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Blackout report links app use with improved GCSE results at 60% of schools
A report suggests that 60 per cent of secondary schools using the Blackout app saw GCSE results improve after restricting pupils’ smartphone use during the school day. Teachers also reported fewer phone-related punishments, more face-to-face interaction and calmer classrooms, although the figures show an association rather than proving…
Charity Commission reviews complaint over Peta’s campaigning and charitable status
The Charity Commission is reviewing a complaint that Peta’s political campaigning and publicity stunts may be incompatible with its charitable status. The complaint, filed by watchdog Peta Watch, argues that campaigning appears to be the group’s main purpose, although UK charity rules say political campaigning cannot be a…
V-Sync Explained: How Frame Synchronisation Solves Screen Tearing at a Performance Cost
Screen tearing is a common visual artefact in PC gaming that occurs when a graphics card's rendering speed outpaces a monitor's fixed refresh rate, causing multiple frames to display simultaneously on screen and creating
Trump’s AI safety pact raises questions over risks and public image
President Donald Trump brought leading AI executives together to announce a safety pact and a change in official US terminology: government representatives are now to call artificial intelligence “super intelligence”. The article’s podcast discussion questions whether the meeting will meaningfully address AI risks, and suggests the terminology shift…
MAGA influencers question Trump’s Antifa crackdown ahead of midterms
Conservative MAGA media influencers who met with President Trump at the White House in September 2025 are expressing frustration over what they view as insufficient action against left-wing violence and Antifa organisations. The group, including Jack Posobiec and Savanna Hernandez, met to discuss Antifa violence, and Trump promised…
Prick’s debut mixes industrial punk with playful glam theatrics
Prick's self-titled debut album blends industrial-punk rawness with theatrical glam-rock elements and Trent Reznor-style electronic production. Frontman Kevin McMahon embraces theatrical playfulness more openly than Reznor's own Nine Inch Nails, creating a record that is serious yet charmingly unpolished and genuinely fun. The album draws on '90s industrial…
Labour reaches 30 per cent in Opinium poll after Burnham speech
Labour’s support rose to 30 per cent in an Opinium poll after Andy Burnham’s conference speech, its highest rating from the firm since 2024. The result has fuelled speculation about an early election, though Burnham has called the idea “dead” and the article says constituency-level volatility makes seat…
Cleveland Police dog Harley retires after eight years of service
Police Dog Harley of Cleveland Police has retired after eight years of tracking criminals, finding missing people and supporting armed officers. His service included dangerous deployments, and his retirement marks the end of a career credited with helping protect handlers and the public. The Belgian Malinois worked with…
Farage hails donations in standards row; Glasgow axes 23,000
Farage defends his party's £72m donation haul despite a standards ruling. Glasgow to implement one of the UK's largest fire-and-rehire schemes affecting nearly 23,000 staff, while Green Party divisions deepen over Zionism.
US Marine, 20, is arrested in Japan for murdering woman in hotel room, police say
A 20-year-old US Marine was arrested on suspicion of robbing and murdering a woman at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa, Japanese police said. Japan has lodged a formal protest with the US, bringing renewed attention to the presence of American service members on the island. Police identified the…
The upcoming touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro is reportedly ‘significantly lighter’
Apple is preparing to launch a new MacBook Pro next month that will feature a touchscreen OLED display and be significantly lighter than current models. The company has achieved this by miniaturising internal parts and rearranging components throughout the laptop's design. This hardware milestone takes on added significance…
Daughter of billionaire LA Times owner berates her own father’s newspaper for running advert for Israeli tourism
Nika Soon-Shiong, daughter of billionaire LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, publicly criticised her father's publication for running an Israeli tourism advertisement that omits Palestinian territories and the occupied Golan Heights. The 33-year-old pro-Palestine activist and publisher of independent news site Drop Site News sparked significant online backlash, highlighting…
Half of Scottish swimming hotspots polluted… with one 20 TIMES over the safe E.coli limit
Almost half of Scotland’s 90 designated bathing waters recorded high levels of E. coli or intestinal enterococci on at least one occasion between May and September. The findings raise concerns about the safety of popular swimming spots and have prompted calls for more action on sewage pollution. Lower…
Lorraine Kelly changes lifestyle to keep up with granddaughter Billie
Lorraine Kelly, the Glasgow-born daytime TV host, has overhauled her lifestyle to get as fit and healthy as possible so she can be present for her two-year-old granddaughter Billie. The 66-year-old broadcaster says becoming a grandmother has given her a new motivation and a "new lease of life",…
Badenoch pledges to oppose independence efforts by nationalist parties
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said her party would oppose efforts by the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin to break up the United Kingdom. Speaking at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, she argued that the Union is under threat and presented defending it as a defining role for…
Scottish Conservatives propose tougher penalties for benefit fraud
The Scottish Conservative Party has proposed new legislation to reform Scotland's devolved benefits system, citing concerns about rising costs and insufficient fraud enforcement. Party leader Russell Findlay unveiled the proposals at the Conservative conference, criticising the SNP's approach and highlighting that only three benefit fraud convictions have been…
Fans mistook Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr for an usher at his gig
Jim Kerr, frontman of Scottish rock band Simple Minds, was mistaken for an usher at one of his own gigs during an acoustic tour. Rather than being embarrassed, the charismatic 67-year-old found the incident amusing, joking he should have carried a torch to complete the part. The mix-up…
Sharp fall in England’s school nurses threatens early support for children
A King’s Fund report warns that the sharp fall in school nurses and health visitors is reducing children’s access to early health support in England. Without prevention and timely help, problems such as mental distress, obesity and long-term conditions may worsen, increasing pressure on families, schools and the…
25 Years Later, Ridley Scott’s Most Controversial Thriller Is Officially Free on Youtube
Ridley Scott’s 2001 film *Hannibal* is now free to watch on YouTube. The article argues that the adaptation faced a difficult task because Thomas Harris’s 1999 sequel was already divisive, particularly over its ending, which turns Clarice Starling’s relationship with Hannibal Lecter into a romance after she is…
Tech powerhouse’s regulatory push bears similarities to a notorious Washington strategy
Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, has pushed Washington for stricter regulation of AI whilst spending millions on lobbying and advocacy campaigns—a strategy that critics say mirrors tactics employed by convicted fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried during his cryptocurrency career. Both companies spent heavily on influence efforts…