Page 36 - Londra Gazete Sayı 1098

Londra Gazete, 24 March 2022 LondraGazete.com/English 5

‘Free-range’ eggs no longer available in UK due to bird flu

PEOPLE can no longer buy unlimited access to outdoor pas- ty measures” and adapting hen
free-range eggs in the UK due to tures. houses to make birds more com-
the length of time hens have been Signs will be put in supermar- fortable.
kept indoors following outbreaks kets to inform shoppers of the Case numbers of the H5N1
of bird flu. change from Monday, and free- strain of bird flu began rising in
The eggs in shops will be la- range labelling will only return November last year. The virus –
belled as “barn eggs” due to birds when hens are permitted to go which is highly contagious and
being kept inside for more than outside again. can destroy poultry flocks – was
16 weeks. Aimee Mahony, chief poultry first discovered in North York-
The country is experiencing its adviser at the National Farmers’ shire.
largest ever outbreak of avian in- Union, said the government’s It poses an extremely low risk
fluenza and measures are in place advice was that there was “still to humans, according to the NHS,
to prevent the virus from spread- a high level of risk” to birds of although several people have for all bird keepers across the UK A spokesman added: “We are
ing. catching flu. been infected around the world to keep them indoors and follow experiencing our largest ever
About 55% of all eggs produced “This is an incredibly difficult and a number have died. strict biosecurity measures. outbreak of avian flu and hous-
in the UK are free-range, says the time for all bird owners and vig- The outbreaks have resulted In a statement the government ing measures remain in force to
RSPCA. ilance remains vital,” she added. in the government enforcing an said it would work with farmers protect poultry and other birds
It means they come from birds Ms Mahony said farmers were Avian Influenza Prevention Zone and retailers to implement the from this highly infectious and
that, during the daytime, enjoy following “stringent biosecuri- which made it a legal requirement branding changing’s. unpleasant disease.”

5.1 magnitude earthquake UK’s motorways may become toll roads

felt in part of the UK to help pay for cut in petrol tax

PARTS of Scotland were rocked verurie, Lairg, Huntly, Banff and A network of toll roads could soon
by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake Fraserburgh. One report to The be set up across Britain to tackle
early this morning. British Geological Survey came falling revenues from fuel duty, it
Alarmed locals woke up to from Aberdeen – more than 311 has been reported.
‘shaking and rumbling sounds’ miles from the epicentre. Officials have long feared income
while lying in bed at 5.30am. More than 70 people in the UK from the tax will plummet as elec-
They said their windows and reported the earthquake, said to tric cars become more popular, and
beds were ‘rattled for minutes’ by have lasted around two minutes. the expected cut in fuel duty has
the tremors off the coast of the It comes after a 2.8 magnitude sparked a renewed push to address
north east of Shetland. earthquake struck the West Mid- the issue.
It struck 10km beneath the lands in February. One resident Chancellor Rishi Sunak has sig-
earth’s surface in the Norwe- said it ‘was like a wardrobe had nalled he will cut fuel duty in
Wednesday’s mini-budget as soar-
gian Sea, according to the United fallen over or an explosion blast ing petrol prices have kept inflating
States Geological Survey. against the window’. due to the fallout over Russia’s inva-
But tremors were felt far and Another earthquake measuring sion of Ukraine.
wide – including in Shetland, El- 3.6 in magnitude was recorded in Government sources say he is like-
lon, Stonehaven, Helmsdale, In- the North Sea in January. ly to reduce the tax by 5p per litre
until prices become more stable.
The government is also expected blowing an estimated £35 billion the West Midlands, costs £7.10 on
UK to fully compensate to announce a total ban on the sale hole in the Treasury’s budget. weekdays for cars and £12.90 for
of petrol and diesel cars by 2030,
Britain’s only toll road, the M6 in HGVs or Coaches.
postmasters who exposed scandal

SUB-POSTMASTERS who In 2019, a group of 555 sub- Petrol prices ‘stabilise after weeks at record highs’
helped uncover the Post Office postmasters and mistresses suc-
IT scandal but missed out on full cessfully challenged the Post Of- FUEL prices have stabilised for the rel in the first week of March, then Simon Williams, fuel spokesman
compensation are to get payouts fice over the accusations in the first time this month after Russia's slid back the following week. for the RAC, said Monday's prices
under a new government scheme. High Court. invasion of Ukraine caused a surge. The RAC said the settling of prices had "steadied with very slight reduc-
The 555 workers won a land- That case set a legal precedent could be an indication that retailers tions in both petrol and diesel".
mark civil case against the Post and paved the way for a series Average fuel prices slipped from may have "finished" passing on their UK fuel prices have increased at
Office in 2019, but saw most of of cases in which 72 people had record highs on Monday, with pet- higher wholesale costs to custom- the fastest rate on record in recent
their settlements swallowed up criminal convictions overturned. rol at nearly £1.67 a litre and diesel ers. weeks, with petrol rising 13p since
at £1.79.
However, it is unclear if and when
by legal fees. They will now get The Post Office opened a his- Crude oil surged to $139 per bar- the cost of fuel will go down. the start of the month and diesel in-
the same level of compensation toric shortfall scheme to compen- creasing by nearly 21p.
as other sub-postmasters who sate more than 700 wrongfully Fuel prices, which were already
were wrongly convicted. convicted former branch manag- rising as global economies recov-
The announcement comes as ers who had personally covered ered from the coronavirus pandem-
a public inquiry into the scandal shortfalls in branch accounts ic, surged after the war in Ukraine
continues. caused by the Horizon software. pushed up oil prices.
Between 2000 and 2014, hun- But the 555 people who won the Changes in prices at the pump are
dreds of sub-postmasters and High Court case could not partic- mainly determined by crude oil pric-
mistresses were wrongly accused ipate in the scheme, and despite es and the dollar exchange rate, be-
of theft, fraud and false account- winning nearly £43m in compen- cause crude oil is traded in dollars.
ing due to faults in the Horizon sation in 2019, the group's funds Russia is one of the world's major
computer software being used at were swallowed up due to a "no oil exporters and it is being targeted
branches across the UK. win, no fee" agreement with by economic and trading sanctions.