Form Time News

Current BBC News stories to read and discuss with your tutor group.

Thursday
25th April 2024

Around the world

Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned

Victims group describes the New York appeal court's decision to retry Hollywood mogul as "profoundly unjust".

USC cancels its main commencement event, citing "safety measures"

Meanwhile, hundreds of students march in Washington DC, and congresswoman Ilhan Omar joins protesters at a New York campus.

In the UK

Girl, 13, charged after school stabbings

A girl has been charged with three counts of attempted murder after the stabbings at a Welsh school.

Scottish Greens will vote to oust Yousaf after he ends power-sharing deal

Patrick Harvie says Humza Yousaf "burnt his bridges" by scrapping the power-sharing deal between the SNP and Greens.

Politics

Labour pledges to renationalise most rail services

Labour says its plan will improve services - but the Tories say it is "pointless" and "unfunded".

Cleverly opposes moves to cut abortion time limit

The home secretary says the Criminal Justice Bill is not the right place for a debate on abortion law.

Education

One-word Ofsted grades should stay, says government

The government says the judgements are useful for parents, after MPs called for them to be scrapped.

Government scrapped tests on free childcare plan

The National Audit Office says a £35m pilot to test the expansion of free childcare in a few areas was cancelled.

Health

England tops chart for child alcohol use - report

The World Health Organization also finds higher rates of drinking and vaping among teenage girls.

Action needed on needless asthma deaths, says charity

There were more than 12,000 UK deaths in the past decade, many of them needless, a charity warns.

Business

Post Office exec denies remote access cover-up

Angela van den Bogerd says she was not trying to "suppress" Horizon remote access.

Will Labour’s plan make train tickets cheaper?

What impact will Labour's pledge to nationalise the railways have?

Science

Father begins legal fight against BP for dead son

Hussein Julood says the burning of gas at a BP-run oil field in Iraq caused his son's leukaemia.

Voyager-1 sends readable data again from deep space

Nasa says its most distant probe is once again sending usable information back to Earth.

Technology

Google accused of making it harder to search for rival

In a complaint to the EU, email firm Tuta says it suddenly became much less visible in Google search.

US TikTok ban would be 'devastating', UK firms warn

UK businesses using TikTok say they could see a significant drop in sales if the app is banned in the US.

Entertainment

Co-op Live boss resigns after shows postponed

Gary Roden quits days after he was criticised for telling BBC some grassroots music venues are "poorly run".

Rebel Wilson book published in the UK with blacked out text

Some sections of the UK edition of the book, released on Thursday, have been redacted.