Tag: bbc.com

Parents of children with thalassemia in India say they are devastated after life-saving blood transfusions left their children HIV-positive, confronting them with illness, social stigma, and uncertainty. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that requires regular transfusions to manage severe anaemia and sustain life. On Wednesday, authorities in central state of Madhya Pradesh said five…

South East residents have been told to prepare for a busy festive period with record numbers expected to hit the country’s roads ahead of Christmas. The RAC estimated 37.5 million leisure trips by car would happen nationally between 17 December and Christmas Eve – the most in the week before Christmas Day since it began…

With Christmas on the horizon, thousands of people will soon be heading home – but finding a way to beat the rush can be a daunting task. The RAC has predicted this year will be the busiest festive getaway since it began recording the data in 2013, with Christmas Eve alone set to involve 4.2m…

Campaigners have described an airport’s plan to extend its runway onto a small section of common open space as a “land grab”. Bristol Airport wants to install rows of landing lights and fencing on Felton Common, at the eastern end of the runway, to accommodate new long-haul routes to America and the Middle East. Campaign…

The Christmas getaway is set to begin, with millions travelling home for Christmas over the coming days. A total of 37 million cars will hit the UK’s roads, according to the RAC, starting after work on Friday, with Saturday set to be the busiest day since records began. Those using trains to and from Wales…

A centuries-old Christmas folk theatre tradition will return to towns and villages across the Isle of Man this festive season. The White Boys, named for the costumes on display, will perform across several Manx locations on Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s performances. The White Boys is a form of ‘mumming’…

A 13-year-old girl who won a competition to perform a duet with Aled Jones says it was an experience she will never forget. Lorretta, who lives near Warminster in Wiltshire, was one of two children chosen from more than 100 people to sing Walking in the Air, from the film The Snowman, with the singer…

A 102-year-old woman with a lifelong love of dancing has said that actively taking up the hobby in later life has been “beneficial” to her longevity. Josie said she had always dreamed of dancing like Fred Astaire, and decided to take up tap and ballet at a dance school in York when she turned 60.…

The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to displace people from jobs in a similar way seen during the Industrial Revolution, the governor of the Bank of England has said. Andrew Bailey said the UK needed to have the “training, education, [and] skills in place” so workers could shift into jobs that use…

Japan’s central bank has raised its main interest rate to the highest level in 30 years as the country faces a cost-of-living squeeze. In a widely expected decision, the Bank of Japan’s policy board, led by governor Kazuo Ueda, increased its benchmark rate by a quarter of a percentage point to “around 0.75%” on Friday.…