Author: BBC

Getty ImagesFinding the best gate for an aircraft is a surprisingly difficult taskNext time you’re running at full tilt towards your airport gate, spare a thought for the airline staff who made sure that that gate was actually available.Gate allocation is a surprisingly complex task. “With 15 gates and 10 airplanes, there are more than 570 billion possibilities,” says Dr Joseph Doetsch, who has been working on the problem of gate allocation as quantum computing lead at Lufthansa Industry Solutions.Picking the best gate for each flight can help shorten aircraft taxi times and reduce congestion, meaning that travellers spend less…

The UK has announced it is giving up sovereignty of a remote but strategically important cluster of islands in the Indian Ocean after more than half a century.The deal – reached after years of negotiations – will see the UK hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a historic move.This includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, used by the US government as a military base for its navy ships and long-range bomber aircraft.The announcement, made in a joint statement by the UK and Mauritian Prime Ministers, ends decades of often fractious negotiations between the two countries.The US-UK base…

Newcastle will host the MOBO Awards for the first time in 2025, it has been announced.The awards have celebrated black musicians since 1996, honouring artists such as Little Simz, Stomzy and Beyoncé.Ahead of the ceremony, organisers will run the MOBO Fringe Festival, series of activities and events celebrating black music and culture with Newcastle City Council and members of the local community.The 2025 event will take place at the Utilita Arena on 18 February.Kanya King CBE, founder and CEO of MOBO Group, said: “Newcastle is a city steeped in history, culture, and a dynamic sense of community alongside an electric…

BBC Dominika’s one-day-old daughter Emilia is part of the screening programmeThe entire genetic code of up to 100,000 newborn babies in England will be analysed by the NHS, with the aim of speeding up the diagnosis and treatment of more than 200 rare diseases.At present, newborns are given a heelprick blood test that checks for nine serious conditions, including cystic fibrosis.As part of this new study, led by Genomics England, blood samples will be taken from babies’ umbilical cords to help diagnose many more gene disorders, such as haemophilia and spinal muscular atrophy.Hundreds of blood samples have already been collected…

PAThe Bank of England could be a “bit more aggressive” on cutting interest rates, according to its governor. Andrew Bailey said the speed at which borrowing costs are reduced will depend on the rate of inflation.The Bank cut interest rates from 5.25% to 5% in August, which was the first drop in more than four years. In an interview with the Guardian, Mr Bailey also said that the Bank was watching developments in the Middle East “extremely closely”, in particular any movement in oil prices which could fuel inflation.The cost of crude jumped sharply following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in…

Elon Musk has been ordered by a federal court to answer further questions from lawyers about his takeover of Twitter – now called X – on Thursday, and the financial world has one question: Will he be there?Last month, he was a no-show for a court ordered appearance at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) office in Los Angeles.Thursday’s planned interview is part of a high-level investigation into whether Mr Musk waited too long to disclose he was building up a stake in Twitter before acquiring the social media platform in 2022.The billionaire has previously said this delay was…

ReutersThe Secretary General of the United Nations has condemned Iranian strikes on Israel, after earlier being banned from the country for his initial response.Speaking to the UN Security Council, António Guterres said it was high time to stop what he called the “deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence” in the Middle East. In an earlier statement, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared Guterres personal non grata and an “anti-Israel secretary-general who lends support to terrorists”.The comments were issued in response to Guterres initially calling for a ceasefire, but not specifically mentioning the Iran attack. Addressing the council, the UN secretary general…

The release of a blockbuster Pakistani film has been put on hold in India after officials in Delhi refused to give permission for its screening, the BBC has learnt. A remake of a 1979 Punjabi film, The Legend of Maula Jatt, is the highest ever grossing film in Pakistan. The movie was set to release in the northern Indian state of Punjab on Wednesday, which would have made it the first Pakistani film to hit Indian screens in more than a decade. The South Asian neighbours share a frosty relationship and tensions often affect cultural exchanges between them. On Wednesday,…

Getty ImagesShortages of doctors mean the average GP in England has to care for 17% more patients than nine years ago, a BBC analysis shows.It means for every permanent GP there are more than 2,300 patients – a jump of nearly 350 since 2015, helping explain why access to general practice has been worsening and patient satisfaction declining.The analysis of NHS data also shows the areas struggling the most have list sizes exceeding 3,000 patients, nearly double those with the most doctors. Experts said the variation was “unwarranted” and put patients’ health at risk.The government said it was developing plans…

A long-serving former Harrods executive, has decided not to become the boss of department store Fenwick despite being due to start this month, the BBC has learned.Nigel Blow worked at Harrods for 14 years from 1992 to 2007, a period when the luxury London store was owned by Mohamed Al Fayed.It comes after the BBC broadcast a documentary last month based on the accounts of more than 20 women who said they had been sexually assaulted or raped by Al Fayed while working at Harrods.Following the allegations against Al Fayed, Mr Blow declined to answer multiple requests for comment. A…