Author: BBC

The Evening Standard newspaper has announced plans to drop its daily print edition and go weekly.The London paper launched in its original incarnation in 1827, and became free of charge in 2009.An email to staff on Wednesday said more home working, and the availability of wi-fi on the Tube, were among the factors that had harmed its fortunes.It said “a proposed new weekly newspaper would replace the daily publication”.The paper’s circulation has dropped from 850,000 to 275,000 in the past five years, and it has lost £84.5m over the latest six years.There has been speculation about its future for some…

A guitar used by John Lennon has become the most expensive Beatles instrument ever sold at auction.The Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar was found in an attic after being presumed lost for more than 50 years, auctioneers said.It sold for $2.9m (£2.3m) via a telephone bid at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York.Lennon played the song You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away on the guitar in the 1965 film Help!It was also used on recordings on the album of the same name. The guitar was sold by rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia auction house, Julien’s Auctions, which has broken…

Israel’s military says it has taken control over a strategic zone along the border between Gaza and Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor.A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that about 20 tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza had been found there. Egyptian TV quoted sources denying this, and said Israel was trying to justify its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.The announcement comes during a period of heightened tensions with Egypt. “In recent days, IDF troops established operational control on the Philadelphi Corridor, on the border between Egypt and Rafah,” IDF…

It is not just styles from the 1990s that are making a comeback. One of the decade’s biggest brands is too. Abercrombie & Fitch appears on track for a second year of double digit sales growth – its first such streak in more than a decade.The company, which also owns Hollister, has told investors it expects sales this year to rise 10% from 2023.That is nearly double its prior forecast, and comes after a 16% surge last year. Known in the 90s for appealing to teens, and infamous for its shirtless models, the company is now going after grown-ups with…

Another former executive of FTX has been jailed over his part in the cryptocurrency giant’s implosion in late 2022.Ryan Salame, who was the co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian subsidiary, was sentenced to 90 months in prison, US federal prosecutors said.Salame – who was a top lieutenant to Sam Bankman-Fried, the bankrupt crypto exchange’s founder – pleaded guilty in September last year to violating political campaign finance laws and operating an illegal money-transmitting business.Earlier this year, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing $8bn (£6.3bn) from FTX customers.”Salame’s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American…

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “This is more ‘copy and paste’ politics from Labour, who have no plan. The NHS has faced unprecedented challenges which it can only overcome if supported by a strong economy. “That is why the Conservatives have a clear plan and will take bold action to strengthen the economy and continue to deliver the technology and innovation the NHS needs to keep cutting waiting lists.”She pointed out that in Labour-run Wales, waiting lists had also gone up. Its waiting time target was last hit in 2010.Mr Sunak has also said more patients could have been treated…

The BBC has promised to handle any complaints with “care, fairness and sensitivity” to all sides, following reports about Giovanni Pernice’s teaching methods on Strictly Come Dancing.The BBC issued a statement on Wednesday addressing “media reports about a high profile show”, which is believed to concern Strictly Come Dancing.It came 11 days after Pernice put out a statement, saying he was surprised by allegations about his dance teaching methods, and rejecting “any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour”.Legal firm Carter Ruck has said it has contacted the BBC regarding “numerous serious complaints” about his alleged behaviour while filming Strictly.The broadcaster…

23 minutes agoFarouk Chothia,BBC News, JohannesburgAFPVoters of all generations were eager to cast their ballotsVotes are being counted after what is seen as South Africa’s most closely fought elections since the African National Congress (ANC) came to power 30 years ago.Long lines snaked outside polling stations across the country.One electoral official in Johannesburg told the BBC the queues were reminiscent of the historic 1994 election, when black people could vote for the first time, and which saw Nelson Mandela become president.Many people were still waiting to vote when polls officially closed at 2100 local time (1900 GMT) but the electoral…

2 hours agoHazel Shearing,Alice EvansPAThe prime minister visited apprentices in Liskeard, Cornwall, on WednesdayThe Conservatives have promised to scrap some university courses in England to help fund 100,000 apprenticeships per year if they win the July election.The party says it would replace the “worst-performing” degrees that it considers a “rip-off” because of high drop-out rates and “poor” job prospects.Labour criticised the government over a decline in the number of new apprentices.It said it would prioritise “gearing” apprenticeships towards young people.The Liberal Democrats said the government had treated apprentices like “second-class workers”.The Conservatives said former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair’s ambition…

7 hours agoTom Gerken,Technology reporterMicrosoft/ActivisionMicrosoft has torn up the rules of big video game launches by announcing its most eagerly awaited new title – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – will be available straight away to subscribers of its Game Pass service.Traditionally, gamers have had to hand over significant sums of money upfront to buy big new releases outright.With the latest edition of Call of Duty, they will now have the option to pay a much smaller monthly subscription instead.GamesIndustry.biz head Christopher Dring told the BBC it was a “significant move” for Microsoft and the industry.The tech giant has…