NHS staff testing ‘scandal’ and harrowing survival tales
WILL OLIVER Testing questions Throughout the succession of government announcements since the coronavirus outbreak arrived in the UK, ministers have heard persistent calls for NHS workers to be tested. Yet the latest figures for England reveal just 2,000 out of about half a million frontline staff have been tested so far. Industry bodies describe hospitals […]
Georgia Roche: Super League’s Woman of Steel on inspiring girls in rugby league
While the Women’s Super League is the elite standard of competition, there is still some way to go before players like Roche and England team-mate Tara-Jane Stanley can enjoy the full-time status afforded to players in Australia’s Women’s National Rugby League. Thus, it is a case of juggling her schedule around daily life, paying the […]
Rhodes Honeymoon ‘disaster’ and Holyrood spending row
Greek wildfires continue to dominate the front pages as tourists are caught up in the emergency evacuation from Rhodes. Newlyweds Luna and Daniel Rolfe, from Glasgow, had planned the “holiday of a lifetime” on the island, the Daily Record reports. But the couple say their trip has felt like a “disaster movie”. The couple tell […]
Women’s Super League: Elite rugby league competition returns in 2021
Bradford Bulls remain one of rugby league’s biggest ‘brands’ and their women’s team has enjoyed success in the Challenge Cup and won the inaugural WSL in 2017. Their 2021 side features two ‘high fliers’, from the Royal Air Force, in Flight Lieutenant Linda McLean and Corporal Alice Fisher. “I am a flight test engineer for […]
Minister warns of ‘crisis’ in NI agri-food industry
Conor Macauley BBC NI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent BBC Northern Ireland’s agri-food industry is under major pressure as markets collapse and prices paid to farmers continue to fall. About 100,000 jobs depend on farming and food and the coronavirus lockdown is having a major impact. Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has warned of a “crisis” and […]
$3bn IMF bailout for struggling economy
Archana Shukla & Annabelle Liang in Colombo and Singapore Getty Images Sri Lanka has secured a $3bn (£2.4bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it faces its worst economic crisis since independence. The deal has been nearly a year in the making and a lifeline for the country that has billions of dollars […]
Keeping Faith songwriter’s show delight
BBC Keeping Faith, starring Eve Myles, is nominated for six Bafta Cymru awards Grammy winning song writer Amy Wadge has said she will be proud to celebrate Wales at a glittering Bafta Cymru awards ceremony. She is one of the nominees for original music alongside composer Laurence Love Greed, for the BBC Wales and S4C […]
Have the benefits been overstated?
Rachel Schraer BBC Reality Check Getty Images Alongside reputable sellers, the rapid growth of the industry has attracted “CBD cowboys” – opportunists trying to make a quick profit – according to Mark Reinders, president of the European Hemp Industry Association. There are two main compounds found in cannabis – CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Unlike THC, […]
Cardiff chemists’ £7m pollution push
Steffan Messenger BBC Wales Environment Correspondent Thomas Schnitzler/Getty Images Plastic waste has become a marine menace – but could science help? You have probably never given much thought to the science of catalysis. But it is used to help manufacture virtually everything you own, and grow the food you eat. Now scientists say it could […]
CO2 industry strikes deal to prevent shortages
Getty Images A fresh deal has been struck to keep supplies of vital industrial-grade carbon dioxide (CO2) flowing by keeping a key production site open. When CF Industries’ plant at Billingham shut briefly last year, it caused a crisis, threatening CO2 supplies to the food, medical and nuclear sectors. At the time, the company said […]