Author: BBC

Brian FarmerBBC News, BuckinghamshireReporting fromHigh Wycombe Magistrates’ CourtGetty ImagesCheryl Tweedy said she “immediately panicked” upon seeing Daniel Bannister at her homeA man who stalked Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy has been jailed for 16 weeks after leaving the pop star “frightened” when he turned up at her home.Daniel Bannister, of no fixed address, targeted the singer three times last year in the Chalfonts area of Buckinghamshire.The 50-year-old was given a restraining order having said he had “come to get Cheryl” when he visited her home in January, and returned in July when he asked for a glass of wine.Having visited…

Noor Nanji & Zoe ConwayBBC NewsGetty ImagesEvery McDonald’s in Britain has been warned its owners could face legal action if they fail to take steps to protect staff from sexual abuse.The equality watchdog has written to all 1,400 branches telling them they must comply with their legal duties, or risk enforcement action, after a BBC investigation uncovered claims of a toxic culture of sexual assault and harassment.In January, McDonald’s workers told us they still faced sexual harassment more than a year after its chief executive promised to clean up behaviour at the fast-food chain.McDonald’s said it was “committed” to doing…

Belgian police have raided several locations in the country as part of an investigation into corruption within the European Parliament.Prosecutors said the alleged corruption was “under the guise of commercial lobbying”, and that several people had been detained for questioning.According to officials, an address in Portugal was also searched by local police, while in France, one person was arrested.Belgian newspaper Le Soir said the investigation was linked to Chinese tech giant Huawei and its activities in Brussels since 2021. Huawei said it was taking the allegations “seriously” and would “urgently communicate with the investigation”.The Belgian prosecutor’s office said: “Corruption was…

Cheshire PoliceLucy Letby is serving 15 whole-life prison sentences for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others (one of whom on two occasions) between June 2015 and June 2016A police investigation at the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby murdered seven babies and attempted to kill seven others has been expanded to consider whether there was evidence of gross negligence manslaughter.Cheshire Police said it opened a corporate manslaughter investigation at the Countess of Chester Hospital in October 2023.Det Supt Paul Hughes said: “As our enquiries have continued, the scope of the investigation has now widened to also include gross…

Annabel Rackham and Steven McIntoshEntertainment reportersGetty ImagesRachel Zegler performed at the film’s European premiere, held in at a castle in Northern SpainDisney’s live-action remake of Snow White is set to be released in UK cinemas next week, marking the latest efforts by the film studio to revive a beloved old classic.But the film, which stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, has faced several issues throughout its production. The movie is being released amid a debate about how the seven dwarfs are represented on screen, while Zegler has made headlines for critical comments about the original 1937 film.The European premiere was…

Tom EspinerBBC business reporterGetty ImagesRetailer John Lewis has said its staff will not receive a bonus for the third year in a row, despite reporting a jump in annual profits.The employee-owned retail partnership, which also includes the Waitrose supermarket chain, said profits last year rose by 73% to £97m.However, it has not restored the staff bonus, saying it would invest in its business and workers’ pay instead.The John Lewis Partnership employs about 69,000 people, and earlier this month it said shop workers would receive a 7.4% pay rise this year.This is the fourth time in five years that John Lewis…

Zoe Kleinman & Georgina HayesTechnology editor & reporterGetty ImagesRoblox has seen meteoric growth among young gamersParents who don’t want their children on Roblox should not let them use it, the chief executive of the gigantic gaming platform has said.The site, which is the most popular in the UK among young gamers aged eight to 12, has been dogged by claims of some children being exposed to explicit or harmful content through its games, alongside multiple reported allegations of bullying and grooming.But its co-founder and CEO Dave Baszucki insisted that the company is vigilant in protecting its users and pointed out…

Philippa Roxby and Elena BaileyHealth reportersGetty ImagesThe first daily pill for treating endometriosis symptoms has been approved for use on the NHS in England – but only for patients who have tried all other options.Endometriosis affects 1.5 million women in the UK, causing pain and extreme tiredness as a result of tissue similar to the womb lining growing elsewhere in the body.The new tablet, known as relugolix combination therapy, has been approved by drug assessment body the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and, unlike current injectable treatments, it can be taken at home.The charity Endometriosis UK said…

Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporterReutersSpotify paid the music industry $10bn (£7.7bn) in 2024, which the streaming service said was the highest annual payment from any single retailer in history. But the figures come as a heated debate continues about how much money artists and songwriters receive in royalties.Earlier this year, several Grammy-nominated songwriters boycotted an awards event hosted by Spotify in a row about their streaming earnings.As the new figures were published, a spokesperson for Spotify said the responsibility for distributing the money it pays lay with record labels and publishers.The company said it pays royalties to rights holders, adding that it…

João da Silva and Tom EspinerBusiness reporters, BBC NewsReutersThe 25% duty on steel and aluminium imports is a major hit to some of the US’s top trading partnersThe UK is pushing for a trade deal with the US as tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on imports of steel and aluminium take effect.The import tax introduction sparked an immediate response from the European Union on Wednesday which said it will impose counter tariffs on billions of euros of US goods.The UK did not announce any tariffs in response as it works towards “a wider economic agreement”, but the Conservatives…