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Co Londonderry - the Foyle Bridge in Derry will be closed for essential maintenance on Friday 12 th April between 05.00am and 07.00am.

Allow extra time for your journey at these times.

Grosvenor Road lane closure for Public Realm Improvement Programme

Belfast - as part of the Belfast Grand Central Station project, there will be significant investment in public realm improvement works around the new station to enhance walking routes, accessibility and cycling.

To complete these works requires a lane and footpath closure heading west on Grosvenor Road. The closure will begin before the Durham Street junction and end at the junction with the A12 (Westlink).

This lane and footpath closure will commence on Monday, 15th April and is planned for a duration of around three months .

The left turn onto Durham Street and onto the A12 (Westlink) slip road from Grosvenor Road will remain operational throughout this period.

This closure is necessary to enable these essential street works to be carried out efficiently and safely. Other lane and footpath closures associated with this public realm improvement programme will be notified in due course.

Translink is encouraging people to consider using public transport to access the city during these works as road users may expect some delays .

Belfast - to facilitate essential utility works to install connections to the new Belfast Grand Central Station, a lane closure will be in place on Durham Street as outlined below.

Phoenix Gas require a lane closure on Durham Street towards the Grosvenor Road junction on the following dates:

• Monday 15 th April until Wednesday 17 th April

Traffic will be reduced to one lane on Durham Street during this time. The left turn onto Grosvenor Road will remain operational.

This lane closure is essential to enable these utility works to be carried out efficiently and safely.

Portadown to facilitate carriageway resurfacing works by DFI Roads the following traffic restrictions will be in place:-

A3 Northway LANE CLOSURE – 08-19 April 2024

Temporary Traffic Control to part of A3 Northway, Portadown between Seagoe Road Junction and Corcrain Road Junction , from 09:30 to 16:00 daily, commencing on Monday 08 April 2024 until Friday 19 April 2024.

A temporary 30mph speed limit will be in place on this stretch of road during these works.

Please ensure to allow additional time for your journey.

A3 Northway OVERNIGHT ROAD CLOSURE – 08-20 April 2024

Portadown - the A3 Northway, between Seagoe Road Junction and Corcrain Road Junction , will have an overnight road closure in place from 20:00 to 06:00 overnight each night , commencing on Monday 08 April 2024 until Saturday 20 April 2024 .

Diversions in place at this time:-

For HGV traffic:

• B2 SEAGOE ROAD, B2 CARN ROUNDABOUT, M12, M1, A4 DUNGANNON ROAD, A4 CHARLES STREET, A4 CORCRAIN ROAD.

For all other traffic:

• B2 SEAGOE ROAD, A27 BRIDGE STREET, A27 CASTLE STREET, A27 HIGH STREET, A27 MARKET STREET, A27 CHURCH STREET, A27 ARMAGH ROAD, A3 ARMAGH ROAD ROUNDABOUT, A3 NORTHWAY.

Castlereagh - A carriageway resurfacing scheme on A24 Saintfield Road , will commence on Tuesday 19 March 2024 and subject to favourable weather conditions, the works will be substantially complete by Saturday 13 April 2024.

The resurfacing scheme, which extends from the junction of Beechill Road to 350m beyond the Primrose Hill development.

To facilitate the scheme, the A24 Saintfield Road from the junction of the Beechill Road to the junction of Knockbracken Road will be CLOSED OVERNIGHT between 9.00 pm and 6.00 am from

• Tuesday 19 March 2024 until Friday 29 March 2024 (Monday to Friday only)
• Monday 8 April 2024 until Saturday 13 April 2024. 

During periods of closure a diversion will be in place via

• A55 Upper Knockbreda Road - A23 Ballygowan Road - A23 Moneyreagh Road - B178 Hillsborough Road and vice versa.

The Department has programmed the work operations and traffic management arrangements to minimise inconvenience however, while steps have been taken to accommodate local access, road users should expect some delays and are advised to allow additional time when travelling in the vicinity of the works and are asked to comply with all temporary traffic restrictions. 

