Other Stories – 9th February 2018

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Lloyds Bank bans crypto-currency credit card purchases. The bank announced the decision over the weekend, following a sharp fall in the value of digital currencies, such as BitCoin, which prompted concerns that the bank could end up footing bills for unpaid debts should prices continue to fall. The ban follows in the footsteps of several issuers of credit cards in the US who banned customers from using their cards to buy digital currency. Debit card users will remain unaffected. BBC News

It’s time to pardon the suffragettes. Campaigners from the Fawcett Society and relatives of women who were jailed while fighting for the right to vote are pushing for them to be officially pardoned. The move comes on the 100th anniversary of some women getting the right to vote in the UK. Passed on 6^th February 1918, the Representation of the People Act, granted women over 30 and “of property” the vote, a right they exercised for the very first time in the general election the following December. The Telegraph

Hunter gets knocked out by a falling goose. In what can only be described as a moment of pure karma, a Canadian hunter suffered a head injury when his group fired at a flock of Canadian geese in Easton, Maryland. Robert Meilhammer was hit when the goose fell 90ft, causing him head and facial injuries. A spokeswoman from Maryland Natural Resources Police explained that geese can cause “severe damage” when falling from height due to their weight and size. Sky News

Are degrees still worth doing? The chairman of the Education Select Committee has suggested that many graduates often receive “paltry returns” for their degrees, despite racking up debts of up to £50,000. Robert Halfon also suggested that between one fifth and a third of graduates ultimately end up taking non-graduate jobs and that any extra returns for having a degree vary wildly. University leaders meanwhile have disputed the claims, maintaining that a degree remains a worthwhile investment. The Independent

A UK music festival has banned potato peelers because of Liam Gallagher. The former Oasis frontman is set to headline Parklife festival in Manchester later this year. The announcement follows a spat between Liam and his brother, Noel, who Liam mocked for a performance that featured a bandmate playing a pair of scissors. Liam later joked that someone should peel potatoes during one of his own shows and Parklife organisers have since been inundated with requests from revellers eager to join him on stage with the kitchen utensil. BBC News

Nigel, the loneliest bird in the world, has died. Affectionately known as Nigel “no mates”, the gannet was loved by conservationists off the coast of New Zealand after he took to living on the edge of a cliff on Mana Island, surrounded by 80 fake gannets for company. Nigel had been the first bird to settle on the island in 40 years when he arrived in 2013, drawn in by replicas which were installed in the hope that they would attract a new colony. He passed away surrounded by what he believed to be his friends and family. We’re not crying. Honest. The Independent

Dave the cat has been banned from his local shop. In what appears to have been a particularly bad week for animals, news has emerged that a shop in Bournemouth has banned a beloved local cat from visiting after an anonymous complaint. Dave, a friendly ginger tabby, has enjoyed naps in One Stop for 13 years, where he would be fussed over by fawning customers, but the complaint has put an end to his life of luxury. Regular customers are apparently furious at the decision, with some threatening to boycott the shop in response. The Telegraph

Bournemouth axes ‘anti-homeless’ devices. Councillors had come under intense criticism for installing metal bars on benches across the city with the intention of stopping people from lying on them. More than 19,500 people had signed a petition calling for them to be removed, with many describing them as “inhumane”, “brutal” and “disgraceful”. Bournemouth Borough Council plans to remove them over the coming days. Evening Standard

YouTube plans to clamp down on users who damage its reputation. The video-sharing website has announced that it is developing new policies that will deal with users whose behaviour can cause “serious harm” to the site’s community. The announcement follows a wave of criticism the site received in the wake of a video posted by prominent user Logan Paul, which showed a dead body in Aokigahara, a notorious Japanese suicide spot. Engadget

Stat of the week

With UK supermarkets reporting a surge in sales of vegan food, the Vegan Society are reporting that more than half of UK adults are adopting so-called ‘vegan buying behaviour’. Meanwhile, the number of full-time vegans in the UK has reportedly grown fourfold in the past decade.