How serious is the shortage of lorry drivers?
Getty Images The government is taking a number of steps to address the shortage of HGV drivers, amid concerns about deliveries of food, fuel and other items in the run-up to Christmas. It has introduced temporary visas for 5,000 lorry drivers to work in the UK, although only just over 20 of the 300 applications […]
London bus garage to become world’s largest ‘trial power station’
SSE Enterprise Northumberland Park garage will be converted to allow parked electric buses to return battery power back into the grid A bus garage in north London is to be converted into the world’s largest trial site for a new low-emissions type of power station. Northumberland Park garage will host vehicle-to-grid technology, which feeds energy […]
Wales’ unemployment rate falls to 3.8%
BBC Only the East and South West England had a lower unemployment rate than Wales, figures show Unemployment in Wales fell slightly to 3.8% between July and September, according latest figures. A total of 58,000 people were unemployed, with the rate in Wales lower than the UK average of 4.3%. Compared with the three months […]
Ebbw Vale ‘let down’ as no jobs yet at £100m auto park
BBC Little sign of progress is shown at the site of the £100m technology park – just some drainage work It has been 18 months since plans to transform Ebbw Vale into a hub for car technology were announced. But at the site of the £100m automotive park no foundations have been laid and there […]
‘It’s the nicest early birthday present’
Taylor Swift has described making history as the most decorated artist at the Billboard Music Awards as the “nicest early birthday present”. The US pop star took 10 awards, including top artist and top Billboard 200 album for The Tortured Poets Department, bringing her total wins to 49. “I love it. It’s exactly what I […]
Seaweed – Zanzibar’s ‘gift from the ocean’
Seaweed from Zanzibar is exported to China, Korea, Vietnam, Denmark, Spain, France and the US. It is used as a base for cosmetics, lotions, toothpaste, medicines and food – in China, for instance, it is eaten as a vegetable. At its peak, the trade contributed almost $8m (£5m) a year to the Zanzibar economy. Half […]
VAR referrals confusing for fans in stadium, says supporters group
VAR was employed on three occasions in the first half of the fourth-round contest, a 3-2 victory for the Baggies. Almost four minutes elapsed between Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah being fouled and referee Craig Pawson awarding a penalty, which Roberto Firmino missed. “FSF policy was always to back goal-line technology provided that the results were instantaneous […]
The dark fandom behind CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione
Talia Jane In New York City, several young men competed in a lookalike contest They came in hoodies, they came in masks, shuffling their feet and laughing nervously while waiting for a winner to be announced. Just a few days after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered on a New York City sidewalk, these young […]
Scottish retail figures rally after slow summer
Getty Images Food sales boosted the total sales figures Scottish retail sales improved in Scotland during August after a “disappointing summer”, according to official figures. The Scottish Retail Consortium said food sales had boosted total sales with an increase of 4.1%. This compares with a decrease of 0.3% in August 2016 and makes 12-month growth […]
Carbon-dioxide shortage threatens food security
Getty Images Meat processors are in talks with the government over a shortage of carbon dioxide that could hit meat production. Poultry producers said the shortage “threatens national food security”. The gas is used to stun pigs and chickens prior to slaughtering, and also in the packaging process. The carbon dioxide used by the meat […]