Shoppers told to buy responsibly
George Eustice: “Buying more than you need means that others may be left without” Shoppers in the UK have been told to “be responsible” and think of others such as NHS workers, after panic-buying amid the coronavirus outbreak. Environment Secretary George Eustice said there was more than enough food to go around – but the […]
Economic impact threatens food, flights and football
Simon Atkinson Business Reporter, BBC News Reuters Do clouds hang over the country’s airline and broader economy? But what might this mean for Qatar’s economy and people doing business there? With a population of about 2.7 million people, this tiny nation on the north-east coast of the Arabian Peninsula is trying to punch above its […]
Politics in Burnley, where voters want to talk football
Mike Stevens BBC Radio Lancashire political reporter BBC Customers at the Royal Dyche pub would “sooner talk about football, not politics” It was just over a year ago that the people of Burnley elected their first Conservative MP for over a century. For textile worker Kyle, the reason for that was clear. “I think a […]
Soaring bills hamper recovery from Covid
Getty Images “No-one without light!” – Protesters in Spain are angry about the steep increase in energy bills Isabel Medina points at her electricity bill, showing how it has jumped since the summer. “My energy bill has increased by about 20% in the last two or three months – that’s a lot,” she says. “Now, […]
Britain needs to go on a diet, says top health official
Nick Triggle Health correspondent Getty Images The portion sizes of some of Britain’s most popular foods are to be cut, with health officials telling the public it is time “to get on a diet”. Public Health England is targeting pizzas, ready meals, processed meat and takeaways, in a new obesity drive. The government agency has […]
Canadian donair sandwich costume sells for $16,000
Nadine Yousif & Jessica Murphy BBC News, Toronto Government of Alberta The costume was initially bought for an anti-drug awareness campaign that in the end was never produced. It now belongs to a popular donair chain in Alberta. A dusty costume of a tinfoil wrapped donair sandwich has sold in Canada for C$16,025 ($11,900; £9,400). […]
PM says everyone should avoid office, pubs and travelling
Boris Johnson: “It look as though we are now approaching the fast growth part of the upward curve” The PM has said everyone in the UK should avoid “non-essential” travel and contact with others to curb coronavirus – as the country’s death toll hit 55. Boris Johnson said people should work from home where possible […]
Donald Trump hits China, Mexico and Canada with sweeping tariffs
US President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new tariffs on all goods imported from America’s three largest trading partners, China, Mexico and Canada. Trump said the US would impose tariffs of 25% on Canada and Mexico, and 10% on China. Canadian energy faces a lower 10% tariff. He had threatened to impose the import taxes […]
‘A hotel without linen is not a hotel’
Robert Plummer Business reporter, BBC News Getty Images A lack of clean bedclothes is holding up check-ins Lilliput Services in Belfast is one of the unsung companies without which the UK’s hotel industry could not exist. The fresh bed linen you’re used to seeing in your hotel room is not owned by the hotels themselves, […]
Japan nuclear crisis ‘will be overcome’, says IAEA
Over the weekend spinach and milk produced near the nuclear plant was found to contain levels of radioactive iodine far higher than the legal limits. However, senior government official Yukio Edano told a news conference that eating or drinking the contaminated food would not pose a health hazard. “I would like you to act calmly,” […]