On the day the USA celebrates winning independence from British rule, the UK’s publicly funded broadcaster is fighting the influence of US online companies on British children. The BBC today announced in this year’s annual plan that it will plough £34 million (around $44m or AU$58m) into children’s services over the next three years, described …

If you want to see an argument, all you need to do is put two music fans in a room together. Even in the rarefied world of classical music, fans get into heated debates over artists, genres and all sorts of other musical differences. A new streaming service devoted solely to classical music has a whole team dedicated to just …

The top European court has ruled the Pirate Bay could be held liable for copyright infringement by users illegally sharing films, TV shows and other content.  Although it is already widely blocked in countries including the UK and Australia, the Pirate Bay continues to provide a platform for users to share files via torrents. Founded in 2003, the site is …

Facebook has activated its Safety Check feature as a 24-story tower block in London is engulfed in flames. Grenfell Tower in Kensington caught fire during the night. Residents banged on neighbours’ doors to wake them, but six people have been confirmed dead in the huge blaze, police told the BBC on Wednesday. The number is expected to rise with many …

Sweden has dropped a rape investigation against Julian Assange, potentially paving the way for the WikiLeaks founder to finally leave self-imposed exile. Prosecutors began investigating Assange in 2010. Two years later, he sought sanctuary in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and has lived in the tiny building ever since. In that time, WikiLeaks has continued to release classified information, prompting …

You know what it’s like: You wait ages for a bus, and then a free one comes along. At least it did for us on Tuesday. The Citymapper smart bus is no normal London bus, and not just because it’s green instead of red. The most unusual thing about it was that people — strangers, no less — were breaking …

Your favourite band is finally coming to your town — and even though you’ve bought tickets, you can’t make the show. Whether it’s work, illness or a lack of funds that’s got in the way, you take to Facebook with the plaintive cry “Anyone want two tickets to see [insert band name] tonight?” Fortunately, UK ticket-selling app Dice now gives …

17 years after it first went on sale, you can buy the Nokia 3310 again. A new, updated version of the iconic Nokia phone goes on sale in the UK on 24 May, and it will cost £50. Pricing and availability for the US and Australia have yet to be announced, but the price converts to about $55 or AU$75. …

We’ve all done it: walked back into a massive parking lot and realising you’ve no idea where your car is. Fortunately Google Maps for Android and iOS now gets you out of a tight spot by saving your space. Tap the blue dot in the app and there’s now an option to record the location where you’ve left your car. …

As British voters prepare to head to the polls in six weeks, a member of Parliament is calling for Facebook to tackle fake news that could influence the election. Conservative MP Damian Collins, chairman of the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee, said Facebook should act faster to remove or label fabricated stories shared by users. Speaking …