6:54 am, April 23, 2022
Madeleine McCann’s parents ‘welcome’ declaration of formal suspect
Madeleine McCann’s parents have said they welcome the news that Portuguese authorities have declared a German man a formal suspect in her disappearance.
In a message posted on the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page on Friday, Kate and Gerry McCann wrote: ‘Even though the possibility may be slim, we have not given up hope that Madeleine is still alive and we will be reunited with her.’
It comes after convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 44, was declared an official suspect by Portuguese authorities.
PM not among those fined for No 10 BYOB garden party, says Downing Street
The Prime Minister has not yet been issued with a fine over a No 10 lockdown drinks party, amid reports that police have started dishing out fixed-penalty notices in relation to the event.
According to reports, fine notices have started landing in the email inboxes of officials who attended a ‘bring your own bottle’ drinks do in the Downing Street garden on May 20 2020 during England’s first Covid lockdown.
The Metropolitan Police said they would not be giving an update on fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) before the local elections next month but a Downing Street source said Mr Johnson had not received a fine in relation to the gathering.
Russians shift elite units to new battleground in Ukraine
Russia has shifted a dozen crack units from the shattered port of Mariupol to eastern Ukraine and pounded away at cities across the region, Ukrainian authorities said, as the two sides hurtle towards what could be a major battle for control of the country’s industrial heartland.
Meanwhile, Russia reported that one serviceman was killed and 27 others were left missing after the fire on board the warship Moskva, which sank a week ago following what the Ukrainians boasted was a missile attack.
Russia previously reported everyone aboard had been rescued.
Many lives have been saved by Invictus Games, says Harry
The Duke of Sussex has said many Invictus Games competitors would have taken their own life had it not been for the sporting event.
Harry founded the Invictus Games to aid the rehabilitation of injured or sick military personnel and veterans from across the globe, by giving them the challenge of competing in sporting events similar to the Paralympics.
Speaking at the closing ceremony in The Hague in the Netherlands, Harry spoke of his pride in the competitors sitting before him.
FTSE stays above global peers on tough day for European markets
The FTSE 100 stayed above the performance of its global peers on Friday during a rough day on international markets.
The British stock index ended at 7,521.68 points, a drop of 106.27 points, or 1.4 per cent.
Elsewhere the Dax in Germany dropped 2.5 per cent and Paris’s Cac lost two per cent.
Friday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- International arrest warrant for fugitive Carlos Ghosn is issued by French prosecutors
- Skoda drops entry-level Enyaq 60 model as electric SUV is hit by high demand and component shortage
- Bentley says ‘Dream Factory’ is on course to make it the most sustainable luxury car brand globally
- Used car dealer V12 Sports and Classics more than doubles profit to £5.9m in 2021
- Google reveals electric cars searches are up as people in the UK try to make greener choices
- Citroen to discontinue C4 SpaceTourer MPV in July due to ‘changing customer habits’
- Ford to scrap three-door Fiesta after 46 years as semiconductor shortage causes sales to slump
- Tree-mendous! Dealership group Vindis to plant tree for every car bought as it marks Earth Day 2022
Economic growth slows as cost-of-living crisis dents optimism
The UK economy grew at its slowest pace for three months as companies saw a marked slowdown in business in the first half of April, according to new data.
The closely-followed S&P Global/CIPS purchasing managers’ index flash score for the first two weeks of the month hit 57.6, down from 60.9 in March.
Anything above 50 is seen as an economy in growth.
Longest known Covid infection lasted 505 days, study finds
A Covid-19 patient tested positive for 505 days before their death, making it the longest known coronavirus infection, UK researchers have said.
The previous longest known infection is thought to have lasted 335 days.
Most people who contract the virus are able to clear the infection naturally, but the patient in question had a severely weakened immune system and multiple comorbidities – other conditions.
Healed sea turtle released to mark Earth Day
A rehabilitated green sea turtle has been released back to the ocean in the US to mark Earth Day.
Several hundred onlookers watched on Marathon’s Sombrero Beach in the Florida Keys as staff from the Keys-based Turtle Hospital released TJ Sharp, a 65lb (30kg) juvenile sea turtle that was rescued in February.
The endangered reptile had been discovered floating offshore, unable to dive and visibly affected by fibropapillomatosis, a condition that causes cauliflower-like tumours and affects sea turtles around the world.
Aston Martin announces ambitious sustainability strategy to be net-zero by 2030
Aston Martin has launched a new sustainability strategy called Racing Green, which it says will see its manufacturing facilities achieve net-zero emissions by 2030.
The British luxury car manufacturer says its targets are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals that aim to tackle climate change and build a more diverse and inclusive company.
As well as the net-zero goals, Aston Martin is aiming to reduce its supply chain emissions by 30 per cent from 2020 levels by 2030, with this also being net-zero by 2039.
Read the full story here.
Mixed day of weather ahead
Today, England and Wales will have variable cloud, bright spells and showers, which may be sharp in the afternoon. There will be sunshine for Northern Ireland and Scotland, although the north-east will see mist and fog, the BBC reports.
Tonight, southern England will have variable cloud along with a few showers spreading westwards. Elsewhere, it will be mainly dry and clear but northern Scotland will remain rather misty.
Tomorrow will be a mainly dry day with plenty of sunny spells and variable cloud. Northern England may see the odd shower in the afternoon. It will stay cloudy and misty in north-east Scotland.
