Zika outbreak: The mosquito menace. Image copyright SPL This blood sucker might not be your best friend, but it loves you. The mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is causing widespread fear in Brazil where it is spreading the Zika virus that has been linked to thousands of babies being born with birth defects. So what do we know about it? It loves our cities This is not some jungle-dwelling insect that rarely comes into contact with people. It is one of those animals, like cockroaches, pigeons and urban foxes, that thrives in built-up areas. It does not need natural water sources to breed as it can lay eggs in the small and plentiful pools of stagnant water, such as gutters or flower pots, found in cities .
Image copyright Getty Images Cities like Singapore have big problems with the mosquito. Prof Uriel Kitron, from Emory University, said: "Aegypti is really adapted well for urban areas. "It is becoming more and more of an urbanised world and aegypti thrives - Brazil is an extreme example going from 20% to 80% urban in 70 years. " Blippar wants your face in its app. Trump: Softbank to invest $50bn in US businesses. Image copyright AFP Shares of Japanese technology firm Softbank have soared to their highest level in more than one year in Tokyo trade, jumping 5% at the open. That is on news Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said he will invest $50bn (£39.3bn) in US businesses.
But details are lacking on where the money will go and how it will benefit American businesses. Mr Son made the announcement after meeting US President-elect Donald Trump in New York. Mr Trump shared the news about the Softbank investment on social media, via his Twitter page. Donald Trump's four-year term as US president will start following his inauguration on 20 January. Vaswani: Why is Softbank investing in the US now? Trump on new Air Force One: Cancel order! Image copyright Getty Images Softbank is one of the world's biggest technology companies and is run by its founder, Japanese entrepreneur Masayoshi Son. It has previously acquired Vodafone's Japanese operations and the US telecoms company Sprint.
Human evolution 'not over yet' Image copyright Thinkstock The regular use of Caesarean sections is having an impact on human evolution, say scientists. More mothers now need surgery to deliver a baby due to their narrow pelvis size, according to a study. Researchers estimate cases where the baby cannot fit down the birth canal have increased from 30 in 1,000 in the 1960s to 36 in 1,000 births today. Historically, these genes would not have been passed from mother to child as both would have died in labour. Researchers in Austria say the trend is likely to continue, but not to the extent that non-surgical births will become obsolete. Dr Philipp Mitteroecker, of the department of theoretical biology at the University of Vienna, said there was a long standing question in the understanding of human evolution. "Why is the rate of birth problems, in particular what we call fetopelvic disproportion - basically that the baby doesn't fit through the maternal birth canal - why is this rate so high?
" Opposing forces Future trends. India Jayalalitha: Thousands mourn colourful politician. Trump breaks US policy stance with direct Taiwan call. Zac Goldsmith ousted by Lib Dems in Richmond Park by-election. Largest all-women expedition heads to Antarctica. Image copyright Homeward Bound On Friday the largest ever all-female expedition to Antarctica is setting sail, hoping to increase the number of women in important scientific roles around the world, writes Ben Collins.
They call Ushuaia, a cold and windy port city in Argentina, the end of the world. It's from here that the largest ever all-female expedition to Antarctica will depart, with more than 70 women with backgrounds in science set to spend 20 days at sea. The voyage is part of the Homeward Bound initiative, an Australian programme aimed at increasing the representation of women in top science jobs across the globe.
"We're missing half the voice at the leadership table," says Dr Jessica Melbourne-Thomas, who along with entrepreneur and management expert Fabian Dattner, came up with the idea. The pair met during a leadership development course run by Dattner, and their frustration at the challenges faced by women in science quickly became a bold idea. Image copyright AFP. Chapecoense air crash: Colombia plane 'ran out of fuel' Chapecoense plane crash: Thousands of fans hold vigil for team. 'We are dying here. The dirt is consuming us.'
RBS worst hit in Bank of England stress test. Image copyright Getty Images RBS has missed key hurdles in a Bank of England stress test, forcing it to devise new plans in case of a financial crisis. The toughest stress test yet measured the UK's seven biggest lenders against a global economic crash. RBS performed the worst and was forced to draw up a new capital plan, which has been accepted.
The bank said it had "agreed a revised capital plan... to improve its stress resilience". It said the change came "in light of the various challenges and uncertainties facing both the bank and the wider economy highlighted by the concurrent stress testing process". 'Action taken' RBS, which is still 73% owned by the government after its bailout in 2008, submitted the new plan to the Bank of England (BoE) after running its own internal tests and finding its balance sheet would fall short.
Analysis: Simon Jack, BBC business editor Eight years on from the financial crisis and taxpayer-owned RBS is still short of the money it needs to survive another one. Australian IS recruiter Neil Prakash 'still alive' Untitled. EU leaders 'not bluffing' over Brexit terms, warns Malta's PM. EU leaders are not "bluffing" when they say the UK will be left without access to the single market when it leaves the bloc if there is no free movement of people, Malta's prime minister says. Joseph Muscat, whose country assumes the EU's presidency in January, told the BBC: "This is really and truly our position and I don't see it changing".
Theresa May says the UK will begin the legal process to leave the EU by March. Mr Muscat said talks on the details of a "new relationship" could be delayed. 'Best deal for Britain' A Downing Street spokesman insisted negotiations were being approached in the "spirit of goodwill". "This is a negotiation that will take place next year and the government will set out its negotiating strategy in the fullness of time," he said. "The aim of that negotiation is to get the best possible deal for Britain, for British companies to access and work with and within the single market and for European businesses to have the same access here.
" What are the options? Black Friday sales rush reported by retailers. Image copyright Getty Images UK shoppers have rushed to buy Black Friday bargains, as retailers and payment firms report strong sales activity for the annual discount event. Barclaycard said it had seen a record number of transactions on Friday, while Argos, John Lewis and Currys PC World reported a surge in orders. Online retailers said initial figures indicated Black Friday, now into its third year, had topped expectations.
Meanwhile, in the US, where it all started, websites saw heavy traffic. The boss of department store Macy's said it had seen a strong start to the sales, although its website later suffered glitches. Black Friday: Top tips to spot a bargain Google aims to tackle Black Friday crush Is Black Friday still a big deal? Black Friday backlash getting bigger In the UK, analysts expect sales on Friday to have topped last year's £1.9bn, with people hunting for discounts ahead of an expected rise in prices in 2017. For some, this can have a serious impact on their wellbeing.