42 h. ago Smartphone bans in Dutch schools have improved learning, study finds

After initial concerns, pupils are said to be more focused and have better social interactions with each otherBans on smartphones in Dutch schools have improved the learning environment despite initial protests, according to a study commissioned by the government of the Netherlands.National guidelines, introduced in January 2024, recommend banning smartphones from classrooms and almost all schools have complied. Close to two-thirds of secondary schools ask pupils to leave their phones at home or put them in lockers, while phones are given in at the start of a lesson at one in five. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Queensland Reds v British & Irish Lions: rugby union tour match – live

Updates from the 11am BST / 8pm AET game in BrisbaneEmail Daniel | And you can sign up for the BreakdownOur man on the ground, Rob Kitson, has been busy down under. While you sit at your desk and pretend to do some work, why not take a glance at a couple of cracking yarns. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Wimbledon 2025 day one: Raducanu eases through, Alcaraz survives huge scare, and more – live

British hopefuls Kartal, Tarvet and Fery advanceEmail John | Raducanu faces Xu in openerAnswers to my game. Thank you all for playing. 1) Wimbledon! The Southfields sign in the background and Waitrose plastic bag in the foreground were a bit of a giveaway. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Wimbledon 2025 day one: Alcaraz survives huge scare, Raducanu in action, and more – live

British hopefuls Kartal, Tarvet and Fery advanceEmail John | Raducanu faces Xu in openerAnswers to my game. Thank you all for playing. 1) Wimbledon! The Southfields sign in the background and Waitrose plastic bag in the foreground were a bit of a giveaway. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Wimbledon 2025 day one: Alcaraz in action, Sabalenka wins but Medvedev out – live

British hopefuls Kartal and Tarvet advanceEmail John | Raducanu faces Xu in openerAnswers to my game. Thank you all for playing. 1) Wimbledon! The Southfields sign in the background and Waitrose plastic bag in the foreground were a bit of a giveaway. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Wimbledon 2025 day one: Alcaraz and Sabalenka in action, Kartal and Tarvet win – live

Kartal stuns Ostapenko, world No 733 Tarvet advancesEmail John! | Raducanu faces Xu in openerAnswers to my game. Thank you all for playing. 1) Wimbledon! The Southfields sign in the background and Waitrose plastic bag in the foreground were a bit of a giveaway. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago All Scotland matches should be broadcast on 'council telly', Labour Government told

MSPs have written to the UK Culture Secretary to demand Scotland qualifiers are added to the 'crown jewels' list of sporting events shown on TV.

Politics

5 d. ago Wimbledon 2025: Kartal stuns Ostapenko; Alcaraz, Sabalenka and Raducanu in day one action – live

The first round matches get under way at SW19Email Michael | Raducanu faces Xu in openerAnswers to my game. Thank you all for playing. 1) Wimbledon! The Southfields sign in the background and Waitrose plastic bag in the foreground were a bit of a giveaway. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Alexander Isak to Liverpool transfer: Reds 'play waiting game' for dream summer signing

Liverpool have already splashed the cash in the transfer market this summer and could potentially make Newcastle star Alexander Isak their latest big-money signing

Sport

9 d. ago Government told to set out plan to tackle ‘significant challenges’ with T

The Department for Education should enter ‘campaign mode’ to ensure more students enrol in the technical qualifications, MPs say.

Politics

1 week ago Landlords told to get ready for Awaab's Law as government sets out exact details of new regulations

It follows a Manchester Evening News campaign in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from Rochdale who died due to mould

Politics

1 week ago Welsh councils told to only collect rubbish every three or four weeks

The Welsh Government has told local authorities a collection every three to four weeks is 'sufficient'

Politics

1 week ago From Chimpanzini Bananini to Ballerina Cappuccina: how gen alpha went wild for Italian brain rot animals

If you were born after 2000, or know someone who is, the chances are you’ve come across this ludicrous AI-generated meme. If not, be reassured that its chaotic, nonsensical banality is the pointWhen one of Tim’s year 8 pupils asked him about his “favourite Italian brain rot animal”, he thought he’d misheard. “My hearing is not great at the best of times – I had to ask her to repeat this probably four or five times,” he says.Tim (not his real name) was familiar with the term “brain rot”, used to describe the sense of mental decline after too much time spent mindlessly scrolling online (and voted Oxford University Press’s word of the year for 2024). But what was this about it being Italian? Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Scots Labour MPs hit out at ‘threats’ being made to 'strong arm' them into supporting welfare cuts

EXCLUSIVE: MPs told the Record government figures claiming rebels could spark a general election was "laughable" and was driving people to block the bill.

