How Syria rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani reinvented himself
AFP Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani spoke to supporters at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus hours after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani has dropped that nom de guerre associated with his jihadist past, and been using his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in official communiques issued since Thursday, ahead of the fall […]
Ethiopia’s economy battered by Tigray war
AFP Many Ethiopians are living in refugee camps in neighbouring Sudan because of conflict in their country Ethiopia’s 10-month war has come at a huge human cost, with thousands killed, millions displaced and many in desperate need of assistance. But that’s not the only damage being done to Africa’s second most populous nation – the […]
‘Sobriety tags’ aim to cut alcohol-fuelled crime
BBC The tags monitor offenders’ sweat every 30 minutes and alert the probation service if alcohol is consumed Offenders convicted of alcohol-related crimes can now be banned from drinking and ordered to wear a sobriety tag. The ankle tags will monitor offenders’ sweat every 30 minutes and alert probation staff if alcohol is consumed. Those […]
Coffee waste ‘could replace palm oil’
BBC It is hoped that used coffee grounds could replace the use of palm oil in many household products Two Scottish entrepreneurs are aiming to go global with their hope to replace palm oil using coffee waste. Scott Kennedy and Fergus Moore said they came up with a unique way to extract oil from used […]
Delay to Scotland easing, and Wembley to admit 60,000 fans
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday evening. We’ll have another update for you tomorrow morning. 1. Scotland hopes to lift restrictions in August Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that her government aims to have all legal coronavirus restrictions lifted on 9 August. She told MSPs […]
Hit by blackouts Cuba’s tourism industry now braces for Trump
Getty Images Canadian tourists, such as these taking part in an exercise class, are vital to the Cuban tourism sector With winter nights drawing in across North America, Canadian “snowbirds” – citizens who flee their freezing temperatures for sunnier climes every year – are planning their annual trips to Florida or the Caribbean. Traditionally, Cuba […]
The Chinese blockage in the global waste disposal system
European Photopress Agency In Hong Kong, 2,500 tonnes of waste paper are piling up at its docks every day Imagine the world as a global waste disposal system. Now imagine it with a blockage. And what if that waste is backing up around the world, reappearing in places where you really don’t want it to […]
Meet the teens who developed a dementia app which uses music
A group of Nigerian-Irish teens have developed an app which uses music to comfort those living with dementia. Rachel, Margaret and Joy were worried about how people with dementia were coping during lockdown, so they decided to design and code Memory Haven. The app has already won a prize at the prestigious technology competition, Technovation, […]
Pig farmer demonstration urges Defra to help industry
PA Media Farmers in the UK have said there is a crisis in British pig production Pig farmers have gathered outside a meeting with government officials to highlight a crisis in their industry. Farmers from the across UK staged a demonstration outside York’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) building. Up to 30 […]
Kneecap wins top British Independent Film Award and six other gongs
Getty Images Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí attended the awards on Sunday Irish-language film Kneecap has won seven British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), including the top honor – Best British Independent Film. Kneecap, which is based on a semi-fictionalised account of how the west Belfast rap trio was formed, also took Best Debut […]