6:30 am, June 9, 2023
Teenage boy dies after collision involving e-bike and ambulance
A teenage boy has died after his e-bike collided with an ambulance in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police said traffic officers began following the boy, 15, along Fitzwarren Street at around 2pm and onto Lower Seedley Road, before their vehicle was blocked off by bollards.
The force said that the collision between the e-bike and the ambulance took place on Langworthy Road ‘a short time later’.
Record £2.4bn in motor claims paid in first quarter of 2023, say insurers
A record £2.4bnwas paid out in motor claims in the first quarter of this year as firms find surging costs increasingly challenging to absorb, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
More expensive vehicle repairs, rising second-hand car costs and longer repair times are among the challenges faced by insurers, although there are some signs that cost pressures from whiplash-related claims are easing.
The new quarterly total marked a 14 per cent increase compared with the same quarter in 2022 as well as being the highest quarterly payout since the ABI started collecting data in 2013.
All Uber Eats couriers to use zero emission vehicles by 2040
All Uber Eats couriers will use zero emission vehicles by 2040, the company has announced.
Deliveries are currently made by people using cars, motorbikes and bicycles.
Uber Eats also plans for all restaurants providing food for the service to use sustainable packaging by 2030.
Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stress ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine
Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stressed their ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine, with the president saying the US will help Kyiv for ‘as long as it takes’.
The two leaders emphasised the need for long-term security arrangements for the war-torn nation as deterrence against aggression from Russian president Vladimir Putin.
At a joint press conference at the White House on Thursday, Mr Biden was asked about hesitation about more funding for Ukraine among some lawmakers in the rival Republican Party.
High street records negative sales for first time in more than two years
The high street has recorded negative sales for the first time in more than two years as the cost of living bites, according to new figures.
Total like-for-like retail sales, combining in-store and online, fell by 1.5 per cent overall compared with last May, according to business advisory firm BDO’s latest High Street Sales Tracker.
Online sales fell by 3.3 per cent, one of the lowest results recorded outside of the pandemic, while in-store sales rose by just 1% across the month.
FTSE slides as strong pound drags on multinationals
London’s main markets closed in the red on Thursday after trading was bogged down by the stronger pound.
The FTSE 100 moved 0.32 per cent, or 24.6 points, lower to finish at 7,599.74.
Germany’s Dax index rose by 0.18 per cent and France’s Cac 40 closed up 0.27 per cent.
Thursday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Exclusive: Fiat UK boss reveals the number of car dealers axed in restructuring plans
- Day’s Motor Group bosses enjoy £2.95m dividend – the second huge payout in two years
- Government admits ‘gulf’ between number of EVs and chargepoints will continue for months
- East Yorkshire Nissan dealer planning grand reopening after extensive £1.1m refurbishment
- Milestone celebrated as Nissan Sunderland notches up 11 million vehicles
- Hippo Motor Group wins approval for huge showroom on former mill site
- Revealed: The best and worst EV home charger providers
Almost no rain in England for the last three weeks, figures show
There has been almost no rain in England for the last three weeks, while many rivers in the north and West Midlands are notably or exceptionally low, new figures show.
Less than one millimetre has fallen in the South East and North East since May 31, with the rest of England seeing no rain at all.
The rivers Mersey, Weaver, Derwent, Till and the Upper Severn are all running at exceptionally low levels.
Russian racing driver loses latest round of fight against sanctions
Russian racing driver Nikita Mazepin has lost the latest round of a High Court fight with British government ministers after being made subject to sanctions in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Mazepin, 24, used to race in Formula 1 for Haas and is looking for a new team.
He wants sanctions lifted and has taken legal action against Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. A judge is due to oversee a trial on July 19.
Proportion of EV breakdowns due to running out of charge show sharp drop
Just 2.1 per cent of callouts received by the AA from stranded EV drivers in the UK during the first five months of this year were for depleted batteries.
That is down from eight per cent across the whole of 2019.
Alpine’s A110 R Le Mans is a tribute to famous endurance race
Alpine has celebrated the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a special version of its A110 R.
The A110 R Le Mans will be limited to just 100 units, with all using a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 300bhp. Combined with a low weight of 1,082kg, the A110 R will manage 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 177mph
The exterior of the car stands out with its white and blue livery, while a thin double line of blue and white is applied to the bonnet, roof and rear wing.
Weather outlook
Today will see a cloudy start for many with cloud progressively retreating eastwards leaving warm and sunny conditions for most. Showery rain across the south-west and for the Channel Islands, the BBC reports.
Tonight, rather cloudy with scattered showers in the far south-west. Dry and mostly clear skies elsewhere, but again areas of low cloud affecting north-east England, east and north-east Scotland.
Tomorrow will be very warm with extensive sunshine, but the south-west and will have a risk of more widespread showers and thunderstorms. The odd thundery shower around central areas is also likely.
