Plastic bags recycled into fabric to fight pollution
Getty Images Polythene is among the most widely-produced materials in the world Scientists have made fabrics from polythene in a move they say could reduce plastic pollution and make the fashion industry more sustainable. Polythene is a ubiquitous plastic, found in everything from plastic bags to food packaging. The new textiles have potential uses in […]
Home Office urged to use lie detectors
PA There has been a small spike in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats in recent months People seeking asylum in the UK should take a lie detector test as part of their application, the former chief of UK immigration enforcement says. Abuse of the asylum system is “rife” and it […]
Rhondda ex-mining village looks to forest for its future
Mike Erskine Ian Thomas from social enterprise Welcome to the Woods hopes taking charge of the forest will build local wealth The Skyline project wants to take charge of about 1.5 sq miles (4 sq km) of forestry around Treherbert, Rhondda Cynon Taff. It wants to create jobs in forestry and provide timber for affordable […]
The woman who unseated Samoa’s prime minister of 20 years
Getty Images Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is set to become prime minister Samoa is set to get its first female prime minister, marking the end of unprecedented political drama in the small Pacific island nation of 200,000 people. On Monday, the Supreme Court finally validated Fiame Naomi Mata’afa’s shock April election win, ending weeks of political […]
Theresa May attacks ‘vile’ online threats against women
PA Theresa May will tell G7 leaders that action needs to be taken to improve online safety for women Theresa May is calling on world leaders and social media firms to tackle “vile online harassment” and threats of violence against women and girls. The prime minister will tell the G7 summit in Canada that women […]
Harry Styles wins, Raye calls out music industry greed
PA Media Raye won best contemporary song for her number one single Escapism Pop star Raye used the Ivor Novello Awards to challenge a room full of record label executives to pay songwriters more fairly. Her comments came as she accepted the prize for best contemporary song. “It would be an insult to suggest that […]
Sugar reduction in food well below target of 20%
Getty Images There was a small 3% overall reduction in sugar in food products sold between 2015 and 2019, according to a Public Health England (PHE) report. This was far below the government’s voluntary target for the food industry of 20% by 2020. The largest drops in sugar were in yogurts and breakfast cereals. But […]
A decade of popularity and polarisation
Reuters Mr Modi will make history if he wins a third consecutive term as prime minister Ten years after becoming prime minister, Narendra Modi is aiming for a historic third term – what makes him India’s most prominent leader in decades? Many voters feel things have got better since he took office in 2014, but […]
Bumble to be ‘available’ to India police in Shraddha Walkar case
ANI Shraddha Walkar was killed in May Dating app Bumble has said it will “remain available” to Indian law enforcement agencies investigating a murder case that had made headlines in the country. Police have said that Walkar and her partner, Aftab Poonawala, met on Bumble in 2019. They have arrested and charged Mr Poonawala with […]
How a start-up in Kashmir is inspiring thousands
Samiullah and Abid Rashid Sheikh Samiullah and Abid Rashid co-founded FastBeetle in 2019 A start-up from Indian-administered Kashmir has raised funding on reality show Shark Tank India, boosting hopes for other budding entrepreneurs from the region. Auqib Javeed met the men behind the company. FastBeetle – a courier delivery service based in Kashmir – raised […]