Boris Johnson newest information: Rishi Sunak urged to delay Nationwide Insurance coverage rise as Ben Wallace hoax name launched

The worth of grocery store hen will quickly enhance due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, atmosphere secretary George Eustice mentioned.

The minister additionally warned that Britons face meals value rises of as much as 8 per cent this summer season, as chancellor Rishi Sunak comes below stress to assist households battling the sky-high prices of residing.

Mr Eustice warned that world value rises in wheat, of which Ukraine is a giant provider, would have a wider impression on UK meals prices.

In a speech to the Meals and Drink Federation, the minister mentioned the rising prices of feed utilized by poultry farmers would have a very sturdy impression of the worth of hen on the grocery store.

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Alisher Usmanov might have hidden his belongings in irrevocable trusts to cover them from authorities earlier than being sanctioned over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the billionaire Russian oligarch was sanctioned by the UK authorities over of his “shut hyperlinks to the Kremlin”.

Mr Usmanov owns Beechwood Home in Highgate, north-west London, and estimated it’s value £48 million, in addition to the sixteenth century Sutton Place property in Surrey.

However his spokesman mentioned most of his property in Britain and his yacht had “way back” been transferred to irrevocable trusts.

“From that time on, Mr Usmanov didn’t personal them, nor was he in a position to handle them or take care of their sale, however might solely use them on a rental foundation. Mr Usmanov withdrew from the beneficiaries of the trusts, donating his useful rights to his household,” he added.

Teams representing pursuits of small and massive companies are calling on the chancellor, forward of his spring assertion tomorrow, to supply funding for sky-high vitality prices.

They’re asking Rishi Sunak to provide corporations comparable ranges of funding that have been provided to households to fulfill the prices, that may enhance by about 50 per cent subsequent month because of the next vitality value cap.

“We argue that, given the size of the associated fee will increase that companies are dealing with, that it will be proper for the chancellor to step in and supply one thing analogous to that assist that was offered to households,” mentioned Paul Wilson, coverage director on the Federation of Small Companies.

Some rebates may very well be made by means of the enterprise charges system, whereas corporations that don’t pay enterprise charges may very well be helped by means of a discretionary fund, Mr Wilson instructed MPs on the Enterprise, Power and Industrial Technique Committee.

Representatives of larger firms additionally referred to as for further assist from the federal government.

 Sir Keir Starmer has referred to as on ministers to “ramp up” sanctions on Russia to “cripple” its means to perform.

The Labour chief mentioned Western powers wanted to proceed supporting Ukraine – together with supplying extra navy tools – whereas avoiding direct battle with Russia.

“All people understands why each step needs to be taken to forestall this escalating right into a direct Nato on Russia battle,” he instructed BBC Radio 4’s The World At One.

“That’s the reason we have to present extra navy assist, that’s why sanctions should be ramped up once more additional and quicker and that’s why we have to have a stronger, extra compassionate humanitarian response.

“What we have to do is to proceed to supply that stage of assist, proceed to assist the Ukrainians, and ramp up these sanctions which must transcend simply isolating Russia. They should cripple its means to perform.”

Downing Avenue indicated it won’t take away work restrictions on asylum seekers regardless of stress from quite a lot of Tory MPs.

The MPs have referred to as on the federal government to halve the period of time refugees have to attend earlier than they’re allowed to begin work to 6 months.

The federal government’s Nationality and Borders Invoice will return to the Commons immediately, and ministers will search to overturn “disappointing” amendments made to it within the Lords – Boris Johnson’s official spokesman mentioned.

He added: “Asylum seekers are already allowed to work within the UK if their declare has been excellent for 12 months or extra by means of no fault of their very own that is still the case following a evaluate of the system.

“Clearly we need to keep away from incentivising unfounded asylum claims and it’s essential to differentiate between those that want safety and people looking for to work right here, who can apply for work visas.”

Prank video calls to ministers are getting used as a distraction from Russia’s “unlawful actions in Ukraine”, No 10 mentioned.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman mentioned he didn’t need “to provide this kind of tried disinformation oxygen”.

It comes after defence secretary was referred to as up by a person pretending to be Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal to speak about nuclear weapons for Ukraine. House secretary Priti Patel additionally fell sufferer to the callers.

Mr Johnson’s spokesman mentioned: “It’s commonplace apply for Russian info operations to attempt to use these techniques, it seeks to be a distraction from their unlawful actions in Ukraine, their human rights abuses, and so we won’t be distracted from our objective in guaranteeing Putin should fail in Ukraine.”

Downing Avenue has mentioned a brand new jail time period handed to Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was the continuation of “trumped up prices that Putin makes use of towards people who search to carry him to account”.

At present, Mr Navalny was sentenced to 9 years in jail on prices of large-scale fraud and contempt of court docket.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman mentioned: “Our ideas are with Alexei Navalny and his household as he continues to point out unbelievable bravery in standing as much as Putin regime.”

Mr Navalny, 45, was arrested in January 2021 after returning to Russia from Germany the place he had been recovering from nerve agent poisoning.

He blames the poisoning on the Kremlin, which Vladimir Putin’s authorities has denied.

Mr Navalny is serving a three-and-a-half 12 months sentence on prices he stole £3.5m of donations to his political organisations, which he denies.

Final month, he was tried on the recent fraud prices contained in the maximum-security jail east of Moscow the place he’s detained.

The transport secretary has praised Gibraltar for seizing a yacht belonging to a Russian oligarch with hyperlinks to Vladimir Putin.

Grant Shapps mentioned: “It’s not solely right here within the UK Putin’s cronies aren’t welcome, however in all of our abroad territories too.

“Gibraltar has mirrored the sanctions I launched on Russian-owned vessels – resulting in the seizure of, oligarch, Dmitry Pumpyansky’s tremendous yacht.”

Authorities within the British territory earlier confirmed that they had seized a vessel owned by Dmitry Pumpyansky.

The 72-metre lengthy boat is value round $75million (£57m).

The federal government’s “imaginative and prescient” for Brexit is about eliminating “gold-plated” EU laws, Jacob Rees-Mogg has mentioned.

Talking at a parliamentary committee on Tuesday the Brexit alternatives minister mentioned the EU had “imposed” laws on the UK and that it was his job to eliminate them.

Our coverage correspondent Jon Stone experiences: