Author: BBC

The government may need to deliberately put people off travelling between Birmingham and Manchester by rail because scrapping HS2’s northern leg is likely to mean trains can take fewer passengers. New HS2 trains will travel to Manchester on existing tracks but they will have less space than current services, according to a report by the public spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) said the government could need to manage demand by “incentivising people to travel at different times or to not travel by rail”. The NAO’s report also stated that the previous Conservative government had spent £592m buying up…

In a surprise move Google has abandoned a plan it first announced four years ago to block third-party cookies from its Chrome internet browser.The UK’s data privacy watchdog said it was “disappointed” by the decision.Cookies are small files stored on your computer which allow advertisers to track internet activity and target advertising.Google says it will instead pursue a new approach which will give users an “informed choice that applies across their web browsing” and is discussing next steps with regulators.This suggests the firm is not abandoning its alternative approach to advertising, but will allow a third-party cookie based system to…

Family handoutMaeve Boothby-O’Neill had suffered from chronic fatigue since the age of 13A young woman died months after begging her GP for help with her chronic fatigue syndrome, an inquest heard. Maeve Boothby-O’Neill, 27, had written to her doctor asking for help with feeding as she was hungry.Ms Boothby-O’Neill had been diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). She died at home in Exeter, Devon, in October 2021.The inquest, which is scheduled to last two weeks, continues.’Unable to engage’The hearing in Exeter heard that she had told her GP, Dr Lucy Shenton, in June 2021: “Dear Dr Shenton, I know you are…

BBCThe BBC is conducting an internal investigation into the complaints about StrictlyThe BBC’s director general has apologised to Strictly Come Dancing contestants after complaints of abusive behaviour on the show.Tim Davie said he was “disappointed” to hear that several celebrities had complained about how their dance partners treated them in rehearsals.The BBC One show’s professionals should not cross the line between being competitive and “unacceptable behaviour”, he warned – but did confirm the show would return.”There will be a degree of competitiveness and will to do well, but there are limits and the line should never be crossed,” he said.”We…

Kamala Harris has overhauled her campaign’s online presence by embracing a social media trend inspired by pop star Charli XCX’s Brat album cover.The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has scattered references to the album across her campaign’s account, renaming her profile Kamala HQ. Her rebrand comes as Charli showed her support by tweeting “kamala IS brat” shortly after President Joe Biden announced he was stepping out of the race for the White House and endorsed his vice-president. By Monday morning, Ms Harris had seized on Charli’s backing – with the account sporting a new lime green photo in the style of…

Getty ImagesThe government says “exploitative zero-hours contracts” will be banned within 100 days Young people working in insecure jobs have been promised a “new deal” by the government.A law announced last week includes a ban on “exploitative” zero-hours contracts which allow employers to only pay staff when they need them.The Employment Rights Bill will give workers the right to a contract reflecting the number of hours they regularly work. It also requires bosses to give “reasonable notice” and compensation if shifts are changed or cancelled.The government’s claimed the new rules will provide more security and less instability for workers.But people…

Kensington Palace has released a new photograph of Prince George to mark his 11th birthday.The photo was taken by his mother, Catherine, Princess of Wales, this year.”Wishing Prince George a very happy 11th birthday today,” the Palace’s social media account posted alongside the image.The prince was last seen in public accompanying his father, the Prince of Wales, in Berlin for the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain.Catherine regularly takes photographs of her family, sharing them on social media to mark birthdays and special occasions.This year’s photo of the prince, displayed in black and white, contrasts with the more casual…

A court in the UAE has handed 57 Bangladeshis long prison terms for holding protests in the Gulf state against their own country’s government.Three of the unnamed defendants were sentenced to life for “inciting riots in several streets across the UAE on Friday”, while 53 others were jailed for 10 years and one for 11 years, state-run Wam news agency reported.It cited their court-appointed defence lawyer as arguing during Sunday’s trial that the gatherings had no criminal intent and that the evidence was insufficient.Protests are effectively illegal in the UAE, where foreigners make up almost 90% of the population. Bangladeshis…

PA MediaHarland and Wolff employs about 1,500 people, mainly in BelfastOffering financial support to Harland and Wolff meant “a very substantial risk that taxpayer money would be lost”, the government has said.The loss-making shipbuilder had applied for a loan guarantee of up to £200m.It would have allowed the company to borrow money with the government acting as guarantor.However, if the loans were to go bad the government would have had to step in to repay the lenders.In a written statement the Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said: “This decision was based on a comprehensive assessment of the company’s financial profile and…

A former Strictly Come Dancing contestant has said his time on the show left him with “injuries that still affect me to this day”.Paralympian Will Bayley, who appeared on the show in 2019, was left in “horrific pain” after practising a jump in rehearsals with his professional partner Janette Manrara. The 36-year-old table tennis champion told The Sun he didn’t want to do the jump and his coach had also told the show beforehand that he “can’t do jumps”.A BBC spokesman said it had “longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur and that includes contestants receiving all necessary…