Author: BBC

Authorities have warned that power cuts could last for days in Texas, where hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses remain disconnected from the power grid after severe weather.A teenager died on a construction site on Tuesday when a partly-built house collapsed in a storm.Texas was among the states earlier battered by deadly storms and tornadoes over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, during which at least 24 people died.Hail, damaging wind and flash flooding remain possible in the region on Thursday morning, and in Kansas and eastern Colorado, forecasters say.At the same time, “anomalous heat” continues to affect southern parts…

19 hours agoShaun Dacosta,BBC NewsbeatBecca WheelerMETTE has been announced as a Taylor Swift support actOpening for Taylor Swift is a dream for many up-and-coming artists.And for METTE, that’s going to become a reality when she opens the stage for Taylor’s first night at London’s Wembley Stadium on 21 June.The Cruel Summer hitmaker announced three more acts to join Paramore, who have been the main support during the European leg of the Eras tour.Along with METTE, fans can see Griff on 22 June and Benson Boone on 23 June.METTE tells BBC Newsbeat that she’s very aware she’s about to have more…

19 minutes agoKelly Ng & Lok Lee,in Singapore and Hong KongGetty ImagesFormer opposition lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung (centre) is among the 14 who have been found guilty of subversionHong Kong has found 14 pro-democracy activists guilty of subversion in the largest use yet of a China-imposed National Security Law.They included former lawmakers Leung Kwok-hung and Helena Wong, journalist-turned-campaigner Gwyneth Ho, and ordinary Hong Kongers who joined the mass protests of 2019 such as nurse Winnie Yu.They were among the 47 activists charged with trying to “overthrow” the government by organising an unofficial primary in 2020 to pick candidates who can run…

A lobby body representing thousands of UK firms has urged the next government to forge closer ties with the EU after years of “choppy times” for British business.The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), which represents over 19,000 companies and 18 million employees, said businesses are “not getting used to” post-Brexit trading rules.The BCC published its manifesto as the election campaign entered its second week with the economy set as a key battle ground in the race for 10 Downing Street. Overnight, the Conservatives and Labour clashed over VAT. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt claimed Sir Keir Starmer wanted to raise it, which…

Rock legend Jon Bon Jovi has confirmed to the BBC his son Jake Bongiovi has married Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown.”They are great, they are absolutely fantastic,” Bon Jovi told BBC’s The One Show on Tuesday, following speculation the couple had got married. “It was a very small, family wedding and the bride looked gorgeous and Jake is happy as can be. It’s true.”British actress Brown, 20, rose to fame as Eleven in the Netflix sci-fi series and has appeared in two Godzilla films. The couple revealed their engagement in April 2023, when Brown shared a photo on Instagram…

6 hours agoNoor Nanji,Culture reporter in Holmes Chapel, @NoorNanjiBBCCaitlin (left) and Jessie posed for pictures next to a life-sized cut-out of StylesFans of Harry Styles have long obsessed over every detail of his life, his romances and his childhood.Now, Harries – as they’re known – are being offered guided walking tours of the Cheshire village where the pop sensation grew up.Tickets go on sale on Thursday, with the tours starting next week.But the BBC got a preview, alongside a group of teenage devotees. One of them, 17-year-old Jessie, said she was a “lifelong fan”.She said it was “really exciting” to…

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has promised that there will be “no additional tax rises” beyond those she has set out if Labour wins the general election.In her first major speech of the election campaign, Ms Reeves said that every Labour policy “will be fully funded and fully costed – no ifs, no ands, no buts”.But the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent think tank, has warned that whoever wins may have to raise taxes or cut spending.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that Labour’s plans will cost “every working family” £2,000 each.Speaking at the engineering giant Rolls-Royce in Derby, Ms…

14 hours agoSteven McIntosh,Entertainment reporterDisneyDwayne Johnson has said “it’s time to set sail”, as the first full-length trailer for Moana 2 is released.The film is a sequel to 2016’s Moana, which followed an adventurous Polynesian teenage girl who sets on a daring mission across the ocean to save her people.Following the trailer’s release, some fans said they were “so excited” for Moana 2, but others questioned the need for a sequel.Auli’i Cravalho and Johnson will reprise their roles as the voices of Moana and Maui respectively.Allow Google YouTube content?This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your…

8 minutes agoMark Lowen,BBC Italy correspondentGetty ImagesThey line up in military-like formation: a thousand strong, most dressed in black, some with tattoos on shaved scalps.At the spot in Milan where Sergio Ramelli, a far-right student, was killed almost 50 years ago by anti-fascists, a leader summons his battalion of loyalists to attention. He shouts “camerata”, or “brother-in-arms”, and Ramelli’s name, as if delivering a roll-call. And then it comes: stiff right arms outstretched and raised, palms facing down, the fascist salute in the heart of Italy’s second city, and the crowd reply on the dead man’s behalf with a roar:…

Former WeWork boss Adam Neumann said he is moving on after trying to buy the bankrupt company that specialises in shared office spaces.Mr Neumann had revealed his interest in buying the firm earlier this year, reportedly offering some $500m (£391m). At the time, he accused the firm of resisting the idea despite its financial issues. WeWork recently submitted a plan to emerge from bankruptcy, which it said would help reduce its rent burden by billions of dollars.In a statement on Tuesday Mr Neumann, who now leads a new property firm called Flow, criticised his former company’s plans. “For several months,…