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Housebuilders should lower buyers’ bills with solar panels on every roof, renewable energy charity and company chiefs have urged. The seven chief executives and directors have called on Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to back the Sunshine Bill when MPs debate it in the new year. If MPs back the draft legislation, which the Liberal Democrats’ Max Wilkinson tabled for a debate on January 17, it would bake into law a standard for newbuilds to come with solar panels on their roofs. Mr Wilkinson said the proposal is “just really, really obvious” amid efforts to reduce carbon emissions and lower costs. “Taking this one simple step would pay back to new homeowners, via lower energy bills, in just a few short years, helping protect homeowners from high and fluctuating energy bills,” according to the letter. It continued: “Pressure on the wider grid would be reduced and the likely outcome would be a reduction in the country’s emissions too, in line with climate change targets.” Its signatories, among them Ecotricity chief executive Asif Rehmanwala and E.On Next director of residential newbuild Matthew Hart, also wrote: “The twin crises of high energy bills and climate change present this country with many challenges, but there are also a number of solutions that could be relatively easily implemented. “One of those solutions is the inclusion of solar energy on newbuild residential accommodation.” Mr Wilkinson said: “Following the shortest day of the year (Saturday), it’s time the Government finally commits to a sunnier future.” He told the PA news agency: “One of the things that I think is just really, really obvious is that when we’re building new homes, they should be built to high standards of energy efficiency and that they should include renewable energy generation, because that’s good for the planet, but also, it’s really, really good for people’s bills. “We all know that we’ve had the energy bills crisis over the last few years and fuel bills for households remain stubbornly high, so it seems obvious that we should put solar panels on the roofs of houses, so those bills are going to be lower.” The MP for Cheltenham in Gloucestershire described adding solar panels to the tune of “a few thousand pounds” as “marginal” against the cost of building a property, which “pays back to the new homeowner within five or six years anyway, so it really is a win-win”. Asked how far the Sunshine Bill – formally known as the New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill – could go in tackling climate change, Mr Wilkinson replied: “There are the big international impacts that you’re talking about on climate change, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make those marginal gains locally where we can, particularly when they can have a really profound positive impact on people’s day-to-day lives.” He said: “All I want this Christmas is for the Government to support the Sunshine Bill. Lower energy bills would be the perfect gift not just for me, but for the nation.” A Government spokesperson said in an October press release that they “want solar panels on as many new homes as possible, because they are a vital technology to help cut bills for families, boost our national energy security, and help deliver net zero”. But the press release confirmed a final decision on the amount of solar panels that new homes will typically be expected to include is “yet to be made”, and that it is “a fundamental principle of building regulations that we do not constrain innovation by prescribing any specific technology”. Mr Miliband previously said he was “very sympathetic” to Mr Wilkinson’s proposal. Asked about plans for “new homes to come with solar panels on the roof as standard”, Mr Miliband told the Commons last Tuesday: “I am very, very sympathetic to this, and we are in discussions with our colleagues across Government and watch this space.” Published: 22/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

A “perfect storm” of bad weather and millions of travellers has resulted in disruption at the start of the Christmas getaway period – with some flights and ferries cancelled due to high winds. The Met Office said yellow warnings for wind, which came into force at 7am on Saturday, are expected to remain in place until 9pm on Sunday. Warnings remain in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and in England the warnings cover the North East, North West, South West and West Midlands as well as Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire. Heathrow Airport announced a “small number of flights” had been cancelled due to “strong winds and airspace restriction” and British Airways said disruption was likely to continue throughout the weekend. A spokesperson for the airline said: “Due to adverse weather this weekend, restrictions have been put on the number of flights able to take off and land at Heathrow and therefore we’ve had to make a small number of cancellations. “We’re offering free flight changes for those customers booked on short-haul services who don’t wish to travel this