A BBC World Service survey of 29,000 people has found broad support for reform of the international economic system ahead of the G20 summit. More than 70% of people in 29 countries think major changes are needed in the way the global economy is run. Nearly two thirds – 62% – of the public say [...]
Security experts are downplaying the potential impact of a virus which some believe is set to strike on 1 April. Conficker has infected up to 15 million computers to date and is set to change the way it works on Wednesday. There have been some reports the worm could trigger poisoned machines to access personal [...]
A cheap five-in-one pill can guard against heart attacks and stroke, research suggests. The concept of a polypill for everyone over 55 to cut heart disease by up to 80% was mooted over five years ago, but slow progress has been made since. Now a trial in India shows such a pill has the desired [...]
Hundreds of people are feared dead after at least one boat packed with suspected illegal migrants heading for Europe sank off the coast of Libya. Libyan officials said at least 21 people had died and about 20 were rescued after a vessel reportedly carrying 250 people went down. There are unconfirmed reports that a second [...]
Playing action video games can boost an aspect of adult vision previously thought to be fixed, a US study shows. Researchers found playing the games improved the ability to notice even very small changes in shades of grey against a uniform background. "Contrast sensitivity" is important in situations such as driving at night, or in [...]
A plan by IBM to launch an industry-wide ‘open’ cloud computing strategy has seemingly backfired amid accusations of closed deals. Google pulled out after signing up and Amazon said it would not get involved. Microsoft criticised the plan, saying it was given two days to sign up to a "secret" manifesto with no input. "We [...]
The chief executive of struggling US car company General Motors has been ordered to step down by President Barack Obama. Rick Wagoner will leave immediately, a government official confirmed. Mr Obama is preparing to outline terms for offering more help to GM and fellow car giant Chrysler. The two firms have already received $17.4bn (£14.4bn) [...]
The Nationwide is to buy the Dunfermline Building Society’s branches, good loans and deposits, it has been confirmed. The mutual was put up for sale after incurring losses of £26m. The Nationwide will also take on Dunfermline’s 530 staff, according to the BBC’s business editor Robert Peston. The Treasury will take over £1bn of commercial [...]
Animated adventure Monsters vs. Aliens has scored the biggest US box office debut of the year so far with takings of $58.2m (£41m). The Dreamworks film, which sees classic movie monsters pitted against beings from outer space, beat ghost story The Haunting In Connecticut into second. The animation, which features the voice of Reece Witherspoon, [...]
Greater use of social network sites is making it harder to maintain true anonymity, suggests research. By analysing links between users of social sites, researchers were able to identify many people in supposedly anonymous data sets. The anonymised data is produced by social sites who sell it to marketing firms to generate cash. The results [...]
Chancellor Alistair Darling has played down the idea that leaders will announce a completely new stimulus economic package at the G20 summit. Speaking on the BBC’s Politics Show, Mr Darling said there was no expectation that finance ministers from different countries would present new budgets. But details on how the International Monetary Fund would boost [...]
An electronic spy network, based mainly in China, has infiltrated computers from government offices around the world, Canadian researchers say. They said the network had infiltrated 1,295 computers in 103 countries. They included computers belonging to foreign ministries and embassies and those linked with the Dalai Lama – Tibet’s spiritual leader. There is no conclusive [...]