Miriam Margolyes says she “never had any shame about being gay” as she makes her British Vogue cover debut aged 82. The award-winning actress, known for her foul mouth and lovable eccentricity, said gay people are “not conventional” and she “wouldn’t want to be straight for anything”. Margolyes is known for a wide range of work in the TV and film industry, including roles in Blackadder, Babe and the Harry Potter franchise. She features along with other “LGBTQ+ pioneers”, including Ncuti Gatwa and Emma D’Arcy, in the July edition of British Vogue. In an accompanying interview, she discusses her sexuality and says she has always tried to “make people feel good about themselves”. “It’s a strong position if you’re not afraid to be who you are,” she said. “We’re all so insecure. People are frightened such a lot of the time and what I’ve always tried to do… (is) make people feel good about themselves.” Margolyes came out as a lesbian in 1966, a time when homosexuality was illegal, and lived through the HIV crisis of the 1980s – during which she lost 34 friends. She has been with her partner – academic Heather Sutherland – for 54 years. “I never had any shame about being gay or anything really,” she told British Vogue. “I knew it wasn’t criminal because it was me. I couldn’t be criminal.” She added: “I think gay people are very lucky, because we are not conventional, we are a group slightly apart. It gives us an edge. “We’re good artists, we’re good musicians. And I like being gay. I wouldn’t want to be straight for anything.” The full interview with Miriam Margolyes can be read online on British Vogue’s website.

US students give their schools an overall B- grade on average, according to a new report released Wednesday that asked fifth through twelfth graders to assess their school's quality of teaching, effectiveness in preparing them for the future and mental health support.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has announced £50 million in funding to develop trustworthy and secure artificial intelligence (AI) that can help solve major challenges. The investment, which will bring experts across different fields together, was revealed during this year’s London Tech Week. As part of the package, £31 million has been awarded to a group called Responsible AI UK (www.rai.ac.uk), led by the University of Southampton. Its aim is to create a UK and international research and innovation ecosystem for responsible and trustworthy AI that will be responsive to the needs of society. AI tends to be looked at by the tech community as AI that has been thoroughly tested Professor Gopal Ramchurn Led by Professor Gopal Ramchurn, the consortium will help people understand what responsible and trustworthy AI is, how to develop it and build it into existing systems, and the impacts it will have on society. Explaining what trustworthy AI means, Prof Ramchurn said: “Trustworthy AI tends to be looked at from a very technical perspective – ie it is tested and validated in well-defined settings. “However, that doesn’t mean it will be trusted by the public, government, and industry.” He added: “AI tends to be looked at by the tech community as AI that has been thoroughly tested. “It can be AI that is trustworthy by the technical functionality of the application and the particular closed environments it has been tested in, but it is not trusted because maybe it uses personal data, you know, uses your personal data in ways that you would not want it to do.” In addition, £2 million will be awarded to 42 projects to carry out feasibility studies in businesses as part of the BridgeAI programme. These will speed up the adoption of trusted and responsible AI and Machine Learning (ML) technologies. The projects will look at developing a range of tools to facilitate assessment of AI technologies, and successful ones will go on to receive a share of an additional £19 million to develop these solutions further. A further £13 million will be used to fund 13 projects to help the UK meet its net zero targets. Universities across the UK, from Edinburgh to Aberystwyth, and Leicester to Southampton, will lead these projects. The UK’s expertise in the field of AI is a major asset to the country and will help develop the science and technology that will shape the fabric of many areas of our lives Kedar Pandya, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council UKRI has also awarded two new Turing AI World Leading Researcher Fellowships, to Professor Michael Bronstein and Professor Alison Noble, both based at the University of Oxford. Kedar Pandya, executive director, Cross-Council Programmes at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, said: “The UK’s expertise in the field of AI is a major asset to the country and will help develop the science and technology that will shape the fabric of many areas of our lives. “That is why UKRI is continuing to invest in the people and organisations that will have wide-ranging benefit. “For this to be successful we must invest in research and systems in which we can have trust and confidence, and ensure these considerations are integrated in all aspects of the work as it progresses. “The projects and grants announced today will help us achieve this goal.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘Last Beatles record’ was created using AI, says Paul McCartney Put ‘public good’ at heart of AI and new tech, Starmer to say Ukrainian schoolboy to buy home for his mother after selling Minecraft server

