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Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 18:55 19 May 2026
 
- HS2 could cost up to £102.7bn and trains will be slower than first planned
[3 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
[32 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
[27 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
[1313 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 ...

* Surrey Police investigating child sex abuse allegations after Epstein files release
[1 hours old]: The force said no arrests have been made in relation to the offences dating back to the 1980s and 1990s.

* Police urge potential sex assault victims on Married at First Sight UK to contact them
[0 hours old]: A BBC Panorama investigation revealed allegations that two women had been raped during filming.

- BBC confirms new Strictly Come Dancing hosts
[2 hours old]: The trio replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who left the BBC dance competition last year.

* Southampton expelled from Championship play-offs for spying on Middlesbrough
[0 hours old]: Southampton are thrown out of the Championship play-offs for spying on Middlesbrough ahead of the first leg of their semi-final tie.

* Key people smuggler arrested after BBC uncovered identity
[1 hours old]: The 28-year-old's network is thought to have transported thousands of illegal migrants into the UK.

* Supermarkets urged to limit food prices by government
[0 hours old]: Any price caps would be voluntary apply to key groceries such as eggs, bread, and milk, the BBC understands.

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

- Two-time winner Alcaraz out of Wimbledon with injury
[2 hours old]: Two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz will miss this year's Wimbledon because of a wrist injury.

- Petrol hits highest price since start of Iran war
[2 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.

- Thailand cuts visa-free stay period for more than 90 countries including UK
[1 hours old]: Many visitors who have been exempt for 60 days will soon have to apply for a visa after 30 days.

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

- Disabled man 'rotting' on a hospital ward - despite being fit to go home
[2 hours old]: Ravi Mehta says his care could be terminated if he self-discharged. His NHS care board says its decisions have not been driven by costs.

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

- Why the AI industry is the real winner of the Musk-Altman trial
[7 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.

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

- What's happening to UK petrol and diesel prices?
[2 hours old]: Motoring group RAC warns pump prices could keep rising if there is no resolution to the Iran war.

- Watch: Crews battle blaze as thousands evacuated near Los Angeles
[3 hours old]: The Sandy Fire ignited in the city of Simi Valley and spread across 1,364 acres (550 hectares) with minimal containment as of Tuesday, officials said.

- Police seek charges for up to 57 people over Grenfell Tower disaster
[2 hours old]: The Met Police will submit files to the CPS including possible cases of corporate manslaughter.

- Anti-government demonstrators and police clash in Bolivia
[6 hours old]: Protesters have been calling for the president to resign after weeks-long unrest.

* More than 60 Labour MPs call for review of UK voting system
[1 hours old]: The MPs say the current first-past-the-post system for general elections is "broken".

* Israeli minister Smotrich says ICC prosecutor seeking warrant for his arrest
[0 hours old]: The Hague-based court declines to comment, saying applications for warrants are classified as secret.

- Stranger Things star to make West End debut in Rent musical revival
[5 hours old]: Gaten Matarazzo is no stranger to the theatre, having starred in several Broadway shows from a young age.

* Southampton expelled from play-offs for spying on Middlesbrough
[0 hours old]: Southampton are thrown out of the Championship play-offs for spying on Middlesbrough ahead of the first leg of their semi-final tie.

- No Stone Cold Steve Clarke, but there was - at least - a story or two
[3 hours old]: As Ross Stewart receives a Scotland recall while Oli McBurnie, Kieron Bowie and Lennon Miller miss out, Tom English delves into the thinking behind Steve Clarke's World Cup squad.

* Guardiola is Ferguson of his generation - Rooney
[1 hours old]: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is the Sir Alex Ferguson of his generation, says Wayne Rooney.

- Ronaldo in Portugal squad for record sixth World Cup
[3 hours old]: Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in a record sixth World Cup after being selected in Portugal's squad for this summer's tournament.

* Women's coach given lifetime ban for secret filming
[0 hours old]: Czech coach Petr Vlachovsky, who secretly filmed female football players in changing rooms and showers, is handed a lifetime ban by Uefa.

* NS&I to begin contacting victims of lost funds scandal
[0 hours old]: Over 30,000 estates could not be accessed due to an error identifying all of a late customer's NS&I products.

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

- UK unemployment rate unexpectedly rises
[9 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.

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

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

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

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

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

- St Brelade concerns of empty shops and cost of living
[3 hours old]: People say they are frustrated families have to turn to food banks in a "rich island like Jersey".

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

- 'I sold it for over £1k': Why people want new Swatch
[9 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
[9220 hours old]: Top stories, breaking news, live reporting, and follow news topics that match your interests

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

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

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

. Faisal Islam: Burnham seeks to calm markets by committing to fiscal rules
[20 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
[20 hours old]: Jurors spent weeks hearing about Musk's claim that Altman had "stolen a charity."

. Oil price slumps as Trump says he called off Iran attacks
[21 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
[23 hours old]: The video game firm says the increase is due to "ongoing market conditions".

. UK growth forecast upgraded by IMF but risks remain
[29 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
[26 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?
[27 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?
[26 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
[66 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
[32 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
[90 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
[51 hours old]: The launch of a new £335 pocket watch has drawn criticism after queues of shoppers built up again.

. Why does Amazon have no Western rivals?
[34 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'
[36 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
[115 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
[157 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
[139 hours old]: The likes of Apple, Microsoft and Google are all putting cartoon characters centre stage.

. Not so dusty: How tech is changing woodworking
[186 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
[210 hours old]: While hackers used to sneak into computer systems, intimidation of staff is now more common.

. How Sir David Attenborough built 'Green Hollywood'
[251 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
[249 hours old]: Molecules that can capture heat could be a useful technology to decarbonise heating.

. Gulf economies face long-term hit from Iran conflict
[307 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
[354 hours old]: Humanoid robots are being added to the automation of waste sorting.

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

. The threat to summer holidays looming from jet fuel shortages
[379 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
[739 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
[1259 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
[1458 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
[25 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
[53 hours old]: How Thailand and Vietnam are seeing rapid growth in EV sales and manufacturing