Author: BBC

NCAMaksim Yabubets, his father Viktor and brother Artem are accused of running Evil CorpThe UK, US and Australia have announced sanctions against 16 people authorities accuse of being part of the most wanted cyber crime gang in the world.Russia-based Evil Corp is accused of stealing around $300m in nearly ten years of hacking.The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) says it can now reveal the gang’s notorious leader, Maksim Yakubets, has been supported by his father Viktor Yakubets – something he had denied when interviewed by the BBC in 2021.The information has been released as part of a large, multinational operation…

Getty ImagesMech Dara has been honoured for his work by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken Mech Dara, an award-winning Cambodian journalist who has reported extensively on human trafficking and corruption, has been arrested and charged with incitement.Dara, who has reported for the BBC, has been charged over five social media posts which could “incite social unrest”, a court spokesperson said. He faces up to two years in jail.Last year US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken honoured him for his work exposing online scam operations based in Cambodia.Rights groups have spoken out over his arrest, with Human Rights Watch calling…

Getty ImagesTV and Broadway star Gavin Creel has died from a “rare and aggressive” cancer at the age of 48, his publicist Matt Polk has announced.Creel was best known as a stage star in shows such as Hello Dolly! opposite Bette Midler, which earned him a Tony award in 2017.He played Cornelius Hackl opposite Midler in the titular role.Midler paid tribute on Instagram, describing Creel as a “radiant actor… he was fantastic. I can’t believe he’s gone. What a loss.”Creel also starred in the West End, picking up a prestigious Olivier award for best actor in a musical in 2014…

Sperm donor compensation has risen from £35 to a maximum of £45 per clinic visit.The £10 rise comes into effect in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1 October, when egg donor compensation also rises from £750 to £985.It is illegal to pay someone to donate sperm or eggs in the UK so the money is to cover expenses such as travel and accommodation. Sperm donation can involve visiting a clinic once a week for three to six months.The UK fertility regulator acknowledged a shortage of egg and sperm donors. But it warned donating was a “complex decision” and any…

Getty ImagesBillpayers have been urged to give an accurate meter reading as gas and electricity price rises take effect.A household in England, Wales and Scotland using a typical amount of gas and electricity will now pay £1,717 a year, a 10% rise to the annual bill of £149.Experts have encouraged people to submit a meter reading as the change comes in so they can avoid being charged on estimated usage at the higher rate.It comes as winter approaches without extra cost-of-living payments for those on low incomes, and as winter fuel payments are withdrawn for about 10 million pensioners.Price cap…

DatalecDatacentre floorspace has almost doubled in Europe since 2015If someone had asked Billy Keeper five years ago what a datacentre was, he admits: “I would not have had a clue.”The 24-year-old joined specialist electrical firm Datalec Precision Installations as a labourer straight from school.He’s now an electrical supervisor for the UK-based firm, and oversees teams up to 40-strong carrying out electrical and cabling installations at datacentres.This means, “managing the job, from a health and safety perspective, making sure everything goes smoothly, and dealing with the clients”.And those clients are central to today’s technology landscape. Datacentres are the massive warehouse-like buildings…

EPAVictory does not mean Herbert Kickl’s Freedom Party will automatically be able to form a governmentAustria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) has opened the door to a new era, its leader Herbert Kickl has told supporters, as they celebrated an unprecedented election victory.Kickl’s party won 29.1% of the vote according to provisional results – almost three points ahead of the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) on 26.4%, but far short of a majority.Kickl’s victory is only the latest in a string of far-right election successes in Europe and he praised voters for their “optimism, courage and trust” in delivering a “piece of…

Epic Games has accused Samsung of making it too difficult to download its massively popular video game Fortnite on certain mobile devices.In a legal complaint it said it would file on Monday, it says people have to go through “21 steps” before they can play the game on a new Samsung product, including viewing security warning screens and changing settings.Epic claims this means 50% of people who try to install the game on these devices give up before they complete the process.Samsung said it would “vigorously contest” the “baseless claims”.According to Epic, the process takes 12 steps, rather than 21,…

Fewer people came forward for their flu vaccine last year and if the same happens again the UK could be in for a worse winter, health officials are warning. There were at least 18,000 flu-related deaths over the last couple of years, despite being relatively mild flu seasons, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Free flu vaccinations are offered each year by the NHS to people most at risk from getting very sick with flu, also known as influenza. While uptake among older people in England remained high last year, only one in every three pregnant women got…

The UK’s economy grew by less than previously estimated between April and June, according to official figures.It expanded by 0.5%, down from an initial reading of 0.6%, after output in the manufacturing and construction sectors fell by more than first thought. The data has emerged as the Labour government, which has made economic growth one of its key policies, prepares to announce its first Budget in four weeks’ time.Labour has been criticised for its gloomy outlook with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer having warned that the Budget will be “painful”, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently attempted to strike a more…