Birmingham couple proud to own ‘longest-running’ corner shop
Derek, 89, and Pauline Hughes, 84, from Cotteridge have been running their corner shop since 1964 A husband and wife team behind a corner shop in Birmingham said they felt proud at being named the UK’s longest-standing business run by a married couple. Derek and Pauline Hughes from Cotteridge have been at the helm of […]
Basic payment scheme to end in 2021
Steffan Messenger BBC Wales Environment Correspondent Getty Images Environmental work could include reducing the risk of flooding by restoring floodplain woodlands The current subsidy given to Welsh farmers will be scrapped after 2021, it has been confirmed. The Basic Payment Scheme gives farmers money based on how much land they use. The Welsh Government plans […]
Leisure centre and school get £5m to reduce carbon emissions
Funding has been approved for carbon-cutting technology at a leisure centre and school. About £5m will be spent on replacing old gas boilers with heat pumps at Sun Lane Leisure in Wakefield and Upton Primary School in Pontefract. Wakefield Council said solar panels would also be installed at Sun Lane, which was one of the […]
NI will fall behind on targets without legislation
Elaine Mitchell BBC News NI PA Media Northern Ireland will fall behind on UK climate targets unless legislation is passed on climate change, according to the UK’s independent climate watchdog. Chris Stark the chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) said having legal targets for climate change is crucial. There are currently two […]
Animal Rebellion blockade London’s Smithfield Market
Sam Francis BBC News, London Melody Smiths Protestors occupied the central passage of Smithfield Market setting up a citizens’ assembly among the tents and fruit stalls Climate change protesters occupied part of London’s Smithfield Market, calling for the UK to transition to a vegan diet. One man was arrested as up to 400 protesters from […]
Contactless rail tickets scheme trial moves closer
A trial of a contactless payment system for rail travel in the East Midlands and Yorkshire has moved a step closer. The tap-and-go scheme, similar to that used in London, will use GPS data to calculate the best fare for on the day journeys. The government has now confirmed it has started the procurement process […]
‘I wasn’t allowed to buy my burrito with cash’
Natalie Sherman Business reporter, New York BBC Nicholas Duggan was “very taken aback” to find his cash refused During a recent lunch hour in New York, a sea of office workers filled the Hudson Eats food court, where staff prepared pizza, barbecue and chopped salad orders at incredible speed. Many people had ordered ahead by […]
AI chatbots unable to accurately summarise news, BBC finds
Imran Rahman-Jones Technology reporter Getty Images Four major artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are inaccurately summarising news stories, according to research carried out by the BBC. The BBC gave OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini and Perplexity AI content from the BBC website then asked them questions about the news. It said the resulting answers contained […]
Ukraine leader welcomed in Lincoln, as farming agreement signed
Sharon Edwards Political Reporter, Lincolnshire BBC Councillor Colin Davie and Oleksandr Prokudin, a Ukrainian governor, sign an agreement A leader from one of Ukraine’s most war-torn regions has visited Lincolnshire and signed an agreement to work with the county’s agricultural businesses. Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast province, was welcomed in Lincoln on Thursday. […]
One year on, the economic impact is starting to show
BBC Frustrating. Scary. Huge drop in sales: a panel give their opinions on Brexit. A dozen mild-mannered small business owners pop up on my screen from sectors ranging from chemicals, to financial services, to aerospace, catering and small gift box providers. Having been shown the data from a British Chambers of Commerce survey of the […]