Author: BBC

Paul GlynnCulture reporterStian AndersenThe singer also co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo in 1996A-ha frontman Morten Harket has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.The news was announced on Wednesday on the Norwegian synth-pop band’s official website in an article written by their biographer Jan Omdahl, which also revealed the singer had already undergone brain surgery twice.Harket, 65, said he had “no problem accepting the diagnosis”, adding: “With time, I’ve taken to heart my 94-year-old father’s attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: ‘I use whatever works’.”A-Ha are best known for their megahit Take On Me, taken from their 1985…

Elen HughesElen Hughes says if she was investigated while grieving, it “might well have been the end of me”Women’s bodies are still controlled by “Victorian era” laws, a mum has said, after police issued new guidelines which allow officers to search grieving women for abortion drugs. Elen Hughes, from the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, whose baby was stillborn, called the plans horrifying.They include allowing searches of mothers’ mobile phones if a baby dies unexpectedly in the womb.The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said such cases were rarely investigated and only if there was suspicion an illegal abortion had taken place,…

Mitchell LabiakBusiness reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesThe UK has been temporarily spared from US President Donald Trump’s executive order doubling steel and aluminium tariffs from 25% to 50%.The order raises import taxes for US-based firms buying the metals from other countries from Wednesday – but the levy remains at 25% for the UK.However, the UK could end up facing the higher rate if its deal signed with the Trump administration last month, which would see steel and aluminium tariffs axed, does not come into force. Imports of UK steel into America are currently subject to tariffs, but the UK government said…

Aylo, the company which runs a number of pornographic websites, including Pornhub, is to stop operating in France from Wednesday.It is in reaction to a French law requiring porn sites to take extra steps to verify their users’ ages.An Aylo spokesperson said the law was a privacy risk and assessing people’s ages should be done at a device level.Pornhub is the most visited porn site in the world – with France its second biggest market, after the US.Aylo – and other providers of sexually explicit material – find themselves under increasing regulatory pressure worldwide.The EU recently announced an investigation into…

Eleanor LawsonBBC News, West MidlandsBBCThe Jewellery Quarter has been a manufacturing centre for more than 200 yearsBirmingham’s global influence in jewellery making has been recognised by being granted World Craft City Status.World Crafts Council President, Saad Al-Qaddumi, said the title celebrated the city’s “rich heritage, skilled artisans, creative designers, proud makers, and innovative contributions to the jewellery industry.”Only eight other cities in Europe have been awarded the title. This includes Stoke-on-Trent which was awarded the status last year for its pottery craft.The Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT) said the award “signifies a landmark moment for Birmingham and the wider West…

Marie-Louise Connolly, Denise O’Connor and David HunterBBC SpotlightBBCShelley Browne was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis after Ruby’s birthA new mother who was detained in a psychiatric hospital for five weeks says she “felt like a prisoner” because she was separated from her baby.Shelley Browne, who had postpartum psychosis, was admitted under a mental health order after giving birth three years ago.In Great Britain, mothers are cared for in specialist mother and baby units, but women in Northern Ireland are admitted to general psychiatric wards, separated from their babies.The business case for a mother and baby unit is months overdue, but the…

Global economic growth is set to be slower this year largely because of Donald Trump’s US tariffs, according to a leading international policy group.Worldwide growth is now expected to slow to a “modest” 2.9%, down from a previous forecast of 3.1%, said the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).It blamed a “significant” rise in trade barriers for the downgrade and warned that “weakened economic prospects will be felt around the world, with almost no exception”.Since the US president returned to the White House, a long list of countries have been targeted by tariffs, but Trump’s unpredictable approach to implementing…

Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla is “not interested in manufacturing in India”, the country’s heavy industries minister has said.The remarks were made on Monday as the Indian government issued detailed guidelines for a scheme to promote EV manufacturing in the country. This is the first time that India has publicly admitted that it has not been able to lure investment dollars from Musk, even after unveiling incentives for global EV giants last March. Minister HD Kumaraswamy confirmed that Tesla would open two showrooms in India and have a retail presence. “Mercedes Benz, Skoda-Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia have shown…

Jessica LawrenceBBC News NIGetty ImagesJonathan Anderson and actress Cate Blanchett attended a Vogue runway show in London in November”I have always been inspired by the rich history of this House, its depth, and empathy,” he said in an Instagram post on Monday.”I look forward to working alongside its legendary Ateliers to craft the next chapter of this incredible story.”Getty ImagesJonathan Anderson and singer/songwriter Charli XCX backstage after the designer’s fashion show during London Fashion Week in 2020Anderson is to take on the womenswear collection after its artistic director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, announced her departure after almost a decade in the…

Getty ImagesPharmacists have warned that “one of the worst” examples of medicine shortages is affecting cancer patients.Creon, a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (Pert), helps digestion and is required by patients with pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, and chronic pancreatitis. It is thought more than 61,000 patients in the UK need the medicine.Some patients are said to be “skipping meals” to ration their medication due to a shortage of it, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA).A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said there were “European-wide supply issues” and it was “working closely with industry and the NHS” to mitigate…