weekend, and we will be offering rebooking and refund options as always to those whose journeys are disrupted as a result of the restrictions. “While the vast majority of our customers will travel as planned, our teams are working hard to help those who have been affected get their travel plans back on track at this important time of year.” P&O Ferries said journeys between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled until at least 8pm on Sunday. CalMac, which operates ferry services on Scotland’s west coast, said 29 of its 30 routes were either cancelled or affected by disruption on Sunday. Rail operator ScotRail announced that speed restrictions would be in place for part of the route between Glasgow and Oban/Mallaig, and the Inverness service to Kyle/Wick. It comes amid warnings of a “perfect storm” created by bad weather and congestion on the roads. The AA predicted 21.3 million drivers will hit the road on Sunday while 22.7 million had been expected on Saturday, slightly fewer than the 23.7 million on Friday which was expected to be the busiest day on the roads since the group’s records began in 2010. A spokesperson said “if the congestion wasn’t enough of a headache, the inclement weather could create the perfect storm”. “We advise those heading out to allow extra time to travel and increase the distance between themselves and other road users.” The RAC estimated seven million leisure trips would be made on major roads during the weekend, which excludes everyday traffic. It predicted that congestion hotspots will be on both directions of the M1 to Gatwick via the M25 and the M23; Liverpool to Chester on the M53; Oxford to the south coast via the A34 and the M3; the M25 to the south coast along the M3; and at the Taunton to Almondsbury Interchange in Bristol heading down the M5. Published: 22/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

A quarter (25%) of 18 to 34-year-olds expect the cost of Christmas to put them into debt, a survey has found. This is higher than 17% among all age groups who said this, according to the research commissioned by lender Creditspring. Four in 10 (39%) young adults said they are reliant on their savings to pay for Christmas, which was also higher than the UK average of 32%. Three in 10 (29%) 18 to 34-year-olds also said they would be relying on cash from family members or friends to cover the cost of Christmas, compared with the average across the survey of 14%. A quarter (25%) of people are planning to set financial new year resolutions in January. Neil Kadagathur, chief executive and co-founder of Creditspring, suggested that people understand the full cost of their borrowing; make sure they are not missing out on any benefits or schemes such as the Household Support Fund; and try to stick to a budget rather than borrowing in order to live beyond their means. He said people should also bear in mind that overspending or being reliant on credit during periods such as Christmas can potentially affect finances for the rest of the year. Borrowers who are struggling can seek information from the Government-backed MoneyHelper website and from charities such as StepChange and Citizens Advice. Mr Kadagathur said: “A new year often marks a time when we look to get our finances in order, but many people are going to enter January on the back foot and already under intense financial strain.” Opinium surveyed 2,000 people across the UK in November and December for the research. Published: 22/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Tyson Fury’s mission to avenge his only professional defeat ended in crushing disappointment as he lost on a unanimous points decision to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh. Another classic encounter between the well-matched rivals ended with Usyk retaining his WBC, WBA and WBO belts by finishing 116-112 ahead on all three judges’ scorecards. It was a fair reflection of the Ukrainian’s control of the rematch given he set the pace for most of the 12 rounds and was the harder worker, landing more frequently and with greater impact. Fury described his grim-faced demeanour this week as “beast mode” and while his greater focus was evident on a night when there was no showboating, he was unable to make a dent on the extraordinary Usyk. Usyk’s performance confirmed his status as an all-time great and the 37-year-old will now look to become undisputed champion for the second time by toppling IBF champion Daniel Dubois. Fury entered the fight at a fully-clothed 20stones 1lbs, almost four stones heavier than Usyk, and right from the start he took to the centre of the ring, showing more intent to carry the fight to his opponent. Towering over the champion, the Briton spat out his jab but he was also taking shots to the body and by the second round he was being stalked around the ring by Usyk – a theme of the first fight. The pace was being set by Usyk but both fighters were landing in a lively start to the clash with Fury’s jab causing problems. Usyk connected with two big left hands in a fourth round that ebbed and flowed and as the fight approached the halfway stage it was desperately