Babak Belurs

Senin, 26 September 2022

Pensioner killed in hit-and-run in Tesco car park in north London - Sky News

A man in his 80s has died in a hit-and-run in a Tesco car park in north London, police have said.

Officers are searching for the driver of the van involved in the fatal incident at the Coppetts Centre in Barnet shortly before 5pm on Saturday.

Detective Inspector Ian Watson said: "The car park was extremely busy with people going about their day when this collision occurred.

"If you saw anything, or captured events on dashcam or a mobile device, then please get in touch."

Both the land and air ambulance were called to the scene.

But the pensioner, who was taken to hospital, died on Sunday.

His family has been told.

Two men were arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision but have been released pending further enquiries.

Anyone with information can call police on 020 8246 9820 quoting the reference 4826/24SEP, or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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2022-09-26 08:28:22Z
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Pound sinks to record low against the dollar and UK economy predicted to flatline next year - as PM and chancellor defend mini-budget - Sky News

The pound has fallen to a record low against the dollar amid a fresh investor rush towards the US currency globally.

Sterling slipped by nearly 5% early on Monday to $1.0327 - building on fresh 1985 lows seen on Friday after UK chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled the biggest programme of tax cuts for 50 years.

The £45bn tax-slashing package saw the market deliver a verdict on the sustainability of the public finances, given the additional demands it will place on borrowing.

Bond markets also continued to reflect the crisis of confidence with the rates being demanded in return for investor cash hitting levels not seen since 2008.

The pound plunged below its all-time low against the greenback - set in February 1985 - of $1.054 early on Monday in Asian trading, fuelling fears that parity was possible ahead.

And the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has said the UK economy will grow slower than previously predicted in 2022 - and it will flatline entirely in 2023.

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This morning the pound has stabilised around $1.07 - still over 1% below the previous session's close and 5% down on where it had stood early on Friday morning before the mini-budget.

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The government's growth plan was clearly the catalyst for Friday's plunge but traders said it had since intensified the focus more widely as the dollar also shot up against a basket of other international currencies.

Joseph Capurso, head of international economics at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. wrote: "The poor situation in the UK exacerbates support for the USD, (which) can track higher again this week.

"If a sense of crisis about the world economy were to emerge, the USD could jump significantly."

The euro fell to fresh 20-year lows versus the greenback amid growing recession fears linked to the war in Ukraine and in the wake of Italy's elections that will see a far-right leader become the country's new PM.

The Japanese yen was among other currencies in focus.

The trouble for both the UK and Europe more generally is that weak currencies raise dollar denominated import costs, fuelling inflation further.

The UK also faces goods from the continent becoming more expensive because the pound's value has also slipped sharply versus the euro, standing at €1.0948 - leaving it 10 cents lower since August.

The rise in government borrowing costs saw the yield on the benchmark 10-year gilt hit almost 4.1% - the highest since April 2010. Shorter-term bonds were at levels not seen since the financial crisis.

Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at markets.com, said the market reaction to the government's growth plan had resulted in a "very swift and very aggressive repricing".

He wrote: "Does the Bank of England (BoE) intervene? Talk is of an emergency interest rate hike by the Bank to steady the ship.

"Traders now price in 150bps (1.5 percentage points) of hikes by the BoE by November, implying an expectation it comes out with a hike before the next meeting."

Both the chancellor and Prime Minister Liz Truss defended their programme over the weekend while shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves told Sky News on Monday it was clear that a "credible plan for the public finances" was now needed to address the market concerns.

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Ms Truss rejected comparisons with US President Joe Biden's approach after he said he was "sick and tired of trickle-down economics".

She said: "We all need to decide what the tax rates are in our own country, but my view is we absolutely need to be incentivising growth at what is a very, very difficult time for the global economy."

Asked whether she was "recklessly running up the deficit," Ms Truss said: "I don't really accept the premise of the question at all."

Mr Kwarteng suggested his announcements were just the beginning of the government's agenda to revive the UK's stagnant economy.

"We've only been here 19 days. I want to see, over the next year, people retain more of their income because I believe that it's the British people that are going to drive this economy," he told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

Mr Kwarteng is reportedly considering abolishing a charge for parents who earn more than £50,000 and claim child benefit, increasing the annual allowances on pension pots and a tax break for people who stay at home to care for children or loved ones.

