Author: BBC

Getty ImagesUK pay after inflation has risen at its fastest rate for more than three years, driven by strong wage growth in the private sector.Pay packets increased on average by 3.4% between September and November compared with the same period a year ago after taking into account the impact of price rises, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Growth in private sector earnings were stronger than for public sector jobs.Despite a risk of higher wages pushing up inflation, the Bank of England is still expected to cut interest rates next month.Rates are currently at 4.75%, but traders have bet…

A Surrey theatre with “critical risk” concrete in its structure could take up to five years to reopen, a council says. Redhill’s Harlequin Theatre has been closed since September 2023, when reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was discovered in the building.It will potentially remain closed until 2030 while Reigate and Banstead Borough Council (RBBC), which owns the theatre, carries out the £10m safety refurbishment work, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.Council leader Richard Biggs said: “I understand the strong feeling and interest in resolving this situation at the Harlequin.”He said: “The critical red nature of the Raac panels means that this is going…

Disclaimers on the websites of both the $Trump and $Melania coins said they were “not intended to be, or the subject of” an investment opportunity or a security.According to the CoinMarketCap website, $Trump has a total market valuation of about $12bn (£9.8bn), while $Melania’s stands at around $1.7bn.Trump had previously called crypto a “scam” but during the 2024 election campaign became the first presidential candidate to accept digital assets as donations.On the campaign trail, Trump also said he would create a strategic bitcoin stockpile and appoint financial regulators that take a more positive stance towards digital assets.That spurred expectations that…

PA MediaRuvimbo Kaviya was left unable to eat because of the pain caused by her tumourA nurse has become the first person in the UK to undergo an operation that saw a tumour removed through her eye socket using keyhole surgery.Ruvimbo Kaviya, 40, from Leeds, had a meningioma removed from the space located beneath her brain and behind her eyes.Many of these types of tumour would have previously been considered inoperable because of where they are situated in an area called the cavernous sinus.Experts at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust practised the surgery several times in advance of Ms…

BBCLatonya only learned she had a Child Trust Fund when a tutor at her college told her about the schemeLatonya Skye-Paterson had no idea a Child Trust Fund had been set up for her until her college tutor suggested she check online.”I found I had £955 in there, which is a lot. A lot more than I was expecting… it helped me so much,” she said.New figures suggest £1.4bn belonging to 728,000 people is ready to be claimed now they have turned 18 – but many do not know the accounts exist, according to a charity that traces lost funds.Now…

Police are investigating after Gladiators star Apollo was reportedly harassed on set in Sheffield by a stalker.The star, real name Alex Gray, 33, was also targeted by the female stalker at home and when meeting fans, according to The Sun on Sunday.South Yorkshire Police confirmed to BBC News that they were aware of reports of a man in his 30s “being subjected to stalking and harassment”.”An investigation has been launched and enquiries are ongoing,” the police added.The BBC declined to comment, while Hungry Bear Media, which produces the show, has not responded to a request for comment.Gray, a former English…

TikTok has gone offline in the US, hours before a new law banning the platform was due to come into effect. BBC News Tech Correspondent Lily Jamali explains what led to this and shows what now happens when she tries to access the app. It comes after the social media platform warned it would “go dark” on Sunday unless the outgoing Biden administration gave assurances the ban would not be enforced. President-elect Donald Trump has said he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a ban once he takes office on Monday, but the popular app’s future in…

Lisa McHughHallie was in hospital for 10 days and had to be fed through a tubeCountry music singer Lisa McHugh has told how her baby daughter spent 10 “horrendous” days in hospital after contracting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).RSV is a common, but highly infectious, respiratory virus that affects the breathing system, particularly in young children and older adults.”You feel so helpless, and it’s the most horrible feeling for a parent to go through, to not be able to fix what’s going on or help,” said Ms McHugh.According to the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland, there have been more than…

TikTok has gone offline in the US, hours before a new law banning the platform was due to come into effect.A message appearing on the app for US users said a law banning TikTok had been enacted, meaning “you can’t use TikTok for now”.The video-sharing app was banned over concerns about its links to the Chinese government and had been given a deadline of 19 January to be sold to an approved US buyer.President Joe Biden had said he would leave the issue to his successor, Donald Trump. Trump has said he will “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve…

Matt PearsonSisi has performed for BBC Introducing, set up to support new music and artistsA young musician has said fringe events taking place ahead of the MOBO Awards, which are to be held in Newcastle for the first time, will “open doors” for the region’s musicians.The awards have been running since 1996 to celebrate black music and culture.A five-day festival leading up to the main event has been planned to create opportunities, raise aspirations and showcase the region’s talent.Sisi, a singer-songwriter from Middlesbrough, said: “A lot of eyes will be on Newcastle that wouldn’t have been.”The 20-year-old said the awards…