close. Fury staggered the Ukrainian with a short left uppercut and having taken a flurry of blows to his body, he hit back with intent. Unlike their first meeting which saw the Briton suffer the first loss of his career, there was no grandstanding from the challenger. The fifth was the Gypsy King’s best round yet as he imposed his size and power, all while working behind his pinpoint jab, but he was caught several times in the sixth. Fury’s output began to drop and he was being driven backwards with Usyk’s left hand giving him plenty of problems. It was relentless pressure from Usyk, who put together a lovely sequence of shots in the eighth and finished the three minutes by backing Fury up against the ropes. The ninth round was the turning point in May when 36-year-old Fury was saved by the bell and while those dramatics were missing this time, Usyk was showing similar purpose as he continued to build momentum. He swarmed over the bigger man in the 10th but also took shots himself and as the last two rounds arrived it was Fury who needed to do something special to catch the judges’ eyes. A storming final round saw the rivals exchange blows with each having their moments in a high quality finish full of courage and skill. Once again the judges were called upon to separate the two and there could be no complaints as Usyk emerged a conclusive winner on each card to continue his reign as the division’s dominant force. Published: 22/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Germans have mourned the victims of an apparent attack in which authorities say a doctor drove into a busy outdoor Christmas market, killing five people and injuring 200 others. The alleged attack on Friday evening in Magdeburg, about 80 miles west of Berlin, killed a nine-year-old and four adults and injured 41 people badly enough that authorities warned the death toll could rise. Magdeburg marked the tragedy on Saturday with the tolling church bells at 7.04pm, the exact time of the attack in the city of roughly 240,000 people. The driver, a 50-year-old doctor who immigrated from Saudi Arabia in 2006, surrendered to police at the scene. He’s being investigated for five counts of suspected murder and 205 counts of suspected attempted murder, prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens said at a news conference. Among other things, investigators are looking into whether the attack could have been motivated by the suspect’s dissatisfaction with the way Germany treats Saudi refugees, Mr Nopens said. “There is no more peaceful and cheerful place than a Christmas market,” Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. “What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality.” Although Mr Nopens mentioned the treatment of Saudi immigrants angle, authorities said on Saturday that they still did not know why the suspect drove his black BMW into the crowded market. Police have not publicly named the suspect, but several German news outlets identified him as Taleb A, withholding his last name in line with privacy laws, and reported that he was a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Describing himself as a former Muslim, the suspect appears to have been an active user of the social media platform X, sharing dozens of tweets and retweets daily focusing on anti-Islam themes, criticising the religion and congratulating Muslims who had left the faith. He also accused German authorities of failing to do enough to combat what he referred to as the “Islamification of Europe”. The violence shocked Germany and Magdeburg, which is the capital of the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, bringing its mayor to the verge of tears and marring the centuries-old German tradition of Christmas markets. It led several other communities to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution and out of solidarity with Magdeburg’s loss. Berlin kept its many markets open but increased its police presence at them. Germany has suffered a string of extremist attacks in recent years, including a knife attack that killed three people and wounded eight at a festival in the western city of Solingen in August. Friday’s attack came eight years after an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 13 people and injuring many others. The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy. Mr Scholz and interior minister Nancy Faeser travelled to Magdeburg, where a memorial service took place on Saturday. Ms Faeser ordered flags lowered to half-staff at government buildings across the country. Although many people went to the site with candles to mourn the victims, several hundred far-right protesters gathered in a central square in Magdeburg with a banner that read “remigration”, German news agency dpa reported. Verified bystander footage distributed by dpa showed the suspect’s arrest at a tram stop in the middle of the road. A nearby police officer pointing a handgun at the man shouted at him as he lay prone, his head arched up slightly. Other officers swarmed around the suspect and took him into custody. Thi Linh Chi Nguyen, a 34-year-old manicurist from