Author: BBC

Tom GerkenTechnology reporterPA MediaThe UK data watchdog has launched what it calls a “major investigation” into TikTok’s use of children’s personal information.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will inspect the way in which the social media platform uses the data of 13 to 17-year-olds to recommend further content to them.John Edwards, the Information Commissioner, said it would look at whether TikTok’s data collection practices could lead to children experiencing harms, such as data being leaked or spending “more time than is healthy” on the platform.TikTok told the BBC its recommender systems operated under “strict and comprehensive measures that protect the privacy…

Mark SavageMusic CorrespondentGetty ImagesNudity, swearing, petulance, club anthems, more nudity and a woman dressed as a horse – the 2025 Brit Awards had it all.Charli XCX was the big winner, taking home five prizes in all – including best artist, best album and song of the year.US star – and the BBC’s Sound of 2025 – Chappell Roan picked up two awards; while Ezra Collective, The Last Dinner Party, Fontaines DC and Stormzy got one apiece.But no-one’s only interested in all that. Here’s what really went down at the 2025 ceremony at London’s O2 Arena.Most predictable winner: Charli XCXGetty ImagesListen,…

PA MediaAmanda Pritchard, head of NHS England, would have regular Monday meetings with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to review performance and address challenges. But last Monday was different. After discussing the state of the health service, she announced she was stepping down – with just one month’s notice.It came as a shock to many in the organisation, under which there are 1.4 million staff who deal with 1.7 million patients everyday. But those in the know had suspected something was happening – though not the timing.That meeting between Pritchard and Streeting was the natural conclusion of changes which had been…

Tom EspinerBBC business reporterGetty ImagesRegulated rail fares have gone up in England and Wales by 4.6% and the price of most railcards has risen by £5.The government says fares need to rise so it can invest in the rail system, but Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged passengers were “frustrated” by delays and cancellations.Although the government plans to renationalise three rail operators this year, this is not expected to bring ticket prices down.The Campaign for Better Transport said the latest increase “piles further misery on hard-pressed households” and called for lower fares.The rail fare rise for regulated tickets includes most season…

Graham FraserTechnology ReporterGettySkype, the video-calling service that had hundreds of millions of users, is closing in May, its owner Microsoft has said.It was once one of the world’s most popular websites and allowed people to make voice calls via their computers to friends and family all over the globe for free.Skype was not the first or only company offering this service but by allowing the public to make computer-to-computer calls free, it helped popularise the concept.In an announcement on X, Skype said users can sign in to Microsoft Teams with their account to stay connected with all their chats and…

UniversalMikey Madison stars in Anora, a film about a New York stripperWhen Luna Sofia Miranda approached Sean Baker in a strip club in New York in 2022, she tried her best to charm him.But he “very clearly did not want to buy a lap dance,” she says.Miranda, who was 23 at the time, started asking why he and his wife were there.”I’m very nosy,” she says. “So I kept asking them questions and I finally got it out of them. They were making a film about strippers.”She told them she had studied acting, and – after a successful audition -…

Getty ImagesThe hike in national insurance contributions (NICs) set for April will see some Northern Ireland GP practices going under if the government does not provide a bail-out, according to a senior doctor.The Royal College of GPs in Northern Ireland (RCGP) told Stormont’s Public Accounts Committee the move could be “catastrophic”.Employers currently pay a rate of 13.8% on employees’ earnings above a threshold of £9,100 a year.In the Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said this rate would increase to 15% in April 2025, and the threshold would be reduced to £5,000.The DUP MLA, Diane Forsythe, said she had received information back…

Danielle CoddBusiness reporterBBCTom says he worries constantly about how he’s going to pay to make his building safeFlat owners are being hit with huge bills for fire safety work because their blocks are not tall enough to qualify for funding announced after the Grenfell Tower fire.The previous government launched the Building Safety Act after the 2017 fire which killed 72 people. But the rules do not apply to buildings under 11m (36ft) or five storeys high. Some lawyers claim the new law was “rushed” but the government says it covers the majority of leaseholders and it will continue to review…

Messaging service WhatsApp went down briefly on Friday afternoon, thousands of users reported.Downdetector, a site which monitors platform outages, received more than 50,000 reports from users shortly after 15:30 GMT, which began to decline soon after.WhatsApp said the issues, largely impacting users’ ability to send messages, had now been resolved.”We know some people briefly had trouble sending messages on WhatsApp,” a spokesperson told the BBC. “We’ve fixed the issue.”Some users reported problems affecting Facebook and Facebook Messenger, but in much fewer numbers than WhatsApp.The end to end encrypted messaging app, acquired by Meta in 2014, has nearly three billion users…

TV chef and restauranteur Heston Blumenthal said he was back in the kitchen and “thinking more clearly” as he takes on an ambassadorial role with a charity following his bipolar disorder diagnosis.The 58-year-old said since he spoke publicly he had received thousands of messages from others living with the condition.Blumenthal runs a number of award-winning restaurants, including the three Michelin starred The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire.He has become an official ambassador for Bipolar UK, having been diagnosed with the condition in 2023.According to Bipolar UK, the mental health condition is an episodic disorder characterised by sometimes extreme changes in…