Author: BBC

1 hour agoBy Cherylann Mollan, BBC News, MumbaiGetty ImagesStudents in Delhi protesting against alleged question paper leaks in the NEET medical examA key medical exam in India has sparked anger, protests and allegations of cheating after thousands of candidates secured abnormally high marks in this year’s test.The National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG – conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) – is the gateway to studying medicine in the country, as its score is necessary for getting admission to a medical college. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), a government organisation which holds some of India’s…

Boeing’s chief executive Dave Calhoun faced a grilling from US senators about the company’s culture as family members of Boeing crash victims yelled at him throughout the hearing.Mr Calhoun testified on Tuesday to Congress that the company “learned” from past mistakes and that the process for employee whistleblowers “works” – but lawmakers still accused him of not doing enough to rectify a culture of retaliation.The US company most recently was put in the spotlight when a door panel fell off a new 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving a gaping hole.As part of an ongoing…

23 hours agoBy Zoe Corbyn, Technology ReporterGetty ImagesElectricity demand from data centres is rising fastModern computing’s appetite for electricity is increasing at an alarming rate.By 2026 consumption by data centres, artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency could be as much as double 2022 levels, according to a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).It estimates that in 2026 energy consumption by those three sectors could be roughly equivalent to Japan’s annual energy needs.Companies like Nvidia – whose computer chips underpin most AI applications today – are working on developing more energy efficient hardware.But could an alternative path be to build computers with…

Some senior doctors in England have accepted a pay offer from the government.It means speciality and associate specialist (SAS) doctors – medics who have finished junior doctor training but are not working as either consultants or GPs – have joined their consultant colleagues in ending their dispute.SAS doctors had not yet taken strike action, but had been threatening to do so.The pay deal is worth up to 19.4% and includes reform of the contract and changes to career progression.The announcement comes ahead of a planned five-day strike next week by junior doctors in the lead up to the general election.…

5 hours agoBy Jemma Crew, BBC News, LondonGetty ImagesFrench film star Anouk Aimée, who was a popular leading lady for several of Europe’s most influential directors, has died aged 92.Aimée appeared in dozens of films across her eight-decade career, including starring in Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman, for which she was nominated for an Oscar.She died at her home in Paris on Tuesday, Sébastien Perrolat, of the TimeArt agency, told the AFP news agency.Her daughter, Manuela Papatakis, said she was “right by her side” when her mother died.Posting a black-and-white photograph of Aimée on Instagram, she wrote: “With my daughter,…

Kenya’s government has scrapped some proposed taxes in this year’s controversial finance bill, including a 16% levy on bread, after a public outcry.The announcement by MPs came as police fired tear gas and used water cannon to try to disperse angry protesters in the capital, Nairobi.Dozens of people have been arrested, and lawyers earlier joined chanting crowds at the city’s main police station to demand that detainees be freed.Since coming to office in 2022, President William Ruto has introduced several new and unpopular taxes with the aim of eliminating the country’s national debt of nearly $80bn (£63bn).But critics of the…

Getty ImagesTowering over the many hundreds of pages of promises, plans, strategies and spreadsheet costings in these general election manifestos is a single word: credibility.One of the big areas where the credibility question has been raised is over taxes. There is an uneasy consensus among the two main parties that the next chancellor will not raise the main rates of income tax, national insurance, VAT or corporation tax.But these promises rely on a perception that voters only care about their tax rates and, frankly, are blissfully ignorant about increases in their actual bills. Voters are being taken for fools. Even…

13 hours agoBy Tom Richardson, BBC NewsbeatBethesdaThe Elder Scrolls Online has marked 10 years with its Gold Road expansionAsk anyone to name a successful online multiplayer game and you’re likely to get a handful of names in response.Fortnite, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Roblox, Helldivers II.But there’s another title, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, that’s been a relatively quiet success.The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), a spin-off of the hugely popular fantasy RPG series from Fallout makers Bethesda, has been played by 24 million people and made $2bn since it launched.Developer Zenimax Online Studios began work on the game in 2007…

59 minutes agoBy Philippa Roxby, Health reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesA simple blood test using artificial intelligence to predict Parkinson’s disease years before symptoms begin has been developed by researchers.They hope it can lead to a cheap, finger-prick test providing early diagnoses – and help find treatments to slow down the disease.Charity Parkinson’s UK said it was “a major step forward” in the search for a non-invasive patient-friendly test. But larger trials are needed to prove its accuracy.Parkinson’s affects nearly 10 million people worldwide and more than 150,000 in the UK.Many are diagnosed having developed symptoms, such as tremors, movement and memory problems…

Singer Justin Timberlake has been arrested in New York for driving while intoxicated, local officials have told the BBC.The pop star was arrested and formally charged on Tuesday morning, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. They declined to provide further details. Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, an affluent village in the Hamptons, a popular summer destination for celebrities on Long Island.He was released without bail after being formally charged, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said. The BBC has contacted Timberlake’s lawyer for comment. Timberlake, 43, was set to embark on a global tour of…