Holiday firms urge PM to allow watchdog to fine airlines
Getty Images In a joint letter along with consumer organisation Which?, they called for stronger enforcement action if airlines fail to uphold consumer rights around refunds and cancellations. They claim thousands of passengers have been subjected to “unfair treatment”. The industry body for airlines said aviation was already highly regulated. If a service is disrupted, […]
Mrs Kirkham’s cheese says tests show no trace of E. coli
BBC Four types of Mrs Kirkham’s cheese were recalled on Christmas Eve A cheese producer that recalled products after a possible E. coli risk has said tests on 60 batches have shown no evidence of the bacteria. Four types of Mrs Kirkham’s cheese were withdrawn in December as part of an investigation into cases involving […]
Great Yorkshire Show appoints first female director
Yorkshire Agricultural Society Rachel Coates farms land on the edge of Baildon Moor north of Bradford A woman will be appointed as director of the Great Yorkshire Show for the first time in its 186-year history. Dairy farmer Rachel Coates is to take over from Charles Mills, who has been show director since 2016. The […]
Why pet owners are spending thousands of dollars on ‘human-grade’ food
Aysha Imtiaz Features correspondent Getty Images As the market for fresh pet food soars, dogs and cats are eating as well as their owners (Credit: Getty Images) As consumers claw for luxury pet food, dogs and cats are eating as well as humans. When Amy Barkham adopted her dog named Wednesday, she already knew she […]
British Gas sees profits increase 10-fold
Michael Race & Simon Jack Business reporter & Business editor, BBC News Getty Images British Gas has announced its profits for 2023 increased 10-fold to £750m. The supplier said the jump from £72m in 2022 was due to regulator Ofgem allowing it to recover losses of £500m it racked up in the aftermath of Russia’s […]
A leading data scientist’s journey from doomism to climate hope
India Bourke Features correspondent Angela Catlin The Oxford data scientist Hannah Ritchie urges action to secure climate hope (Credit: Angela Catlin) Data scientist Hannah Ritchie argues that planetary damage could be about to peak – but that the US election result could be “pivotal”. In a global survey of young people’s feelings about climate change, […]
Opheem becomes Birmingham’s first two Michelin-starred restaurant
Shehnaz Khan BBC News, West Midlands Opheem Opheem has become Birmingham’s first restaurant to receive two Michelin stars An Indian fine dining restaurant has become the first in Birmingham to receive two Michelin stars. Opheem, in the city centre, was given the prestigious award for what Michelin described as its “highly original Indian cooking.” Chef […]
US and UK strikes fail to slow Houthi attacks
Joshua Cheetham, Shruti Menon, Yi Ma, and Paul Myers BBC Verify Reuters The Marlin Luanda, operated by a UK-based company, was struck by a Houthi missile on 26 January in the Gulf of Aden Repeated US and UK air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen have failed to slow their attacks on ships in the […]
Protesting farmers breach college gates at Mark Drakeford visit
Maria Cassidy & Shelley Phelps BBC News Protestors confront the first minister in ongoing dispute over farming subsidies Protesting farmers breached college gates as First Minister Mark Drakeford arrived to open an engineering centre in Rhyl. There was pushing and shoving as up to 200 farmers followed Mr Drakeford into Coleg Llandrillo on Wednesday. Farmers […]
India town out on streets over elephant attacks
Ashraf Padanna Reporter, Trivandrum, Kerala Arun Chandrabose Kerala’s Wayanad district is known for its dense forest cover “I’m afraid the elephant that killed my father could come back to attack again,” says 13-year-old Alna Joseph. On 10 February, Ms Joseph was returning from morning prayers at her village church in Mananthavady town in the hilly […]