In the headlines
It’s “April Cruel Day”, says the Daily Mirror: from today, the energy price cap is rising by 54%, council tax by up to 5% and national insurance contributions by 1.25%. Average household bills will increase by more than £1,000. Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s measures to soften the blow don’t “even touch the sides for a lot of families”, one Cabinet minister tells The Times. Russian soldiers have largely withdrawn from the Chernobyl nuclear power station after being hit with “significant doses” of radiation, says Ukraine’s state nuclear company. The troops reportedly dug trenches in the most contaminated part of the site and then “panicked at the first sign of illness”. Rising farming costs could lead to an egg shortage within weeks, says the Daily Star. Brace for “armageggon”.