GCHQ chief opens £5.8m cyber and digital centre in Cheltenham
A £5.8m cyber and digital centre has opened in Gloucestershire, which will help the area become “the cyber capital of the UK”. The FuturePark centre is based at the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham and was unveiled by Anne Keast-Butler, director of the Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ), which is based in the town. The university […]
Why did one million more tourists visit last year?
Tees Valley Combined Authority Big events and the food and drink sector have helped to attract people to the region, leaders say More than one million extra tourists flocked to Teesside last year, latest figures have revealed. They came for big events such as the Hardwick music festival and the Tall Ships Races – and […]
How Indian artists envisioned Christ’s birth
From the British Library archive This 17th Century painting fuses Islamic motifs with Renaissance style artwork The birth of Jesus Christ – a seminal biblical event – has been the subject of many paintings by Western artists, who have often applied the ideas of beauty and creativity prevalent there while depicting the event on canvas. […]
XL bully victim calls ban ‘useless’ as 100 dogs a month destroyed
Alamy Police have seized and destroyed hundreds of dogs since the ban on XL bullies came into force More than 100 dangerous dogs a month on average have been destroyed since XL bullies were banned nearly a year ago, the BBC has learned. Police forces in England and Wales say the costs of kennelling thousands […]
What happens when a social media app is banned
Getty Images (Credit: Getty Images) TikTok was one of India’s most popular apps – until it was banned in 2020. It’s a lesson for what might unfold if a US ban goes ahead. Four years ago, India was TikTok’s biggest market. The app boasted a growing base of 200 million users, thriving subcultures and sometimes […]
Why farmers in the South are protesting in London
Milly Collins Isle of Wight shepherdess Milly Collins said she was joining the protest because the government’s decision was “a complete stab in the back” “They’ve taken food production and food security for granted and think that food just appears out of nowhere.” Farmers across the south of England are calling for change after it […]
Durham County Council wins climate change award
Durham County Council Councillor Mark Wilkes said Durham County Council’s plans were saving money and reducing carbon emissions A council which has cut its annual carbon footprint by 50,000 tonnes over 15 years has won an environmental award. Durham County Council scooped the Best Carbon Reduction prize at the Investors in Environment Awards for its […]
‘Fatherhood’s like the early days of Franz Ferdinand’
Carry On PR Franz Ferdinand will release their sixth album The Human Fear on 10 January Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos has found fatherhood a familiar experience – as it reminds him of his band’s early days. Kapranos and wife Clara Luciani welcomed their first child last year, and the 52-year-old told BBC Scotland News […]
What it’s like to live in the world’s most innovative countries
Getty Images The BBC speaks to residents and travellers in some of the top-ranked countries on the 2024 Global Innovation Index to find out how cutting-edge technology benefits day-to-day life. With the rise of AI, self-driving cars and wi-fi connected appliances, it can feel like innovation is everywhere these days. But certain countries are known […]
Baby milk manufacturer to create 100 new jobs in Stafford
About 100 new jobs are set to be created by a national baby milk brand which has purchased a site near the Staffordshire-Shropshire border. Excelsior Foods, which is part of the wider Kendal Nutricare group, is to move into the former Premier Foods site in Knighton, Stafford. Recruitment will take place over the next 24 […]