Friday newspaper round-up: Sterling, interest rates, Brexit, heat pumps, Rupert Murdoch

The pound dipped to its lowest level in six months, and bonds rallied after the Bank of England held borrowing costs steady for the first time since November 2021 in a finely balanced decision. Investors sold sterling after the announcement, pushing the pound 0.5 per cent lower against the dollar to $1.22, its weakest level since March. - The Times

Ten thousand fewer households a year will be able to claim heat pump grants from the Government after Rishi Sunak’s overhaul of the scheme, it has emerged. Just 20,000 households a year will be able to claim the Prime Minister’s more generous heat pump grants because the Government left a cap on the cost of the scheme unchanged. - Telegraph

The Brexit trade deal should not be reopened just to satisfy demands from some sectors of the UK and EU motor industry concerned about looming tariffs on electric cars, Thierry Breton, the influential European commissioner, has said. EU leaders have come under pressure to suspend 10% tariffs on electric car exports that are expected to begin in January under the Brexit treaty. - Guardian

Watford is to become the unlikely new home for Batman and Superman after Warner Bros confirmed that it is to go ahead with a huge expansion of its Leavesden film studios. The addition of ten new sound stages and 400,000 sq ft of production and support space will increase the filming capacity of the studios where the Harry Potter films were shot by 50 per cent. - The Times

Religious programmes could disappear from TV screens following an overhaul of UK broadcasting laws, MPs have warned. The Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee said the new rules meant broadcasters, including the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4, may axe less commercially successful shows in areas such as religion, international matters and science. - Telegraph

Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chair of Fox and News Corp – ending a seven-decade run as one of the world’s most transformative and controversial media moguls. In a note to staff first reported in the Murdoch-controlled Wall Street Journal, he wrote: “For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles.” - Guardian