Author: BBC

Getty ImagesMinecraft Movie star Jack Black joined SNL cast member Michael Longfellow in a recent Saturday Night Live sketchUS TV institution Saturday Night Live has entertained viewers and created comedy stars for 50 years. Can a British version reach the same heights?For five decades, the phrase “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” has boldly opened episodes of Saturday Night Live, with its tried and tested mix of topical sketch comedy, celebrity cameos and big-name musical guests.Now, the stateside staple is to come live from London after Sky announced that a “star-studded” UK spin-off, fronted by British comedic talent, will…

Dominic HughesGlobal health correspondentGetty ImagesEscherichia coli bacteria – also known as E. coli, the bug that causes food poisoning – is one of the bacteria that is showing greater resistance to front-line antibioticsMore than three million children around the world are thought to have died in 2022 as a result of infections that are resistant to antibiotics, according to a study by two leading experts in child health. Children in Africa and South East Asia were found to be most at risk. Antimicrobial resistance – known as AMR – develops when the microbes that cause infections evolve in such a…

Natalie ShermanBBC NewsReporting fromNew York, New YorkBBCDays after Richard Medina went looking for a smartphone to beat new tariffs, the US announced the devices would be exempt from the dutiesWhen his camera stopped working on his iPhone recently, New Yorker Richard Medina didn’t waste any time. With the threat of tariff-fuelled price hikes on smartphones bearing down, he quickly called his phone company for a new one. “I said, ‘We’ve got to switch this out now,'” the 43-year-old recalled. “Let’s take care of it.”The move was a sign of the pressure rising across the US, where households are being buffeted…

Microsoft has begun the rollout of an AI-powered tool which takes snapshots of users’ screens every few seconds.The Copilot+ Recall feature is available in preview mode to some people with Microsoft’s AI PCs and laptops.It is the relaunch of a feature which was dubbed a “privacy nightmare” when it was first announced last year. Microsoft paused the rollout in 2024, and after trialling the tech with a small number of users, it has begun expanding access to those signed up to its Windows Insider software testing programme.The BBC has approached Microsoft for comment.Microsoft says Recall will be rolled out worldwide,…

Rumeana Jahangir & Chris LongBBC NewsGetty ImagesThe Stone Roses was one of the biggest bands in the UK in the early 1990sMusic fans wondering what Pulp would do for an encore have finally got their answer as the Britpop legends announced they would be releasing their first new album for almost a quarter of century in June.The first single from the upcoming More takes a familiar path to their much-loved previous songs, with singer Jarvis Cocker drawing on his own experiences and interactions for its lyrics.Its main inspiration though is not the band’s native Sheffield or Cocker’s meandering life through…

Victoria GillScience correspondentKevin Church/BBC NewsResearchers are using specially designed games and brain-scanning ‘hats’ to work out how children develop key skills Two-year-old Henry is completely transfixed by the iPad in front of him. Every time a smiley face appears he taps the screen – and his tap transforms the face into a cartoon of a dancing animal.It looks like a simple, repetitive game, but is actually a test of a fundamental skill that is developing in the toddler’s growing brain. Henry is wearing a sensor-laden cap with wires emerging from it that are attached to a large piece of analytical…

Paul SeddonPolitical reporterZoe ConwayEmployment correspondentWatch: Starmer announces plans to take control of British Steel plantParliament has been recalled for a rare Saturday sitting to pass an emergency law aimed at saving British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant from imminent closure.Sir Keir Starmer said the legislation would allow ministers to “take control” of the Lincolnshire site and stop its Chinese owner from closing its blast furnaces.The move opens the door to a full nationalisation of the company at a later stage, with the prime minister saying “all options” remained on the table.Talks have been taking place this week to keep production going at…

Liv McMahon & Imran Rahman-JonesTechnology reportersRobert Timothy/BBC/ChatGPTLeft: BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman. Right: Her AI-generated action figureWhen scrolling through social media, you may have recently seen friends and family appearing in miniature.It’s part of a new trend where people use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT and Copilot to re-package themselves – literally – as pocket-sized dolls and action figures.It has taken off online, with brands and influencers dabbling in creating their mini-me.But some are urging people to steer clear of the seemingly innocent trend, saying fear of missing out shouldn’t override concerns about AI’s energy and data use.How…

Pete Allison & Millie TrenholmBBC NewsbeatGetty ImagesChloe Qisha was training to be a therapist before she became a singerWhen Chloe Qisha was training to be a therapist, she wondered whether her dreams of being a pop star would ever come true.Now, with one of the biggest artists in the US covering her songs and a spot on the BBC Radio 1 playlist, it’s definitely happening for the singer even if, in her words, she’s “a little bit late”.But, speaking to BBC Newsbeat, Chloe says “late” actually feels like the perfect time.The London-based singer, who was born in Malaysia, has been…

Philippa RoxbyHealth reporterGetty ImagesA new type of drug for one of the most common kinds of advanced breast cancer is now available on the NHS in England.Some 3,000 women a year could benefit from capivasertib after a clinical trial showed it can slow progression of the disease, and shrink tumours in a quarter of people.The drug has been given the green light for NHS funding by England’s drug assessment body.It’s one of a range of treatment options available to people whose cancer has spread and is no longer curable, but a cancer charity said breast cancer drugs should be approved…