Category: News

BBC women condemn BBC report suggesting “no gender bias”

Leave a comment

 

A view of BBC Broadcasting House in London. (picture taken from Sky news website)

Following the reveal that the BBC pay their female staff less than their male staff, a report published by the BBC has found ‘no gender bias ’ in the BBC.

 

The report, done by accounting firm pricewaterhousecoopers (PwC), found a 6.8% pay gap but no gender discrimination when looking at the pay of on air employees, prompting responses criticizing its small sample size and suggesting that the entire report was pointless. Its main opposition is the BBC women’s group which consists of more than 170 female presenters.

Pay caps of £320,00 for news presenters, editors and correspondents has been suggested as a way of rectifying this pay gap, as well as several high profile male presenters agreeing to have their pay cut including John Humphrys, Jeremy Vine, and Nicky Campbell. However, critics aren’t so impressed with these measures with one women’s hour presenter, Garvey, saying “This has never been about men taking pay cuts. It’s about women being payed several thousand pounds less than their male colleagues every year for doing exactly the same job.”

EFL: SkyBetChampionship Roundup 30th Jan

Leave a comment

Top of the table clash between Aston Villa and Sheffield united played out in front of over 26,000 fans at Bramall lane turned out to be a tight affair with few chances between the two clubs. With Sheffield United edging the game in chances and possession it was Villa who came out with 3 points as Robert Snodgrass tapped in from close range to move the villains to 3rd in the league trailing derby by a point while Sheffield United drop out of the play offs into 7th position. Chris wilder remained optimistic after the game as he said “their goalkeeper made more saves than ours and kept them in the game. I thought we dominated the first half.” Wilder was also left optimistic after James Wilsons debut.
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/sheffield-united/11229837/sheffield-utd-0-1-aston-villa

There was a stalemate elsewhere at the top of the championship as derby draw at blank at the Den despite dominating the 90 minutes Millwalls’ defence stayed resolute with cooper putting in a man of the match performance Derby’s late attempt to get all three points almost ended successfully as Anya played through Jerome however they striker drew a blank as the linesman denied his goal.
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/millwall/11229819/millwall-0-0-derby
relegation candidates Birmingham and Sunderland met in what some could call a 6 pointer. Steve Cotterill’s Birmingham got off to a quick start with David Davis and Boga giving the Blues a two goal lead before half time. Sam Gallagher put the final nail in the coffin in the 54th min as Sunderland trailed 3-0 an Oviedo consolation did not stop the away end from filling with boo’s as relegation begins to feel more and more imminent for the Tyneside strugglers.
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/sunderland/11229859/birmingham-3-1-sunderland
At the foot of the table burton continued to struggle after falling to a 3-1 defeat to reading as Bodvarsson scored a brace and wales international Chris Gunter cancelled out Burtons penalty making it 4 losses in a row and conceding 9 goals in the last two games. Meanwhile reading moved 6 points clear of the relegation zone.
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/reading/11229892/burton-1-3-reading
Preston continued to keep thereselves as outsiders for play offs after beating Nottingham forest with a debut goal for Billy Bodin which started the fire for A 3-0 victory. The city ground may have been recently successful through the FA Cup however the championship seem to be stuck to a midtable finish and a preparation for another season in the championship.
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/nottingham-forest/11229826/nottingham-forest-0-3-preston
Elsewhere in the championship there were also blanks in the games between Hull City and Leeds and Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday.

2000 Trees Festival’s Lineup just got even bigger

Leave a comment

The lineup for 2000 Trees Festival in Cheltenham has just been updated, including a new headliner for the Saturday. The second day of the festival will be headlined by Brit rockers Enter Shikari, and will be joined by Boston Manor, Black Foxxes, Conjurer, SHVPES, Holding Absence, Holiday Oscar, Chapter & Verse and Loathe.

Enter Shikari gear up for their second large-scale British Festival headliner following their massive stint at Slam Dunk Festival 2017, as well as their huge UK arena tour in support of their new album The Spark. The band will be joining the lineup as it already stands, joining bands like At the Drive-In, Creeper, Basement and many others.

