6:49 am, February 21, 2023
Nicola Bulley’s family say she can finally ‘rest’, as questions remain over case
The family of Nicola Bulley have said they can let the mother of two ‘rest now’, as questions linger over why it took more than three weeks for her body to be discovered.
Bulley’s body was pulled from the River Wyre in Lancashire on Sunday after the 45-year-old was last seen on January 27. She had been walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school.
Lancashire Police called a press conference on Monday, where the force did not address the widespread criticism it had received for releasing some aspects of Bulley’s private life into the public domain. Police also did not disclose why it took 23 days to find her body in the river.
Sunak under pressure as bid to secure Northern Ireland Protocol deal continues
Rishi Sunak will hold a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday amid growing anticipation that the UK and the EU could be on the verge of agreeing a deal on Northern Ireland Protocol.
But the prime minister is facing up to a potential battle with members of his own party as he seeks to satisfy the demands of both Conservative MPs and Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) over any agreement.
As pressure builds on the PM, who is also facing calls to allow MPs a vote on any final deal, the Times newspaper reported that some ministers could be prepared to resign if Sunak’s solution to the protocol risks the place of Northern Ireland within the UK.
NHS chiefs ‘deeply concerned’ as junior doctors plan 72-hour walkout over pay
NHS leaders pleaded with Rishi Sunak’s government to negotiate on pay as junior doctors in England announced plans for a 72-hour walkout next month.
Junior doctor members of the British Medical Association (BMA) overwhelmingly backed the strike as the union hit out at health secretary Steve Barclay for failing to take part in meaningful talks on wages.
Barclay said he was ‘deeply disappointed’ with the announcement, but NHS Providers – which represents health trusts – said the government could resolve the dispute by opening talks on current pay rates.
Three dead and scores injured as new earthquake hits Turkey and Syria
A new 6.4 magnitude earthquake has killed three people and injured more than 200 in parts of Turkey that were laid waste two weeks ago by a massive tremor that killed tens of thousands.
Officials said more buildings collapsed, trapping occupants, and many people were injured in Turkey and Syria.
Monday’s earthquake was centred in the town of Defne, in Turkey’s Hatay province, one the worst-hit regions in the magnitude 7.8 quake that hit on February 6.
Truss and Johnson pile pressure on PM as they call for Ukraine to be given jets
Liz Truss and Boris Johnson piled pressure on Rishi Sunak as they both called for fighter jets to be sent to Ukraine.
The two Conservative former prime ministers made the plea as they spoke at length in the House of Commons during a general debate on Ukraine. It was Truss’s first contribution as a backbench MP since 2012, when she became a minister.
However, last week, defence secretary Ben Wallace claimed it could be years before the UK gives any planes to Ukraine, suggesting Volodymyr Zelensky may even have to wait until the war with Russia is over.
Driving test examiners announce 10 days of strike action
Driving test examiners have announced 10 days of strike action across England, Scotland and Wales.
More than 1,600 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will take rolling days of industrial action from March 6 to 28.
The strikes are the latest escalation of the union’s long-running campaign over pay, pensions and jobs. The examiners took strike action earlier this year which the union said caused disruption to tests.
Monday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Auto Trader: Used car prices UP AGAIN in February but EV prices continue to tumble
- Ex-AA boss loses £360,000 negligence lawsuit brought against solicitors
- The Chinese car firms coming to the UK and how they plan to sell cars
- Almost two-fifths of dealers fear going under without more government aid over rising energy costs
- Cox Automotive backs big PLC dealer groups to overcome any hurdles and enjoy strong 2023
- Suzuki appoints new managing director for UK and Ireland
- Alan Day Motor Group gains Carbon AAA rating in bid for carbon-neutral first
- ‘Shortage’ of affordable Ulez-compliant used cars as expansion draws near
Nearly one-quarter of households often run out of money for essentials – survey
Almost one-quarter of households regularly run out of money for essentials and voters do not believe the government is doing enough to help, according to a group of charities.
Nationally, 37 per cent of people end the month with no money left over, while nearly one-quarter (24 per cent) run out of money for essentials either most months or most days, a survey for the Together Through This Crisis initiative set up by the charities Save the Children, Turn2us, Little Village, Shelter and 38 Degrees found.
Even among the 10 most affluent constituencies in the UK, 19 per cent of people said they found themselves unable to pay for food or bills by the end of most months, increasing to 26 per cent of those in the 10 most deprived constituencies, the poll suggests. Overall, six per cent of people said they could not pay for essentials most days, rising to 11 per cent in the most deprived areas.
Land Rover Defender used by Duke of Edinburgh coming up for auction
A Land Rover Defender first used by the Duke of Edinburgh is heading to auction this weekend.
The Defender was registered in 2010 and used by Prince Philip after being built to his individual specification. This included being painted in the rare colour of Keswick Green and finished with a black cloth interior. Heated seats and Land Rover seat covers were also fitted.
The Defender 110 County has covered just 15,623 miles and was sold by online auction site Collecting Cars in June 2022 for £44,000. It is now being sold by Silverstone Auctions on Saturday, February 25 at its Race Retro sale at Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry, with a guide price of £50,000 to £70,000.
Weather outlook
A mostly cloudy and dry day for most of the country today, reports BBC Weather. Northern Scotland and the west may see a few spells of rain and drizzle.
Rain in the northwest will push southwards tonight. Clear spells elsewhere.
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