Author: BBC

2 hours agoBy Mark Savage, Music CorrespondentGetty ImagesThe singer and rapper was best known for the hit single ButterflyShifty Shellshock, the frontman of rap-rock band Crazy Town, has died aged 49.The musician was best known for the 2001 single Butterfly, which was a US number one hit, and reached number three in the UK.Born Seth Binzer, he founded Crazy Town in 1995, and later enjoyed success with DJ Paul Oakenfold on the club track Starry Eyed Surprise.However, he struggled with addiction throughout his life, addressing his condition on reality shows such as Celebrity Rehab and its follow-up, Sober House.He was found dead…

A judge partially lifted a gag order on Donald Trump in his hush-money case in New York, where he was found guilty of falsifying business records last month. Trump is now allowed to make public comments about witnesses in the case and speak generally about jurors in his trial, Justice Juan Merchan wrote in a ruling on Tuesday. The former president still is barred from speaking publicly about court staff, prosecutors and their families. The identities of the jurors – kept secret due to the high-profile nature of the trial – also will remain protected, Justice Merchan said. Trump has…

The owner of Vauxhall, Citroën and Peugeot has warned it may halt UK production unless the government does more to boost demand for electric vehicles (EV).Maria Grazia Davino, the boss of Stellantis, the current government approach to the banning of petrol and diesel cars risked hurting its UK business.She said a decision about whether to close Stellantis’s plants in Luton and at Ellesmere Port near Liverpool could come in “less than a year”. “Stellantis UK does not stop, but Stellantis production in the UK could stop,” she told reporters at an industry conference on Tuesday.Stellantis owns several other well-known car…

A massive factory fire that began after several lithium batteries exploded has killed at least 22 people in South Korea.The blaze broke out on Monday morning at the Aricell plant in Hwaseong city, about 45km (28 miles) south of the capital Seoul. Local television footage showed large smoke clouds and small explosions going off as firefighters sought to put out the fire. A part of the roof had collapsed.South Korea is a leading producer of lithium batteries, which are used in many items from electric vehicles to laptops.Fire official Kim Jin-young said 18 Chinese, one Laotian and two South Korean…

1 hour agoBy Michelle Roberts, Digital health editor, BBC News©2024 Takeuchi et al. CC-BY-NDTaking inspiration from human skin ligaments, the prototype face can be made to smileJapanese scientists have found a way to attach living skin to robot faces, for more realistic smiles and other facial expressions. The breakthrough came from copying tissue structures in people, according to the team at Tokyo University. The prototype may appear more Haribo than human-like.But the researchers say it paves the way to making convincingly realistic, moving humanoids with self-healing skin that will not easily rip or tear. ©2024 Takeuchi et al. CC-BY-NDScientists say their new…

A new portrait of Sir David Attenborough has been unveiled, marking the veteran natural history broadcaster’s 40 years of fellowship to the Royal Society.The oil painting is by Jonathan Yeo, who recently created the first official painted portrait of King Charles III since his coronation.It shows Sir David seated against a green background, looking directly at the viewer with his hands clasped around his knee.Sir David, who described Yeo as a “master”, said it was “extraordinary” to have his portrait included in the Royal Society’s collection.The work was unveiled on the BBC’s The One Show on Tuesday evening.“To spend so…

The Kremlin has announced it is blocking access on Russian territory to 81 European media outlets in retaliation for a decision by the EU to ban broadcasting by some Russian media. Outlets including magazines, state broadcasters and national newspapers from across the EU will become inaccessible from Russia. On 17 May, the EU Council announced it would block broadcasting by Russian outlets Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta, accusing them of “spreading and supporting the Russian propaganda and war of aggression against Ukraine”.Now, the Russian government has said Russia was forced to “introduce symmetrical and proportional countermeasures”.Outlets…

19 minutes agoBy Oliver Smith, Business reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesShein uses influencers, models, and reality TV stars, such as Love Islander Cally Jane Beech to promote the brandChinese fast fashion firm Shein has filed initial paperwork taking it a step closer to listing on the London Stock Exchange, the BBC understands.The online retail giant, which is based in Singapore but has extensive operations in China, filed the confidential papers with UK regulators recently, according to sources close to the process.Shein became one of the biggest fashion retailers in the world during the pandemic, but has faced criticism over the environmental impact of…

Getty ImagesAlbert Einstein reportedly regretted signing the letterA letter from Albert Einstein, which encouraged the US to develop the world’s first nuclear bombs, is to go up for auction.Written to President Franklin D Roosevelt, in 1939, the note warns that Nazi Germany might be able to create such weapons – and suggests the US begins its own atomic programme.Three years later, America began the Manhattan Project, which led to the first ever use of atomic weapons, against Japan, in 1945.The letter is being sold as part of an auction of artefacts belonging to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who died in…

There are about 2,000 deaths caused by high temperatures in England every year.Most of these will be heart attacks and strokes caused by the strain of trying to keep body temperatures stable.The higher death rate starts to kick in once the thermometer passes 25C-26C.However, the evidence suggests the deaths tend to be caused by higher temperatures in spring or early summer rather than “peak summer”.This could be because we start to change our day-to-day behaviour as summer progresses and we get more used to dealing with the heat.The evidence from previous heatwaves is the increase in deaths happens very quickly…