Vietnam whose salon is in a shopping centre across from the Christmas market, was on the phone during a break when she heard loud bangs that she thought were fireworks. She then saw a car drive through the market at high speed. People screamed and a child was thrown into the air by the car. Shaking as she described what she had witnessed, she recalled seeing the car bursting out of the market and turning right onto Ernst-Reuter-Allee street and then coming to a standstill at the tram stop where the suspect was arrested. The number of injured people was overwhelming. “My husband and I helped them for two hours. He ran back home and grabbed as many blankets as he could find because they didn’t have enough to cover the injured people. And it was so cold,” she said. The market itself was still cordoned off on Saturday with red and white tape and police vans, as armed officers guarded at every entrance. Some thermal security blankets still lay on the street. Published: 22/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

The Wanted star Max George has revealed his pacemaker has been fitted after an operation to address a 2:1 heart block. On Saturday, the singer shared a photo to Instagram of his scar, which sits just below a “special tattoo” on the left side of his chest that says 04/08/1998, in reference to the birthday of his late bandmate Tom Parker, who died in 2022. George, 36, who announced he had been taken to hospital due to “issues with my heart”, earlier in the month, said the pacemaker was “the best Christmas present”. He wrote: “Say hello to my little friend! “Given the last 10 days, this is the best Christmas present I could’ve ever wished for. “Pacemaker is in. Operation took around two and a half hours. The main issue being some of my veins had collapsed where the wires were meant to go… But the surgeons and nurses at the NHS have been incredible. I owe everything to them. “The surgeon kindly put my pacemaker just underneath a very special tattoo of mine.. So I’m sure it’s being looked after. “Few more tests to do due to inflamed lymph nodes on my lungs, but that’ll be easy work! “Time to rest and then tackle life full on once again. “Thank you for all your support. It’s meant a hell of a lot to myself and my family.” Published: 21/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Manchester City’s abysmal run of form continued with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa thanks to goals in each half from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers. Both sides let late leads slip to defeat last week but Villa ensured victory in rather comfortable fashion to condemn the current Premier League champions to a sixth defeat in their last eight league matches. City gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Phil Foden got them on the board with a minute to play but it proved too late and Unai Emery’s side climbed above City in the Premier League table. Guardiola made four changes from Sunday’s late implosion to neighbours Manchester United as Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne dropped out of the side alongside Ederson and the injured Ruben Dias. Unai Emery opted for Amadou Onana while Diego Carlos missed out completely and Duran’s recent goalscoring form was rewarded with a third consecutive league start over Ollie Watkins. City’s nightmare run looked to be continuing with just 15 seconds on the clock at Villa Park when Josko Gvardiol was caught napping by John McGinn, who fed in Duran who shot too early and it was palmed behind by Stefan Ortega. Ortega was called into action again less than a minute later when he somehow clawed Pau Torres’ glancing header out from under the goalframe and away to safety. City had their first sniff of goal when John Stones’ long ball picked out Jack Grealish – his first touch was greeted by loud boos from the fans who used to sing his name – and he cut in on his right and flashed the ball wide of the far post. In the 16th minute, City found themselves behind. Youri Tielemans created the opportunity with a sublime pass which sliced through City’s spine to Rogers who squared for Duran to score his third league goal in as many games. The visitors started to get a foothold into the contest and Foden forced Emi Martinez’s first meaningful save after his one-two with Rico Lewis opened up the opportunity for him to fizz it into the far corner but the Villa stopper was on hand to push behind. Another opportunity flashed by the way of the champions – Grealish swung a cross in for Gvardiol who was unable to guide his header under the crossbar. City had the goalframe to thank for not going two goals behind after some neat link-up play between Rogers and Duran opened up the space for the former to crash an effort off the post. Ex-City youth player Rogers was not to be denied with his second of sight of goal though after 65 minutes. The 22-year-old turned from creator to scorer on this occasion and he started the move with a bursting run down the middle and then received a pass from McGinn before he dispatched across Ortega. Two goals down and City’s confidence looked shot to bits with