If sterling fell to parity with the US dollar, it could trigger a rebellion among Tory backbenchers who could refuse to vote for the government's finance bill or submit letters of no confidence, the Daily Telegraph reported, citing backers and critics of the prime minister.

Asked whether he was nervous about the dropping pound, falling stock markets and rising cost of government borrowing, Mr Kwarteng said: "We've got to have a much more front-footed approach to growth and that's what my Friday statement was all about.

"I think that if we can get some of the reforms... if we get business back on its feet, we can get this country moving and we can grow our economy, and that's what my focus is 100% about."

He refused to comment on market movements, saying: "I've been focused on the longer term and the medium term, and I think it was absolutely necessary that we had a long-term growth plan."

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2022-09-26 08:46:15Z
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Minggu, 25 September 2022

Pound sinks to record low against the dollar as chancellor and prime minister defend mini-budget - Sky News

The pound has fallen to a record low against the dollar amid a fresh investor rush towards the US currency globally.

Sterling slipped by nearly 5% early on Monday to $1.0327 - building on fresh 1985 lows seen on Friday after UK chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled the biggest programme of tax cuts for 50 years.

The £45bn tax-slashing package saw the market deliver a verdict on whether the public finances would be sustainable.

The pound plunged below its all-time low against the greenback of $1.054 early on Monday in Asian trading, fuelling fears at that time that parity was even possible.

However, it later stabilised around $1.05405 - still 3% below the previous session's close.

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Both the chancellor and Prime Minister Liz Truss defended their programme.

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Ms Truss rejected comparisons with US President Joe Biden's approach after he said he was "sick and tired of trickle-down economics".

Asked whether she was "recklessly running up the deficit," Ms Truss said: "I don't really accept the premise of the question at all".

Mr Kwarteng suggested his announcements were just the beginning of the government's agenda to revive the UK's stagnant economy.

"I think that if we can get some of the reforms... if we get business back on its feet, we can get this country moving and we can grow our economy, and that's what my focus is 100% about."

He refused to comment on market movements, saying: "I've been focused on the longer term and the medium term, and I think it was absolutely necessary that we had a long-term growth plan."

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Kwasi Kwarteng doubles down on tax cuts as Tories brace for investors' verdict - Financial Times

UK chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has vowed to double down on his controversial tax-cutting drive despite investor jitters, leaving Conservative MPs and traders braced for further market turbulence.

Kwarteng said on Sunday that there was “more to come” and insisted that Friday’s announcement of £45bn in tax cuts was just the start.

After the announcement the pound dropped to its lowest point since 1985, and many Tory MPs have privately expressed fears that sterling will take another pummelling this week. Leading economists and investors warned that the Bank of England might have to introduce emergency interest rate rises to prop up the currency.

Kwarteng told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “We’ve only been here [in government] 19 days. I want to see, over the next year, people retain more of their income.”

Kwarteng argues that tax cuts will bolster growth, but investors took fright on Friday after he announced a massive expansion of government borrowing, including an extra £72bn of extra debt before next April.

A succession of Tory grandees have expressed doubts about his plan.

Lord Ken Clarke, a former chancellor, denounced the idea that tax cuts for the wealthy made them work harder. “I’m afraid that’s the kind of thing that’s usually tried in Latin American countries without success,” he said.

Meanwhile George Osborne, another former Tory chancellor, told Channel 4’s Andrew Neil Show that he had concerns, although he found it refreshing that prime minister Liz Truss and Kwarteng were “conviction politicians”.

“You can’t just borrow your way to a low-tax economy,” he said. “Fundamentally the schizophrenia has to be resolved. You can’t have small-state taxes and big-state spending.”

Many Tory MPs fear that Kwarteng’s borrowing spree will fuel inflation and force up interest rates, with higher mortgage payments swallowing up the effect of the income tax cut.

“The market reaction on Monday will set the tone for the week ahead,” said one former minister.

Some market participants said rapid interest rate rises may be needed to stave off inflationary pressure and shore up confidence in sterling.

