Author: BBC

13 hours agoBy Rob Taylor & Liz Jackson, BBC NewsBBCJarryd Nurden was diagnosed with a 4cm lung tumour the same day he got his big break in the West EndA musical theatre actor who was diagnosed with a lung tumour the same day he got his big break in a show in London’s West End says he postponed surgery for three months so he could star in the production.Jarryd Nurden, 32, who stars in We Will Rock You, had what he thought was a “terrible flu” in December 2022 – but an X-ray revealed it was actually a 4cm (1.5in) mass on…

The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched its Ariane-6 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. Developed at a cost of €4bn (£3.4bn), Europe’s new rocket set off at about 16:00 local time (19:00 GMT), restoring the continent’s independent access to space. ESA chief Josef Aschbacher said the successful launch marked a “historic day” for Europe.Unlike some of its recent American competitors, the Ariane-6 is expendable and a new one is needed for every mission. The rocket will take payloads into orbit more cheaply than its predecessor, Ariane-5. The ESA is expecting to make up to 11 launches a year.Read more on…

A union representing workers at South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics has called on its roughly 30,000 members to go on strike indefinitely, as part of its campaign for better pay and benefits.The announcement came on the last day of a three-day general strike being held by the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU).The union said it had made the decision after management showed no intention of holding talks over its demands.The NSEU, which represents nearly a quarter of Samsung Electronics’ workers in South Korea, said its actions had disrupted production. However, Samsung has disputed this claim.”Samsung Electronics will ensure no…

10 hours agoBy Jon Smith, BBC Radio Gloucestershire • Sarah Turnnidge, BBC News, West of EnglandCheltenham Literature FestivalNicola Tuxworth said Cheltenham Literature Festival’s free family events would continueCheltenham Literature Festival is “not planning to go anywhere” after an investment firm withdrew its funding, a senior member of its team has said.Baillie Gifford has ended sponsorship deals with a number of book festivals, including Hay Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival following controversy over links to fossil fuel firms and Israel.Nicola Tuxworth, head of programming at Cheltenham Literature Festival, said: “We’ve been at the heart of this community for 75 years. We will be keeping…

23 minutes agoBy Kayla Epstein, Senior JournalistReutersUS President Joe Biden has welcomed Nato leaders to Washington DC with a forceful speech that seemed pitched to reassure allies overseas and closer to home that he can fight off a looming election challenge from Donald Trump.In brief but strongly delivered remarks at the opening of the summit, the president declared the military alliance “more powerful than ever” as it faces its greatest challenge in a generation with the war in Ukraine.He called it a “pivotal moment” for Europe and the world.Warning that “autocrats have overturned global order” and terrorist groups continued to pose a…

27 minutes agoBy Colin Paterson, Entertainment correspondent20thCentFox/Everett/ShutterstockHomer Simpson and Cypress Hill in the prescient episode, called Homerpalooza It was back in 1996 when an episode of The Simpsons featured a joke where Cypress Hill believed they had mistakenly booked the London Symphony Orchestra, whilst under the influence.On Wednesday night, that joke becomes a reality at the Royal Albert Hall. After years of fan pressure, the American hip-hop group reached out to the LSO over social media and a deal was struck.The one-night only performance in London is based around their acclaimed Black Sunday album. It sold more than three million copies in…

50 minutes agoBy Matt Fox, BBC News NIDetained in DubaiIrish woman Tori Towey is in “the most appalling circumstances” in the United Arab Emirates, the Dáil heardTaoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris has said he is ready to “intervene” in the case of an Irish woman who is facing criminal charges in the United Arab Emirates in what he called “the most appalling circumstances”.Mr Harris was responding to a question from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald in the Dáil (Irish lower house of parliament) on Tuesday, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ.Ms McDonald told TDs (Irish MPs) Tori Towey from County Roscommon…

1 hour agoBy Kevin Peachey, Cost of living correspondentGetty ImagesSaving money regularly can help improve sleep, a new report suggests.Putting a monthly amount aside, however small the sum, also helped people to relax and be more optimistic about the future, the study by academics at Bristol University found.Regular savers on low incomes have similar life satisfaction levels as richer non-savers, they said.A quarter of UK adults have savings of less than £100, surveys have suggested.Saving money has been tough in recent years, owing to sharply rising bills and food prices – even though the interest paid by banks and building societies has…

US officials say they have taken action against an AI-powered information operation run from Russia, including nearly 1,000 accounts pretending to be Americans.The accounts on X were designed to spread pro-Russia stories but were automated “bots” – not real people.In court documents made public Tuesday the US justice department said the operation was devised by a deputy editor at Kremlin-owned RT, formerly Russia Today.RT runs TV channels in English and several other languages, but appears much more popular on social media than on conventional airwaves.The justice department seized two websites that were used to issue emails associated with the bot…

On Monday Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital was hit by a missile, killing two adults and injuring 300 people, including children. Russia claimed the blast was caused by a misfiring Ukrainian air defence missile, but the UN said it was highly likely Moscow was behind the attack – a conclusion shared by analysts who spoke to BBC Verify.See BBC Verify’s visual analysis above. Source link