6:52 am, November 26, 2022
Fresh strike by train drivers to cause more travel chaos
A fresh strike by train drivers will cause more travel chaos for passengers on Saturday amid warnings of further walkouts in a long-running dispute over pay.
Members of Aslef with 11 train operators will walk out, causing huge disruption, with the industry warning of ‘significantly reduced’ services across the country.
Trains that are running will start later on Saturday morning and finish much earlier than usual, with services typically running between 7.30am and 6.30pm on the day of the strike. Companies where no services are expected to run include Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Chiltern and East Midlands, while others including Great Western and Greater Anglia say services will be extremely limited.
Sunak retains confidence in Raab as third formal complaint filed
Rishi Sunak still has confidence in his deputy after an inquiry into Dominic Raab’s behaviour was expanded to include a third formal complaint lodged against him.
The latest claim relates to Raab’s tenure in the now-defunct Department for Exiting the European Union, Downing Street said.
It will be considered alongside two other formal complaints against the senior minister concerning his prior stints at the Ministry of Justice and the Foreign Office.
London Fire Brigade institutionally misogynist and racist, review finds
Racism, misogyny, bullying and prejudice at London Fire Brigade have been exposed in a report which warns that the organisation ‘needs to do more to protect its own people’.
The independent culture review of London Fire Brigade (LFB), led by Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor for the North West, has accounts ranging from women being groped to people having their helmets filled with urine. It reveals incidents such as a black firefighter who was subject to racist bullying which culminated in someone putting a mock noose above his locker.
The review was established by the London Fire commissioner, Andy Roe, in response to the death of firefighter Jaden Francois-Esprit, who took his own life in August 2020.
Frustration for England fans in Qatar after World Cup draw with United States
Fans in Qatar were left frustrated but hopeful after England laboured to a 0-0 draw with the United States in their second World Cup 2022 game.
The Three Lions could have sealed qualification for the knockout stages with a win but came away with a point against a hard-working US side at the Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor.
Elsewhere, Wales fans said they were ‘devastated’ after a last-gasp defeat left the team on the brink of World Cup elimination.
US bans sales and imports of Chinese tech from Huawei, ZTE
The US is banning the sale of communications equipment made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE and restricting the use of some China-made video surveillance systems, citing an ‘unacceptable risk’ to national security.
The five-member Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Friday it has voted unanimously to adopt new rules that will block the importation or sale of certain technology products that pose security risks to US critical infrastructure.
It is the latest in a years-long escalation of US restrictions of Chinese technology that began with former president Donald Trump and has continued under president Joe Biden’s administration.
Friday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Illegal car dealers could face court action after ignoring warnings and disrupting residents’ lives
- Memo to car dealers says Stellantis is delaying agency model changes
- Profits for listed dealer group Caffyns fall as new car supply falters
- Car Giant says no investigation is necessary after Jaguar bursts into flames just weeks after engine repair
- Combined Jaguar Land Rover site in Norwich to bring 80 new jobs
- UK car production bounces back from September struggles but figures remain well down on pre-pandemic levels
UK Covid-19 infections fall below one million for first time in two months
Total Covid-19 infections in the UK have fallen below one million for the first time in two months, with most parts of the country continuing to see a drop in levels of the virus.
Hospital admissions and deaths are also on a downwards trend, with health experts linking the decrease to the roll-out of booster doses of vaccine.
The total number of people in private households in the UK testing positive for coronavirus stood at 972,400 in the week to November 15, down 14 per cent from 1.1m in the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is the first time UK-wide infections have fallen below one million since mid-September.
Primark to open four new stores and create 850 jobs
Primark has unveiled new expansion plans and is set to open at least four more UK stores which will create around 850 jobs.
The budget retail giant said it hopes to see thriving high streets and shopping centres as it pledged to invest £140m in its UK stores over the next two years.
New stores will be opened in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, Salisbury in Wiltshire, Teesside Park in Thornaby-on-Tees, and Craigavon in Northern Ireland.
Weather outlook
A very unsettled day in store for most of the country today, says BBC Weather. Heavy spells of rain will push in from the west; there may be a few sunny spells in the east later on, though.
Rain will mostly clear tonight leaving clear spells with just a few blustery showers in all parts remaining.
