Technology

Facebook groups are being “overwhelmed” by hoax posts about serial killers, missing children, and animals, a charity has warned. Full Fact said it had identified at least 1,200 examples of such misinformation across more than 100 areas in the UK, suggesting the content is being replicated. One hoax about a nine-year-old boy named Justin Smith

India has become the first country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole. Chandrayaan-3 was aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down in a region of the lunar surface thought to contain deep craters with water ice. It touched down six weeks after launching on board a rocket from a

A man has been jailed for the insider trading of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – in what prosecutors say is the first case of its kind. Nathaniel Chastain was working as a product manager at OpenSea, which is the world’s biggest marketplace for the crypto collectibles. The 33-year-old purchased NFTs that he knew were going to

Young people are falling victim to “text pest” delivery drivers who ask for romantic dates and sexual favours after getting their number for work reasons. The findings come from research commissioned by the UK’s data protection watchdog, which said nearly a third of those aged between 18 and 34 received inappropriate, unwanted contact after handing

Using MRI scans rather than PSA tests to screen for prostate cancer could “significantly” reduce the number of men dying from the disease, researchers have said. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men and, at the moment, those aged over 50 can request a protein prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test if they are

India could be about to take one giant leap ahead of Russia in the space race – with its latest lunar mission just days away from attempting to land. India’s space agency ISRO announced via X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday that it will attempt to land its Vikram robotic lander on Wednesday. The

Games don’t get much bigger than this. On 6 September, Bethesda Game Studios, one of the most celebrated development teams in the world, will offer players something completely new for the first time in two decades. Far removed from the elves, orcs, and magic of its premiere Elder Scrolls franchise; as well as the post-apocalyptic

Users of X (formerly Twitter) will not be able to block people from seeing their posts or leaving comments, Elon Musk has said. The social media platform owner said the function “makes no sense” – adding that it will only be possible to block someone from sending direct messages. In the shake-up to the app,

The rain tapped lightly against the windowpanes of my London apartment, a steady rhythm that mirrored the musings within my little gray cells. It was a day like any other, or so I believed, until a peculiar letter arrived. As I delicately unfolded the note, its contents gave rise to a most intriguing puzzle. ‘Mr

Astronomers have uncovered a star that appears on course to become one of the strongest magnets in the universe. HD 45166 is 3,000 light years away and was spotted with multiple telescopes dotted all over the Earth, not that it’s particularly inconspicuous. Rich in helium, this interstellar behemoth is a few times bigger than our

A genetically modified pig kidney transplanted into a brain-dead patient over a month ago is still working normally, researchers have found. The procedure was carried out by a team of surgeons in New York on 14 July, and researchers are now tracking the kidney’s performance for a second month. It is the longest period a

A glitch with Bank of Ireland’s online app reportedly allowed customers with no money to transfer funds and withdraw it from an ATM. The technical blunder meant people were able to put money into a Revolut digital account and then withdraw it from a cash point. Some claimed that they were able to access as

A new species of snake has been named after Harrison Ford. The reptile, known scientifically as Tachymenoides harrisonfordi, was found in Peru. It has been named after Ford to honour the veteran actor’s environmental work. Ford, who is vice chair of non-profit group Conservation International, said it was “humbling”. “The snake’s got eyes you can

The majority of teachers believe students are using Artificial Intelligence apps to do their work for them, according to a new study.  A survey by education tech firm RM Technology found that two thirds of teachers believe they are regularly receiving work written by AI, with around one in ten teachers (9%) admitting they can’t

Two police forces have admitted breaching the data of 1,230 people – including victims of crime and witnesses. Norfolk and Suffolk constabularies said a “technical issue” led to raw data being included within files produced in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests about crime statistics. It included information related to crime reports for a

Stargazers were treated to the peak of the annual summer Perseid meteor shower over the weekend. Bright meteors lit up the night sky around the world, caused by debris from comet Swift-Tuttle slamming into Earth’s atmosphere at 130,000mph. Parts of the UK were let down by the weather, though, as cloudy conditions spoiled the view.