York butcher’s Christmas turkey supply hit by bird flu
Getty Images A government order for all kept birds and poultry to stay indoors came into force on 7 November Bird flu has dealt a killer blow to a York butcher’s Christmas orders after an outbreak at his supplier’s farm. Karl Slater, who runs Tony Neary Butchers, said he had 57 orders confirmed before he […]
Train fruit pickers and lorry drivers to cut migration, says Suella Braverman
Brian Wheeler & Kate Whannel BBC Politics PA Media There is “no good reason” the UK cannot train its own lorry drivers and fruit pickers to bring immigration down, Suella Braverman has said. Addressing a conference in London, the home secretary argued it was “not racist” to want to control borders. She has previously said […]
Delivery robots to be tested on Cranfield University campus
Alex Pope BBC News, Bedfordshire Peyk The trials will start shortly at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire A university is to become a testing ground for delivery robots so that the technology can encounter “real-world scenarios”. Cranfield University in Bedfordshire said the trial would be a “UK first for on-campus, last-mile robotic deliveries”. The university is […]
Inflation risk from Red Sea disruption, warns economist
Dearbail Jordan Business reporter, BBC News Getty Images Inflation is at risk of rising again, according to a leading economist, following attacks on ships using a vital trade route through the Red Sea. Mohamed El-Erian said while disruption to shipments was not as severe as during Covid, he warned it would push up prices and […]
Tesco accepting smaller vegetables from flood-hit farmers
Joe Gidden/PA Swathes of Lincolnshire farmland have been hit by flooding this month A supermarket chain is temporarily accepting some smaller-than-usual vegetables from flood-hit farmers. One business which reported sprouts growing underwater due to flooding said it was a race against the clock to pull vegetables from the ground before they rotted. A relaxation on […]
Millions of plastic pellets wash up on coast
Reuters The Galicia region is worst hit so far but the pellets have spread to Asturias too Communities along the coast of northern Spain fear an environmental disaster as millions of tiny plastic pellets wash ashore after falling from a ship. More than 1,000 sacks of pellets, known as nurdles, are believed to have fallen […]
Newcastle-under-Lyme warehouse to create 250 new jobs
Louise Hancock BBC News, West Midlands Boughey Distribution The 332,000 sq ft site will help expand capacity More than 200 new jobs will be created by a logistics firm after its purchase of a new warehouse. Boughey Distribution said the 332,000 sq ft site at Lymedale Business Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, would help expand its capacity. The […]
Voters feel better about the economy. Will it help Biden?
Natalie Sherman Business reporter, New York BBC Nancy Pontius says she is not worried about the “big picture economy” Nancy Pontius is ready to share an unpopular view: she doesn’t think inflation is a major issue, and says concerns about the economy won’t influence her vote in November’s election. But that’s not because the 36-year-old […]
Bangladesh fishermen missing after storm
EPA Cyclone Mora brought heavy rain and powerful winds to parts of Bangladesh on Tuesday The Bangladeshi navy says it is searching for dozens of fishermen still missing after a powerful storm. Cyclone Mora, which brought high winds and torrential rain, killed seven people and destroyed thousands of homes when it hit on Tuesday. The […]
How a 12-year-old boy made vanilla a global spice
Olga Yastremska/Alamy Only 1% of the market is served by natural vanilla (Credit: Olga Yastremska/Alamy) Without the discovery of hand-pollination by an enslaved boy 180 years ago, this beloved spice might never have thrived outside of Mexico. The story of vanilla, as with most truly international crops, criss-crosses a world atlas. But vanilla did not […]