6:39 am, March 3, 2024
Hunt strikes cautious tone over prospect of tax cuts in the Budget
The Chancellor has said he ‘won’t take any risks’ with the British economy at the Budget as he looked to taper expectations around tax cuts.
Jeremy Hunt told The Sunday Telegraph that bringing down the current tax burden is a ‘long path’.
He also confirmed that the financial forecasts setting out how much so-called ‘headroom’ he has in order to meet his fiscal rules had ‘gone against us’, in a move that is likely to curtail his ability to serve up pre-election giveaways.
Israel ‘signed on’ to Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal
Israel has essentially endorsed the framework of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it, a senior US administration official said.
The Israelis ‘have more or less accepted’ the proposal, which includes a six-week ceasefire in Gaza as well as the release by Hamas of hostages considered to be vulnerable, including the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women, the official said.
‘The Israelis have basically signed on to the elements of the arrangement,’ they added. ‘Right now, the ball is in the court of Hamas and we are continuing to push this as hard as we possibly can.’
Women shot after suspect drops shotgun during Clapham police pursuit, force say
Two women were injured by shotgun pellets after a suspect dropped a firearm during a police pursuit in Clapham, the Metropolitan Police said.
At 4.55pm on Friday, officers were chasing two people riding a moped who had failed to stop in Clapham, south London.
The moped collided with a 27-year-old pedestrian and police said the vehicle crashed ‘a short while later’.
Train passengers ‘punished’ as fares rise by nearly 5%
Rail fares in England and Wales are rising by nearly 5% despite train cancellations being among the highest levels for 10 years.
Public transport campaigners claimed passengers are being ‘punished’ and will be ‘angry’ at Sunday’s price hikes.
The equivalent of 3.9% of services in England and Wales were cancelled in the year to February 3, PA news agency analysis of Office of Rail and Road (ORR) figures shows.
Speed limits of 60mph on M1 and M6 to be dropped after air quality improvements
Speed limits of 60mph are to be scrapped along parts of the M1 and M6 after improvements to air quality.
Drivers have been forced to slow down since 2021 at the M1 at Rotherham and the M6 at Witton, in the Midlands, amid efforts to see if driving more slowly helps reduce emissions.
The road sections are set to return to the national speed limit of 70mph and National Highways (NH) say that ‘ultimately, air quality will be solved at the tailpipe’.
Raye makes Brit Awards history with six gongs
Raye made Brit Awards history as she secured six gongs, the most by an artist in a single year.
The London-born star sealed her triumphant sweep of the awards ceremony as her record, My 21st Century Blues, was named album of the year.
She was also named artist of the year, best new artist and R&B act.
Weather outlook…
Today, mist and fog will lift in the south to leave sunny spells and variable cloud for much of the UK. A few showers in Northern Ireland in the afternoon. The BBC reports it will be cloudy with patchy rain in east England.
Tonight, showers in the west ease and clouds in the east move to the northeast leaving mainly clear skies. A few mist and fog patches will develop and the Northern Isles will see patchy rain.
Tomorrow, mist and fog will lift to leave sunny spells for many. Patchy rain in the far north-east. Cloud, strengthening winds and spells of rain will move in from the south-west through the day.
