Author: BBC

1 hour agoBy Emma Saunders, Culture reporterPamela Raith PhotographyElena Breschi plays several characters including the artist Frida KahloEmmeline Pankhurst. Rosa Parks. Marie Curie. Frida Kahlo. Jane Austen. Mary Seacole.All famous women who have changed the course of history.But how about these less-familiar names?Gertrude Erdele. Sacagawea. Alongside their more famous counterparts, they are being brought to life in the musical Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, as its latest reincarnation marches into London’s The Other Palace theatre later this month.The women are lifted from the pages of the children’s book series of the same name by Kate Pankhurst (a distant relative of…

47 minutes agoBy Kayla Epstein and Holly Honderich, BBC News in Milwaukee and Washington Getty ImagesEdna Wales, a Republican delegate from Florida, does not support abortion. As a Roman Catholic, the procedure goes against her moral values.But her policy position, she told the BBC at a street fair at the Republican National Convention, was that it should be left to the states. “I truly feel that,” she said.Given that outlawing abortion nationwide has been an animating issue for religious Republicans for decades, it was a surprising position to hear at this weeklong gathering. Yet Ms Wales’ stance is the same one that…

Netflix said it added more than eight million subscribers in the three months to June, reeling in audiences for the new season of Bridgerton and new drama Baby Reindeer.The gain was almost double what investors had predicted, proving the lasting power of the firm’s tightened restrictions on password sharing.But the streaming giant warned the impact of the crackdown on sharing passwords may run out in coming months, leading to slower growth in the months ahead.It said it was looking into new areas, such as sports, live events and gaming to extend its lead.Its plans include a multi-player video game tied…

Explore the data on how the coronavirus pandemic unfolded in the UK.

A selection of the week’s best photos from across the African continent:MICHAEL TRAN/AFPSouth African actress Thuso Mbedu attends the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project party on Saturday in Hollywood, the US.ESA ALEXANDER/REUTERSA woman walks past this mural of Nelson Mandela in Cape Town on Thursday, on what would have been the late South African president’s 106th birthday.JEROME FAVRE/EPASeen on Wednesday, this sign in Senegal’s capital city of Dakar marks the westernmost tip of mainland Africa – which has been earmarked for construction by two US hotel chains.LUIS TATO/AFPAhead of the presidential election in Rwanda, a man decorates this polling station…

18 minutes agoBy Vanessa Clarke, Education reporter, BBC NewsBBCFamilies paying for holiday clubs this summer now face a bill of £1,045 for six weeks’ care for one child – a rise of 6%.A survey of councils across Great Britain, by charity Coram Family and Childcare, also suggests a shortage of places – particularly affecting children with special educational needs and disabilities.Providers say they are trying to keep costs down as they struggle with staff shortages.The government says it is providing support to families.’Low-paid job’In Birmingham, Harborne School’s Out owner Claire Johnson is expecting a busy summer – her club has been booked…

8 minutes agoBy Michael Dempsey, Technology ReporterUSAFThe US Air Force has developed an AI which can fly an F-16 combat jet (left)I’m flying a Typhoon fighter over the Irish Sea and I’ve got a big problem.There’s a hostile jet on my tail, and no matter how I push the joystick, or play with the throttle, this enemy is still there.The threat is represented by a black triangle on the computer screen ahead of me that also displays a Typhoon cockpit. I’m in a series of three dogfights on a simulator and the results are not good.That annoying little image won’t leave my…

As the second Covid winter wave built, messages appear to show Mr Johnson’s faith was faltering in the ability of lockdowns to control the virus.On 15 October 2020, Mr Johnson said he was “rocked” by analysis that the average age of those dying was over 80, adding: “That is above life expectancy. So get Covid and live longer.”The messages were sent one day after the three-tier system of restrictions was rolled out in England.Mr Johnson goes on to say “I no longer buy all this NHS overwhelmed stuff”. In other words, the PM seems to have been losing faith in…

American stand-up comedy legend Bob Newhart, whose deadpan delivery style earned him numerous awards, has died at the age of 94.The star of TV series The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart passed away at home after a series of short illnesses, his publicist said in a statement provided to the BBC on Thursday.Newhart became a stand-up comic after starting his career as an accountant in Chicago. He went on to guest-host Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show 87 times.More recently, he starred in classic Christmas film Elf and The Big Bang Theory.The son of a plumber in a suburb of Chicago, Newhart graduated…

6 hours agoBy Tom Espiner, BBC business reporterPost Office Horizon IT InquiryFormer Post Office minister Ed Davey has said that he was “lied to” about “serious flaws” in the Horizon IT system.The Liberal Democrat leader told an inquiry into the Horizon scandal that “someone senior must have known the truth at some stage” about those flaws.He stopped short of accusing Post Office executives of lying to him during his time as minister between 2010 and 2012.Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds of sub-postmasters were blamed and prosecuted for losses caused by bugs in Fujitsu’s faulty IT Horizon system.Mr Davey said that former chief…