Carryduff - A carriageway resurfacing scheme on the A24 Ballynahinch Road , commenced on Monday 26 February 2024. 

The resurfacing scheme will extend from Carryduff Roundabout to beyond the Green Pastures development.

To facilitate the scheme, it will be necessary to implement the works in four separate phases.

Phase 1, 2, 3 – Completed

Phase 4 –The Church Road and Hillsborough Road junction will be closed overnight for two nights on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 April 2024 between the hours of 9.00pm and 6.00am.

• During periods of closure a diversion will operate via the A7 Saintfield Road - A7 Belfast Road - Lisburn Road - Saintfield Road - A24 Carryduff Road - A24 Ballynahinch Road and vice versa.

The Department has programmed the work operations and traffic management arrangements to minimise inconvenience however , while steps have been taken to accommodate local access and Translink bus and school services throughout the scheme, road users should expect some delays and are advised to allow additional time when travelling in the vicinity of the works. 

A Lane closure will be in place on the A4 Annaghilla Road Ballygawley between C651 Old Annaghilla Road and the C651 Old Annaghilla Road

From Monday 15 April to Friday 19 April 2024

Daily between 09:15 and 16:30

This is to facilitate carriageway patching repairs.

Allow extra time for your journey.

A carriageway resurfacing scheme on the C298 Mealough Road, Carryduff will commence on Monday 11 March 2024.   

The resurfacing scheme, which will extend from 300 metres from the junction of A24 Saintfield Road to 350 metres beyond the junction of the Upper Mealough Road, will deliver significant benefits for road users.

To facilitate the scheme, it will be necessary to implement weekday road closures between the hours of 8.00am and 5.00pm for the duration of the works from Mealough Drive to Moorcroft Road from Monday 11 March 2024 until Friday 24 May 2024.

During periods of closure a diversion will operate via the Mealough Road - Front Road - Comber Road – B178 Hillsborough Road - A24 Ballynahinch Road - A24 Saintfield Road and vice versa. Local access for residents and emergency services will be maintained at all times.

The Department has programmed the work operations and traffic management arrangements to minimise inconvenience however, road users should expect some delays and are advised to allow additional time when travelling in the vicinity of the works and are asked to comply with all temporary traffic restrictions. 

Subject to favourable weather conditions, the works will be substantially complete by Friday 24 May 2024, however the Department will keep the public informed of any change. 

The Annaghilla Road will be closed from Monday 15th April - Friday 19th April 2024 (daily) from:-

A4 Ballygawley Roundabout to Annaloughan Rd, Augher, between 09:15am - 16:30pm. To accommodate essential road maintenance works.

Co Tyrone - Road users are advised that the Meenagorp Road in Plumbridge is closed due to a collapse Bridge, Diversions in place, Allow extra time for your journey

Newry - the Derryleckagh Road remains closed until further notice due to dangerous road conditions caused by a verge slip on Friday 5 April 2024.

B15 Glenshesk Road, Ballycastle (between Glenbank Road and Greenan Road) remains closed due to a landslide / partial road collapse on Wednesday 27 March 24.

The road may be closed for the foreseeable future given the severity of the collapse.

Road users should avoid the area and seek an alternative route for their journey.

Co Antrim - the B90 Upper Road, Greenisland will be closed to vehicular traffic daily, weekdays from its junction with Station Road, Greenisland to its junction with Woodburn Road, Carrickfergus.

• from Tuesday 19 March to Monday 17 June 2024
• from 09:30 to 16:30 hours

for carriageway reconstruction work.

Diversions in place at these times using

• Prospect Road - Woodburn Rd – Belfast Road – Station Road and vice versa.

Co Antrim - the  C76 Knockmore Park, Greenisland  will be closed to vehicular traffic daily, weekdays from its junction with  Upper Road to the level crossing Trooperslane

• Trooperslane – Belfast Road – Woodburn Road – Prospect Road – Upper Road.

A major road improvement scheme at the Prince William Road/ Ballymacash Road junction in Lisburn will commence Monday 17 July 2023.

