EE tells parents not to give smartphones to primary-age children
One of the UK’s largest mobile network providers is advising parents not to give primary school-aged children their own smartphone. EE, which is owned by BT, said it aims to improve children’s “digital wellbeing” after receiving increasing requests for guidance from parents. It said that under-11s should be given “non-smart” devices that have similar capabilities […]
Teesside freeport work continues despite crab death concern
Sally Bunce Thousands of dead crabs and lobsters washed up along the North East coast in October 2021 Work to build a freeport on Teesside will continue as a debate about dredging and shellfish deaths rages. Thousands of crabs died in October 2021 along the North East coast with fishermen blaming dredging in the River […]
Kemi Badenoch Twitter complaint dismissed by government
PA Media A complaint against the equalities minister, made after she attacked a journalist’s question on Twitter, has been dismissed by the Cabinet Office. Kemi Badenoch accused a HuffPost journalist of asking her a “creepy” question about a pro-vaccine video. Labour said she had exposed the journalist to “a torrent of abuse online” and should […]
‘We felt like only people of colour in our town’
Sheree Atcheson was born in Sri Lanka. At three weeks old she was adopted, along with her brother, by a family from Northern Ireland. They were raised in the rural town of Coalisland in County Tyrone, and Ms Atcheson has fond memories of the town’s sense of community and its personalities. “But the flipside of […]
Ireland women: IRFU CEO apologises to players for failures in women’s game
IRFU chief Kevin Potts has formally apologised to Ireland’s players for failures in the women’s game. It comes as Irish rugby’s governing body has agreed to implement all 30 recommendations made by an independent panel following a review into the women’s team’s failure to qualify for the 2021 World Cup. These include an additional 1m […]
Starmer says he wants ‘best people’ after cronyism claims
EPA Sir Keir Starmer has defended the government’s approach to recruitment following Conservative accusations of cronyism over jobs. It follows a series of appointments of Labour-linked figures into official positions under fast-track procedures. The prime minister said his government was keen to bring in the “best people” as quickly as possible after returning to power […]
Seventy years on, why Godzilla is the darkest monster movie of them all
Alamy Ishirō Honda’s momentous 1954 monster film was born out of a national tragedy in Japan. It has a bleak message for humanity that goes beyond cinematic spectacle. For some, Godzilla is the pink-finned superhero who teams up with an axe-wielding King Kong in this year’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Others may remember […]
We’ve done all we can to stop queues
BBC Gearing up: Coaches and lorries queue at the Port of Dover ahead of the bank holiday weekend The Port of Dover’s boss has said it has done “everything we can” to prevent travel delays over the upcoming bank holiday and school half-term break. Some coach passengers faced 15-hour delays to board ferries to France […]
May bidding farewell before new PM takes office
Theresa May: “You achieve nothing alone and so my final words are of sincere thanks” Theresa May has delivered a farewell speech in Downing Street before tendering her resignation to the Queen. She wished new Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government well, adding: “Their successes will be our country’s successes.” Earlier, Mrs May faced […]
Video selfies trial to verify age of teens
Getty Images Instagram is exploring new ways for teenagers to verify their age and comply with platform rules. The Meta-owned app is testing video selfies with facial analysis software as a new age-verification method. Some users on Instagram try to skirt its 13+ age rule by editing their date of birth to make them appear […]