2000 Trees will take place at Upcote Farm in Cheltenham between July 12-14. Tickets can be purchased here.

Folic acid should be added to flour according to new research

Leave a comment

There have been new calls for the UK to add folic acid to flour to protect babies from common birth defects.
The high levels of Vitamin B in folic acid will not pose a risk to the general public according to new studies. More than 80 countries have already added folic acid to flour and pregnant woman are already encouraged to take folic acid tablets.
With health ministers in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland already backing the move England have previously remained wary.
Previous advice suggested that the intake of folic acid should be limited to 1mg a day. However, new research, published in Public Health Reviews dispels this idea.
Nutrition expert, Prof Tom Sanders of King’s College London suggests that there is overwhelming evidence that shows that folic acid will prevent neural tube defects.
Prof Sir Nicholas Wald, of the Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine also stated: “Fortification would be a major saving. Failing to fortify flour with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects is like having a polio vaccine and not using it.”
Some experts are still not convinced however with Prof David Smith of Oxford university stating: “The matter has not been resolved.”
According to BBC news, the cost of adding the acid would cost “pennies”.

PM faces growing dissent from party members.

Leave a comment

Theresa May’s visit to China to discuss trade has been overshadowed by her attempts to quiet the growing mumbling regarding the stability of her position as PM following recent comments from within the Conservative party.


She faces both internal strife between the so called ‘hard and soft brexiteers’  led by Jacob Rees-Mogg and the Philip Hammond respectively, as well as more direct criticism from people like former DexEU minister George Bridges.


His comments in yesterday’s House of Lords debate of the withdraw deal are an obvious attack on May’s ability to manage the growing schism within her own cabinet, let alone successfully steer Britain to an amicable conclusion to Brexit negotiations with the EU.

 

If this continues and ministers cannot agree among themselves on the future relationship the government wants, how can this Prime Minister possibly negotiate a clear, precise heads of terms of the future relationship with the EU?

Extract from Bridges comment in the Lords yesterday.

 

MARJON STUDENTS LEFT STRANDED

Leave a comment

Plymouth Marjon students were left stranded last night after a mix up by Pryzm Nightclub management led to the bus service being cancelled.

Pryzm Nightclub are normally reliable with the weekly complimentary bus laid on for Marjon students on a Wednesday but unfortunately last night a group of students were left out in the cold. MUS President Elias McGill explained that he did not know about the problem until the last minute when the busses were due to arrive. Unfortunately it was too late to do anything at that time. He spoke to the general manager of Pryzm who apologised for the mix up. Elias is currently looking for compensation and hopefully next Wednesday all Marjon students will get free entry into the night club.

One student affected by the mistake said: ‘It wasn’t great and caused students to have to frantically call cabs last minute. I think a good compensation would be free entry into the nightclub in the future.’

 

Should we give money to homeless people?

Leave a comment

You’re walking down the street doing a bit of shopping when a small voice to the side of you calls out “Do you have any change?”

What do you do?

We’ve all heard the cautionary word of warning that you shouldn’t give homeless people money because they’ll just spend it on drugs. But do they? Recently there’s been a lot of media coverage perpetuating this idea and implying that anyone who asks you for money on the streets is faking it or using it to fuel a drug habit. So what do people at Marjon actually think of this conundrum? Do you give homeless people money or do you donate to a homeless charity?

 

Jewelled pasties stolen

Leave a comment

 

Police say they have removed a crime scene guard from Truro city centre after an armed robbery at a jeweller.

Men wearing balaclavas carried out the raid at Michael Spiers Jewellers just before 10:00.

Police said a noxious substance was used in the raid and a handgun was found on the ground. A member of the public was believed to have been injured in the incident but his injuries were described as minor.

Insp Rick Milburn, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said the city centre was “slowly returning to normal”.

He also thanked the witnesses present during the incident, but appealed for any other members of the public who witnessed anything to contact police.

He said: “Even the smallest detail may help and could make a difference to this investigation.”

One man, one cup

Leave a comment

 

A charity in Bude that promotes cleaner seas says it is “thrilled to bits” the environment minister was pictured carrying the reusable cup it sent him into an important meeting.

The Cleaner Seas Project sent Michael Gove the turquoise cup after seeing him using a non-recyclable one before Christmas.

He was pictured carrying his new cup into 10 Downing Street yesterday, and then had it on the table in front of him for a picture of a cabinet meeting.

Avril Sainsbury, from the group, said: “It’s a learning curve for everybody and we thought it would be a lovely gesture to send him a pack for Christmas.

“It’s great to see somebody at the top really taking notice.”

She continued: “It’s come back to grassroots – the groups and organisations on the battle ground, not just in Bude, but nationwide and globally – which is really nice.”