When you think back to Made In Chelsea’s heyday, it seemed to be all champagne, kisses, debauchery and parties. But Georgia Toffolo, 2017 Queen of the Jungle and close pal of Stanley Johnson, says she often wasn’t drinking champagne at all. “We were always photographed with glasses of champagne in our hands, but mine was normally a non-alcoholic version,” the 28-year-old explains. “I don’t know whether people really know this.” At that time, the nation’s relationship with alcohol was in the spotlight, and how well we looked after our wellbeing became more important. Things began to change around her, says Toffolo. “People became more aware of their habits – both negative and positive. And as I was in my early 20s, I was able to ride that wave. “My attitude to wellbeing has changed hugely. I try to get balance and moderation, which is a constant battle, whether I am looking at how I eat, drink, work, or exercise. In my early 20s, it was so manic and I tried to work all the hours God sent, so the theme of my mid-20s has been trying to find moderation,” she explains. That moderation has become pertinent to her drinking habits. “I am a mindful drinker. I have been drinking since I was 18, but over the past three years, I have really tried to be more mindful.” She’s not the only one. According to new research by Harrogate Spring Water, 61% of adults are intending to try drinking in moderation in the coming months – a campaign Toffolo is supporting by debuting a new 0% summer cocktail, The Royal Raspberry Spritz, at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, June 20, at The Harrogate Spring Water Mindful Drinking Bar. A lot of people, Toffolo says, “are interspersing alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks, which is exactly what I do. “Ascot is like my Christmas. I go every day of every year but it can be a really long week,” she explains. “People go racing for so many different reasons, but you want to be on flying form. I drink loads and loads of water, feel super hydrated and feel great the next day. I spruce it up with a bit of basil or elderflower.” And because she sticks to mindful drinking, hangovers are a thing of the past, says Toffolo. “It doesn’t feel like it’s a chore, it doesn’t feel like I am losing out on anything, it is a gift to yourself. My mindset and my relationship with alcohol is so much healthier.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Should you sleep naked? Heatwave myths debunked 7 hay fever hacks to ease your symptoms this summer The pests you really don’t want invading your garden and how to deter them

A YouTuber has recreated Radiohead album 'OK Computer' in full only using sounds from Nintendo 64 games.

Many of us look to the stars for answers to life’s most complex questions. But actually, some of the greatest mysteries lie beneath our very feet. One might think we’d know the Earth pretty well by now but, in fact, our planet’s core remains shrouded in enigma. Indeed, there are two gigantic blobs located beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean that occupy around six per cent of the world’s entire volume. And yet, we’re still not entirely sure what they’re made of or where they came from. There are a number of hypotheses, including that they are piles of oceanic crust that have accumulated over billions of years. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter But a more interesting theory is that they are huge chunks of an ancient planet that hit the Earth around 4.5 billion years ago. To give an indication of just how massive these things are, the structure under Africa – an area known as Tuzo – is thought to be around 800km (497 miles) tall – the equivalent of some 90 Mount Everests stacked on top of one another, as IFLScience notes. The problem with determining the origin of these monster formations is that there are no direct ways of observing the Earth’s core. The deepest hole humans have ever dug – branded the "entrance to hell" – reached a pretty staggering 12,263m (40,230ft), but that doesn’t even come close to breaking through the crust to the layers beneath. Our most effective tool for analysing what lies beneath the ground is a technique called seismic tomography, which looks at how waves of energy travel when earthquakes occur. Since rocks and liquids have different densities, the