‘Music was my first desire’: Anthony Hopkins releases his debut single

Anthony Hopkins says he has achieved his “first desire” of signing a record deal, with his debut single being released on Friday.

The 88-year-old Hollywood actor’s first album, Life Is a Dream, will be released next month by Decca Classics . It is a collection of pieces he has composed over six decades.

DJ and broadcaster Paul Gambaccini reveals Alzheimer’s diagnosis

The longtime radio and TV broadcaster Paul Gambaccini has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

The 77-year-old presenter, who has been a regular on the BBC since the 1970s and has one of the most recognisable voices on British radio, shared a statement revealing the diagnosis he received in 2025.

Vape packaging and flavouring face restrictions under UK plans to reduce appeal to children

Vapes could be sold in plain packaging as part of a range of proposals to stop them being marketed to children.

The UK-wide plans also include limiting device colours to white, black or grey, and keeping vapes out of sight in shops, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.

Rotterdam: Pressure builds on Europe's biggest port to be greener

Standing on a grassy verge in the Hook of Holland, I'm overlooking the Port of Rotterdam.

At the delta of the Rhine and Meuse in the Netherlands, on land largely reclaimed from the North Sea, it's the biggest port for freight, external in Europe.

We've saved £6,000 on holidays by swapping homes with strangers

ByDaniel Thomas

BBC News

Would you swap homes with a stranger in exchange for a cheaper holiday? Or would the idea of someone sleeping in your bed and using your kitchen while you were away put you off?

New Fed task force members share Chairman Kevin Warsh's embrace of AI

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A series of task forces designed to bring outside thinking to the Federal Reserve will include the "best minds," Chairman Kevin Warsh said Thursday. For a task force that could be especially consequential for the Fed's management of the economy — on artificial intelligence — those outside minds all seem to lean in the same direction. 

Waiting for Moses: Africa’s sons in Russia’s war

Douala, Cameroon – Mama Regina’s home sits wedged between the vast container port of Douala and the city’s sprawling slums. Cargo ships come and go. Trucks rumble past carrying timber, cocoa and oil towards the Atlantic. Inside her home, time barely moves.

Canadian PM visits Saudi Arabia to strengthen energy, mining partnerships

Carney and Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman strengthen partnerships after years of strained relations under Trudeau.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney paid a visit to Saudi Arabia, marking the first state visit in more than a quarter-century as Ottawa and Riyadh explore deeper mining and energy ties.

Why A Record-Hot Ocean Is Supercharging The El Niño Effect

The ocean covers about 71% of the planet, from the Pacific side, Earth is almost nothing but water.

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A strengthening El Niño is forming over the hottest ocean ever recorded. After absorbing more than 90% of the excess heat from global warming, the ocean is beginning to release some of that energy back into the atmosphere. The consequences could shape weather around the world. Here’s why the ocean, not the air, is the climate story everyone should be watching.

This month a heatwave emptied Fourth of July parades across the eastern United States. In June, deadly heat gripped Europe, where Western Europe went on to record its hottest June ever measured. The two were reported as separate emergencies. They were not wrong to be. But both are part of a bigger story that we are still barely telling.

A hidden immune backup system could supercharge mRNA cancer vaccines

The success of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic transformed vaccine science. Now, the same Nobel Prize winning technology is being adapted to fight cancer, with experimental mRNA vaccines already being tested against melanoma, small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, and several other cancers. Researchers hope these vaccines could eventually provide powerful new ways to prevent and treat the disease.