Author: BBC

Getty ImagesThe UK Foreign Office advises travellers: “Take care if offered, particularly for free, or when buying spirit-based drinks. If labels, smell or taste seem wrong then do not drink.”Travellers are being warned of the dangers of methanol poisoning after six tourists to Laos have died. Methanol is an industrial chemical found in antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. It’s not meant for human consumption and is highly toxic.Drinking even small amounts can be damaging. A few shots of bootleg spirit containing it can be lethal. What does methanol do to you?It looks and tastes like alcohol, and the first effects…

US rapper Kendrick Lamar has released a surprise new album called GNX.The 12-track album, which is the performer’s sixth studio release, dropped on his social media pages at around 17:00 GMT on Friday.It features contributions from American R&B star SZA as well as saxophonist Kamasi Washington, among others.GNX is Lamar’s first album since 2022’s Mr Morale & The Big Steppers, and comes ahead of his headlining performance at the Super Bowl halftime show in February.There had been rumours for months that Lamar, who has won multiple Grammys and the Pulitzer Prize for Music, was working on a new project.Early reviews…

Watch: The moment Jenny handed over £4,000 on her doorstepA victim of fraud, Jenny, has told the BBC how she used a fraud helpline to help ward off scammers.But not before fraudsters had stolen £4,000 by sending a courier round to her house to collect her money.Scammers are under increased pressure from the 159 fraud helpline which received 800,000 calls in its first three years of operation.The helpline was set up by Stop Scams UK as a safe, secure way for victims to contact their banks.’Help’, intimidation then threatsJenny was the victim of a courier fraud by “pretty brazen” scammers,…

Gensys EngineWhiskers help the AI identify what is – and isn’t – a red squirrelAn artificial intelligence (AI) tool which has been trained to tell the difference between grey and red squirrels could be “an absolute game changer”, conservationists say.The system, called Squirrel Agent, has been trained on thousands of images of the animals allowing it to tell them apart with 97% accuracy, its developer says.It can then be used to automatically control access to squirrel feeders – with only reds being allowed into those containing food, and only greys into those where food has been replaced with contraceptive paste.“It’s…

Squire Patton BoggsSimone White’s parents described their daughter as a “soul who gave so much”The parents of British lawyer Simone White, who died in a suspected poisoning in Laos, have said they are “devastated” by the “terrible tragedy”.Ms White, from Orpington, south-east London, died in hospital after drinking alcohol suspected to have been laced with methanol in the backpacking hotspot Vang Vieng.The 28-year-old was one of six tourists to die after staying in the popular tourist town.In a statement, her parents said: “Simone was one of a kind and had the most wonderful energy and spark for life.”She was a…

Getty ImagesDawn Richard was a member of the groups Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty MoneyDawn Richard, a former member of two groups formed by Sean “Diddy” Combs, was “absolutely terrified” of the rapper, her lawyer has said.The singer sued Mr Combs in September, accusing him of threatening her life and “subjecting her to years of inhumane working conditions which included groping, assault, and false imprisonment”.Ms Richard, a former member of Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money, is among more than two dozen people who have filed lawsuits against him. He is also facing criminal charges of racketeering and…

Getty ImagesEnergy bills for a typical household will rise again in January, with prices expected to remain relatively high into the new year.It is the second rise this winter and means someone paying by direct debit and using a typical amount of gas and electricity will pay £1,738, or £21 a year more, with bills now over 50% higher than pre-Covid levels.Energy bills have been high for three years, which charities warn has left many struggling to cope and choosing to go without heating at the coldest time of year.The quarterly cap by regulator Ofgem sets a limit on the…

PDD Holdings, the Chinese owner of online shopping platforms Temu and Pinduoduo, has reported disappointing sales and profit as Chinese consumers continued to hold back amid an economic slowdown. US-listed shares of the e-commerce giant fell nearly 11% on Thursday following the announcement.It comes after PDD’s main rivals in its home market, Alibaba and JD.com, also posted underwhelming results in the September quarter. Consumer confidence in China has taken a hit from a crisis in the country’s property sector and high levels of youth unemployment.In the quarter that ended in September, PDD’s revenue reached 99.35bn yuan ($13.7bn, £10.9bn), below analyst…

Squire Patton BoggsSimone White was holidaying in south-east AsiaA British lawyer has died after a suspected methanol poisoning that is thought to have killed four others in Laos, south-east Asia.Simone White, 28, from Orpington, south-east London, was among a number of people taken to hospital following the incident in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.In a statement, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was supporting her family.Earlier, Bianca Jones, 19, from Australia, was confirmed to have died while the US State Department said an American had died. Two Danish women aged 19 and 20 also died last…

DisneySay Nothing premiered on streaming services last weekMichael McConville has said that the portrayal of his mother’s murder and secret burial by the IRA in a new Disney drama is “horrendous” and “cruel”.Say Nothing, which is based on a book by Patrick Radden Keefe of the same title, tells the stories of several people living in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.Among the stories featured in the series, is that of Jean McConville, who was among those “disappeared” by the IRA during the conflict.Her son, Michael McConville, has said the programme is “another telling of [my mother’s story] that I and…