The improvement work, which will be carried out by developers following planning permission for residential development in the area, includes the widening of the Prince William Road , extension of the existing underpass at the location and provision of a new traffic signal junction at Ballymacash Road including the provision of PUFFIN controlled pedestrian crossings within the junction layout. The scheme will take approximately nine months to fully complete.

Given the busy nature of Prince William Road, to construct the scheme safely it will be necessary to close the Prince William Road Northbound from Knockmore Road to Nettlehill Road from 17 July for six weeks. A diversion for traffic will be in place via the Antrim Road, Pond Park Road and Derriaghy Road.

Ballymacash Road (west ) will also close for two weeks and Ballymacash (east) into Lisburn will close for up to six months from the 17 July.

From September the Prince William Road will revert to two-way traffic with the remainder of the works completed with a mixture of two-way traffic and off peak lane closures.

A temporary 30mph speed limit will also be in force during construction of the scheme.

Further road closure will be required towards the end of the scheme for surfacing of the junction, however these will be planned to minimise the effect on general traffic.

Whilst the Department has carefully planned these works and associated traffic management with the contractor in order to minimise inconvenience to the public, road users should expect some delays and allow additional time when planning a journey.

Road users are asked to comply with the temporary traffic restrictions and to drive with care when travelling through the works. Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times. 

In the Greater Belfast area traffic busy on the following routes:-

• M1 leaving Belfast J1 - J3
• leaving the M2 at Nelson Street
• M3 off-slip lanes towards Great Georges Street / Westlink
• A12 Westlink in both directions
• A2 Sydenham By Pass towards Dee Street.

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The Big Travel Trade Event 2024 is BACK with LOTS of new additions! The NI Travel News Team is excited for the return of the Big Travel Trade Event on the 4 th & 5 th of June in the Crowne Plaza Belfast.

We have over 90 + suppliers representing the travel industry from Airlines, Cruise Lines, Tour Operators, and Tourist Boards with LOTS of  BRAND-NEW companies joining us for the first time! You will have the chance to network with these AMAZING suppliers over the 2 days to gain valuable industry knowledge on everything travel related!!

We have an educational, & fun-packed  2-day schedule for 2024!!

Speed Network with 20 suppliers on the first day before enjoying a Spanish Coffee Morning with PortAventura!

Gear up for an exciting game-show-themed lunch hosted by Travel Solutions, where old-school TV Gameshows come to life at The Big Travel Trade Event! Night one will be hosted by The Spanish Tourist Office and a partner so get teamed up you are off to the BIG Spanish Quiz!!! Enjoy delicious Spanish-themed food and a live quiz atmosphere for everyone to enjoy!!

Day 2 will be packed with more non-stop fun! Oceania will be sponsoring a brand-new event for 2024 with a culinary experience for a group of invited agents! We also have a NEW EXCITING theme for the finale night with Jet2holidays which is sure to end the Big Event with a YEEHAW!

Please fill in your contact details below and tick the boxes for the events you wish to attend during day 1 and day 2 of the event.

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Rare 4.8 magnitude quake rattles Northeast

By Elise Hammond , Leinz Vales and Matt Meyer , CNN

4.0 magnitude aftershock recorded in New Jersey, USGS says

From CNN's Brandon Miller

An aftershock of a preliminary magnitude 4.0 has struck just southwest of Gladstone, New Jersey, according to the United States Geological Survey .

It happened at about 5:59 p.m. ET, USGS said.

The aftershock comes nearly 8 hours after the main shock of 4.8 magnitude this morning. There have been at least 10 aftershocks, though most were in the 1.8 to 2.2 magnitude range.

No injuries or major damage in Northeast after morning quake in New Jersey. What to know to get caught up

From CNN staff

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattled buildings across parts of the US Northeast on Friday morning, according to the US Geological Survey, with tremors felt from Washington, DC to New York City and to Maine.

It was the third-largest earthquake recorded in the area in the last five decades and the strongest in New Jersey i n more than 240 years , the USGS said. But with authorities reporting little or no damage, and minimal travel disruptions, people soon resumed their everyday lives.

