6:50 am, January 20, 2025
Stark pay differences across the UK revealed
Pay differences between parts of the UK described as ‘stark’ have been revealed in a new study.
Average annual salaries in the south east are £12,800 higher – and in London nearly £20,000 higher – than in places with the lowest pay such as Burnley, Huddersfield and Middlesbrough, according to Centre for Cities.
The think tank said its research suggested that by August, the average worker in London has earned what the annual pay of an average worker in Burnley. The pay divide is the result of some cities having more ‘cutting edge’ private sector jobs and businesses than others, said the report.
New agreement to enable UK-qualified professionals to work in Switzerland
A new agreement will enable UK-qualified professionals such as lawyers and ski instructors to work in Switzerland, ministers have announced.
The UK-Switzerland Recognition of Professional Qualifications Agreement will mean Britons’ qualifications in more than 200 professions are recognised in Switzerland, according to the Department for Business and Trade.
It replaces a similar agreement that was in place while the UK was departing the EU which expired at the end of 2024.
Ex-Fangio and Moss Mercedes F1 car expected to fetch £41m at auction
A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula One car driven by five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss is set to go under the hammer at auction next month with an estimate of £41m.
Chassis number nine, the first of the streamliner-bodied W196Rs, won the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix with Fangio at the wheel, while Moss secured fastest lap at the Italian GP of the same year. The car still wears the same number it had for the Italian Grand Prix.
In 1965, the car was donated by Mercedes-Benz to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum and has been in fastidious care for the last 59 years. It’ll go up for sale on February 1 in Stuttgart, Germany.
The markets
Positivity around global equity markets helped propel the FTSE 100 to record levels, marking a week of progress for London’s financial markets.
The FTSE 100 finished 113.32 points, or 1.35%, higher to end the day at 8,505.22. It reached an all-time peak of 8,533.43 during the session. The Cac 40 ended 1.03% higher for the day and the Dax index was up 1.17%.
Sterling meanwhile continued its recent torrid spell, sliding to a new 14-month low due to the prospect of lower interest rates. The pound was down 0.47% at 1.217 US dollars and down 0.33% at 1.184 euros.
Keir Starmer congratulates Donald Trump ahead of inauguration
Sir Keir Starmer has congratulated US president-elect Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration and said that the so-called special relationship ‘will continue to flourish for years to come’.
The president-elect will be sworn in to his second term in the White House on Monday, eight years after he first took the oath of office.
The prime minister paid tribute to the ‘depth of friendship’ between the 47th president and the UK, and pledged to continue to ‘work together to ensure the success of both our countries and deliver for people on both sides of the Atlantic’.
Trump says he will ‘most likely’ give TikTok a 90-day extension to avoid US ban
US president-elect Donald Trump has said he would ‘most likely’ give TikTok 90 more days to work out a deal that would allow the popular video-sharing platform to avoid a US ban.
Trump said in an NBC News interview that he had not decided what to do but was considering granting TikTok a reprieve after he is sworn into office on Monday.
A law that prohibits mobile app stores and internet hosting services from distributing TikTok to US users took effect on Sunday.
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BMW sales executive to take on gruelling trek across the Sahara for breast cancer charity
BMW sales executive Alison Prowse, a breast cancer survivor, will undertake a 100km Sahara Desert trek in Morocco this November, marking five years since her diagnosis. She aims to raise £3,000 for CoppaFeel!, promoting early cancer detection.
Mothballed Ineos production gets back underway after months of supplier headaches
Ineos Automotive has resumed production at its Hambach, France plant after delays caused by a seat shortage. With Grenadier and Quartermaster models back on the line, the company aims to meet global demand and recover lost time.
Honda asks Nissan to buy Renault’s stake as negotiations continue
Honda has urged Nissan to buy Renault’s 35.7% stake to avoid foreign influence within the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Valued at £2.9bn, this complicates Nissan’s plans, as the financially struggling company faces declining profits, reduced sales, and workforce cuts.
Urine trouble: Dealership apologises after valeter takes a tinkle on customer’s car
Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury apologised after a contractor urinated on a customer’s £30,000 car during servicing. The dealership dismissed the valeter, offered £250 compensation, and pledged stricter policies. The owner, Michael Hinsley, remains outraged, calling the response inadequate.
Nissan Sunderland plant to get electric powertrains from new JATCO factory
Nissan and JATCO secured £50m to build a Sunderland plant producing 340,000 electric powertrains annually, creating 183 jobs. The facility supports Nissan’s EV36Zero plan for carbon neutrality and strengthens the UK’s automotive industry as an EV manufacturing hub.
Weather
Another day of cloud and cold temperatures for most of the country, reports BBC Weather. Scotland will see patchy light rain and hazy sunshine, however. Temperatures will struggle to better six degrees.
A mostly clear night for all parts, leading to a light frost. Some areas will have patchy rain.
