Author: BBC

The UK’s job market is continuing to cool and wage growth has slowed, according to the latest official statistics.The number of job vacancies has fallen while growth in the number of employees on payrolls has slowed, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.The unemployment rate remained at 4.4% in the three months to May.Wage growth slowed to 5.7% in the same period, but is still outpacing rising prices.“We continue to see overall some signs of a cooling in the labour market, with the growth in the number of employees on the payroll weakening over the medium term and unemployment gradually…

Ahead of JD Vance’s primetime speech at the Republican convention, the stage became a family affair with Trump’s relatives flocking to the mic. The ex-president’s eldest granddaughter Kai made her first public address before her father Donald Trump Jr spoke at the convention. Usha Vance, the wife of Trump’s VP pick, introduced JD Vance before his speech which reflected a lot on his upbringing. Source link

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Technology stocks around the world have slumped on fears about the global computer chip industry.The selloff came after a report that the Biden administration could be set to further tighten restrictions on exports of semiconductor equipment to China.Comments by former US President Donald Trump that Taiwan, the biggest producer of chips, should pay for its own defence added to the concerns.In the US, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index closed 2.7% lower, while chip stocks have also tumbled in Europe and Asia.In Asia, chip making giant TSMC was trading more than 3% lower in morning trade on Thursday, while semiconductor equipment maker…

A large dinosaur’s skeleton has fetched $44.6m (£34m) at a Sotheby’s auction in New York City – the most ever paid for a fossil.The plant-eating stegosaurus – nicknamed Apex – is 11ft (3.4m) tall and 27ft long from nose to tail, and “ranks high among the most complete skeletons ever found”, Sotheby’s said.It was sold to an anonymous buyer, who said: “Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America” – in what is seen as a hint that it might be loaned to a US institution.Apex was discovered by chance by a palaeontologist in 2022 near…

1 hour agoBy Nick Triggle, Health correspondent, BBC News, @nicktriggle • Jim Reed, Health reporter, BBC NewsPAThe failures and weaknesses in the UK’s pandemic preparations are expected to be laid out in the first report published by the Covid inquiry.Baroness Hallett, who is chairing the public inquiry, will set out her findings at lunchtime.Her report will cover the state of the healthcare system, stockpiles of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the planning that was in place.It is the first of at least nine reports covering everything from political decision-making to vaccines and the impact on children.During the hearings for this module, last year, 69 experts and…

Manuel HarlanFrom causing seismic activity at Harry Styles concerts to Swifties boosting the UK economy during the Eras Tour, the power of teenage female pop fans shouldn’t be underestimated.For playwright Yve Blake, the danger of dismissing these youngsters is the inspiration behind her new comedy musical Fangirls.Following the life of 14-year-old Edna, who is obsessed with a boy band resembling One Direction, Fangirls explores “what it means to love something without apology”. The idea came to Blake in 2015 after she witnessed a pivotal moment in the lives of thousands of teenage girls – Zayn Malik left One Direction.Despondent and…

Just nowBy Farouk Chothia, BBC NewsGetty ImagesIn a sign of the seismic political changes in South Africa, John Hlophe, a once-celebrated judge whose career ended ignominiously with his impeachment just five months ago, has been parachuted into parliament to lead the official opposition. Dr Hlophe is expected to be in full flight on Friday, when he will open the debate in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech on Thursday, setting out his new coalition government’s plans to tackle South Africa’s myriad problems – including an unemployment rate of 32%, high levels of crime, deteriorating infrastructure, and land ownership in a nation bedevilled…

A new law is set to prevent any future government from sidelining the UK’s independent forecaster from assessing its economic plans like former prime minister Liz Truss did for her short-lived mini-budget.Powers will be given to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to make judgements on any major taxation or spending announcements in a bid to deliver “stability”, the Treasury said.Ms Truss’s mini-budget saw her administration shun the OBR when it announced £45bn in unfunded tax cuts in September 2022, spooking financial markets and leading to mortgage rates soaring.The new Labour government hopes preventing such a move from happening again…

Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and is suffering mild symptoms, the White House has said.Karine Jean-Pierre, his press secretary, said the US president is vaccinated and boosted. He has had Covid twice before.Mr Biden, 81, was seen earlier on Wednesday visiting supporters in Las Vegas and speaking at an event. He has cancelled a campaign speech in the city tonight.The illness comes as he faces increasing pressure to step aside because of his age following a poor debate performance at the end of June. Ms Jean-Pierre said the president planned to isolate at his home in Delaware while…