A West Midlands haulage company has said thieves are motivated by rising fuel prices after they stole 400 litres of diesel. Martin Pinches, director of M Pinches & Sons Ltd in Worcester, said the fuel was stolen from two vehicles at the weekend. “[It happened] because of the price of …

For households across England, Scotland and Wales, standing charges, fixed daily fees customers pay regardless of usage, will be removed from gas bills, while the VAT cut on electricity bills has been extended until July. Import taxes are to be removed on more than 100 food products, including gherkins and …

Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, has apologised and ended its merchandise partnership with a controversial Japanese TV show after drawing backlash in China. Vivant, a popular spy thriller, has been widely slammed in Chinese state media and by Chinese social media users for its depiction of Chinese agents using …

Access Denied You don’t have permission to access “http://news.sky.com/story/ofwat-hands-ey-15m-contract-to-monitor-troubled-thames-water-13604859” on this server. Reference #18.8eb00f17.1793245485.70b53b7 https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.8eb00f17.1793245485.70b53b7 Source link

Although Japan has increasingly marked Halloween, external in recent years, many Japanese people take ghosts seriously all year round. The country has a word, “yuurei”, which means a lingering, troubled spirit. These are the ghosts of people who died in violent or tragic circumstances – those who were murdered, killed …

The BBC’s Esyllt Carr explains how the chancellor’s spending plans impact young people. BBC News

Import tariffs on more than 100 items – including garlic, gherkins and plant-based milk – are being removed. BBC News

The Office for Budget Responsibility says higher energy prices will impact everything from prices and living standards to economic growth. BBC News

Elon Musk is a “real genius”, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday after revealing the two are in “close” contact about satellite technology. The remarks came during the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, during which Putin discussed Russia’s own satellite internet project Rassvet, which provides internet connections to people from …

The Budget contained plans to help people get onto the housing ladder, including the introduction of a “First Time Buyer Isa”. This is an account in which savers can build up a deposit, with the government topping up contributions of up to £4,000 each year with a 25% bonus. The …

What the Budget means for you in under a minute BBC News

So the chancellor appears to have bought himself some breathing space. But that means some big questions have been postponed until another day, not least on public services. Higher-than-expected inflation may mean that if areas such as health and defence are prioritised, budgets for some other “unprotected” areas – justice …

The money will appear in the bank account which you pay council tax with from the start of January. Students living in halls will not get the payment because student halls are not in council tax bands A to D. However, if you’re a student living in a property which …

Wages have risen sharply to keep up with inflation in recent years, making the impact of the first five years of this policy quite noticeable. If the personal allowance had risen with inflation over the last five years, you would now be able to take home the first £16,070 of …

Access Denied You don’t have permission to access “http://news.sky.com/story/jpmorgan-chase-faces-100m-plus-tax-bill-from-healey-raid-13604869” on this server. Reference #18.8eb00f17.1793199092.51cb39f https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.8eb00f17.1793199092.51cb39f Source link

The chancellor has effectively revived cost-of-living payments, by announcing a £100 automatic payment made directly into bank accounts. He said that 20 million homes in council tax bands A to D in England will receive a £100 “Household Energy Payment”, funded by extra tax on banks. You can find your …

A shelter says it has looked after 150 more cats and kittens this summer than last year. BBC News

BBC Radio Manchester spoke to a burger restaurant amid the chancellor’s budget announcements. BBC News

Access Denied You don’t have permission to access “http://news.sky.com/story/ex-city-minister-raises-millions-for-ai-insurance-start-up-i23-13604753” on this server. Reference #18.8eb00f17.1793187131.46bca79 https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.8eb00f17.1793187131.46bca79 Source link

Employees should legally be able to find out what their colleagues are earning, the UK’s equality watchdog has said. Bosses should be required to respond to questionaires about colleagues’ pay to cut pay discrimination, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has proposed, external. In addition, employers should be prevented …