1+ week, 4+ day ago (612+ words) After it was announced the Brit Awards were moving to Manchester in 2026, a new design for the trophy has been unveiled - inspired by the city's unique identity. To mark Manchester's first ever Brit Awards ceremony, designer Matthew Williamson has created an amber resin trophy - inspired by his own Manchester roots, and the worker bee, the city's mascot. Showcasing the design for the first time on BBC Radio Manchester, Mr Williamson said he "wanted something that would really resonate with the city and the people of Manchester". The 49th annual Brit awards ceremony will be hosted at Manchester's Co-op Live venue on 28 February - marking the first time the event has been held outside of London. After 20 years in fashion, and 10 years in interior design, Mr Williamson is known for his use of bold colour and pattern - but he said while this might…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (244+ words) A battle for the cowboy way of life 3 November 2025 27 minutes Available for over a year Kurdish designer Lara Dizeyee is preparing a couture collection for Milan Fashion Week. Dizeyee fled Iraqi ... Lara Dizeyee's Kurdish couture The real "Yellowstone: A battle for the cowboy way of life Available for over a year Kurdish designer Lara Dizeyee is preparing a couture collection for Milan Fashion Week. Dizeyee fled Iraqi Kurdistan as a child, grew up in the US, and later returned to Erbil. Her designs draw on traditional Kurdish dress - layered garments, capes, and ornate headpieces - reimagined as bold evening wear. Her work is celebrated in Kurdistan, across the diaspora, and in the Arabian Gulf. Yet despite her growing profile, she lacked the funds to stage a show on the scale Milan demands. Arts journalist Melissa Gronlund follows her as she secures…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (144+ words) Jersey's government is in talks with airline Blue Islands about its future, the BBC understands. The Channel Islands-based company borrowed "8.5m from the Government of Jersey to help it to secure its services during the Covid-19 pandemic. A report in August revealed the outstanding capital balance was still "7m in June - more than halfway through the loan period. The BBC has approached Blue Islands and the Civil Aviation Authority for comment. Service delays, cancellations, flooding, and overcrowding on the Tarka Line, frustrating users. Ports of Jersey says other on-island radar systems are being used in the meantime. The large pool of water forms on Euston Road when it rains, forcing pedestrians to wade across. Transportation Security Officers and TSA agents "with exemplary service" will receive bonuses in addition to backpay. Eastern Airways had operated the subsidised flights before it entered administration....

3+ week, 4+ day ago (428+ words) The French government said it was initiating proceedings to suspend the online platform Shein, after prosecutors said they were investigating the company over childlike sex dolls found on its website. The move was announced little more than an hour after Shein opened its first physical store in the world, on the sixth floor of Paris department store BHV. The BBC's Hugh Schofield was at the opening and spoke to shoppers and protesters there. Read more about this story here. Five people sustained minor injuries but nobody was seriously hurt in the incident in Meteren. Two nuclear cooling towers in the town of Gundremmingen, Germany, collapse into large swirls of thick, white dust during demolition. It was the first time since the Reformation leaders of the two churches had prayed together. BBC News NI's Dublin Correspondent Gabija Gataveckaite recaps the runners…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (635+ words) Matthew Williamson has unveiled his "chic, elegant and timeless" design for the Brit Awards trophy ahead of the ceremony making its debut in his home city of Manchester in 2026. The fashion and interiors designer said his trophy, an amber resin piece, was inspired by his own Manchester roots and the "golden honey of a worker bee", the insect which has been used by the city to symbolise its industry and togetherness. Showcasing the design for the first time on BBC Radio Manchester, Williamson said he "wanted something that would really resonate with the city and the people of Manchester". Brit Awards chairwoman Stacey Tang said the organisation "couldn't be more pleased with what Matthew has created". The 49th annual awards ceremony will be hosted at Manchester's Co-op Live venue on 28 February. It will be the first time the event has been…...

4+ day, 2+ min ago (139+ words) The backlash over the opening of Shein's first brick and mortar store in Paris this month is just one in a series of controversies and complaints over the ultra-fast fashion retailer. As the company ... Shein: How the fast fashion disruptor ran into real world problems Available for over a year The backlash over the opening of Shein's first brick and mortar store in Paris this month is just one in a series of controversies and complaints over the ultra-fast fashion retailer. As the company looks to go public, we explore whether its business model can withstand the world's scrutiny. Laura Bicker, the BBC's China Correspondent, tells us what she found in the Guangzhou factories supplying Shein, and co-host Tristan Redman heads to the Paris store. Executive producers: Bridget Harney and James Shield...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (565+ words) Banning retailers from selling fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic might mean more food waste, a Welsh minister has warned. Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies was responding to a call to make shops offer fruit and veg loose when less than 1.5kg is bought to cut plastic waste. The proposal came from independent Senedd member (MS) Rhys ab Owen, who said "plastic packaging, very often, is entirely wasteful, is unnecessary, and is purposeless", But Irranca-Davies said environmental charity Wrap, which has suggested such a ban be considered, had asked whether a 1.5kg rule could encourage the purchase of larger packs with more food than was needed. In October last year, Wrap recommended a "phased approach" to a ban, starting with 21 fruit and vegetables, with some exemptions, including apples, bananas, broccoli, carrots, onions and potatoes. Addressing the Welsh Parliament on Wednesday, South Wales…...

3+ week, 11+ hour ago (735+ words) When Jonathan Berner needed something to keep his hands busy during addiction recovery meetings 15 years ago, he took up knitting. "I fell in love with the engineering, the history and certainly the fidget-spinner aspect," he told BBC Scotland News. "It genuinely makes it easier to go through life having that thing to do with my hands." Since then the American yarn shop owner has found kindred spirits in a group called Men's Knitting Adventures. And last month they made their first international trip as a group, travelling from their homes across the US to a place they call a "holy place" for knitters - Shetland. Jonathan, who lives in Seattle, was among 25 men who made the journey to the UK's most northerly islands for their dream knitting trip. Shetland is renowned around the world for its wool. It comes from the…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (449+ words) The Princess of Wales' annual Christmas carol service is to take place for the fifth year early next month, with British movie stars Kate Winslet, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Hannah Waddingham delivering readings at the event. The "power of love and togetherness" will be celebrated at the Together at Christmas event led by Catherine, who wants to recognise people across the country who contribute to society. Organisers said the theme was picked because people will be able to celebrate love in all forms in a world that can often feel fragmented and disconnected. The service - which will be a mixture of traditional and modern elements to include people of all faiths and none - will be held in Westminster Abbey on 5 December. Last Christmas, Catherine similarly focused on love, and the importance of giving and receiving empathy, following her cancer diagnosis earlier…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (561+ words) Ren'e Zellweger has called a new statue of Bridget Jones "adorable," adding: "I think she's much cuter than me." The actress was speaking to BBC News as a new statue celebrating the character she played for more than 20 years was unveiled in London's Leicester Square on Monday. Bridget Jones was created in 1996 by the author Helen Fielding, and first adapted for the big screen in 2001. The fourth film came out earlier this year. Speaking at the unveiling, Fielding refused to rule out taking her story further, saying you should "never say never". Zellweger added that everyone can relate to Bridget, which explains her huge appeal. "[It's her] vulnerability, her humanness," she said. "We recognise ourselves in her, we recognise ourselves in her struggles. "It makes it OK for the rest of us to be authentically who we are. Imperfect." The…...