Author: BBC

Daniel De SimoneInvestigations correspondentJournalist Roman Dobrokhotov tells the BBC he is “lucky to be alive”.A journalist targeted by a Russian spy cell run from a former guest house in Norfolk has said he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered the operation against him.Roman Dobrokhotov, editor-in-chief of The Insider, was followed through Europe by Bulgarian spies who were working for Moscow – three of whom were convicted on Friday.Dobrokhotov told the BBC: “I’m very lucky to be alive”.The Russian national believes he and his fellow investigative journalist, the Bulgarian Christo Grozev, were targeted because of their exposés on Russia. They…

Annabel RackhamHealth and wellbeing reporterGetty ImagesLED face mask manufacturers claim their products can treat acne scars and fine linesLED technology has been used to address a number of skin issues, such as eczema, mild to moderate acne, psoriasis and sun damage in a medical setting.But the at-home LED market is on the verge of becoming a massive industry – with masks and other devices retailing for anything from £40 to £1,500.The technology harnesses the power of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which then stimulate skin cells when they are exposed to the skin repeatedly. Mask developers make big claims that at-home LED…

Wind and waves are set to be included in calculations of the size of countries’ economies for the first time, as part of changes approved at the United Nations.Assets like oilfields were already factored in under the rules – last updated in 2008.This update aims to capture areas that have grown since then, such as the cost of using up natural resources and the value of data. The changes come into force in 2030, and could mean an increase in estimates of the size of the UK economy making promises to spend a fixed share of the economy on defence…

President Donald Trump’s decision to establish official government cryptocurrency reserves in the US has drawn criticism from industry watchers.He has signed an executive order creating what he calls a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve as well as a Digital Asset Stockpile, which will consist of other forms of digital currency.The funds will be stocked with coins forfeited to the federal government as part of criminal or civil proceedings.White House AI and crypto tsar David Sacks likened them to a “a digital Fort Knox for the cryptocurrency”, drawing comparison to the Kentucky military base that stores a significant portion of US gold assets.However,…

All-female country trio Remember Monday will represent the UK at Eurovision 2025 with their song What The Hell Just Happened?. When asked on BBC Radio 2 how excited the musicians felt about the announcement, group-member Holly-Anne Hull said: “We feel like we’re on another planet, nothing is sinking in.” The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland, in May, after Switzerland’s Nemo won the competition in 2024. Olly Alexander – the UK’s entrant in 2024 – came 18th in the competition out of 25 countries with his song “Dizzy”.

A hospital trust is investigating reports staff may have “inappropriately” accessed the medical records of the three people killed in the Nottingham attacks. Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65, were stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane in the city in June 2023.Dr Manjeet Shehmar, medical director at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said the trust was investigating “concerns that members of staff may have inappropriately accessed the medical records” of the three victims. She said the families had been informed of the investigation and would be updated.”The families of Ian, Grace, and Barnaby have already…

The US owner of the Boots pharmacy chain is being taken over by a private equity firm in a $10bn (£7.8bn) deal.The price being paid for Walgreens Boots Alliance is a fraction of what the company was worth a decade ago, reflecting its struggles with growing debt and shoppers going online for cheaper products. There have been reports that the Boots chain could be sold off seperately by its new owner, US private equity firm Sycamore Partners.Walgreens chief executive Tim Wentworth said the firm was navigating the “challenges of a rapidly evolving pharmacy industry and an increasingly complex and competitive…

A SpaceX rocket exploded shortly after it was launched from Texas on Thursday, grounding flights and triggering warnings about falling spaceship debris. SpaceX confirmed the un-crewed ship had suffered “a rapid unscheduled disassembly” during its ascent into space, and lost contact with the ground. The massive SpaceX Starship, the largest rocket ever created, spun out of control shortly after its launch. No injuries or damage have been reported but images from those in Caribbean Sea island nations show fiery debris raining from the sky.This was the eighth mission to test the rocket, and its second consecutive failure.The 123m (403ft) spaceship…

Mark SavageMusic CorrespondentGetty ImagesOlivia Rodrigo will become the second-youngest act to headline the Pyramid StageUS pop star Olivia Rodrigo and British band The 1975 will headline the Glastonbury festival this summer, organisers have announced.They will be joined by five-time Brit Award winner Charli XCX – who will top the bill on the festival’s second stage on Saturday 28 June.There will also be debut Glastonbury performances by Alanis Morisette, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Lola Young and US rap phenomenon Doechii, who will headline the West Holts stage. Returning favourites include Wolf Alice, Wet Leg, Fatboy Slim, Loyle Carner and Scissor Sisters.Rock…

A patient from Telford who needed a lifesaving treatment developed from blood plasma has thanked donors.Over the past three years, thousands of litres of blood from donors across England has been stored and now it has been turned into immunoglobulin, which helps the body’s immune response.It marks the first time in 25 years the NHS is able to make the substance from national donations, rather than relying on imports.Sophie Meredith, who developed thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) said without a plasma exchange, she was unlikely to have survived.”I am so grateful to everyone who donates blood,” she said. “You are not…