waves move through them at different speeds. By measuring the tremors from different points on the surface, geologists can determine what kind of material the waves are travelling through and, in so doing, map out the Earth’s interior. It was by using this technique that the two unusual structures – known as large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) – were found. Waves travel more slowly in these areas – fondly known as “blobs” – than through the surrounding lower mantle, indicating that they’re made of something different. We can’t tell what this material is based on seismic tomography data alone, but some scientists like to believe that they are the remnants of an ancient planet called Theia – an idea known as the “giant impact hypothesis”. According to this hypothesis, around 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized object collided with the Earth. This impact not only created the planet we call home today, but also threw off enough rock to form the moon that lights up our night skies. Some scientists suggest that some of Theia’s leftovers also sunk to the bottom of the planet, probably settling somewhere above the core – thereby forming at least one of the two LLSVPs. More Updates About Strange Blob Structures Inside Planet Earth youtu.be Experts have been investigating the area for decades but there’s still no way of knowing for sure just what these two giant blobs are. Still, studies into Theia have offered important insights into how the possible collision might have kickstarted key plate tectonic and mantle motion inside our planet – crucial processes for establishing the world on which we live. It’s also a useful reminder that we still have so much to learn about our planet and where we came from. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Take That have spoken of their regrets over Robbie Williams' 1995 exit from the band, admitting they wish the could've "talked more" in the 90s.

BBC Arabic's new radio programme has been hearing about the suffering caused by the conflict.

A woman who says she was pronounced dead for three minutes after battling with heatstroke has reflected on the experience, and the “strange anomalies” she has experienced since. When Jade, 36, visited a friend during a summer afternoon in Green Bay, Wisconsin, she didn’t expect for her life to be hanging in the balance only hours later. According to Jade, on the day in question, the temperature reached 89.6F, and with the high humidity, it made it feel “unbearable.” Soon after, she started experiencing frequent bouts of nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and exhaustion, which caused her to collapse on the living room sofa. As Jade was rushed to the hospital, medics pronounced her dead for three minutes and said the culprit was heatstroke. Now, in a bid to raise awareness, she’s shared her story on TikTok, where she’s received more than 191,000 views and over 20,000 likes, and where she said the experience has made her “unafraid” of death. “I had experienced an extreme fear of dying prior to this incident, but when it actually happened, I had zero fear,” the content creator, from Wisconsin, told NeedToKnow.co.uk. “I remember feeling consistently yucky and really gross. I was rundown, lethargic and sick to my stomach, with my mouth bone dry. “I went out to smoke and the moment that I finished and stood up, I knew I was in trouble. My priority immediately became getting back inside and I don’t think I understood at this point that I was dying, but I did understand that I was going down.” Jade recalls stumbling into the apartment and slumping onto the couch, before making a gurgling sound. She said: “Everything must have happened in a matter of moments, but it felt like much longer and this profound feeling of utter sickness hit me like a tonne of bricks. My head felt like it was inflating, yet my entire body as if it was shrinking. I had never known anything like it before. “It made me completely okay with dying because I wanted to sleep forever. Then, everything went black and that was the moment I knew I was about to pass away.” Jade was rushed to St Vincent’s hospital via ambulance, where she was revived via a defibrillator. As she arrived, she fell in and out of consciousness, but imaging tests of her head were carried out, along with blood tests and electrocardiograms, a test to check the heart’s rhythm. Over the next four days, she received injections to prevent blood clots and soon, medics told her she had been pronounced “dead” for three minutes on arrival with heatstroke. In the clip, she reflects on the experience and the “weird” occurrences which have happened to her since. Users flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many detailing their own similar experiences. “I fainted TWICE that summer,” one person said, while another said: “I was pregnant that summer. The heat was HORRIBLE!!!” “Your story