Author: Liam Porter

Elliot BallBBC News, West MidlandsPA MediaMick Ralphs (right) has died at the age of 81 – he had been a member of Mott the Hoople with vocalist Ian Hunter (left)Guitarist and songwriter Mick Ralphs, best known for his time with Mott The Hoople, has died at the age of 81, according to the band’s official website. A statement said: “Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”The Hereford-born musician was a key member of the band, which formed in 1969. He left four years later, and moved on to Bad Company.A statement from that band said…

Daytrippers unite! Whether you’re heading to Whitby, North Berwick or Brighton, here are three beach-ready outfits (swimwear included) Continue reading…

Page after page of horrors in the Guardian these days, but for reading to lift one’s spirits, go to the Other Lives pages. These record the wonderful people who for decades have shown the other side of humanity – teachers, community activists, and voluntary workers at home and abroad. Simon Barley Stroud, Gloucestershire So the BBC believes in demonstrating impartiality between the perpetrators of genocide and their victims (BBC drops Gaza medics documentary over impartiality concerns, 20 June). In doing so, it despoils a fine reputation and should be deeply ashamed. Bob Marshall-Andrews Labour MP, 1997-2010 I think pan frying is more of…

The best way to sum up the unique dynamic of a British & Irish Lions tour is to consult a player experiencing it for the first time. “It’s mad how fast you can go from despising people to hanging around to go for a coffee with them,” says Ireland’s straight-talking hooker Dan Sheehan, admitting he had not been expecting to bond instantly with his new English mate Ellis Genge. “He’s definitely someone that surprises you that he’s not a dickhead.”Welcome to the psychological maze that is the first week of a Lions tour on the other side of the world.…

The Iraqi authorities said a wave of drones targeted several Iraqi military bases in the early hours of Tuesday, including the Taji base 12 miles north of Baghdad, hours after Iran launched missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar.

Dark matter is a real pain in the neck.The term dark matter itself refers to a hypothetical substance that seems to solely interact with the rest of the universe via gravity and to serve as the scaffolding for galaxies and other massive cosmic structures. Actual particles of dark matter have never been found, however—despite decades of intensive effort to discover them. Some critics consequently dismiss the concept as a mere fudge factor that physicists use to prop up their incomplete theories of how the universe works. But whether dark matter is a “real” thing or a helpful figment of theorists’…

Headteachers are threatening to quit as part-time inspectors unless Ofsted delays and revises its changes to how schools and colleges are graded in England.The warning is the latest blow to the inspection overhauls championed by Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, and Martyn Oliver, Ofsted’s chief inspector of schools, and a potential embarrassment for the government since the changes were among its high-profile manifesto pledges.A letter to Phillipson and Oliver from the National Association of Head Teachers and the Association of School and College Leaders – representing almost all senior school leaders in England – states they will “consider encouraging their…

Ruth Comerford & Grace DeanBBC NewsBBCLouise Gowrie tried to appeal her ban but was rejectedAsos shoppers have expressed anger after their accounts were shut for returning too many orders. Some customers have received emails in recent days informing them they are banned for allegedly breaching the online fashion giant’s fair use policy.It comes after the company last year began charging a controversial £3.95 fee if customers make frequent returns and keep less than £40 worth of items in an order.In a statement, Asos told the BBC: “We recently closed the accounts of a small group of customers whose shopping activity…

Anthropic has scored a major victory in an ongoing legal battle over artificial intelligence models and copyright, one that may reverberate across the dozens of other AI copyright lawsuits winding through the legal system in the United States. A court has determined that it was legal for Anthropic to train its AI tools on copyrighted works, arguing that the behavior is shielded by the “fair use” doctrine, which allows for unauthorized use of copyrighted materials under certain conditions.“The training use was a fair use,” senior district judge William Alsup wrote in a summary judgement order released late Monday evening. In…

When Eva Victor brought Sorry, Baby to this year’s Sundance Film Festival, she knew she wanted to keep its plotline as much of a mystery as possible. The film, a quiet and contemplative campus tale, isn’t the type of project that would typically elicit that level of obfuscation, but Victor — who wrote, directed and stars — felt strongly about not revealing what exactly makes the dark comedy dark. “We knew it was our one pure chance to have people go into the movie without knowing anything, so we chose a logline that basically said nothing,” she tells The Hollywood…