6:46 am, September 14, 2023
Father among three questioned over Sara Sharif’s murder after flight back to UK
The father of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, who was found dead in her Surrey home, is among three people who remain in custody being held on suspicion of murder after arriving back in the UK.
Urfan Sharif, his partner Beinash Batool and brother Faisal Malik travelled to Pakistan a day before police discovered Sara’s body in Woking on August 10. A post-mortem examination found the youngster had suffered ‘multiple and extensive injuries’ over a ‘sustained and extended’ period of time.
On Wednesday evening, the three landed at Gatwick Airport on an Emirates flight from Sialkot, in eastern Punjab province, via Dubai. They were arrested and remained in custody for questioning over Sara’s death.
Searchers race to recover bodies in Libyan city where 5,100 died in flooding
Search teams combed streets, wrecked buildings and even the sea on Wednesday to look for bodies in a coastal Libyan city where the collapse of two dams unleashed a massive flash flood that killed at least 5,100 people.
The Mediterranean city of Derna has struggled to get help after Sunday night’s deluge washed away most access roads.
Aid workers who managed to reach the city described devastation in its centre, with thousands still missing and tens of thousands left homeless.
NHS winter resilience fund announced by government
A £200m ‘winter resilience’ fund has been announced by the government to put the NHS on stable footing ahead of winter.
It comes after the prime minister and health secretary met with NHS leaders, top doctors and charities in Downing Street to discuss a number of proposals set to keep the system running smoothly during the busy winter months.
Department of Health and Social Care officials said that the cash will help make sure patients are seen as quickly as possible. It will also help hospitals keep up with pre-planned surgeries and operations to cut down the record waiting list, officials said.
Women arrested at Sarah Everard vigil receive payouts from Met police
Two women who were arrested at a vigil for murdered marketing executive Sarah Everard have secured payouts from the Metropolitan Police.
Patsy Stevenson and Dania Al-Obeid were both detained at the event on Clapham Common in March 2021, held amid ongoing Covid restrictions.
An outpouring of anger at Ms Everard’s murder by a serving police officer led to hundreds of people attending the event, including the Princess of Wales. The Met was criticised for its heavy handling of the later stages of the vigil, with outrage that some women were bundled to the ground, and its ‘tone-deaf’ reaction to the negative reaction in the aftermath.
Watchdog will call for ticket office closures to be delayed for machine upgrades
A watchdog said it will recommend a planned widespread closure of railway station ticket offices in England is delayed at locations where machines need upgrading.
Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said passengers risk being ‘disadvantaged’ if that does not happen.
Train operators are proposing to close the vast majority of station ticket offices in England, while Avanti West Coast is also planning to shut its office at Glasgow Central. More than 680,000 responses were submitted to consultations on the plans.
Wednesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Used car dealer convicted of manslaughter after crushing a pedestrian to death with his Range Rover
- EU considering tariffs on new Chinese EVs as it looks to help the likes of Stellantis avoid ‘race to the bottom’
- Hedin shakes up its UK leadership team following acquisition of Stephen James Group
- Just Motor Group signs up to MG and drops Citroen sales at showroom in wake of Stellantis shake-up
- Car dealer Sherwoods Motor Group saw profits tumble 42% in 2022
- Family-run Swansway Motor Group celebrates 20 years of being in business
The Range set to buy Wilko brand in £5m deal
The Range is set to agree to a deal to buy Wilko’s brand for around £5m after the collapse of the high street retailer.
The sale could mean the Wilko name does not disappear from high streets for good.
Administrators at PwC have sought to sell off Wilko’s assets in recent weeks, including its brand and shops, after failing to secure a rescue deal for the whole business. More than 10,000 further Wilko workers are set to lose their jobs by next month as a result.
House prices declined at fastest rate since 2009 in August – surveyors
House prices declined at their fastest rate since 2009 in August, according to surveyors.
But the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) added that, in the rental sector, rents are being pushed up by a ‘yawning gap’ between demand and supply.
A net balance of 68 per cent of property professionals reported house prices falling rather than rising, marking the most negative reading since 2009, according to Rics, which pointed to the impact of high mortgage rates. New buyer inquiries also declined further during the month, with a net balance of 47 per cent of professionals reporting fresh inquiries falling rather than rising, deteriorating from a balance of 45 per cent the previous month.
Aston Martin celebrates 60 years of its iconic ‘James Bond car’
Aston Martin is celebrating 60 years since the debut of the DB5, arguably the most well-known model from the British sports car brand’s history.
Following on from the DB4, Aston Martin revealed its new DB5 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1963, boasting a more powerful engine and technical and equipment upgrades over its predecessor.
Of the 1,022 original DB5s produced, there were 887 coupes built, along with 123 convertibles and 12 bespoke coach-built shooting brakes. It was the coupe that became synonymous as the ‘James Bond car’, following its appearance in the 1964 ‘007’ film Goldfinger. In 1964, the DB5 cost £4,248, equivalent to £73,529 in today’s money.
Weather
A band of rain spreading across Wales and central England will weaken as the day goes on, reports BBC Weather. The south-east will return to a day of sunshine after cloudy conditions yesterday. Highs of 23 degrees in the south.
Tonight, though, the band of rain will strengthen as it pushes northwards into northern England and southern Scotland. A dry night south of the rain.
