Author: BBC

EU leaders have nominated current European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen for a second five-year term in the bloc’s top job at a summit in Brussels.Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was picked as the EU’s next foreign affairs chief and former Portuguese prime minister António Costa was chosen as the next chairman of EU summits.All three candidates are from centrist, pro-EU factions. The European Parliament is due to vote on the nominations next month. Ursula von der Leyen is from Germany’s centre-right, António Costa is a socialist and Kaja Kallas a liberal. There had been resistance from Italy’s Prime…

Identify which bills and debts are most urgent and pay them first, says debt advice charity StepChange.That will include your rent or mortgage repayments, and any other loans secured on the home. It also includes gas and electricity bills, child support and maintenance payments, council tax, income tax, VAT and other taxes, TV licence payments, court fines and payments.These are all what are known as priority debts and bills, because there can be serious consequences if you do not pay them, such as losing your home or facing court proceedings.You may have additional debts, such as credit card and store…

Just nowBy Zoe Kleinman, Technology editorGetty ImagesThis sort of charging could be a speedy process in the futureAn electric car battery developed by UK start-up Nyobolt has successfully charged from 10% to 80% in four minutes and 37 seconds in its first live demonstration.It was achieved with a specially-built concept sports car on a test track in Bedford, and is part of industry-wide efforts to get electric vehicles (EVs) charging more quickly.By comparison, an existing Tesla supercharger can charge a car battery to 80% in 15-20 minutes.Experts say eliminating so-called “range anxiety” is key to increasing uptake of EVs – but also…

21 minutes agoBy Kelly Ng & Silvano Hajid Maulana, in Singapore and JakartaBBC(Fom left to right) Siti, Marsya and Widi were encouraged by their school counsellor to express their emotions through musicThe three girls started making metal music at high school, but they never thought they could make history for Indonesia at Glastonbury.The band they formed – Voice of Baceprot – are playing the festival this year and when they found out they’d been invited they were “confused”.“Because we didn’t know how exciting [the festival] is… We didn’t know what to do next,” the band’s lead singer Firdda Marsya Kurnia said.The pressure…

4 hours agoBy Robert Plummer, BBC NewsHow Bolivia’s failed coup attempt unfolded… in 75 secondsIt’s been more than 40 years since Bolivia last had to worry about the armed forces seizing power.The country was governed almost continuously by military regimes from 1964 to 1982, but has been a democracy ever since.Now Gen Juan José Zúñiga’s storming of the presidential palace in La Paz has revived memories of those dark times.But even after the general’s arrest, doubts persist over how genuine a coup attempt this was.Gen Zúñiga himself told reporters the military had staged the intervention at the request of President Luis Arce,…

16 hours agoBy Alix Hattenstone, Miguel Roca-Terry and Jonathan Fagg, BBC England Data UnitDelia-Ioana/BBC NewsDelia-Ioana said she can’t imagine being able to afford a mortgageThe average cost of renting privately in England has risen by nearly a quarter since the last general election.In December 2019 rent cost £1,064 a month on average according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). By May 2024 this had risen by 22% to £1,301 for new and existing tenancies.Renters have told the BBC they have settled for mouldy properties, sofa-surfed or moved back in with relatives.The National Residential Landlords Association blamed a “chronic shortage” of private…

A drone show has been held at Glastonbury Festival to mark the start of the event.Drone art show company, Celestial, created an immersive light display in the sky depicting the Tor, some of the festival’s most iconic artwork, and the Glastonbury sign in its signature font.John Hopkins, CEO, said the show was “a celebration of art and culture”, and strived to “unite people through a shared sense of wonder”. The display which includes 576 drones spreading around 150m (492ft) at 100m (328ft) elevation. They are programmed to follow designated GPS paths and adjust their colour and brightness to tell a…

At least five people have been killed after an international express train collided with a bus on a level crossing in southern Slovakia, emergency workers say. The accident happened near the town of Nove Zamky, about 80km east of the capital Bratislava, according to an emergency services Facebook post.News agencies are reporting that at least five others were injured in the incident, which happened at around 17:00 local time (16:00 BST). Media reports say the bus was sliced in two by the impact, and photos show the locomotive on fire and passengers walking to safety along the tracks.”I am afraid…

14 hours agoBy Kevin Keane, BBC Scotland environment correspondentPA MediaSurfers in Aberdeen stage a protest on the beach calling for an end to new oil and gas licensing”Do you support new oil and gas licences, yes or no?”That’s the binary question which has been at the centre of the political debate in Scotland since parties began preparing to fight the general election.Political leaders have been hurling accusations that 100,000 jobs in Scotland will be at risk if no more licences are issued.But that figure is 40,000 more than the total number of people in Scotland whose roles currently rely directly or indirectly…

An urgent warning has been issued to people seeking cosmetic procedures including Brazilian butt lifts and breast augmentation – amid fears unregulated surgery is taking place in local hotel rooms.Manchester Council issued the warning on Wednesday, saying procedures “may be taking place this week in Manchester in non-clinical settings”. Medical experts have cited the risk of infection in non-clinical settings, where it can be difficult to prevent contamination.A statement urged people who are only notified of their surgery’s location shortly before treatment to contact the environmental health department at the council.“The council has been made aware that certain cosmetic procedures…