Author: BBC

Catherine SnowdonHealth reporterGetty ImagesBabies born to fathers over the age of 60 went up by 14.2% in 2024 compared with the year before, official figures show. Of 594,677 live births in England and Wales last year, 1,076 babies had dads over 60, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Total births in England in 2024 rose slightly for the first time since 2021. Births where one or both parents were born outside of the UK also increased in both England and Wales.The ONS said the increase in the number of babies born to older dads was “notable”.A number of celebrities…

Faarea MasudBusiness reporter, BBC NewsPA MediaIssues at an electrical substation which caused a fire that resulted in Heathrow Airport closing were first detected seven years ago but not fixed, a report has found.The investigation found that National Grid, which owns the substation, had been aware of a fault since 2018.The report details numerous opportunities to identify issues at the substation, but found maintenance was repeatedly deferred.Heathrow shut down as a result of the power cut, which led to thousands of cancelled flights and stranded passengers. Energy watchdog Ofgem has launched an investigation into National Grid following the report’s findings, which…

The wait is over, K-pop fans – BTS are back. The South Korean band confirmed their highly-anticipated comeback on Tuesday, scheduling a new album and tour for next year.Announcing the news during their first live stream since all band members completed their mandatory military service, the seven-strong group said they would head to the US later this month to begin working on new music. “Hey guys, we are back,” Jimin said, with the group adding that their album would be released in spring 2026.”We’re also planning a world tour alongside the album. We’ll be visiting fans all around the world,…

Tech platforms could be forced to prevent illegal content from going viral and limit the ability for people to send virtual gifts to or record a child’s livestream, under more online safety measures proposed by Ofcom.The UK regulator published a consultation on Monday seeking views on further protections to keep citizens, particularly children, safer online.These could also include making some larger platforms assess whether they need to proactively detect terrorist material under further online safety measures.Oliver Griffiths, online safety group director at Ofcom, said its proposed measures seek to build on existing UK online safety rules but keep up with…

Philippa RoxbyHealth reporterGetty ImagesParents are being prevented from vaccinating their children because of obstacles such as difficulty booking appointments and a lack of reminders on what jabs are needed and when, a report suggests.Child health experts say “practical or logistical reasons” are discouraging families more often than fears over the vaccines.Vaccine uptake in the UK has fallen over the last decade, leading to outbreaks of measles and whooping cough.UK health officials say they are committed to working with the NHS to improve vaccine uptake among children.’Easier access’Since 2022, no childhood vaccine in the UK has met the World Health Organisation…

The amount of time off and pay new parents can get after the birth of a child will be looked at in a “landmark” review, the government says.Ministers said they wanted to modernise the system across paternity, maternity and shared parental leave, which campaigners said had been “overlooked for years”.Campaign group The Dad Shift called the review the “best chance in a generation to improve the system and make sure it actually works for working families”.A committee of MPs recently called the UK’s parental leave system “one of the worst in the developed world” with “fundamental flaws”.Shadow business secretary Andrew…

Paul GlynnCulture reporterGetty ImagesBob Vylan describe themselves on social media as the “prettiest punk/rap/alt thing you’ll ever meet”Ipswich punk-rap duo Bob Vylan grabbed the headlines at Glastonbury Festival over the weekend, but for many readers, the name might be a new one.Organisers of the festival said they were “appalled” after frontman Bobby Vylan led a crowd in chants of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]”.The prime minister condemned them for using what he called “appalling hate speech”. And on Monday, Avon and Somerset Police said a criminal investigation has been launched over performances by the band and Irish…

President Donald Trump has said he has a buyer for TikTok, the video-sharing app that was banned in the US amid claims it posed a national security risk.In a Fox News interview, Trump said he had a group of “very wealthy people” willing to acquire the platform. “I’ll tell you in about two weeks,” he teased.A sale would need approval from the Chinese government, but Trump told Fox he thought President Xi Jinping “will probably do it”.This month Trump delayed for a third time the enforcement of a law mandating TikTok’s sale. The latest extension requires parent company ByteDance to…

Sophie van BrugenBBC NewsBBCPupils at Platt Primary school in Maidstone learn about sun protectionChildren as young as five are being taught how to check UV levels and apply sunscreen, as part of a new pilot aimed at reducing future skin cancer cases.The initiative, currently being trialled in primary schools across Kent, is planned to be introduced into Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) lessons nationwide from 2026.Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is linked to UV exposure – and experts say sunburn in childhood significantly increases the risk later in life.In 2021, around 18,300 people were diagnosed with…

Canada has scrapped a tax on big US technology firms, just hours before it was due to come into force, to allow trade talks between the two countries to restart.On Friday, US President Donald Trump called off negotiations over a trade deal, describing the tax as a “blatant attack”, and threatened higher tariffs on imports from Canada.In response, Canada has said it is removing the tax, which should have come into effect on Monday.The digital services tax (DST) would have meant US tech giants including Amazon, Meta, Google and Apple, facing a 3% charge on Canadian revenue above $20m.Canada’s finance…