Author: BBC

Twenty big cats – including a Bengal tiger and four cougars – have died of bird flu over the past several weeks at an animal sanctuary in the state of Washington. “This tragedy has deeply affected our team, and we are all grieving the loss of these incredible animals,” the Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington wrote in a post on Facebook. The devastating viral infection, carried by wild birds, spreads primarily through respiratory secretions and bird-to-bird contact and can also be contracted by mammals that ingest birds or other products.The sanctuary is under quarantine and is closed to the…

Honda and Nissan plan to merge as the two Japanese firms seek to fight back against competition from the Chinese car industry.Joining forces would create one of the world’s biggest car producers alongside Toyota, Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford.The potentially multibillion dollar deal to combat “the rise of Chinese power” was a key driver behind the plan, said Honda’s chief executive Toshihiro Mibe.Mr Mibe said a plan to “fight back” needs to be in place by 2030, or they risk being “beaten” by rivals.The merger, which would include Mitsubishi – of which Nissan is the biggest shareholder – would allow…

BBCOn a cold day in November, hundreds of people flocked to an arena in Coventry, which has previously hosted gigs by Oasis, Rihanna, and Harry Styles, for an event of a very different kind.The 500 people who turned out – some from as far afield as Mongolia and Canada – were taking part in an activity less known for drawing in crowds: the Rubik’s UK Championship in “speedcubing,” or racing to solve puzzle cubes at terrific speed.Rows of tables were laid out in the arena and 15 events took place over three days. Some involved solving the puzzle one-handed, others…

Liam Payne’s girlfriend has shared a message about experiencing sadness and grief during the Christmas holidays following the singer’s death earlier this year.Payne died in October after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.Kate Cassidy – who had been in a relationship with the One Direction star since 2022 – said: “As the holidays are here, I realise it is a time for happiness and joy, but it is also a time of sadness and grief for so many.”In an Instagram stories post, she said she was sending love to those “carrying…

PA MediaA recruitment drive for Scotland’s first ever Patient Safety Commissioner has failed for a second time. MSPs passed a law creating the new independent public advocate for NHS patients in September last year.The first round of interviews for the £89,685-a-year role in April failed to produce a suitable candidate and then last month a second round of interviews saw the preferred person then turn the job down.Campaigners have described the latest delay as “incredibly frustrating”. A spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament, which is handling the recruitment process, said the job would be re-advertised in 2025 after a review of…

EPAAmerican Airlines has resumed flights after suspending its services for around an hour on Tuesday due to a technical issue that impacted the systems needed to release its planes.The nationwide halt was cancelled just before 13:00 GMT, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).The disruption came during one of the busiest travel days of the year as passengers made journeys on Christmas Eve.In a statement, the airline said a “vendor technology issue” had caused the issue and it was “all hands on deck” to minimise further disruption.”We sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience this morning,” the airline said.”It’s…

Getty ImagesSome Morrisons customers encountered further delays with their Christmas orders more than 24 hours after after the supermarket experienced what it called “systems issues” on Monday. One customer told the BBC she was left waiting for about £200 worth of groceries, another said he struggled to get answers from the firm about his Christmas shop.It follows chaotic scenes at the UK’s fifth biggest supermarket on 23 December – the biggest grocery shopping day of the year – which saw deliveries cancelled and discounts not applied.Morrisons has apologised and says deliveries are back to normal but it has yet to…

Ariana Grande has spread some festive cheer by donating Christmas presents to children in hospitals across Manchester.The American pop star has supported Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital since May 2017, when a suicide bomber targeted fans as they left her concert in the city.Grande previously made donations to neo-natal intensive care units at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital and Saint Mary’s Hospital.Following her latest donations, the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity posted on X: “Thank you Ariana Grande. We are so grateful to Ariana for thinking of our young patients this Christmas.”The charity said the gifts were…

NHS website information on drinking while breastfeeding saw the highest increase in visits at Christmas last year, new figures show. Among the most visited pages on Christmas and Boxing Day in 2023 were advice coughs, colds and chest infections.But some people also wanted to know about drinking and breastfeeding, alcohol poisoning and rabies, NHS England said. Page views on burns and scalds and how to treat them also increased.In terms of health conditions, the most commonly viewed page after Covid-19 was for the winter vomiting norovirus with 19,170 visits over the 48-hour festive period in 2023.Some 17,398 other visits -…

A consultation has been launched on the phasing-out of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.The ban on UK sales of these vehicles had been extended to 2035 under the previous Conservative government but Labour said it would restore the 2030 deadline in its election manifesto.Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is now seeking views from automotive and charging experts to “restore clarity” on how to deliver the ban.The consultation follows a row between the government and the industry over the future move to electric vehicles.Last month, Ford said the UK government’s mandate to produce and sell more electric vehicles (EVs) “just…