Trowbridge Castle Place shopping centre: Optimism for future
Dan O’Brien Political reporter, BBC Wiltshire BBC Castle Place was hit hard by Wilkos and Shaws closing down in 2023, the two largest remaining shops The few remaining traders in a struggling town centre shopping centre have spoken of their optimism it can turn a corner with a new owner. Castle Place is a largely […]
Doctors question science behind blood sugar diet trend
Rachel Schraer Health and disinformation reporter BBC Blood sugar monitors are unnecessary for people without diabetes and could, in extreme cases, fuel eating disorders, leading doctors have warned. They are part of a personalised diet trend, promoted on social media and spearheaded by companies including ZOE. But NHS national diabetes advisor Prof Partha Kar said […]
Calls for funeral regulation and licensing
Jodie Langsford Public petitions calling for a funeral directors’ regulatory body began in 2023 An MP is leading calls for the funeral industry to be regulated after 35 bodies and a quantity of ashes were removed from a Hull company. The bodies and ashes were taken from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors on Hessle Road to […]
Flight chaos made worse by engineer delay, report finds
Katy Austin & Tom Espiner Transport correspondent & reporter PA Media Rory Dollard’s family were stuck in France last summer after having their flight cancelled Air traffic chaos over last year’s August bank holiday was made worse by on-call engineers being unable to fix the issue from home, a report has said. More than 700,000 […]
Holiday firms urge PM to allow watchdog to fine airlines
Getty Images In a joint letter along with consumer organisation Which?, they called for stronger enforcement action if airlines fail to uphold consumer rights around refunds and cancellations. They claim thousands of passengers have been subjected to “unfair treatment”. The industry body for airlines said aviation was already highly regulated. If a service is disrupted, […]
Mrs Kirkham’s cheese says tests show no trace of E. coli
BBC Four types of Mrs Kirkham’s cheese were recalled on Christmas Eve A cheese producer that recalled products after a possible E. coli risk has said tests on 60 batches have shown no evidence of the bacteria. Four types of Mrs Kirkham’s cheese were withdrawn in December as part of an investigation into cases involving […]
Great Yorkshire Show appoints first female director
Yorkshire Agricultural Society Rachel Coates farms land on the edge of Baildon Moor north of Bradford A woman will be appointed as director of the Great Yorkshire Show for the first time in its 186-year history. Dairy farmer Rachel Coates is to take over from Charles Mills, who has been show director since 2016. The […]
Why pet owners are spending thousands of dollars on ‘human-grade’ food
Aysha Imtiaz Features correspondent Getty Images As the market for fresh pet food soars, dogs and cats are eating as well as their owners (Credit: Getty Images) As consumers claw for luxury pet food, dogs and cats are eating as well as humans. When Amy Barkham adopted her dog named Wednesday, she already knew she […]
British Gas sees profits increase 10-fold
Michael Race & Simon Jack Business reporter & Business editor, BBC News Getty Images British Gas has announced its profits for 2023 increased 10-fold to £750m. The supplier said the jump from £72m in 2022 was due to regulator Ofgem allowing it to recover losses of £500m it racked up in the aftermath of Russia’s […]
A leading data scientist’s journey from doomism to climate hope
India Bourke Features correspondent Angela Catlin The Oxford data scientist Hannah Ritchie urges action to secure climate hope (Credit: Angela Catlin) Data scientist Hannah Ritchie argues that planetary damage could be about to peak – but that the US election result could be “pivotal”. In a global survey of young people’s feelings about climate change, […]