Disabled individuals relying on the Motability scheme are facing significant cost increases as the programme aims to offset £300 million in new taxes introduced following last year’s Budget.

The company has announced adjustments to mileage allowances, the introduction of charges for exceeding mileage limits, and new fees for taking vehicles overseas.

Users could also see advance payments rise by as much as £400 when starting a new lease agreement.

These changes emerge amid fierce political scrutiny of the scheme, which enables some recipients of disability benefits to allocate part or all of their payments towards leasing a new car or an accessible vehicle.

The scheme, which is only eligible for those with an entitlement for the higher or enhanced rate of the mobility component of disability benefit, is used by around 890,000 people.

However, the breadth and cost of the programme has led to significant criticism.

Last month, Reform UK said it planned to make sweeping changes to Motability to “end the abuse” of the scheme.

In last year’s autumn budget, the Chancellor announced that the scheme would no longer use “luxury cars” such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Rachel Reeves also announced the Government would introduce VAT to advance payments for the scheme, and apply insurance premium tax to leases from July 2026.

Motability said this will hit the business with £300 million of additional taxes.

On Thursday, chief executive of Motability Operations, Andrew Miller, told people on the scheme that it will introduce changes to deal with the cost.

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“Together, these tax changes mean it will cost significantly more to run the scheme,” he said in a letter.

“If we did nothing, the average cost of a new lease would increase by around £1,100.

“It was clear to me that simply passing all these costs on to customers was not an option.

“We had to carefully consider how to reduce the tax impact as much as possible but also, focusing on changes that reflect how most customers already use their vehicles.”

He outlined plans to reduce the annual mileage allowances, increase excess mileage fees, change tyre replacement limits and introduce a charge for taking cars abroad.

It is understood that customers taking new leases after July 1 will see an average increase to advance payments of between £300 and £400.

Nevertheless, many new vehicles on the scheme will not require an advance payment.

Vladimir Putin has asked oligarchs to donate to Russia’s budget to stabilise the country’s finances as he presses on with the war in Ukraine, according to Russian media.

The Russian president held a closed-door meeting with leading businessmen on Thursday, The Bell online outlet reported.

Mr Putin discussed military funding and the continuation of the war, the Bell wrote, citing unnamed sources.

The war, which has been raging on for five years since Russia‘s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has seen the country’s defence costs soar, reaching 15.5 trillion roubles (£144bn) in 2025.

Russia is facing both falling budget revenues from energy sales and an economic slowdown. This is affecting tax income from other sectors of the economy.

The Russian government is said to be considering a possible 10% cut to all “non-sensitive” spending in its 2026 budget, with the final decision to hinge on the sustainability of the oil price rise triggered by the Iran war.

But oligarchs could now be providing the much-needed budget boost.

During the meeting with Mr Putin, billionaire Suleiman Kerimov pledged to donate 100 billion roubles (£922m), according to The Bell.

Oleg Deripaska, a metals magnate, also agreed to contribute when asked by the Russian leader, the Financial Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Read more from Sky News:
Russia attacks ‘deeply hostile’ UK decision
Are US-Iran peace talks actually happening?

Mr Putin reportedly said Russia will fight on until it captures the remaining areas of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, which are not currently under its control.

Fans have made a prediction about Theo Silverton’s future after George Shuttleworth finally discovered the horrifying truth

Coronation Street fans have made a prediction about Theo Silverton’s future as they made a plea for him to finally get his comeuppance after George Shuttleworth finally discovered the horrifying truth.

Fans were heartbroken for Todd Grimshaw earlier this week when he was forced into marrying his abusive partner after being surprised at the alter by Theo, with friends Gary and Maria Windass present as their witnesses.

As Corrie viewers have watched, the undertaker become a shell of his former self as the builder continues to mentally and physically abuse him. There was a moment in January when Todd could have been saved after his former partner, Billy Mayhew, discovered the truth, but his unexpected death, aided by villain Theo, put a stop to Todd’s escape.

