Author: BBC

BBC/Emma LynchJames Gallagher inspects some of the captured ticks Am I the hunter or the hunted?It’s the question running through my mind as I stroll through the long grass and bracken.I’ve come to the park looking for blood-sucking ticks – to find out how common they are, why new species and new tick-borne diseases are coming to the UK and to discover how worried we should be.But I’m keenly aware I’m also dinner for hungry parasites and that the blood pulsing through my legs is a gourmet meal for a tick that hasn’t tasted warm blood since before winter. So,…

The UN has called for the immediate release of 11 of its personnel who have been detained by the Houthi movement in Yemen.The employees were taken in various parts of the conflict-torn country, in what appears to be a co-ordinated crackdown.UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the world body was pursuing all available channels to secure their safe and unconditional release as rapidly as possible.The armed group sees itself as part of an Iranian-led “axis of resistance” against Israel, the US and the wider West, and has declared its support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.The Houthis have been targeting commercial…

Co-op has said it will make 770 community support staff redundant to streamline the way the division operates. The mutual said that the Member Pioneers team, most of whom dedicate four hours of paid time per week to helping their local communities, are expected to lose their roles next month.Their work includes organising charity work to promoting mental wellbeing, connecting people to combat loneliness and picking up litter.The move has been criticised by those affected, but Co-op denies it goes against their company values of serving and protecting local communities. The Co-op said its current model of community-led field work,…

2 days agoBy Suzanne Hailey, Lynette Horsburgh & Chris Long, BBC NewsUnearthed L S Lowry tapes reveals artist’s North West inspirationAn unearthed archive of an art lover’s interviews with an ageing LS Lowry have revealed he saw himself as “a drifter” who knew a lot of people but “never had a girl”.Angela Bogg spent hours speaking to the artist towards the end of his life in the 1970s, after becoming an admirer of his urban landscapes while visiting Salford Art Gallery on her lunch break.The then-27-year-old’s recordings were found by her son after her death in 2022 and have now been donated…

Joro spiders, originally from Asia, are expected to continue spreading along the US east coast this summer.These invasive spiders, known for their ability to travel long distances by ballooning on silk threads, have already established themselves in the southern US since arriving 10 years ago. Although large and potentially alarming in appearance, Joro spiders are not aggressive and pose minimal threat to humans and local ecosystems​. Source link

Hiring in the US surged unexpectedly last month, continuing to defy predictions of a slowdown while raising fresh questions about when interest rates will fall.Employers added 272,000 jobs in May, the US Labor Department said, above expectations of 185,000 new roles.The larger-than-expected gain emerged despite the highest borrowing costs in more than 20 years, which analysts have been expecting to weigh on the economy. The US central bank has raised interest rates sharply since 2022 to fight inflation, which measures the pace of price rises. The Fed has cited the strength in employment as a sign that the economy can…

Taylor Swift fans have given their reaction to the first UK Eras Tour show in Edinburgh. The gig at Murrayfield Stadium was the start of a run of 17 British concerts by the American star. For three and a half hours, the star chronicled her journeys through country and pop, love and tragedy, success and notoriety – all in the form of hits like 22, Shake It Off, Bad Blood, Karma and Anti-Hero. Source link

Details about how the United States Supreme Court justices made money in the past year were made public Friday through the court’s financial disclosures. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was gifted Beyoncé tickets from the singer and Justice Clarence Thomas disclosed two trips gifted from major GOP donor Harlan Crow — a news report about the gifted trips landed the justice in hot water earlier this year. Four of the justices disclosed financials related to book deals. The reports, which cover the 2023 year, were made public for eight of the nine justices with Justice Samuel Alito requesting a 90-day extension…

The firm in charge of selling The Body Shop in the UK has set a deadline for buyers to submit bids in a race to save 1,500 jobs. The BBC understands that FRP Advisory, which is overseeing the sale, has asked firms to make an offer by next Tuesday.The Body Shop still operates 112 stores in the UK after Aurelius, a private equity firm, put the company into administration in February only a few months after buying it.There have been 75 expressions of interest in The Body Shop but it is understood that Aurelius is not among the bidders.Prior to…

1 day agoBy Ian Youngs, Culture reporterPatch DolanLes Dennis is playing Malvolio in Twelfth Night at the Shakespeare North PlayhouseLes Dennis has ticked off almost every high and low possible in a long showbiz career, from prime-time stardom and stage acclaim to reality TV ridicule and tabloid torture. He’s now finally fulfilling one of his last long-held ambitions.If Taylor Swift thinks her career’s had a lot of eras, she should pop a few miles down the road when her tour reaches Liverpool next week and have a chat with Les Dennis.Les’s own Eras Tour, if he were to mount one, would be…