Author: BBC

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…

The oldest surviving victim of the Post Office Horizon scandal has had her offer of compensation increased but she said “it’s still not good enough”.Betty Brown, 92, was originally offered less than a third of what she had claimed for, but she has now received a new offer of 60%.However the former sub-postmistress told the BBC justice was still being denied.Post Office minister Gareth Thomas, who had previously promised to look at her case, said it was always the government’s priority to pay as much redress as it could.Betty said she was forced out of her branch in Country Durham…

OpenAI is suing Elon Musk over claims he has tried “nonstop” to slow down its business for his own benefit.The company accuses the Tesla boss of using “bad-faith tactics” against OpenAI to help him control cutting-edge AI technology.Mr Musk sued OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman last year in a bid to stop him from changing its corporate structure. Mr Musk co-founded OpenAI with Mr Altman but left several years ago. The BBC has approached his lawyer for a response to OpenAI’s lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday. The countersuit opens up a new front in the high-stakes battle between two…

Mark SavageMusic CorrespondentGetty ImagesJarvis Cocker said the new music had been recorded over three weeks in the first half of 2024Indie icons Pulp have announced a new album, More, and shared their first single in almost 24 years, called Spike Island.Speaking on BBC 6 Music, frontman Jarvis Cocker said the band had been tempted back into the studio by the overwhelming response to their 2023 reunion tour.”We did play one new song towards the end of the tour, and nobody threw things at us, or left to go to the bar,” he said. “So we just thought we’d carry on…

US President Donald Trump says he will soon announce “major” tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals, a move that could end decades of low-cost global trade in medicines.For years, most countries, including the US, have imposed few or no tariffs on finished drugs, thanks in part to a 1995 World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement aimed at keeping medicines affordable.This shift comes after Trump introduced a blanket 10% tariff on other imports last week, as part of a broader effort to bring manufacturing back to the US.His new “reciprocal” tariffs – including a duty of 104% on goods arriving from China – came…