News • 15th August 2025

Is university right for me? - BBC News

Thousands of young people opened A-level, T-level, and other results this summer, including Sam Scoble and Halima Surakat, who both got the grades they needed to secure a place at uni.

But with so much to consider around finances, friends, family expectations and job prospects, deciding whether university is actually the right choice - or not – was a tricky decision.

Here, Sam makes his case for turning down the University of Oxford, while Halima argues that university will be a welcomed step out of her comfort zone – even though it wasn’t the original plan.

News • 25th July 2025

The debate: Will the new rules for pornography sites do more harm than good? - BBC News

Children in the UK will soon be better protected from viewing pornography - or, at least that’s the theory. From 25 July, a new regulation in the UK will force adult websites to enact more robust age verification measures. Until now, a user simply had to click a button affirming they are over 18 to access some sites but the new regulation means people may have to send a photograph of their ID, credit card details or a photograph of themselves. Campaigners call these measures “age gates”.

But is verification a good idea, or could it have even darker consequences? BBC InDepth invited three people with strong views on this issue to discuss it further. Here is a shortened version of their debate, which delves into their different perspectives - and their fears.

BBC News • 25th February 2025

Mobile phone theft: What to do if your device is stolen

A quick guide to protecting yourself against phone theft

BBC News • 5th July 2024

Moving into Downing Street: life behind the iconic black door

Out with the old, in with the new. Nothing represents the rapid, ruthless business of politics like removal vans at Downing Street. Settling a new prime minister - staff, family, pets and paraphernalia - into the famous residence, however, is a complex feat. With the Starmers set to move in after Labour’s landslide victory - here’s their relocation to Downing Street unpacked.

Out with the old, in with the new.Nothing represents the rapid, ruthless business of politics like removal vans at Downing...

BBC News • 14th February 2025

Government borrowing, bonds and yields explained

Governments borrow to cover the gap between their spending and income
Governments get most of their income from taxes, but often they will want to spend more money than taxes raise.
To cover that gap, they borrow money. They also borrow to pay for big projects, like new railways and roads.




A bond is an IOU from the government to investors, and a gilt is just another word for a bo...

BBC News • 11th February 2025

Trump's tariffs: Debate on if this means the end of the post-war free trade world

President Trump's sweeping set of tariffs is intended, in part, to protect American industries, raise money and - as we've seen - be used as a bargaining chip. The Republican has already imposed tariffs on imports from China, announced plans for a 25% duty on all steel and aluminium imports, and threatened to place 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. We don't yet know how far he will go, but if what is already on the table comes to pass then it would raise average tariffs to their highest since the...

BBC News • 3rd May 2025

VE Day moments so far - and what's still to come

VE Day marked the end of World War Two in Europe. Huge crowds took to the streets on 8 May 1945 to sing, dance and rejoice after nearly six years of war. To mark the 80th anniversary, four days of commemorative events have been planned across the UK, from 5 to 8 May. Here's a round-up of what's happening on Thursday and the moments you might have missed.

VE Day marked the end of World War Two in Europe. Huge crowds took to the streets on 8 May 1945 to sing, dance and rejoice after nearly six yea...

BBC News • 18th September 2025

Watching the Royals: a history of the monarchy on screen

We’ve been watching the royals for decades. From Blackadder to Mrs Brown, coronation celebrations to The Crown - the monarchy has been a constant source of intrigue and the subject of countless re-imaginations in popular television and film.“The royals are among the most familiar faces in public life, but apart from the occasional set-piece documentary, we rarely hear them being asked difficult questions about their roles,” says Sean Coughlan, BBC royal correspondent and writer of the Royal Watch...

BBC News • 24th July 2024

Olympics 2024: Can I still get to Paris for the games?

It's the last week of the Olympic Games - and the world’s foremost sports competition is taking place only hours away from the UK. Millions have journeyed to Paris and other French cities to watch competitions from skateboarding to swimming and revel in the heroism and heartbreak of world-class sport at dozens of Olympic venues.And with the final days still ahead of us, including the closing ceremony on Sunday 11 August, there are plenty of tickets still for sale.Whether you’re contemplating a la...

BBC News • 11th June 2024

UK General Election: How do I register to vote?

How do I register to vote?

BBC News • 24th April 2024

Rebel Wilson: A quick guide to her rise to stardom from Australia to Hollywood

She grew up in the suburbs of Sydney, where her parents were professional dog handlers, breeding beagles in their garage. The Australian's first TV gig was for a show called Burke's Backyard, which ran for 17 years from 1987. One episode featured the Wilsons' family pets and Rebel as an extra.

She grew up in the suburbs of Sydney, where her parents were professional dog handlers, breeding beagles in their garage. The Australian's first TV gig was for a show called Burke's Backyard, which ran for...

The New Arab • 30th September 2022

The Killing of Mahsa Amini: Iran’s growing protest movement

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini has sparked mass protests across Iran. In at least 86 towns and cities, people - from different classes, backgrounds, and genders - have taken to the streets. 

Demands for accountability after Mahsa’s brutal death, which occurred while she was in the custody of the so-called morality police, have morphed into a wider challenge to the Iranian state. 

Despite the use of disproportionate force and live ammunition by authorities, the protesters are not backin...

The New Arab • 8th July 2022

A Sadr Prospect for Iraq’s Parliament?

Iraq's parliament has been stuck in political deadlock for months following October's general election. Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr - who clinched the largest share of seats in the election - failed to form a government despite joining a triple alliance with Sunni blocs and Kurdish groups. 

So instead, to the surprise of many hawk-eyed political analysts, the maverick cleric ordered a mass resignation among his supporters - throwing Iraqi politics further into disarray. 

On this week's episo...

The New Arab • 13th May 2022

Lessons in Equality

Any hopes that the Taliban in Afghanistan had softened in their hardline attitudes were quickly dispelled when, on 23 March, 2022, they announced that girls would not be permitted to attend school. 

The sudden u-turn by the Islamist group was a devastating blow to the thousands of young girls who had hoped they would be given their fundamental right to attend school and secure a vital education. 

Today, almost 80 percent of girls in Afghanistan are out of education. 

Following the ban, the Ta...

The New Arab • 29th April 2022

Anoosheh Ashoori and Sherry Izadi urge others to speak out

Two dates Anoosheh Ashoori and Sherry Izadi will never forget. August 13, 2017, the day Anoosheh was kidnapped off the streets of Tehran, and March 16, 2022, when he finally departed, after years in Iran’s Evin prison, for the UK. 

The intervening days would change Anoosheh and his family's life forever – thrusting an Iranian Brit into the centre of a decades-old geopolitical dispute over an unpaid debt. 

Today, their story has made front-page headlines alongside dual national Nazanin Zaghari-...

The New Arab • 31st March 2022

Ukraine: A London restaurant on the frontlines of war

Prosperity, a Ukrainian restaurant in south London, is a very different place compared to what it was one month ago. Once an intimate family-run restaurant, it has now been transformed into a donation hub to support Ukraine after Russia’s invasion.

Chairs and tables, a stream of food and customers; they’ve gone. Instead, the place is teeming with volunteers. Brits, Ukrainians, Russians, Poles and many more offer their time and services to collect, sort and pack donations for people directly imp...