6:46 am, March 31, 2023
Sunak hails Britain joining Indo-Pacific trade bloc
Rishi Sunak has hailed the UK’s acceptance as a member of a major Indo-Pacific trade bloc, saying it puts Britain in a “prime position” in the global economy.
The UK accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was formally confirmed in a telephone call between trade secretary Kemi Badenoch and counterparts from the group.
It represents Britain’s biggest trade deal since leaving the EU, cutting tariffs for UK exporters to a group of nations which – with Britain’s accession – will have a total gross domestic product (GDP) of £11tn, accounting for 15 per cent of global GDP, according to UK officials.
Living wage increase to benefit around 1.7m workers
Around 1.7m workers will get a ‘significant’ pay boost when the national minimum wage (NLW) increases from Saturday.
A 92p rise to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over is equivalent to a near 10 per cent increase, the Resolution Foundation said.
The think tank said the increase is the biggest annual cash rise in the 24-year history of the minimum wage and one of the largest annual percentage rises. The foundation said the scale of the increase means the lowest-paid workers will enjoy a ‘rare’ real-terms pay boost.
Broadband, mobile and council tax rises threaten ‘awful April’ for householders
Households are facing an onslaught of price hikes that could leave the average family hundreds of pounds a year worse off.
From April 1, millions of people will face increases to their broadband, mobile, water and council tax bills.
Most local authorities are putting up council tax by five per cent from April, meaning people living in a band D home can expect to pay about an extra £100 each year. The average water bill will go up by £31 a year, a rise of 7.5 per cent, while broadband and mobile phone prices are due to rise between 14 per cent and 17 per cent.
Donald Trump expected to surrender next week following indictment
Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House.
The exact nature of the charges was unclear on Friday because the indictment remained under seal, but they stem from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter.
Prosecutors said they were working to coordinate Trump’s surrender, which could happen early next week. They did not say whether they intended to seek prison time in the event of a conviction, a development that would not prevent Trump from seeking and assuming the presidency.
Gwyneth Paltrow wins US lawsuit over 2016 skiing collision in Utah
Gwyneth Paltrow has won her US lawsuit against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson over a 2016 ski crash in Utah.
Jurors found that the Oscar-winning actress was not at fault for the collision, which left Sanderson with several broken ribs and head injuries.
Paltrow had denied the claim, and accused Sanderson of crashing into her, resulting in her losing ‘half a day of skiing’ with her family. On Thursday jurors returned a verdict in favour of Paltrow after just over two hours of deliberation, apportioning ‘100 per cent’ of the blame for the accident to Sanderson.
Heathrow Airport security guards to strike over pay
Strikes by security guards at Heathrow Airport will go ahead on Friday after last-ditch talks failed to resolve a pay dispute, with action likely to disrupt school holiday travel.
Around 1,400 members of Unite will walk out for 10 days, including most of the Easter weekend.
The union said talks broke down because Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) failed to substantially improve its pay offer.
Thursday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Used car dealer Cazoo posts £704m loss for 2022 as troubled firm counts cost of closures
- Car makers must sell 22% EVs in 2024 or face huge fines under tough proposals
- Government pledges almost £400m to improve charging network as ministers give update on ‘world-leading’ ZEV mandate
- Staff at Marshall Honda Scarborough facing job losses as bosses confirm dealership will close
- Fake used car dealer Perth Vehicles clones legitimate business and cons customers
- Dealership wins permission to open for longer despite noise worries of residents
- Used car dealership boss suffered ‘traumatic head injury’ in attack by angry customer
- Vertu boss Robert Forrester calls for ‘flexibility’ over 2030 petrol and diesel ban but backs industry to meet target
- Car production increase shows industry is on road to recovery, says SMMT
Judges to rule on High Court challenge over sale of energy company Bulb
Judges are set to give their ruling on a High Court challenge over the government’s handling of the sale of collapsed energy firm Bulb.
Scottish Power, British Gas and Eon claimed that an ‘unfair sale process’ led to decisions ‘to commit billions of pounds of taxpayer money to facilitate the acquisition of a failed business’ by rival firm Octopus Energy.
The three major suppliers brought legal action against the government, alleging its decision-making process in relation to the transaction was ‘flawed and unlawful’. Lord Justice Singh and Mr Justice Foxton are expected to issue their written judgment on the case at 10am on Friday.
Morrisons notches up first sales growth for two years
Supermarket chain Morrisons has revealed a return to quarterly sales growth for the first time in two years after investing in price promotions to help cash-strapped shoppers.
The group, which was bought by private equity giant Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) in 2021, reported a 0.1 per cent rise in like-for-like sales, excluding fuel and VAT, in the 13 weeks to January 29.
It marks the first quarterly sales growth since the three months to January 2021 and an improvement on the two per cent decline seen in the previous three months. But with food price inflation running at a 45-year high of 18 per cent, sales by volume at the group remain firmly lower.
Weather outlook
A mostly cloudy day for the country today, reports BBC Weather. There will be spells of rain, too, with the heaviest of these being in the south of England and Wales. The best of the weather will be in north-west Scotland. Highs of 13 degrees celsius.
Tonight, the south of England and Wales will hang onto the rain. Drier further north but still cloudy.
