Author: BBC

Thomas MackintoshBBC News, LondonActor Jack Lowden has said he likes the idea of “breaking down barriers” by being a ginger Mr Darcy in a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.The 34-year-old joked on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that “it is one of the great last barriers to break down”.In a wide-ranging interview alongside fellow British actor Martin Freeman, 53, he discussed being trained by an ex-MI6 officer and their upcoming West End play.On his role in Netflix’s six-part adaptation of Austen’s classic novel, Lowden said he might draw on inspiration from some actors who have previously…

That Time of the Month with Naga Munchetty, Dr Nighat Arif & Dr Christine Ekechi

Kevin PeacheyCost of living correspondentGetty ImagesAll major UK lenders are now offering fixed mortgage deals with an interest rate of less than 4%, but brokers say further cuts are not guaranteed.A mini price war has broken out between mortgage providers, although many of the lowest-rate deals still require borrowers to provide a hefty deposit and a substantial fee.More frequent cuts in interest rates by the Bank of England are expected this year, amid global economic turmoil.However, lenders are already reflecting those predicted cuts in their latest deals, suggesting borrowers could be taking a risk by relying on ongoing drops in…

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also calling for stronger protection from the dangers of social media, saying “enough is not being done”.They unveiled a temporary memorial in New York City dedicated to children who have died due to the harms of the internet. “We want to make sure that things are changed so that… no more kids are lost to social media,” Prince Harry told BBC Breakfast. The NSPCC children’s charity argues that the law still doesn’t provide enough protection for private messaging apps. It says that the end-to-end encrypted services which they offer “continue to pose an…

BBCGregg Wallace has said he needs “space to heal” after stating in an interview that allegations against him of inappropriate sexual comments were “not all true”.A BBC News investigation revealed allegations of inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people who had worked with Wallace across a range of shows, over a 17-year-period.He told the Daily Mail “they’re not all true”, and said he had felt “under attack” and had contemplated suicide.In an Instagram post after the interview was published, the former MasterChef presenter said he knew there would be “a lot of noise” following the Mail interview but he “won’t be…

A taxi driver from Farnborough has undertaken mental health training with the Samaritans.

Ione WellsSouth America correspondentGetty ImagesBrazil hopes to see countries such as Japan buy its beef instead of AmericanWhen Donald Trump revealed the level of trade tariffs that countries around the world would face from the US, nations in South America breathed a sigh of relief.Ten of the 12 states on the continent received the lowest level of 10%.Only Guyana and Venezuela were initially hit with higher rates of 38% and 15% respectively, before these were subsequently reduced to 10%. This came as Trump decided to pause elevated rates on almost all countries for 90 days.The exceptions are China, which has…

Tom Gerken & Graham FraserTechnology reportersAlamyMarks & Spencer (M&S) says it has stopped taking online orders as the company struggles to recover from a cyber attack.Customers began reporting problems last weekend, and on Tuesday the retailer confirmed it was facing a “cyber incident”.Now, M&S has entirely paused orders on its website and apps – including for food deliveries and clothes – and says it will refund orders placed by customers on Friday.The firm’s shares fell by 5% following the announcement, before recovering. Online orders remained paused on Saturday morning.”We are truly sorry for this inconvenience,” the retailer wrote in a…

Mark SavageMusic CorrespondentBBCRemember Monday performed their cover song on an Icelandic fishing vesselThe UK’s Eurovision hopefuls, Remember Monday, have covered a song from Will Ferrell’s cult movie about the contest, as the finals draw closer.The trio travelled to Iceland earlier this month to film their version of Húsavík (My Hometown), originally sung by Rachel McAdams’ character Sigrit in the Netflix spoof, The Story Of Fire Saga.It’s released just three weeks before the band perform their own song, What The Hell Just Happened, at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland.Bookmakers predict that the UK will fall just outside the…

Eleanor LawrieSocial Affairs ReporterGetty ImagesSupported housing is in crisis, the open letter says (stock image)Supported housing, which helps vulnerable or disabled people live independently, is in crisis, an open letter signed by more than 170 organisations in the sector claims.Services at one in three providers in England had to shut last year, adding to a total shortfall of about 325,000 places, says the letter, which will be delivered to Prime Minister Keir Starmer today. Signatories to it include Refuge, Age UK and the National Housing Federation (NHF).Blaming cuts to council funding and rising costs, the NHF says a further one…