UK farmers will ‘grow more food’ if no Brexit deal
Chris Grayling said that British farmers would produce more if food prices increase post-Brexit British farmers would produce more food themselves in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a trade deal, a cabinet minister has suggested. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was responding to industry claims that food prices could rise sharply in […]
Netanyahu gifts President Trump a golden pager in Washington DC
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gifted US President Donald Trump a golden pager while on his visit to Washington DC this week. The pager represents of “a turning point in the war” when Israel carried out a deadly operation against Hezbollah in September 2024, according to Netanyahu’s office. In the operation, Israel targeted pagers used […]
Sports and sun boost Scottish sales figures in June
BBC The hot weather boosted demand for barbecue food The recent heatwave and the World Cup has led to a sales boost across Scotland, according to new figures. Total retail sales for June increased by 2.7% compared to the same month last year – with the growth attributed to people buying drinks and TVs. According […]
Does Scotland need to change its laws on prostitution?
Chris Clements Social affairs correspondent, BBC Scotland Getty Images The “Nordic model” decriminalises the sale of sex while targeting the buyers A 12-week Scottish government consultation, which has just ended, called for views on how best to protect women involved in prostitution. At present, soliciting in public, “kerb crawling” and brothel-keeping are illegal. The government […]
Spyware firm cuts Italy access after alleged targeting of activists
An Israeli spyware company has reportedly cut access to its clients in Italy following allegations that its product was used to target critics of the Italian government. The move comes after WhatsApp alleged last week that spyware made by Paragon Solutions was used to target 90 WhatsApp users in two dozen countries, including journalists and […]
NI car sales fall 9% in August says motor trade body
John Campbell BBC News NI Economics & Business Editor Getty Images Car sales are seen as a useful measure of the economy New car sales in Northern Ireland fell by more than 9% in August compared to the same month in 2016, according to industry figures. The data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and […]
The quest to grow the perfect strawberry
Katherine Latham Business reporter Hugh Lowe Farms Marion Regan’s farm produces 5,000 tonnes of strawberries a year Marion Regan is the fifth generation owner of Kent-based Hugh Lowe Farms, supplier to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships for over 25 years. The farm produces around 5,000 tonnes of strawberries between April and November and that means using […]
Climate puzzle persists with unexpectedly warm January
Mark Poynting Climate and environment researcher Reuters Last month’s Los Angeles fires were one of the costliest disasters in US history Last month was the world’s warmest January on record raising further questions about the pace of climate change, scientists say. January 2025 had been expected to be slightly cooler than January 2024 because of […]
UK-US trade deal speculation and energy bill fears
PA Media Boris Johnson and Joe Biden met on the sidelines of a UN summit in New York A number of front pages focus on the latest developments in trade deal negotiations between the UK and US. The Guardian thinks Boris Johnson’s hopes of a bilateral agreement “have all but evaporated”. The Express appears buoyed […]
False video claims celebrities were ‘paid’ by USAID to visit Ukraine
A video claiming that USAID, the US government’s main overseas aid agency, has paid Hollywood celebrities millions of dollars to visit Ukraine has gone viral on social media and has been amplified by high-profile accounts like Elon Musk. However, the clip is not real and has hallmarks of a Russian disinformation operation that the BBC […]