While the recently split, a reconciliation this week led to Theo springing a surprise wedding on Todd in Wednesday’s (March 25) Corrie, having revealed to Gary that he’d never cancelled the registry office from when they were planning to tie the knot.

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Calling at the undertakers dressed to the nines, Theo was seen leading a blind-folding Todd into the register office, where Gary and his wife, Maira, were waiting as their witnesses. Despite Todd appearing horrified, he went ahead with the nuptials, even overcoming a wobble during the vows.

The newlyweds were then seen returning to the street, where Theo announced to those in the Rovers Return, including George, Christina Boyd, Summer Spellman and Sarah Platt, that he and Todd were married. But it wasn’t long before viewers saw Theo continuing to bring Todd down, this time by commenting on the photos from the ceremony taken by Maria.

It was then during Thursday’s (March 26) visit to the cobbles that George was seen expressing his concerns to Todd. And he was right to, as when Theo returned home, he thought Todd was in the bathroom and started hurling abuse through the door. When Todd walking through the flat door, having popped out for tea bags, George emerged from the bathroom and couldn’t bear to look at Theo, who was trying to laugh off the encounter.

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George wasn’t buying it and was even more infuriated as Theo told Todd what to say to him. After George left, Theo aggresively clapped in Todd’s face, before going for a shower, leaving Todd as terrifed as ever of his partner. Later, George sent Todd a text to tell him there was a room for him at his, leaving Todd to question whether it was finally time to leave Theo for good.

However, while Corrie fans were thrilled that George had finally discovered the truth, others were still pleading to see Todd get the justice he deserves, and wondered whether Theo has sealed his own fate, with it already confirmed he’s among five possible victims of a murder on the cobbles this April.

@sjlawson84 said: “Theo will now try and turn Todd against George big time. I truly hope it doesn’t work. But George has Chrissy, Summer and likely Sarah on his side now.” @izzygooldjones cheered: “Yes George!! Not all heroes wear capes. Brilliant episode!” @scottishdevotchka81 commented: “I was literally shouting YES!! When George walked out of the room after hearing the verbal abuse. The net is finally closing in on Theo.”

@jamp1982 posted: “At long last!!! George to the rescue! Please please please get Todd away from Theo as fast as possible, my nerves are shot to pieces!!!” @nifbean shared: “Yes! The cat is out of the bag! Theo can’t charm his way out of this one! George is on to him, and George is pissed! George won’t back down to Theo.” @wellsdazza predicted: “Theo digging his own grave.” @julie46gmb added: “It will be george that kills theo, he needs the business!”

Air quality has improved dramatically in some of the world’s biggest cities, a report has found, with Beijing (main picture), London and Paris among those leading the way. 

The research, conducted by campaign group Breathe Cities, identified 19 metropolises that have slashed air pollution by between 20% and 40% in just 15 years. Nearly half were in Asia, where improvements came despite rapid economic development. Nine were in China. 

An embrace of cycling, the introduction of clean air zones and a switch to electric vehicles were among the leading drivers of air quality improvements, the report found. However, there’s much work to be done. Separate research shows that only 14% of cities globally met the World Health Organization’s pollution guidelines in 2025.  

Air pollution is the world’s leading environmental health risk, driving respiratory and cardiovascular disease, asthma, and premature births, with lower-income communities most affected. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. 

“The pathway to cleaner air has been tested at scale – now it’s about enabling more cities to follow it,” said Cecilia Vaca Jones, Breathe Cities’ executive director.

The cities identified in the report are: Brussels (Belgium); Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Zhenjiang (China); Paris (France); Berlin and Heidelberg (Germany); Rome (Italy); Amsterdam and Rotterdam (Netherlands); Warsaw (Poland); London (England); and San Francisco (US).

Related: 10 ways that future urban living will be greener

Image: Kristi Blokhin

ISLAMABAD (AP) — As fears of a wider regional conflict escalate following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began in late February, Pakistan has emerged as an unexpected mediator, offering to help bring Washington and Tehran to the negotiating table.

