Author: BBC

Like AI systems, Bitcoin relies on vast networks of powerful computers housed in data centres.Because Bitcoin operates without a central authority, these computers verify transactions and are rewarded with newly-created digital coins.But the rewards have reduced and the value of coins has dropped since last year.One bitcoin was worth about $124,000 (£91,000) at its peak in October 2025, but has since fallen sharply.More recently, it has rallied to around $80,000 – meaning it is up almost 30% so far in August.But, for companies that have already made the change, even that may not be enough to get them to return…

Peter Franklin was fighting for his life in hospital after suffering a heart attack 24 hours after arriving in the Caribbean for his honeymoon

Songs that are largely or wholly created by AI have been banned from Australia’s music charts.From this week, all releases must be “substantially human made” to be eligible.The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) said the new code would help “promote the human nature of artistry”.It follows a controversy around a cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer by Australian DJ Josh Fawaz which recently topped the ARIA dance singles chart and peaked at number 2 on the country’s overall chart.The song has become a staple of commercial radio station playlists and been streamed more than 48 million times on Spotify alone.Fawaz…

Dr Sue Mann, national clinical director for women’s health, said: “Offering millions of women an alternative test they can do from the comfort of their own homes will be a game-changer – making it easier than ever for them to get tested.”There are lots of reasons that may stop women from getting their cervical screening – embarrassment, lack of time or worries about discomfort – and these kits provide a discreet and convenient option we hope will encourage more women to take up the life-saving test.”The kits contain a swab, similar to a long cotton, bud which is used to…

A new app seen as a spiritual successor to short-form video service Vine has been released to the public.Much like the original, Divine lets users create and share videos which are just six seconds long and repeat on a loop. The new app also hosts more than two million original Vine videos and – in a bid to further distance itself from other platforms – bans content made by AI.Divine’s founder, former Twitter employee Evan Henshaw-Plath, told the BBC he wanted to create the app because he felt social media needed “a reset”.”I want to see it rival other apps…

Hayley said the couple had always wanted to start a family and, in 2019, the pair welcomed their eldest son George.She recalled how she had a normal pregnancy with George so when she fell pregnant again in 2023, her and husband Mike were excited to grow their family.But at 19 weeks and four days into her pregnancy, Hayley said she felt as though “something wasn’t right”.An ultrasound later confirmed that Oscar had died. “It sounds awful, but when you know your baby is no longer alive, you just want it all to be over,” she said.”We already had so many…

More than 300 companies are showcasing the latest advances in robotics at the five-day event in Beijing, China, organisers say.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has recently declared a national outbreak of salmonella food poisoning after one person died and hundreds more fell ill with the bug.

TikTok has agreed to pay $400m (£293m) to the US to end a lawsuit alleging its platform violated children‘s privacy, marking one of the largest ever settlements over the issue.The deal stems from a 2024 suit by the Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden alleging TikTok and its parent company ByteDance collected “vast amounts of data” on millions of users under the age of 13.Doing so was against the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a federal law enacted in 2000. It is the same law that dozens of US states are now suing Meta over.”Children and parents…

Annadale Community Garden Group is one of four groups or individuals in the running for this year’s Make a Difference Awards NI.