Author: BBC

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…

Nicki Minaj has apologised to fans after postponing a concert in Manchester following her arrest in the Netherlands. The rapper, 41, was due to play the city’s Co-op Live arena on Saturday, but had to cancel at the last minute after she was held on suspicion of exporting drugs.She was fined €350 (£300; $380) by Dutch police and allowed to continue her journey.Announcing that she would now play the Manchester venue next Monday, she posted on social media: “I apologise for all the inconvenience this has caused. I really hope you can make the June 3rd show. It’ll be really…

Papua New Guinea authorities say nearly 7,900 people living near the site of a deadly landslide are “at risk” as rock and debris continues to move down the hillside.An alert for potential evacuation has been put out, with a province official saying the mountain remains “very active”. Rescuers say it is increasingly unlikely that victims will be found alive in the rubble.The country’s disaster agency says it fears about 2,000 people were buried when a mountain side collapsed last Friday.This is much higher than the UN’s estimate of about 670 victims.The UN says it has been difficult to establish an…

Chelsea recalls landlords proposing that she pay six months’ rent upfront to gain a competitive advantage.”As a single mum, I was really on the back foot because I couldn’t offer that.” Chelsea claims that as soon as she mentioned that she was a single parent, she was put on the backburner. “I just wanted to put a roof over my kid’s head, and it was really hard.” Balancing her job and motherhood was a constant struggle, she says. “Mentally, I was a wreck all the time. I’m a chef, so I would be standing at work, cooking, and I would…

David Beckham has signed a deal to be a global ambassador for AliExpress, an online retail platform owned by Chinese technology giant Alibaba.The announcement comes as the Euros football tournament is due to kick off in Germany next month.The company did not reveal how much it is paying the former England captain.In March, AliExpress agreed an exclusive e-commerce platform partnership with European football’s governing body UEFA.Under the deal, the football superstar turned entrepreneur will be the face of AliExpress’ Score More promotion, which will run during games.“AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by…