Islamabad isn’t often called on to act as an intermediary in high-stakes diplomacy, but it’s stepped into the role this time for a number of reasons, both because it has relatively good ties with both Washington and Tehran and because it has a lot at stake in seeing the war resolved.

Pakistani government officials have said that their public peace effort follows weeks of quiet diplomacy, though they have provided few details. They have also said that Islamabad stands ready to host talks between representatives from the U.S. and Iran.

Here’s what to know about Pakistan’s mediation effort:

Pakistan helped US deliver 15-point plan to Iran

Pakistan’s role in Iran-U.S. negotiations surfaced only days ago following media reports. Officials in Islamabad later acknowledged that a U.S. proposal had been conveyed to Iran.

It remains unclear who has served as Iran’s point of contact in the indirect talks. Iran has maintained it has not held such talks and dismissed the U.S. proposal, but Tehran has acknowledged responding with its own proposals.

According to Pakistani officials, U.S. messages are being passed to Iran and Iranian responses relayed to Washington, though they did not specify how the process is being handled or who is directly communicating with whom. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said this week that Turkey and Egypt are also working behind the scenes to bring the sides to the negotiating table.

Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, said that Pakistani’s mediation efforts may be contributing to relative restraint in the conflict. He noted that U.S. President Donald Trump has delayed his threats of large-scale attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure citing diplomatic progress, and Iranian responses toward U.S. interests in the Gulf have been measured in what may be an effort to preserve space for diplomacy.

Ties with both US and Iran set Pakistan up for new role

Previous US-Iran negotiations have been facilitated mainly by countries in the Middle East, including Oman and Qatar, but as they come under Iranian fire during the war Pakistan has stepped into the role.

Analysts say Pakistan’s geographic proximity to Iran — it’s one of its neighbors — coupled with its longstanding ties with the U.S., gives it a unique position at a time when direct communication between the two sides remains constrained.

Islamabad has good working relations with most of the key parties in the war, including both the U.S. and Iran. It has close strategic ties with Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, with which it signed a defense cooperation agreement last year. However, Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with Israel because of the lingering issue of Palestinian statehood.

Relations between the United States and Pakistan have improved since last year, with increased diplomatic engagement and expanding economic ties. Pakistan also joined Trump’s Board of Peace, which aims to ensure peace in Gaza, despite opposition from Islamists at home.

Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to the Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, whom Trump has publicly described as his “favorite Field Marshal.” Analysts say he’s a player who enjoys good ties with both the Iranian and U.S. militaries.

Pakistan has a lot at stake in ceasefire talks

The conflict poses some of “the biggest economic and energy security challenges” in Pakistan’s history, said Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Mohammad Ali.

The country gets most of its oil and gas from the Middle East — and, he said, the five million Pakistanis working in the Arab world send home remittances each year roughly equal to the country’s total export earnings.

Rising tensions have already contributed to higher global oil prices, forcing Pakistan to increase fuel prices by about 20% and putting pressure on the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The war is also adding to domestic turmoil, even as Pakistan has been grappling for months with its own conflict with neighboring Afghanistan. Islamabad has accused the country’s Taliban government of tolerating militant groups that are behind attacks in Pakistan.

Earlier this month, protests erupted across the country following U.S. strikes on Iran, with demonstrators clashing with security forces in several cities.

A day after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, clashes erupted in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi and in parts of the north, leaving at least 22 people dead and more than 120 injured nationwide.

At least 12 people were killed in and around the U.S. Consulate in Karachi after a mob breached the compound and attempted to set it on fire.

Khamenei was a central religious and political figure for Shiites worldwide, including in Pakistan.

Pakistan has a record as a mediator

While Pakistan rarely serves as a mediator, its record does include playing a role in some very high-profile talks.

Pakistan’s then-President Gen. Yahya Khan facilitated backchannel contacts that led to U.S. President Richard Nixon’s historic 1972 visit to China. That paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing in 1979.