Here's what to know:

• New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy said there are limited reports of damage and "little to no injuries" in the state. The USGS recorded at least six aftershocks in the immediate area of the initial earthquake. In an area more than 30 miles from the epicenter, three neighboring homes in Newark were evacuated after residents reported structural damage, according to Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé.
• New York: Gov. Kathy Hochul said there were no "life-threatening situations" after the earthquake and no reports of damaged buildings . There was one report of a gas line leak, but so far there's no “major” infrastructure impact, state officials said . New York City Mayor Eric Adams also said there have not been any reports of injuries and told people to " go about their normal day ." Additionally, all aspects of the New York City transit system were operating safely, said Metropolitan Transport Authority CEO Janno Lieber.
• Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Police Department received "over 200 calls" from 911 "in a very short period of 20 minutes," following the earthquake, according to Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. But, there were no injuries reported in the city, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said.
• Connecticut: State officials did not report any significant damage. Emergency management officials said their operations center was partially activated as agencies inspected key infrastructure points.
• Travel: Runways at the three main airports servicing the New York City area were inspected and cleared, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Port Authority also said there were no operational or physical impacts to the bridges and tunnels. Amtrak said its trains were r unning at normal speeds after restrictions were put in place for track inspections.
• Widespread impact: The shaking was felt by millions of people across hundreds of miles of the Northeast — a phenomenon made more likely by a few factors, including the geology of the region itself, according to the USGS. Rocks in the eastern US are much older, denser and harder, making them more efficient conduits of the seismic energy released by an earthquake, allowing it to travel in a more potent form over longer distances, the USGS says.

Amtrak trains resume running at normal speeds

From CNN's Pete Muntean

Amtrak trains are back to operating at normal speeds after an earthquake in New Jersey on Friday, the company said.

It said it started inspecting its tracks shortly after 11 a.m. ET, and put speed restrictions in place throughout the region. Amtrak said it has now completed those inspections.

“As of 3:30 PM ET, All inspections have been completed and service has been restored to normal speed. Residual delays should be expected,” Amtrak  posted  on X.

At least 6 aftershocks recorded following New Jersey earthquake, USGS reports

From CNN’s Samantha Beech, Brandon Miller and Taylor Ward

There have been at least six aftershocks in the hours following the New Jersey earthquake Friday morning, according to United States Geological Survey data. 

The initial earthquake was felt in northern New Jersey just before 10:30 a.m. ET, and the aftershocks were all recorded in the immediate area of the earthquake, USGS said.

According to USGS, the largest of the six aftershocks was 2.2 magnitude, recorded just after 1:30 p.m. ET.

Here's a timeline (all times are ET):

• 10:23 a.m.: The initial 4.8 magnitude earthquake occurred
• 11:20 a.m.: 2.0 magnitude aftershock
• 11:37 a.m.: 1.8 magnitude aftershock
• 11:49 a.m.: 2.0 magnitude aftershock
• 12:31 p.m.: 1.8 magnitude aftershock
• 1:14 p.m.: 2.0 magnitude aftershock
• 1:32 p.m.: 2.2 magnitude aftershock

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a social media post that "aftershocks of these size are normal and are not expected to cause further damage."

The governor said there have been no reports of injuries or damage.

See how people in the Northeast reacted when the earthquake hit

From CNN's Jeremy Moorhead and Sean Clark

When an earthquake rattled buildings across the Northeast Friday morning, stunned residents described initially thinking a passing tractor-trailer or freight train was passing them before they realized it was something more.

There were reports of the 4.8 magnitude quake being felt from Philadelphia to New York City, according to the US Geological Survey.

See how some people reacted:

3 neighboring homes in New Jersey evacuated after reporting structural damage, offical says 

From CNN’s Nic F. Anderson and David Goldman

Three neighboring homes in Newark, New Jersey, have been evacuated after residents reported structural damage following this morning’s earthquake, according to the local public safety director. 

Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé told CNN no injuries have been reported after firefighters responded to reports of damage at the homes in an area more than 30 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter. 

He said 10 families were relocated from the buildings, including 25 adults and three children.

Fragé added that all Newark city buildings, including City Hall and recreation centers, are closed. He said the city is inspecting buildings for any potential damage and power outages. 

Also in New Jersey’s Essex County, in Montclair, officials believe the earthquake caused a water main break, according to an update from the Office of Emergency Management for the Township of Montclair. The OEM said the water bureau is working to repair the line. 

The Montclair OEM said authorities have conducted a damage assessment of the township and there are no signs of damage to the infrastructure and all schools and municipal properties report no damage.

Today's earthquake was the strongest in New Jersey in more than 240 years

From CNN's Elliana Hebert, Sara Tonks and Eric Zerkel

The rare 4.8 earthquake that struck northern New Jersey Friday was the third-strongest to strike the state, according to CNN analysis of US Geological Survey data.

The Friday morning earthquake also marked the strongest since 1783, more than 240 years ago. Two 5.1 magnitude temblors are the only stronger quakes in the state — one in 1755 and another in 1783. Both happened before New Jersey became a state in December 1787, but happened in the geographic area that now comprises the state's boundaries.

The quake is the third-strongest to hit the Northeast in 50 years and the 10th-strongest of all time in the region, USGS data shows.

Earthquakes in New Jersey and the region are rare. There have only been 24 earthquakes of 2.5 magnitude or greater in New Jersey since 1700.

All aspects of New York City transit system operating safely after earthquake, MTA chief says

From CNN's Samantha Beech

All aspects of the New York City transit system are operating safely following this morning’s earthquake, the Metropolitan Transport Authority, which runs the city's subway and other forms of public transit, said.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said every part of the transit system operated safely during the earthquake, as well.

He said initial facility inspections have been completed, including inspections of the seven bridges the MTA operate.

“I want to emphasize those were designed to withstand much stronger seismic impact than we experienced today,” he added.

According to the  MTA website , MTA Bridges and Tunnels (B&T) serves more than 900,000 vehicles on an average day. In 2019, it carried more traffic than any bridge and tunnel authority in the nation — more than 329 million vehicles, the MTA says. 

Lieber said MTA frontline staff have been directed to report any abnormalities in the system, but he said nothing had been flagged so far. 

There's a low likelihood of aftershocks following today's quake, New York City's emergency chief says

There is a low likelihood of aftershocks following Friday's 4.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled several Northeast cities, New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zachary Iscol said. 

Iscol, however, urged New Yorkers to remain vigilant.

“If you are outside during an aftershock, please move to an open area, away from buildings, trees and power lines. If you are driving, pull over to a safe location," he said at a news conference Friday alongside New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Iscol said there were no major impacts or safety events related to the earthquake, and added that New Yorkers can call 311 to report any damage. 

The quake, he said, triggered the activation of the city's emergency response teams and prompted officials to issue guidance to the public. 

“We activated our protocols for this earthquake, we immediately began coordinating with all city, state, federal and our utility partners. Public notifications were sent out both by Notify NYC and our wireless emergency alert system,” he said.

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Money latest: The age when the average Briton pays off their mortgage revealed

The average Briton is 61 when they pay off their mortgage - a drop of two years. Meanwhile, Spotify is raising prices again. Read about this and the rest of today's consumer and personal finance news in the Money blog, and leave a comment in the form below.

Thursday 11 April 2024 22:26, UK

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• Spotify to hike subscription price by up to £24 a year
• Minimum income for family visa rises by £10,000
• Italy mourns 'end of Italian waiters in London' as visa rule brought in
• Wendy's creating 400 jobs as part of UK expansion
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Fake flights and caravans are the two most common items being sold by fraudsters in relation to travel, Lloyds Bank's research has found.

As Britons head online to book deals for the upcoming bank holidays and summer, they have been urged to "remain vigilant", with the average holiday scam victim being conned out of £765.

