Manx Newscast

Government is 'out of touch' with the challenges Manx residents face when it comes to housing, according to one MHK. It's after the infrastructure minister said it's 'impossible' to calculate a market value for affordable housing . Douglas South member Claire Christian says quoting prescriptive selling prices without considering market conditions creates 'more confusion than cl...

A pensioner from Ramsey has told Manx Radio he's 'aghast' at how much he's paying for his heating each month in a sheltered housing complex.  It's because the facility is charged a commercial rate for its energy rather than residential.  Chanelle Sukhoo has been speaking to Eric Corkish and Ramsey Commissioner Luke Parker:

Siobhán Fletcher sits down with Manx Care Chief Executive Teresa Cope to talk plans to slash surgical lists. She responds to listener concerns and critiques from the Isle of Man Medical Society, and says 'unpalatable' decisions are 'necessary' to balance the books.

Planned changes by Manx Care to slash surgical lists will lead to people waiting longer to be treated according to the Isle of Man Medical Society. The healthcare body is reducing the number of elective theatre sessions by an average of 5.5 per week as a cost-cutting measure. The society's President Elect, Dr Sean Crerand, and Chair, Dr Prakash Thiagarajan, told Siobhan Fletcher it will 'exacerbat...

A 'hoard' of Viking coins that's been discovered on the Isle of Man will be on display for the public to view at the Manx Museum from today (2 October).  Manx Radio's Chanelle Sukhoo spoke to one of the people that discovered the 36 silver coins, David O'Hare and the curator of archaeology at Manx National Heritage, Alison Fox.

Isle of Man Meats is hoping to tackle a 'global shortage' by offering apprenticeships to wannabe butchers. The 18 month course gives the students hands-on training to learn the essential skills. Harry Lewis and Ethan Perry are the first apprentices to take it on. They've been telling Amy Griffiths more along with Kelley Corlett from Isle of Man Meats:

Vice Chair of the Manx Motorcycle Club Jim Hunter tells us about the trip he's been on to Ukraine delivering equipment to schools there. He also gives us glimpse of what life is like for those living with the constant threat of conflict and describes the warm welcome he and his party have received.

A couple from London have raised more than £120,000 to fund a new D-class inshore lifeboat which will help the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The RNLI-911 challenge started a month ago and saw James and Belinda Richardson travel 911 hours in a Porsche 911 to all the lifeboat stations in the UK. At 9.11 this morning their journey came to an end as they checked in at the final station in Peel....

Many small Islands around the world share similar problems when it comes to provision of healthcare. Now, KPMG has launched a global healthcare hub for small islands, enabling them to share experience and best practice to tailor their approach to the specific needs of their people.

Bus Vannin is apologising to Isle of Man residents following ongoing disruption to the bus network in recent weeks. It's been publishing daily updates - highlighting routes at risk of cancellation due to staff shortages and illness. Head of Operations Ian Bates has been addressing some of the speculation around reasons for the disruption:

How safe do you feel on our Island? The chief constable outlined in his annual report that his aim for the force is to make the Isle of Man the 'safest island in the British Isles'. But after a number of high profile incidents in recent months seeing the deployment of armed officers, is that still the case here? Superintendent Danny Rotchell is in charge of uniformed operations on the Island and I...

A woman who's aiming to complete two laps of the Raad ny Foillan is set to complete her challenge today.  Anjie Rook is the Associate Director of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and has been walking the Island's coastline - 200 miles in total - to mark 200 years of the lifesaving charity. So far she's raised almost £2,900. Sir William Hillary, a Douglas resident, founded the RNLI in 1...

This year's edition of Manx Litfest is now well and truly underway. This evening (Weds 25 Sept), the Island is playing host to an award-winning writer, environmental activist and Professor of Contemporary Fiction at Manchester Metropolitan University. Monique Roffey will be at the Erin Arts Centre tonight from 7:30pm to discuss her latest book, Passiontide. She will also host a writing worksh...

This week marks Organ Donation Week - a campaign that takes place each year to raise awareness about the ongoing need for donors.  According to the NHS, in the UK, more than 7,600 people are in need of a transplant including 250 children.  Each year 1,400 people donate however the waiting list continues to rise.  Aedan Klieve was born in 2020 needing a kidney transplant. He received...

An event held in the capital last night (23 September) sought to link up local producers with buyers from the Island and beyond. 'Meet Your Producer' was a joint venture between the Department for Enterprise and the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. But in the year the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival was cancelled - are events like this enough for local businesses to showcase th...

The new chair of the Isle of Man Meat Plant says the revamped board wants to 'reinstate a sense of pride' in Manx meat. Damien Corcoran's appointment was announced as a part of a shake-up by the Department of Environment Food and Agriculture. Siobhán Fletcher sat down with him after the appointment was announced, to find out what he's planning on doing to turn the facility around.

Government's announced a new board aiming to tackle issues faced by the hospitality industry. It's the latest support measure for the sector announced by the Department for Enterprise. The 'primary objectives' of the Hospitality Isle of Man Board are said to be fostering collaboration, enhancing food and drink tourism and proactively addressing the challenges. Experts from across the industry have...

A charity on the Isle of Man is preparing to open its 40th school in an area of the world where there are significant challenges in accessing quality education and health provision. The Pahar Trust Nepal is marking 30 years since its inception with a celebratory event on 28 September. The guest speaker will be record breaking mountaineer Hari Budha Magar who was the first, double above the knee, a...

The Isle of Man Government cannot rely on volunteers and motivated individuals who are dedicated to the Manx language to promote it.  That’s the call being made by experts from the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages which looks at protecting Cornish, Manx Gaelic, Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh. It says government must ‘put its money where its mouth is’ and has urg...

A Manx charity says it's 'devastated' by claims Liverpool John Lennon Airport will be closing a Patient Quiet Room it funded. The facility, which was officially opened in 2017, is designed to be a place where those from the Island who need medical treatment in the UK can wait for their flights in a comfortable setting. Manx Breast Cancer Support Group says it's finding it 'difficult to believe' an...

It's day two of the 2024 Isle of Man Government Conference. Siobhán Fletcher sits down with our political correspondent - and this week our self-proclaimed government conference correspondent - Phil Gawne to find out what happened today:

The Isle of Man Government's annual conference got underway at the Comis Hotel yesterday (Tuesday 17 September). Siobhán Fletcher sat down with our political correspondent - and this week, our self-proclaimed government conference correspondent - Phil Gawne; to find out what was covered, if any of it came as a shock and whether people actually made the journey out to the Comis to attend.

The environment, food and agriculture minister has admitted there were flaws using the agricultural shows as a replacement for this year's Food and Drink Festival. The government-run event, which was cancelled in June, would have been taking place on the 14 and 15 September. A previously agreed exclusivity agreement meant the Southern and Royal Manx shows weren't accessible to all producers or man...

The Chair of the Housing and Communities Board has hit back against claims that government has done 'nothing' to tackle the Island's housing crisis. Former minister Peter Karran  told Manx Radio the situation has worsened since 2021's general election. That's despite it being a topic that dominated the campaign trail.  The long-serving Onchan MHK, and former leader of the Liberal Vannin...

An Atlantic grey seal has been photographed feeding on a harbour porpoise for the first time in Manx waters.  The set of photos were taken at the Point of Ayre earlier this summer by Gary Weightman, of Vannin Photos, who posted them on Facebook. Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch recognised the tail stock as that of a porpoise and contacted him for further information. Gary told Siobhán F...