Author: BBC

Lowering energy costs for thousands of businesses by exempting them from some green energy levies will form a central part of the government’s new 10-year industrial strategy.The plan, which may slash energy bills by up to 25% for more than 7,000 UK businesses, is set to be unveiled on Monday alongside other measures hoped to boost growth.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the industrial strategy “a turning point for Britain’s economy” by supporting key industries where there is potential for growth.Acting shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie criticised the plans, saying the UK needed “a serious approach to energy policy” that…

Ione WellsSouth America correspondentGeorgina RannardScience correspondentNSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin ObservatoryThe first image revealed by the Vera Rubin telescope shows the Trifid and Lagoon nebulae in stunning detailA powerful new telescope in Chile has released its first images, showing off its unprecedented ability to peer into the dark depths of the universe.In one picture, vast colourful gas and dust clouds swirl in a star-forming region 9,000 light years from Earth. The Vera C Rubin observatory, home to the world’s most powerful digital camera, promises to transform our understanding of the universe.If a ninth planet exists in our solar system, scientists say…

Smitha MundasadHealth reporterGetty ImagesWeight loss injections like Mounjaro and Wegovy are available in specialist weight loss clinicsPrescriptions for Mounjaro jabs, to help people lose weight, will be available at GP surgeries in England from today – but only for those who meet very strict criteria.NHS England says while the long-term plan is for the jabs to be more widely available, a staggered approach is needed to reach those most at need, manage GPs’ workload and NHS resources.The weekly injection makes you feel full so you eat less, and can help people lose 20% of their body weight.GPs say they don’t…

Craig RussellCraig Russell says the NHS saved his life when they removed his tumour and rebuilt the back of his skullA Welsh actor has said there was “a very real chance” he would not see his latest film finished after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour following filming.Craig Russell, who grew up in Cwmtwrch in the Swansea Valley, said in hindsight he realised he experienced symptoms of the tumour while the thriller, Protein, was in production.”A couple of weird things happened, I was walking into stuff, I was getting lost in our own house,” he recalled.The film, which tells…

Helen Drew & Olivia DemetriadesBBC News, LondonGetty ImagesThe average cost of an attended funeral in London in 2024 was £5,449The average cost of an attended funeral in London is the most expensive compared with anywhere else in the UK, according to a report.Financial services company SunLife found that the average funeral cost in 2024 was £4,285. In London, it was £5,449 – a 5.4% increase from the year before and 58% higher than in the least expensive region, Northern Ireland.Concerns have been raised about funeral poverty, with charity Quaker Social Action saying the financial stress can “rob people of their…

President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok’s sale in the US for a further 90 days.The video-sharing app has faced questions over its future after the US passed a law last year requiring the app to be banned unless sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.Lawmakers said it posed a risk to national security – something TikTok denies.Trump, who vowed to save TikTok during his presidential campaign, signed an executive order on Thursday which has delayed the date for enforcing the law for a third time.In a statement, TikTok said it was “grateful for President Trump’s leadership and…

Ruth CleggHealth and wellbeing reporterGetty ImagesIt could apparently change the shape of my face, add pounds to my midriff, and even make my hair fall out. I feel like warnings about cortisol – a stress hormone I know very little about – have hijacked my social media accounts. I see posts advising me to drink a cortisol cocktail – a blend of orange juice, coconut water and sea salt, take a range of different supplements, and massage lavender balm into my temples.Not knowing how high my cortisol levels are makes it difficult to know whether or not I need to…

Mark SavageMusic CorrespondentGetty ImagesDua Lipa and Jay Kay duetted on a surprise version of Jamiroquai’s 1996 hit Virtual InsanityDua Lipa treated fans to a surprise appearance by Jamiroquai, as she played her first ever show at Wembley Stadium. Bringing out the band’s frontman Jay Kay for a one-off performance of his 1996 hit Virtual Insanity, the star said he was “a massive trailblazer for British music”.Their performance came half-way through a stunning two-hour show, that saw Lipa tear through hits like Physical, One Kiss, New Rules and Levitating. ”This is such a massive, massive milestone for me,” she told her…

Josh SandifordBBC News, WolverhamptonBBCJane Platt is a volunteer helping others even though she is struggling herselfJane Platt’s bright pink polo shirt marks her out as a volunteer at the Big Venture Centre.The community shop provides discounted items and other help to people living in some of the most deprived areas of Wolverhampton.Places like Bushbury, Heath Town and Low Hill, where Ms Platt believes “everyone is struggling”, including herself. The local council insists it is there for those who need support, but some living in the areas say they feel forgotten. “My baby won’t play out in the streets,” explained Ms…

Liv McMahonTechnology reporterGetty ImagesThe BBC is threatening to take legal action against an artificial intelligence (AI) firm whose chatbot the corporation says is reproducing BBC content “verbatim” without its permission.The BBC has written to Perplexity, which is based in the US, demanding it immediately stops using BBC content, deletes any it holds, and proposes financial compensation for the material it has already used.It is the first time that the BBC – one of the world’s largest news organisations – has taken such action against an AI company.In a statement, Perplexity said: “The BBC’s claims are just one more part of…