Author: BBC

2 hours agoBy Regan Morris, BBC News, Los Angeles ‘Hard to imagine’ Biden serving full term, says Michael DouglasHollywood has always been a cash cow for the Democratic Party.But unease over US President Joe Biden’s candidacy have not subsided – despite a lengthy news conference on Thursday where he made clear he had no intention of standing aside despite mounting pressure from within his own party.The concerns over his age have some faithful A-list donors in one of the most liberal corners of the US turning their back on Mr Biden, with several publicly withdrawing their support and calling for him to…

Biden spars with media over age, cognitive tests and his political support at Nato news conferenceJoe Biden took to the stage at his Thursday night press conference with everything on the line – his presidency, his re-election hopes, his political life.If those were the stakes, he barely acknowledged it. He dismissed the concerns about his campaign that were posed again and again for a full hour by a room full of reporters, and promised that he was fighting not for his legacy, but to finish the job he started when he took office in 2021.“If I slow down and can’t…

A selection of the week’s best photos from across the African continent: HELLE ARENSBAK/AFPNigerian singer-songwriter Tems takes to the stage at Denmark’s Roskilde music festival on Saturday.RAJESH JANTILAL/AFPOn the same day in Durban, South Africa, flamboyant fashion reigns at the races…RAJESH JANTILAL/AFPThe city hosts a yearly horse racing event that also features local designers…ROGAN WARD/REUTERSMany outfits this year featured a clash of colours… RAJESH JANTILAL/AFPAnd large headgear was de rigeur.AHMAD HASABALLAH/GETTY IMAGESIn the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Sufi Muslims celebrate the Islamic New Year on Sunday. KHALED DESOUKI/AFPIn the same city on Wednesday, a craftsman shapes a fez – or tarboosh…

New EU border checks and travel for the Olympics will make the Port of Dover “exceptionally busy” this summer, its boss has warned.Doug Bannister said travel for the Olympics, which are happening in France from 26 July, is expected to result in a 30% rise in passenger numbers.Meanwhile capacity for cars in the port’s queuing area will be reduced by work to prepare for the EU’s new biometric border entry system, the “Entry Exit System”, which comes in this autumn.Mr Bannister said that from 18 July processing times inside the port will be “up to two hours during the peak…

4 hours agoBy Priti Gupta, Technology ReporterArun KumarInstant payments have made Arun Kumar’s transactions much smootherEvery day, for the last seven years, Arun Kumar has set up his fruit stall on a busy Mumbai street.It’s not an easy way to make a living.“Being a street vendor is a challenge. There’s the fear of being robbed or, as I am not a licensed vendor, the local body can come and dismantle my store anytime,” he says.But over the past four years at least one aspect of his work has become easier. “Prior to Covid everything was in cash. But now everyone pays with…

An Australian soldier and her husband have been arrested and each charged with spying for Russia.Investigators say the couple – both Russian-born Australian citizens – obtained Australian Defence Force (ADF) material to share with Moscow.However, Australian police say “no significant compromise” of military secrets has been identified.It is the first time stricter foreign interference laws – introduced by Australia in 2018 – have been used to lay espionage charges.The 40-year-old woman, an army private, and her 62-year-old husband will face court in Brisbane later Friday, each on one count of preparing for an espionage offence – which carries a maximum…

Post Office boss Nick Read is stepping back from front-line duties so he can prepare for the “critical” next stage of the Horizon IT inquiry.In a note to staff the chief executive officer said he wanted to give his “entire attention” to the final hearings in September, which come as the company faces intense scrutiny over its role in the scandal. The inquiry is scrutinising the failings that led to more than 900 sub-postmasters being wrongly prosecuted for stealing between 1999 and 2015 because of incorrect information from an IT system called Horizon.The next and final stage will focus on…

British artificial intelligence (AI) chip firm Graphcore – once considered a potential rival to market leader Nvidia – has been bought by a Japanese conglomerate.Softbank has not disclosed how much it paid – but it is thought to be considerably less than the £2bn the UK company was valued at after a financing round in 2020.Graphcore head Nigel Toon told the BBC it was “a tremendous endorsement of our team”. However, the deal is likely to raise questions about the UK’s ability to develop firms which can take on the biggest players in the booming AI chip market.It is not…

Urgent repairs to fix a leaking roof at a theatre in Plymouth are set to cost the council £288,975.Plymouth City Council said the Theatre Royal needed work to stop water getting through the fly tower and smoke vent roofs.The council, which is the landlord to the building, said the costs would be funded through corporate borrowing.Councillor Chris Penberthy, cabinet member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities, said the theatre was “a cultural powerhouse” that needed to be kept in good condition.He said: “As landlord for this important and listed building, we accept that from time to time we need to…

US President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” while speaking to reporters about Nato’s support for Ukraine. He later corrected himself, before Zelensky took the microphone. “President Putin?” Biden said, correcting himself. “President Zelensky. I’m so focused on beating Putin.” Source link