When I was invited to go, alone, on a female-only guided tour of Italy, my initial reaction was a firm no. The popularity of solo female travel has soared. Abta, this week, reports that adventure companies are seeing a spike in solo female travellers and Forbes included it in its travel trend report of 2025, calling it the Rise of the Female Adventurer. A group tour of Italy starting in Rome and including Capri, Sorrento and Assisi What does it cost? AdvertisementMy companions were a charming cast of characters and I quickly learnt their own reasons for travelling solo.

The University of Manchester has been ranked 8th in the UK and 56th in the world in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. The prestigious rankings evaluate more than 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and territories. The University has retained its spot as 8th in the UK this year, while dropping three places in the overall global ranking. The university's overall score for teaching and industry also improved when compared to the 2024 ranking. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings measure research-intensive universities across all their core missions.

Oxford University has once again topped the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, with a record 2,191 universities having been ranked from 115 countries. Oxford has been world number one since 2017 – the longest time any university has held the position in the 21 annual editions of the rankings. Professor Irene Tracey, CBE, FRS, FMedSci, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford, said: ‘We are honoured that Oxford has been ranked number one globally by Times Higher Education for the tenth year in a row. Oxford was followed in the THE World Rankings 2025 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with Cambridge and Princeton tied for third in the rankings. View the full THE World Education Rankings 2026 here.

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In the documentary, the monarch will reflect on his decades of campaigning for a more balanced, sustainable world. For much of my life I have sought to promote and encourage ways we can work with, rather than against Nature. The special will delve into the King’s “Harmony” philosophy, which he explored in his 2010 book Harmony: A New Way of Looking At Our World. He added: “Even today, His Majesty’s work with The King’s Foundation is transforming the world in so many inspiring ways. “The King’s philosophy offers something for everyone.

Secures position in 801-1000 band in 2026 World University RankingsThe University of Dhaka (DU) has advanced 200 places in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, to secure a position in the 801–1000 band, according to a press release issued by the university's Public Relations Office. The UK-based Times Higher Education, one of the world's most influential higher education publications, released the latest rankings on Wednesday. According to the DU media release, the university's research environment score improved from 10.3 to 13.3, while its research quality score rose from 67.2 to 76.5. The university credited these improvements to the work of a 16-member committee formed to advance in global rankings. The committee, convened by Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) Prof Dr Mamun Ahmad, has been focusing on raising academic standards, strengthening research quality, and expanding international collaboration.

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Senior Tory says it is 'absolutely fine' that Tony Blair plays role in post-war GazaThe Conservative shadow chancellor has said it is "absolutely fine" that former PM Sir Tony Blair could be part of a future board overseeing the administration of Gaza. Speaking to our political correspondent Amanda Akass, Sir Mel Stride said: "I think clearly Tony Blair has a lot of experience of politics in that region, is extremely well-connected with many of the figures that matter in that region, and to that extent it may well be that he has a significant role to play. "Those arrangements, but we don't yet know what those arrangements are, so difficult to comment on them precisely, but yes, I think in principle, if he is able to make a meaningful contribution there, then that's absolutely fine." The ceasefire deal itself is "hugely welcome", the senior Tory said, but also said there is "clearly a long way to go in terms of forming some kind of interim governance in Gaza and then moving on towards a final endpoint of a two-state solution, which I think would be the best outcome here". Asked what he would like to see the UK government doing, Stride told Amanda that the "key priorities here are to firstly make sure that the hostages are indeed released, to make sure humanitarian aid goes into Gaza", and "to make that there is some stability in what's being called phase two here, which is the governance arrangements".

Mr Sunak has joined the American tech giant as a part-time senior adviser, to give company leaders “high-level strategic perspectives on macro-economic and geopolitical trends and how they intersect with innovation, regulation and digital transformation”, and to speak at events. Former prime minister Rishi Sunak (Jack Taylor/The Times/PA)Mr Sunak was prime minister between October 2022 and July 2024. Mr Sunak was urged to “look hard” at competition rules by Microsoft president Brad Smith in 2023, when the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the firm from taking over Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. Mr Sunak has also taken on a role at San Francisco-based Anthropic, which developed the Claude artificial intelligence (AI) models. He has also become a senior adviser to Goldman Sachs since leaving office, where he previously worked between 2001 and 2004.

Things have been far from straightforward with Mr Clarkson facing several problems since becoming a farmer. READ MORE: Emma Watson 'planned to set up secret society at Oxford University'One major blow came earlier this year as Diddly Squat Farm was hit with a bovine TB outbreak. Speaking to The Times previously, Mr Clarkson admitted that he was on a “very steep learning curve”. READ MORE: 'Comprehensive' traffic measures being installed at Diddly Squat farmBe the first to know with Oxford Mail! "This was the first calf ever born at Diddly Squat," he said on Instagram, alongside a photograph of the animal.

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Until 2022, Kadhem worked in the U.K. National Health Service (NHS), after his initial Swedish probation order had been issued, The Times continued. In the U.K., Pothen wrongly discharged an NHS patient who later died. “During our onboarding process and through regular appraisals, Dr. Kadhem signed multiple declarations -- most recently in June 2025 -- confirming he had no professional investigations, probations or suspensions in the U.K. or abroad. “This information did not arise during our due diligence checks, which relied on GMC verification and the declarations provided by Dr. Kadhem himself. “We've asked the GMC for information -- they've provided nothing, despite Dr. Kadhem remaining on their Specialist Register.”Patient safety has been the company’s absolute priority, the spokesperson pointed out.

SynopsisThe German parliament on Wednesday repealed a fast-track citizenship law introduced by the previous government, highlighting the souring public mood towards immigration in the country. The SPD, junior partners in Merz's coalition, defended supporting repealing the fast-track programme, arguing it was rarely used.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim needs three years to prove he is a "great" coach, says co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Amorim will complete a year at the Old Trafford helm in November but his record since arriving from Portuguese club Sporting has not been good. United finished 15th in the Premier League last season, their worst performance since the 1973-74 campaign in which they were relegated from the top flight. However, in an interview on the Times' The Business podcast, external, Ratcliffe says that was not the case and feels "good guy" Amorim will need an extended amount of time to prove his worth. "Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years.

Two new and opposite trends from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings offer insights into the changing landscape of global higher education. It is too early to say how these patterns will develop and converge, but they raise several questions in relation to the rankings. Ultimately, are we at the brink of a reshaping of global higher education? As international education consultant Rajika Bhandari said, we are in a “moment of great flux” for global higher education. Only time will tell how all of that will shake out in the rankings when the dust settles.