Author: BBC

PA MediaThe government’s plans to allow AI developers to access copyrighted material to train their systems has sparked backlash – and protests – by British creatives.The fierce battle over artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright – which pits the government against some of the biggest names in the creative industry – returns to the House of Lords on Monday with little sign of a solution in sight.A huge row has kicked off between ministers and peers who back the artists, and shows no sign of abating. It might be about AI but at its heart are very human issues: jobs and…

Shefalee VasudevFashion writerGetty ImagesDiljit Dosanjh made his Met Gala debut dressed like an early 20th Century maharajah Indian singer Diljit Dosanjh’s Met Gala debut last month left a lasting impression on global fashion.The 41-year-old singer, who is the only Punjabi musician to perform at Coachella, walked the red carpet dressed like an early 20th Century maharajah.His opulent ivory and gold ensemble – created by designer Prabal Gurung – complete with a feathered bejewelled turban, trended in India for weeks.He also wore a gorgeous diamond necklace, its design inspired by a Cartier piece worn by an erstwhile king of the northern…

Annabel Rackham and Steven McIntoshCulture reportersBBCRanganathan said he used running, reading and breathing exercises to help centre himself when feeling downRomesh Ranganathan has said he is in “one of the best places I’ve ever been in my life”, after years of struggling with his mental health.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, the comedian described how he had used running, reading and breathing exercises to help centre himself, after previously having suicidal thoughts.”Recognising it is half the battle,” he told host Lauren Laverne. “So sometimes I just go through a dark period and I know that I’ve got to…

Faarea MasudBusiness reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesTough choices are “unavoidable” as the government finalises spending plans for areas ranging from the NHS and defence, to schools and the criminal justice system, a think tank has warned.The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the level of spending on health would dictate whether cuts were made to “unprotected” areas – those outside the NHS, defence and schools.While funding increased sharply in 2024 for transport, net zero, hospitals, schools and prisons, it would no longer increase year on year, given the government’s commitments, the IFS said.The government said the Spending Review on 11 June…

Zoe CorbynTechnology ReporterReporting fromSan FranciscoGetty ImagesPresident Trump has described windfarms as “disgusting” and “ugly”US green fuel company HIF Global has a big vision for Texas’s Matagorda County: a $7bn (£5.2bn) commercial scale e-methanol factory to supply the world market.The plant, which it claims would be the largest to date anywhere, would make e-methanol from captured carbon dioxide and green hydrogen produced on site using renewable energy.Its construction would create thousands of jobs and the product would power ships and planes in a far cleaner way.But the company has yet to make its final investment decision. It is waiting to see…

Getty ImagesEmmy winning actress Valerie Mahaffey has died at age 71, her family has confirmed.Mahaffey’s publicist confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the star died in California on Friday after being diagnosed with cancer.The star was known for her work on television series including Desperate Housewives, Young Sheldon and Big Sky.In a statement provided to Variety, Mahaffey’s husband Joseph Kell said that he had “lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses”.”She will be missed,” he said.On Facebook, the couple’s daughter Alice wrote: “I don’t really have the words to say right…

Philippa RoxbyHeath ReporterLaura MarstonLaura now feels good six years after her diagnosis of advanced tongue cancerHundreds of thousands of people with advanced head and neck cancer could live longer without their cancer returning thanks to an immunotherapy drug, a clinical trial suggests.This is the first sign of a breakthrough for patients with this difficult-to-treat cancer for 20 years, say scientists behind the research.Laura Marston, 45, from Derbyshire, says she is “amazed she’s still here” after being given “dire” chances of survival following a diagnosis of advanced tongue cancer six years ago.She received the immunotherapy before and after surgery, which researchers…

BBCThe Treasury has announced the sale of its final shares in the NatWest Group. It means the bank will be under full private ownership, almost two decades after it was bailed out by the taxpayer amid the 2008 financial crisis. This marks a symbolic end to a dramatic chapter in British banking history.It was gone midnight – the early hours of Monday 13 October 2008 – when Chancellor Alistair Darling turned in for the night, leaving a team of officials, surrounded by curries and pizza boxes, finalising the detail of the biggest state intervention in the private sector since World…

Graham FraserTechnology ReporterGetty ImagesLiverpool won the English Premier League this season, and live football is the focus on many illegal streamsA lack of action by big tech firms is enabling the “industrial scale theft” of premium video services, especially live sport, a new report says.The research by Enders Analysis accuses Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft of “ambivalence and inertia” over a problem it says costs broadcasters revenue and puts users at an increased risk of cyber-crime.Gareth Sutcliffe and Ollie Meir, who authored the research, described the Amazon Fire Stick – which they argue is the device many people use to…

Mark SavageMusic CorrespondentGetty ImagesTaylor Swift has bought back the rights to her first six albums, ending a long-running battle over the ownership of her music.”All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me,” said the star, announcing the news on her official website. “I’ve been bursting into tears of joy… ever since I found out this is really happening.”The saga began in June 2019, when music manager Scooter Braun bought Swift’s former record label Big Machine and, with it, all of the songs from Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation.Swift had personal objections to the…