New Zealand egg shortage threatens pavlova
KarpenkovDenis New Zealand is in the grip of a nationwide egg shortage which is driving up wholesale prices and putting its much-loved dessert, pavlova, at risk. Supermarket shelves are bare and some stores are putting restrictions on the number of eggs customers can buy. A long-awaited government ban on battery-caged hens came into effect this […]
Marmite maker Unilever to cut 1,500 jobs worldwide
Reuters Consumer goods giant Unilever has confirmed it will cut about 1,500 jobs globally as part of an overhaul of its management and structure. The Marmite-to-Domestos maker said the cuts would not affect shopfloor jobs in factories. Unilever is under pressure after a failed £50bn bid for a division of GlaxoSmithKline, and some shareholders have […]
No guarantee from May on farm cash after Brexit
James Williams BBC Wales Brexit correspondent Theresa May promises a system that works “in the interests of Welsh farmers” Theresa May has declined to promise Wales will not lose any money it now receives from the EU after Brexit. The prime minister reiterated her government’s commitment to maintain EU funding levels of around £300m a […]
Rivers used as ‘open sewers’, says WWF charity
Daniel Wainwright & Paul Bradshaw BBC News Melissa Compton became seriously ill while swimming the length of the River Severn Targets for 75% of rivers to be healthy by 2027 are “very unlikely” to be met in England, a charity has warned. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says rivers are “used as open […]
Theresa May says Brexit bill ‘a sensible way forward’
Getty Images The prime minister has insisted her Brexit bill is a “sensible way forward” despite the Scottish Parliament refusing to grant its consent. Theresa May told the House of Commons she was disappointed by the vote. But she insisted it was “right that we go ahead with measures that not only respect devolution but […]
Call for clarity over Scottish consequences of budget
Scottish Parliament Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has called for “urgent clarification” on the consequences for Scotland of the £30bn coronavirus budget package. However, Ms Forbes said it was not clear what the announcement meant for spending in Scotland. The chancellor said the overall Budget would result in £640m additional funding for the Scottish government. She […]
Coronavirus: March retail sales ‘plummet’
Getty Images Retail sales declined at the worst rate on record last month as the government’s coronavirus lockdown measures took hold, a trade body says. Total UK sales fell by 4.3% compared with the previous year, the sharpest decline since 1995, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said. There was a sharp contrast between sales before […]
More than 600,000 people told to isolate by NHS Covid-19 app
Cristina Criddle Technology reporter Getty Images More than 600,000 people using the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales were sent self-isolation alerts in the week between 8 and 15 July. Data shows 618,903 alerts were sent – a 17% rise from the previous week. There are complaints from businesses that the alerts are causing […]
Director sentenced over £200,000 fish fraud
A company director caught fraudulently obtaining more than £200,000 by producing fake labels so he could sell products abroad has been ordered to carry out unpaid work. Sea-Pac owner Alistair Thompson, 70, from Lonmay, Aberdeenshire, admitted fraud at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. He arranged for Shetland Products and Fraserburgh Freezing and Cold Storage labels to go […]
Athlete Non Stanford to get MBE
Paul Pigott & Peter Shuttleworth BBC News Non Stanford Former world champion triathlete Non Stanford will receive an MBE Athlete Non Stanford has been recognised in the King’s first Birthday Honours with an MBE for services to triathlon in Wales. She said it had settled some “demons” as she felt doing a “selfish pursuit” may […]