Sushil Wadhwani, an asset manager and former Bank of England policymaker, said it was “highly likely” that the pound would come under “significant downward pressure” in the coming days.

“If I were still at the BoE, I would be tempted to announce an extra meeting in a week,” Wadhwani said.

Mohamed El-Erian, president of Queens’ College, Cambridge and an adviser to leading investors Allianz and Gramercy, said: “There will be a significant expectation of the Bank of England doing something, being more hawkish.”

Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute and a former BoE Monetary Policy Committee member, said: “The key issue is that the Bank of England at this point has to take the pound’s value into account when setting policy in a way it hasn’t had to since 1992.”

He said the central bank might be forced by market volatility to act before the next scheduled MPC meeting in November. Asked whether it would hold an emergency meeting, the BoE declined to comment.

The Treasury tried to reassure markets that the new chancellor would not incur even more borrowing by increasing public spending before the election. “While driving economic growth and tackling high inflation, we will continue to take a responsible and disciplined approach to spending,” it said in a statement.

“It’s more important than ever that departments work efficiently to manage within existing budgets, focusing on unlocking growth and delivering high-quality public services,” the Treasury said. “The government is rightly focused on the immediate priorities of the economy, energy and the health service this winter. We will announce further details on our approach to future spending in due course.”

Tory MPs speculated that the chancellor could unfreeze personal tax allowances and thresholds in a full Budget expected to take place next year, along with removing the 60 per cent effective tax rate on earnings between £100,000-£125,000 caused by the tapering off of the personal allowance.

Speaking at the start of the Labour conference in Liverpool, party leader Sir Keir Starmer said he would reverse Kwarteng’s decision to scrap the 45 per cent additional income tax rate on earnings above £150,000 but would retain the cut in the basic rate from 20 per cent to 19 per cent.

Work by researchers Andy Summers and Arun Advani at the London School of Economics and Warwick University based on data from tax returns suggested that 46 per cent of the gains from the abolition of the 45 per cent rate would go to people with annual incomes over £1mn.

Summers said that “£1bn in gains will go to just 2,500 individuals, who each have income in excess of £3.5mn”.

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2022-09-25 20:00:58Z
1562042292

Man arrested at airport on suspicion of attempted murder after four hit by car - Sky News

Four men have been injured - two critically - after a hit-and-run in west London.

A 20-year-old man was arrested at nearby Heathrow Airport on suspicion of attempted murder just before 7pm.

Police said he had booked a flight and was planning to leave the country.

The Metropolitan Police were called at 2.43am on Sunday after reports four people had been hit by a car in Kingsley Road, close to the junction with Taunton Avenue, in Hounslow.

The pedestrians, all men in their early 20s, were taken to hospital, where two remain in a critical condition.

The two others were treated for non-life changing injuries.

'Justice for victims'

The driver of the car did not stop at the scene, police said.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Thrower said: "This was a serious incident that will have shocked the local community.

"Two men are in hospital fighting for their lives, and our thoughts are with them and their families.

"We will continue at pace as we work to establish what happened and to get justice for the victims.

"I would continue to urge anyone with information to come forward."

A second man was also arrested nearby on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Information can be provided by calling 101 or tweeting @MetCC with the reference 921/25SEP or call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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2022-09-25 20:38:08Z
1580983740

Bristol: Man dies and 90 evacuated in serious flats fire - BBC

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A man has died after a fire in a block of flats in Bristol.

Emergency services were called shortly after 02:15 BST to Twinnell House on Wills Drive, off Stapleton Road.

Avon and Somerset Police confirmed one man died in the incident and eight other people were in hospital, with ninety residents evacuated.

Bristol City Council said its thoughts were with the family of the individual "who has tragically lost their life in this incident".

Several residents reported not hearing any alarms, but temporary assistant chief fire officer Vaughan Jenkins from Avon Fire and Rescue said all fire alarms were working properly, and that there were no communal alarms in line with building regulations.

Residents of the block have described being woken by people screaming and police knocking on their doors.

Terry Wootten, 73, who has lived in the block for 32 years, said he heard screams in the early hours and got himself out of the building after seeing a crowd outside.

Mohammed Ahmed, has been living in the flats for 10 years and also heard shouting.

