Woman dies after being swept into river during Storm Babet weather warning
A 57-year-old woman has died after being swept into a river in Angus in Scotland as Storm Babet batters the country.
Police Scotland said the woman’s body was recovered on Thursday afternoon at Water of Lee, Glen Esk, where a red weather alert for heavy rain is currently in place.
It comes as thousands more were left without power and facing flooding from “unprecedented” amounts of rain in east Scotland, while Babet is set to spread into northern and eastern England on Friday.
Labour ‘redraw political map’ with double by-election blow to Rishi Sunak
Labour has dealt a double by-election blow to Rishi Sunak by overturning huge Tory majorities in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire.
Sir Keir Starmer claimed Labour was ‘redrawing the political map’ by taking seats which had been comfortably Conservative ahead of the general election expected next year.
In Tamworth, Labour’s Sarah Edwards defeated Tory Andrew Cooper by a majority of 1,316.
Government advisers called Sunak ‘Dr Death’ during pandemic, Covid inquiry told
Government advisers referred to Rishi Sunak as ‘Dr Death’ during the pandemic, WhatsApp messages shown to the Covid-19 Inquiry have revealed.
The inquiry also heard that putting the country into full lockdown to mitigate the impact of the virus was a ‘necessary evil’.
The correspondence between epidemiologist Professor John Edmunds and Professor Dame Angela McLean – now chief scientific adviser to the government – took place during a meeting in September 2020.
Anger at pothole-plagued local roads hits eight-year high
Drivers’ anger at the condition of local roads has reached an eight-year high, with a third of drivers swerving to avoid a pothole, a new survey suggests.
Some 49 per cent of respondents to a poll of 2,583 UK drivers commissioned by the RAC said the issue was their biggest motoring concern.
This is the highest proportion recorded in the annual survey since the motoring services company began asking drivers for their views on the state of local roads in 2015.
Consumer confidence plunges in run-up to festive season
Consumer confidence has plunged in the run-up to the festive season as uncertainties posed by conflict in the Middle East add to accelerating energy, fuel and mortgage costs.
GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index fell nine points to minus 30 in October, taking it back to a level last seen in July last year.
The index’s major purchase measure – an indicator of confidence in buying big ticket items – saw the sharpest drop of 14 points, in a significant turnaround from last month’s four-point increase which will concern retailers in the run-up to Christmas.
Thursday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
Stellantis announces new van division as it looks to ‘achieve global leadership’
Stellantis has confirmed the creation of a new commercial vehicle division called ‘Pro One’ that looks to see it gain greater dominance in the segment.
The vast automotive group has six commercial brands – Citroen, Fiat, Opel, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Ram pick-ups. By 2030, the firm says it wants to double its revenues compared to 2021 as part of its ‘Dare Forward’ plan.
Stellantis says its Pro One will offer the ‘largest product offering in the industry’, including vans and pick-ups, and advance its connected and digital services. It says all its vans will be ‘connected and activated’ by the end of 2023’
UK stocks tumble with FTSE 250 hitting one-year low
The UK’s top index has tumbled further and London’s FTSE 250 plunged to a one-year low after weaker trading updates and amid ongoing concerns over the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The FTSE 100 was down by 88.47 points, or 1.17 per cent, to close at 7,499.53 on Thursday, with the FTSE 250, which is made up of more UK-focused firms, hitting a one-year low after seeing more than 190 points shaved off the index.
Elsewhere, Germany’s Dax was down 0.33 per cent and France’s Cac fell by 0.64 per cent.
Updated Peugeot 208 now available to order
Peugeot has announced that a refreshed version of its 208 supermini is now available to order.
The 208 was Europe’s most popular car in 2021 and 2022, and gains a number of key upgrades as part of this mid-life update. Some of the most notable are under the surface, with the electric e-208 now using a new powertrain.
Pairing a slightly larger 51kWh battery with a more powerful 154bhp electric motor, it increases the claimed range from 225 miles to 248 miles.
Rare ‘danger to life’ warning in force as Storm Babet sweeps country
A rare red weather warning has come into force and residents of hundreds of homes have been urged to evacuate as Storm Babet batters the country.
Thousands more were left without power and facing flooding from ‘unprecedented’ amounts of rain.
The second named storm of the season sparked warnings of major flooding, landslides and the prospect of record rainfall as it swept across Scotland before spreading into northern and eastern England later.
6:55 am, October 20, 2023
