Author: BBC

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…

Nine water firms have been prevented from using customer money to pay for bonuses under new regulatory powers.The watchdog Ofwat said that any “undeserved” bonuses were now being borne by owners and lenders to the company rather than paid by customers.Three firms – Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water – were directly blocked from using customer money to pay bonuses collectively worth £1.6m.The remaining six firms voluntarily decided to use shareholder money to fund boss bonuses.David Black, chief executive of Ofwat, said that water firms “need to do more to rebuild public trust.”He said that by stopping…

ReutersThe US Department of Justice is proposing a host of remedies to prevent Google from maintaining its internet search monopolyThe US Department of Justice (DOJ) has demanded Google sells off Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser.It is one of a series of remedies proposed by the DOJ in a court filing late on Wednesday aimed at stopping the tech giant from maintaining its monopoly in online search.Government lawyers also recommended that District Judge Amit Mehta force the firm to stop entering into contracts with companies – including Apple and Samsung – that make its search engine the default on…

Getty ImagesAn ambitious plan to map all 37 trillion cells in the human body is transforming understanding of how our bodies work, scientists report.The received wisdom said we were built from around 200 types of cell – such as heart muscle or nerve cells.Instead the Human Cell Atlas project has revealed there are thousands of cell types, with some appearing to be culprits in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and cystic fibrosis.In a flurry of announcements, the formation of the human skeleton and the early immune system have also been mapped out in detail.The novel insight is akin to…