June 4: Banks battle outage; Nissan signs Chery manufacturing deal; Bentley Flying Spur S

Lloyds Banking Group has apologised to customers for a technical issue with its app and online banking which led to thousands of customers reporting problems accessing their accounts.

The banking group said its digital services were back up and running following the outage which lasted several hours on Wednesday.

It comes a few months after nearly half a million people were impacted by an IT glitch.

Nissan set to build Chery vehicles at Sunderland plant

Chinese car manufacturer Chery could soon be building its cars at Nissan’s Sunderland plant following a new deal.

The manufacturer, which produces Omoda and Jaecoo brands, has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Nissan to build its cars at the Sunderland facility.

The site would remain owned by Nissan under the agreement and the team operating it would also be employed by the Japanese car maker, but Chery would build its passenger cars at the plant’s spare production line.

Bentley refines Flying Spur design and adds new ‘S’ model

Bentley has introduced a new version of its luxurious Flying Spur, featuring a more refined exterior design and a new ‘S’ variant.

The Flying Spur’s most notable change for this latest generation is the revised headlight design, which ditches Bentley’s traditional quad-light look for a twin-lamp setup instead. It makes it the first Bentley model to feature a single front headlamp since 1962.

Elsewhere, the Flying Spur now incorporates a revised boot lid with new rear lights, while fresh 22-inch wheel designs are also available.

The markets

The British stock closed lower on Wednesday amid renewed strength in oil prices as hopes for peace in the Middle East faded once more amid renewed fighting between the US and Iran.

The FTSE 100 closed down 41.21 points, or 0.4%, at 10,332.30.

In European equity markets on Wednesday, the CAC 40 in Paris ended down 1.3%, and the DAX 40 in Frankfurt closed 1.3% lower.

Big Motoring World’s Camberley dealership site is set to be marketed for more than £19.5m, with the retailer stressing its long-term lease remains secure and operations will continue unchanged.

A fire at a vehicle storage compound in Southampton docks damaged 33 Jaecoo E5 hybrid vehicles, with firefighters tackling the blaze for several hours. No injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation.

Honda has extended its service-activated warranty to up to eight years or 100,000 miles, strengthening its reliability credentials and matching growing competition from Chinese brands offering long-term warranty cover.

EU new car registrations rose 4.2% in early 2026, with EVs gaining share as petrol and diesel fell. UK outperformed Europe, while Chinese brands like BYD, Omoda, Jaecoo and Leapmotor recorded rapid growth across markets.

Google must allow publishers to opt out of AI search results under new CMA rules

News groups and other online publishers will be able to choose not to appear in the AI Overviews of Google search results in a move hailed as a ‘world first’ by Britain’s competition watchdog.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has given Google nine months to roll out changes required under a range of so-called conduct requirements.

It comes after the CMA designated the firm with strategic market status in October given its dominance in the sector, accounting for more than 90% of searches in the UK.

Starmer condemns ‘disgraceful’ attacks on police over Henry Nowak case

Attacks by protesters on police near where teenager Henry Nowak was stabbed to death were ‘disgraceful’, Sir Keir Starmer has said after eleven officers and a police dog were injured.

The unrest came amid an outcry about the policing response to the murder after the student’s killer claimed he had been the victim of a racial attack while Mr Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying.

Opening Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir told the Commons there was ‘no justification for more violence and disorder’.

Weather outlook…

Across the UK, the south and southeast should enjoy a largely dry day with sunny spells and pleasantly warm temperatures.

The Midlands will see a mix of sunshine and cloud, with only a small risk of showers.

Northern England turns more unsettled with scattered rain at times, while Scotland experiences cooler conditions, variable cloud and occasional showers, especially in western and northern areas.