Getty Images Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has not ruled out tax rises to pay for the last-minute concessions the government made to get MPs to back its welfare reform bill. Ministers had already said people currently receiving personal independence payment (Pip) would not be affected by the new rules, and will now delay their…
MaryLou Costa Technology Reporter Reporting fromVilnius, Lithuania Astrolight Astrolight is developing a laser-based communications system I’m led through a series of concrete corridors at Vilnius Tech University, Lithuania; the murals give a Soviet-era vibe, and it seems an unlikely location for a high-tech lab working on a laser communication system. But that’s where you’ll find…
BBC Lucy says her experiences of shopping addiction are like a “physical and an emotional drowning” A day of retail therapy can be just the ticket for some people to help them feel better about themselves. But what happens when you can’t stop shopping? Surrounded by racks of shirts, dresses and jumpers, Lucy tells me…
Dearbail Jordan Business reporter, BBC News Reuters Chancellor Rachel Reeves Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plan to cut billions of pounds in welfare costs through reforms has essentially gone up in smoke. Following major government concessions on the benefits bill, a forecast £5bn in savings by 2029-30 has been severely dented. Coming so closely after the U-turn…
It might be uncomfortable territory, but it’s worth reflecting on just how unprecedented Wednesday’s events in the House of Commons were. The images blared across the media of Rachel Reeves in tears as Sir Keir Starmer answered questions from the dispatch box were devastating for a chancellor who has made having an iron core central…
YouTube will be included in Australia’s world-first social media ban for children after the government ditched a previous exemption for the platform. The video sharing site was set to be excluded from the ban – which will limit TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and Snapchat and is due to start in December. YouTube, owned by Google,…
PA Media Sir Keir Starmer has set out his 10-year-plan to reform the NHS in England, based on a shift from hospitals to neighbourhood health hubs, a new focus on prevention and better use of technology. He said the government’s 162-page blueprint might be the last chance to put the health service “back on its…
While it has no release date, Netflix’s upcoming Pride and Prejudice adaptation now has a fully confirmed cast. Olivia Colman and Rufus Sewell will lead the Bennet family, with Emma Corrin, Freya Mavor, Hopey Parish, Holley Avery and Rhea Norwood as the infamous Bennet women. Jack Lowden will be our Mr. Darcey, with Daryl McCormack…
BBC Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government stepped into power on 5 July 2024 with a thumping majority and tall ambitions. That vision to “change” Britain – the word that has adorned many a red lectern – has on occasion come up against the harsh reality of politics in the year since. So how is the…
