Author: BBC

A leading London-based opera company has announced that it will permanently relocate to Sheffield within two years.English Touring Opera (ETO) will open a base in the city as part of its sponsor Arts Council England’s funding programme, enabling cultural organisations to leave the capital.The company was founded to bring opera to areas of the country that would not usually have access to productions, and said the move would be a “natural extension” of its mission.Sheffield City Council said it was “delighted” by the news.A temporary office would open this year and a permanent headquarters would be occupied by 2025, an…

5 hours agoAlys Davies & BBC Arabic,BBC NewsEPAAn AI-generated image depicting tent camps for displaced Palestinians and a slogan that reads All Eyes on Rafah is sweeping social media.The post has been shared more than 47 million times by Instagram users including celebrities like Dua Lipa, Lewis Hamilton and Gigi and Bella Hadid.The image and the slogan went viral after an Israeli air strike and resulting fire at a camp for displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah earlier this week. The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 45 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in the…

2 hours agoFederica Bedendo,Jonny ManningNetwork RailNetwork Rail issued pictures showing the derailed freight train near Shap, CumbriaA rail line has reopened after a freight train derailed causing travel chaos on part of the West Coast Main Line.Passengers were told not to travel after the train came off the tracks on Wednesday near Shap, Cumbria, blocking the line between Carlisle and Oxenholme Lake District.Network Rail confirmed the train had since been moved but warned there would still be delays on Thursday.Avanti West Coast said services were still “extremely limited” and advised passengers to check its website before travelling.The freight train derailed…

4 hours agoTom Richardson,BBC NewsbeatMojangNew kid on the block: Minecraft will be Netflix’s latest animated show based on a video gameNetflix has announced plans to release an animated series based on Minecraft.The best-selling video game of all time celebrates its 15th birthday this year, and the reveal dropped during an anniversary celebration. A short teaser trailer shows a green creeper character from the game scuttle into the middle of a black screen before exploding in a pixelated grey cloud.Once the fog clears, the camera sweeps into an underground cavern filled with lava.The shot eventually closes in on a red Netflix…

32 minutes agoAna Faguy,BBC News, WashingtonReutersA New York jury began deliberating on the case against Donald Trump on WednesdayAfter weeks of testimony, 12 New York City jurors are sitting in a Manhattan courthouse room to decide the fate of former President Donald Trump’s hush-money case. The jury is in its second day of deliberation and a verdict could come at any time. On Wednesday they deliberated for four and a half hours.Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to a hush-money payment made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels. She claims she had…

Hundreds of Eurostar passengers have seen their trains delayed or cancelled due to a technical issue with UK Border Force e-gates.On Thursday evening, the Home Office said the issue had been resolved, adding that it was working to “fully restore services”.Eurostar apologised for the delays, saying affected passengers would be offered alternative travel or refunds.At Paris Gare du Nord earlier in the day, hundreds of people were waiting in huge queues, many of them families with young children on their half-term break.Eurostar said services in both directions between Paris and London were affected. E-gates are self-service barriers which automatically read…

26 minutes agoIan Youngs,Culture reporterSawa PontyjskaPontyjska says she was ejected from the event after the incidentA Ukrainian model says she has filed a legal complaint against organisers of the Cannes Film Festival after video went viral of her being allegedly manhandled by a security guard on the red carpet.Sawa Pontyjska was one of several guests who were filmed being challenged by the same steward at the prestigious French event.Singer Kelly Rowland also complained, while footage of the guard with South Korean actress Yoona and Dominican actress Massiel Taveras also circulated online.Getty ImagesKelly Rowland had a heated exchange with the guardPontyjska,…

South Korean tycoon Chey Tae-won has been ordered to pay his ex-wife 1.38 trillion won ($1bn; £788m) in cash – the country’s largest ever divorce settlement. It comes nearly a decade after Mr Chey’s marriage fell apart following the revelation he had fathered a child with his lover. The Seoul High Court on Thursday ruled that Roh So-young – whom he was married to for 35 years – was entitled to a portion of his company shares.Lawyers for Mr Chey – chairman of the powerful SK Group conglomerate – said he would appeal, claiming the court had taken “Roh’s one-sided…

25 minutes agoKatie Hunter,BBC Scotland NewsBBCRavinder Naga fears his conviction may not be overturned as part of the new Scottish legislationA man who says he falsely confessed to stealing money from his mother’s Post Office to protect her from going to prison is waiting to find out whether his conviction will be quashed.Ravinder Naga pleaded guilty to stealing £35,000 after auditors discovered a shortfall at Belville Street Post Office in Greenock.Hundreds of people across the UK were convicted on the basis of evidence from a faulty Post Office IT system called Horizon.Legislation exonerating all affected sub-postmasters in Scotland was passed…

16 minutes agoMark Savage,Music correspondentGetty ImagesCMAT was nominated for album of the year at last week’s Ivor Novello AwardsPop singer CMAT says she is pulling out of the Latitude Festival in Suffolk, in protest at the event being sponsored by Barclays Bank.It follows a similar action at Brighton’s Great Escape Festival in May, where more than 100 artists pulled out over Barclays’ involvement.Campaigners have accused the bank of increasing its investment in arms companies that trade with Israel, amid the ongoing war in Palestine.”I will not allow my precious work, my music, which I love so much, to get into…