Author: BBC

Several cabinet ministers have written to the prime minister and the Treasury to complain about dramatic cuts which would see spending slashed in some government departments.The Chancellor is expected to raise taxes in the Budget at the end of this month.But spending cuts will also be required to plug what Whitehall sources have suggested is a £40bn funding gap without further borrowing.The Chancellor was due to submit a final outline of her planned measures to the official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility, on Wednesday.There has been considerable Cabinet disquiet about the spending cuts required to meet the Treasury’s proposed…

Social media companies will face punishments for failing to keep children safe on their platforms, communications watchdog Ofcom has warned.Services like Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp could face fines from the regulator if they do not comply with the new Online Safety Act – which comes into force early next year – Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes, told the BBC.Dame Melanie said it was the responsibility of the firms – not parents or children – to make sure people were safe online.Companies will have three months from when the guidance is finalised to carry out risk assessments and make relevant…

Hilary NichollsClarissa Nicholls collapsed and died while hiking in FranceStudents at the University of Cambridge have been offered heart screenings after a 20-year-old undergraduate suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.Clarissa Nicholls collapsed and died from an undiagnosed arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) while hiking in France in May 2023.Miss Nicholls’ friends have begun Clarissa’s Campaign for Cambridge Hearts and have raised more than £55,000 to pay for heart screenings through electrocardiograms (ECGs) for hundreds of students.Hilary Nicholls told the BBC that her daughter would have been “very proud”.Robbie Kalus/BBCHilary Nicholls (left) and Jess Reeve – co-founder of Clarissa’s CampaignMiss Nicholls was studying French…

ReutersPolice cracked down on the Islamic Global Ikhwan Group in September amid claims of rampant child sex abuseMembers of a Malaysian religious group accused of human trafficking and child sexual abuse continued committing crimes even after a large-scale police crackdown, according to authorities.The Islamic Global Ikhwan Group (GISB) made international headlines in September after police rescued 402 minors suspected of being abused across 20 care homes.Authorities arrested 171 suspects at the time, including teachers and caretakers – but hundreds more have been arrested since, as further details emerge of the group’s alleged crimes.Among those are allegations that, until 1 October,…

Getty ImagesThe music mogul is facing multiple claims of rape and sexual assaultSean “Diddy” Combs has been accused of raping a woman as “payback” for suggesting he was involved in the murder of Tupac Shakur.In a lawsuit filed in California, Ashley Parham also claims the musician threatened to slash her face with a knife in retaliation for her comments.Mr Combs has yet to respond to the allegations, but has consistently denied all claims of sexual assault.He has also previously denied any involvement in the drive-by shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996.The murder has never been…

Getty ImagesRising prices are a key factor in the health of our own finances – and that is particularly true at this time of year.The rate of rising prices, known as inflation, charts not only how much we pay in the shops, but also by how much benefits rise each year.The inflation figure published on Wednesday – 1.7% – is the one normally used by the government when setting the rise in benefits in April.It also comes just two weeks before the new Labour government’s defining first Budget.Here are some of the ways in which it will directly affect you…

Getty ImagesThe UK government is considering whether to require all new electronic devices to use the same type of charging cable.A call for evidence launched in October is asking for views on the benefits of using a particular charging cable – such as USB-C, which is used by many modern devices.It comes after the European Union passed a law on a common charging cable in 2022, which firms must adopt by December.The UK government said at the time it was not considering similar rules.The EU’s law aims to cut electronic waste by requiring small to medium electronic device manufacturers to…

An urgent review is needed to make sure people in England can get weight loss jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro on the NHS, top experts warn. It comes a day after the prime minister said such injections could boost Britain’s economy by getting obese unemployed people “back into work”. More than 200 doctors and specialists have now written to the health secretary to say how stretched NHS obesity treatment services face unprecedented demand from patients wanting these drugs.They warn the injections are only part of what should be a wider package of non-stigmatising care. They say the government must…

AFPIndian PM Narendra Modi (right) shakes hand with Canada’s Justin Trudeau ahead of the G20 summit in September 2023India and Canada have expelled their top diplomats amid escalating tensions over the assassination of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil, marking a new low in a historically cordial relationship. While past disagreements have strained ties, none have reached this level of open confrontation.In 1974, India shocked the world by detonating a nuclear device, drawing outrage from Canada, which accused India of extracting plutonium from a Canadian reactor, a gift intended solely for peaceful use.Relations between the two nations cooled considerably –…

Getty ImagesIf convicted, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces up to life in prisonSean “Diddy” Combs, one of the most successful rappers and music moguls in the US, will soon be on trial for sex trafficking and racketeering charges.At a hearing attended by Mr Combs, a judge ruled his trial will begin on 5 May next year.Mr Combs, wearing a creased beige prison uniform, sat next to his attorneys as the judge discussed imposing a gag order that would prevent attorneys or prosecutors from discussing the case publicly or with the media. Members of Mr Combs’s family lined seats in the courtroom.…