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image caption Opponents of the proposal argued it would damage relations with the EU and hurt trade Swiss voters have rejected a proposal to end an accord with the EU allowing the free movement of people. With all referendum votes counted, nearly 62% said they wanted to keep free movement, while 38% were against. Switzerland is not a member of the EU but has a series of interdependent treaties with Brussels which allow it to access to Europe's free trade area. The move to rein in immigration was proposed by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), but opposed by the government. A similar initiative to introduce quotas on immigrants from the EU to Switzerland narrowly passed in a 2014 referendum, damaging Swiss-EU relations. Swiss people are given a direct say in their own affairs under the country's system of direct democracy. They are regularly invited to vote on various issues in national or regional referendums. The Swiss free movement vote explained How the migrant crisis change...

Two new novels lift the lid on the odd, privileged world of the British Royal Family. Hephzibah Anderson talks to their authors. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT W We first encounter royalty through fiction. Shimmering princesses and blessed princes, monarchs both wise and wicked – they all inhabit the formative fairy tales that teach us so much about life, weaving their narrative magic as densely as the briar thicket that envelops Sleeping Beauty. The institution’s motifs, its crowns and its thrones, the heavy sense of predestination spelled out in curses and golden promises, are stitched into our collective imaginations before we’re old enough to know it. In adulthood, we mostly come to realise that the charmed, ‘fairy tale’ element of life as a royal is decidedly double-edged: yes, the red carpets are rolled out for them but their celebrity is inescapable from birth, and the dazzle of gemstones is accompanied by the blinding glare of flashbulbs. So often, palaces double as gild...

Image caption Residents of Lake Jackson have been told to boil water before drinking it Residents of Lake Jackson, Texas, have been warned about using tap water after a deadly brain-eating microbe was found in the city's public water supply. Tests confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri in the system. The amoeba can cause an infection of the brain, which is usually fatal. Infections are rare in the US, with 34 reported between 2009 and 2018. Officials in Lake Jackson said they were disinfecting the water supply but did not know how long this would take. Eight Texas communities were originally told on Friday night not to use their water supply for any reason except to flush toilets. The warning was lifted on Saturday for everywhere but Lake Jackson, a city of more than 27,000 residents. Authorities in Lake Jackson later said that people could begin using the water, but must boil it before drinking it. Residents were also told to take other measures, including not allowing water ...

Image caption The Lake District is one of 10 national parks in England An extra 400,000 hectares of English countryside will be protected to support the recovery of nature under plans to be announced by Boris Johnson. The prime minister will make the commitment at a virtual United Nations event later. He is joining a global pledge from 65 leaders to reverse losses in the natural world by the same date. National parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty and other protected areas make up 26% of land in England. Mr Johnson will promise that the government will increase the amount of protected land in the UK from 26% at present to 30% by 2030. ADVERTISEMENT The environment is a devolved matter but the government has said it will work with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as landowners, to increase the amount of protected land across the UK. What's in Boris Johnson's climate in tray? Where are England's 10 national parks? The prime minister will sign the Leaders...

Image caption Grace and her company have clients around the world The BBC's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world. This week we speak to US hypnotist Grace Smith. Grace Smith says she was able to give up alcohol, but that quitting smoking seemed impossible. Back in 2011, the then 25-year-old had a stressful fundraising job in New York. "I didn't have any healthy coping mechanisms," she says. "One of the ways that I was coping with all the stress and anxiety was through partying. "I was living in the Lower East Side, and that's what all my friends did too - we worked really hard all day long, and we partied really hard all night. It took a real toll on me, physically and mentally."

Screens are a fixture in children's lives from a young age, but giving them access to television, tablets or phones doesn't always mean it will have a negative impact on their development. Before my toddler could even talk she knew which phone belonged to me, and which belonged to her dad. They looked almost identical but she screamed if anyone except me touched my mobile. Even if she saw me pass it to someone so I could show them a picture, it would result in a spectacular meltdown. In her world, my phone was a part of me in much the same way as my shoes or clothes were, because it was almost always by my side, and she was clearly doggedly protective of my possession.  Realising this was a sobering moment, but it reflects the reality that  s creens are part of our everyday lives like never before. While I try my best to minimise how much I use my phone, it’s still incomparably helpful for directions, checking social media, doing the online food shop, listening to ...

Adesanya's victory was his second UFC middleweight title defence Israel Adesanya expertly picked apart Paulo Costa to retain his middleweight title and extend his perfect professional record to 20-0 at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. The event marked a return to 'UFC Fight Island' and Adesanya made a second successful defence of his crown by finishing the previously undefeated Brazilian via a second-round TKO. Yas Island has been transformed into an isolation bubble for fighters, teams and media for a five-event run, and the first show of the promotion's second stint also saw a new champion crowned in the co-main event as Poland's Jan Blachowicz won the vacant light heavyweight title. In the main event, Adesanya, 31, focused much of his attack on Costa's lead leg in the first round, connecting with 15 leg kicks inside the opening five minutes, while the Brazilian was more patient than some expected. However, the fighters continuously exchanged comments as they attempted t...

A US judge has issued a temporary injunction preventing a ban on future downloads of the TikTok app. The app had faced being blocked from Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play marketplace from 23:59 Eastern time. Existing US-based users would have been able to continue using it. But they would not have been able to re-download the app if they deleted it from their phones, nor have been offered software updates. Judge Carl Nichols of the US District Court for the District of Columbia issued a temporary injunction on Sunday evening at the request of TikTok. The opinion was sealed, meaning that no reason for the decision was released. In a statement, TikTok said it was pleased with the decision, and vowed to keep defending its rights. "We're pleased that the court agreed with our legal arguments and issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the TikTok app ban," the statement said. TikTok: Oracle confirms being picked by Bytedance to be app's par...