Retailers criticise lockdown rules on essential items
Getty Images A leading retail lobby group has expressed confusion over government lockdown rules that state which shops are essential and what they can sell. The British Retail Consortium, which represents the industry, said the new guidance creates “arbitrary” lines over what is or is not essential. A supermarket can, for example, sell “non-essential” homeware […]
Thousands make it away for Easter break
PA Media Airlines reported fewer flight cancellations on Saturday Holidaymakers are continuing to experience delays and queues as they try to get away for the Easter break. In the past week, more than 100 flights a day had been cancelled due to staff shortages and ferry operators are struggling to meet demand after P&O suspended […]
Horseboxes, chip shops and cafes back school meals campaign
BBC Marcus Rashford said he was “blown away” by news of local businesses stepping up Cafes and restaurants across England have promised to feed children in the school holidays, despite the industry struggling to survive coronavirus restrictions. Responses to Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford’s child food poverty campaign escalated after the government voted against extending […]
China’s anger at Japan is fuelled by disinformation
Derek Cai BBC News, Singapore Getty Images Restaurants in Beijing carry signs about the blanket ban on seafood imports from Japan Rocks thrown at schools, threats of a boycott and hundreds of hostile phone calls – these are just some of the ways Chinese people have shown their displeasure with Japan in recent weeks. Scientists […]
Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl cut bread and butter prices
Tom Espiner Business reporter, BBC News Getty Images Tesco, Aldi and Lidl have followed Sainsbury’s by cutting the price of own-brand butter and bread after criticism over high supermarket prices. The supermarkets have all reduced its salted and unsalted butter prices from £1.99 to £1.89 for 250g packets. Wholesale food prices have been falling globally, […]
Can Northern Ireland economy build on green shoots of recovery?
John Campbell BBC News NI economics and business editor Reuters Chancellor Jeremy Hunt revealed his budget on Wednesday In his budget speech on Wednesday, the chancellor was happy to announce that the UK is no longer expected to enter a technical recession this year. But in Northern Ireland a technical recession actually began in the […]
North Yorkshire Council backs calls for shellfish die-off public inquiry
Anttoni James Numminen Local Democracy Reporting Service Sally Bunce The mass die-off on 40 miles (70km) of coastline saw shellfish washed ashore between October and December 2021 A council is backing calls for a public inquiry into the deaths of shellfish off the North East and North Yorkshire coast. Since late 2021, thousands of marine […]
Isles MP calls for cull of sea eagles to protect lambs
Getty Images White-tailed sea eagles are the UK’s largest bird of prey An MP has called for a cull of white-tailed sea eagles in places where the birds prey on lambs. Angus MacNeil said numbers of the eagles – the UK’s largest bird of prey – were “bumping up” in certain areas due to them […]
Abattoir labour shortage sees Yorkshire farmer kill piglets
Claire Marshall Environment & rural affairs correspondent BBC A Yorkshire farmer has killed hundreds of piglets because labour shortages in local abattoirs mean adult pigs are not being killed fast enough. The resulting backlog means there is less space left on farms for younger pigs, which are cheaper and easier to kill. The farmer had […]
Spike in Scotland’s waste during first lockdown
Getty Images Zero Waste Scotland urged Scots to think about the planet There was a spike in household waste during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new report. The Carbon Metric report suggested that waste from Scottish households grew by 3.2% in 2020. Zero Waste Scotland said people had to think carefully […]