Since then, Pakistan has played a role in several other complex regional conflicts, most notably during the 1988 Geneva Accords that paved the way for the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Acting as a frontline state and key interlocutor, Islamabad participated in U.N.-brokered negotiations while working closely with the United States and other stakeholders and helped increase pressure on Moscow to pull out its forces.

More recently, Pakistan facilitated contacts between the Afghan Taliban and Washington that led to talks in Doha that culminated in a 2020 agreement and set the stage for the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO troops and the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

___

Castillo reported from Beijing.

Parents should limit screen time for children under five to no more than one hour a day, according to new government advice.

Bedtime and mealtimes should also be free from screens, families will be advised, while they should be avoided entirely for under-twos, other than for shared activities encouraging interaction.

The new guidance comes as ministers consider Australia-style measures to limit or ban social media for under-16s, amid growing concerns about the impact technology has on the wellbeing and development of children.

Sir Keir Starmer promised the new guidance would help families keep children safe and build healthy habits.

“Parenting in a digital world can feel relentless,” he said. “Screens are everywhere, and the advice is often conflicting. My government will not leave parents to face this battle alone.”

He also suggested that ministers were prepared to put up a fight on the issue in the months ahead. “There will be some who will oppose us doing this. But whether it’s navigating technology, tackling the cost of living or balancing the demands of family life, I will always stand on the side of parents doing their best for their children,” he said.

Between the ages of two and five, families will be urged to try music, games, stories and colouring at bedtimes and mealtimes.

The guidance also advises watching screens with children and discussing the content with them.

Parents will also be warned away from fast-paced social media-style videos, as well as toys or tools that use AI.

When it comes to under-twos, screens should be avoided other than for shared activities encouraging interaction, which could include video-calling friends and family or looking through photos together.

Ministers have previously said that around 98 per cent of children watch screens daily by the age of two.

The guidance was developed by a panel led by children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and children’s health expert Professor Russell Viner.

The panel found long periods of time on screens can impact activities which are important for good development such as sleep, physical activity, creative play and interaction with parents.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “I know how hard it is to navigate parenting in a world full of screens.

“They’re unavoidable, but it often feels impossible to tell whether you’re getting the balance right.

“That’s why we’re giving parents the clear, trusted support they’ve asked for – so families can make informed choices, and children can have the childhood they deserve.”

Infants with the most screen time are significantly less likely to regularly be read to or go on trips outside, the Education Policy Institute has found.

The panel also recommended in its report that parents should think about their own screen use in the presence of their children, and consider screen-free periods of the day for the whole family.

James Bowen, assistant general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said it welcomed the guidance.

“Navigating an increasingly digital world where screens are everywhere can be a real challenge for parents, and school leaders are increasingly concerned about the impact of excessive screen use by young children,” he said, warning it can cause “real issues”.

“Whether you want to save your legs or just enjoy the ride, the Zoo Express is the perfect way to get around.”

Belfast Zoo has shared a first look at its brand-new accessible train, ready to make visits even easier and more enjoyable.

Launching this Friday, March 27, the hop-on, hop-off Zoo Express train is set to be available for all and follows a £75,000 investment.

Announcing the news, a Belfast Zoo spokesperson said: “Hop on at the once you leave the Visitor Centre and travel in comfort to the Penguin Habitat or Treetop Tea Room and back again! You can hop on and off throughout your visit, so exploring the Zoo just got a whole lot easier.

READ MORE: Belfast Zoo to get new hop-on, hop-off accessible trainREAD MORE: Sad day for Belfast Zoo as two of world’s rarest Barbary Lions pass away

“Whether you want to save your legs or just enjoy the ride, the Zoo Express is the perfect way to get around.”

Welcoming the move earlier this week, SDLP North Belfast Councillor Carl Whyte described the investment as “an important step in making the attraction more inclusive for visitors”.

Cllr Whyte said: “For years, people have quite rightly pointed out that the steep nature of Belfast Zoo can make it difficult to fully enjoy.

“This investment is a really important step forward. It means that in future, everyone, including families with young children and prams, people with disabilities, and older visitors will be able to experience everything the zoo has to offer through a fully accessible hop-on, hop-off service.

