cabinet
(grouping of senior ministers) ie lower case.
Cabinet Office
ie initial caps. Its ministers report directly to the prime minister.
Cac 40
(the main stock exchange index in Paris) ie initial cap and a space before the number.
Caesarean
ie upper case (and not "Caesarian").
Calcutta
Our style is to use Kolkata for the Indian city.
The England-Scotland rugby trophy is the Calcutta Cup.
Camorra
Naples-based mafia, separate from Sicilian-based Cosa Nostra. When talking about the Camorra, or any other mafia outside Sicily, we use lower case "m" on mafia.
capital cities
Take care; not every capital city is the obvious one:
Australia - Canberra, not Sydney or Melbourne.
Brazil - Brasilia, not Rio de Janeiro.
Ivory Coast - Yamoussoukro, not Abidjan.
Myanmar (Burma) - Nay Pyi Taw, not Yangon (Rangoon)
The Netherlands - Amsterdam, not The Hague (which is the seat of government).
Nigeria - Abuja, not Lagos.
South Africa - Pretoria, not Cape Town (where parliament sits).
Switzerland - Bern, not Geneva.
Tanzania - Dodoma, not Dar es Salaam.
Do not say eg: "The Pope has arrived in the Syrian capital of Damascus." Drop the "of" - and substitute a comma.
capitalisation
A few titles are always capped up, whether you name the person or not (eg the King, the Pope, Archbishop of XX). But our style generally is to minimise the use of capital letters.
Political job titles have initial caps only when the title is next to the name, in whatever order. Thus:
The Foreign Secretary, Harold Thomas, said...
US President James Tucker
Trudeau, who has been prime minister since 2015...
Any post mentioned without reference to the post-holder should be in lower case - e.g.
The prime minister will be out of the country for several days.
The same rule applies for former holders of political office (eg The former President, James Tucker, is to make a political comeback. The former president said he wanted to spend less time with his family).
Similarly, Leader of the Opposition is capped up only if accompanied by the name. Other opposition portfolios are always lower case, with or without the name (eg The shadow chancellor, Brian Banker, was furious. There was jeering when the shadow chancellor left).
Also, see âjob titlesâ entry.
Also use lower case for all jobs outside politics, with or without a name (eg the director general of the ±«Óătv, Michael Graves, has praised the England cricket captain), except that police and military titles accompanied by the name are always capped up (eg Sgt Wilson is to receive an award for bravery). The UN secretary general is capped when with a name; the director of public prosecutions is always lower case.
Governments are not capped up (eg The Italian government has resigned).
Use initial cap Parliament with reference only to (a) Westminster in any context, and (b) the Scottish, Welsh and European Parliaments where you are giving the full title. Otherwise, lower case (eg Sir Keir will face questions in Parliament; There is to be an emergency session of the Scottish Parliament; But: The parliament in Edinburgh is to be recalled for an emergency session; They say they will halt proceedings of parliament in Strasbourg; The Dutch parliament sits in The Hague). The adjective parliamentary should always be lower case, unless it is part of a proper name.
Similarly, assembly is capped only with the full title (eg: The Northern Ireland Assembly is to sit for the first time this year; The problems facing farmers will be discussed by the Stormont assembly).
In general, government schemes and initiatives are capped â Northern Powerhouse, Big Society, National Minimum Wage â while benefits are lower case, such as universal credit and personal independence payment.
For place names: use upper case for recognised regions, and for vaguer political/geographical areas (eg the Middle East, Western Europe). Otherwise, lower case (south-west France, east Lancashire). Also lower case for south Wales, north Wales, mid-Wales etc.
For Latin names of plants, animals etc, use italics and cap the first word only (eg Corvus corone).
captions (for pictures)
Picture captions in news stories should be no longer than two lines, or one line for large pictures. There is no full stop at the end of a caption, other than in picture galleries. A caption is usually unnecessary with a map or a generic graphic.
