The High Court judgement blocking the upgrade of the A5 road shows the reach and impact of Stormont’s climate change legislation. It has implications not just for the A5 but for other road projects and possibly wider areas of Stormont policy, such as agriculture. It means that when ministers are proposing big construction projects they will need to clearly show how they comply with climate laws. It does not mean the A5 upgrade will never happen. The judgement is clear that shortcomings in the project can be remedied. However, it may mean the scope of the upgrade has to be revised or…
Author: dmnews
More people are buying electric cars and installing heat pumps than ever before, but those numbers need to increase even further, according to the government’s climate advisers. The independent Climate Change Committee said that the government needed to make sure that households benefit from the switch to cleaner technologies through lower bills. “The government has made progress on a number of fronts, including on clean power, [but] they need to do more on making electricity cheap,” Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of the CCC, told BBC News. In response Energy Secretary Ed Miliband thanked the committee for its advice and said…
Private flights at the Scottish government-owned Glasgow Prestwick Airport increased by more than a third last year, according to figures from Oxfam Scotland. The charity says there were more than 12,000 private flights in and out of Scottish airports in 2024, with the busiest being Edinburgh, Glasgow Prestwick and Inverness. Oxfam says that if an Air Departure Tax had been in place, and applied at the highest possible rate, that would have generated an extra £29m in tax revenue. The Scottish government says it is reviewing rates and bands and is open to introducing a higher tax on private jets.…
With tents firmly pitched and wristbands secured, revellers spent the first night of Glastonbury Festival exploring the more obscure and eccentric attractions on site. Ticketholders queued through the night to be among the first to enter the gates of Worthy Farm on Wednesday, brimming with excitement. As night fell, for the first time in 35 years, the event hosted an opening ceremony from a theatre and circus act in front of the Pyramid Stage. And with the main line-up not starting until Friday, crowds also flocked to the traditional opening fire ceremony in the Green Fields’ Sacred Space. The audience at the…
Sabrina Carpenter has revealed alternative artwork “approved by God” for her new album after the original cover sparked controversy. Earlier in June, the Espresso singer shared art for her album, Man’s Best Friend, which shows her on her hands and knees in a black minidress with a suited man grabbing her hair. The photo prompted a heated debate, with some arguing that it pandered to the male gaze and promoted misogynistic stereotypes. On Wednesday, the pop princess posted two less contentious black-and-white images of herself holding a suited man’s arm, with the caption: “Here is a new alternate cover approved…
Fifty years after it first exploded on Indian screens, Sholay (Embers) – arguably the most iconic Hindi film ever made – is making a spectacular return. In a landmark event for film lovers, the fully restored, uncut version of Ramesh Sippy’s 1975 magnum opus will have its world premiere at Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna, Italy, on Friday. This version includes the film’s original ending – changed due to objection from the censors – and deleted scenes. The screening will take place on the festival’s legendary open-air screen in Piazza Maggiore – one of the largest in Europe -…
Denis Villeneuve, the Oscar-nominated French-Canadian film-maker, will direct the next James Bond film, Amazon MGM Studios has announced. The Dune director said in a statement released by the studio that he was a “die-hard James Bond fan” and intends to “honour the tradition” of the franchise. Speculation has been swirling over the future of the 007 films after long-time Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepped down from their roles and handed control to Amazon in February. Villeneuve will also serve as an executive producer of the new film, having received global acclaim for helming the Dune franchise, as well…
Ticket touts are employing teams of workers to bulk-buy tickets for the UK’s biggest concerts like Oasis and Taylor Swift so they can be resold for profit, a BBC investigation has found. We uncovered some touts are making “millions” hiring people overseas, known as “ticket pullers”, with one telling an undercover journalist his team bought hundreds of tickets for Swift’s Eras tour last year. Our reporter, posing as a would-be tout, secretly recorded the boss of a ticket pulling company in Pakistan who said they could set up a team for us and potentially buy hundreds of tickets. The UK government…
After applying for more than 600 jobs, university graduate Caitlin Morgan almost felt like giving up hope of finding employment. Just as she was becoming demotivated, the 23-year-old’s persistence was rewarded as she was offered a job as a trainee accountant after her 647th application. But after 18 months of job hunting, Caitlin was left wondering if going to university for four years and getting a degree was worth it. Latest research from the Institute of Student Employers shows competition for graduate roles is at a “record high” as estimates suggested there were 1.2 million applications for 17,000 graduate vacancies…
Children struggling with their speech and language are at greater risk of developing mental health problems like anxiety and depression, the charity Speech and Language UK has warned in a report seen exclusively by the BBC. The charity says almost half (45%) of all young people referred to mental health services are also dealing with serious speech and language challenges. That can include difficulties with learning new words, understanding non-verbal cues or stammering during speech. The government says it will “ensure thousands more children receive the help they need to overcome challenges with communication” through its Plan for Change. A…