Author: BBC

EY is being investigated over its audits of the Post Office in relation to the Horizon scandal from March 2015 to March 2018.The Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the UK’s accounting regulator, said it will check whether EY met its standards “with particular reference to matters related to the Horizon IT system”.The software developed by Fujitsu was at the heart of the Post Office scandal that saw hundreds of postmasters wrongly convicted.EY said it takes its responsibilities “extremely seriously” and will be “fully cooperating” with the FRC.The FRC said the recent public hearings carried out as a broader inquiry into the…

BBCListen to this articleThe US has “dropped the ball” on chip manufacturing over the years, allowing China and other Asian hubs to steam ahead. So said Gina Raimondo, who at the time was the US Commerce Secretary, in an interview with me back in 2021.Four years on, chips remain a battleground in the US-China race for tech supremacy, and US President Donald Trump now wants to turbocharge a highly complex and delicate manufacturing process that has taken other regions decades to perfect.He says his tariff policy will liberate the US economy and bring jobs home, but it is also the…

David SillitoMedia CorrespondentBBCThe Lady: spring flowers, housekeepers and vital etiquette tipsThe Lady, Britain’s longest running women’s magazine, has formally announced that it has ceased publication.The magazine is famed for its etiquette advice and adverts for butlers, nannies and discreet liaisons with well-heeled 60-somethings.In a statement, the publishers confirmed recent media reports that the April edition of the magazine will be the last, but added the website with its jobs board and recruitment agency will continue.Here’s a look back at its place in, and impact on, British culture over 140 years.The ‘whole field of womanly action’The Lady was established in 1885…

Ashley John-BaptisteBBC News InvestigationsGetty ImagesBlood test results have been leading to misdiagnoses and unnecessary hospital referrals, GPs have told the BBCAn NHS provider that won a £2bn contract to deliver blood-testing services for hospitals and GPs is failing to deliver reliable results, according to medical professionals.Synnovis, a public-private partnership between the medical company Synlab and Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College hospital foundation trusts, secured the contract in 2021 to deliver pathology services for just under 200 GP surgeries across south-east London.The BBC has spoken to GPs who say incorrect and delayed blood results are a “regular concern” and…

Faarea MasudBBC Business reporterGetty ImagesJob vacancies have fallen to the lowest level in nearly four years, suggesting demand for workers is weakening as employment costs grow.The number of jobs on offer fell to 781,000 in the first three months of the year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, while payroll numbers also declined. Average UK pay continued to rise – up 5.9% – but increases in employer National Insurance Contributions as well as National Minimum Wage hikes which came into force this month are forecast to weigh on salaries. “The looming hike in employers’ taxes in April is very…

Lily JamaliReporting fromSan FranciscoGetty ImagesMark Zuckerberg leaves court on MondayMeta boss Mark Zuckerberg has taken the witness stand in a landmark antitrust trial to defend his company against allegations that his company operates a social media monopoly.His testimony is part of a case first brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2020 during the final days of the first Trump administration.The US competition watchdog alleges Meta unfairly dominated the market through its acquisitions of photo-sharing app Instagram in 2012 and the messaging service WhatsApp in 2014.The FTC is seeking to break up Meta by forcing a spinoff of Instagram…

The White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood has called a Saturday Night Live (SNL) sketch that impersonated her using exaggerated prosthetic teeth “mean and unfunny”.The British actress said the US comedy programme “punched down” on her and suggested the sketch was misogynistic.In a series of Instagram posts, Wood wrote that she was happy to be made fun of “when it’s clever and in good spirits” but that there “must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way”.Wood, 31, said she had received “apologies from SNL” after sharing her criticism. The BBC has contacted broadcaster NBC for a response.The actress’s role…

Patients with advanced skin cancer could be fast-tracked to take part in a “revolutionary” trial of a new cancer vaccine.The needle-free injection boosts the immune system’s response and helps it attack and recognise cancer cells to help stop the disease returning.The trial is being coordinated by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, which is based at the city’s university, and is aiming to expand the number of patients able to take part.Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK and accounts for about 4% of all new cancer cases but research shows it is on the rise.The NHS will…

Gemma HandyBusiness reporterReporting fromSt John’s, Antigua Getty ImagesGuyana, and the wider Caribbean region, are concerned Trump’s price hikes will increase the cost of their importsThe Caribbean nation of Guyana is breathing a sigh of relief after US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on the introduction of higher tariffs on a number of countries.Guyana, which is nestled between Venezuela and Suriname on the South American mainland, had been singled out for rates of 38% on many of its exports.Following Trump’s change in policy, it now faces tariffs of only 10% – the same as all countries apart from Canada,…

Lily JamaliReporting fromSan FranciscoReutersA trial in the landmark antitrust case against social media giant Meta kicks off in Washington on Monday.The US competition and consumer watchdog alleges that Meta, which already owned Facebook, bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 to eliminate competition, effectively giving itself a monopoly.The FTC reviewed and approved those acquisitions but committed to monitor the outcomes. If the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wins the case it could force Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to sell off both Instagram and WhatsApp.Meta previously said it was sure it would win and experts have told the BBC it is…