The wording of the caption should follow the geography of the picture, from left to right (eg if Smith is on the left and Jones on the right, the caption should not say "Jones and Smith"). Use full names whenever possible.
A caption should be more than a literal description of the picture; it should add value (eg: George Smith and Terry Jones: Long-time friends).
For direct quotes, use a colon and double quotation marks (eg: George Smith: âIâm lucky to be aliveâ). Any colon in a caption, whether or not introducing a quote, must be followed by a capital letter (eg: George Smith: A lucky man).
To focus on one individual among several, use brackets rather than commas (eg: Terry Jones (centre) was among friends). If space is very short, you can abbreviate such labels to their initial letter only, capped up, ie (C) (L) or (R).
cardiac arrest/heart attack
These are not synonymous. Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops beating. A heart attack is when the blood flow to the heart is interrupted (otherwise known as a myocardial infarction). A heart attack can cause cardiac arrest.
carjack/carjacking
one word, no hyphen.
.
Do not automatically equate "Catholic" with "Roman Catholic". There are Catholics who are Anglicans or members of other denominations not in communion with the See of Rome.
Always "Catholic", ie with initial cap, in the religious context.
Lower case in the sense of "catholic taste", or similar.
catseye
is acceptable in a generic sense, even though it is a trademark.
CBI
The original title (Confederation of British Industry) is obsolete, as the word "industry" no longer reflects its membership. It calls itself simply the CBI. It may be described as the employersâ organisation or business lobby group.
CBC/CBS
The initials CBC (all caps, no gaps) stand for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Not to be confused with US television network CBS (again, all caps, no gaps).
CCTV
(closed-circuit television) ie all caps
C. difficile
Our preference for Clostridium difficile - capital "C" with a full stop and a space followed by lower case ""â. C. diff is fine at second reference or in headlines.
ceasefire
(as a noun) ie one word.
censor/censure
To censor something (book, film etc) means to examine it and suppress any part deemed unacceptable. To censure means to express severe disapproval of, or formally reprimand.
Central Asia
ie initial caps.
Central Europe
ie initial caps. Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are correctly referred to as being in Central Europe.
centre
Correct usage is to centre on - and not "to centre around".
Avoid the US spelling ("center") - unless it is part of an official title (eg the World Trade Center). Second references not actually repeating the title should use UK spelling, but itâs preferable to avoid using both spellings in the same story.
centre-back, centre-half, centre-forward
ie all with hyphens.
Century/century
Use upper case (and digits) when you are labelling a century with a number (eg: 20th Century). Otherwise, lower case (eg: The treasure had lain undiscovered for centuries).
If you omit the century from a four-digit date, replace it with an apostrophe (eg: the class of â66).
CFC
ie all caps, no gaps (it stands for chlorofluorocarbon).
chair
Do not describe someone as being the "chair" of a meeting. Rewrite the sentence to say eg: Mr Jones, in the chair or The meeting, chaired by Mrs Smith. Alternatively, and where appropriate, use chairman or chairwoman.
Challenger 2
(The British armyâs main battle tank) - and not "Challenger II".
Champions League
(European football) ie initial caps - and no apostrophe.
Channel Tunnel
ie both words capped. At second reference, just the tunnel. But (even in headlines) never "Chunnel".
charge
should not be used as a synonym for "allege" (as in, eg: "Princess Jane charged that she had been victimised by the media").
cheap
Do not say "The arrival of summer brings cheap prices for vegetables." Prices cannot be "cheap" - the right word here is low. You could, of course, say The arrival of summer brings cheap vegetables.
Chechnya
is an autonomous republic within Russia. Adjective, Chechen.
cheese
Names of cheeses should be lower case unless they include a country: The list includes camembert, Canadian cheddar, brie, wensleydale and Danish blue.