was very interesting. Glad you’re safe,” another person added. “Was it scary? What did you see? I really panic about the thought of death,” someone else asked. Jade was born with Wolff Parkinsons’ White and postural tachycardia syndrome, which both cause abnormalities with increased heart rate. Often, she feels like she’s going to “throw up” her heart and sometimes experiences extreme shakiness as well as fainting spells. Due to this, she finds intense heat triggers these episodes and while her near death experience in July 2011 hasn’t made these worse, she believes they were a contributing factor. “My symptoms are still mild, but I have been getting new ones, such as a low grade fever and muscle weakness,” she said “I’m not sure if these are related to the heatstroke. “I’m still waiting for a final diagnosis, as this has only occurred after my incident, but I will always fight for myself and my life.” Since then, Jade has also suffered with frequent seizures, which she had never had prior to the incident. She said: “At first, I thought it was heatstroke again, but I just passed out and doctors believe it’s because I’m still so exhausted from all the anxiety of almost dying. But, I have been admitted a few times for these and I’ve had tests such as MRIs and more blood work done, as well as seeing a neurologist and I’ve been diagnosed with epilepsy. “Now, I don’t have them so much, but I’ve been in touch with other near death experience survivors who said they had seizures for a while after, but then they suddenly stopped.” Jade has also experienced other “strange anomalies” such as not being able to wear regular watches, as they would stop working once she put them on. She said: “It wasn’t something that happened before and the only watches that are safe are expensive smart watches. I’ve given up on them entirely, but vape pens also shut down even with a full battery. “I’ve also had a lot of spooky things happening, such as hearing voices and seeing things that aren’t there. Sometimes it’s been whispers or dark hazy figures and I began recording my home because I was petrified that I was losing it. I believe this is telling me that life continues after death.” She continued: “I feel like I’m in a special club and it’s made me learn how to take better care of myself, as well as valuing life more. I don’t live in fear of death and I know that when my time comes, any fear will melt away like it did before. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that it is absolutely true what they say - the fear itself is always worse than the thing we actually fear.” Read More What is the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke? How to keep your pet cool and healthy during a heatwave How to tell if you’re seriously dehydrated, as UK temperatures soar

The Stonewall Book Award celebrates LGBTQ+ literature and includes standouts from authors like Alison Bechdel, Rivers Solomon, and Michael Cunningham.

A woman who went from a size 18 to a size six has shared some of the surprising things “no one tells you” about losing weight. Meg Stier, an actor and motivational speaker living in New York City who goes by the username @megmackenzies on TikTok, revealed some of the things she wishes she’d known “before [she] lost a bunch of weight,” such as that she would be cold “literally all the time,” in a video posted to the platform on Sunday. In the candid clip, Stier began: “[These are] things no one tells you when you go from a size 18 to a size six. And to be clear, there was nothing wrong with me when I was a size 18, and there’s nothing wrong with me at a size six.” Stier then reflected on the changes, many of which were negative, that she’s experienced as a result of her weight loss, with the TikToker revealing that, in addition to constantly being cold, she’s realised that “losing weight didn’t solve all of [her] problems,” there are days where she liked her body more when she was “bigger,” and that there’s a “lot of skin”. “I’m literally cold all the time. I’m just cold, always,” Stier said, before telling viewers: “Some days, I liked my body a lot more when I was bigger.” According to Stier, she’s also found that “people treat you differently” when you lose weight, and “skinny privilege is a thing”. “People started to respect me a lot more when I lost weight, which is just disgusting,” she continued, before moving on to some of the physical changes. “There’s a lot of skin. There’s a lot of skin,” she said. @megmackenzies It’s a learning curve #nyc #bodypositivity #weightloss #bodyacceptance #broadway #lifestyle #performer ♬ original sound - Meg Mackenzies Stier said she’s also found that her weight loss has become “the main topic of conversation” everywhere she goes. “Instead of my successful career, my education, or anything else about me,” she said. The TikToker concluded the video with a final surprising change to her body, with Stier expressing