5 STORIES COMING UP TODAY

BUYERS’ MISERY

Consumer confidence is now weaker than at its lowest point during the global banking crisis or the Covid shutdown as cost of living pressures escalate. GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index fell two points to minus 40 in May, its lowest score since records began in 1974.

POWER LOSS FEARS

The Public Accounts Committee has urged the Government to consider extending the lives of power stations after MPs warned the closure of seven by 2028 will “significantly reduce” UK energy generation.

‘SEXTORTION’ RISE

Cases of ‘sextortion’ – when someone is blackmailed over intimate images – reported to the Revenge Porn Helpline have almost doubled to 1,124 within a year, becoming its main issue for the first time.

ROBOT SHOPPERS

The Co-op says it will be the first supermarket to launch ‘walking deliveries’ for households and workplaces up to a 15-minute walk from its stores, with robots forming part of its plans.

CORAL SKIN CARE

A rash might send humans rushing to the pharmacy, but when some dolphins get skin conditions they queue to rub themselves against coral with medicinal properties, research carried out in the Red Sea off Egypt suggests.