6:56 am, June 7, 2023
Sunak: Destruction of Ukraine dam a ‘new low’ if Russian forces are responsible
Rishi Sunak said the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine would mark a ‘new low’ in the conflict if Russian forces were found to be responsible.
The prime minister said the immediate priority was the humanitarian response to the catastrophe, which has flooded villages, endangered vital crops and threatened drinking water supplies.
Kyiv accused Russian forces of blowing up the dam and hydroelectric power station in an area that Moscow has controlled for more than a year, while Russia blamed Ukrainian bombardment in the contested area. Sunak said: ‘Our military and intelligence agencies are currently looking at it, so it’s too soon to pre-empt that and make a definitive judgment.’
Sunak to meet Biden for talks on AI, Ukraine and the economy
Rishi Sunak will use a trip to Washington to push for action on artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, seek greater economic co-operation and reconfirm Western support for Ukraine.
The PM will meet US president Joe Biden on Thursday in the White House but will also use his trip to meet senior business leaders and key political figures on Capitol Hill.
Sunak wants the US and UK to be at the forefront of a new era of economic co-operation, in the same way they have led on defence through the Nato alliance.
Cybercrime gang gives BBC, British Airways and Boots ultimatum after mass hack
A cybercrime gang that is thought to be based in Russia has warned more than 100,000 staff at major British companies to email them before June 14 or stolen data will be published.
According to the BBC, whose employees were victims in the hack, the Clop group made the threat in broken English on the dark web.
Also targeted in the hack were the payrolls of British Airways, Boots, Aer Lingus, Nova Scotia Government and the University of Rochester after the gang broke into a piece of popular business software called MOVEit and used that access to get into the databases of potentially hundreds of other companies.
Duke of Sussex due to resume evidence at High Court in hacking claim
The Duke of Sussex is due to resume giving evidence in his High Court claim against the publisher of the Daily Mirror over alleged unlawful information gathering.
The duke, 38, is suing MGN for damages, claiming journalists at its titles – which also include the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People – were linked to methods including phone hacking, so-called ‘blagging’ or gaining information by deception, and use of private investigators for unlawful activities.
He alleges that about 140 articles published between 1996 and 2010 by MGN titles contained information gathered using unlawful methods, and 33 of these have been selected to be considered at the trial.
BBC journalists to stage fresh strike over planned cuts to local radio
BBC journalists are to stage a 48-hour strike in a dispute over cuts to local radio services in England.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said 1,000 of its members will walk out on Wednesday and Thursday.
The union says it is protesting at BBC’s plans to ‘dramatically reduce’ local radio services across England. The NUJ said negotiations with the BBC had ‘stalled’, adding that the proposals have failed to address the union’s concerns about the impact of fewer services, and an increase in shared programmes.
Cabinet Office given until Friday to clarify Johnson WhatsApp redaction stance
The Cabinet Office has been given until the end of the week to clarify its position on whether it is seeking to prevent the UK Covid-19 Inquiry from seeing Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and notebooks.
In what proved a tense finale to Tuesday’s preliminary Covid hearing, chairwoman Baroness Hallett granted a request from the inquiry’s counsel for the Cabinet Office to ‘make their position plain’ by Friday.
The retired senior judge also challenged the department on why it would want to redact information that former prime minister Mr Johnson has said he is happy to submit wholesale to the inquiry.
Tuesday Car Dealer headlines you may have missed
- Car dealer group Rybrook clocks up £19.2m profit as luxury car brands continue to perform
- Used car prices rise for 38th month running as EV struggles show signs of easing
- Dacia passes 250,000 cars sold in the UK a decade after arriving in Britain
- Volvo shrugs off past woes as it enjoys 31 per cent increase in global sales in May
Watchdog bans Shell’s ‘misleading’ low-carbon ads
Three ads for Shell promoting its low-carbon products have been banned for failing to make any mention of the energy giant’s ongoing ‘large-scale’ investment in oil and gas.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found that Shell ‘misleadingly omitted’ information about the proportion of its business made up of lower-carbon activity when oil and gas made up the ‘vast majority’ of its operations.
Shell said it strongly disagreed with the ASA’s decision, claiming it could slow the UK’s move towards renewable energy.
PM refuses to say whether government will re-establish CBI contact after vote
Rishi Sunak has refused to say whether the government would re-establish contact with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) after the scandal-hit trade body’s members backed its reform plans.
The CBI said 93 per cent of the 371 votes cast during a confidence motion had backed a plan intended to help it regain its position as a lobbying powerhouse.
The confederation – which claims to represent about 190,000 businesses – was cast into turmoil in March after allegations of misconduct relating to its then-director general.
Jaguar Classic harks back to first E-type race winners with ZP collection
Jaguar Classic is commemorating its E-type’s first race win with a series of limited-run restored E-types.
Seven pairs of the Project ZP models will be created, with each duo consisting of one Oulton Blue drophead coupe inspired by ‘ECD 400’ driven by Graham Hill, and a Crystal Grey fixed-head coupe that draws inspiration from ‘BUY 1’ piloted by Roy Salvadori.
Each one gets Project ZP badging, as well as Bridge of Weir leather and an aluminium console engraved by artist Johnny ‘King Nerd’ Dowel. Both cars use a 3.8-litre engine with 265bhp and an authentic 1961-style alloy radiator with an electric cooling fan and electronic ignition. Each buyer will also receive a matching Everoak helmet inspired by those used by the original drivers.
Weather
Cloud will clear in eastern areas leaving a sunny and clear day for much of the UK, reports BBC Weather. Northern Scotland might see the odd light shower. Highs of 23 degrees celsius.
Tonight, cloud will build back into eastern areas and also affect central parts. Clear and dry in other regions.
