Hospitality workers’ jobs threatened by Budget, bosses warn
Getty Images Last month’s Budget raised the amount employers will pay in National Insurance Contributions Top pub and restaurant bosses have warned the chancellor that tax rises in last month’s Budget will “unquestionably” cause closures and job losses. In a letter, more than 200 signatories have said the hospitality industry is disproportionately impacted by an […]
Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi merger to create global car giant
Honda and Nissan plan to merge as the two Japanese firms seek to fight back against competition from the Chinese car industry. Joining forces would create one of the world’s biggest car producers alongside Toyota, Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford. The potentially multibillion dollar deal to combat “the rise of Chinese power” was a key […]
Second walk-in clinic for County Durham farmers after success
Durham County Council Farmer Becky Land spoke to her peers about the challenges they were facing A second walk-in clinic for farmers has been planned after health challenges they were facing were highlighted. Farmer Becky Land spoke to others in Teesdale about what issues they felt affected their physical and mental health. It resulted in […]
John Swinney considers call for under-16 social media ban
PA Media John Swinney says there is a “strong argument” for an Australian-style ban First Minister John Swinney says he would consider a ban on social media for under-16s. The UK government, which is in charge of online safety rules north of the border, has said such a move is “on the table” after Australia […]
How new Robbie Williams biopic Better Man lays bare the terror of fame – by making its hero a CGI chimp
Paramount Pictures A new film about the tumultuous career of UK boy-band sensation turned solo star Robbie Williams depicts him as an ape. Directed by the maker of The Greatest Showman, it’s a revelatory look at the highs and lows of pop stardom. Fame is a relentlessly potent force in pop culture. Its pulse-racing allure […]
Bitcoin crosses $100k as Trump crypto boost continues
Getty The price of Bitcoin has for the first time broken past the $100,000 mark, hitting a new record high. The value of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency has been boosted by hopes US President-elect Donald Trump will adopt crypto-friendly policies. The milestone was reached hours after Trump said he would nominate former Securities and Exchange […]
Four things you can do about your carbon footprint
Getty Images Tackling climate change will require world leaders to take action on a global level. But as individuals we also contribute to planet-warming emissions. Here are some things you can do to reduce your personal impact. 1. Changes to your home From installing a heat pump to turning down the heating, there are lots […]
Drilling the deepest holes on Earth
Quaise Energy Beneath our feet is an almost limitless source of energy, but while a few lucky locations have geothermal heat close to the surface, the rest of the world will need to dig a lot deeper. The challenge is how to get deep enough. There are some spots around the world where energy literally […]
Why luxury cheese is being targeted by criminals
BBC When dairy farmer Patrick Holden sat down at his kitchen table to read his emails one day in July, he couldn’t believe his luck. A buyer, who claimed to represent a French supermarket chain, wanted to buy 22 tonnes of Hafod, his specialist cheddar. “It was the biggest order for our cheese we’ve ever […]
Government needs to think like a start-up, says minister
PA Media A cabinet minister has urged “disrupters” to join the civil service in a bid to make government “think a little bit more like a start-up”. Pat McFadden, who oversees the Cabinet Office, said officials needed a greater “appetite for risk” to deliver public services more effectively. In a speech, he said he wanted […]