6:38 am, May 15, 2024
Tesco chief’s pay more than doubles to nearly £10m
Tesco boss Ken Murphy has seen his pay deal more than double to almost £10m for the past year.
It means the chief executive has been paid 431 times the wage of the average Tesco worker – £23,010.
The supermarket giant’s annual report revealed Murphy received a pay package worth £9.93m for the year to February versus a £4.44m total pay deal for the previous financial year.
Elbow headline opening show at troubled Co-op Live arena
Live music has finally got under way at the troubled Co-op Live arena with rock band Elbow headlining the opening show at the new venue in Manchester.
The biggest indoor arena in the UK had postponed its first show for the third time after part of its ventilation and air conditioning system fell to the ground from the ceiling during a soundcheck in early May.
But yesterday, the £365m venue officially opened its doors to fans before Elbow, who hail from Bury, took to the stage after support act The Waeve.
Ten pharmacies closing each week, experts warn
Ten pharmacies closed every week on average in the first few months of the year because of underfunding, experts have warned.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said that between January and the end of April some 177 pharmacies closed across England.
Last year saw 403 pharmacy closures across the country versus 91 in 2022, according to analysis of official NHS data by the NPA, which said that without a real-terms increase in funding for pharmacies, many will have no option but to close for good.
Two men due in court over Sycamore Gap tree felling
Two men will appear in court this afternoon charged with causing criminal damage after the felling of the famous Sycamore Gap tree.
The much-photographed tree, which stood next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland for 200 years, was chopped down in September last year, causing a national outrage.
Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, both from the Carlisle area, will face Newcastle Magistrates’ Court over charges of criminal damage to the tree and the wall, which is a World Heritage Site.
Taylor Swift Eras tour to provide almost £1bn boost to UK economy – report
Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras tour will provide a £997m boost to the UK economy, according to a report.
Almost 1.2m fans will spend an average of £848 on tickets, travel, accommodation, outfits and other costs to see the pop superstar at one of her 15 UK tour dates in June and August – more than 12 times the average cost of a night out, according to the Barclays Swiftonomics report.
Dr Peter Brooks, chief behavioural scientist at Barclays, said: ‘For non-fans, £848 may seem like an enormous amount to splash out on a concert, but for Eras Tour ticket-holders every pound they spend is an investment in the memories they’ll create.’
More than 3m food bank parcels given out across UK in record-high year
The number of emergency food parcels handed out across the UK in a single year has reached its highest level, at more than three million.
The Trussell Trust food bank network said the figures had risen for packages for adults and children and the total was now almost double that of five years ago.
A total of 3,121,404 parcels were distributed by food banks in its network up to the end of March, made up of 1,977,308 for adults and 1,144,096 for children.
Age limits will be set on when children can be taught sex education, reports say
Age limits are set to be imposed for the first time on when children can be taught about sex education, reports have suggested.
Schools will be told not to teach children any form of sex education until year 5, when pupils are aged nine, according to The Times.
Other measures set to be announced by education secretary Gillian Keegan will prevent children from being taught they can change their gender identity, the newspaper said. The Department for Education said it couldn’t confirm the reports, and that it wouldn’t speculate on leaks.
‘Sewage released for more than 440,000 hours’ along England’s coastline in 2023
Sewage was released for more than 440,000 hours along England’s coastline in 2023, with thousands of spills taking place near bathing spots, analysis shows.
Campaign group Friends of the Earth analysed Environment Agency data on sewage overflow outlets to calculate the number and duration of spills directly into the sea and estuaries and near swimming waters.
It found there were 68,481 incidents of sewage released into England’s seas last year, totalling 440,446 hours. More than a quarter, some 117,584 hours over 21,213 spills, were within 1.9 miles of a bathing spot.
New Vauxhall Frontera gets 248-mile range and seven-seater option
Vauxhall says its upcoming Frontera – which revives a name first used in 1989 – will have a range of up to 248 miles and be available as a seven-seater at some point.
It will have two electric set-ups enabling a range of either 186 or 248 miles. A hybrid version – combining a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology – will also be available.
Inside, the modern SUV features a pair of 10-inch screens alongside physical buttons for a number of quick-access controls. Pricing and specifications will be announced shortly.
Yesterday’s headlines on Car Dealer you might have missed
- Arnold Clark and WJ King deny talks of deal after leaked memo suggested sale was coming
- Fraudsters used bogus car dealerships to carry out elaborate £800,000 VAT scam
- Fire service has ‘reason to believe’ that EV caused Bristol car dealership blaze
- Mangoletsi dealt second blow in plan for extension to car park
- Richmond Motor Group creates ‘one stop shop’ with new Skoda and Suzuki car dealership
Market movements
The FTSE 100 closed 13.14 points up yesterday to end the day on 8,428.13. The Cac 40 was up 16.51 points at 8,225.79, the Dax was down 25.80 points at 18,716.42, and the Dow Jones was up 126.60 points at 39,558.11.
Weather outlook
Cloud and showers will affect eastern and central England as well as parts of south-west Scotland and Northern Ireland today, says BBC Weather. Elsewhere will be sunnier with a few early showers in the south-west.
Thursday will see low cloud and showery rain move across central England and northern Wales with the risk of thunder, while Northern Ireland will experience showers at times. Elsewhere will be mostly sunny.
