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Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 14:35 19 May 2026
 
* HS2 costs could top £100bn and trains will be slower than first planned
[0 hours old]: The new cost range and train speed are being announced as a "reset" of the delayed, over-budget and vastly scaled-back project is carried out.

. HS2 failings blamed on high-speed focus and political pressure
[27 hours old]: A new reviews confirms the high-speed rail line's "original sins" include a technical design, changing political priorities and ballooning costs.

. Tube strikes called off by RMT union
[23 hours old]: The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union calls off a series of 24-hour strikes starting on Tuesday.

. Prepare for turbulence - how a prolonged Middle East conflict could reshape how we fly
[1309 hours old]: The Gulf's hub airports made long-distance travel cheaper - but now their future looks unclear.

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and in other news ...

- Married at First Sight UK rape allegations serious, says government
[2 hours old]: A BBC Panorama investigation revealed allegations that two women had been raped during filming.

- Victim or enabler? Epstein girlfriend who could face questions despite plea deal
[2 hours old]: Nadia Marcinko is relatively unknown but may soon be called before US legislators.


* Grenfell fire charges sought for up to 57 people
[0 hours old]: The Met Police will submit files to the CPS including possible cases of corporate manslaughter.

* Ebola outbreak may be spreading faster than first thought, WHO doctor warns
[1 hours old]: Hundreds of cases are suspected in central Africa but experts fear the actual number may be much higher.

- Petrol hits highest price since start of Iran war
[1 hours old]: The average price of unleaded has risen to 158.52p a litre, according to the RAC, who warn that it could rise further in the coming weeks.

- 'Big game scorer' Stewart and Curtis make Scotland World Cup squad
[3 hours old]: Ross Stewart and Findlay Curtis are named in Scotland's World Cup squad but there is no place for Lennon Miller.

* Father-of-eight killed in San Diego mosque shooting hailed as hero
[1 hours old]: Security guard Amin Abdullah, one of three killed in the attack, was described as "a shining light".

- New High Street crime unit to target gangs fronting shops after BBC investigation
[2 hours old]: It follows BBC News exposing drug gangs, money laundering, immigration crime, and ghost directors linked to shop fronts.

- Wrongly jailed Malkinson says demand for legal fees is 'penny-pinching'
[2 hours old]: Andrew Malkinson, who was wrongly jailed for rape, says being asked to repay legal fees is “penny-pinching”.

* Son of Mango boss arrested over father's fatal fall from cliff
[1 hours old]: Isak, 71, died in December 2024 after falling from a ravine while walking in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona.

* Swatch boss says crowds are 'good news' after watch launch sparks chaos
[0 hours old]: Nick Hayek Jr says the pocket watch launch saw "overcrowding like hell" at a small number of its UK stores.

- Why the AI industry is the real winner of the Musk-Altman trial
[2 hours old]: The trial in Oakland, California has helped lift the veil on the AI sector - and the huge egos of the men at the heart of it.

- I survived a dangerous rip current by floating - here's what people should know to stay alive
[6 hours old]: The RNLI is urging people to follow Euan Gray's example by floating until help comes.

- Selling children to survive: Afghan fathers forced to make impossible choices
[3 hours old]: In Afghanistan today, a staggering three in four people cannot meet their basic needs.

- The fall and rise of a teenage Grand Slam champion
[6 hours old]: When 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu stunned Serena Williams to win the US Open. It was unthinkable it would be more than 2,300 days before her next triumph.

- Honduran ex-president controversially pardoned by Trump speaks to BBC
[2 hours old]: Juan Orlando Hernández was serving a 45-year prison sentence for drug trafficking when he was pardoned by Trump.

- What really holds China and Russia together
[14 hours old]: The relationship endures despite a power imbalance, with both sides recognising that it is too important to fail.

- Could Guardiola's legacy at Man City be rewritten by the club's alleged 115 rule breaches?
[3 hours old]: With Pep Guardiola expected to leave Manchester City at the end of this season, how do the club's 115 Premier League charges for alleged financial rule breaches potentially affect his legacy at Etihad Stadium?

* King and Queen on first visit to Northern Ireland this year
[1 hours old]: First stop for the royal couple was an event in Belfast to celebrate the city hosting this year's Irish music festival Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

* Second batch of Mandelson files won't be published this month
[0 hours old]: Cabinet minister Darren Jones updates MPs after the government was accused of withholding some documents.

* Reform announces candidate for Makerfield by-election
[0 hours old]: Reform UK has named plumber Robert Kenyon as its candidate in the Makerfield by-election.

