NowMyNews

They have been the mainstay of BBC's regional news bulletins for decades. But as the corporation's cost-cutting operation gathers pace, dozens of its older male journalists have filed their reports for the very last time. Twenty-nine regional news reporters and presenters have left or announced their impending departures in recent weeks, analysis by the Daily Mail has found – 82 per cent of them men who between them have more than 500 years of service at the BBC. The departures have left lone women presenting the news in three of the seven English regions where previously a mixed-sex duo acted as hosts. Two become one: Look North duo Harry Gration and Amy Garcia before he left the show last month Earlier this year it was announced that seven of the 20 presenters on 6.30pm regional TV bulletins will be cut, and some local radio shows will be axed. Regional news programmes with two presenters were told one would be removed. Among the departures is BBC Look North's Harry Grati

A low pressure system is drenching the South and will head northeast bringing with it rain, snow, howling winds and threats of tornadoes to the Midwest and East Coast.   On Sunday afternoon heavy rain battered eastern Texas through Louisiana and the storm will turn northeast from the Gulf of Mexico. The Eastern Seaboard is now under a severe weather threat through Monday that will see thunderstorms starting this afternoon with damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes, mostly in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and the Carolinas.  The Northeast will potentially see between two and four inches of rain on Sunday, and there’s a possibility for isolated amounts of four to six inches for coastal Maine through Tuesday.   Boston could see perilous 60mph winds on Monday. Some areas along the East Coast could see peak wind gusts reach hurricane force 80mph.  A low pressure system is drenching the South and will head Northeast bringing with it rain, snow in western New York, furious winds and threats o

In June 1987, Margaret Thatcher was elected for a third term with the slogan 'Moving Forward With Maggie'.  But just three years later, the economy was in trouble, the hated poll tax sparked riots and many Tory MPs were impatient for change.  In early November 1990, Mrs Thatcher's longest serving cabinet minister, Geoffrey Howe, resigned dramatically, revealing the schisms that were beginning to rip the party apart.  When Downing Street announced there would be a snap leadership election to flush out any rivals to Mrs Thatcher, she had already been warned that there were 'a hundred assassins lurking in the bushes'.  Here, Jonathan Mayo reveals what happened as the PM's enemies sharpened their knives…  The Downing Street staff are lined up in the entrance hall and burst into applause when Mrs Thatcher appears, wearing a burgundy suit, her hair immaculate. The former PM starts to cry   8am, Monday, November 19, 1990 It is the day before the first ballot for the le

Earl Spencer could sue the BBC over claims he provided a bank statement used by Martin Bashir to secure his infamous interview with Diana. Bashir's scoop came after he commissioned a graphic designer to produce fake documents. Former BBC director-general Tony Hall suggested that the princess's brother was the source of the original material on which these were based. Earl Spencer is said to be 'furious' at the attempt to blame him. He is also believed to be consulting lawyers. Earl Spencer (pictured with Diana) could sue the BBC over claims he provided a bank statement used by Martin Bashir to secure his infamous interview with Diana A new Channel 4 documentary about the Panorama interview reveals that Lord Hall, then BBC head of news, wrote a memo to his board of governors suggesting Diana's brother provided the statements Bashir used to create forgeries. Last night a source close to the earl revealed: 'It would not be an understatement to say he is furious and

Here is a story about love, despair, redemption, recovery, a small velvety mole with a penchant for juicy invertebrates, and an astonishing global TV deal that is set to lift spirits, make us laugh and probably break an awful lot of records. It starts in 1997 and involves a chap called James Reatchlous, who was struggling after a difficult divorce and years of overdoing things, and his young daughters, Hettie and Tattie — who came to stay with him each week — and a lovable, optimistic, and bumbling — if rather impatient — mole. Called Master Moley, he lives in a burrow under Windsor Castle, loves magic, inventing, eating worms and — just like James — is a stickler for punctuality. Moley is not, of course, real. He was the central character in a series of bedtime stories that James dreamed up in a desperate bid to make his girls laugh and, at the same time, cheer himself up as he tucked them into bed. Those stories are now set to appear around the world in animated form, with an all-sta

Swansea University will begin human trials on this nasal spray from Boots to see if it can help stop coronavirus A Boots nasal spray for colds and flu is being tested to see whether it can stop coronavirus infection – thanks to a special seaweed ingredient. Researchers at Swansea University begin human trials today following a successful laboratory study of the over-the-counter remedy, which costs £5.99 for 20ml. They hope Boots Dual Defence Nasal Spray will prevent infection – or reduce the severity of symptoms if people do catch Covid-19. The key ingredient is based on carrageenan, a red edible seaweed that was used to treat respiratory ailments in 19th century Ireland. For the Boots spray, it is sourced from Zanzibar and the Philippines. The Dual Defence formulation is made by the Austrian firm Marinomed, and Boots is the only British company licensed to sell it. The results of tests on 480 health workers are expected to be published in March. Researchers hope the drug can be used t

A young woman who was told 15 times by her GP that she did not need a smear test despite experiencing symptoms of cervical cancer died from the disease just a year later. Emma Swain, 23, was told by her doctor that she too young for a smear test and was worrying too much due to the 'Jade Goody effect' after she repeatedly  asked him for the potentially life-saving test in 2013. However Emma was later diagnosed with cervical cancer in December 2013 and passed away the following October at the age of just 23. Her GP at The Haling Park Partnership in Croydon, South London, who initially claimed Emma's contraceptive pill was the cause of her symptoms, has since admitted that she would probably still be alive had she been given the smear test. Emma Swain was told 15 times by her GP that she did not need a smear test after she began to experience symptoms of cervical cancer The young woman first sought a smear test from her doctor  in May 2013 after she began to experience back p