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Egg shortages in the UK: Which supermarkets are affected?

The UK has been hit by a wave of egg shortages due to struggles in the poultry industry, forcing supermarkets to ration supplies. The shortages, caused by Britain’s bird flu outbreak and rising costs for farmers, have left supermarket shelves empty while shoppers rush to stock up on supply. Several supermarkets have had to consider rationing the product, with Tesco the latest chain to join others in limiting supply.  Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, has followed Asda and Lidl in limiting the purchase of eggs. Customers are now limited to just three boxes of eggs at checkout. Although the supermarket introduced restrictions, it claims to maintain a “good availability” of eggs and is simply taking precautions. Asda’s restrictions have reduced customer purchases to two boxes per shopper, while Lidl allows up to three boxes per shopper. Furthermore, a spokesperson for The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) estimated the shortages to last past Christmas. He said
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Football fans fear for the safety of LGBTQ+ people at Qatar World Cup

  A Qatar World Cup ambassador and former player, Khalid Salman, described homosexuality as “damage in the mind”. With the FIFA 2022 World Cup kicking off next week in Qatar, there are growing concerns over the country’s treatment and attitudes towards homosexuality. The event, scheduled to start from 20th November to 18th December, will be the 22nd edition of the World Cup. It was postponed to winter due to the extreme heat the Arab country faces during the summertime. Though it is an exciting and well-anticipated event for football fans around the world, many are concerned about Qatar’s hosting. In Qatar, same-sex relations are prohibited under multiple parts of the Penal Code. Most notably, Article 285 criminalises acts of “sexual intercourse” between those of the same sex. Those caught could face up to seven years in prison. The country’s legal system is governed by a combination of civil law and Islamic law. Therefore, under Sharia law, Muslim men could face the death penalty for
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Local radio cutbacks: ‘BBC bosses have taken their eyes off the ball’ says former Radio Leicester legend

BBC Leicester legend Martin Ballard describes local radio as “a jewel that should be preserved” as the station faces staffing cuts. Radio Leicester has a special significance and place in local radio, as it was one of the first local stations introduced by the BBC in the 1960s. Today (November 8) is the 55th anniversary of the station, and in an exclusive interview, the former presenter says he fears that the cuts will silence the “friendly voice in the corner of the room”. Mr Ballard, 61, has produced and presented a plethora of programmes covering countless elections, budgets and major sporting events, to name a few. Throughout his career spanning almost four decades, he worked predominantly for BBC Radio Leicester. He expressed his sadness towards the looming cuts and explained that once there is shared programming, “the keyword in local radio doesn’t work anymore because it’s no longer local.” Taking East Midlands Today as an example, he said: “People in Leicester who watch East Mi
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The truth behind filter bubbles

After listening to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism podcast : The truth behind filter bubbles by Richard Fletcher (2020), I have been enlightened on a topic I never would have thought held such immense significance in our lives. Filter bubbles.  What is a filter bubble, you may ask? A filter bubble is a state of intellectual or ideological isolation that may arise from algorithms feeding us the information we agree with based on our past behaviour and search history. However, there are advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it's incredibly convenient to find specialised content targeted towards your own personal interests. For example, I could open up TikTok and instantly land on a video that piques my interest. But on the other hand, filter bubbles can produce cognitive biases and create an informational barrier around people. Doing so prevents them from seeing opposing points of view, resulting in a very narrow-minded train of thought. Critics of the filt
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Ocean vs Space Exploration: Which is more significant?

In recent years, a significant emphasis in terms of scientific research has been put on exploring outer space. In 2021 a handful of billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson spent time and resources blasting into space. A decision highly scrutinised by the public, with a  survey  revealing that more than 3/4 of people in the UK believe these wealthy individuals "should focus their resources on problems facing Earth, like climate change, before space travel."  Make no mistake, numerous benefits come with the exploration of space, and it holds great significance in terms of the continuation of human life. Space has not only bolstered our technology and understanding of our habitat but has also aided in correlating peaceful alliances amid nations. The advancement in technology has enabled us to further our knowledge and eliminate various obstacles in our daily lives.  We can thank NASA  for important technology such as precision GPS, camera phones, water pu
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Could this be the end for Boris? - Downing Street Christmas Party Scandal

If you have not yet heard, the scandal at Downing Street is making headlines right now. Government officials and Downing Street staff have been accused of holding Christmas parties in the winter of 2020, while millions abided by the Covid-19 restrictions put into place for the safety of the nation. This has sparked fury across the UK and could quite possibly be the end of Boris Johnson's run as Prime Minister.  The accusations have been denied by a number of ministers on public television. However, after a week of allegations towards his Party- no pun intended, the Prime Minister finally announced an investigation will commence. The Cabinet Secretary Simon Case will be investigating the events. These include an alleged gathering on the 27th of November, the Department for Education gathering on the 10th of December, the Downing Street Christmas quiz on the 15th of December and the main allegation, the Downing Street party on the 18th of December. Mr Case will be looking into the pu
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Should wealthy countries stop hoarding the Covid-19 vaccines?

  As of right now , the coronavirus has taken more than 1.5 million lives. It has  hammered the world economy and upended our daily lives. The recently developed vaccinations are a marvellous way to end what some may call the worst year of their lives. This vaccinatio n has given us hope and light among the darkness that has been 2020. As the year comes to an end, things are finally starting to look up. However,  this may not be the case for everyone.   In a press release today, Amnesty International urged wealthy countries to stop hoarding the vaccines as this could severely affect low-income countries. They state that " Pfizer-BioNTech has already agreed deals for more than one billion potential doses of its vaccine". In an extensive study , they calculated that  “Nearly 70 poor countries will only be able to vaccinate one in ten people against COVID-19 next year unless urgent action is taken”.  But is it the responsibility of wealthy countries to worry about other nations
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