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EXCLUSIVE: LOTR Secrets Revealed in NEW Memoir from Ian McKellen’s Webmaster

It’s one thing to just be a reporter who covered The LOTR Trilogy during it’s lengthy production —...

The post EXCLUSIVE: LOTR Secrets Revealed in NEW Memoir from Ian McKellen’s Webmaster first appeared on Lord of the Rings & Tolkien News - TheOneRing.net Fan Community, since 1999.





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What to expect at the COP16 biodiversity summit

Countries are convening in Colombia to debate how they will achieve wide-ranging targets to stem biodiversity loss and how they plan to pay for it




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Extremely rare Bronze Age wooden tool found in English trench

In a wetland on the south coast of England, archaeologists dug up one of the oldest and most complete wooden tools ever found in Britain, which is around 3500 years old




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Complex form of carbon spotted outside solar system for first time

Complex carbon-based molecules crucial to life on Earth originated somewhere in space, but we didn't know where. Now, huge amounts of them have been spotted in a huge, cold cloud of gas




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Data centres may soon burn as much extra gas as California uses daily

In support of their AI ambitions, tech companies are rapidly expanding US data centres, and this growth is on track to significantly increase US gas demand by 2030




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Cancer deaths expected to nearly double worldwide by 2050

Experts predict that the number of cancer cases around the world will skyrocket, resulting in millions more fatalities by 2050




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Carbon emissions from private jets have exploded in recent years

The climate impact of flights taken by the super-rich rose sharply from 2019 to 2023, fuelling calls for a carbon tax on private aviation




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SpaceX targets Starship flight next week – just a month after last one

SpaceX is preparing for the sixth test flight of Starship, the world's most powerful rocket. Next week's launch – if successful – will be the fastest turnaround yet




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Next Mauna Loa eruption could be forecast months in advance

An analysis of crystals in lava from the 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa has revealed an unknown magma reservoir within the volcano, which could extend forecasts of eruptions from minutes to months




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Snuggly Selection of Cute Cats Competing For Cuddles Right Next to Your Face Because Who Needs to Breathe Anyway

We….do not have a snuggly cat. As much as we wish we did (and as much as we tried to make her a snuggly cat), it's just not in the cards for us. We tried luring her to the bed with treats, playing relaxing music, and even holding her there against her will - none of it worked. Maybe our next cat will be a cuddly cat, or, we'll just live vicariously through the lives of strangers on the internet and not be jealous at all of all of their outrageously cute cuddly cats.

Not only are they cuddly, but they appawrently like to cuddle right next to their pawrents' faces because they're just that silly and awwdorable. They probably can't breathe very well at night, but if that was a burden we had to bear, we would bear it with purrfect pride because it would be absolutely worth it. Enjoy this snuggly selection of cute cats competing for cuddles below, we're going to try to lure our cat into bed one more time. Have a great week!




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24 SuPURRemely Expressive Cat Memes Mirroring the Hooman Experience From the Feline Pawspective

Cats aren't so different from us. When it's cold outside and we want to avoid responsibilities, we seek our coziest nap spot. When we're hungry at 2 AM, we bother someone for a snack. And when we're pawsitively peeved with the world, it's off to our favorite cat tower to stare down at the peasants below. 

Hooman cat lovers have a funny way of mirroring our experiences with our cats. If you're anything like me, a theatrical cat owner, you know that each cat you encounter has a different voice, different mannerisms, and a totally different pawsonality based on their sass levels. It's only natural to project our fancies on our felines because they're not only our best buds but our purrtner in crime! So if you love your kitty and miss them every day while you're out running errands, working (ew), or socializing with friends, remember that they're silently judging you from afar, waiting for their favorite bald, bipedal giant to come pop open a new can of wet food for them. You are so cherished!

 Pawsitive Vibes: Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the purrfect Caturday treat!




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Black Cat Starts Mysteriously Losing Its Color, Other Vexed Void Owners Question When Their Cute Cats Go From Midnight to Moonlight

We may or may not be a helicopter cat pawrent - meaning that we may or may not go to Google for every pawssible thing that might be wrong with our cats. Their meow sounds a little different than normal? Google. They all of a sudden start sleeping in a random spot we've never seen them sleep in before? Google. They didn't eat the food that they normally love? Google. Most of the things we google end up being purrfectly fine (we are not prone to overreaction, not one bit). But if our black cat started losing its beautiful black color, now that would be a thing to google!

