Author: BBC

34 minutes agoBy Colin Paterson, Entertainment correspondentBBCDamon Alban says mobile phones should be allowed at showsBlur’s frontman Damon Albarn does not agree with Bob Dylan’s policy to ban mobile phones from his upcoming UK tour.In an interview for BBC Breakfast, Albarn explained his reservations: “If you start banning things where does it end? I think you’ve just got to turn up and do your thing. “People won’t want to be on their phone if you’re engaging with them correctly.”Earlier this week, Bob Dylan announced a 10-date UK tour in November, including shows in Bournemouth, Nottingham and Wolverhampton.At every venue, fans, on arrival,…

A raft of Australian institutions – including major banks, media outlets and an airline – have reported being hit by a mass IT outage.Jetstar has been crippled at Sydney airport, supermarkets are experiencing checkout chaos, and broadcast networks have been left scrambling on air as autocue, graphics and computers failed.Hours before Australia was severely affected, a handful of airlines in the US also reported having to ground planes due to IT issues.The cause of the outage is unclear, but many of those affected have linked it to Microsoft PC operating systems.Australian outage website Downdetector shows issues being reported by the…

Mobile phone, pay TV, and broadband companies have been banned from surprise price rises during a contract.In new deals from 17 January, providers must tell customers about any mid-contract price rises at the point of sale and “in pounds and pence”.This must be done in a “clear and comprehensible” way, Ofcom has ordered.Complaints from customers have risen about large, unexpected price rises at a time when other bills had been soaring. Source link

The Israeli military says it is investigating an apparent drone attack that hit central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday.In a statement it said an initial inquiry indicated the explosion had been caused by the falling of an “aerial target” and announced it was increasing air patrols.Israeli emergency services say the explosion left one person dead and several lightly injured.Yemen’s Houthi militants, which are backed by Iran, announced on social media that they would reveal details about a military operation that had targeted Tel Aviv.The incident also came after the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a senior…

Mr Osborne – who was chancellor from 2010 to 2016 – said: “If we had not done that Britain would have been more exposed, not just to future things like the coronavirus pandemic, but indeed to the fiscal crisis which very rapidly followed in countries across Europe.”If we had not had a clear plan to put the public finances on a sustainable path then Britain might have experienced a fiscal crisis, we would not have had the fiscal space to deal with the coronavirus pandemic when it hit.” The British Medical Association said Mr Osborne’s “denial” of a connection between…

1 hour agoBy Emma Saunders, Culture reporterPamela Raith PhotographyElena Breschi plays several characters including the artist Frida KahloEmmeline Pankhurst. Rosa Parks. Marie Curie. Frida Kahlo. Jane Austen. Mary Seacole.All famous women who have changed the course of history.But how about these less-familiar names?Gertrude Erdele. Sacagawea. Alongside their more famous counterparts, they are being brought to life in the musical Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, as its latest reincarnation marches into London’s The Other Palace theatre later this month.The women are lifted from the pages of the children’s book series of the same name by Kate Pankhurst (a distant relative of…

47 minutes agoBy Kayla Epstein and Holly Honderich, BBC News in Milwaukee and Washington Getty ImagesEdna Wales, a Republican delegate from Florida, does not support abortion. As a Roman Catholic, the procedure goes against her moral values.But her policy position, she told the BBC at a street fair at the Republican National Convention, was that it should be left to the states. “I truly feel that,” she said.Given that outlawing abortion nationwide has been an animating issue for religious Republicans for decades, it was a surprising position to hear at this weeklong gathering. Yet Ms Wales’ stance is the same one that…

Netflix said it added more than eight million subscribers in the three months to June, reeling in audiences for the new season of Bridgerton and new drama Baby Reindeer.The gain was almost double what investors had predicted, proving the lasting power of the firm’s tightened restrictions on password sharing.But the streaming giant warned the impact of the crackdown on sharing passwords may run out in coming months, leading to slower growth in the months ahead.It said it was looking into new areas, such as sports, live events and gaming to extend its lead.Its plans include a multi-player video game tied…

Explore the data on how the coronavirus pandemic unfolded in the UK.

A selection of the week’s best photos from across the African continent:MICHAEL TRAN/AFPSouth African actress Thuso Mbedu attends the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project party on Saturday in Hollywood, the US.ESA ALEXANDER/REUTERSA woman walks past this mural of Nelson Mandela in Cape Town on Thursday, on what would have been the late South African president’s 106th birthday.JEROME FAVRE/EPASeen on Wednesday, this sign in Senegal’s capital city of Dakar marks the westernmost tip of mainland Africa – which has been earmarked for construction by two US hotel chains.LUIS TATO/AFPAhead of the presidential election in Rwanda, a man decorates this polling station…