Inflation leaps to a six-year high

A POPULAR gorilla is celebrating her 10th birthday – her first as a mother. Touni moved to Bristol Zoo two years ago from La Vallee des Singes zoo in France and was introduced to silverback Jock.

In April this year she gave birth to her first baby, Ayana. Mammals team leader Sarah Gedman, who spent time with Touni in France and accompanied her back to Bristol, said: “She is a really good mum. She’s quite protective and she doesn’t let Ayana go off too far on her own.” Magilligan Prison. Adele Norton, head of resettlement and rehabilitation at Magilligan, said: “What we are doing is bringing together families in what can often be very difficult times.” UNION leaders are urging Sir Richard Branson to intervene in a dispute over pay which is set to spark a series of strikes on Virgin Trains West Coast.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union and Transport Salaried Staffs Association will walk out on Friday and the following Friday, and on January 5, 8, 26 and 29, saying they want a similar rise to one given to drivers.

The company said it will keep the majority of trains running despite the industrial action HARRY POTTER author JK Rowling has told of her pride at being made a Companion of Honour at Buckingham Palace.

The world-renowned author described it as a particular privilege to be given the rare honour as a female writer.

Rowling, who is also marking two decades since the publication of the first book in her best-selling series, has been honoured for services to literature and philanthropy.

She was decorated by the Duke of Cambridge, and the 52-year-old said: “I’m deeply honoured and proud to be receiving this honour.

“To be included in the distinguished and diversely talented company of the other Companions of Honour, especially as a female writer, is a particular privilege.”

Membership of the Order of the Companions of Honour, established in 1917 by George V, is a special award held by only 65 people at any one time, and recognises services of national importance. Rowling, whose first name is Joanne, was awarded an OBE in 2001.

She has previously told how her famous boy wizard creation simply “fell” into her head years earlier while on a crowded train to London after a weekend flat-hunting in Manchester in 1990.

Sitting on the delayed train, she said she had “never been so excited about an idea”.

Harry Potter was born, and on her return home that night, Rowling immediately began writing what would become the first book of the series – Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone.

A prolific Twitter user with more than 10 million followers, she uses it to promote her charities and speak out against Brexit and US President Donald Trump. INFLATION unexpectedly jumped to a near six-year high last month, forcing the Bank of England to explain to the Chancellor how it will tackle Britain’s surging inflation.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose to 3.1% in November, up from 3% in October.

It means inflation has climbed to its highest level since March 2012, with economists expecting CPI to hold steady for the third month in a row at 3%.

The outcome spells more misery for households as they face a further squeeze on their finances ahead of the Christmas period.

It also means Bank governor Mark Carney must pen a letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond – due to be published in February – outlining the reason behind CPI’s rapid rise.

The Government has set a target of 2%, with protocol dictating that the Bank must contact Mr Hammond if inflation exceeds 3% or falls short of 1%.

The move will pose fresh questions to the Bank’s interest rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) about whether or not inflation has topped out.

Lucy O’Carroll, Aberdeen Standard Investments chief economist, said: “It’s quite possible that inflation is close to its peak. But some of the latest surveys suggest that service sector costs and prices are rising. Given how dominant services are in the economy, this could feed through to inflation overall.

“That means that further interest rate rises are definitely not off the table.”

The MPC is expected to keep interest rates on hold when it announces its latest decision tomorrow, after hiking the cost of borrowing to 0.5% last month.

Sterling was up nearly 0.3% versus the US dollar at 1.337 following the CPI announcement, and was higher by around 0.2% against the euro at 1.135.

The lion’s share of the rise came from air fares, which recorded a smaller monthly drop in November at 10.4%, compared with a 13.4% fall over the period last year.

Computer games prices were also rising, as games, toys and hobbies lifted 3.7% on an annual basis last month.

Prices also climbed by 2.2% on a monthly basis, compared with 0.7% growth last year.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks prices pushed higher, picking up by 0.6% month on month in contrast to a 0.5% lift for the period in 2016.

Part of the rise came from chocolate prices, with sugar, jam, honey, syrups, chocolate and confectionery up 1.5% on the month after falling by 1.5% for the same period last year.

Motorists were also facing higher fuel costs in November, with petrol up by 1.8p per litre month on month to 119.1p. Diesel also rose by 2.3p a litre to 122.8p.

It comes after crude oil surged by 7.6% between October and November, reaching its highest level since December 2016.