There are a few pawssible explanations for this: the first is a meowgnificent genetic trait called "vitiligo" - which causes cats to lose pigment in their fur, giving them unique and rare fur patterns. Another option is called a "fever coat", which is a temporary change in a cat's fur pigment due to illness or stress. The last, and final option that we know of, is that this black beauty is just getting old. Either way, you'd be surprised how many vexed void owners chimed in with their black cats that went from midnight to moonlight. Scroll down to see all these fading felines below!




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30 Purrfect Pictures of Cats Cuddling Calmly in Cozy Covers is Exactly What You Need to Pleasantly Pause and Ponder on Life’s Pleasures

Dear I Can Has-ers, today, we woke up thinking about a Danish term that will elate your days until the blessed weekend arrives: hygge. 

Hygge describes contentment derived from coziness, comfort, and gaiety. It is comprised of all that is cuddly, pleasant, cake-centered and candle-lit—in short, all the factors that make us purr.  
 

Hygge is all about enjoying each day to the fullest. All it takes is noticing the pleasantries of our daily lives. And it's no coincidence that cats and Hygge go together like Ben & Jerry. As you can see in the following photos of proud pawrents presenting their funny fluffy feline - cats are superior creatures, and understand that even the most mundane thing can be celebrated: a ball of yarn placed too low, cuddles with hoomans, and of course - continuous napping. If only we hoomans would appreciate our cozy domestic daily moments as cats (and Danes) do!
 

The ingredients for this comforting contented coziness are incredibly easy to obtain: Pour yourself a nice warm cup of your favorite beverage, wrap your feet with animal-shaped slippers, animal-printed socks, or your partner's backside, cuddle with your cutest cat, and scroll down these lovely screen shots from this post on Reddit. We must warn you, though - this post is not easy to leave. If you have plans today, cancel them. You are about to enter cuddle heaven.




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Congress Moves to Expand Executive Power Over Nonprofits

The U.S. House of Representatives seems to be moving forward with H.R. 6408, a bill that grants the Treasury Department new powers to revoke nonprofits' tax-exempt status if deemed to support terrorism, raising concerns about potential misuse to target political opponents. Critics warn of risks to civil liberties and charitable organizations.

Continue reading Congress Moves to Expand Executive Power Over Nonprofits at The Wild Hunt.




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Temple of Poseidon at Samikon is larger than expected

Archaeologists have uncovered more of the monumental Temple of Poseidon in Greece’s Peloponnese, revealing rare artifacts and unique architectural features that shed light on ancient religious practices .

Continue reading Temple of Poseidon at Samikon is larger than expected at The Wild Hunt.




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Alexandre Dumas

"All generalizations are dangerous, even this one."




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Generalized Human Experience

This is a term I’ve heard often, as one of the goals of art, without really understanding it. I think I’ve figured out at least some of it now. Stay with me. I think I was 22 or so when my daughter, Carolyn, became seriously ill (and thank you Dr. Edlavitch!). My wife and I … Continue reading Generalized Human Experience




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Three Times Customers Told Bakers Exactly Where To Stick It

I know we've all been tempted sometimes, minions, but these people actually did it.

UP TOP!

ON THE TRAY!

IN THE FLAY!

Er, flag. She meant flag. But I guess this works.

And extra credit to the teacher who did NOT tell her baker where to stick it, but instead handed over a notepad with all her kids' names on it, so the baker could just copy them on to the cake.

Sadly, the baker stuck it anyway:

Right where the sun won't shine!

(You know, because they're inside.)

Thanks to Annie, Trinity L., Kaye P., & Molly H. for teaching us all a lesson on following directions.

Also teachers, if you're looking for a new notepad, I'm really liking these:

Everything Is Fine Notepads

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:





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Conducting Experiments

Poke poke poke




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Genre Exploration




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Danger Extremely Close




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Questionable Context

Get it???




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For External Use Only

it's a boob joke




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Marten Explains It All

PICKLED




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can you explain the gap

Today on Toothpaste For Dinner: can you explain the gap


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




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i did it i exist

Today on Toothpaste For Dinner: i did it i exist


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




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'My ex cheated, so I refunded a gift': Scorned ex revokes $600 gift card

Cheaters never win, as this woman found out the hard way after deceiving her boyfriend. 

