Author: BBC

Amazon Web Services (AWS) had a bad day.That’s how the boss of another big US tech firm Cloudflare put it – probably feeling very relieved that Monday’s outage, hitting over 1,000 companies and affecting millions of internet users, had nothing to do with him.The places hit by the outage vary significantly. It took out major social media platforms like Snapchat and Reddit, banks like Lloyds and Halifax, and games like Roblox and Fortnite. AWS is a US giant with a large global footprint, having positioned itself as the backbone of the internet.It provides tools and computers which enable around a…

Alex PopeNorthamptonshireHigham Ferrers Riverside Angling AssociationA storage container of fishing and gardening equipment was destroyed in a fireThe director of an angling club has said he has been left “devastated” after a suspected arson attack destroyed about £6,000 worth of fishing and electrical equipment. Craig Parkins, 40, from Fishing for Minds, part of Higham Ferrers Riverside Angling Club, in Northamptonshire, said years of work collected inside a storage container had “just gone up in smoke”.Mr Parkins, from nearby Rushden, said the group was started in 2023 to help people with mental health issues, as he suffers from anxiety. Northamptonshire Police…

Rachel Reeves chose to stress the long-term damage done to the UK economy by the 2020 Brexit deal, in her remarks at a key international economic committee at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).In remarks published this weekend, the chancellor told the world’s leading finance ministers and central bankers: “The UK’s productivity challenge has been compounded by the way in which the UK left the European Union.”She quoted the Office for Budget Responsibility’s calculation of a 4% long-term hit relative to remaining in the EU, and said the UK “acknowledges this” in seeking stronger trade ties.Labour had been reluctant to stress…

Bereaved families are calling for a public inquiry into what they say are “repeated failures” by the UK government to protect vulnerable people from a website promoting suicide.A report by the Molly Rose Foundation says departments were warned 65 times about the online forum, which BBC News is not naming, and others like it but did not act.The suicide prevention charity says at least 133 people have died in the UK as a result of a toxic chemical promoted by the site and similar forums.The government has not said whether it will consider an inquiry but said sites must prevent…

Rugby professional Jonny Murphy was forced to retire early on medical grounds at just 30 years old – so he turned to his second love, baking.

All 1,287 Betfred shops could disappear from the UK High Street if Chancellor Rachel Reeves hikes taxes on gambling firms, the company’s co-founder and chairman has told the BBC.Fred Done, who set up Betfred in 1967 with his brother, said a closure of that size would put 7,500 jobs at risk.The billionaire businessman said tax rises were the “biggest threat” to the industry in his 57 years. It echoes similar warnings from other gambling brands.Increasing taxes on betting firms in the Budget has been suggested to the chancellor. She recently told ITV: “I do think there is a case for…

Chris BaraniukTechnology ReporterCorbis via Getty ImagesBattery health is a top priority for buyers of used EVsWhen Kerry Dunstan and his partner set out to buy a new electric car this summer, one of the questions they asked was, “How’s the battery?”.They’d found a 2021 Nissan Leaf with just 29,000 miles on it, and the dealer told them the condition of the battery, or its state of health (SOH), was still around 93%.The couple were sold. For £12,500, they got an EV with a big boot and plenty of room for passengers.Though Mr Dunstan, a cabinetmaker who also owns a somewhat…

A blood test for more than 50 types of cancer could help speed up diagnosis, according to a new study.Results of a trial in North America show that the test was able to identify a wide range of cancers, of which three-quarters don’t have any form of screening programme.More than half the cancers were detected at an early stage, where they are easier to treat and potentially curable.The Galleri test, made by American pharmaceutical firm Grail, can detect fragments of cancerous DNA that have broken off a tumour and are circulating in the blood. It is currently being trialled by…

Kumail JafferLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceAFP via Getty ImagesThe number of births in London in 2023 was 20% lower than the peak in 2012, according to the London AssemblyFamilies are being priced out of living in London due to rising costs and a lack of social housing, the London Assembly has been told.The number of births in London in 2023 was 20% lower than the peak in 2012, with the sharpest decline in inner London, according to the Assembly’s Economy, Culture and Skills Committee.The committee heard from experts on this trend, with child poverty campaigner Katherine Hill urging London’s mayor to…

Liv McMahonTechnology reporterBettmann Archive/Getty ImagesOpenAI has stopped its artificial intelligence (AI) app Sora creating deepfake videos portraying Dr Martin Luther King Jr, following a request from his estate.The company acknowledged the video generator had created “disrespectful” content about the civil rights campaigner.Sora has gone viral in the US due to its ability to make hyper-realistic videos, which has led to people sharing faked scenes of deceased celebrities and historical figures in bizarre and often offensive scenarios.OpenAI said it would pause images of Dr King “as it strengthens guardrails for historical figures” – but it continues to allow people to make…