Author: BBC

Disney’s live-action version of the classic fairy tale Snow White has topped the North American box office chart despite a slew of underwhelming reviews.The movie has taken an estimated $87.3m (£67.5m) globally during its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. Almost half of that figure came from North America.But that is below expectations for a film which reportedly cost more than $270m.The reworking of the 1937 feature length animation had seemed like a surefire hit before running into a series of controversies ahead of its release.The revamp of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became a flashpoint for social…

Popular DNA testing firm 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protection, and announced that its co-founder and CEO, Anne Wojcicki, has resigned with immediate effect.The company will now attempt to sell itself under the supervision of a court. 23andMe said in a press release that it plans to continue operating throughout the sale process and that there “are no changes to the way the company stores, manages, or protects customer data.” On Friday, the Attorney General in 23andMe’s home state of California issued a consumer alert advising customers to delete their data from the site given the company’s “reported financial distress.”23andMe’s…

Michael BuchananSocial Affairs CorrespondentBBCBy the entrance to Furness General Hospital in Barrow-in-Furness sits a sculpture of a moon with 11 stars. It is a memorial to the mother and babies who died unnecessarily due to poor care at the hospital between 2004 and 2013.Inscribed underneath is a short verse: “Forever in our hearts; Forever held in the love that brought you here; Our star in the night sky, spring blossom, summer rose, falling leaf, winter frost; Forever in our hearts.”When the memorial was unveiled in 2019, Aaron Cummins who is chief executive at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust,…

Lucy Woodham & George HemmatiBBC NewsBBCIn an old gun barrel factory in Sheffield’s industrial heartland, hundreds of people are raving under the fluorescent lights of Hope Works club for one of the last times before it closes. One young woman has dressed all in black to signify the loss of her “favourite place”.”This is a landmark of Sheffield,” says one reveller. “It’s the reason a lot of people come to university here,” adds another.Its owner Liam O’Shea believes that nightlife venues like this are “the vital underbelly of everything”. “It’s where people find themselves,” he says. “It’s where people find…

Hollie Cole and Tom SymondsBBC NewsPA MediaEnergy Secretary Ed Miliband has ordered an urgent investigation into the power outage caused by a substation fire that shut Heathrow Airport on Friday.The investigation, led by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), would build a “clear picture” of the incident and UK’s energy resilience more broadly to prevent it “from ever happening again”, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said.”We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned,” Miliband said.The fire at the North Hyde substation in west London that supplies power to the airport…

Lara Lewington, Liv McMahon & Tom GerkenBBC NewsBBCHaving a chip in your brain that can translate your thoughts into computer commands may sound like science fiction – but it is a reality for Noland Arbaugh. In January 2024 – eight years after he was paralysed – the 30-year-old became the first person to get such a device from the US neurotechnology firm, Neuralink.It was not the first such chip – a handful of other companies have also developed and implanted them – but Noland’s inevitably attracts more attention because of Neuralink’s founder: Elon Musk.But Noland says the important thing is…

An investigation has been launched into allegations that unauthorised people were allowed to watch procedures being carried out in hospital operating theatres.Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said it was undertaking an internal review following the “deeply concerning” allegations.An internal staff survey found that previous concerns regarding unauthorised people in theatres had been raised but not thoroughly investigated, the health board said. “We want to reassure patients and their families that we are committed to providing safe and high-quality care, and patient safety and confidentiality is always of utmost importance to us,” it said in a statement.It is not clear…

Kerr MercerKerr Mercer has had lots of support from Stargazing singer Myles SmithHe is writing songs with Lewis Capaldi and swapping sweets with Teddy Swims, but anyone wanting to listen to rising pop star Kerr Mercer’s music has a problem – because he hasn’t released a song yet. The Lanarkshire singer’s piano-led songs have seen him sell out gigs across the country and earn support slots with major bands.But he’s decided to wait before bringing out any music so he can “build a real fan base”.”I just find it insane that people are wanting to come see me without any…

Shanaz MusaferBusiness reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesSome flights at Heathrow have resumed after the airport was shut on Friday due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies it with power.The UK’s busiest airport has warned of significant disruption over the coming days, with at least 1,300 flights in and out cancelled.What are your rights if your journey has been disrupted and can you get your money back?What do I do if my flight is cancelled?Do not attempt to travel to the airport, but keep in touch with your airline who will be able to advise you about refunds…

Tom Gerken & Tom SingletonTechnology reportersKayleigh GrestySadie said she didn’t think the filter should be allowed on TikTok without some kind of warningA viral filter which made people appear overweight has been removed from TikTok, after the BBC reported it had sparked a wave of user criticism.Known as a “chubby filter”, the artificial intelligence (AI) tool took a photo of a person and edited their appearance to look as though they had put on weight.Many people have shared their “before and after” images on the platform with jokes about how different they looked – however, others said it was a…