Getty Images Banning phones in schools is not linked to pupils getting higher grades or having better mental wellbeing, the first study of its kind suggests. Students’ sleep, classroom behaviour, exercise or how long they spend on their phones overall also seems to be no different for schools with phone bans and schools without, the…

Maddie Molloy BBC Climate & Science Ian Wood A badger appearing to admire a Banksy – of a badger – has won the Natural History Museum’s 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award. Captured on a quiet road in St Leonards-on-Sea, England by British photographer Ian Wood, the badger appears to glance up…

Alphabet, the parent company of technology giant Google, is no longer promising that it will never use artificial intelligence (AI) for purposes such as developing weapons and surveillance tools. The firm has rewritten the principles guiding its use of AI, dropping a section which ruled out uses that were “likely to cause harm”. In a…

Billionaire philanthropist and spiritual leader Aga Khan has died at the age of 88, his charity the Aga Khan Development Network has announced. Prince Karim Aga Khan was the 49th hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims, who trace his lineage directly to the Prophet Muhammad. He “passed away peacefully” in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by his…

Dean McLaughlin and Eve Rosato BBC News NI BBC Haileigh Ashton Lamont believes those convicted of sexual crimes should not have the option of a character reference. The use of character references in sexual crime cases should be reformed urgently, campaigners have told BBC News NI. Haileigh Ashton Lamont, a victim of sexual abuse who…

The UK faces paying more to Mauritius under a renegotiated deal over the future of the Chagos Islands, the prime minister of the African island nation has suggested. Last October, the UK announced it would hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius, but maintain a 99-year lease over the UK-US military airbase on the…

BBC Ambulances outside Morriston Hospital in Swansea had the highest average handover time during 2024 at more than three hours Ambulances have been waiting nearly two hours on average to hand over patients outside Welsh hospitals, new figures reveal. The data, gathered by BBC Wales through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, also shows 23,334…

Reuters The attack in Orebro has been described as the “worst mass shooting in Swedish history” Police say around 10 people have been killed in a shooting at an education centre in central Sweden, including the suspected gunman. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described Tuesday’s attack at Risbergska school in Orebro, 200km (124 miles) west of…

Manchester City say they are “appalled” after learning striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw was subjected to racist and misogynistic abuse following Sunday’s Women’s Super League loss to Arsenal. City confirmed the content has been shared with the relevant authorities and an investigation will be held. Jamaica international Shaw, 28, decided not to share the messages in…

Halep memorably won her first major title at the French Open in 2018, defeating Sloane Stephens, having lost her previous three Grand Slam finals. She then won at Wimbledon in 2019, committing just three unforced errors in a stunning final victory over Serena Williams. She won 22 other WTA Tour titles and spent 64 weeks…