* Burnham confirmed as Labour candidate in Makerfield
[0 hours old]: The Labour Party formally announces Andy Burnham as its candidate to stand in the Makerfield by-election.

- Gabby Logan on her final moments with football legend dad Terry Yorath
[2 hours old]: Gabby Logan says she read a heartfelt email from a fan to her dad the day he died.

- Could history be rewritten? Guardiola, Man City and the 115 charges
[3 hours old]: With Pep Guardiola expected to leave Manchester City at the end of this season, how do the club's 115 Premier League charges for alleged financial rule breaches potentially affect his legacy at Etihad Stadium?

- Stewart, Curtis and Gordon, 43, in Scotland World Cup squad
[3 hours old]: Ross Stewart and Findlay Curtis are named in Scotland's World Cup squad but there is no place for Lennon Miller.

- Man City set to replace Guardiola with Maresca
[5 hours old]: Enzo Maresca is set to replace Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager before next season.

- Raducanu loses on return after two months out
[2 hours old]: Emma Raducanu suffers a narrow first-round defeat in Strasbourg as she returns to action after more than two months away from the WTA Tour.

- D-Day for Spygate: What's at stake and what could happen?
[3 hours old]: Southampton's place in the play-off final is at stake as they face a disciplinary hearing as they stand charged of watching a Middlesbrough training session. The result is expected to come on Tuesday.

- 'I broke the curse' - the fall and rise of a teenage Grand Slam champion
[6 hours old]: When 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu stunned Serena Williams to win the US Open. It was unthinkable it would be more than 2,300 days before her next triumph.

- WBC champion Garcia announces Benn fight for September
[2 hours old]: WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia says he will face Britain's Conor Benn in Las Vegas in September.

- UK unemployment rate unexpectedly rises
[5 hours old]: The number of UK job vacancies also fell to its lowest level in five years as the initial impact of the Iran war on businesses starts to be seen.

- Robo-top: The machines that could make your next t-shirt
[14 hours old]: Most clothes are made in Asia, but new machines could bring some of that work back to the West.

- Elon Musk has lost yet another legal battle. Why he'll still keep fighting
[5 hours old]: Musk has lost his high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI, but is not likely to change his aggressive style.

- Faisal Islam: Burnham seeks to calm markets by committing to fiscal rules
[15 hours old]: Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is looking to manage the markets as well as the Makerfield byelection

- Musk loses OpenAI court battle after jury finds he waited too long to sue
[15 hours old]: Jurors spent weeks hearing about Musk's claim that Altman had "stolen a charity."

- Starbucks Korea sacks CEO over controversial 'Tank Day' promotion
[7 hours old]: Starbucks withdrew the campaign for its drink tumblers after many said it referenced a bloody crackdown.

- Standard Chartered to cut thousands of roles as AI use increases
[10 hours old]: The UK-headquartered banking giant aims to move some of the effected workers to other roles in the business.

- Swinney defends food prices policy ahead of first minister vote
[4 hours old]: The SNP leader says the proposed price cap on basic foodstuffs is not intended to force a fight with the UK government.

- Parents' anger at school buses being axed
[7 hours old]: Parents criticise the Devon school's plan to end school buses at the end of the academic year.

- The charity shop which boosted takings by moving outdoors
[8 hours old]: The shop can now make £2,000 in one day after moving to trade outdoors just one day a week.

- 'I sold it for over £1k': Why people want new Swatch
[5 hours old]: The launch of an exclusive pocket watch has sparked a frenzy that forced stores worldwide to close and in some cases saw police officers and security deal with huge unruly crowds.

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and in other older news ...

. BBC News app
[9215 hours old]: Top stories, breaking news, live reporting, and follow news topics that match your interests

. Why Brexit Is awkward for Andy Burnham
[18 hours old]: And his message for Makerfield.

. Americanswers... on 5 Live! Has Zohran Mamdani achieved a miracle in New York?
[18 hours old]: The new mayor says he’s rescued NYC from its budget crisis

. Oil price slumps as Trump says he called off Iran attacks
[17 hours old]: Energy markets have been on a wild ride as the key Strait of Hormuz waterway remains effectively closed.

. PlayStation Plus to raise monthly subscription fee
[18 hours old]: The video game firm says the increase is due to "ongoing market conditions".

. UK growth forecast upgraded by IMF but risks remain
[24 hours old]: Growth has been upgraded from 0.8% to 1% for 2026 in the influential body's latest forecast.

. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt booed by graduates at mention of AI
[22 hours old]: The reaction underscores a growing anxiety among students over AI's impact on jobs and their future careers.

. Is the UK's once favourite car coming back as an EV?
[22 hours old]: The company has announced plans to build seven new models in Europe including a small electric hatchback.

. Why are people so excited about Swatch's Royal Pop watch?
[22 hours old]: A watch range by Swatch and luxury brand Audemars Piguet is causing a frenzy as people queue for days to get their hands on one.

. Robert paid £726 to skip the driving test waiting list. New laws mean others won't be able to
[62 hours old]: The government is cracking down on third parties who use bots to buy tests and resell them at inflated prices.

. Instant AI answers can trivialise human intelligence, warns Royal Observatory
[28 hours old]: Paddy Rodgers said the Observatory's rich history showed the power of human knowledge and the need to avoid "dependence" on AI.



. 'They took £20,000 I didn't owe': Parents hit by child maintenance errors
[86 hours old]: John Hammond is one of 30 parents who told BBC Your Voice they'd experienced problems with the CMS.

. Swatch stores close for second day after crowds
[47 hours old]: The launch of a new £335 pocket watch has drawn criticism after queues of shoppers built up again.

. British Gas pays £20m over prepayment meter force-fitting scandal
[92 hours old]: The regulator say the energy supplier breached licence conditions aimed at protecting customers in vulnerable situations.

. Beckhams become billionaires as Oasis make rich list for first time
[94 hours old]: The list is based off the paper's estimates of the minimum wealth of Britain’s 350 richest people or families.

. Why does Amazon have no Western rivals?
[30 hours old]: The internet giant dwarfs other online retailers on both sides of the Atlantic.

. Rise in solar panel sales as people 'want to save money'
[32 hours old]: One director, who has just bought 2,000 panels, hopes to safeguard the company's future bills.

. Inside the secretive and lucrative world of orchid breeding
[110 hours old]: It can take a decade to bring a new orchid to market, so breeders keep their hi-tech processes secret.

. Smart glasses are 'an invasion of privacy' - Meta's are selling better than ever
[152 hours old]: The biggest tech firms are set to sell millions of smart glasses despite growing privacy concerns.

. Big tech bets on new mascots in bid to seem more cuddly
[134 hours old]: The likes of Apple, Microsoft and Google are all putting cartoon characters centre stage.

. Not so dusty: How tech is changing woodworking
[182 hours old]: Woodworking shops have been transformed by tech to make tools safer and more precise.

. Cyber-crime increasingly coming with threats of physical violence
[206 hours old]: While hackers used to sneak into computer systems, intimidation of staff is now more common.

. How Sir David Attenborough built 'Green Hollywood'
[247 hours old]: The city is responsible for 80% of the world's natural history TV shows.

. How sunburn inspired a new way to store energy
[245 hours old]: Molecules that can capture heat could be a useful technology to decarbonise heating.

. Gulf economies face long-term hit from Iran conflict
[302 hours old]: Commentators say it will take years or even decades to repair the damage.

. Robots move in as waste firms struggle to find staff
[350 hours old]: Humanoid robots are being added to the automation of waste sorting.

. Will AI lead to more accurate opinion polls?
[446 hours old]: It's cheaper and faster to collect people's opinions using AI, but will it make polls more accurate?

. 'Vicious circle of rising costs is fuelling crisis for traders'
[52 hours old]: "Dried apricots 12 months ago were £35 for a 12kg box, now they're £100 a box," says cheesemonger.

. The threat to summer holidays looming from jet fuel shortages
[374 hours old]: What impact might shortages have on our summer holidays - and what could be done about it?

. Scammers are becoming ever more sophisticated - this is what the fightback looks like
[734 hours old]: Scams have exploded over the last few years. Can countries and companies come together to turn the tables on the scammers?

. The £5.30 orange juice that tells the story of why supermarket prices are sky high
[1255 hours old]: Butter, chocolate, coffee and milk have all seen prices rocket. Tracing back through the story of one particular supermarket staple begins to explain why

. Sir John Curtice: Why Labour's Brexit focus has shifted from Leavers to Remainers
[1453 hours old]: Will the pursuit of a closer relationship with the EU risk courting electoral disaster by alienating Brexit-backing voters?

. 'I sold it for over £1k': Swatch launch sparks 'chaotic' scenes
[21 hours old]: Some shoppers have been trying to resell a new line of watches priced at £335 each for up to £16,000.

. The Climate Question
[48 hours old]: How Thailand and Vietnam are seeing rapid growth in EV sales and manufacturing