Chlamydia could kill off koalas. Can a vaccine save them in time?
Tiffanie Turnbull/BBC Joe Mangy is one of thousands of koalas treated for chlamydia each year On the table, unconscious and stretched out on a pillow, Joe Mangy looks deceptively peaceful. The koala’s watery, red-rimmed eyes are the only sign of the disease at war with his body. Tubes snarl out of a mask covering his […]
Who died in 2024? Notable deaths of the year
BBC The producer of the world’s bestselling LP, an Oscar-winning British actress who conquered screen and stage, a fearless Russian opposition politician and one of Ireland’s greatest novelists – here are some of the well-known faces no longer with us. Among those we remember are acting legend Dame Maggie Smith, former teen star Shannen Doherty, […]
Manmohan Singh – remembering India’s ‘kind leader’ with a steely resolve
Reuters Manmohan Singh came across as a quiet, gentle person in public The prospect of a shy politician is somewhat hard to imagine. Unless that politician is Manmohan Singh. Since the death of the former Indian prime minister on Thursday, much has been said about the “kind and soft-spoken politician” who changed the course of […]
Cambridge engineers seek help for dementia device research
BBC Maggie and daughter Lucy are piloting the Supersense Technologies device A start-up company is searching for 100 people living with dementia to pilot a new device which could help them retain their independence. Supersense Technologies of Cambridge is developing what it calls a unique monitoring system which works without cameras or microphones. The SenS2 […]
Man with sight loss wants better work support for disabled people
Camsight Alex Innes was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at about 10 years old A man who lost most of his sight eight years ago said companies needed to do more to employ and support people with disabilities, as they were “just as talented”. Alex Innes, 35, from Cambridge, said when he was left with 7% […]
Could this be what our home on Moon or Mars might look like?
AAKA Space Studio India’s first ‘analog’ space mission Hab-1 was tested in the mountains of Ladakh Could this egg-shaped structure be what the future home of Indian astronauts in space looks like? The Hab-1 – short for Habitat-1 – is Indian space agency Isro’s first-ever “analog mission” which means simulation of space conditions to prepare […]
Young Enterprise market sees pupils turn business ideas into reality
BBC The team behind Down to Earth from Wallace High School Hundreds of young entrepreneurs from across Northern Ireland have been putting their business skills to the test at the annual Young Enterprise NI Big Market. Many of the 130 student companies from 80 schools and colleges chose to create business plans with a sustainability […]
Cheese wire victim’s family offer £10,000 reward for DNA
PA Media George Murdoch was murdered in Aberdeen in 1983, but the killer has never been found The family of a man murdered with a cheese wire in Aberdeen more than 40 years ago have offered a £10,000 reward to help police close in on his killer. Taxi driver George Murdoch was found dead beside […]
Children on ‘waiting lists’ to join the Scouts
Scouting may evoke memories of woggles, neckerchiefs and dyb-dyb-dyb (do your best). But despite being founded more than a century ago, the movement remains popular with the UK’s youngsters, with demand for places having risen dramatically since the Covid pandemic. More than 100,000 are currently on waiting lists to join, The Scout Association says. Some […]
Thinking ‘outside the box’ brings success for Sutton Coldfield cinema
BBC General manager, Des Christie, said the first six months of business for the cinema had been “phenomenal” The manager of an independent cinema in Sutton Coldfield has said thinking “outside the box” and creating a community feel has been behind the venue’s success. Des Christie, general manager at the Royal Cinema, said business had […]