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UK Economy Grows 0.7% In First Quarter

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Britain’s economy grew more than expected in the first quarter, official data showed Thursday, covering the period before business tax hikes and US President Donald Trump’s tariffs blitz took effect.

Gross domestic product rose 0.7 percent in the January-to-March period after only growing slightly in the final quarter of last year, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

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The data comes as a boost for the Labour government, which struggled to kickstart stagnant growth since it came into power in July.

UK finance minister Rachel Reeves welcomed the news saying the figures “show the strength and potential of the UK economy.”

READ ALSO: UK Slashes Graduate Visa From Two Years To 18 Months

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But analysts cautioned that the bumper growth may not be sustained.

Thursday’s data covers the period before April’s introduction of a hike to a business tax laid out in the Labour government’s maiden budget in October.

It also precedes a baseline 10-percent tariff imposed on the UK and other countries by US President Donald Trump last month.

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The growth spurt is “set to be short lived as tariffs take effect” said Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK.

Despite the announcement of a UK-US trade agreement last week, “tariffs on UK exports to the US remain significantly higher than what they were prior to April,” she added.

READ ALSO:UK Unemployment Hits Highest Since 2021

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The US deal reduces tariffs on British cars and removes those on steel and aluminium, while in return Britain will open up markets to US beef and other farm products.

“Additionally, the indirect impact of trade tensions between the US and the EU will further constrain demand for UK exports,” Selfin said.

The data comes after the Bank of England last week cut its key interest rate by a quarter point to 4.25 percent as the threat of US tariffs starts to weigh on economic growth.

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The economy grew strongly in the first quarter of the year, largely driven by services, though production also grew significantly, after a period of decline,” said Liz McKeown, ONS director of economic statistics.

AFP

 

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Popular American Actor, Joe Marinelli Dies Of Stomach Cancer

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Joe Marinelli, popular American actor, known for his roles in ‘The Morning Show’ and other television series, is dead.

Joe Marinelli reportedly died last Sunday at age 68 after a long battle with throat and stomach cancer.

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The actor’s wife, Jean Marinelli, confirmed his passage to The Hollywood Reporter.

READ ALSO:American Actor, Jonathan Majors, Found Guilty Of Assault On Ex-girlfriend

Reacting to his death, the actor’s colleague, Mark Duplass who worked with the deceased on ‘The Morning Show’, said.

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We have lost a great one. Joe Marinelli lived in the rare air.

“He was a generous performer, beautiful human, wide-eyed positivist. I will miss him dearly. I will try to live my life a bit more like his. We all should”.

 

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Judge In Maradona Negligence Case Resigns Amid Scandal

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The Argentine judge who caused the collapse of a trial over the 2020 death of football legend Diego Maradona has resigned, her lawyer said Tuesday.

Julieta Makintach’s involvement in a clandestine documentary about the trial of Maradona’s medical team led to the proceedings being scrapped in May after two months of hearings.

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No date has yet been set for a new trial.

READ ALSO:Seven Healthcare Workers Face Jail In Maradona Death Trial

I have the honor of addressing you in my capacity as judge (…)in order to submit my resignation from my position,” Makintach wrote in a letter to the governor of Buenos Aires that was shared by her lawyer.

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Makintach was facing impeachment proceedings over her participation in the documentary about the case against seven medical staff accused of manslaughter over Maradona’s death.

Maradona — considered one of the world’s greatest ever players — died in November 2020 at the age of 60 while recovering from brain surgery.

READ ALSO:Qatar 2022: Diego Maradona Doing Two Things For Argentina From Above – Messi

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He died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema — a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs — two weeks after going under the knife.

Prosecutor say the conditions of his home convalescence were grossly negligent.

Makintach was one of three judges hearing the case.

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Netanyahu Vows To Thwart ‘Any Attempt’ By Iran To Rebuild Nuclear Programme

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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday to crush any attempt by Iran to rebuild its nuclear programme in a national address to the country after 12 days of war.

Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Netanyahu said after a ceasefire put a halt to airstrikes by the two countries against each other.

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READ ALSO: Netanyahu Hails ‘Historic Victory’ In Iran War

“We have thwarted Iran’s nuclear project. And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt,” he added.

 

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