Author: BBC

BBCThe Treasury has announced the sale of its final shares in the NatWest Group. It means the bank will be under full private ownership, almost two decades after it was bailed out by the taxpayer amid the 2008 financial crisis. This marks a symbolic end to a dramatic chapter in British banking history.It was gone midnight – the early hours of Monday 13 October 2008 – when Chancellor Alistair Darling turned in for the night, leaving a team of officials, surrounded by curries and pizza boxes, finalising the detail of the biggest state intervention in the private sector since World…

Graham FraserTechnology ReporterGetty ImagesLiverpool won the English Premier League this season, and live football is the focus on many illegal streamsA lack of action by big tech firms is enabling the “industrial scale theft” of premium video services, especially live sport, a new report says.The research by Enders Analysis accuses Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft of “ambivalence and inertia” over a problem it says costs broadcasters revenue and puts users at an increased risk of cyber-crime.Gareth Sutcliffe and Ollie Meir, who authored the research, described the Amazon Fire Stick – which they argue is the device many people use to…

Mark SavageMusic CorrespondentGetty ImagesTaylor Swift has bought back the rights to her first six albums, ending a long-running battle over the ownership of her music.”All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me,” said the star, announcing the news on her official website. “I’ve been bursting into tears of joy… ever since I found out this is really happening.”The saga began in June 2019, when music manager Scooter Braun bought Swift’s former record label Big Machine and, with it, all of the songs from Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation.Swift had personal objections to the…

Former EastEnders actress Kara Tointon has revealed she has undergone a double mastectomy following a gene test.The 41-year-old, also known for her work in dramas including The Teacher and Mr Selfridge, revealed that tests showed she carried the BRCA gene – which can put her at very high risk of cancer. Tointon, from Basildon in Essex, posted an Instagram video on Wednesday to raise awareness of the preventative measure she had taken.She said: “You may have heard of the BRCA genes 1 and 2 and as a carrier it means I am at a greater risk of both breast and…

Peter HoskinsBusiness reporter, BBC NewsWatch: Trump slams “Taco” acronym given to tariff flip-flopsUS President Donald Trump has been allowed to keep collecting tariffs while the White House appeals against a ruling that dealt a major blow to a key part of his economic policies.A day earlier the Court of International Trade ruled that an emergency law invoked by Trump did not give the president unilateral authority to impose tariffs on nearly every one of the world’s countries.The New York-based court said the US Constitution gave Congress exclusive powers to regulate commerce with other nations, and that this was not superseded…

Bernd Debusmann JrBBC News, White HouseA chainsaw, two hats and Lil X: Musk’s eventful time at DogeElon Musk’s time in the Trump administration is coming to an end after a tempestuous 129 days in which the world’s richest man took an axe to government spending – stirring ample controversy along the way. Earlier this week, the South African-born billionaire, on his social media platform, X, thanked President Trump for his time at the Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge. Trump announced he will host a news conference in the Oval Office on Friday with Musk, writing: “This will be his…

BBCThousands of people have gathered in Denbighshire for the funeral of The Alarm singer Mike PetersThousands of fans have gathered for the funeral of The Alarm’s Mike Peters.The musician and charity fundraiser died last month aged 66 after living with cancer for 30 years, following his diagnosis of lymphoma in 1995 and later having chronic lymphocytic leukaemia twice.The service featured performances from musicians including Billy Duffy of The Cult, and was held in Peters’ home village of Dyserth near Prestatyn, Denbighshire.His widow Jules said the funeral had been planned to be “rock and roll, like a festival” – and the…

Mark NormanBBC South East Health CorrespondentNHS SussexCatherine, 57, said a blood test last October “revealed she was at high risk”A woman from Brighton has said taking part in an NHS programme has helped her avoid developing type 2 diabetes.Catherine, 57, said a blood test last October “revealed she was at high risk”, prompting her to take action for the sake of her health – and her four-year-old grandson.She was referred to the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, which is being promoted across Sussex.Dr Binodh Chathanath Bhaskaran, clinical lead for diabetes at NHS Sussex, said: “With the right support at…

Imran Rahman-JonesBusiness reporterGetty ImagesThe number of vehicles manufactured in the UK fell sharply last month, as US tariffs and the timing of Easter hit production.The 59,203 vehicles made was the lowest April output for more than 70 years, with the exception of 2020, when production effectively stopped during the Covid lockdown.The Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said a wider change in the industry as it shifts from petrol cars to electric vehicles (EVs) had also temporarily reduced output.However, new trade deals with the US, EU and India may help boost upcoming production, the industry group said.The April figure…

Christal Hayes and Brandon DrenonBBC NewsWatch: Elon Musk says he is “disappointed” with Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”, in interview with CBS Sunday MorningElon Musk has said he is leaving the Trump administration after helping lead a tumultuous drive to shrink the size of US government that saw thousands of federal jobs axed.In a post on his social media platform X, the world’s richest man thanked Trump for the opportunity to help run the Department of Government Efficiency, known as Doge. The White House began “offboarding” Musk as a special government employee on Wednesday night, the BBC understands.His role was temporary…