Amid rising flight costs post-COVID, people have been flocking to social media and other lesser-known websites to secure cheaper deals.

A food delivery company claims to have created an  "unshakeable bag" to avoid spillage in transit.

Bolt, which owns the Bolt Food delivery platform, said its design is based on gyroscope technology and will keep food stable "during the most abrupt movements".

In a post to its website, the firm said it would make the design available to its competitors as it is "too powerful to be owned by any one company".

"We believe everyone should enjoy a perfect meal, regardless of which app they order it from," it said.

Assaulting a shopworker is to be made a separate criminal offence after a government U-turn following pressure from campaigners.

The government previously said "more legislative change" was not needed to tackle the "intolerable violence and abuse" faced by shopworkers, arguing it did not think it was "required or will be most effective".

But Rishi Sunak is now set to announce his government will be amending the Criminal Justice Bill to bring in the new offence.

The drugmaker was on its knees when Sir Pascal Soriot took over in 2012. 

But under his leadership it now does just about everything the UK wants from a business - creating high value-added jobs and developing products that improve people's lives.

The FTSE 100's performance has lagged that of many of its peers, both in the United States and Europe, more or less since the Brexit vote in 2016.

That poor performance has reflected the poor valuation of many UK-listed companies - resulting in numerous foreign takeovers of UK businesses in recent months and years.

It has also led to a scarcity in the number of companies floating on the London Stock Exchange, most notably the  Cambridge-based chip designer ARM Holdings , which last year opted to list in the US instead.

The situation has alarmed the government, which has announced a number of reforms  aimed at raising the UK's attractiveness .

An imminent shareholder vote on Sir Pascal's pay makes a particularly interesting test case because few would dispute that he has been the most outstanding FTSE 100 chief executive of his generation.

This rise could take his potential earnings to £18.5m this year - which critics say is excessive.

Read my full piece here ...

England's average house price has risen by £103,000 over the last decade, while the average annual wage has risen by £7,734.

But some areas have seen homeownership affordability decline more than others... 

The London borough of Barking and Dagenham has seen the most significant fall, according to moving platform Getamover. 

The platform found the area has seen house prices more than double to £380,000 in the last 10 years - but wages have only risen by £2,182. 

Hillingdon in West London took the second spot, with the average property shooting up by £230,000 to £495,000, while the average income increased by just £143. 

While London remains the most unaffordable region, the East Midlands has also seen a notable fall. 

Oadby and Wigston in Leicestershire ranked fifth in the table, with the average house price increasing by £129,000 and the median annual income growing by £2,644.   

Gedling ranks sixth among the areas of England where the affordability of buying a home has declined most. 

The Nottinghamshire region has seen house prices soar by 84.8% to £231,000, while the average income has risen by just 13.11% to £33,454. 

You can see how other areas fared in the table below...

Rishi Sunak's post-Brexit rules for foreign workers are getting tough press in Italy this week - with claims they could mark the end of Italian waiters in London.

April saw the minimum salary requirement for a skilled worker visa increase from £26,200 to £38,700 - a near 50% rise as the government tries to reduce immigration.

Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica published an article on its site headlined "Italians in London, the long goodbye" after the new rule was brought in this month.

There were an estimated 342,000 Italians living in the UK in 2021, according to the latest Office for National Statistics census data.

La Repubblica said the new rule change would lead to the "end of the story" of Italy's "ancient roots" in the capital, which was founded by the Romans in 43 AD.

Separately, Italian journalist Antonio Polito wrote in the Corriere della Sera newspaper that the new salary for skilled workers was "an amount that no young novice can realistically earn".

"Thus London gives up one of its great assets, the fact of being an offshore and cosmopolitan city," he said.

Mr Sunak's post-Brexit rule change has worried hospitality bosses who are still struggling to get to grips with a post-COVID reality and rising costs. 

Conor Sheridan, founder of Nory and Mad Egg restaurant chain, previously told the Money blog that roughly 14% of his 15,000 UK employee base were on working visas that could be affected.