Breaking up is never easy, no matter what the reason. But when one partner cheats, it can certainly make the decision easier for the other person! Instead of breaking up with someone they adore, they now can move along to someone who treats them with dignity. And they're often left wondering how they can make their ex's life just slightly less convenient than it was before. In this person's case, they managed to steal back a $600 gift card from that cheater. Too bad, too sad! And, as this person proudly proclaimed in the aftermath of their plan, "Mission accomplished." 

This person shared their own story of petty revenge on a cheating ex. Commenters loved the story, and a few even chimed in with their own excellent stories of times they got even with their exes. Keep scrolling to check out a handful of the petty revenge stories

Up next, read about these employees who were fired quickly after getting sassy with customers, like one employee who dared say, "If I have to talk to you again, you have to sit in time out for 10 minutes.




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Ex-boss freaks out after reading former employee's online review, sends her essay-long messages: 'Block and move on'

It must have been challenging for this boss to read about how her own lack of professionalism. However, as Justin Timberlake himself once sang and then experienced, "what goes around… comes around." 

Here, we have a former employee who quit after experiencing a severe case of burnout. Their horrible boss established a workplace environment that discouraged calling in sick because that only meant having to do more work down the road. Eventually, there was a final straw and the employee left before having another job lined up. They decided to pen an anonymous review of their experience at the company, mostly focusing on organizational flaws and less on personal grievances. 

Still, however, their boss took the review very personally and figured out who the author was. As many folks in the comments section pointed out, the Redditor is under no obligation to respond to their ex-boss's ridiculous messages; if anything, they should "deny, deny, deny."

For more stories like this, check out this post about another who employee who quit during the first week.




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'Leaving was the best thing I did': Employer of 3 years hires new employee at $30k higher than experienced worker, they quit

It's no secret that a lot of employers in as many industries allocate more budget to hiring than they do to staff retention. This is a bit silly when you consider that large organizations will go on to spend tens of thousands of dollars on recruiting, onboarding, and training processes—in addition to value lost due to lost time and productivity of vacant roles. Though some of this cost is silent or not immediately apparent on the books and, in contrast, the idea of approving even half that money in the upfront cost of giving a raise is daunting. While this is an organizational flaw that often occurs, there are, of course, more intentional reasons why employers choose not to give their workers even deserved raises.

Whatever the reason or cause, unfortunately, this ends up with a turnover of the most experienced staff who are frustrated at their own lack of advancement and pay that is falling behind the market rate, discovering that new hires are being paid more than them despite their experience and contribution.

That's what this worker in a "niche" field discovered had happened when they learned that their employer of 3 years had hired a new hire at $30k more than they were currently earning. Frustrated, they found a new job as fast as possible.




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Man is left jobless when scorned ex-employee refuses to hire him after receiving the same treatment 9 months prior: ‘HE is now redundant’

Nothing feels worse than being "made redundant" at your company after spending years being the best employee you could be. You did everything right! An employee that was always on time, always got tasks done in a timely manner, and never caused a ruckus in the office. Sometimes, there's no rhyme or reason to being made redundant. It's not a reflection of your work ethic, but rather, the very DNA of the corporate machine. Churn in, churn out.

When you finally go to apply for another position, you're surprised to see one of your ex-colleagues at that specific company. Hoping this would work in your favor, you complete the interview with high hopes. Instead of putting in a good word about you, your ex-colleague decides to tell the interviewer that you had "asked too many questions" at your previous workplace. Isn't curiosity what most employers want? Well, 9 months later, you see someone very familiar waiting to be interviewed at your new company. Your mouth turns upward into a small when you realize it's the same ex-colleague who refused to hire you. Sweet karma.




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‘I got extra pay, a box of chocolates, [and] an apology': Karen gets fired after screaming for 40 minutes at a customer service rep because they refuse to break company policy

Is it really so difficult to be kind to the customer service person trying to troubleshoot your problem over the phone? I get it, everything's falling to pieces on your end, but it doesn't make any logical sense to be unsavory to the one person who can actually help you.  

This Karen in our next story proved that being aggressive over the phone doesn't get you everything you want, and sometimes it can get you fired…. Or maybe even investigated by the Feds. 

Imagine, this customer service employee was about 15 seconds from clocking out for the day–it was Friday at 4:59:45 PM and they were grabbing their coats on their way out and the blasted phone rang. Seeing that the number was from an internal caller, as in, someone within their company, the employee thought this would be a simple thing to solve and that they could make quick work of their coworker's problem. Except, the woman on the other end of the line wasn't looking for solutions, she was looking for a customer service rep to break the rules for her. 

