6:56 am, May 10, 2022
Charles to read Queen’s Speech for first time as monarch misses State Opening of Parliament
The Queen has delegated constitutional duties to the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge to open Parliament on her behalf in a historic, unprecedented move which sees Charles – a king in waiting – reading the Queen’s Speech for the first time.
The monarch, 96, reluctantly pulled out of the major ceremonial occasion – nearly 60 years after she last missed it – following advice from her royal doctors as she continues to experience ‘episodic mobility problems’.
As Charles, 73, takes on the head of state’s major constitutional duty for the first time, the move will be interpreted as a symbolic and significant shift in his responsibilities as a future monarch.
Keir Starmer commits to do the ‘right thing’ and resign if fined by police
Sir Keir Starmer has committed to doing ‘the right thing and step down’ as Labour leader if he is fined by police over an allegation he broke coronavirus laws.
The Opposition leader repeatedly denied breaking the laws in a televised statement on Monday afternoon as he faces pressure over the curry and beer gathering in Durham last year.
He accused the Conservatives accusing him of breaking lockdown rules of ‘trying to feed cynicism to get the public to believe all politicians are the same’.
No 10 does not rule out energy bill hike of nearly £1,000 for most customers
Downing Street has not ruled out the possibility that energy bills could rise by nearly £1,000 for most customers when the regulator reviews the price cap in the autumn.
It comes after the boss of major energy company ScottishPower called on the Government to take urgent action and help the poorest households months before costs are expected to mount again ahead of the winter months.
Keith Anderson said that energy bills are likely to go up by nearly another £1,000 for millions of households around the country when the price cap is reviewed in October.
Morrisons clinches rescue deal to save McColl’s
Morrisons has beaten EG Group in a takeover battle for collapsed retailer McColl’s.
Bosses said all McColl’s staff will keep their jobs as the firm’s shops transfer to the new owner, while Morrisons will take over the company’s two pension schemes.
The convenience chain fell into administration on Friday, plunging the future of its 1,160 shops and 16,000 staff into doubt.
Fourth booster ‘significantly’ increases protection
Fourth Covid-19 jabs give people protection ‘over and above’ that afforded to people who have had three jabs, a new study suggests.
Research is continuing to assess the levels of protection people have after vaccination, and for the length of time that this protection lasts.
A team of academics led by the University of Southampton have been tracking a group of people and their levels of antibodies and T cells, both measures which indicate a person’s level of protection against a virus.
Monday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Revealed: The used cars that rose the most in value in April – and only one model out of 974 actually FELL in price
- Cazoo shrugs off concerns over profitability to become title sponsor of World Snooker Championship
- Ferrari tops supercars league for UK drivers
- Ford shows off new electric E-Transit Custom van
- Dealership group Cars 2 sees pre-tax profit rise by 143 per cent to more than £7.2m
- Cawdor Cars joins SsangYong dealer network after departure of Mitsubishi
- Planning committee expected to give green light to Ellesmere Port development
- Car Care Plan combines warranty, servicing and breakdown into one monthly payment
- Used car prices fell again in April as stock struggles begin to ease, eBay Motors Group finds
No end in sight for Ukraine war as Vladimir Putin hails Victory Day
Russian President Vladimir Putin used his country’s biggest patriotic holiday to again justify his war in Ukraine but did not declare even a limited victory or signal where the conflict is headed.
The Russian leader oversaw a Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square on Monday, with troops marching in formation and military hardware on display to celebrate the Soviet Union’s role in the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany, as his forces pressed their offensive with few signs of progress.
But his much-anticipated speech offered no new insights into how he intends to salvage the grinding war, and he instead stuck to allegations that Ukraine posed a threat to Russia, even though Moscow’s nuclear-armed forces are far superior in number and firepower.
‘Very worst’ banned Twitter trolls rear up amid Elon Musk buyout bid
Hundreds of profiles belonging to the ‘very worst’ Twitter trolls reared up within days of Elon Musk’s multibillion-pound buyout bid, according an international network of volunteers.
For the past three years, the volunteers have monitored 120 of the most persistent banned users who repeatedly “respawn” profiles on the social media site.
They are currently focusing on four hate groups – which are known for advocating violence, racism and antisemitism – and reporting them to Twitter for swift removal.
Miners drag FTSE lower on dark day for global markets
A bruising session on global stock markets left London’s investors with a headache on Monday as a drop was led by gambling companies and miners.
The FTSE 100 ended the day down 2.3 per cent, a fall of 171.36 points to 7,216.58, after a rough session of trading as US and European shares traded down partly in anticipation of new inflation figures from several countries.
Elsewhere, the German Dax closed down 2.2 per cent while Paris’s Cac 40 dropped 2.4 per cent.
The first Aston Martin DBX707 customer car has been built in Wales
The first Aston Martin DBX707 customer car has rolled off the production line at the firm’s factory in St Athan, Wales.
The world’s most powerful SUV boasts a 4.0-litre V8 making 697bhp and 900Nm of torque, contributing to the 3.1-second 0-60mph time and 193mph top speed.
Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, David Davies MP, inspected the vehicle as it was completed.
Cloud and showers to replace sunshine
Today, cloud and rain will gradually clear the south-east through the morning, leaving much of the country with sunny spell and patchy cloud. There will be a few showers in the north and west, which will be heavy in the north, the BBC reports.
This evening and tonight, turning drier for most, but showers will continue in the north and spells of rain will push in to the north-west. Towards dawn, spells of rain will arrive in the south-west.
Tomorrow, northern areas will see a mixture of sunshine and scattered showers, these most frequent in north-west Scotland. Further south, cloud and spells of rain will push in from the west.
