Future of agriculture software contract in doubt
Conor Macauley BBC NI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent Getty Images £10.9m has been spent on the system since April 2016 A senior government official has raised doubts about the future of a software contract on which millions of pounds of taxpayers money has already been spent. It is for a new system to trace animal […]
How Carmen went from tragic heroine to feminist icon
Sophia Smith Galer Features correspondent Getty New productions of Bizet’s famous opera are rewriting the femme fatale’s tragic ending, writes Sophia Smith Galer. “If your death is near, if Destiny has written the words none shall deny,” murmurs Carmen, “you may deal 20 times, the cards cannot be beaten. They always say: you die!” If […]
China hits back at Trump with tariffs on $60bn of US goods
Getty Images China has hit back at President Donald Trump by announcing new trade tariffs on $60bn of US goods. It comes after the US slapped duties on $200bn of Chinese imports to take effect from next Monday, escalating its trade war with Beijing. China will target goods such as liquefied natural gas, produced in […]
Why aren’t there better treatments for cystitis?
Christine Ro Features correspondent Alamy A urine sample being checked with a test strip (Credit: Alamy) Women are routinely dismissed when they report symptoms of urinary tract infections, though the consequences can be severe. For Melissa Wairimu, a video editor in Nairobi, the symptoms started at the age of 21. She was having to urinate […]
No deal warnings and Sir Elton defends royals
Getty Images Fresh food may become less available under a no-deal Brexit, according to a leaked document Preparations for a potential no-deal Brexit – and the difficulties and dilemmas they involve – feature heavily in the papers and news websites. Buzzfeed News says it has learnt that British diplomats across the EU are preparing to […]
What we can learn from conspiracy theories
EPA From political upheavals to anxieties about sex, technology and women, it turns out conspiracy theories can tell us a lot about what’s going on in our societies – and how to fix them. In 331 BC, something was wrong with Rome. Across the city, swathes of eminent men were succumbing to sickness, and practically […]
The pistachios that need police protection
Francesca Marchese Business reporter, Bronte, Sicily Getty Images The red outer layer of pistacchio verde di Bronte covers a bright green interior Police captain Nicolo Morandi says that he and his colleagues are already preparing for September. At least six officers are going to patrol in the daytime, and up to 12 at night. And […]
The New Yorker who saved 90,000 infants
Leila McNeill Features correspondent At the turn of the last century, many remained sceptical of both germ theory and preventative medicine. One public health official fought to change that – and saved thousands of lives. The “suicide ward” is what New York City health inspectors called Manhattan’s Lower East Side at the turn of the […]
What are the new Covid-19 rules?
PA Media Residents are only allowed to mix indoors with their own households or support bubbles Parts of the North West outside the Liverpool City Region are set to enter the second most stringent Covid alert level in the government’s new three-tier lockdown system. Halton in Cheshire will be put under third tier restrictions along […]
How game theory can help to give your love life a boost
Manu Dal Borgo Features correspondent Getty Images/ Alamy/ Javier Hirschfeld It is possible to look at human relationships a little like they are a game of rock, paper, scissors – how you play it is up to you… How do you go about finding “the one” – or, at least, the “next one” – in […]