Author: BBC

Getty ImagesThe US director of national intelligence says the UK has withdrawn its controversial demand to access global Apple users’ data if required.Tulsi Gabbard said in a post on X the UK had agreed to drop its instruction for the tech giant to provide a “back door” which would have “enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties”.The BBC understands Apple has not yet received any formal communication from either the US or UK governments.The Home Office has been approached for comment.In December, the UK issued Apple with a formal notice demanding…

A multi-million pound scheme to create a “happiness centre” in honour of legendary Liverpool comedian Sir Ken Dodd will not go ahead after failing to secure funding. Proposals for the £15m centre, slated to be built next to the Royal Court Theatre in the city centre, were signed off by Liverpool Council last year. It had been intended to exhibit the late Sir Ken’s vast personal collection of artefacts and joke books, as well as providing performance spaces for budding entertainers. However, the trustees of the scheme, including his widow Lady Anne Dodd, have “with a heavy heart” confirmed it…

Daniel ThomasBusiness reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesThe big American tech companies dominate the global cloud-computing sectorImagine if US President Donald Trump could flip a switch and turn off Europe’s internet.It may sound far-fetched, crazy even. But it’s a scenario that has been seriously discussed in tech industry and policy circles in recent months, as tensions with Washington have escalated, and concerns about the EU’s reliance on American technology have come to the fore.At the root of these concerns is the fact just three US giants – Google, Microsoft and Amazon – provide 70% of Europe’s cloud-computing infrastructure, the scaffolding on which…

Leigh Boobyer & Jeremy SternBBC News, WiltshireBBCFaye Woodley says she has “no confidence” in planned NHS dentistry reformsA woman who says her teeth were destroyed by cancer treatment says dental care in the UK “feels like we’re going back to Victorian times”.Faye Woodley, who is unable to work because of chronic illness, said she was unable to afford the required treatment to fix her teeth, which would cost thousands of pounds at her practice.She said she had “no confidence” in planned NHS dentistry reforms and the current situation felt like a step back in time when “only the rich were…

Douglas FraserBusiness and economy editor, ScotlandGetty ImagesIt is thought some importers may have front-loaded their orders of Scottish salmon ahead of the tariffs kicking in”Shortbread is America’s second favourite cookie, after chocolate chip,” says Anne Robinson, owner of Scottish Gourmet USA, a small business in North Carolina. She imports Scottish produce and sells it at her store in Greensboro and online. “But how much will consumers pay for their little pleasures?”Along with Andrew Hamilton, her Scottish husband, she’s about to find out. They are putting up prices, partly due to the 10% tariff on imports into the US from Scotland.There…

Oscar-nominated actor Terence Stamp had a film career that spanned six decadesTerence Stamp, the English actor who played the arch-villain General Zod in the original Superman films, has died at the age of 87.In a career that spanned six decades, the Oscar-nominated actor starred in films including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Far From the Madding Crowd and Valkyrie.Stamp died on Sunday morning, his family said in a statement to Reuters news agency.”He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and a writer that will continue to touch people for years to come,”…

The heads of the UK’s national institute for artificial intelligence (AI) have acknowledged recent months have been “challenging” for staff as the charity undergoes “substantial” change.It comes after staff raised “serious and escalating concerns” in a whistleblowing complaint this week submitted to the Charity Commission.They warned that the body – which receives £100m from the government – is at risk of collapse after Technology Secretary Peter Kyle instructed it to prioritise defence, and threatened to pull its funding if it did not.In a letter seen by the BBC, Chair Dr Doug Gurr said the Turing Institute would “step up at…

Olympic gold medalist Sophie Capewell talks about how periods impact female cyclists and athletes.

AFP via Getty ImagesA model presents a creation at the first Topshop catwalk in seven years in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoonFor teenage girls like me in the 2000s and 2010s, going into a Topshop store was like being transported into a fantasy world.There was music! Makeup! And fashion! All under one roof – with Topshop clothes often found on the pages of Vogue alongside high-end couture.But somewhere along the way, things went wrong.”Topshop lost its cool,” said fashion journalist Amber Graafland.”And when that happens, it’s hard. Fashion is a fickle beast, people move on quickly.”Then in 2020, its owner,…

Alex McIntyreBBC News, West MidlandsAnna-Mhairi KaneLeanne McDonald launched Simple Acts of Kindness during the pandemicThe founder of a support group says she feels more working people and volunteers are facing “desperate times” amid the cost of living crisis.During the pandemic, Leanne McDonald, from Wolverhampton, set up Simple Acts of Kindness in a bid to help people who were in difficult financial situations.The group helps up to six or seven families every week across the city, Birmingham, and the Black Country, by distributing donated household items, including furniture and clothing, and acting as a signpost for other services.Ms McDonald said she…