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5 Things You Need To Know, Today, on Wednesday 26th January 2022
5. Human drivers should not be legally accountable for road safety in the era of autonomous cars, insted the company behind the driving system would be responsiblea a report says.
In these cars, the driver should be redefined as a "user-in-charge", with very different legal responsibilities, according to the law commissions for England and Wales, and Scotland.
4. Manufacturers have seen their stocks of semiconductors plunge amid the global chip shortage, the US Department of Commerce has warned.
A survey of more than 150 firms found supplies had fallen from an average of 40 days' worth in 2019 to just five days in late 2021.
3. Care home staff and nurses are among key workers facing the prospect of being paid less this year than last, according to the Trades Union Congress.
Pay increases are failing to keep up with rising inflation, leading to another year of "wages gloom" for public sector workers, the TUC said.
2. Food and drink firms have raised fears over shortages as a deal that secured vital carbon dioxide (CO2) supplies is about to end without an extension.
CO2 is used for keeping packaged food fresh, to stun pigs and chickens before slaughter and in fizzy drinks.
1. Struggling UK families may need help with energy bills as inflation soars, an International Monetary Fund expert has said.
It comes as the IMF predicted that the UK economy will grow more slowly than expected this year, from 5% to 4.7% as it recovers from the Covid pandemic.