Science Dinosaurs Why did this ancient bird die with tiny rocks in its throat? The 120-million-year-old fossil may also be a choking hazard PSA. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Fossils may reveal what type of animal died millions of years ago, but they rarely depict exactly they perished. Even rarer are the examples that clearly showcase an animal's exact cause of death.

A fly-tipper dressed as a giant purple T. rex has been caught on camera dumping rubbish in a street. The brightly coloured rogue raptor was spotted checking for traffic before crossing a road in Southend, Essex. The prehistoric predator then looks around before slinging two black bin bags to the ground next to large black bin. Footage of the incident, first reported by Your Southend, was captured on a resident's CCTV just before 21:30 GMT on Tuesday. The city council told the BBC it had not received any reports of fly-tipping in relation to the incident.

What are freeze-dried sweets and why are they popular? When Savannah Louise West first tasted freeze-dried gummies, she was intrigued. I think the crunch is so satisfying, and I find it interesting to experience a candy I'm familiar with that has an entirely new texture, says the Toronto resident. Ms West is describing one of the main features of this spin-off candy that independent and major confectionary manufacturers have been releasing onto shelves, both online and offline, for the past three years. It's been largely a US phenomena, hence we'll use the US term candy, but for our UK readers, we're talking about sweets here.

Meta is shifting some of its investments in the metaverse to AI glasses and wearables, hoping to capitalise on the momentum in that segment, a company spokesperson has said. Over the last decade, Meta has poured billions of dollars to build the metaverse, which lets people to interact in a virtual reality. However, the tech giant has struggled to convince investors of the viability of the nascent technology. Bloomberg first reported on Thursday that Meta would cut its metaverse investment by as much as 30%. Its shares climbed more than 3.4% following the news.

The government says it is to deport 60 takeaway-delivery riders found to be working illegally in the UK. The Home Office says the group are among 171 riders arrested over seven days in November in a national enforcement blitz in villages, towns and cities across the country. It comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been targeting people working unlawfully in the gig economy. Border Security Minister Alex Norris has also met representatives from food-delivery firms to encourage them to do more to tackle the issue - such as using facial recognition checks to prevent riders sharing their identities with people who do not have permission to take up work in the UK. Norris said November's action ought to send a clear message: if you are working illegally in this country, you will be arrested and removed.

Waterstones would stock books created using artificial intelligence, the company's boss has said, as long as they were clearly labelled, and if customers wanted them. However, James Daunt, a veteran of the bookselling industry, said he personally did not expect that to happen. There's a huge proliferation of AI generated content and most of it are not books that we should be selling, he said. But it would be up to the reader. An explosion in the use of artificial intelligence, or AI, has prompted heated debate in the publishing industry, with writers concerned about the impact on their livelihoods.

Several legal experts have told BBC Verify that the second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat by the US military was probably illegal, and would likely be considered an extrajudicial killing under international law. On Monday, the Trump administration confirmed that a follow-up strike on the boat - which has been criticised as a double tap - was ordered by US Navy Admiral Frank Bradley with the overall operation having been authorised by War Secretary Pete Hegseth. Nine people died in the first strike on the vessel and two survivors were left clinging to the burning wreckage when it was struck again, killing them, according to the Washington Post. A US official has said four missiles were used in the operation. The Trump administration has not denied there were survivors and has insisted the strikes on 2 September were in accordance with the law of armed conflict.

Spain and The Netherlands will boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest, after Israel was allowed to compete. They were among a number of countries who had called for Israel to be excluded over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, and accusations of unfair voting practices. Despite calls for a vote on Israel's participation, members instead approved a new set of rules intended to protect the integrity of the contest. In a statement, Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said that participation under the current circumstances is incompatible with the public values that are essential to us. Spanish broadcaster RTVE added: The board of directors of RTVE agreed last September that Spain would withdraw from Eurovision if Israel was part of it.

Police accused of'homophobic assumptions' over victims of blackmail on Grindr Police failed to properly investigate allegations that a gang was blackmailing men on the gay dating app Grindr, the BBC can reveal. Our investigation has learned of five cases of suspected blackmail involving victims targeted on Grindr in one area, with at least four of them connected to the same gang, which remains at large. In one instance, a suspected victim killed himself 24 hours after a group of men turned up at his home demanding he hand over his new Range Rover. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog has told Hertfordshire Police - the investigating force - to examine whether homophobic assumptions could have contributed to failures in the investigation. Hertfordshire Police said it was unable to discuss specific points about the case, which has now been reopened, but said it is committed to building and maintaining good working relationships with the LGBTQ+ communities.

Facial recognition technology could be used more often by UK police forces, according to new plans announced by the Home Office. Policing and crime minister Sarah Jones said a widespread rollout of the equipment could mark the biggest breakthrough in catching criminals since DNA matching. People are being asked for their views on its use, as part of a 10-week consultation launched on Thursday, possibly paving the way for new laws. Jones credited the technology for helping to arrest thousands of criminals, but campaign group Big Brother Watch said increased use would make George Orwell roll in his grave. Facial recognition is used to locate wanted suspects and find vulnerable people.