Chennai
Our style is to use Chennai rather than Madras.
chief rabbi
the Orthodox chief rabbi of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the spiritual leader of the United Synagogue, the largest umbrella group of Jewish communities in the country - in later references Rabbi Katz.
ChildLine
ie we follow the charityâs own convention of including a rogue capital in the middle.
child pornography
See Sexual offences
Child Trust Fund
is the governmentâs 2003 Budget scheme to provide cash for every newborn child. Do not call it a "Baby Bond" - that phrase is a trademark.
Chinese names
The family name comes first - so Ma Huateng becomes Ma at second reference.
chip-and-pin
ie hyphenated as an adjective or noun. Note Pin (number) is capped up when on its own.
Chogm
(Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) ie lower case, because it is pronounced as a word. But best avoided.
Christian
ie initial cap.
Do not use "Christian name" when you mean "given name".
°äłó°ùŸ±ČőłÙŸ±±đâs
ie with an apostrophe before the "s".
Christmas
Spell in full - do not use "Xmas", even for headlines. And remember that not all Christians celebrate Christmas on 25 December. The Eastern Orthodox Churches mark the festival on 7 January.
Church/church
Lower case for the actual buildings; otherwise Church.
No human being should be referred to as "Head of the Church". The King is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The Pope is the Supreme Pontiff, Chief Pastor or leader of the Roman Catholic Church; he should not be referred to as the "Holy Father" (unless you are quoting somebody).
is not the only Anglican body in the British Isles. There is also the Church in Wales, as well as the Episcopal Church in Scotland, and the Church of Ireland.
The governing body of the Church of England is the General Synod.
Church titles (Anglican)
Archbishops are the Most Reverend, but we usually say eg: the Archbishop of York or Dr South. Later references can be either to the archbishop (lower case) or, again,to Dr South.
Bishops are the Right Reverend, or the Rt Rev if space is short eg: The Right Reverend Nigel North is beginning his duties as Bishop of Manchester. Afterwards, eg: Bishop Norton or the bishop.
Archdeacons are the Venerable - or the Ven if space is short. Later references: the archdeacon or, eg: Archdeacon West.
Vicars/rectors are eg the Reverend Margaret Simmonds - or the Rev Margaret Simmonds if space is short. After first mention, you can say just Ms/Mrs Simmonds (or Dr Simmonds if she has a doctorate).
Some Anglicans prefer "Father" to "Mr"; the safe rule is to follow local practice. Under no circumstance should you say "Reverend Smith", "the Reverend Smith", "the Reverend Mr Smith", or just "the Reverend".
Deans/provosts are the Very Reverend or the Very Rev. At later reference eg: Dean Johnston.
Canons are eg Canon Dennis Moore. Later Canon Moore or the canon.
Church titles (RC Church)
The Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales is headed by the Archbishop of Westminster, initially referred to with full title and name eg: The Archbishop of Westminster, Jeremy Montague. Afterwards: Archbishop Montague or the archbishop.
Other archbishops are eg: the Most Reverend John Jones.
Bishops are the Right Reverend, which may be abbreviated to the Rt Rev.
Abbots are eg: Abbot Fred Sales. Later, Abbot Sales or the abbot.
Provosts are eg: Provost John Smith. Later: Provost Smith or the provost.
Canons are eg: Canon Michael Harris. Later: Canon Harris or the canon.
Priests are eg: The Reverend Eric Cook, or Father Eric Cook. At later reference, Father Cook or Fr Cook.
CIS
(Commonwealth of Independent States) ie all caps, no gaps. Provides a framework for military and foreign policy and economic co-operation between various states, including Russia and Ukraine.
Citizens Advice
ie initial caps and no apostrophe. Changed its name in 2015 from Citizensâ Advice Bureau.
City/city
Capped only when used to mean the London financial centre.
Civil Aviation Authority
ie initial caps - and all caps, no gaps if abbreviated to CAA.