Events

1 week ago Screaming dad dragged to his death by crocodile after ignoring warning signs

A man has been dragged to his death in a horrifying crocodile attack at a game reserve after he ignored severeal warning signs and cast his fishing rod into the water

Events

1 week ago ‘One kid at a time’: How children’s books on male friendship could combat toxic masculinity

From Margaret McDonald’s Glasgow Boys to Nathanael Lessore’s King of Nothing, boys take centre stage in this year’s Carnegie-winning titles. Let’s hope that the male protagonists persuade more boys to pick up a bookThis year’s Carnegie medals for children’s writing, awarded on Thursday, brought to light an unexpected trend. At a time of widespread public anxiety about the decline in boys’ reading habits and the rise of the toxic influencers of the online “manosphere”, male friendship and masculinity were front and centre on the shortlist.The winner, Margaret McDonald’s superb debut, Glasgow Boys, tells the story of the relationship between two looked-after children on the threshold of adulthood who process trauma in different ways. Banjo’s aggression and Finlay’s avoidance could be seen as two models of dysfunctional masculinity. Luke Palmer’s Play, also on the shortlist, tells a story of male friendship which touches on rape culture and county lines drug gangs, while teenage gang m...

Events

1 week ago Major retailer to shut as 20% off 'closing down' sale launched in shopping centre

The GAME store in the Victoria Centre, Nottingham, is closing down and all stock must go. The clearance signs have appeared in the windows of the video game retailer

Economics

1 week ago David Lammy repeatedly declines to say whether British government believes US strikes on Iran were illegal – UK politics live

Keir Starmer backs strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and calls on Tehran to return to negotiations but warns of ‘risk of escalation’ in Middle EastArmed forces minister Luke Pollard also appeared on the media round today, and stuck to the government line of not commenting on US action against Iran.He told viewers of Sky News that “it’s not for me to comment on the particular US action, but we’re assessing the battle damage at the moment to understand the true extent of the strikes.”I’m sorry that (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) has since been breached, of course I am, but that’s why the international community is ultimately committed to this. And let’s be clear, if Iran is able to enrich beyond 60%, is able to get a weapon, what we will see is nuclear proliferation across the Middle East, the world will be seriously more dangerous than it is at the moment, that’s why it must be stopped.I went straight to Geneva to sit with the Iranians. I spent seven hours in Geneva to ta...

Politics

2 w. ago Squid Game: the show’s worst characters are back and they’re as unbelievably wooden as ever

The South Korean smash hit drama that gripped global audiences returns for a final instalment. It’s brutal, cruel and, sadly, brings back the animal-mask wearing VIPs whose season one appearance caused global mockeryLook alive – Squid Game returns this week! There’s still no sign of any squid, which is the kind of false advertising that ruined The Pink Panther. But that’s good, because squid are terrifying. Once, showing off on holiday, I offered to cook for a group of friends. I didn’t speak the language where we were, and ended up leaving the fishmonger with a big bag of tentacles. As I attempted to remove the head, guts, beak and skin of the creatures, their internal sacs burst, coating me in viscous black ink. I suffered an allergic reaction, don’t eat squid any more, and don’t see those friends.Squid Game the TV show (Netflix, Friday 26 June) has proved even more traumatising. Set on a hidden island, the competition pits hundreds of desperate, indebted people aga...

Politics

2 w. ago 'My husband's in jail in Saudi Arabia while my kids make Father's Day cards at home'

Ahmed al-Doush's wife says she's 'completely disillusioned' with the government in the UK and in Saudi Arabia

Events