“With the worst of the winter weather behind us, now is a brilliant time to visit Belfast Zoo. It’s home to a wide range of endangered species, all cared for by highly trained animal experts who are doing vital conservation work every day.

“This new addition will help ensure that even more people can enjoy and support that work.”

Tickets for train will be priced at £3.50 per adult | £2 per child. Available to book at admissions on arrival (first-come, first-served).

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The Dutchman, who on Thursday ejected a journalist from his news conference because he was unhappy about a question that was asked at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was behind Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, Williams’ Alex Albon and the Haas of Oliver Bearman.

Earlier in the day, Russell led Antonelli by 0.026secs in the first hour’s session.

And Mercedes’ apparent superiority was underlined on the race-simulation runs late in the second session, with Antonelli leading the way from Russell and no one else within within 0.5secs on average.

Both Ferrari drivers seemed to be struggling for grip. Leclerc suffered some wobbles through the Esses and ran off track at Spoon Curve later on, while Hamilton complained he was “slow because I’ve got no confidence in the car”.

Norris’ early problem was a hydraulics failure, which McLaren fixed after half an hour.

He was far from the only driver to have problems. Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad took no part because of a gearbox problem that required a new part, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto spent nearly three-quarters of the session in the garage with an unspecified technical problem.

And Cadillac’s Sergio Perez also missed about half the session while the team repaired floor damage caused by a collision with Albon in the first session.

Fernando Alonso had his first taste of Suzuka this year in the second session, after American reserve driver Jak Crawford drove in the first.

The veteran Spaniard, who arrived late in Japan following the birth of his first child, was 19th fastest, two places and 0.355secs ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll.

Honda F1 boss Koji Watanabe said both performance and reliability should be improved for the company’s home race this weekend.

Watanabe said: “We are focused on how we can improve the situation of vibration, mainly damage to battery area, but also this time for Suzuka we have improved energy management situation for more driving performance.”

Customers will be able to buy Mulino’s “staple” biscotti

An Italian baking duo known for their pop-up restaurant will be opening their first physical bakery soon. Mulino Cambridge Kitchen, run by Sasha Gatti and Chiara Bertoletti, has been providing authentic Italian baked goods for businesses across Cambridgeshire since 2023.

Sasha and Chiara had been working at different bakeries and restaurants before deciding to open their business. Mulino Cambridge Kitchen started at local farmers markets where the pair would sell fresh pasta and produce before it branched out into catering and a pop-up restaurant at Barbarella in Cambridge.

Mr Gatti said: “Recently, we had a very good opportunity come through to move and scale up our production in a bigger site closer to Cambridge and we decided to go with it. Now we will have a bigger place and we have some space for our own shop.”

Mr Gatti said being able to open their own shop feels “amazing” and the pair have been “fantasising” about it for a long time. The shop will start off slowly by being open only one day as week, with Mr Gatti wanting to expand the business if there is demand for it.

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The bakery will feature a range of “staple” products with both sweet and savoury options as well other essential products and cosmetics, subject to planning permission. Customers will be able to buy biscotti, sweet rolls, cookies, cakes, and pizza bread, which will all be homemade.

When asked what products are his favourite, Mr Gatti had a few choices. He said: “My personal favourite product is bread. I love bread but I would recommend the biscotti because I like having them with wine. Some of our biscotti are very good with white or red wine. They’re a bit sweet and the bitterness of the wine complements the sweetness of the biscotti.”

The pair have already received lots of support about the opening of the bakery. Mr Gatti said: “We experienced a very positive response from our public and friends as well. Everyone was very supportive even though the pop-up is ending and we can no longer do that anymore. They were a little bit sad because, at the end of a project, it’s always a little bit sad. But everyone was very supportive and very happy about the new project.”

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Mulino Cambridge Kitchen’s bakery will be open on Saturdays from 9.30am to 2.30pm from mid-April. The bakery can be found at the Running Horse in Burrough Green.