her surprise to find that her feet got “smaller” after losing weight. “My feet got smaller. I’m almost an entire shoe size smaller than I was,” she said, before adding: “Make it make sense.” In the caption of the TikTok, which has since been viewed more than 2.8m times, Stier acknowledged that her weight loss has been a “learning curve”. The video has resonated with viewers, with many praising Stier for talking candidly about the topic, while others shared their own similar experiences with weight loss. “Size 18 to two here. You forgot jewellery, rings and watches had to be resized. But yes to everything else!!” one person wrote, while another said: “Everyone thinks it’s so weird when I say my feet shrunk when I lost weight!! Always cold here too!” “I have literally experienced ALL of this! I went from a 22 to a two. So. Much. Skin.” someone else wrote. Many viewers also revealed they can relate to Stier’s experience with “skinny privilege,” with one person writing: “Girl same. I went from a size 20 to a size four. I RELATE. The skinny privilege blew my mind.” Another person wrote: “It is fascinating how I was ignored in stores when I was heavy but greeted enthusiastically when thin.” In a follow-up video, Stier opened up more about the concept of “skinny privilege,” with the TikToker sharing examples of the ways she is treated now as a size six versus when she was a size 18. @megmackenzies Anyone else experince these things? #bodyacceptance #nyc #bodypositivity #performer #lifestyle #weightloss ♬ original sound - Meg Mackenzies After clarifying that the video was not an “attack on skinny people,” Stier said that “skinny privilege” has meant that “people look me in the eye when they talk to me,” and that she can buy clothes in her size at any store. According to Stier, she’s also noticed a change in how people react when she speaks. “When I speak, people tend to listen more,” she said, before adding: “Well, I’m a woman, so men still talk over me, but, in general, people listen to me more than when I was larger.” Stier also revealed that she began to experience success in her career “the moment [she] lost weight,” despite not becoming “more talented, smarter or better at [her] job”. “I just looked different,” she said. The TikToker said she is no longer “judged” by what food she orders in a restaurant, or when she eats in public, and can go to the gym without others giving her a “‘good for her, she’s trying’ face”. “People considered me unmotivated, unhealthy and generally just lazy because I was bigger,” Stier said, before adding: “Those are three words that no one would ever use to describe me now and my lifestyle really hasn’t changed that much.” In the video, Stier then acknowledged that there is a “serious bias against fat people” that is “hard to fully grasp” unless you’ve “lived on both sides of the spectrum”. “Skinny privilege is a thing and even I find myself taking advantage of it. We need to change the way we view people because fat doesn’t mean bad and skinny doesn’t mean good,” she said. “People are just people. Their actions and their intentions are what make them good or bad, not the way they look.” Speaking to The Independent about her decision to make the initial TikTok, and whether she expected the viral response, Stier revealed that she has created the video “so many times over the last few months but never posted it because [she] didn’t want to be judged”. However, Stier was ultimately encouraged to share the video after seeing the number of people on TikTok “struggling with body acceptance and weight loss”. “After seeing so many people on TikTok struggling with body acceptance and weight loss I figured it would be worth sharing!” she explained. In regards to the viral reaction to the video, Stier said she was “most shocked” by the number of people the TikTok resonated with. “What I am most shocked about is how many people are saying ‘YES! ME TOO!’ It’s a conversation that has been needed for a long time and I’m grateful the online community has been so positive in letting me join that conversation,” she said. As for what she hopes viewers take away from the video, Stier said she wants to impart a “sense of community and honesty”. “It’s SCARY to talk about your own body on the internet. We spend so much time being told not to post things that don’t show us in a positive way (Photoshop, bad angles, no makeup etc.) But I want to encourage people to share the good and the uncomfortable,” she said. “Making these conversations more normal is how we stop the negativity that is constantly being thrown at people for the way they look or the number on the scale.” Read More Amy Schumer says she stopped taking Ozempic because of side-effects I tried anti-bloating pills for two weeks, and now I know the gassy truth Influencer calls out advertisements for weight-loss drugs in New York City subway stations: ‘Dystopian’ Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat

