Author: BBC

BBCIt had been the NHS’s longest-running and bitterest pay dispute – responsible for hundreds of thousands of cancelled operations and appointments.And then, suddenly, word came on Monday that the British Medical Association was recommending that its 50,000 junior doctor members accept a fresh offer from the new government.It sounded almost too good to be true. And now some are wondering if it might be.What’s the deal?Last Friday, just three days after formal negotiations started at the Department of Health’s London headquarters, Health Secretary Wes Streeting laid his cards on the table.It was, he made clear to the British Medical Association…

A major prisoner exchange between Russia, the US and four European countries is under way in Ankara, the Turkish presidency has confirmed.Three US citizens imprisoned in Russia – Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, US Marine veteran Paul Whelan and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva – are thought to be among those being released.In total, the exchange will involve at least 24 prisoners.Eight Russian nationals are expected to be returned to Russia, including several with suspected ties to Russian intelligence. One of them is Vadim Krasikov, identified by German officials as a colonel in Russia’s FSB intelligence service, who is…

Getty ImagesEdwards admitted on Wednesday to having 41 indecent images of children, which had been sent to him by another man on WhatsAppCulture Secretary Lisa Nandy will speak with BBC director general Tim Davie after former newsreader Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.The pair are expected to speak over the phone on Thursday and discuss the organisation’s handling of the case.It comes after it emerged on Wednesday evening that the BBC was told Edwards was under suspicion of child abuse image offences.The corporation’s statement earlier in the day only referred to the organisation…

Engine-maker Rolls-Royce has said it would restart its dividend after a four-year gap, as it predicted a rise in profits.The company is forecasting a full-year underlying operating profit of between £2.1bn and £2.3bn ($2.70-2.95bn) for 2024, up to £300m more than it predicted in February.In October it announced 2,500 job cuts from its global workforce of 42,000 to create a “more efficient and effective” company.The Derby-based firm, which makes engines for aircraft, ships and submarines but also makes power generation systems, had not paid a dividend since 2020.Shares in the company jumped 11% to an all-time high of 501p in…

ReutersA faulty CrowdStrike update crashed 8.5 million Microsoft Windows computersCrowdStrike is being sued by its shareholders after a faulty software update by the cybersecurity firm crashed more than eight million computers and caused chaos around the world.The lawsuit accuses the company of making “false and misleading” statements about its software testing.It also says the company’s share price dropped 32% in the 12 days after the incident, causing a loss in market value of $25bn (£14.5bn).CrowdStrike denies the allegations and says it will defend itself against the proposed class action lawsuit.Meanwhile, the firm has said computers affected by the massive global…

A seven-year-old boy has become the first child in the UK to undergo surgery using a pioneering robot-assisted device.Reece, from Gosport, Hampshire, was treated for a kidney condition at Southampton Children’s Hospital.The NHS centre is leading a UK trial of the use of the Versius Surgical Robotic System on children, following successful operations involving adult patients.The hospital said it hoped the technology would produce faster recovery times, less post-operative pain and less time in hospital.Reece was diagnosed with an obstruction which inhibited the flow of urine from his kidney.Consultant paediatric urologist Ewan Brownlee used the robot to repair a narrowing…

Sudan’s military leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has survived an assassination attempt, the army spokesman has told the BBC.Nabil Abdallah blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which the army has been battling for the last 16 months for control of the country.He said two drones had struck an army graduation ceremony killing five people at a base in Jabait in the east – territory under the control of the military.But the RSF’s legal adviser told the Reuters news agency that the group, which has agreed to go to US-mediated talks next month, was not responsible.Speaking after being evacuated to…

The chancellor has said the government will likely raise some taxes in October’s Budget after months of speculation about Labour’s stance on tax.”I think we will have to increase taxes in the Budget,” Rachel Reeves told the News Agents podcast.She was responding to a question about raising money following her claim on Monday that the previous government left a £22bn “hole” in the public finances. Labour said repeatedly during the election campaign there would be no tax rises on “working people”, but the Conservatives had insisted Labour would increase them.Speaking on the podcast, the chancellor was pushed on which taxes…

Dozens of staff at the Singapore office of TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, have been hospitalised in an apparent food poisoning outbreak.Health and food safety officials in the city state are investigating the incident, which left 60 people with symptoms of gastroenteritis on Tuesday. Fifty seven of them were treated in hospital.ByteDance has also said it is looking into what caused its employees to fall ill.The BBC understands that no food is prepared or cooked at the ByteDance offices and that it uses third party caterers to supply food.Seventeen ambulances were sent to the building in Singapore’s business district to treat…

ReutersTuesday has become the hottest day of the year so far as a heatwave continues to affect large parts of the UK.Met Office measuring stations in both Heathrow and Kew Gardens, south-west London, reached 32C (90F) earlier – exceeding the 31.9C recorded in the centre of the city on 19 July.London, southern England and south-eastern Wales are expected to meet the official criteria for a heatwave this week.But the hot weather may be short-lived – with a yellow alert for thunderstorms issued by the Met Office across large parts of both nations later in the week.A Yellow Heat Health Alert…