Author: BBC

Kenya’s government has scrapped some proposed taxes in this year’s controversial finance bill, including a 16% levy on bread, after a public outcry.The announcement by MPs came as police fired tear gas and used water cannon to try to disperse angry protesters in the capital, Nairobi.Dozens of people have been arrested, and lawyers earlier joined chanting crowds at the city’s main police station to demand that detainees be freed.Since coming to office in 2022, President William Ruto has introduced several new and unpopular taxes with the aim of eliminating the country’s national debt of nearly $80bn (£63bn).But critics of the…

Getty ImagesTowering over the many hundreds of pages of promises, plans, strategies and spreadsheet costings in these general election manifestos is a single word: credibility.One of the big areas where the credibility question has been raised is over taxes. There is an uneasy consensus among the two main parties that the next chancellor will not raise the main rates of income tax, national insurance, VAT or corporation tax.But these promises rely on a perception that voters only care about their tax rates and, frankly, are blissfully ignorant about increases in their actual bills. Voters are being taken for fools. Even…

13 hours agoBy Tom Richardson, BBC NewsbeatBethesdaThe Elder Scrolls Online has marked 10 years with its Gold Road expansionAsk anyone to name a successful online multiplayer game and you’re likely to get a handful of names in response.Fortnite, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Roblox, Helldivers II.But there’s another title, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, that’s been a relatively quiet success.The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), a spin-off of the hugely popular fantasy RPG series from Fallout makers Bethesda, has been played by 24 million people and made $2bn since it launched.Developer Zenimax Online Studios began work on the game in 2007…

59 minutes agoBy Philippa Roxby, Health reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesA simple blood test using artificial intelligence to predict Parkinson’s disease years before symptoms begin has been developed by researchers.They hope it can lead to a cheap, finger-prick test providing early diagnoses – and help find treatments to slow down the disease.Charity Parkinson’s UK said it was “a major step forward” in the search for a non-invasive patient-friendly test. But larger trials are needed to prove its accuracy.Parkinson’s affects nearly 10 million people worldwide and more than 150,000 in the UK.Many are diagnosed having developed symptoms, such as tremors, movement and memory problems…

Singer Justin Timberlake has been arrested in New York for driving while intoxicated, local officials have told the BBC.The pop star was arrested and formally charged on Tuesday morning, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. They declined to provide further details. Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, an affluent village in the Hamptons, a popular summer destination for celebrities on Long Island.He was released without bail after being formally charged, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said. The BBC has contacted Timberlake’s lawyer for comment. Timberlake, 43, was set to embark on a global tour of…

The leader of Ireland’s Green Party, Eamon Ryan, is to step down from the position, Irish broadcaster RTE reports.The announcement will mean Mr Ryan is the second leader of the Republic’s coalition government to step down this year. Former taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar stepped down as Fine Gael leader in April.Mr Ryan’s decision comes after the local and European elections, which saw the Green Party lose both of its MEP seats.The party’s number of local councillors was also halved.Mr Ryan has been leader of the Greens in Ireland since 2011 and was first elected to the Dáil (Irish parliament)…

1 hour agoBy Tom Espiner, BBC business reporterPost Office Horizon IT inquiryThe Post Office was “constantly sabotaging” the work of independent investigators probing issues with the Horizon IT system, an inquiry has heard.Forensic accountant Ian Henderson said the Post Office unjustifiably withheld documents from his company, Second Sight, which was brought in to investigate the software in 2012. He said protecting the Post Office brand was the priority, rather than supporting sub-postmasters.Mr Henderson added that former Post Office boss Paula Vennells tried to steer investigators away from looking into potential miscarriages of justice.Between 1999 and 2015 the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of…

McDonald’s is removing artificial intelligence (AI) powered ordering technology from its drive-through restaurants in the US, after customers shared its comical mishaps online.A trial of the system – which uses voice recognition software to process orders – was announced in 2019.It has not proved entirely reliable however – resulting in viral videos of bizarre misinterpreted orders. ranging from bacon-topped ice cream to hundreds of dollars worth of chicken nuggets.McDonald’s told franchisees it would remove the tech from the more than 100 restaurants it’s been testing it in by the end of July, according to a trade publication.However, it made clear…

1 hour agoBy Jane Deith and Alys Harte, BBC File on 4Alex SmithGeorgina, 16, is one of 601 children waiting for heart surgery in EnglandThe number of children receiving treatment in private hospitals across the UK rose by almost a quarter last year to more than 46,000, according to new data seen by the BBC.In each case, families either paid for treatment or used medical insurance – rather than being referred by the NHS.The record figures from private healthcare providers come as England’s NHS trusts tell File on 4 that children have become the “forgotten generation” in the race to reduce health…

23 minutes agoBy Pete Cooper and PA Media, BBC News, NorthamptonshirePA MediaBrad Pitt has been filming the untitled movie at SilverstoneBrad Pitt’s Formula 1 movie will be released next June, the sport’s bosses have confirmed.Filming for the movie, the name of which has yet to be revealed, was delayed amid the US actors’ and writers’ strike.But F1 said the film, co-produced by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and extensively shot at the Silverstone Circuit, will be released on 25 June next year.Pitt, 60, will play the role of a veteran driver, Sonny Hayes, who is returning to the F1 grid after a…