Author: BBC

Bereaved relatives have been asked to repay state pensions that were wrongly sent to people who have died by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).The DWP has confirmed it has no legal right to reclaim the money but argues that it does so to protect public funds.Former Pensions Minister Sir Steve Webb says the letter the department sends out to families does not make it clear the repayments are voluntary.Over the past five years, the DWP mistakenly paid more than £500m in state pensions and pension credits to the deceased, recovering about half from bereaved relatives.This situation can arise…

Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporterGetty ImagesGascón (pictured at the Cannes Film Festival last year) has said she “sincerely apologised to those who have been hurt”Tweets posted by best actress nominee Karla Sofía Gascón, mostly between 2019 and 2024, have caused significant fallout and left the film’s awards campaign in disarray.Gascón has released several statements and given interviews since the controversy began, but in a new Instagram post she said she now wanted to step back and “let the work talk for itself”.She added she hoped her silence would “allow the film to be appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to…

Brian WheelerSenior political reporterReutersKeir Starmer is pinning his growth hopes on cutting edge tools powered by AISir Keir Starmer’s plan to make the UK a “world leader” in Artificial Intelligence (AI) could put already stretched supplies of drinking water under strain, industry sources have told the BBC.The giant data centres needed to power AI can require large quantities of water to prevent them from overheating.The tech industry says it is developing more efficient cooling systems that use less water.But the department for science, innovation and technology said in a statement it recognised the plants “face sustainability challenges”.The government has committed…

Michelle RobertsDigital health editor, BBC NewsBBCMore than 100,000 women are believed to have had mesh implants fitted between 2007 and 2015Women harmed by pelvic mesh implants are still waiting for government compensation a year after a major report called for urgent action. Patient safety commissioner Dr Henrietta Hughes, who made that recommendation, called it “an injustice” for the thousands of lives destroyed. Some women were left in permanent pain, unable to walk, work or have sex, after the surgery to treat incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.The government says it remains “fully focused” on how best to support patients and prevent…

UK house prices have hit another record high with the average property price reaching £299,138, Halifax has said.The UK’s largest mortgage lender, part of Lloyds Banking Group, said property values recovered in January after seeing a slight dip in December.The annual growth in prices slowed to 3.0%, which is the weakest rate since July 2023, but Halifax said the market was showing “noteworthy” resilience.Amanda Bryden, head of mortgages at Halifax, said there was “strong demand for new mortgages and growth in lending”, which might be being driven by first-time buyers trying to complete deals before an increase in stamp duty…

Mark SavageMusic CorrespondentGetty ImagesIrv Gotti was part of a wave of hip-hop producers like Dr Dre and Timbaland, whose name carried as much clout as the stars they worked withIrv Gotti, the music producer who created hits for Ja Rule, Ashanti, DMX and Jennifer Lopez, has died at the age of 54.Best known as the founder of the record label Murder Inc., his signature style of blending hip-hop beats with smooth R&B melodies shaped the sound of the charts in the late 90s and early 2000s.As a writer and producer, his multi-platinum hits included the J-Lo and Ja Rule duets…

Google has become the latest big US firm to scrap its goals to recruit more workers from underrepresented groups, BBC News understands.The decision to abandon the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) recruitment targets comes after the company carried out an annual review of its corporate policies.The technology giant is also reviewing some of its other DEI programmes.US President Donald Trump and his allies have regularly attacked DEI policies. Since his return to the White House just over two weeks ago, Trump has ordered government agencies to eliminate such initiatives.”We’re committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed…

Family photoVlad Nikolin-Caisley died on 7 May 2024 after swallowing poison he bought online”I saw my son fighting for his last breath,” says Anna Nikolin-Caisley. “He went in agony.”Anna believes her youngest child, Vlad, 17, was “encouraged” to swallow poison by users of an online “pro-suicide” group which is still active in the UK, despite numerous calls to ban it. Vlad’s family have decided to reveal the harrowing details of his death, in Hampshire in May 2024, as a warning to others. The government said platforms must remove illegal suicide and self-harm content when new rules come into effect this…

Faarea MasudBBC Business reporterReutersInterest rates are expected to be cut by the Bank of England later, in a move closely watched by households and economists.Analysts predict the benchmark rate will be cut from 4.75% to 4.5%, given the recent weakness in the UK economy which has seen slow growth.The Bank uses interest rates as its main tool for controlling inflation, which is currently above the Bank’s target. However, inflation unexpectedly dipped at the end of last year, raising expectations of a rate cut.Inflation is forecast to rise again though, partly due to changes in the Budget as well as uncertainty…

Sky News presenter Kay Burley has announced she is retiring from the network after 36 years. Closing the channel’s breakfast programme on Wednesday, Burley said it had been “an honour and a privilege to work with some of the best and hardest working teams in the business”.Burley reflected that Sky News had gone “from a standing start to one of the most recognised and valued brands in global news”.Burley, 64, joined Sky News in 1989 and was part of the team that covered the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the 9/11 terror attacks, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and…