The killer disease with no vaccine
Alamy Since the beginning of the year, Nigeria has been gripped by an outbreak of a deadly disease. Lassa fever is one of a number of illnesses which can cause dangerous epidemics, but for which no vaccine currently exists. Lassa fever is not a new disease, but the current outbreak is unprecedented, spreading faster and […]
Why more Indians are crossing borders illegally to enter the US
AFP Migrants from India share water in the intense heat after walking into the US from Mexico in June In October, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) sent a chartered flight carrying Indian nationals back home, marking a growing trend in deportations to India. This was no ordinary flight – it was one of multiple […]
UKIP set to unveil new leader amid resignation threats
Shutterstock Anne Marie Waters is the bookies’ favourite UKIP is set to unveil its fourth leader in just over a year after a contest that has divided the party. Anti-Islam campaigner Anne Marie Waters is the bookmakers’ favourite with London Assembly member Peter Whittle also thought to be among front runners. Some UKIP MEPs have […]
Pupils design app to encourage children to go outdoors
Interface Ellora James and Mari-Ann Ganson are pupils at Wick High School Two high school pupils have created an app designed to encourage children to enjoy the outdoors more often. Mari-Ann Ganson and Ellora James, who are both 17, created Envirocache for an apps competition. The Wick High School students’ app draws on geo-cache technology […]
Nigeria’s fertility scam: ‘Pregnant’ for 15 months
BBC Chioma is adamant that baby Hope is her son Chioma is adamant that Hope, the baby boy she is holding in her arms, is her son. After eight years of failed attempts to conceive, she sees him as her miracle baby. “I’m the owner of my baby,” she says defiantly. She’s sitting next to […]
‘I didn’t realise it was going to be part of my entrapment’
BBC Beth Ashley and Euleen Hope both experienced technological abuse by former partners Women’s charity Refuge is warning about the rise of “tech abuse” – the use of technology to spy on or harass a partner. Many victims of domestic violence report being either being harassed via online messages or having their activity monitored via […]
Wicked film’s box office opening weekend projected to be $114m
Wicked is projected to have the top-grossing opening weekend of any Broadway musical adaptation ever in the UK and Ireland, as well as North America. The adaptation of the hit musical is expected to rake in $114m (£90.6m) on its opening weekend in North America, according to data firm the Boxoffice Company. In the UK […]
Russians fear pensions time-bomb – BBC News
A time-bomb is ticking in Russia’s pension system. Finance minister Alexei Kudrin recently caused a stir when he said that the pension age would have to go up from 60 for men and 55 for women to maintain pensions at “respectable” levels. Already the government is pumping billions of dollars into the system. But reforming […]
How royal women have shaped fashion
Netflix Margaret’s full princess look – complete with tiara and fur – was re-created in The Crown (Credit: Netflix) The ‘Meghan effect’ is nothing new. From the Danish style icon Queen Alexandra, to the aloof yet bohemian Princess Margaret, the royal influencers who have blazed a trail. There is it seems no stopping the so-called […]
Laos backpackers avoid shots after suspected poisonings
BBC reports from outside empty Laos clubs after suspected methanol poisonings As the sun slowly dips behind the jagged peaks of Mount Nam Xay, a group of brightly coloured hot air balloons drift across the Vang Vieng valley. In the river below, young tourists laugh and splash each other from their kayaks. It’s not hard […]