Trade body UKHospitality also said the changes would "further shrink the talent pool that the entire economy will be recruiting from".

As the migration law came in, Home Secretary James Cleverly said it was "time to turn off the taps and end the flow of cheap workers from abroad".

"We are refocusing our immigration system to prioritise the brightest and best who have the skills our economy needs, while reducing overall numbers," he said.

Several of the UK's biggest supermarkets closed their gender pay gap in the last year - while Morrisons saw the biggest rise, figures show.

Ocado and Lidl reduced their gap by the largest amounts in 2023-24 compared to the previous year, while Tesco, Asda, Aldi, Co-op, Iceland and Waitrose owner John Lewis also saw a reduction.

The data comes from the government's gender pay gap service and states the difference in hourly rates of pay. 

In contrast to other big-name brands, Morrisons saw its mean pay gap widen to 12.5% from 7.6%. M&S also saw a slight increase from 12.5% to 12.6%.

The mean figure gives the best overall view of the gender pay gap but includes extreme values which could skew the average.

Of the 11 biggest UK supermarkets, Co-op has the largest pay gap with 13.2%, followed by M&S and Morrisons.

An M&S spokesperson said: "We're committed to driving equal opportunities and making M&S a great place to work for women. Encouragingly our median pay gap has decreased, and women now make up more than 50% of our UK store management population, but we know there is more to do. 

"We're making progress with the launch of new initiatives, talent programmes, and policies, including our flexible working offer – Worklife, a Job Share Finder, and our industry-leading family leave offer."

A spokesperson for Co-op said: "We are committed to treating our colleague member owners fairly, and this includes driving equitable outcomes for female colleagues. We've seen a significant reduction in our gender pay gap since we started to report data in 2017, and this year's data shows further progress towards closing it.

"It's important to reiterate that we don't pay people differently based on their gender at Co-op. The gender pay gap is caused by us having fewer females in leadership role, where salaries are higher.

"Our focus on improving representation remains, as we know this is one of the key drivers causing the gender pay gap. Today, 40% of our leadership population are female - this is not enough, which is why we’ve launched a series of development programmes and have a coaching and mentoring offer to support women with career progression.

"We know there’s still much to do in this space and will hold ourselves to account and continue to strive for gender equality."

Morrisons has also been contacted for comment.

Every Thursday we look at a different savings option, explain the pros and cons, and reveal the best deals on the market (see table below for that).  This week we're talking about the best notice accounts. Savings Champion founder Anna Bowes  says this...

As with the rest of the savings market, the top notice account rates have started to fall. However, there are stalwarts like the Investec 90-day notice account that are holding steady and as a result offering savers an opportunity to earn a little more, while not having to tie up their cash for too long.

A relatively unused aspect of the savings market, notice accounts offer a bit of a halfway house, with the best rates available generally paying more than the top easy access rates, but will more flexibility of access than a fixed term bond.

Just as it sounds, these savings accounts require you to give notice in order to access your money without a penalty. The usual notice period ranges from 30 to 120 days, although there are some accounts on the market that require six months or even a year's notice.

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

Another record month for Heathrow. Last month was the busiest ever March for the UK's biggest airport, the second record-breaking month in a row. 

It was also the busiest Easter weekend as Good Friday became the busiest ever direct departure day, when 118,000 people began their journey at the airport. 

It shows, despite cost of living pressures, lots of Britons were going on holiday.

More good news for Heathrow came earlier this week as planned strike action by 600 border force officers was called off to allow for negotiations in its dispute over working patterns. 

Oil prices are still high, hanging around $90. A barrel of Brent crude oil, the benchmark for oil prices, costs $90.66. The last time prices were this high was in the wake of the 7 October attacks and fears of conflict spreading throughout the Middle East. 

On the currency front, £1 buys $1.2538 and €1.1678.

How old is the average Briton when they buy their first home, or finish paying their mortgage, or retire?

These are some of the questions answered in a "Journeying Through Life" data dump from the Office for National Statistics.

Here are some of the key takeaways...

