MPs on all sides accuse Boris Johnson of Afghanistan failures
PM Boris Johnson says British troops should be “proud of their achievements” in Afghanistan Boris Johnson has faced a barrage of criticism from MPs over the UK’s role in Afghanistan, in an emergency House of Commons debate on the crisis. His predecessor as PM Theresa May said it was “incomprehensible” the UK was not doing […]
Lockdown, what lockdown? Sweden’s unusual response to coronavirus
Socialisers in Sweden: “I think we should be out for as long as we can” While swathes of Europe’s population endure lockdown conditions in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, one country stands almost alone in allowing life to go on much closer to normal. After a long winter, it’s just become warm enough to […]
The endurance of Japan’s simple street snack
Supawat Bursuk/Getty Images A favourite in Japan since the 1600s, yaki-imo’s moist, chewy texture and burnt caramel scent still inspire nostalgia (Credit: Supawat Bursuk/Getty Images) Eaten right off the coals, yaki-imo (roasted sweet potatoes) are a beloved centuries-old food, whether they’re served by old-fashioned street vendors or modern “imo” girls and boys. “Yaki-imo…” The forlorn […]
US pays Moderna $176m to develop bird-flu vaccine
The US government has given Moderna $176m (£139m) to develop a messenger-ribonucleic-acid-based (mRNA) pandemic influenza vaccine that would work against bird flu. It says it wants to be “better prepared” for public-health crises, having learned lessons from Covid. Bird flu is not a big threat to people, despite outbreaks in poultry and cattle. But experts […]
Sundown Festival near Norwich will not return in 2025
Sundown Festival 2024/jakhoward Grammy award-winner Flowdan performed at this year’s festival A music festival that over the years featured the likes of Jess Glynne, Olly Murs and Chase & Status will not return next year, organisers have said. The Sundown Festival was set to be held at the Norfolk Showground, near Norwich, on 29 August. […]
Oxford Waitrose Unpacked campaign: Shoppers give verdict
BBC Customers of Waitrose in Oxford can fill their own tubs with groceries – if they remember to bring them A Waitrose store in Oxford is on the second day of an 11-week trial in which customers can fill their own containers with groceries, including lentils, pasta and rice, as well as beer and wine. […]
The drones looking inside explosively intensifying hurricanes
Saildrone Sail drones are studying why and how hurricanes intensify to help improve hurricane forecasting (Credit: Saildrone) Some tropical storms rapidly transform into a category five hurricane. Cutting-edge saildrones are helping to reveal how this process happens. Hurricane Otis made landfall on the coast of southern Mexico on 25 October 2023 as a category five […]
How to solve the plastic packaging paradox
Getty Images Today, plastic packaging has a bad (w)rap. But the first commercially viable version of the now ubiquitous material – cellophane – was conceived in a more innocent age, before anyone worried about plastic in landfill, or the sea, or the food chain. It begins in 1904, at an upmarket restaurant in Vosges, France, […]
The marvel of China’s multi-generational rice terraces
Chaiyun Damkaew/Getty Images (Credit: Chaiyun Damkaew/Getty Images) Hacked from mountains in south-western China, the sprawling Honghe Hani Rice Terraces stack up over more than 160sq km to create one of the most spectacular landscapes on Earth. It is often said that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from space. It’s […]
Guernsey schools roll out ‘state-of-the-art’ IT systems
States-run schools in Guernsey are to have “state-of-the-art” new IT systems this month, after the Education Department started the roll-out of its digital roadmap. The department said the first phase involved installing Windows 11 on computers across its network, as well as installing new classroom computers and upgraded wi-fi and networks. The next phase is […]