Final day of campaigning begins ahead of Thursday’s local elections

Politicians and canvassers are beginning their final day of campaigning ahead of Thursday’s local elections.

Voters in England and Wales will go to the polls on May 2 for local, mayoral, and police and crime commissioner elections.

The polls are the final test of public opinion at the ballot box ahead of the next general election, which Rishi Sunak has said will come in the second half of 2024.

UK removes first failed asylum seeker to Rwanda via voluntary scheme

A failed asylum seeker has been sent to Rwanda, under a voluntary scheme separate to the government’s flagship deportation plan.

The unnamed man is the first to have voluntarily moved to Rwanda after being offered up to £3,000 financial aid and sent on a commercial flight to the central African country, the PA news agency understands.

The voluntary return scheme was widened to include Rwanda as a destination earlier this year. It is separate from the Conservative government’s plan to deport to the central African country those arriving via small boats in the English Channel.

Murder suspect remains in hospital after boy, 14, killed in sword rampage

A murder suspect remains in hospital after a 14-year-old boy was killed and four others were injured in a stabbing in east London.

A 36-year-old man was tasered and arrested in Hainault on Tuesday morning, then taken to hospital, after sustaining injuries when his van hit a house.

Four other people were injured in the attack – two Met officers who suffered wounds that require surgery, but are not life-threatening, and two members of the public whose injuries are also not thought to be life-threatening.

New trial will aim to find best way to screen men for prostate cancer

Methods of screening men for prostate cancer are set to be trialled in a bid to save thousands of lives in the UK each year.

The £42m project, known as Transform, has been hailed as ‘a pivotal moment in the history of prostate cancer research’ by experts.

It is also hoped the research will help men avoid harm from potentially unnecessary biopsies and treatment. There is currently no screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK.

Two men charged over felling of Sycamore Gap tree

Two men have been charged with causing criminal damage following the felling of the famous Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland.

Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, will appear in court next month, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

The much-photographed tree, which stood next to Hadrian’s Wall for 200 years, was chopped down in September last year, causing a national outrage.

Judge fines Trump for contempt and raises threat of jail in hush money trial

Donald Trump has been held in contempt of court and fined 9,000 dollars (£7,100) for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case.

And if he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.

Prosecutors had alleged 10 violations, but New York Judge Juan M Merchan found there were nine.

Tuesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed

• Inchcape buyer Group 1 Automotive announces £600m profit for Q1
• Stellantis posts difficult start to the year as shipments and revenues take a tumble
• Demand for new cars remains strong thanks to tempting discounts – Auto Trader
• Ben launches latest Industry Leader Challenge as well known faces prepare to take on Sahara

Lidl plans hundreds of new supermarket openings across Britain

Lidl plans to open hundreds more supermarkets across Britain and is offering more than £20,000 to people who help it secure new sites.

The German discount chain, which is now the UK’s sixth biggest supermarket, is targeting thousands of new shoppers as it continues its expansion across the nation.

Lidl said it is looking for sites for new stores in a swathe of locations, and is eyeing major expansion in cities including Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool and London.

East Lothian street cabinet converted into EV charger in UK first

Residents in an East Lothian town can charge their electronic vehicles for free after an old street cabinet was converted into a charging point for the first time in UK history, the BT Group has announced.

The green metal cabinet in Haddington, near Edinburgh, was selected as the first pilot in a UK-wide trial which could eventually see 4,800 BT-owned street cabinets in Scotland converted into charging points.

The hope is that converting the cabinets, which are usually used to store telephone and broadband cables, will address the shortage of public charging points, which, the BT Group says, is currently deterring many people from switching to an electronic vehicle (EV).

Renault lowers Megane E-Tech starting price and boosts standard equipment level

Renault has lowered the price of its Megane E-Tech and added more equipment as standard.

The small electric crossover, which rivals the likes of the Volvo EX30 and Smart #1, now has a price tag of £33,995 – £500 less than before – with the French manufacturer also boosting the standard spec.

It now boasts a patented heat pump, while the Techno and Iconic trim levels also receive a 12-inch screen for the OpenR link infotainment system, as well as adaptive cruise control.

Weather

Sunshine and showers for the east today, while the west of the UK will have more sunny spells, reports BBC Weather. Heavy, possibly thundery rain could arrive in the south and southern Wales later on, though. Highs of 20 degrees.

The south and southern Wales will be drenched tonight, possibly experiencing thunderstorms. Cloudy and dry elsewhere.

• Join our breaking news WhatsApp group
• Car Dealer Power 2024: Vote now!
• Sign up for daily email Car Dealer news bulletins
• Listen to the latest Car Dealer Podcast
• Read the latest digital issue of Car Dealer Magazine

The post May 1: Boy, 14, killed in sword rampage; Lidl plans 100s of new stores; Renault cuts Megane price appeared first on Car Dealer Magazine.