RHI claimants got a “raw deal” MPs say
Conor Macauley BBC NI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent BBC The scheme offered financial incentives for businesses to use renewable fuels to generate heat Changes to Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme payments earlier this year meant a “raw deal” for participants, a committee of MPs has said. The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee said the Department for […]
How German firm approved Brazil dam before it burst
Jenny Hill BBC News, Brumadinho and Munich The moment the dam collapsed Six months after a deadly dam collapse in Brazil, new evidence has emerged that suggests the disaster could have been prevented. Investigators believe there’s evidence the German company that certified the structure as safe knew it was vulnerable to collapse. Nearly 300 people […]
Why some see Chile’s plastic bag ban as a rubbish proposal
Getty Images Plastic bags get caught in trees and litter the landscape “They are just everywhere and they are polluting our oceans, our fields, our cities,” says Guillermo González of the 3.4 billion disposable plastic bags used in Chile every year. Mr González heads the recycling department at Chile’s environment ministry and is only too […]
The human cost of insulin in America
BBC This is the list of what Laura Marston has sacrificed to keep herself alive: Her car, her furniture, her apartment, her retirement fund, her dog. At 36 years old, she has already sold all of her possessions twice to afford the insulin her body needs every day. Insulin is not like other drugs. It’s […]
Evidence of more business start-ups in Scotland
Douglas Fraser Business and economy editor, Scotland Getty Images The pandemic allowed more people time and space to indulge their interests and start their own businesses The low rate of business start-ups has long been lamented in Scotland, but there is growing evidence that it is picking up. A Strathclyde Business School survey found strongest […]
NI food and drink sector boosts turnover to £6bn
Bernadette Allen BBC News NI Reuters Northern Ireland’s food and drink industry generated a turnover of £6bn in 2021, an increase of 10% from the previous year. It is estimated that the turnover for 2022 will increase by 8% to £6.4bn. The figures are in a government-produced annual report on the size and performance of […]
Pub numbers fall to lowest on record
Empics The number of pubs in England and Wales continues to fall, hitting its lowest level on record, according to new research. There were 39,970 pubs in June, down by more than 7,000 since 2012, said real estate consultancy Altus Group. After struggling through Covid the industry now faced soaring prices and higher energy costs, […]
pay hikes, insecure bosses, frolicking cows
Douglas Fraser Business and economy editor, Scotland Getty Images There are strong signs of recovery in firms’ output, orders and recruitment. The jobs market has shifted to give more bargaining power to the lower paid Evidence from the tourism industry shows that it remains very tough going for company bosses Koslapp: in Swedish, it means […]
Springtime bounceback lifts High Streets to record growth
PA Media Retail sales enjoyed a springtime bounceback, with growth in High Street sales from April to June making it the best three months on record, industry body figures indicate. Sales in the period rose 28.4% from a year ago, and were up 10.4% from 2019. June’s sunny weather and the Euro 2020 tournament helped […]
Students ‘scared and confused’ as halls lock down
PA Media NHS staff hand out test kits to students at Glasgow University, where there has been a Covid-19 outbreak Students have spoken of their worry and confusion at being locked down in their university halls, in a situation described by unions as “shambolic”. In Manchester, students are being prevented from leaving by security. Universities […]