Author: BBC

25 minutes agoBy Tom Espiner, BBC business reporterPost Office Horizon IT InquiryFormer Post Office chair Tim Parker has denied deliberately hiding a key report he commissioned into the Horizon IT system from members of the Post Office board.The 2016 report, written by former top Treasury lawyer Jonathan Swift, raised concerns about the accounting software which was later found to be faulty. Incorrect data from Horizon led to the wrongful conviction of 700 sub-postmasters for theft and fraud between 1999 and 2015. On Wednesday, an inquiry into the scandal heard that only four copies of the Swift report were made, none of which…

Virtual reality could be used to train the next generation of fire investigators.Researchers build mock crime scenes and, with the help of firefighters, conduct a controlled burn while carefully measuring the results.The scene can then be re-built in virtual reality. Research shows more investigators were able to work out the origin and development of a fire using this technology.The team from the University of Dundee, as well as emergency services, hope virtual reality could soon be used to train new investigators and share crime scene data more easily. Source link

Getty ImagesPeople prescribed semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, to lose weight, may have a higher risk of developing a serious but rare eye condition, a study suggests.Analysing 17,000 patients over six years, US researchers found those taking the drug for type 2 diabetes were four times more likely to be diagnosed with the condition than patients not on the drug.Among those taking it for obesity, the risk of the condition was seven times higher.But the researchers cannot prove semaglutide caused the eye condition, which can lead to loss of vision in one eye, nor can they explain the increased…

27 minutes agoBy Paul Kirby, BBC NewsFRANCOIS MONIER/AFPPM Gabriel Attal is not expected to survive in his job much beyond Sunday’s electionsFrench Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has appealed to voters to block the National Rally (RN) party of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella from winning Sunday’s general election.The party led the first round last Sunday with more than 33% of the vote and has already won dozens of seats outright. If it secures more than half the 577 seats in the National Assembly, it will be be able to form a government.”There’s one bloc in a position to win an absolute…

The role machine learning can play in accurate blood tests for bowel cancer. Source link

A celebrated French drag cabaret has given its final performance, bringing an end to the Parisian fixture that inspired a Hollywood film.Chez Michou said on social media that Sunday’s performance would be its last due to financial reasons. The trailblazing cabaret in the capital’s Montmartre district brought drag entertainment to France in the mid-1950s. The venue’s managers said that a liquidator would be appointed later this month, with hopes that a buyer can be found for the club. Despite being in a tiny venue, Chez Michou decorated with gilt framed mirrors attracted visitors from across France and around the world.…

24 minutes agoBy David Gritten, BBC NewsEPAThe UN estimates that 250,000 people in eastern parts of Khan Younis are affected by the evacuation ordersTens of thousands of Palestinians are seeking shelter and a safe location, as the exodus from Gaza’s second city of Khan Younis continues in response to Israeli military evacuation orders.The UN estimates that 250,000 people in eastern parts of the city are affected by the orders issued on Monday, which suggest Israeli forces are set to re-enter.Reports say an Israeli air strike on Tuesday killed 12 Palestinians in an Israeli-designated humanitarian area to which people have been told to…

59 minutes agoBy Lora Jones, BBC BusinessBBCUnited Utilities has about 100 outfall pipes along the Manchester Ship CanalWater companies could face a “flood” of legal challenges over sewage discharges, lawyers have said, after a landmark Supreme Court ruling.On Tuesday, seven justices at the UK’s highest court ruled that the Manchester Ship Canal Company is able to sue United Utilities over the alleged release of raw sewage into the canal.Speaking to the BBC, one lawyer said owners of adjacent waterways or even members of the public could bring claims against other utility companies as a result.Environmental charities said the ruling was good news.…

As polling day approaches, political posts are popping up across social media.Some accurate, others false and misleading. How can you decode what’s being pushed to your feeds this general election?The BBC’s Disinformation and Social Media correspondent Marianna Spring has some top tips and talks through the tactics she’s spotted on the social media feeds of Undercover Voter accounts she created. Source link

Getty ImagesCritics have given a mixed response to the fourth outing of Beverly Hills Cop, which sees Eddie Murphy and other cast members from the original 1984 film reunite.Many reviews agreed Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F inspired feelings of nostalgia, with Murphy back in the iconic role of Detective Axel Foley 40 years after the first film smashed box office records.In a three-star review, USA Today called the film “a true comfort-food throwback”.But The Guardian gave it just two stars, arguing there was “little energy to enliven their formulaic reunion”.The original Beverley Hills Cop made Murphy a superstar and led…