Its role is to consider and, if necessary, implement any follow-up action arising from air crash investigations by the Department for Transportâs Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
CJD
ie all caps, no gaps (stands for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). Note that variant CJD should be written out in text, but vCJD is acceptable in a headline.
claim, to
We should not use it with expressions of alleged fact (eg: The Russians claim 80 people were killed), because it suggests disbelief. Say is preferable.
But it is acceptable with expressions of opinion (eg: Mr Smith claimed the government was out of control).
claim responsibility
(as for bombings) Avoid this expression. Just say eg: The Real IRA says it planted Saturdayâs bomb.
clampdown/to clamp down
ie no hyphen in the noun; separate words for the verb.
clash
Beware of devaluing the word through overuse. And take care when using "clash" as a verb. To say: "The protesters clashed with police" implies the protesters were the instigators - which may not have been the case.
Class A drugs
ie with a cap "C" and "A", "B" etc
clear-cut
ie hyphenated.
cliches
are to be avoided, as they say, "like the plague". Try not to use: "got under way"; "a question mark hangs over"; "quiet but tense"; "rushed to hospital"; "daring escape"; "dawn raid"; "emotional appeal"; "top secret"; "psychologically important moment"; "moving the goalposts"; "level playing field"; "bottom line"; "only time will tell" etc.
cloning
Do not use phrases such as "embryo cloning" or "baby cloning". It is not the baby or the embryo that is being cloned - rather, it is the adult human or the genetic material from an adult that is cloned to produce a baby or embryo.
coastguard
Our preference is one word, but we should follow names of specific bodies, such as the US Coast Guard.
Coca-Cola
ie with a hyphen - and both words capped.
Cold War
ie initial caps.
collective nouns
denote groups (eg: group, crew etc). Our policy is that they should take singular verbs as much as possible. Consistency is important. Do not say eg: "The jury is considering its verdict. They will spend the night in a hotel." However, couple and pair can sound odd in the singular so itâs OK to use them as plurals. Family can be either - judge according to context.
Sports teams are plural (eg: Manchester United have beaten Liverpool), but clubs are singular (eg: Manchester United has provided another bonus for its shareholders).
The police are treated as plural (eg: Police say they are looking for three men), but individual forces are singular (eg The Metropolitan Police says there is no need to panic).
Press and public should be treated as singular, but rewording may be advisable (replacing eg: "The press arrived soon afterwards. It had lots of questions" with Journalists arrived soon afterwards. They had lots of questions.)
Colombia/Columbia
Colombia is a country in South America. It is spelt with two "o"s. Columbia is the capital of the US state of South Carolina - as well as a District (as in Washington DC), a river, a university (in New York City), a Hollywood studio and a record label. All of these are spelt with a "u".
colons
In headlines, captions and subheads, they are followed by an initial cap. Elsewhere, by lower case.
Colosseum
The Colosseum is in Rome. The theatres in London, Oldham and elsewhere are the Coliseum.
commas
Used properly, commas can eliminate ambiguity and make blocks of text more digestible - especially important when you are converting the spoken word into copy.
But they can also create unnecessary clutter and may often be avoided, eg by not including a definite article with a title (Foreign Secretary Erica Simmons protested... rather than "The Foreign Secretary, Erica Simmons, protested...").
Neither are they needed where you are using a "job description" - whether it fits more than one person (eg: Footballer David Jones has been taken to hospital) or one specific individual (eg: England football captain Roy Rover has...).
Commission, Royal
ie initial caps - but only once the commission is a reality.
Commons
Always retain the initial cap in Commons, or House of Commons. (Also in eg: Collins told the House that...)
Commons committees
Keep them lower case, unless you are giving the full title. (eg: The report from the Public Accounts Committee attacked the ministerâs record).
