Author: BBC

Women who tracked their menstrual cycle using smartphone apps have been warned about the privacy and safety risks of doing so.A report from the University of Cambridge’s Minderoo Centre said the apps were a “gold mine” for consumer profiling and collecting information.Academics cautioned that in the wrong hands, the data could result in health insurance “discrimination” and risks to job prospects.Professor Gina Neff, executive director at the Minderoo Centre, said: “Women deserve better than to have their menstrual tracking data treated as consumer data, but there is a different possible future.”The apps collect information on everything from exercise, diet and…

Emma SaundersCulture reporterGetty ImagesSinger-songwriter Ed Sheeran has said he identifies culturally as Irish despite being born and raised in England.Brought up in Suffolk, the Galway Girl singer’s dad hails from Belfast.”I class my culture as Irish. I think that’s what I grew up with,” he told The Louis Theroux Podcast.”My dad’s family is… he’s got seven brothers and sisters. We’d spend all of our holidays in Ireland. My first musical experiences were in Ireland, I grew up with trad music in the house. So I identify culturally as Irish, but I was obviously born and raised in Britain.””I don’t overthink…

Marks and Spencer is beginning to take online orders again after it halted purchases through its website in April following a hugely damaging cyber attack.The High Street chain said shoppers were now able to buy a selection of fashion items, such as clothing and footwear, for home delivery in England, Scotland and Wales.It said beauty and homeware products would be available in the coming days, with click and collect and delivery services to Northern Ireland resuming “in the coming weeks”.The return of online shopping marks a key milestone for the retailer, which has been struggling to get services back to…

Uber will trial robotaxis – autonomous cars with no human safety driver at the wheel – in London next spring.The ride-hailing app will work with the UK artificial intelligence (AI) firm Wayve, which has been testing out the technology on the city’s streets with human oversight, in line with current legislation.The announcement comes after the UK government changed its rules about the driverless cars once again.It was originally aiming for the tech to come to British roads in 2026, then the date was changed to the second half of 2027.But it now says it is introducing an accelerated framework for…

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic, has removed all 17 members of a committee that issues official government recommendations on immunisations.Announcing the move in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Kennedy said that conflicts of interest on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) were responsible for undermining trust in vaccinations.Kennedy said he wanted to “ensure the American people receive the safest vaccines possible.”Doctors and health experts have criticised Kennedy’s longstanding questioning of the safety and efficacy of a number of vaccines, although in his Senate confirmation hearing he said he is “not going to…

Music superstars J Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems will perform a half-time show at the Club World Cup final in New Jersey next month, as football follows the example of the Super Bowl.Colombian singer Balvin, US rapper Doja Cat and Nigerian star Tems will cram their performances into the 15-minute half-time break.The line-up has been curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and the event will hope to emulate the success of the long-running Super Bowl half-time show, which has featured stars including Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna and The Weeknd in recent years.Teams including Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain will…

A new round of talks aimed at resolving the trade war between the US and China is set take place in London on Monday.A senior US delegation including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will meet with Chinese representatives such as Vice Premier He Lifeng to resolve tensions between the world’s two largest economies, which is threatening global growth. Chinese exports of rare earths, which are crucial for modern technology, as well as Beijing’s access to US products, including computer chips, are expected to be high on the agenda. Last month, Washington and Beijing agreed a temporary truce over trade tariffs but…

Getty ImagesPlans being discussed by ministers include limiting the time children can spend on social media appsThe government is considering introducing tougher online safety measures to limit the amount of time children can spend on social media, the BBC understands.Proposals include a two-hour cap on the use of individual social media apps and a 22:00 curfew, as first reported by the Sunday People and the Mirror.Appearing on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said he was looking at the “addictive nature of some of the apps and smartphones”, when asked whether time limits would be…

The NHS has warned that it continues to face a “challenging” blood shortage, as it calls for 200,000 new donors to come forward.Concern over blood stocks prompted the health service to issue an “amber alert” last year, meaning supplies were running low enough to have an impact on patient treatment.Supplies have remained low ever since, with officials warning there is a “critical” need for more donors who have O negative blood, which can be given to the majority of patients.NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), the body that oversees England’s blood donation system, said the number of regular donors needs to…

This weekend, music fans have been soaking up the sun and the beats at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, one of Europe’s biggest festivals.Headlining the festival were three mega stars: Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter, also known as the “Powerpuff Girls” of pop.The stellar line-up also included Haim, Wolf Alice, Jamie xx and CMAT.If you weren’t lucky enough to get tickets, here’s a flavour of what the weekend looked like…Primavera SoundIt’s the Apple dance we never knew we needed. Chappell Roan was brought on as a surprise guest during Charli XCX’s set, and crowds erupted as she performed the…