Toni Duggan: Barcelona sign Manchester City and England Women striker
England striker Toni Duggan has signed for Barcelona from Manchester City Women on a two-year contract. The 25-year-old former Everton Ladies forward is the first English player to join the Catalan club since Gary Lineker’s move to the Nou Camp in 1986. Duggan has scored 15 goals in 47 senior appearances for England and is […]
Banksy art burned, destroyed and sold as token in ‘money-making stunt’
BurntBanksy/YouTube The artwork was burnt in a video livestreamed from a park in New York An original Banksy, which was burnt and destroyed in a livestreamed video, has been sold via a digital token representing the work for $380,000 (£274,000). The print Morons is itself a critique of the art market, depicting an auctioneer at […]
French PM faces no confidence vote after forcing through budget
Reuters Michel Barnier was appointed France’s prime minister in September French Prime Minister Michel Barnier faces a vote of no confidence in his minority government after using special powers to push through a social security budget bill without a vote by MPs. The government is unlikely to survive the vote, which was triggered this afternoon […]
Ex-Google boss defends multiple controversies
Getty Images Eric Schmidt is to leave Alphabet’s board in June Former Google boss Eric Schmidt has defended the company’s record on multiple controversies: its work in China, its treatment of women, and its tax affairs. The 64-year-old executive, who sits on the board at Google’s parent company, Alphabet, said the tech giant was right […]
EuroHockey Championships 2017: Wales 1-2 Russia
Neither Wales side has been in the EuroHockey A Division since it was reduced to eight teams more than a decade ago. The nation’s women were playing in the third tier just four years ago. Wales captain Abi Welsford told BBC Wales Sport: “We put everything we could into the performance and just ended up […]
The military’s deep affinity with gaming
Getty Images Foreign nationals thinking about travelling to fight in Ukraine were given a clear warning earlier this year: “This is not Call of Duty.” The horrors of a real-world battlefield are a long way from their virtual versions, no matter how much games have evolved in recent years. However, the gaming industry’s relationship with […]
Lockdown bites poor as France eases grip
BBC Madame Ouattara, whose husband lost his job in the lockdown, is among those queuing at a Montmartre food bank in Paris Behind a faded door, in a side-street near Montmartre, a long straggly queue is starting to form. In Paris under lockdown, hotels and restaurants may be deserted but food banks are getting busier. […]
Read the private Covid WhatsApp messages from inside Downing Street
Getty Images Messages from people including Dominic Cummings (left) and Boris Johnson have been aired during the inquiry At the centre of the UK’s response to Covid-19 was a small cast of politicians and officials tasked with steering the country through the crisis. But private messages aired during the public inquiry into the government’s handling […]
Last call for Nevada’s brothels?
BBC There have been brothels in Nevada since the days of the Gold Rush, but in one of the state’s 16 counties that could be about to change. Voters in Lyon County have a chance to put an end to legal prostitution in November, in a ballot coinciding with the country’s mid-term elections. Lucy Ash […]
Isle of Man teaching union rejects 2% pay rise offer
BBC Teachers on the island have been offered a 2% pay award by the government A teaching union has rejected a proposed 2% pay rise following a ballot of its members on the Isle of Man. Some 55% of members of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) who took part voted against accepting the […]