He said: "I woke up and checked the window and saw someone shouting 'there's a fire, fire', then I had to come out quickly.

"When I was coming down from the stairs I met one of the policemen who was passing me, going up."

He said police went door-to-door to wake people up.

Leyla Touati said her neighbour banged on her door for 20 minutes to get her family out as she hadn't heard any alarm.

"Everyone was still sleeping," she said.

"He didn't give up, he was just knocking and knocking which shows the community is really strong round here."

Salah Khanog, has lived on the eighth floor of the block for nearly 10 years.

He said: "I've been knocked on by the police and told to run out as soon as possible, and that's how I got out.

"It was kind of nervous, kind of terrifying, thank God I went out and ran out. "

Mr Khanog said he did not understand why he had not heard an alarm.

Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said the fire service had not raised any concerns about fire alarms with him but said it would be investigated.

"There was an organised evacuation of the top floors and then people exited in the lower floors," he said.

"When we have got the investigation into what happened, how it was managed, we will be able to share more there.

"I'd be wary about sparking undue fears, people were exited from the building, but if there is anything that we find wanting about the fire safety in this building we will be open about that and take action."

A rest stop has been set up which is providing support to 40 people at St. Nicholas Of Tolentino RC Church, Lawfords Gate, by Bristol City Council.

The authority confirmed emergency accommodation would be offered to those who needed it.

Supt Tony Blatchford said: "This is a tragic incident in which a man has lost his life.

"While formal identification has not yet been carried out, we believe we know who the man is and have informed his next of kin.

"Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

"Enquiries into what happened have already begun and we will work closely with the fire service to fully understand what started the fire and how the man sadly died.

"I'd like to thank those who have been evacuated from their homes for their co-operation and understanding and promise them all agencies are working hard to enable them to return home as quickly as possible."

Avon Fire and Rescue Service sent eleven fire engines to the scene along with two turntable ladders and other specialist vehicles and said the fire was quickly extinguished.

Dave Hodges, Avon Fire and Rescue Service Duty Group Commander, said upper floors were affected by smoke and fire and water damage had affected many flats on lower floors.

He explained crews faced a "serious fire" on the 16th floor upon arrival.

"The fire has now been contained and fire crews remain in attendance making the scene safe," he said.

He added: "Our sincere condolences go to the friends and family of the deceased."

Wills Drive is closed while emergency services remain at the scene and police expect the cordon to remain around the building until it has been assessed to be safe.

The people treated in hospital include one with minor burns and seven suffering from smoke inhalation.

Three others were treated by the ambulance service at the scene.

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: "Our thoughts are with the family of the individual who has tragically lost their life in this incident."

They added they were grateful to all emergency services and council officers who responded.

"Residents affected by this tragic incident are being supported and those who require it will be helped into emergency accommodation whilst their homes remain inaccessible," they said.

“As a Councillor, community member and a father, I am heartbroken by what has taken place at Twinnell House this morning. It is so sad to hear that one of the residents has lost his life in such tragic circumstances”.
— Cllr Yassin Mohamud (@YassinMohamud20) September 25, 2022

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter

South Western Ambulance Service allocated seven double-crewed ambulances, one rapid response vehicle, an operations officer, a doctor, and the hazardous area response team.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk

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2022-09-25 12:39:42Z
1580956708

Sabtu, 24 September 2022

Liz Truss's plan for more migrants to boost growth - The Times

Liz Truss is facing her first cabinet row as she prepares to increase immigration to boost economic growth.

The prime minister is pushing for wide-ranging reform of Britain’s visa system to tackle acute labour shortages and attract the best talent from across the world.

In the coming weeks she intends to raise the cap on seasonal agricultural workers and make changes to the shortage occupations list, which will allow key sectors to recruit more overseas staff.

Truss has told colleagues that she is keen to recruit overseas broadband engineers to support the government’s pledge to make full-fibre broadband available to 85 per cent of UK homes by 2025. It has also been suggested that she could ease the English-language requirement in some sectors to enable

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2022-09-24 23:01:00Z
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Senin, 26 September 2022

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Minggu, 25 September 2022

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Sabtu, 24 September 2022