Jon Lewis named as England women’s head coach
Well beaten in the Ashes in Australia, captain Heather Knight’s side were on the brink of an early exit from the World Cup in New Zealand, only to recover and reach the final, where they were beaten by Australia. A comprehensive home series win against South Africa was followed by a disappointing Commonwealth Games, where […]
Chatbot ‘encouraged teen to kill parents over screen time limit’
A chatbot told a 17-year-old that murdering his parents was a “reasonable response” to them limiting his screen time, a lawsuit filed in a Texas court claims. Two families are suing Character.ai arguing the chatbot “poses a clear and present danger” to young people, including by “actively promoting violence”. Character.ai – a platform which allows […]
How 1980s horror The Woman in the Black terrified Britain
ITV/ Shutterstock (Credit: ITV/ Shutterstock) First airing on Christmas Eve 1989, the original TV adaptation of Susan Hill’s creepy novel The Woman in Black contains what some consider one of the greatest scares in screen history. In the history of British television, there’s arguably never been a scene so petrifying. Airing on Christmas Eve on […]
Departure of water regulator boss cost public purse £105k
WICS Former chief executive Alan Sutherland was paid £86,268 after leaving his role Scotland’s scandal-ridden water regulator spent more than £105,000 on the departure of its former chief executive, a watchdog has reported. Audit Scotland also raised concerns about almost £75,000 in Water Industry Commission for Scotland (Wics) expenditure that did not comply with Scottish […]
Amazon and eBay to pay ‘fair share’ for e-waste recycling
Online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay will have to pay their “fair share” of the costs of recycling electrical waste under new government proposals. Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said planned reforms would create a “level playing field” for electronics producers by putting more onus on international retailers to contribute to recycling costs. Some […]
First drag queen competitor to be featured
BBC Studios/Guy Levy Tayce, from Newport in south Wales, is proud to be the first drag artist to take part in Strictly Come Dancing Strictly’s Christmas Special will see the show mark another first in its 20th year – its first drag queen competitor. Tayce, who’s from Newport in south Wales, reached the final of […]
Festivals dominated by male acts, study shows, as Glastonbury begins
UK festival line-ups dominated by male headliners Music festivals fail to reflect the diversity of the UK music scene, with headline slots being dominated by a small band of male rock acts over the decades, a study suggests. Some eight out of 10 top slots were occupied by all-male acts, analysis of more than 600 […]
App lets police identify suspects in street
Getty Images It is the first time in the UK that the app has been used to identify individuals in near real time There are concerns human rights will be breached as police forces in Wales become the first to launch a facial recognition app in the UK. It will allow officers to use their […]
Ed Sheeran tops radio’s most-played songs of 2018
Reuters The star is due to release an album of collaborations later this year Ed Sheeran was the most-played artist in the UK last year, while Feel It Still by Portugal The Man was 2018’s most-played song. Sheeran topped the chart despite not releasing new music; and without an entry in the Top 10 most-played […]
Fare Eatery in Wokingham announces closure on Christmas Eve
A restaurant in Wokingham Town Hall has announced it will close after claims the site is “not fit for purpose”. Fare Eatery opened in the Grade 2 listed building in late October, serving British cuisine in the town centre. It was set up by restaurant consultancy firm Truffle Hunting, led by ex-Fat Duck director Nigel […]