Author: BBC

John Torode has been sacked as MasterChef presenter after an allegation against him using “an extremely offensive racist term” was upheld.On Monday, the TV chef said he had “no recollection” of the incident, adding: “I do not believe that it happened.”But in a statement on Tuesday, the show’s production company Banijay UK said it and the BBC “are agreed” that his contract on the show will not be renewed. It plunges the BBC cooking show into a deeper crisis, after more than 40 separate allegations against Torode’s co-host Gregg Wallace were also upheld as part of an inquiry into his…

Getty ImagesA number of yellow and amber heat alerts have been issued across England during the recent hot weather. The alerts warn the public when high temperatures pose a potential risk to health. How does the weather health alert system work?The weather alert service warns the public in England when high or low temperatures could damage their health.The system is run by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office.It includes both heat health and cold health alertsHeat health alerts are issued between 1 June and 30 September, and cold health alerts are published between 1 November and 30…

Savers with cash in low-interest accounts will be blitzed with offers to invest their money instead, under government plans.Banks will send savers details of stocks and shares investments and there will be an advertising campaign to raise awareness, the Treasury said.In a series of proposals by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, a scheme that encourages the provision of low-deposit mortgages will also be made permanent.Reeves is delivering two major speeches on Tuesday, as the government and chancellor aim to rebound from bruising blows on welfare and the winter fuel U-turn.”We need to double down on our global strengths to put the UK…

Reddit has announced it is introducing age verification on its UK site from Monday to stop people aged under 18 from looking at “certain mature content”.The social media platform is bringing in the measures to comply with new rules under the UK’s Online Safety Act which require sites that show adult material to introduce “robust” age checking techniques.Reddit, known for its online communities and discussions, said that while it does not want to know who its audience is: “It would be helpful for our safety efforts to be able to confirm whether you are a child or an adult.”Ofcom, the…

Production has begun on the new TV adaptation of Harry Potter, as the first picture of the lead actor in costume was released. JK Rowling’s series of novels has already been made into a film, but HBO is now producing a TV series which is expected to take 10 years to complete.Producers released the first picture of 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin in costume as Harry Potter on Monday and confirmed several new cast members. Rory Wilmot hast been cast as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.They join stars…

Sanchia BergNews correspondentGetty ImagesLast summer, a woman was arrested at Gatwick Airport after she arrived from Nigeria with a very young baby girl.The woman had been living in West Yorkshire with her husband and children, and before leaving the UK for Africa had told her GP she was pregnant. That was not true.When the woman returned about a month later with the baby, she was arrested on suspicion of trafficking.The case, the second the BBC has followed through the Family Court in recent months, reveals what experts say is a worrying trend of babies possibly being brought to the UK…

Work to bring “a cleaner, greener future” to a south Wales site, where 2,800 jobs were lost when traditional steelmaking ended, will begin today.Construction will commence on a new electric arc furnace at Port Talbot’s Tata steel works, which is expected to be up and running by 2027 and reduce the site’s carbon emissions by about 90%.It comes after 2,800 jobs were lost when the site’s blast furnaces were shut in September 2024.A union described the announcement as “bittersweet”, but the UK government insisted it was a “major win”.UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will join the Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens…

Thomas MackintoshBBC NewsBBCOfcom chief executive Melanie Dawes said on Sunday there could be a risk that the public will lose confidence in the BBCThe BBC needs to “get a grip quicker” and complete reports and investigations sooner following controversies such as the broadcast of Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, the head of regulator Ofcom has said.Dame Melanie Dawes said the corporation had “some own goals” over its handling of the punk-rap duo’s performance last month and a documentary about Gaza that was withdrawn in February.At Glastonbury Bob Vylan led a chant of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]” and…

Getty ImagesNvidia has become the first company in the world to reach a market value of $4tn. Shares in the chip-maker rose by as much as 2.4% to $164 on Wednesday, as the company continues to benefit from the ongoing surge in demand for the tech that powers artificial intelligence (AI).The US-based company reached a market value of $1tn for the first time in June 2023, and has continued to climb rapidly since.Tech analyst Dan Ives, of Wedbush Securities, said in a note that was in a historic moment for Nvidia.”They are the only game in town with their chips…

Talks between Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association (BMA) will take place next week in a bid to avert strike action in England’s NHS.Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, announced earlier this week that they will walk out for five consecutive days from 25 July until 30 July over a dispute about pay with the government.The government has insisted it cannot improve its offer of a 5.4% increase for this year.In a joint statement BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs Dr Ross Nieuwoudt and Dr Melissa Ryan said they are “happy to continue discussions to find a…