Hoda Kotb has opened up about her fears of ageing and missing out on parenting milestones as she raises her two daughters: Haley Joy, six, and Hope Catherine, four. The 58-year-old NBC anchor discussed her anxieties about getting older during a recent episode of Bethenny Frankel’s Just B podcast. While speaking to the entrepreneur and former Real Housewives of New York City star, Kotb detailed her approach to parenting as an older mother to young girls. “I do have it sometimes,” Kotb said, when asked by Frankel if she has “anxiety” about ageing. “My dad died when he was 54, 55. I always think that the foundation he laid down was good for me. It helped me in my life.” Kotb was a junior in college at Virginia Tech when her late father, Abdel Kotb, died of a heart attack in 1986 at age 51. The Emmy-winning journalist became a first-time mother in 2017 when she adopted her eldest daughter Haley with ex Joel Schiffman. However, Kotb admitted that she “sometimes does the math” when thinking about being present for her daughters getting married or having children of their own. “I look at my mom, who’s 86, and I think to myself, ‘OK, what’s the difference here between me and her? 30 years. OK, that’s kind of good,’” Kotb said. “So I add 30 to Haley and I add 30 to Hope. And I think to myself, won’t that be spectacular? I can do that.” The Today host added, “Wouldn’t that be amazing? Do I get to see them get married? Maybe. That would be really good. Or do I get to see them have a child? Maybe. That would be really good.” While Hoda Kotb admitted that she sometimes has anxiety about watching her daughters grow up, she ultimately decided to not look at the future in a negative way. Rather, she explained how she chooses to focus on how “special” it would be to witness her daughters’ milestones. “I think about it, but I don’t think about it on the end of, ‘Oh, no, I won’t be able to…’ I would be delighted if all those things were possible, and I think that would be special,” she said. Kotb then recalled writing her mother’s age minus her age on the glass in the shower one day. “And I looked at the number and I was like,” she shared, clapping her hands. “What if you get that many years? That’s more than I got with my dad.” Meanwhile, Frankel, 52, opened up about her anxieties of getting older and missing out on moments with her 13-year-old daughter, Bryn. The Skinny Girl founder shared that it’s her daughter who tends to “do the math” on their age gap. “I watch her make the connection and then I watch her get distracted because it’s anxiety for her,” Frankel told Kotb. “We’re very close. It just keeps getting better, it’s so beautiful.” Elsewhere during the podcast, Hoda Kotb detailed the moment she learned she was going to become a mother for the first time. In the episode, the Today star shared the text she received from someone named Ashley at the adoption agency after her daughter Haley was born. The mother of two said that, after she saw the adoption agent’s number displayed on her phone, she took out a yellow pad of paper and wrote the time, 11:55. “This is the moment everything changes,” Kotb recalled thinking. “I knew it.” “And I took a deep breath and dialed the number, and I said, ‘Ashley?’ and she said two words to me. She said, She’s here.’” “I don’t know what birth feels like, and I bet it was amazing, but this was really close,” she added. Hoda Kotb adopted her second child, Hope Catherine, in April 2019. Earlier this year, Hope experienced health complications that caused her to spend time at the hospital. Upon returning to the Today show after a two-week absence, Kotb revealed that her then-three-year-old had been in the hospital’s intensive care unit. “My youngest, Hope, was in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week,” Kotb told Today co-host Savannah Guthrie. “I’m so grateful she’s home. She is back home. I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.” The journalist then expressed her gratitude for all those who helped her daughter and provided support for her family during the scary experience. “You know what I realised too, Savannah? It’s like, when your child is ill, the amount of gratitude you can have for people who helped you out,” she said. “So I’m grateful for the doctors at Weill Cornell, who were amazing and the nurses. And I’m grateful for my family and I’m grateful to friends like you who were there every single day. So I want to say thank you for that. I love you.” Read More Hoda Kotb reveals ‘terrible’ letter criticising her for being an older mother Hoda Kotb returns to Today show after three-year-old daughter Hope is discharged from hospital ICU Jenna Bush Hager discusses body image after revealing her grandmother once called her ‘chubby’ Keke Palmer says she faced ‘breast milk discrimination’ at airport Colin McFarlane diagnosed with prostate cancer 7 tips and tricks for hay fever relief