By Serin Ha BBC World Service You may have watched grisly Korean thriller Squid Game or dark comedy Parasite. But did you know the music in these films was composed by the same man? Squid Game – which follows a cast of debt-ridden contestants who play twisted children’s games to win a huge cash prize…

By Sanchia Berg BBC News Phyllis Latour, the last of the 39 female secret agents who served in Sir Winston Churchill’s “secret army” in France, has died aged 102. Now, previously classified official files paint a vivid portrait of her life as a World War Two spy behind enemy lines. In the summer of 1944,…

By Esme Stallard Climate and science reporter, BBC News “It felt brilliant. One thing is to work on a design, another thing is to operate it.” Professor Barry Green recounts the moment in June 1983 when the JET fusion laboratory in Oxford undertook its first experiment. For the next four decades, the European project pursued…

A selection of powerful news photographs taken around the world this week. All photos subject to copyright

By Mariam Aman BBC World Service A BBC programme for children barred from schools in Afghanistan has been described as a “learning lifeline” by the United Nations. The show is being used in secret school lessons, the BBC has learned. Its name, Dars, means lesson in Afghanistan’s official languages of Dari and Pashto. The ruling…

By Tom Gerken, Liv McMahon and Andrew Rogers BBC News Microsoft has sealed its long-awaited deal for Activision Blizzard, and it’s paid $69bn (£56bn) for the privilege. That’s a lot of money, but what does the deal actually mean for people the next time they pick up a video game? Will Call of Duty still…

By Steven McIntosh Entertainment reporter Sir Michael Caine has confirmed he has retired from acting, following the release of his latest film. The 90-year-old screen legend stars in The Great Escaper opposite Glenda Jackson, who completed the film months before her death in June. Sir Michael has previously indicated his intention to retire but has…