Syria’s leaders say their jihadism is in the past
BBC Last week, while touring Damascus, Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) was approached by a young woman who asked for a photo with him. He gently requested that she cover her hair before taking the picture. The incident quickly sparked heated debate across Arabic social and mainstream media. What […]
Richard Osman opens up to Desert Island Discs about food addiction
BBC Richard Osman is the creator and co-presenter of Pointless, and also now a best-selling author Richard Osman, the TV personality and author, has spoken about how hard it is to “work your way out of” an eating disorder. The 51-year-old told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs he had therapy in his 30s to […]
Amazon to create 1,000 new jobs at Darlington warehouse
BBC Construction work on the complex began earlier this year Online retailer Amazon has announced plans to create more than 1,000 jobs at a warehouse complex in Darlington. The company, which already has 21 similar centres in the UK, has pledged the posts will be permanent and pay a minimum of £9.50 an hour. Darlington’s […]
Children’s author known for Topsy and Tim dies aged 96
PA Media Adamson said the characters of Topsy and Tim were based on herself and her brother Derek Children’s author Jean Adamson, know for the Topsy and Tim series of books, has died aged 96, her family has confirmed. In a statement released by publisher Ladybird Books, the family said they were announcing with “deep […]
A booming city with a brutal history
Getty Images Crime and corruption can be a concern in the city (Credit: Getty Images) Phnom Penh is known more for the Khmer Rouge than being an expat haven – but it’s an attractive destination for those looking for excitement, writes Dene-Hern Chen Cambodia is currently attempting an image overhaul. Saddled by its painful history […]
Millions spent making polluted site safe
BBC The Mobuoy site, located on the outskirts of the city, is a former recycling plant A large illegal dump near Londonderry has cost millions of pounds in public money to keep safe, BBC News NI has learned. More than a million tonnes of waste was illegally dumped at the Mobuoy site before it shut […]
‘Absolute unit’ meme on show in Bradford museum first
An online meme that quickly went viral is the first “digitally born object” to go on display at the National Science and Media Museum. The “absolute unit” meme was seen by millions after being created by staff at the Museum of English Rural Life in Reading in 2018. It features a photo of an Exmoor […]
Here’s what to know about the potential US government shutdown
Getty Images House Speaker Mike Johnson said negotiations are a “long process” The United States government is a day away from running out of money as Congress scrambles to come up with a short-term funding plan. On Thursday night, a revised spending plan by Republicans that would have averted a government shutdown failed to clear […]
How Vienna became a commerce hotspot
Getty Images Vienna cityscape with Danube river (Credit: Getty Images) As a conduit between East and West, Vienna is growing in popularity – and international firms are taking note. If you came here 10 years ago, you wouldn’t recognise the city anymore — there’s a lot of restaurants and bars, creative industries and it’s much […]
Reddit to begin paying people for popular posts
Getty Images Reddit has unveiled plans to pay its top contributors cash for popular posts, starting in the US on Tuesday. The social media site will split revenue with people who are awarded “gold” by other users, who pay a fee. Gold awards will range in price from $1.99 (£1.63) to $49 (£40), with users […]