Author: BBC

Kevin PeacheyCost of living correspondentBBCShops and services may have to be forced to accept cash in the future to help protect vulnerable people who rely on it, MPs have said.A Treasury Committee report into cash acceptance stopped short of recommending a change in the law, but said the government had to improve its monitoring of the issue.”There may come a time in the future where it becomes necessary for HM Treasury to mandate cash acceptance if appropriate safeguards have not been implemented for those who need physical cash,” the report said.Some countries, such as Australia or parts of the EU,…

It’s now been more than a week of chaos for Marks and Spencer (M&S), one of the UK’s biggest brands, following what – it is now obvious – is a significant cyber attack. It has cost it millions of pounds in lost sales and a lower share price.M&S has not said what or who knocked out its online ordering systems, paused deliveries and left empty shelves in stores.The BBC has been told by security experts that ransomware called DragonForce was used in the attack.Ciaran Martin, the founding Chief Executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, said it had “serious” consequences…

Julian O’Neill and Chris PageBBC News NIGetty ImagesGerry Adams alleges the BBC defamed him by falsely claiming he sanctioned the killing of Denis DonaldsonGerry Adams’ reputation as a peacemaker suffered “an unjustified attack” by the BBC, which wrongly alleged he sanctioned the murder of informer Denis Donaldson in 2006, the High Court in Dublin has been told.The claim was made by a lawyer for Mr Adams who is suing the broadcaster for defamation.He said the BBC had committed a “journalistic no-no” by relying on unverified claims made by an anonymous single source.The former Sinn Féin president believes he was defamed…

Saiorse explains how it’s important to share moments of joy with those you love.

The sugar tax applied to fizzy drinks could be extended to pre-packaged milkshakes and lattes under new government plans.The government is consulting on proposals to end the exemption from the tax for milk-based drinks, as well as non-dairy substitutes such as oats or rice.Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her autumn budget last year that the government was considering widening the levy.Shadow chancellor Mel Stride labelled the move a “sucker punch” to households when Labour had “already pushed up the cost of living for families”. The sugar tax, known formally as the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL), is a tax on…

Some Marks & Spencer stores have been left with empty shelves as the retailer continues to struggle with a cyber attack affecting its operations.Over the Easter weekend, customers reported problems using contactless pay and Click & Collect, and online orders have been paused on the company’s website and app since Friday.It is not clear how widespread the empty shelves are but the retailer confirmed “pockets of limited availability in some stores”.The BBC understands M&S’s operations will take until the end of the week before beginning to return to normal.Although issues with contactless pay, Click & Collect and gift cards have…

Ian YoungsCulture reporterBBCThe review was commissioned in the wake of allegations against Huw EdwardsA small number of BBC stars and managers “behave unacceptably” at work, and bosses often fail to tackle them, a report into the broadcaster has found.The review, commissioned by the BBC’s board in the wake of the Huw Edwards scandal, concluded there is not a widespread “toxic” culture, but that there is “a minority of people” whose bad behaviour “is not addressed”.In response, the BBC said it would introduce reforms, and its chairman Samir Shah said he would draw “a line in the sand”.He told presenters: “After…

EPAA leading health think tank says urgent and emergency care in England is performing “far worse” than before the pandemic.The Health Foundation argues that the NHS was “in distress” this winter with A&E waiting times reaching a record high.The group says it would be wrong just to blame relatively high levels of flu.The government is due to publish an urgent and emergency care plan soon. The Department for Health and Social Care said that hospitals were “feeling the strain” but that it was taking “decisive action” to prevent winter crises.The Health Foundation report on the recent winter says that the…

BBCLaw student Kardo Mina says sometimes he swaps meals for coffeeUniversity students have described struggling to afford to eat meals due to rising living costs.Kardo Mina, a final year law student at Swansea University who also works part time, said he sometimes swapped meals for cups of coffee because doing so was “more financially viable”.A recent survey of students in Wales by the National Union of Students (NUS) Cymru found that 58% said they had skipped meals due to difficulties paying rent and housing costs.Swansea University said it recognised the financial and academic pressures faced by students and was committed…

Rayhan DemytrieBBC South Caucasus correspondentBBCYoung Armenians, such as nine-year-old Slavik, are attending technology classesIn Armenia tech education starts early.In a typical three-storey state school in the suburbs of Yerevan, the Armenian capital, nine-year old Slavik is demonstrating his invention – a box with three LED lights.”He has learned how to control it, and the programming language. You can see the code is written by him,” says Maria, the 21-year-old tech coach leading the class.Next to them, 14-year-old Eric and Narek are showing their smart greenhouse model that monitors temperature and controls fans automatically through a mobile app.Other children are enthusiastically…