Are good readers more likely to give up on maths?
Louisa Lyon Features correspondent Getty Images Girls who do well at maths are more likely than boys to do even better at reading. Is this part of the reason for the gender gap in STEM fields? It’s not that girls and women are bad at maths. While boys do tend to perform better than girls […]
‘We cannot in good conscience open the pub’
Lucy Hooker Business reporter, BBC News Martin Whelan Pub manager Martin Whelan said he would not reopen until the virus is less of a threat Back in normal times, on match days, the pavement outside the Tollington Arms would be as crowded as a Tube station. The pub is right next to the Emirates stadium, […]
Hundreds of patients facing medication delays
Alison Freeman Look North, Newcastle Michelle Collingwood has had intestinal failure since August 2014 Hundreds of patients are facing delays in getting the medication they need after a medical firm was told to change its production system. This has led to prescription delays for people with digestive problems. The company said it was “working as […]
Having a baby in your 40s or later? Consider this
Kate Ashford Features correspondent Thinkstock (Credit: Thinkstock) Pregnant at 65…with quadruplets? It’s not out of the realm of possibility. If all goes well, Germany’s Annegret Raunigk will be the oldest woman to give birth to quads. Still, having children at 60 is unusual. Kids past 40, however, is becoming more common. When Gregory Gardner’s son, […]
How women are wresting back time
Leslie Gevirtz Features correspondent Women are increasingly leaving the corporate world to start their own businesses. (Thinkstock) Jane Kettlewell is no stranger to hard work. Currently a New York-based wine professional, Kettlewell has been working long hours since she was just 16. As she entered her 50s, however, she realised it was time for a […]
Supreme Court backs Scottish minimum alcohol pricing
BBC The UK Supreme Court has ruled that Scotland can set a minimum price for alcohol, rejecting a challenge by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). Legislation was approved by the Scottish Parliament five years ago but has been tied up in court challenges. In a unanimous judgment, seven Supreme Court judges said the legislation did […]
Facing death, new perspective on work and life
Bryan Borzykowski Features correspondent Courtesy of Kerstin Duhme (Credit: Courtesy of Kerstin Duhme) Read More Stories of professional women crafting successful careers and personal lives Six years ago, Kerstin Duhme’s life nearly came to an abrupt end. She was preparing to hike the Aconcagua, a nearly 7,000-metre high mountain in Argentina, when a massive storm […]
Backlash against ‘frightening’ tests on whales
David Shukman Science editor WDC/ V. Mignon Minke whales are comparatively small and are found across the world An international group of scientists has called on Norway to halt plans for acoustic experiments on minke whales. They say the process of capturing the animals and subjecting them to noise will be “stressful and frightening”. The […]
Solve the kissing conundrum
Mark Johanson Features correspondent Thinkstock To kiss or not to kiss? (Credit: Thinkstock) Gilles Debunne may be a Frenchman, but even he has trouble working out how many cheeks to kiss as he travels around France. The 40-year-old software engineer from Toulouse said that when he meets someone from another part of the country “there […]
Ending sewage dumping will mean higher water bills
Jonah Fisher BBC environment correspondent Getty Images Water companies are allowed to release raw sewage to prevent treatment plants being overwhelmed during heavy rain. Stopping the dumping of sewage into rivers and the sea will require huge infrastructure spending and will probably push up water bills, according to a new House of Lords report. Raw […]