Five ways China’s past has shaped its present
Getty Images To understand today’s headlines about China’s approach to issues such as trade, foreign policy or internet censorship, turn to its past. The country is perhaps more aware of its own history than any other major society on earth. That remembering is certainly partial – events like Mao’s Cultural Revolution are still very difficult […]
New terrorism strategy and learners on the motorway
Hello. Here’s your morning briefing: ‘Contest’ to tackle terror Getty Images No safe spaces for terrorists. That’s the message from Home Secretary Sajid Javid today as he unveils the UK’s new strategy for countering the threat. That means encouraging businesses to raise the alarm quickly if they have evidence of unusual transactions – such as […]
Why in-person workers may be more likely to get promoted
Alamy (Credit: Alamy) Remote work has a lot of benefits, but one major drawback: it may be harder to climb the career ladder when you’re at home. When Mike Ali started working from home in 2016, he worried his colleagues would forget he existed. Ali, a 31-year-old marketing automation consultant, was relocating from Raleigh, North […]
US Congress overrides Trump veto for first time
The Senate overrides President Trump’s veto The US Congress has overturned President Donald Trump’s veto of a defence spending bill, the first time this has happened in his presidency. The Republican-controlled Senate held a rare New Year’s Day session to debate the move, which had already been voted for by the House of Representatives. The […]
First woman wins Clipper round-the-world yacht race
Wendy Tuck: “It’s a great day for sailing” Australian Wendy Tuck has become the first female skipper to win the Clipper round-the-world yacht race. British skipper Nikki Henderson, 25, came second with her team in the 40,000-mile race. Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything […]
The reasons why people become incompetent at work
Alamy (Credit: Alamy) Why are so many people so bad at what they do? The ‘Peter Principle’ may explain. Have you ever wondered why the world is full of so many people who are incredibly incompetent at the very thing are paid to do? If so, a crotchety educationalist called Laurence J Peter may have […]
Women’s Six Nations 2018: England favourites to retain their crown
As reigning Grand Slam champions and World Cup runners up, England are the team to beat in the 2018 Women’s Six Nations. France are expected to be their biggest challengers, while Ireland are rebuilding after a disappointing home World Cup campaign last summer. Wales, Italy and Scotland are all improving – and anyone could cause […]
Cashmere and climate change threaten nomadic life
Chami Akmeemana Mongolian herding dates back well before the time of Genghis Khan Mongolia’s vast grasslands cover about three-quarters of the country, where nomadic herdsmen have maintained traditions stretching back centuries. But this world is changing – fast. About 70% of this once verdant land has now been damaged, mostly due to overgrazing. The main […]
How the world of work may change forever
Emmanuel Lafont The future of physical office spaces, and how we’ll use them, hangs in the balance as we slowly march toward a post-pandemic world Covid-19 upended our jobs. We’ve tried to adapt, but what about the long term? BBC Worklife asks dozens of experts to flag the biggest questions we should be asking in […]
The news that made us smile this week
Everyone needs a distraction now and then, so here are some things we spotted in the news that put a little smile on our faces this week. We hope they do the same to you. 1) This big fan Former US First Lady Michelle Obama met, and danced with, two-year-old Parker Curry this week. Michelle […]