The last sea salt farmers of the East China Sea
China’s sea farmers This ancient cash crop has been farmed for 1,300 years. Now, Hua’ao Island is the only place that still harvests it. More than 18,000 largely uninhabited islands lie adrift in the remote waters of the East China Sea. But one rises sharply from the rest: Hua’ao Island. This 66 million-year-old island is […]
Facebook to freeze political ads before US presidential election
Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg wrote that the election would not “be business as usual” Facebook has announced that it will not take on any new political ads in the seven days prior to the US election on 3 November. However, the firm will still allow existing ads to continue to be promoted and targeted at […]
Musk flexes influence over Congress in shutdown drama
A funny thing happened on the way to a bipartisan agreement to fund US government operations and avoid a partial shutdown this week. Conservatives in Congress – encouraged by tech multi-billionaire Elon Musk – balked. Republicans tried to regroup on Thursday afternoon, offering a new, slimmed-down package to fund the government. That vote failed, as […]
The Dutch windmill making artisanal bread
The ‘magic’ behind your artisan bread In the 1960s, almost every Dutch windmill stood still. Now, one of the country’s oldest working ones is spinning again to help make artisanal bread. When most of us think of Dutch windmills, we picture quaint structures sprinkled across the pastoral plains that whimsically spin in the breeze. In […]
Forgotten battalion of black women celebrated in film
Netflix The Six Triple Eight is released on Netflix on Friday, 20 December They were given a task others had failed – and they were given it because they were not expected to succeed. The intriguing story of 855 black women who came to Birmingham from America to solve a two-year postal backlog during World […]
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 […]
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 […]