Diablo III has entered an open beta period as of 12:01 p.m. PDT, according to a post on Blizzard Entertainment’s website. Anyone with a valid Battle.net account can take the highly anticipated game for a spin all weekend long. The beta ends at 10 a.m. on April 23. Registration for a Battle.net account is free for new players, and you’ll need to download the Diablo III client, of course. Once you’re set up, you can start hammering away at Blizzard’s servers by playing any of the five character classes up to level 13. The game publisher hopes to iron out the kinks before releasing the full version on May 15. Fans of the Diablo series have been waiting nearly 12 years for the third installment of the acclaimed hack-and-slash adventure. The game boasts a revamped engine, robust online play, and a much-discussed...

We are running a beta trial on the technology index - here we explain the changes.

David Shukman looks at ways to plug the North Sea gas leak

The Pope's butler has been charged over the suspected leaking of confidential documents, as it steps up an inquiry into media leaks.

Human error did not appear to be to blame for the gas leak at a North Sea platform, according to oil company Total.