A federal judge has temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s plan to offer a resignation package to federal employees. The White House had said that more than 40,000 US government workers had accepted the offer to resign in exchange for pay through 30 September – though workers expressed confusion about the terms of the deal. Federal…

RSPB Geltsdale Reserve – credit: Ian Taylor CC 2.0. The British equivalent of the Audubon Society has just announced that what was already England’s largest bird reserve will be increased by 33% after a recent land purchase. Described as a place that “swarms” with life, the Geltsdale Reserve in the North Pennines range of Cumbria,…

Kate Whannel Politics reporter Watch: Kemi Badenoch says her citizenship plan is “the right thing to do” Immigrants should only be able to apply for British citizenship after being in the UK for 15 years rather than the current six, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said. Making one of her first policy announcements since becoming…

Bradley made the permanent move to Liverpool when he was 16, joining the club’s youth academy on a two-year scholarship. But so impressive was his form, he signed professional terms with the Reds just one year into that. His big opportunity to prove himself in senior football came with a loan move to League One…

Such has been Antoine Dupont’s impact since making his France debut in 2017, numbers alone do not get close to doing him justice. The frame of a bull, the acceleration of a wing and technical skills from the gods – Dupont’s skillset is otherworldly. A scrum-half who matches 20 try assists in the Six Nations…

BBC Patrick Gill said the HMOs should be spread out Residents living near Ulster University’s Magee campus have called on the council to cap the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMO) approved in the area. This comes after a report exploring the expansion of student numbers at the Londonderry campus was published last year.…

Simon Jack BBC Business editor Getty Images Chief executive Anders Opedal said the transition to lower carbon energy was moving slower than expected Norwegian energy giant Equinor is halving investment in renewable energy over the next two years while increasing oil and gas production. Chief executive Anders Opedal said that the transition to lower carbon…

Top civil servants have been told they could face the sack if they do not save taxpayers money under rules announced by the government. Senior leaders will be held personally responsible for achieving savings in their departments as part of reforms to how the Civil Service manages performance. Under the changes those who do well…

Google has become the latest big US firm to scrap its goals to recruit more workers from underrepresented groups, BBC News understands. The decision to abandon the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) recruitment targets comes after the company carried out an annual review of its corporate policies. The technology giant is also reviewing some of…

Faarea Masud BBC Business reporter Getty Images Interest rates are expected to be cut by the Bank of England later, in a move closely watched by households and economists. Analysts predict the benchmark rate will be cut from 4.75% to 4.5%, as the Bank comes under pressures to boost the UK economy which has been…