6:46 am, September 17, 2026
Morrisons sales accelerate as turnaround strategy bears fruit
Morrisons has revealed its strongest sales growth for more than a year as the supermarket group’s turnaround gathers pace.
The debt-laden retailer said it was boosted by hot weather and the World Cup over the latest quarter.
Boss Rami Baitieh said the group’s trading was ‘robust’ and surpassed wider UK grocery market after investment into improving its pricing. Total sales increased to £4.1bn for the quarter.
Daily Mirror publisher Reach cutting 220 jobs in editorial overhaul
Daily Mirror and Daily Express publisher Reach is axing more than 200 editorial roles as part of an ongoing cost-cutting overhaul that will also see three titles close.
In an internal email to staff, the publisher behind a raft of regional titles said it is cutting 220 editorial roles, although 60 jobs will also be created in areas it is focusing more heavily on, such as subscriptions and longer-form video.
Chief content officer David Higgerson said in the memo the firm is shutting its KentLive, AberdeenLive and GalwayBeo titles amid the changes. He told staff the group is continuing to be impacted by a decline in Google search referral traffic, as well as increasing competition from the BBC across the regions.
Porsche introduces new colour options and wireless charging to Cayenne Electric
Porsche has broadened the number of options and introduced wireless charging to its Cayenne Electric SUV.
While wireless charging was announced when the new Cayenne Electric was first launched late last year, it has now become available to UK buyers – and can be retrofitted for drivers who have already purchased a Cayenne.
It consists of three parts – the vehicle hardware, a charging pad mounted to the car itself and a ground pad which is installed in a parking space. It’s all weatherproof, too, and means that the Cayenne Electric can be driven over the pad, at which point up to 11kW of charging power will be wirelessly sent through to the car. Tthe vehicle pad will cost £1,930, and the wireless charging ground pad an additional £5,355.
The markets
Stocks in London rallied on Wednesday despite news of higher inflation and an expected US rate increase, as oil prices edged lower.
In London, the FTSE 100 index ended up 30.34 points, 0.3%, at 10,688.47. The FTSE 250 advanced 251.46 points, 1.1%, at 24,070.20, and the AIM all-share climbed 5.21 points, 0.7%, to 788.36.
The pound was quoted at 1.3449 dollars on Wednesday, down from 1.3485 dollars at the same time on Tuesday. Against the euro, sterling fell to 1.1658 euro from 1.1681 euro.
Government ‘won’t take risks with living standards’ says PM as inflation jumps
The government ‘will not take risks with people’s living standards’ in the Budget next month, prime minister Andy Burnham said, after official figures showed another jump in inflation.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that inflation accelerated to a five-month-high of 3.1% last month as higher fuel prices and airfares pushed up the cost-of-living for Britons.
The prime minister stressed that he is prepared to take ‘difficult decisions’ on the economy to ensure that it ‘remains on track’. He insisted that the economy is still showing ‘resilience across the board’ as he linked to the inflation uptick to the war in the Middle East.
Search for three-year-old Noah Woods ends in tragedy as body found
A body has been found in the search for three-year-old Noah Woods who vanished after a visit to a village playground.
Several hundred volunteers as well as teams from the police, fire, coastguard and search and rescue had joined the desperate hunt for the toddler, who ran down an alleyway in Brantham, Suffolk on Tuesday afternoon and disappeared.
In an update on Wednesday, Superintendent Tom Pearse from Suffolk police said that the body of a child had been discovered in a nearby pond and that Noah’s family had been told.
Wednesday on Car Dealer
‘Survival of the fittest’: Aion UK boss predicts brutal shake-up for car industry
The car industry is facing a ‘survival of the fittest’ battle as Chinese newcomers pile pressure on established manufacturers.
Motorway cuts its losses as online auction platform looks to finally achieve profitability in 2026
Online auction platform Motorway says its investments are starting to ‘pay off’ despite posting another pre-tax loss for 2025.
McLaren to invest £500m in UK as it prepares to launch performance SUV
Supercar maker McLaren Automotive is to invest £500m in its UK operations as part of a major expansion programme.
Omoda and Jaecoo dealer under fire after overflow stock blocks Watford pavements
An Omoda and Jaecoo dealership in Watford has come in for strong criticism from nearby residents after its vehicle stock spilled off the forecourt and into surrounding areas.
Nissan ploughs £170m into Sunderland plant as new Kicks hybrid is confirmed
Nissan has announced a £170m of investment into its Sunderland plant in a move which will help to secure around 6,000 jobs.
‘As good as it gets’: Ex-Lookers boss hails strong car market despite PCP concerns
Market conditions are currently ‘as good as it gets’ for car dealers, despite wider economic uncertainty.
Creditplus ceases trading as finance broker’s parent company calls in insolvency specialists
Finance broker Creditplus has ceased trading after its parent company Jump Finance Ltd appointed insolvency specialists.
Alleged fraudsters deny using ‘dirty oil’ trick to scam private car sellers into slashing prices
A group of men accused of using ‘dirty oil’ to scam car sellers into accepting lower offers have appeared in court to deny any wrongdoing.
Weather
Rain will sweep across the south-east this morning before clearing to leave sunny spells, reports BBC Weather. Northern and western areas will see scattered showers, with persistent rain in north-west Scotland.
Tonight, Scotland remains showery and blustery, while most of the UK stays dry, with occasional cloud and isolated showers. Winds remain breezy.