6:50 am, November 15, 2022
Rishi Sunak condemns Russia’s ‘barbaric’ war in Ukraine at G20
Rishi Sunak said ‘countries should not invade their neighbours’ as he condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the G20 summit in Bali.
Facing Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in the plenary hall, the prime minister called on Moscow to ‘get out of Ukraine and end this barbaric war’ as he blamed the conflict for worsening global economic challenges. He also criticised Russian president Vladimir Putin for shunning the meeting.
The two-day gathering of leaders of the world’s major economies was opened by Indonesian president Joko Widodo, who said the world would struggle to move forward;“if the war does not end’.
Warning of Brexit damage to economy as Paris overtakes London’s stock exchange
Brexit has ‘permanently damaged’ the UK economy, former Bank of England policymaker Michael Saunders warned as London was deposed as Europe’s biggest stock market.
The French stock market now has a combined value of 2.823 trillion US dollars, marginally above the UK stock market which is worth 2.821 trillion US dollars altogether, according to figures from Bloomberg. In 2016, the year of the Brexit referendum, British stocks were collectively worth 1.5 trillion US dollars more than those listed in Paris.
As well as shifting consumer patterns, the market capitalisation calculations also reflect currency movements, with the pound dropping 13 per cent in value against the US dollar this year while the euro has fallen by a milder 9.2 per cent against the American currency.
NHS trusts say they cannot hit key waiting list and cancer targets
Fewer than half of NHS trusts will meet key recovery targets on waiting lists and cancer as services buckle under pressure, according to a new report.
A poll of health trust leaders for NHS Providers found nearly half (46 per cent) strongly agreed or agreed they were on track to meet elective recovery and cancer targets by the end of the financial year.
A further 27 per cent neither agreed or disagreed, while a quarter (24 per cent) disagreed or strongly disagreed they could hit the targets, which were put in place after the pandemic. It comes as NHS waiting lists for treatment in England continue to reach record levels, with 7.1m people on the overall waiting list and a raft of cancer targets routinely missed.
Sunak announces construction of five more warships in face of Russia threats
Rishi Sunak has announced the construction of five more British warships, as he declined to commit to boosting defence spending to three per cent of GDP.
The PM is attending the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, which looks set to be dominated by the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As part of steps the UK is taking to strengthen its security in the face of increased threats from Moscow, Sunak announced that defence manufacturer BAE Systems has been awarded a £4.2bn contract to build five more Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy, on top of the three already under construction. Sunak said: ‘Russia’s actions put all of us at risk.’
Price of popular branded food products as much as double in two years – Which?
The price of some of the most popular branded food products have as much as doubled in the last two years, research has found.
Heinz Tomato Ketchup saw the biggest average percentage increase overall, with its 460g top-down version increasing by 53 per cent or 91p across six major supermarkets – although this reached 70 per cent or £1.06 in one particular supermarket over the two-year period, according to a study by Which? Dolmio Lasagne Sauce (470g) saw the second biggest average percentage increase of the 79 branded products in the watchdog’s survey, up 47 per cet or 61p in two years and as much as 107 per cent or £1.09 in one supermarket.
Which? compared the prices of the 79 items at Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose over a 30-day period from September 21 to October 20 in both 2020 and 2022.
Lamborghini’s Huracan Sterrato is an off-road-ready supercar
Lamborghini has given a first official look at its upcoming Huracan Sterrato ahead of the official reveal later this month.
Designed ‘for maximum driving pleasure even away from the asphalt’, the Sterrato is a version of Lamborghini’s popular Huracan capable of heading off-road and onto surfaces that the regular car would struggle to deal with.
The car’s increased ride height is visible from the images, as are some more off-road focused design tweaks such as chunky wheelarch trim pieces and LED lights integrated into the front grille. There’s also a roof air scoop – something seen on the range-topping Huracan STO – which helps to cool the engine more effectively. Small roof rails are also fitted to the top of the Sterrato.
Jay Leno suffers serious burns in gasoline fire
Jay Leno has suffered ‘serious burns; but said he is doing OK, according to reports.
‘I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire,; Leno said in a statement to Variety. ‘I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.’
The former Tonight Show host is known for his famed car collection, which is housed at a garage in Burbank, north of Los Angeles.
Weather outlook
Heavy, blustery rain will push in from the east and batter most of the UK today, reports BBC Weather. Behind it will be sunshine and sharp showers.
Rain will drift north tonight. Clear spells behind this with, again, more showers.
