Tomorrow, it will be largely cloudy with showers in eastern and southern Scotland. Also rather cloudy, but fewer showers, in Wales, northwest and southwest England. Mostly dry with sunny spells elsewhere.
