Author: BBC

2 hours agoBy Kevin Peachey and Nick Edser, BBC NewsGetty ImagesThe Bank of England has said a “global payments issue” which may have delayed some high value and time sensitive payments, including house purchases, has been fixed.The Bank said any payments made during Thursday via the CHAPS system, which is used by traditional High Street banks as well as international lenders, would be settled by the end of the day.It has advised anyone who is worried about a CHAPS payment to contact their bank.The problem was not affecting ordinary debit and credit payments, cash machines or bank transfers.”We are pleased to confirm…

He said that, whilst understandable, the different messages in different parts of the UK – where there were different Covid rules – risked being “confusing” for the public. He insisted that he had always enjoyed a “friendly” relationship with then-Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, despite suggestions earlier in the inquiry that No 10 was reluctant for them to hold meetings.In England, he said the tier system was “divisive and difficult to implement” involving “laborious” negotiation over local financial support.One eye-catching revelation during Mr Johnson’s testimony came over diary extracts from Sir Patrick Vallance, his chief scientific adviser at the time.According…

1 hour agoBy Katie Razzall, Culture and Media Editor, @katierazz • Ian Youngs, Culture reporterPA MediaGraziano Di Prima was removed from this year’s line-up last weekendThe spokesman for Strictly Come Dancing’s Graziano Di Prima has confirmed the star kicked celebrity partner Zara McDermott once during rehearsals last year, which led to his removal from the show.”There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right,” Mark Borkowski told BBC News. “And he knows that.”He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.”Di Prima thought the matter had been resolved, but video of the incident is believed to have been brought…

Protesters have set fire to the headquarters of the state broadcaster in Bangladesh as violent clashes between students and police continue, the authorities say.A post on BTV’s official Facebook page warned “many” were trapped inside the building in Dhaka, as it appealed for help from the fire service to put the blaze out.Bangladesh’s information minister told the BBC that broadcasts had been stopped and most employees had left the building in the capital.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had appeared on the network the night before, appealing for calm after days of violent protests which have left at least 17 people dead,…

Subscribers have reacted with anger on social media after coffee chain Pret A Manger said it would change its coffee subscription deal after a “rethink”.Under the current system, which Pret said “almost seemed ‘too good to be true'”, subscribers can order up to five coffees a day for a monthly fee of £30.From September, Pret said it would instead offer half price off up to five coffees a day for £10 a month and end the one fifth discount on food. The move has led to a backlash from current subscribers on social media, but a retail expert backed the…

Getty ImagesThe proportion of IVF cycles funded by the NHS has dropped from 40% in 2012 to 27% in 2022, the UK fertility regulator says.The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) says funding for in-vitro fertilisation treatment varies “considerably” across the UK.Its latest data also shows people starting IVF later – with the average age for first-time treatment now over 35.The success rate declines with age, it warns, and early access to treatment is crucial. ‘Postcode lottery’About 52,500 patients had IVF treatment across the UK in 2022, compared with 50,000 in 2019. In England, NHS funding depends on criteria set…

Seven people have died, including three young children and a teenager, in a fire that broke out in the early hours of Thursday in the southern French city of Nice.The local prosecutor said officials were investigating the blaze as a potential arson attack. Flames engulfed the upper floors of an apartment block in the Moulins area of Nice, close to the city’s airport.The mayor of Nice said they had images that clearly showed the fire had been caused by petrol poured into a stairwell by hooded people during the night. Visiting the scene later, caretaker Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said…

Getty ImagesA spitting cobra’s incredibly potent venom can quickly destroy skin, muscle and bone around the site of a biteA drug commonly prescribed to thin blood can be repurposed as a cheap antidote to cobra venom, a team of scientists based in Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the UK has discovered. Snakebites kill about 138,000 people a year, mostly in poorer rural areas in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South and South East Asia.More than 400,000 others develop necrosis, when the tissue around the bite dies and turns black. Cobras account for most bites in parts of Africa and…

1 hour agoBy Oliver Coe, BBC Scotland NewsMadame TussaudsCan you spot the real Ncuti Gatwa?Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa has come face to face with his waxwork doppelganger as it was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in London.In a video capturing the meeting between the Scottish actor and his wax clone, the 31-year-old was left shocked and giggling at the uncanny likeness.”Oh God. It’s the teeth. The teeth are so accurate,” Gatwa said as he studied the statue.The 15th Doctor’s waxwork will be open for the public to view from Friday.Madame TussaudsRussell T Davies unveiling the finished waxworkGatwa, who made his name as…

Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected as the President of the European Commission following a secret ballot among MEPs.She secured the backing of 401 Members of the European Parliament at a vote in Strasbourg on Thursday – 40 more than she needed. Ms von der Leyen, of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), was first elected in 2019.She will now serve another five years at the helm of the EU.In a speech to MEPs ahead of the vote, Ms von der Leyen said she would champion European defence with increased military spending, and committed to sticking to climate targets.…