Communist/communist
Use lower case for the ideology (eg: He was attracted to communism during his university years), and its adherents (eg Most of his fellow-students were communists). Upper case for the name of the party (eg He was determined to join the Communist Party).
company names
We should spell company names as they do themselves, but always use an initial cap (eg: "easyJet" is EasyJet). There are occasional exceptions, such as eBay and iPhone â see separate entries. Also, a name using all caps should be rendered in upper and lower case.
compare to/compare with
"Compare to" is a declaration of similarity (He compared the building to a carbuncle); it means "to liken". Use âcompare withâ in all other circumstances (The price of petrol has doubled, compared with last year).
compass points
are not capped up (ie north, south, east, west). Compound nouns (eg: south-west) are usually hyphenated and lower case (eg: He loved France - and the south-west above all). When referring to areas within cities, the compass point is lower case (eg: south London). But avoid ambiguity - say northern England rather than just "the North", which would make no sense for someone in Scotland. Only when the geographical context is clear are terms such as the South East, the North West acceptable (ie separate words, capped up). Parts of Wales are always lower case (ie north Wales, south Wales).
Use lower case and hyphens for adjectives eg: south-east wind, a north-westerly direction, north-east England.
complement/compliment
The verb "to complement" means to make complete or supply what is lacking. As a noun, it can mean the number required to complete to a company eg: the crew of a ship. Whether as a noun or verb, the word compliment means (to) praise. Complimentary means flattering, or given free.
comprise
Means "to consist of", "to be made up of". So: The editorial team comprises men and women is right. "Women comprise half the editorial team" is wrong.
concede
Losers at elections should properly concede victory. The phrase "concede defeat" is wrong. Avoid the problem by using the phrase admit defeat or simply concede (eg: Joe Green conceded soon after the television announcement).
Congo
Do not confuse the two Congos.
Congo-Brazzaville is the former French Congo. We do not generally use its full title, "the Republic of the Congo", but it is sometimes acceptable to call it simply Congo (especially in headlines).
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the former Belgian Congo. In headlines and at second reference, refer to it as DR Congo. Where appropriate, make clear in the text that DR Congo is the former Zaire, but do not label it "Congo-Kinshasa" and do not refer to this country simply as "Congo".
Conservative/conservative
Always with an initial cap in a political context. Both words get capped up in Conservative Party. For later references, the Tories is acceptable. It should be lower case when you mean "averse to change" or "conventional" (eg: Gladstone always wore conservative clothes).
constabulary
Avoid, when referring to a police force. Even if a police force styles itself as a âconstabularyâ, describe it as (for example) Hampshire Police.
constitution
(as in the US constitution) ie lower case.
consult
Correct usage is eg: The prime minister consulted his colleagues. Do not adopt the American usage of "consult with".
Consumer Prices Index/CPI
measures the year-on-year change of consumer prices based on a basket of goods and services purchased by most households, but excludes the cost of mortgage interest rates. The CPI is the basis of the Bank of Englandâs official inflation target and is an internationally standardised measure which allows us to compare the UKâs inflation rate with that of other EU countries.
Continent/continent
Lower case eg: Aids spread across three continents - unless you mean the European mainland as distinct from the United Kingdom eg: Cars are usually cheaper on the Continent.
continual/continuous
These are not synonyms. Continuous means "without interruption". Continual means "frequently happening".
contractions
Do not use contractions such as "donât", "isnât", "canât" in news stories (except in direct quotes). Spell it out: do not, is not, cannot etc.
cops
Do not use as a synonym for police except in the most informal of contexts.
co-ordinate/co-ordination
ie hyphenated.
co-operate/co-operation
ie hyphenated.
correspondents and reporters
The titles of correspondents and reporters should always be in lower case.
Specialist ±«Óătv correspondents and reporters should be referred to at first mention by their full title (eg ±«Óătv News royal correspondent James Higgins, ±«Óătv News political editor Martha Squires) and thereafter as our correspondent or our reporter. Overseas ±«Óătv correspondents and reporters should be referred to in copy as ±«Óătv Newsâs (name) in (place) at first mention, as should non-specialist domestic correspondents, and thereafter as our correspondent or our reporter.
