Goto

Collaborating Authors

 BBC News


Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt booed by graduates at mention of AI

BBC News

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed by students as he spoke about the rise of artificial intelligence during his speech at University of Arizona's graduation ceremony, underscoring growing anxiety over AI's impact on jobs. I know what many of you are feeling about that. I can hear you, Schmidt told graduates as jeers rang out at the venue during remarks comparing today's AI boom to the rise of computers four decades ago. The reaction reflects a broader unease on campuses, where speakers who mention AI are increasingly being met with hostility from students. A recent poll suggests many students view AI as both a threat to their future and an obstacle to their intellectual development.


Cruise ship hit by hantavirus outbreak docks in Rotterdam

BBC News

MV Hondius, the Dutch cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, has docked at its final destination in Rotterdam. Only the ship's crew were aboard for the last leg of the journey, as all passengers docked off the ship in the Canary Islands between 10 and 11 May. Rotterdam port harbour master René de Vries said 25 mobile homes kitted out with catering and satellite communications would be available for the crew to self-isolate in. Three people - a Dutch couple and a German woman - died after travelling on the ship, with two of them confirmed to have had the virus. The World Health Organization has so far reported 10 cases in total, eight confirmed and two suspected.


Escaped tiger shot by German police after attacking man

BBC News

An escaped tiger believed to be owned by Germany's Tiger Queen has been shot dead by police after attacking one of its keepers, according to local media reports. Police say a 73-year-old man was seriously injured after being attacked on Sunday while he was inside the animal's enclosure, located in a privately-owned facility on the outskirts of the German city of Leipzig. The tiger escaped the enclosure and was found shortly after by armed police, who shot and killed the animal. The site of the enclosure is believed to be owned by controversial trainer and private owner Carmen Zander, who describes herself as Germany's Tiger Queen. The animal was one of eight big cats kept at the industrial site near the German town of Schkeuditz, according to local media.


Instant AI answers can trivialise human intelligence, warns Royal Observatory

BBC News

The rise of AI tools that instantly answer questions and complex problems could make humans less intelligent, the Royal Observatory Greenwich has warned. The Observatory, one of the UK's oldest purpose-built scientific institutions, is known for its contributions to astronomy. Paddy Rodgers, director of the Royal Museums Greenwich group which oversees it, said its rich history of research showed the power of human knowledge and curiosity - and the need to avoid complete dependence on AI. A reliance solely on instant answers risks losing the habits of questioning and evaluation that underpin knowledge, expertise and innovation, he said. Rodgers' remarks come amid an ongoing transformation of the Royal Observatory in a project called First Light. The project hopes to seize on the passion of all the astronomers over the last 350 years, and interpret that passion through science, Rodgers told the BBC.


Why does Amazon have no Western rivals?

BBC News

Why does Amazon have no Western rivals? Vitamins, repair tape and a jar of mango chutney - just some of what my household bought last month via Amazon's sprawling online shopping platform. We also shopped at the company's supermarket chain Whole Foods, streamed its TV shows, read books on Kindle e-readers, and browsed countless websites no doubt powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), its highly profitable cloud-computing business. And that isn't half of the interconnected products and services offered by the global behemoth, which earlier this year overtook US superstore giant Walmart to become the world's largest company by annual sales. But why does Amazon, launched by Jeff Bezos in 1995 as an online bookstore out of a rented garage, have so few serious rivals in the West when it comes to e-commerce?


What would make the UK a better place to live? A new project aims to find out

BBC News

What would make the UK a better place to live? People across the UK are being urged to share their vision for how their community and country's future should look, as part of a major new research project. The National Conversation is being launched with voice notes submitted by high-profile figures, including former footballer Gary Lineker, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup. Participants will be asked to complete a survey carried out by researchers from the University of Oxford and leave a 60-second voice note. AI models will then be used to analyse thousands of responses to map what could bring us together.


Inside the 'kill-zone' on Ukraine's front line, where new weapons have transformed war

BBC News

Inside the'kill-zone' on Ukraine's front line, where new weapons have transformed war After 225 days stuck in a front-line foxhole, the Ukrainian infantryman's muscles were so weak he could barely walk. His commanders had tried five times to swap him with another soldier - but they could never reach him. Rotating soldiers on the front line in eastern Ukraine is extremely difficult because of the constant threat of drones. This area near Kostyantynivka is currently one of the most dangerous hotspots and the Ukrainian military admits that Russian forces have reached its outskirts. Known as Kenya, the infantryman took two days to walk 11km (6.8 miles) to get back to his brigade, avoiding mines and hiding from drones to get out.


Eurovision winner Dara arrives to screaming fans in Bulgaria

BBC News

Bulgarian pop star Dara was met by a crowd of fans in Sofia airport on Sunday, celebrating her historic Eurovision win. The 27-year-old's tune Bangaranga won Bulgaria its first ever title in the song contest. Thank you for being here, she told fans as she arrived in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, before adding I cannot wait to dip my toes in this atmosphere. Russia launched one of the biggest air strikes on Kyiv since the start of the war with several apartment blocks hit. Why is the Princess of Wales in Italy this week?


UAE reports drone strike near Abu Dhabi nuclear power plant

BBC News

The United Arab Emirates is investigating the source of a drone strike which triggered a fire near a nuclear power station, officials have said. The country's defence ministry said three drones had entered the UAE from the western border direction on Sunday. While two were intercepted, the third drone struck an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi. No injuries were reported and there was no impact on radiological safety levels, local authorities said. The country's defence ministry said in a statement that investigations were under way to determine the source of the attacks.


Large-scale Ukrainian drone attack kills three in Moscow region, says Russia

BBC News

Three people were killed overnight in a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow region, Russian officials have said. A woman died in a house in Khimki, north of the capital, where a person was trapped under rubble, regional governor Andrei Vorobiev said. A man and a woman were killed in the village of Pogorelki. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 12 people were injured in strikes on a city oil refinery. Russia's military said 556 drones were intercepted.