Home ownership - including the one life event that's happening earlier

People are buying homes later in life, perhaps unsurprisingly given how house prices have risen in the last decade or so.

In 2022, more than half of people owned their own home (either with a mortgage or outright) by the age of 36. 

That's a significant increase on 2004's figures - which showed the average age for home ownership was 32. 

This graph shows what proportion of people own homes at what age.

It isn't all doom and gloom on the homes front, however, with the age at which people own their home outright (ie mortgage paid off) dropping from 63 (in 2004) to 61 in 2020. 

This is pretty much the only life event happening earlier, however.

Retiring later

Again, this probably won't come as a huge surprise, but people are retiring later. 

The age where more than half of people were retired increased from 64 in 2011 to 66 in 2021. ​

There has been a bigger increase in average retirement age for women (from 61 years in 2011, to 66 years in 2021) than for men (from 65 in 2011 to 66 in 2021). 

The ONS says this is because the state pension age for women was increased from 60 to 66 during this time to match men.

Gender pay gap shrinking but still present

The latest data shows that men are still, on the whole, being paid more than women - although the gender pay gap is shown to be shrinking. 

For all employees, the gender pay gap was 14% in 2023 - compared with 20% in 2013.

Despite the gap shrinking, this graph shows that men's hourly wages are higher than women's at nearly all ages. 

The grey shaded area represents the pay gap. 

Another part of the data shows that males start work a touch earlier than women - with half of males in full-time employment by the age of 23 (compared with females at 24) in 2021. 

That data could be explained by the fact that more women attend university - some 319,000 females compared with 285,000 males in 2022.  

Moving out, marrying and having children

The age at which young people move out of their family homes is increasing, too.

In 2011, half of people were not living with their parents at the age of 21 - compared with 24 in 2022. 

More men live with their parents than women, with 61% of adults living at home in 2021 were male.

When it comes to having children, the average age at which women have their first baby has risen to 29.

That's up from an average of just 23 in 1970. 

And finally, marriage.

The median age at first marriage has been steadily increasing since the 1960s. 

For opposite sex couples married in 2020, the median age was 32 years for men and 30 years for women. For those entering into same-sex marriage, the median age was older, at 36 years for men and 32 years for women.

As well as getting married older, fewer people are getting married. In 2019, marriage rates had fallen to their lowest on record. For men, there were 18.6 marriages per 1,000 never-married men; for women, there were 17.2 marriages per 1,000 never-married women.

Spotify has announced it is hiking its subscription prices by up to £24 a year.

It is the second time in less than a year that the music streaming giant has increased its prices.

Here's how the prices will change...

Individual: £11.99 a month (up from £10.99 a month)  

Duo: £16.99 a month (up from £14.99 a month)  

Family: £19.99 a month (up from £17.99 a month) 

When will the change kick in?

The subscription price will change from May and if you are an existing customer Spotify will email you and give you one-month's notice of the change.

If you are on a free trial you will pay the old price for one month once your trial ends.

A Spotify spokesperson told Sky News: "So that we can keep innovating and delivering value to fans, the music industry, and creators on our platform, we occasionally update our prices. 

"We've begun communicating with existing subscribers in the UK to explain what this means for their account."

American burger chain Wendy's will be recruiting for over 400 job roles as part of its expansion across the UK.

The chain returned to the UK in 2021 after a 20-year break and has since opened just over 30 sites, including drive-throughs in Colchester, Peterborough, Derby and Brampton Hut.

But the chain, which was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, plans to open a further nine sites this year in Liverpool, Middlesbrough, and a second location in Sheffield.

New locations will include Liverpool, Middlesbrough and a second site in Sheffield.

Wendy's franchisee GH Burgers will open a first restaurant in Wood Green, London, this year.

There will also be restaurants in Southend-on-Sea, Colchester, Cambridge and Newcastle.

Michael Clarke, UK managing director for the Wendy's Company, told The Caterer : "We've seen great momentum in building Wendy's fandom in the UK, and the love and excitement for this iconic brand grows stronger with each new restaurant opening."

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