Author: BBC

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…

2 hours agoBy Jared Evitts, BBC NewsbeatThe LoopDrug testing at festivals is part of an approach known as harm reductionA drug testing charity has warned festival-goers that potentially deadly super-strength MDMA pills are being sold in the UK.The Loop, based in Bristol, conducted tests in the city and at the recent Parklife festival in Manchester.CEO Katy Porter told BBC Newsbeat the charity checked more than 150 pills sold as MDMA, and found the average strength had increased since last year.She said some had effectively contained a “double dose” of the substance, and this posed a “much greater risk of overdose and potential…

6 minutes agoBy Bernd Debusmann Jr and Vicky Wong, BBC News, Washington DC and LondonWikileaks/XWikileaks founder Julian Assange is due to appear in a US court on Wednesday, where he will formalise a plea deal and leave a free man following a 14-year legal battle.Mr Assange is expected to arrive in the Northern Mariana Islands, an American territory in the Pacific. On Tuesday, he left a British prison and flew to the Thai capital Bangkok for refuelling.US officials were pursuing Mr Assange, 52, over charges related to a huge disclosure of secret files in 2010, which they said put lives in danger.Reacting…