a tame and toothless attack, a frustrated Erling Haaland in particular was unable to bring any spark to the game. City pulled one back with a minute to play as Foden took advantage of Lucas Digne’s slip before he finished beyond Martinez from close range. But it was the Villa faithful singing at the end. Published: 21/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Millions of drivers have been urged to be patient on the roads as the UK prepares for a “perfect storm” of the Christmas getaway and bad weather. Roads and public transport could be disrupted by strong gusts after the Met Office announced yellow warnings for parts of the country. The AA predicted 23.7 million drivers would hit the road on Friday, making it the busiest day on the roads since the group’s records began in 2010. It projected that Saturday would see 22.7 million drivers and Sunday 21.3 million. A spokesperson for the group said: “With more than 20 million car journeys expected on both Saturday and Sunday if the congestion wasn’t enough of a headache, the inclement weather could create the perfect storm. “We advise those heading out to allow extra time to travel and increase the distance between themselves and other road users.” The RAC has estimated seven million leisure trips will be made on major roads during the weekend, which excludes everyday traffic. It predicted that congestion hotspots will be on both directions of the M1 to Gatwick via the M25 and the M23; Liverpool to Chester on the M53; Oxford to the south coast via the A34 and the M3; the M25 to the south coast along the M3; and at the Taunton to Almondsbury Interchange in Bristol heading down the M5. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday morning, RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis urged drivers to be patient: “What we’re saying to people is just be patient. These are journeys that matter to us this time of year. Just don’t expect to get there the minute your sat-nav says it will. Allow yourself a bit of time to make it easy and get there safely.” Disruption has also extended to air travel, with Heathrow Airport confirming a “small number of flights” had been cancelled on Saturday due to “strong winds and airspace restrictions”. A spokesperson said: “This will ensure the vast majority of passengers can still safely travel as planned. “We know how important travel at this time of year is and have extra colleagues on hand in our terminals to support people on their journeys. We encourage passengers to check in with their airlines for the latest information about their flights.” P&O Ferries also confirmed journeys between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled for at least 24 hours. A spokesperson said: “Due to adverse weather conditions, all P&O Ferries sailings between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled from 2000 tonight (21st December) until at least 2000 tomorrow night (22nd December). We ask our customers please not to travel to either of the ports if their sailing has been cancelled, to avoid causing traffic congestion.” Sunday’s warning also includes London, the South East, the South West, the East Midlands, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and all of Wales and Northern Ireland. Westerly winds are forecast to pick up over Saturday with 50-60mph gusts expected, with a small chance of some reaching 80mph. The Met Office said: “The strongest winds are expected across the far north of Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts in excess of 80mph in coastal districts including Orkney. “Dangerous coastal conditions can be expected too, with large waves an additional hazard, especially with respect to causeways. This period of strong winds may lead to some transport disruption, including ferry delays or cancellations. “Frequent blustery showers will also be a feature on Saturday and may merge into a longer spell of rain for a time in the far north and north west.” Showers could turn to several centimetres of snow on the hills in the north west of Scotland from Saturday evening into Sunday. Some sleet, snow and hail may fall at lower levels and produce icy conditions by Sunday morning. The strong winds will be more widespread on Sunday, meteorologists said. Ferries have been cancelled and train services impacted as high winds hit Scotland’s Christmas getaway. By noon on Saturday, CalMac, which operates ferry services on Scotland’s west coast, reported that sailings on 21 of its routes were cancelled for the day, with other services facing disruption. Meanwhile, Northlink Ferries, which runs services between Aberdeen and the Orkney and Shetland isles, also reported disruption. It said “adverse weather conditions” meant a sailing between Kirkwall on Orkney and Lerwick in the Shetland Isles was cancelled, along with sailings between Aberdeen and Lerwick, which were scheduled for Saturday evening. Rail operator ScotRail announced that speed restrictions would be in place for part of the route between Glasgow and Oban/Mallaig, and the Inverness service to Kyle/Wick. Published: 21/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub