Stories from the UK’s first motorway service station
BBC It is a momentous day for Atiq Rahman and four of his children, who are making a surprise trip to see his mother for the first time in months Service stations are the multiple beating hearts of the nation’s road system. On the first Monday since the coronavirus alert level was downgraded, the BBC […]
Mattress landfill to be tackled by industry scheme
Zero Waste Scotland Bed manufacturers are being urged to design longer-life mattresses that are easy to repair and can be recycled. About 600,000 mattresses are sent to Scottish landfill sites each year, with less than one per cent being recycled, according to Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS). The government-funded body is working with the National Bed […]
How South Wales Police caught a sexual predator
A grainy CCTV image was matched with an old custody shot A grainy image captured by CCTV on a bus was key to catching a sexual predator who has been sent back to prison. Along with a 14-year-old police custody picture, facial recognition software helped officers track down Craig Walters, a day after he attacked […]
Vogue boss Anna Wintour on her public persona and being told ‘no’
Getty Images Anna Wintour sporting her signature sunglasses Anna Wintour walks into our interview with her trademark dark glasses firmly on. I’m meeting the woman who has been editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine since 1988 at VOGUE: Inventing the Runway, the show dreamt up by Wintour about the history of the catwalk. Our rendezvous is in […]
How slimmed-down websites can cut their carbon emissions
Nicholas Mastoras Valentina Karellas’s knitwear website features large pictures and video – both use a lot of data “I’m horrified,” says Valentina Karellas. “I know grams because I work with them every day and I know how much 10g weighs. And that’s just one page.” She’s just learned that every visit to her website’s homepage […]
Northern Lights illuminate Wales’ dark sky potential
Sorcha Lewis Sorcha Lewis captured aurora borealis lighting up the sky over the Elan Valley in Powys, a Dark Sky Park area The Northern Lights are called northern for a reason: They usually light up the Arctic zone with dazzling displays. But with advances in modern technology, the otherworldly lights of the aurora borealis colouring […]
Whisky and salmon exports ‘surge’
Getty Images Whisky and salmon from Scotland led the way to a surge in exports of food and drink from the UK during the first three months of this year. Figures compiled by the Food and Drink Federation showed that total UK exports by firms in the sector were up more than 10% on the […]
University of Hull plans 20,000 face shields a week
PA Media The designs mean more face shields can be produced at a faster rate than using 3D printing A university has announced plans to produce more than 20,000 face shields a week for healthcare workers. A team of engineers at the University of Hull have created new designs which can be produced using laser […]
Thep00lguy, Nicholas Flannery and Kyra-Mae among winners
Getty Images Maddi won the award for food creator of the year for her pickling food video series A man who creates oddly satisfying pool cleaning videos, a travel duo on the hunt for a Mr Whippy that costs 99p and a woman who makes homemade pickles are among the winners of the UK and […]
What’s it like in the best place to live during Covid?
Getty Images Life is nearly back to normal in Singapore, though some restrictions remain As several countries see a devastating resurgence in Covid cases, one tiny Asian island has emerged as the best place to ride out the global pandemic. Bloomberg cited Singapore’s efficient vaccination programme compared to the slow rollout in New Zealand as […]