Keep scrolling to see how a 40-minute IT support call turned into an apology letter, a box of chocolates, and an immediate, dishonorable resignation. 




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'He was a nightmare': Employee's savage review after quitting exposes entitled boss, leads to their termination

When you're applying for jobs, you're probably checking out every online review you can find to dodge any potential red flags. After all, who wants to go through multiple interviews only to discover that the company's run by an entitled boss who thinks coworkers should act like "family"? Hard pass. Sites that let employees rate companies are a goldmine for honest feedback—sometimes with details that make you grateful for the warning.

Well, after one employee spent six grueling months working under a new VP, they tried to clue in the higher-ups about just how awful the new boss was. When the owner didn't take their concerns seriously, they took things a step further, leaving a brutally honest review that laid everything bare. The best part is it worked. The entitled boss eventually got the boot, and the company's culture finally went back to normal. Unfortunately, the original employee who exposed the mess had already quit—but at least they left with a story of sweet, well-deserved karma.




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Mother appoints her brother to be her 3 under 10-year-old children's unpaid personal chef: '[She] expect[s] me to make something every day for the kids'

Meals are undoubtedly one of the most important daily chores, along with sleep. Being properly fed is one of the things that everything else in a successful and happy life stems from. But providing healthy meals for your family isn't cheap… Have you seen the price of groceries these days? And the time it takes to cook and clean for an entire family can't be understated. So, undoubtedly, the combination of those two things, the time and the price of the actual food, would be supremely valuable. 

Of course, you can just trick your sous-chef brother into cooking for your three children instead. Surely, if he's willing to do it once for free, you can just ask him to do it again and again. Even when it comes to family, there's a limit to the favors you're expected to perform, and there's a point where demanding favors just becomes freeloading and entitlement




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25 Job Hunting Memes for Exhausted Resume Jockeys

Having a job is a requirement in today's society. In fact, having multiple jobs is kind of a requirement these days… So many are on that job hunting grind. That LinkedIn warriors kind of life, ya know? Every day you're checking your messages and crossing your fingers for a recruiter or some company's HR to give you a chance. Why not? You have the experience! Oh, but sorry, they need 30 years of experience for an entry level job. How is a 20-something-year-old supposed to get 30 years or experience?? Also, what's with the whole "just upload your resume!" but then they literally make you still type out everything that is on your resume? That is SO annoying. And cover letters. The BANE of anybody searching for a job's existence. Like, "here's a cute little love letter as to why you should love me back." Gross. Can we please just be professional and get back to memes?? Thank you. 




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The End…? – Multiplex 10




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Would you let AI plan your next holiday?

Artificial intelligence is being developed to help organise holidays, but is it any good?




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SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission blasts off

The expedition, funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, will attempt the world's first private spacewalk.




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Watch: Why is the latest SpaceX rocket test a big deal?

The BBC's Pallab Ghosh explores why this world first test is a big deal for space exploration.




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See Jim this weekend at Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Jim will be at Chicago Steampunk Exposition April 12th-14th! Tickets are available on Chicago Steampunk Exposition’s website. Please see their website for schedules and for any changes in times or location.




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'Claims I had sexsomnia destroyed my rape case'

Jade's case failed to reach court because it was suggested she may have a rare sleep disorder.




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Expanded distribution in the US for BBC World News

This week viewers to BBC World News have been watching a series of reports focusing on the Arab uprisings, two years after they first began. Correspondents have been in Damascus, Tunis, Cairo, the Syria-Lebanon border and elsewhere. Their eyewitness TV reporting is accompanied by further explanation and analysis on our website, bbc.com/news. These are expert journalists, with years of experience and knowledge, living the story on behalf of the audience. They demonstrate our commitment to reporting the world, and bringing clarity to complex events.

Until now, however, viewers in the world's biggest TV market, the US, have found it hard to access BBC reporting of this kind. The market is saturated with TV channels, but for the past couple of years we've been very focused on securing widespread carriage on the distribution systems which bring TV into most homes.

So today the BBC is delighted to announce we have agreed to a partnership with the US cable giant - Time Warner Cable - and through this and other deals, a further 10 million homes in the US will have access to BBC World News 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This means by the end of this year we will be available in 25 million homes, including those in most of the major markets - New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston. There is still some way to go before we can say we have reached everyone - but 2012 has been a year of significant breakthroughs for us in the US.

The BBC is already well-known in America through its partnerships with public radio, through the success of our website BBC.com/news, and because of our nightly broadcast on public television fronted by Katty Kay. We believe our brand of high-quality, intelligent and non-partisan journalism has something to offer US audiences, and we're determined to make access to our services as simple as possible.

The timing could not be better. We're just a few weeks away from the first broadcasts of BBC World News from our brand new headquarters in central London. Three new studios, a big investment in production and journalism, and working more closely with BBC journalists working in English and 27 other languages - it's more than just a new home, it's a new start. We're delighted to share that even more widely.

Richard Porter is controller of English at BBC Global News



  • BBC World News

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BBC Arabic and the complexities of the Arab world

By Faris Couri, editor of the BBC Arabic Service


It is no secret that recent Arab uprisings have placed enormous burdens on the shoulders of BBC Arabic journalists responsible for reporting news from the region.

Covering the Arab world is not always an easy task - we need to mix sensible caution with a dose of courage in covering political issues that attract so many disputed views among Arabic-speaking audiences.

Our guiding principles are the BBC's values, its editorial guidelines, its ethical code, which are our reference points to maintain impartial, balanced and accurate reporting.

Across the Arab world - whether it's Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt or Libya, Bahrain, Syria and Iraq or the many other countries in the region - we know that audiences want access to objective and independent news, far removed from an agenda that favours one party, religion or sect against another. That is why audiences are turning to BBC Arabic.

Last year, our latest figures show that overall audiences to BBC Arabic have risen by more than 17% to a record high of 25.3 million adults weekly. That includes a big surge of 2.9 million in Saudi Arabia and 2.7 million in Egypt, where TV viewers in particular turned to the BBC to better understand the events happening in their own country. Our radio audiences are also holding up despite the reductions in transmission. Online is proving to be more of a challenge, but we are working hard to understand the needs of digital audiences and those for whom social media plays an increasingly important part in their lives.

In 2011, following the fall of the Mubarak leadership, we watched as ordinary Egyptians carried banners saying "Thank you, BBC!" But meeting the high expectation of audiences has a price and sometimes it's been a heavy one.

March 2011 brought a strong reminder of the risks that our staff face in covering the news - one of our reporters was arrested and tortured by Muammar Gaddafi's forces during the Libya uprising. In early 2012, our reporter in Yemen was beaten and received death threats from supporters of the outgoing president.

We are also challenged by those who disagree with our coverage. In countries such as Syria and Bahrain, BBC Arabic has been accused of bias.

The criticism comes from opposition and government alike. It may be a valid argument to say that getting criticism from both sides, in the case of Arab world certainly, is an indication of balanced coverage.

On Syria, for example, we had a series of documentaries looking at the civil war from a number of perspectives.

The first one, exploring what it's like to work for a Syrian television channel that's the mouthpiece of the government, was the butt of criticism and threats from Syrian opposition quarters. We followed it up with a programme charting a day in the lives of six Syrian women, five of whom were anti-government activists.

In our day-to-day news coverage, presenting a variety of voices from Syria is essential to us. And that is what distinguishes BBC Arabic from many media outlets in the Arab world which promote political views and agendas, and that is what we are determined to keep.

BBC Arabic marked its 75th anniversary in January. Arab politicians and ordinary people have expressed their appreciation of our track record of impartiality and trusted news. I am confident that the coming years will see further achievement on all our platforms - TV, radio and online.




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The simple exam tweaks that can completely change lives

Schools are struggling to cope with the logistical hurdles and cost required to make the adjustments.




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Rare footage of a cartel gun battle near US-Mexico border

Texas law enforcement said the shootout was between factions of the Gulf Cartel.




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'He could be the next great' - meet the 14-year-old international keeper

"He could be the next great" - meet the 14-year-old international goalkeeper hoping to one day make it in the Premier League.




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Mexico drug tsar's spectacular fall from grace culminates in NY court

Genaro García Luna is the highest-ranking Mexican official ever to be convicted in the US.




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World's most indebted oil firm is headache for new Mexico leader

Claudia Sheinbaum inherits a buoyant manufacturing sector, but also a troubled state-owned oil firm.




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Crypto expert with links to gang shot dead at Brazilian airport

Antônio Vinicius Gritzbach had recently agreed to hand over information about the Primeiro Comando da Capital group.