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Ukraine war: Training to clear the world’s most heavily mined country
By Jonathan Beale Defence correspondent, in Poland Specialist British military bomb disposal teams are training Ukrainian engineers to clear Russian minefields. Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country in the world, and it’s slowing down Ukrainian military advances. The training by British Army sappers – combat engineers, some of whom faced similar obstacles in…
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The shadowy Chinese firm that owns chunks of Cambodia
By Lulu Luo & Jonathan Head in Dara Sokor, Cambodia The highway runs through the forest like a black ribbon, down to the sea and to what must be one of the world’s largest tourism projects. Fifteen years after it began, there is still not much to see of the Dara Sakor Seashore Resort in…
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Canada-India row puts spotlight on Sikh activism in UK
By Aleem Maqbool Religion editor, BBC News Given the dramatic developments in Canada, where PM Trudeau has said there is credible evidence to suggest India was involved in the killing of a Canadian Sikh, it is unsurprising that rumours now swirl around the deaths of other Sikh activists around the world, including in the UK.…
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Why massive shoes are the trend of the year
A new design launching this week at Paris fashion week is the latest in this year’s most surprising trend – comically oversized footwear. Daisy Woodward dips a toe into the clompy world of cartoon shoes. From cowboy boots and kitten heels to Mary Janes and court shoes, 2023 has heralded the return of many established…
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Farmers turn to tech as bees struggle to pollinate
By Natalie Lisbona Technology reporter, Tel Aviv In the scorching morning heat Thai Sade brushes the avocado trees he will soon artificially pollinate. Based on a moshav, or collective farm, in central Israel, Mr Sade is the founder of tech firm BloomX. He says that the company has found a way to mechanically pollinate crops…
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Electric car rules could cost carmakers billions
By Theo Leggett Business correspondent, BBC News New Brexit trade rules covering electric vehicles could cost European manufacturers £3.75bn over the next three years, an industry body has said. The rules are meant to ensure that EU-produced electric cars are largely made from locally sourced parts. But manufacturers on both sides of the Channel say…
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The inside story of the mini-budget disaster
By Faisal Islam Economics editor @faisalislam The term “mini budget” will be forever toxic in British politics. So disastrous was then-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s September 2022 statement – which included £45bn of unfunded tax cuts – that its long shadow still stretches over our economics and politics. Over the past year, I have spoken to all…
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Freshwater pearl mussels: Scotland’s little-known royal gems
They’re featured on the Crown of Scotland and are rumoured to have led the Romans to invade Britain. Now, a hotel in the Highlands is helping to save the UK’s endangered pearls. On a June afternoon in north-east Scotland, I hopped out of a Range Rover in the UK’s largest national park, the Cairngorms, and…
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Niger coup: Macron says France to withdraw troops and ambassador
Emmanuel Macron has said France will withdraw its ambassador and end all military cooperation with Niger following a coup. “France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France,” the president said. He added that military cooperation was “over” and French troops would leave in…
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Woman’s body found in jaws of 13ft Florida alligator identified
By Andre Rhoden-Paul BBC News A 13ft (4m) alligator has been killed after it was spotted in Florida with the remains of a woman in its jaws, police have said. A witness told local media he saw the alligator in a Largo canal clutching a lower torso in its mouth. Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said…