Author: BBC

SpaceX’s Starship rocket has returned to Earth on its fourth test flight, landing in the Indian Ocean. The rocket made it much further in its planned mission profile than on previous tests, with both the ship and booster making controlled landings over water.Read more: Musk’s Starship rocket makes breakthrough ocean landing Source link

gettySt Thomas’, including the Royal Brompton and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, is among the affected trustsMajor hospitals in London have declared a critical incident after a cyber-attack led to operations being cancelled and emergency patients being diverted elsewhere.It applies to hospitals partnered with Synnovis – a provider of pathology services. King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ – including the Royal Brompton and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital – and primary care services are among those affected.The incident has had a “major impact” on the delivery of services, especially blood transfusions and test results.It is thought to have happened…

TV doctor Michael Mosley, known for popularising the 5:2 diet, has gone missing while on holiday on the Greek island of Symi.A search and rescue operation is under way, including a police dog and a drone searching hard to reach areas. A helicopter is flying from Athens to assist, Symi’s deputy mayor told BBC News.Greek Police said Dr Mosley left his wife on the beach and set off on a walk to the centre of the island on Wednesday. His phone was found at the place he was staying at with his wife, who reported him missing, a police spokesperson…

US President Joe Biden has drawn parallels between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and World War Two, in a speech commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.Speaking just steps away from where 9,388 members of the US military who participated in the landings are buried, Mr Biden warned democracies across the globe were once again under threat, adding autocrats were closely watching the Western response to Ukraine.The president, born in 1942, will likely be the last US leader to have been alive at the time of the operation to liberate Nazi-occupied France. A host of world leaders…

Plans to use peoples’ public posts and images on Facebook and Instagram to train artificial intelligence (AI) tools belonging to parent company Meta have been attacked by digital rights groups.The social media giant recently has been informing UK and European users of the platforms that, under privacy policy changes taking effect 26 June, their information can be used to “develop and improve” its AI products.This includes posts, images, image captions, comments and Stories that users over the age of 18 have shared with a public audience on Facebook and Instagram, but not private messages.Noyb, a European campaign group that advocates…

Some 113 people have become ill with E. coli in recent weeks and experts believe it is most likely linked to a nationally distributed food item. The UK Health Security Agency says testing of samples suggests all of the cases since 25 May are “part of a single outbreak”. Based on the wide geographic spread, it is likely a contaminated batch of product that people can buy around the UK.In December, a person in Scotland died from E. coli linked to cheese. The source of this outbreak is not yet confirmed or known. Consumers will be told if there is…

52 minutes agoHelen Bushby,Culture reporter Getty ImagesLady Gaga let her video do the talkingTaylor Swift has come out in support of Lady Gaga, who posted a video denying pregnancy rumours, by calling comments about it “invasive and irresponsible”. The two US superstar singers responded after online speculation that Grammy and Oscar-winning singer Lady Gaga was pregnant. People began to comment after photographs emerged of the star with boyfriend Michael Polansky as they celebrated her sister Natali Germanotta’s wedding in the US. Gaga posted a video on TikTok, referencing the song Down Bad, from Swift’s new album, saying: “Not pregnant -…

20 minutes agoRushdi Abu Alouf,David GrittenAFPWitnesses and local journalists said missiles hit classrooms on upper floors of the UN schoolAn Israeli air strike on a UN school packed with displaced Palestinians in central Gaza has reportedly killed at least 35 people.Local journalists told the BBC that a warplane fired two missiles at classrooms on the top floor of the school in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp. Videos showed the destruction and a number of bodies.Israel’s military said it had “conducted a precise strike on a Hamas compound” in the school and killed many of the 20 to 30 fighters it…

54 minutes agoLucy Hooker,Business reporter, BBC NewsGetty imagesFinancial markets will scrutinise ECB president Christine Lagarde’s remarks for further hints about ratesThe EU has become the second major global economy to cut its lending rate this week.The European Central Bank (ECB) announced a cut in its main interest rate from an all-time high of 4% to 3.75%.That follows Canada’s decision on Wednesday to cut its official lending rate.The ECB’s move comes as voters head to the polls for EU-wide elections over the next four days, with the outcome expected to reflect people’s unhappiness over cost-of-living pressuresLindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter…

A 59-year-old man in Mexico has died with a type of bird flu – H5N2 – never recorded in people before now. There is no risk to the wider public, say authorities, and none of the man’s close contacts have caught the virus. It is unclear how he got it, although there have been cases in some poultry farms in Mexico. Infections like this can sometime pass from animals to humans.The man had other underlying health issues that likely made him vulnerable.He had been bedridden for weeks before getting sick with fever and shortness of breath from bird flu, according…