Author: BBC

1 day agoBy Robert Plummer, BBC NewsGetty ImagesHas President Milei kept his promise to cut government spending?When Javier Milei was campaigning last year to become the president of Argentina, he brandished a chainsaw to symbolise his determination to substantially cut public spending.Now six months into his right-wing presidency, how is his shock therapy for both the country’s government and economy working?“The changes our country needs are drastic,” Mr Milei said shortly after being elected. “There is no room for gradualism.”And he certainly took swift action. In his initial package of measures, he devalued Argentina’s currency, the peso, by 50%, slashed state subsidies…

4 hours agoBy Michael Buchanan and Katie Inman, BBC NewsBBCJoyce cares for her mother who has dementiaThe experiences of a group of residents in a supported living complex in Telford illustrate the challenges facing the NHS at the moment. Many report difficulties accessing GPs, while others face long waits for hospital treatment.The “knit and natter” mornings at the Lawley Bank Court supported living complex are noisy affairs. One resident tries to start a sing-song, belting out Ring of Fire, and though a couple of colourful blankets are on display, there is much more nattering than knitting.Conversations vary, but there is one topic…

18 hours agoBy Emma Saunders, Culture reporterBBCGiovanni Pernice has been a pro dancer on Strictly since 2015Giovanni Pernice will not return to Strictly Come Dancing for the next series.The BBC did not announce the star as part of its line-up of professional dancers for 2024, following reports that he would not compete.The Italian professional dancer, 33, has been on the BBC One celebrity dancing contest since 2015, winning it in 2021 with actress Rose Ayling-Ellis.The news comes weeks after he denied reports about his teaching methods on the show.Pernice had said he was surprised by allegations about his dance teaching methods, and…

Four US university tutors are in hospital after they were stabbed by an unknown assailant at a public park in China.The Iowa Cornell College instructors were injured in a “serious incident” during a daytime visit to the park in the northern province of Jilin, a college statement said.Iowa Representative Adam Zabner said his brother, David, was one of the four instructors injured in the incident, which he described as a stabbing.China’s foreign ministry says that none of the injured are in a life-threatening condition.Mr Zabner said the group had been visiting a local temple on Monday when they were attacked…

21 hours agoBy Huw Thomas, BBC Wales Business Correspondent • Steve Duffy, BBC NewsBBCJonathan Reynolds meets First Minister Vaughan Gething (left) at Port Talbot on MondayLabour has said there is a “better deal to do” with Tata on the future of its UK operations.On a visit to Port Talbot, where thousands of jobs are at risk, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds called on the steel giant to wait until after next month’s general election and hold new talks.Tata is proposing major restructuring plans at Port Talbot, including investing £1.25bn in greener technology, but thousands of jobs will disappear during the transition period.The company also said…

Labour has promised to create 100,000 extra dental appointments for children, in a bid to clear backlogs in England.The new appointments will be for urgent and emergency care and on evenings and weekends, according to Labour’s plan if they win the general election.Access to an NHS dentist has become increasingly difficult in many areas – with tooth decay the most common reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital.The Conservatives have their own “dental recovery plan”, which was launched earlier this year and offers dentists cash incentives to take on extra NHS patients.Labour’s plans, announced on Tuesday, also…

Ten-year-old Pippa Bartholomew’s dream came true when she was chosen by Taylor Swift to be the lucky recipient of her hat.Pippa and her mum, who live in Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, had only secured their tickets for the star’s Eras Tour at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Sunday at 14:00 that day.When she was called over to the stage by Taylor, Pippa had asked her mum: “Is this a dream, is this real?” She also got a hug from the star and told her she loved her. Source link

The Port of Baltimore shipping channel has fully reopened, 11 weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed when it was struck by a cargo ship.The US Army Corps of Engineers said the passageway where the Key Bridge buckled was now “safe for transit”.The 700ft (213m) wide and 50ft (15m) deep channel has been restored to its original operational dimensions.The Dali ship veered into the span on 26 March, cutting off the shipping artery and killing six construction workers.Crews have had to remove 50,000 tonnes of wreckage, the US Army Corps of Engineers said.Some 2,000 salvage responders, including hundreds of…

The unemployment rate has unexpectedly risen to its highest level for two and a half years, official figures show.The rate climbed to 4.4% in February to April this year, up from the previous figure of 4.3% and the highest since September 2021.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also said there was another increase in the inactivity rate, with 22.3% of working age people deemed not to be actively looking for work.Wage growth remained strong, with regular pay rising at an annual pace of 6%.Earnings are continuing to increase faster than inflation, the rate at which prices rise.”This month’s figures continue…

1 hour agoBy Rosie Mercer, BBC NewsGettyPink resumes her Summer Carnival tour in Cardiff after a break since MarchAmerican superstar Pink will kick off the European leg of her Summer Carnival Tour on Tuesday as she’ll get the party started in front of a sell-out crowd in Wales.Tens of thousands of fans will arrive in Cardiff ahead of Tuesday’s gig, with authorities warning of travel disruption on the M4 motorway, while one railway line out of the city is shut.The singer will return to the UK for the first time in five years for the show at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, with a…