Author: BBC

Ian YoungsCulture reporterGetty ImagesJustin Bieber has surprised fans by releasing a new album titled Swag, his first in four years – but critics have not been bowled over by the comeback.In a three-star review, the Guardian said it has “moments of brilliance”, but is “no long-awaited masterpiece”.The Telegraph gave two stars, agreeing that it is “not the return of a pop titan”, and describing it as “an uncomfortable and unfiltered cry for help”.The paper pointed to spoken-word interludes including the “self-pitying, super-short Therapy Session”, on which he addresses the toll of press speculation about his mental health; and another titled…

Chris BaraniukTechnology ReporterIXI”People don’t want to look like cyborgs,” says Niko EidenThey look like an ordinary pair of glasses – but these are tech-packed specs.On a Zoom call, Niko Eiden, chief executive and co-founder of Finnish eyewear firm IXI, holds up the frames with lenses containing liquid crystals, meaning their vision-correcting properties can change on the fly.This one pair could correct the vision of someone who normally uses totally different pairs of glasses for seeing near or far.”These liquid crystals… we can rotate them with an electrical field,” explains Mr Eiden.”It’s totally, freely tuneable.” The position of those crystals affects…

Lord Robert Winston, a professor and TV doctor who was a pioneer of IVF treatment, has resigned from the British Medical Association (BMA) over planned strikes by resident doctors.Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, are planning a walkout for five consecutive days from 25 July until 30 July over a pay dispute with the government. In an interview with The Times, the Labour peer and host of the BBC series Child of Our Time urged against strike action, arguing it could damage people’s trust in the profession.The BMA met with the health secretary earlier this week and said the…

Kevin PeacheyCost of living correspondentGetty ImagesChancellor Rachel Reeves has shelved any immediate changes to tax-free Individual Savings Accounts (Isas).But the Treasury is still keen to encourage more investment in stocks and shares.What are Isas and how much money can you save in them?An Individual Savings Account (Isa) is a savings or investment product which is treated differently for tax purposes. Isas are offered by a host of banks, building societies, investment companies and other financial providers.Any returns you make from an Isa are tax-free, but there is a limit to how much money you can put in each year.The current…

Ian YoungsCulture reporterGetty ImagesJane Birkin owned the original bag and lent her name to all that followedThe original Birkin bag, which set the template for arguably the most coveted accessory in fashion history, has been bought for €8.6m (£7.4m; $10.1m), becoming the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction.The black leather bag was made for singer Jane Birkin in 1985 after she spilled her belongings while sitting next to the boss of luxury fashion house Hermès on a flight.She asked why they didn’t make bigger bags, so he sketched out the design for a new, more practical but still highly…

Graham Fraser, Zoe Kleinman, and Lily JamaliBBC NewsGetty ImagesLinda Yaccarino, the boss of Elon Musk’s social media site X, has announced she is stepping down after two years. Her departure comes at a time of tumult for the platform, which was taken over by Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) venture, xAI, in March, and has been in the spotlight for antisemitic posts churned out by its AI chatbot, Grok. In a post on X, Ms Yaccarino said she was “immensely grateful” to Musk for “entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into…

Ruth BradleyBBC Politics Reporter, SomersetBBCDani says the women she works with are often “scared” of the risks they face while sleeping rough”To go home and know you’ve left them – we’ve had to tuck women into foil blankets and just say ‘see you later’ – that can be heartbreaking sometimes.”Dani Brown has just spent hours of her Wednesday evening driving and walking around the streets of Bridgwater, Somerset.She’s an outreach worker with the town’s women’s centre run by a charity, The Nelson Trust.Every week she and a colleague go looking for homeless women who may need their help.They load up…

Tom EspinerBusiness reporterGetty ImagesRoyal Mail will start to deliver second-class letters on every other weekday and not on Saturdays to help cut costs, the industry regulator has said. Ofcom said a reform to postal service was needed as people are sending fewer letters each year, so stamp prices keep rising as the cost of delivering letters goes up. The changes mean second-class letters will be delivered either on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or on Tuesday and Thursday, in a two-week cycle.Royal Mail welcomed the changes, which will take effect on 28 July, but the move was criticised by some consumer…

Peter GillibrandBBC NewsbeatGetty ImagesMade in Chelsea star Miles Nazaire said he broke down realising he had to rehome his dogMade in Chelsea star Miles Nazaire has come under fire after revealing he rehomed his dog Rocky because he’s too busy to look after him. The 29-year-old says he’s “not a bad person” and that it was a “really, really tough decision”.Some fans criticised Miles for treating Rocky as “disposable” while others praised him as “selfless” for rehoming him. The Dogs Trust says the number of pets being rehomed is at a record high but that people shouldn’t be judged for…

‘One of my friends had a smartphone when they were three or four’Parents of thousands of children have been asked not to give them a smartphone until they’re at least 14 amid fears some were using devices for eight hours a day.Many schools have already banned smartphones on site but one part of the UK thinks it will be the first to have a countywide policy advising parents against giving children smartphones at home.Using mobiles is already banned in schools in Monmouthshire, south Wales, but due to a rise in cyber-bullying reports and fears phone use at home is affecting…