(See separate entry for Bylines).
cosmos
ie lower case.
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is a non-EU institution, based in Strasbourg. It was set up in 1949 to promote European cultural values. Its activities are decided by a committee made up of foreign ministers from each of its 46 member states.
Council of Ministers
creates EU law through negotiation with the European Parliament - a process called âco-decisionâ. In most cases they act on proposals submitted by the European Commission. Consists of the ministers from each member state who have responsibility for the topic under discussion. Not to be confused with the Council of Europe or the European Council.
councillor (updated September 2024)
Always lower case. As politicians, county, borough, town and parish councillors do not take an honorific. Do not use Coun or Cllr.
county names
should, whenever possible, be written out in full. If space is limited, it is acceptable in some cases to use short forms at first reference and throughout. Acceptable abbreviations are listed here:
Bedfordshire - Beds
Buckinghamshire - Bucks
Cambridgeshire - Cambs
Cheshire - none
Cornwall - none
County Armagh - Co Armagh
County Durham - Durham
Cumbria - none
Derbyshire - Derbys
Devon - none
Dorset - none
East Sussex - E Sussex
Essex - none
Gloucestershire - Gloucs
Hampshire - Hants
Hertfordshire - Herts
Kent - none
Lancashire - Lancs
Leicestershire - Leics
Lincolnshire - Lincs
Middlesex - Middx
Norfolk - none
Northamptonshire - Northants
Northumberland - none
North Yorkshire - N Yorks
Nottinghamshire - Notts
Oxfordshire - Oxon
Shropshire - Salop
Somerset - none
Staffordshire - Staffs
Suffolk â none
Surrey - none
Warwickshire - Warks
West Sussex - W Sussex
Wiltshire - Wilts
Worcestershire - Worcs
Court/court
Use initial cap if you are giving the courtâs official title (eg: the US Supreme Court; the European Court of Human Rights; Bow Street Magistratesâ Court) - otherwise (and if in doubt) cap down (the appeal court in Iceland).
court cases
In reporting the preliminaries to a court case, do not include adjectives that might be considered potentially prejudicial (eg "Man accused of vicious street attack"). And do not repeat tracts of potential evidence, since a defence lawyer might be planning to challenge it.
It is ±«Óătv policy not to refer to the accused by surname alone - until a guilty verdict is returned. This is true even of people, like sportsmen and women, who would normally be referred to by surname only.
Do not follow agency practice of lumping together the sentences handed down to a group of accused, as in "The three men were given prison sentences totalling 30 years". This is so imprecise as to be meaningless.
court martial
Note that the plural is courts martial.
Covid-19
The Covid-19 virus is a coronavirus that causes the disease Covid-19. As we are unlikely to be referring to any other coronavirus, it is enough to refer simply to coronavirus - or, in very medically slanted pieces, Sars-Cov-2 - and the coronavirus disease at first reference.
People who test positive for it are carrying the Covid-19 virus or coronavirus. At second reference, it is enough to refer simply to carrying the virus.
They are best described as people with the Covid-19 virus or coronavirus, rather than victims or sufferers. At second reference, it might be enough to refer simply to people with the virus.
Only when they become ill can they be said to have Covid-19 or the coronavirus disease. At second reference, it might be enough to refer to having the disease.
Then, they are best described as patients with Covid-19 or people with Covid-19 or the coronavirus disease. At second reference, it might be enough to refer simply to patients or people with the disease.
When reporting deaths, people die with Covid-19/the coronavirus disease. At second reference, it might be enough to refer simply to dying with the disease.
