Oxford and Cambridge top world university rankings
BBC Oxford is the world’s best university, according to the ranking Two UK universities occupy the top spots in a global ranking for the first time. The University of Oxford is top of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, with Cambridge University second, up from fourth place last year. A key factor in the […]
The Ethiopians returning home to start businesses
BBC Hundreds of Ethiopians who have been living abroad are returning to the country, following reforms brought in by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Mr Abiy’s ambitious reforms include changing the law to enable more Ethiopians living abroad to come back and help rebuild the economy. For years, Ethiopia’s economy has been tightly controlled by the […]
Brighton day-trippers fined for breaking lockdown
Eddie Mitchell Brighton beach was relatively quiet, as police moved visitors on Dozens of people have been fined for travelling to the coast in defiance of social distancing rules. Police issued more than 50 fixed penalty notices to day-trippers in Brighton, East Sussex, who live outside the county. Officers across the country clamped down on […]
‘I twisted myself into a pretzel to please people’
BBC Lauren Mayberry: “A song can have terrible production but a great story, and I’ll listen to that all the live long day” Lauren Mayberry is a peacemaker. Since 2011, she’s been frontwoman of the Glaswegian band Chvrches, topping festival bills and the album charts with a trademark barrage of distorted synths and razor-sharp melodies. […]
Scotland-only folic acid plan ruled out
Thinkstock The head of Scotland’s food watchdog has said it is unlikely Scotland would be able to go it alone and add folic acid to flour products such as bread. Ross Finnie of Food Standards Scotland said the evidence was clear that fortification could help prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. However, he said […]
Harassment case against Lizzo dropped
Lizzo has won a key ruling in her ongoing legal battle with a stylist who claims she was subjected to racial and sexual harassment and a hostile work environment by members of the singer’s management team while on tour in 2023, as well as unpaid over time. A Los Angeles federal judge ruled on Monday […]
P&O stops transporting calves following BBC investigation
Eyes on animals Three-week-old calves are being transported to Europe A ferry operator has said that it will stop carrying calves to Europe after animal welfare concerns were raised by a BBC Scotland investigation. P&O said it was ending the practice with immediate effect following the broadcast on Monday of “Disclosure: The Dark Side of […]
Actor sues TikTok for using her voice in viral tool
BBC Bev Standing felt violated when she discovered how her voice was being used An actor is suing TikTok for using her voice in its text-to-speech function. It converts writing into speech, which can then be played over videos uploaded to the app, often for comedic effect. Bev Standing recorded about 10,000 sentences of audio […]
J-pop star and actress found dead at 54
Japanese actor Miho Nakayama was found dead in a bathtub in her Tokyo home on Friday. She was 54. Ms Nakayama found success as a singer in the 1980s and 90s – at the height of J-pop’s influence – but was best known for starring in the 1995 film Love Letter. An acquaintance discovered Ms […]
Syria latest: Syrian rebels close in on Homs as Russia tells its citizens to leave country
Rebels’ advance swift and astonishingpublished at 11:59 Greenwich Mean Time 11:59 GMT Hugo BachegaMiddle East correspondent, on the Turkish-Syrian border Last week, they seized Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city. Yesterday, Hama, home to one million people. Now, they are on their way to Homs, a strategically important city. The rebels’ advance has been swift and astonishing, […]