Bacteria found in maternity hospital weeks after handover
BBC The maternity hospital was due to open by the end of 2015 Bacteria that can cause a number of infections was discovered at a new maternity hospital weeks after it was officially handed over to the Belfast Health Trust, BBC News NI has learned. Pseudomonas does not usually affect healthy people, but infants and […]
Brexit: No-deal impact assessment published
PA The government has published its assessment of the impact of a no-deal Brexit on business and trade. The report said “some food prices are likely to increase” and customs checks could cost business £13bn a year in a no-deal scenario. It also said there was “little evidence that businesses are preparing in earnest”. But […]
Free flow tolling system for Humber Bridge moves forward
A replacement system for the toll booths at the Humber Bridge could be operational by Autumn next year. American company Neology has applied for planning permission for a new gantry on the north bank side of the bridge. It would have automated traffic recording equipment to “facilitate automatic toll collection following removal of existing toll […]
Whitby to host first-ever literature festival
North Yorkshire Council Whitby Lit Fest could boost tourism during the town’s quiet season, it is hoped A new festival will take place to celebrate Whitby’s literary history and promote local writing talent Whitby Lit Fest will be a four-day event held in November 2025, for novelists, poets and playwrights to showcase their work. Inspired […]
PM warns of Covid-19 deaths ‘twice as bad’ as spring
Prime Minister Boris Johnson: “Now is the time to take action” Covid-19 deaths could be twice as high over the winter as they were in the first wave of the pandemic, PM Boris Johnson has told MPs. In a Commons statement he said there was “no alternative”, as he seeks to win support for a […]
A local musician’s cultural guide to Nova Gorica, the 2025 Capital of Culture
Luca Fornasier Tish at Trg Evrope (Credit: Luca Fornasier) Singer-songwriter Tish grew up on the border of Europe’s first-ever borderless Capital of Culture. Here are her picks, from underground jams at Mostovna to Fabrika’s famous burgers. Nova Gorica is one of Slovenia’s (and Europe’s) youngest cities, but it’s grown up fast. Since Slovenia’s entry into […]
Takeaways face ban in October
Andrew Crook Andrew runs a fish and chip shop and says many takeaways will face higher costs A ban on some single-use plastics will come into force in England from October, the government has announced. To tackle the growing plastic problem, takeaways, restaurants and cafes must stop using single-use plastic cutlery, plates and bowls. Green […]
Thousands of knives left in police surrender bins
Elliot Deady/BBC More than 1,000 blades were removed from a knife bin in Clacton-on-Sea on Monday Thousands of weapons were left in knife bins in Essex in the past six months. Essex Police estimated at least 1,000 blades deposited outside police stations in both Chelmsford and Clacton-on-Sea were removed on Monday morning. Bins outside 15 […]
I’d love an Emily in London spin-off
Marc Brenner Lily Collins has made her stage debut in Barcelona as Irene, an American tourist who has a one-night stand with a Spanish man She’s eaten croissants by the Eiffel Tower, drunk espressos outside the Colosseum and now, could it be time for fish and chips on the London Eye? Emily in Paris star […]
Nation mourns as death toll soars past 150
‘We all know someone who has died’ – Valencia residents tell BBC correspondent At least 158 people have died in Spain’s worst flooding disaster in generations as rescuers battle odds to find survivors. On Thursday more than 1,200 workers, aided by drones, were deployed to the rescue mission as rains continued to threaten parts of […]