Purdue Pharma files for bankruptcy in the US
Getty Images US drug-maker Purdue Pharma has filed for bankruptcy protection, as part of efforts to deal with thousands of lawsuits that accuse the firm of fuelling the US opioid crisis. The company’s board approved the Chapter 11 filing on Sunday. The move is designed in part to resolve more than 2,600 lawsuits filed against […]
UK shifts into less productive work
Getty Images A shift in employment from sectors such as mining to food and drinks services has led to a downturn in productivity, an official study has suggested. Since the 2008 financial crisis, productivity has barely grown at all. But new research now provides part of the answer to this puzzle. The Office for National […]
Exmo Bitcoin exchange manager kidnapped in Kiev
Getty Images A manager of the Exmo Bitcoin exchange has been kidnapped in Ukraine. According to Russian and Ukrainian media reports Pavel Lerner, 40, was kidnapped while leaving his office in Kiev’s Obolon district on 26 December. The reports said he was dragged into a black Mercedes-Benz by men wearing balaclavas. Police in Kiev confirmed […]
Facebook to ban ‘deepfakes’
Getty Images A comparison of an original and deepfake video of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Facebook has announced it will remove videos modified by artificial intelligence, known as deepfakes, from its platform. Deepfakes are computer-generated clips that are designed to look real. The social media company said in a blog that these videos distort reality […]
The Indigenous American supermodel on bringing change
Serenity Strull/ BBC/ Getty Images (Credit: Serenity Strull/ BBC/ Getty Images) “People are surprised at what I’ve said yes to”: The model, activist and emerging actor talks about her childhood, her culture – and making a difference. On a gusty night in September, model Quannah Chasinghorse joined the legendary designer Ralph Lauren on his New […]
Farmers warned to keep birds indoors as bird flu spreads across East of England
Getty Images Farmers in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex are being asked to keep flocks indoors as wild bird infections rise The government’s chief veterinary officer said she has not ruled out another UK-wide lockdown due to “unprecedented levels” of bird flu. The country has seen it’s biggest ever outbreak in the past year with more […]
The Chilean tycoon who is wanted by the US
Getty Images Carlos Cardoen has not been able to leave his native Chile for 26 years For 26 years, Chilean business tycoon Carlos Cardoen has been unable to travel abroad for fear of arrest. Mr Cardoen is accused of illegally importing the bomb-making element zirconium from the US, which added a potent incendiary effect to […]
Moment of relief as Romania and Bulgaria join EU border-free zone
Getty Images The decision was long awaited in Bulgaria and Romania, but for truckers, the bureaucracy is not yet over Seventeen years after Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union, they have been given the green light to become members of its border-free Schengen travel zone. The decision by fellow EU member states means that […]
The US Forest Service lookouts watching for fires
Kelsey Sims/US Forest Service Many of us struggled to adapt to home working and isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. But the few remaining fire lookouts of the US Forest Service often live and work for weeks at a time on their own, scouring the horizon for any hint of smoke from remote lookout towers. Kelsey […]
South Western Railway strike set to hit Royal Ascot
PA The RMT will resume strike action after suspending it in February Rail commuters on some of the country’s busiest routes are facing disruption due to a planned five-day strike over the future of train guards. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) plan to walk out on Tuesday over South Western Railway’s […]