Author: BBC

Donald Trump’s historic hush-money trial edged closer to its conclusion on Tuesday as the prosecution and defence made their closing arguments to the court.In the defence’s final pitch, Mr Trump’s lead lawyer attacked Michael Cohen – his former fixer and the prosecution’s star witness – as the “greatest liar of all time”.Prosecutors then launched into a lengthy rebuttal, portraying Cohen as a flawed “tour guide” to a “mountain” of evidence against Mr Trump.Twelve jurors will soon be asked to decide if the former president, and presumptive Republican nominee for November’s election, is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of falsifying business records.Over…

39 minutes agoZoe Conway,BBC News correspondentBBCSingle mum Zoe Godrich says “the life has just been sucked out of me”, trying to sort out the problems with the insulationEvery two weeks Zoe Godrich scrapes the black mould off the walls of her children’s bedrooms.She says her house now resembles a squat. ”It’s absolutely heartbreaking because I can’t provide for my children’s basic needs of a safe warm home.”The mould took over after she had her Swansea home fitted with cavity-wall insulation three years ago. She says that within weeks, water was constantly running down the walls ”like a little waterfall”.The BBC…

WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has hit back at claims from Elon Musk that the messaging app “exports your user data every night.”Posting on X, Mr Cathcart said the allegation was simply “not correct”.He pointed to the fact WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning they cannot be read by the company at all.Yann LeCun – artificial intelligence chief at parent company, Meta – has also weighed in, using more industrial language in his X post attacking Mr Musk’s claims.On another Meta platform, Threads, Mr LeCun also levelled further criticisms at Mr Musk, accusing him of making contradictory and unrealistic claims about…

A leading drill star has admitted two drugs charges following a police raid during an online performance.Digga D – real name Rhys Herbert – appeared at Lincoln Crown Court via video link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs, where he was remanded in custody.The 23-year-old, of Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill, pleaded guilty to the supply and importation of cannabis.He was arrested near Lincoln in the early hours of 21 February while broadcasting on Instagram Live.At the hearing on Tuesday, the prosecution did not accept the basis of his pleas, and Judge Simon Hirst adjourned the case until 8 July to decide if…

24 minutes agoJames Landale,Diplomatic correspondent, @BBCJLandaleNiall Carson/PA WireA Palestinian flag was raised outside the Irish Parliament building to mark the decisionSpain, Ireland and Norway have formally recognised a Palestinian state, in what they say is an attempt to refocus attention on efforts to find a political solution to the war in the Middle East.They hope by acting together they will encourage other European countries to follow suit, in a diplomatic push that could help secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.The symbolic decision has provoked a furious row with Israel’s government which has accused…

The board of the company that owns Royal Mail is expected to recommend a fresh takeover offer for the 500-year-old organisation on Wednesday.Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky will firm up an offer of £5bn for the company which employs more than 150,000 people.It’s thought the offer will include commitments to retain the name, brand, UK headquarters and UK tax residency, as well as ruling out compulsory redundancies.Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who has yet to meet Mr Kretinsky, has the power under the National Security and Investment Act to scrutinise and potentially block the deal.Markets seem to think there is a chance…

Very few people are regularly using “much hyped” artificial intelligence (AI) products like ChatGPT, a survey suggests.Researchers surveyed 12,000 people in six countries, including the UK, with only 2% of British respondents saying they use such tools on a daily basis.But the study, from the Reuters Institute and Oxford University, says young people are bucking the trend, with 18 to 24-year-olds the most eager adopters of the tech.Dr Richard Fletcher, the report’s lead author, told the BBC there was a “mismatch” between the “hype” around AI and the “public interest” in it.The study examined views on generative AI tools -…

Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg will lead the BBC’s election night coverage, the corporation has announced.They jointly replace previous election night anchor Huw Edwards, who left the BBC in April. Kuenssberg, who fronts a Sunday morning politics show on BBC One, will become the corporation’s first female election night anchor.She will co-host with Myrie, who presents BBC News bulletins as well as quiz show Mastermind.The pair will be assisted by the BBC’s political editor Chris Mason.Nick Robinson and Rachel Burden will host the radio coverage with Henry Zeffman on BBC Radio 4 and 5 Live.Myrie and Kuenssberg will be joined…

As fighting and suffering continues in Gaza, and violence grows in the West Bank, prospects of the Palestinian people gaining their own state might seem further away than ever.Several European countries are pressing ahead with formally recognising the existence of a Palestinian state, but they will not overcome the reality that such ambition still faces huge obstacles.However, Tuesday’s actions by Ireland, Spain and Norway, announced last week, will put pressure on other countries in Europe – including the UK, France and Germany – to follow them in supporting Palestinian self-determination.“This is extremely significant,” one Arab diplomat said. “It reflects European…

The Conservatives have promised to raise the tax-free pension allowance via a “Triple Lock Plus” if they win the general election.Under the plans, the personal allowance for pensioners will increase at least 2.5% or in line with the highest of earnings or inflation.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the scheme “shows we are on the side of pensioners,” who the Tories say will save £275 by 2030.Labour said the government’s plan was not “credible”.At the moment, the state pension already rises in line with whichever is the highest – average earnings, wages or by 2.5%.This meant in April the state pension…