Author: BBC

Hannah ClarkeHannah Clarke is relieved that fuel duty is not going upChancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled Labour’s first Budget for 14 years and it was jam-packed with announcements on how much tax each of us will pay and how much the government will spend on public services.BBC News has been speaking to people with a range of incomes about what they wanted from the Budget and what they made of it.If there are issues you would like to see covered, you can get in touch via Your Voice, Your BBC News.Hannah ClarkeMum-of-two Hannah Clarke from Rutland in the East Midlands…

The Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD has seen its quarterly revenues soar, beating Tesla’s for the first time.It posted more than 200bn yuan ($28.2bn, £21.8bn) in revenues between July and September. This is a 24% jump from the same period last year, and more than Elon Musk’s company whose quarterly revenue was $25.2bn.However, Tesla still sold more electric vehicle (EVs) than BYD in the third quarter.It comes as EV sales in China have been getting a boost from government subsidies to encourage consumers to trade their petrol-powered cars for EVs or hybrids.BYD also notched a monthly sales record in the…

When I arrive at an abortion clinic in south London, four protesters – three women and one man – are gathered on the opposite side of the road alongside a picture of the Virgin Mary, which is draped in rosary beads. They are silently mouthing prayers, and ask not to be interrupted.Protesters outside abortion clinics, standing with signs – sometimes featuring graphic images of foetuses – have become a norm. This can be worrying and upsetting for some of the women going in for their procedure, who are sometimes approached by these individuals. The same is true for the healthcare…

Getty ImagesChopin, who wrote mostly piano solos, died aged 39 in France in 1849.A new piece of music believed to be by the Polish composer Frederic Chopin has been discovered nearly 200 years after it was written.The unknown waltz was unearthed in the vault of the Morgan Library and Museum in New York.The rare manuscript – dated between 1830 and 1835 – was discovered by curator Robinson McClellan while he was cataloguing new collections. He then worked with a leading Chopin expert to authenticate the score. It is not signed by Chopin, but the handwriting includes his distinctive bass clef.…

One person is reportedly dead and a number of others believed trapped in debris after a hotel collapsed in Argentina.The 10-storey Dubrovnik hotel, in the coastal city of Villa Gesell, collapsed early on Tuesday, said Reuters news agency, quoting the local municipality. Up to 15 people are believed to have been inside the hotel, which had recently been undergoing renovation. Rescue teams are working at the scene attempting to free those thought to be trapped. Local media report that a man in his 80s died as a result of the incident.Local authorities said building work at the hotel had been…

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustPaul Read was the first patient recruited in a new therapy trial for treating brain tumoursA man’s brain tumour has shrunk by half in a matter of weeks thanks to a new radioactive therapy.Paul Read, 62, from Luton, was the first patient to take part in a trial aimed at treating glioblastoma, a type of cancer that kills most patients within 18 months.The therapy, at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), involved injecting low levels of radioactivity directly into the tumour to kill off cancer cells.The doctor who designed the trial said…

HSBC has seen its quarterly profits jump by 10% as the UK-based banking giant embarks on one of the biggest shakeups in its 159-year history.The firm said its pre-tax profits rose to $8.5bn (£6.6bn) in the three months to the end of September, beating analysts’ expectations.It comes just days after HSBC’s new boss announced a major overhaul of the company.The firm will be split geographically into eastern and western markets amid increasing geopolitical tensions and a need to cut costs.HSBC’s new chief executive, Georges Elhedery, said that implementation of the plans will “begin immediately” and promised to share more details…

After a long wait, Apple has finally released its artificial intelligence (AI) tools for iPhone – to a select few.Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI tools announced in June, became available to owners of some iPhones around the world on Monday.The new features include notification summaries, tools to assist users in writing messages, and a glowing new interface for virtual assistant Siri.But they will only be available to people with the latest devices – including all iPhone 16 models, and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.Apple Intelligence is also available on Mac computers and iPad tablets that are powered…

Gérard Depardieu’s trial on charges of sexual assault has been postponed until March because the French actor is in poor health, a court in Paris has said.Depardieu, 75, was absent when the trial opened earlier on Monday, with his lawyer asking for a delay to proceedings, citing his client’s health issues.Depardieu is accused of attacking two women while shooting the 2021 film Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters), in the highest profile #MeToo case to hit France.Prosecutors say he made explicit sexual remarks to, and then aggressively “groped”, two members of the production team. If convicted, he could face five…

Watch: Trump rally speaker calls Puerto Rico ‘a floating island of garbage’A comedian at a Donald Trump rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”, sparking fury from Republicans and Democrats and accusations of racism.The comic, Tony Hinchcliffe, was among the speakers at the Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday. He also made a series of jokes that leant on racist stereotypes.A Trump adviser distanced the former president from the Puerto Rico joke, which was also denounced by Trump’s Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Harris herself was the target of another Trump warm-up speaker who also sparked controversy.The…