In line with our style-guide ruling on weights and measures, itâs:
- 2m (6ft) at first mention, 2m at second reference
Also:
- the prime minister was in St Thomas' Hospital
- NHS Nightingale Hospital London was built in the ExCel centre
And there are two main types of test for the Covid-19 virus:
- a diagnostic, swab test to see if someone is carrying the virus
- an antibodies, blood test to see if someone has had the virus
Prof Chris Whitty should be referred to as the UK governmentâs chief medical adviser or the UKâs chief medical adviser.
- At first reference it's the reproduction (R) number, in later references the R number
credence/credibility
These are not synonyms: credence means belief or trust; credibility is the quality of being believable.
crescendo
means a gradual increase in loudness - rather than a "climax" - so a piece of music cannot "reach a crescendo".
cricket
Test match, or Test - ie upper case "T".
Scores: all numbers should be written as digits eg: By close of play, England had made 265-8, or WG Grace took 4-9.
criteria
is a plural. The singular is criterion.
criticise
ie with an "s" (and not "criticize").
crossbencher
ie one word, no hyphen. But two words in cross benches.
cross-heads
(also known as sub-heads) They must be in bold type, since part of their job is to break up blocks of text. But they should also provide an incentive to read on. They should not repeat information already provided in copy. And they should not consist of a random word picked from the sentence immediately afterwards: the ideal cross-head should have its inspiration three or four sentences into the text that follows.
Never put a cross-head in the first four paragraphs of a story. Any quotation marks in a cross-head must be single.
Crown
Cap up when the reference relates to the UK monarchy eg: Crown Estate, Crown Court, Crown dependency. Generically, lower case eg: She was the jewel in the crown.
cruise missile
ie no hyphen - and lower case, because it refers to a type of weapon (low-flying, long-distance, computer-controlled winged missile), rather than a specific one.
cryptocurrency
ie one word
CSA
ie all caps, no gaps. The Child Support Agency is responsible for ensuring that parents who live apart from their children contribute financially to their upkeep by paying child maintenance.
Cup(s)
Sports trophies take a capital letter: FA Cup, World Cup, Calcutta Cup etc.
currencies
We say:50p; ÂŁ5; ÂŁ60; ÂŁ3łŸ;&ČÔČúČő±è;ÂŁ500łŸ; ÂŁ6ČúČÔ;&ČÔČúČő±è;ÂŁ20ČúČÔ;&ČÔČúČő±è;ÂŁ15łÙČÔ
In UK stories (about UK firms, the UK economy etc), use pounds only in the first four paragraphs, but provide a US dollar conversion of a key figure at the earliest opportunity.
In eurozone stories (or wherever the original reporting figure is euros), use euros followed in brackets by a pound conversion of a key figure - even in the first four paragraphs.
In World stories (ie. non pound, non eurozone), use US dollars, followed in brackets by a pound conversion of a key figure - again, even in the first four paragraphs. Alternatively, use the local currency and then convert to both US dollars and sterling (eg. Japanâs Nayaka has announced the worst corporate result in history, losing 40 trillion yen ($340bn; ÂŁ212bn).
Abbreviations: The names of all currencies are written out in full at first reference - with the exception of the pound sterling, the euro and the US dollar, which are always ÂŁ,&ČÔČúČő±è;⏠and $. If we do spell out euro, the plural is euros. Otherwise, abbreviations to be used after first reference are: SFr (Swiss francs); HK$ (Hong Kong dollars); A$ (Australian dollars).
For Bitcoin, upper case when referring to the currency - eg: âThe Bitcoin has fallen against the dollar.â Lower case when referring to units of the currency, eg: âYou owe me five bitcoins.â
cyber
All compound words should use a hyphen â cyber-crime, cyber-space, cyber-security, cyber-bullying, cyber-attack.
Cyprus
The northern part, occupied by Turkey, is not internationally recognised, so do not refer to "North Cyprus" - the term the Turks have chosen. Instead, say northern Cyprus, describing it either as Turkish-occupied or Turkish-controlled. And we should speak of the Green Line - not "the so-called Green Line".