Face mask rules and Covid passes to end in England
Watch: The prime minister announces plans to end Plan B measures in England England’s Plan B measures are to end from next Thursday, with mandatory face coverings in public places and Covid passports both dropped, Boris Johnson has announced. The prime minister also said the government would immediately drop its advice for people to work […]
CPS to consider bringing charges against Tim Westwood
Detectives investigating allegations of non-recent sexual abuse against the former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood have submitted a file of evidence to prosecutors to consider bringing charges. The criminal inquiries came after a joint investigation by BBC News and the Guardian in 2022 heard from women who made allegations of predatory and unwanted sexual […]
Musician charged with using bots to boost streaming revenue
Getty Images A musician in the US has been accused of using artificial intelligence (AI) tools and thousands of bots to fraudulently stream songs billions of times in order to claim millions of dollars of royalties. Michael Smith, of North Carolina, has been charged with three counts of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money […]
What jobs are available post-lockdown?
Getty Images Covid-19 has had an impact on nearly all aspects of life, including people’s work. The world of work is changing – and some sectors appear to be in a much stronger position than others. According to the latest jobs market report from employment website CV-Library, the number of job vacancies in the UK […]
Bereaved dads call for compulsory school lessons
BBC Left to right: Martin and Charlie Cosser, and Robert and Colin Knox Two dads who have met for the first time since their teenage sons were fatally stabbed are calling for compulsory knife crime lessons in schools. Colin Knox, whose 18-year-old son, Harry Potter actor Robert Knox, was murdered outside a London bar in […]
Pub closures ‘will waste 87 million pints of beer’
Getty Images Up to 87 million pints of beer will be thrown away as a result of pub closures during Covid lockdowns around the UK, an industry body has calculated. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) called the waste – equivalent to £331m in sales – “heartbreaking”. Chief executive Emma McClarkin urged the government […]
Google abusing ad tech dominance, UK competition watchdog finds
Google uses anti-competitive practices to dominate the market for online advertising technology, a UK watchdog has provisionally found. The potentially unlawful behaviour could be harming thousands of UK publishers and advertisers, an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned. It accuses Google of preventing rivals from “competing on a level playing field” […]
The homeowners hiring out their houses as film sets
Katharine Davies Gillian Milner has hired out her home for 13 years With its 1970s features, such as a bold, orange bathroom suite and a pink reception room, Gillian Milner is the first to admit that her house isn’t to everyone’s taste. It is, though, popular among photographers and magazine editors, who love the retro […]
Liam Payne’s body flown back to the UK
The body of pop star Liam Payne was released to his family on Wednesday to be flown back to the UK, the public prosecutor in charge of his case has confirmed to the BBC. The singer died three weeks ago after falling from a third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An autopsy […]
Denis Coles caught 50 years after rape of girl, 11
Getty Images The victim, who cannot be identified, says she has not had the justice she deserves A woman whose rapist has been caught nearly 50 years after she was attacked on her way home from Girl Guides has said she is still “going through hell”. Denis Coles, 73, was charged with rape but during […]