The Epic Games store experienced glitches on Thursday as fans rushed to download a free copy of Grand Theft Auto V. Within minutes of making the game free online the swell of demand caused the site to slow and send error messages. Epic blamed the slowdown on “heavy traffic” and […]
Science & Technology
Amazon says it will produce hundreds of thousands of face shields for medics and sell them at cost price in the US. The internet giant said engineers from its drone and hardware divisions had been tasked with developing the product. At first, it will sell them to healthcare professionals, before […]
The wildlife charity the RSPB says it has been “overrun” by reports of birds of prey being illegally killed since the lockdown started six weeks ago. Species of raptors (birds of prey) that had been targeted include hen harriers, peregrine falcons, red kites, goshawks, buzzards and a barn owl. The […]
The Canadian-based space company GHGSat says it intends to set up a global centre in the UK to analyse the emissions of greenhouse gases. The firm currently flies the spacecraft making the highest resolution measurements of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere. This satellite is the first in a planned network […]
A hillfort in Aberdeenshire is one of the largest ancient settlements ever discovered in Scotland, researchers have said. University of Aberdeen archaeologists say 4,000 people may have lived in more than 800 huts perched high on the Tap O’ Noth near Rhynie. Many had thought it dated from the Bronze […]
Substances used for air conditioning in almost all new cars are building up in the environment and may pose a threat to human health, researchers say. These “ozone friendly” chemicals have been introduced to replace products that were damaging the ozone layer. Now widely used across industry, these alternatives do […]
One in 400 people in England has the Covid-19 virus, a survey of nearly 11,000 people in households suggests. They were asked to carry out swab tests over the two weeks up to 10 May. This indicates about 148,000 people in England could be currently infected – 0.27% of the […]
Hormone-fed beef and chlorine-washed chicken should remain banned in England after Brexit, the government has been warned. Ministers say the issue will be dealt with in the upcoming Trade Bill. But opponents of these practices say that could lead to farm standards being bargained away in negotiations. Instead, they want […]
Modern humans began to edge out the Neanderthals in Europe earlier than previously thought, a new study shows. Stone artefacts found at Bacho Kiro cave in Bulgaria Tests on remains from a cave in northern Bulgaria […]
The remains of a rare 19th Century dock built for Charles Darwin’s ship HMS Beagle has been recognised as a site of national importance. The submerged mud berth on the River Roach in Rochford, Essex, will now be protected against unauthorised change. The ship, launched in 1820, allowed Darwin to […]