Author: BBC

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…

Kevin PeacheyCost of living correspondentBBCPaul and Kate say the cost of buying a home is already tough to deal withHome buyers are scrambling to complete purchases by the end of the month or face paying thousands of pounds extra in stamp duty.First-time buyers in particular could be hit when stamp duty thresholds in England and Northern Ireland change on 1 April. One couple said they felt like they were “in a race, and our prize is £11,000”.Lenders say a significant swathe of the country will be drawn into paying the tax, but the government says it is helping more people…

Annabelle LiangBusiness reporterGetty ImagesUS prosecutors have charged 12 Chinese nationals for being part of an alleged hacking scheme, which sold data of US-based dissidents to the Chinese government.The “state-sponsored” operation also targeted government agencies including the Treasury, according to the Justice Department (DOJ).Hackers also allegedly targeted an American religious organisation, and a newspaper in Hong Kong, the statement added.China has not responded to these specific allegations, but have strongly denied other accusations in the past. In December, the Treasury Department reported a “major” breach by Chinese -sponsored hackers, saying they were able to access employee workstations and some unclassified documents.…

Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporterGetty ImagesLiam Payne, pictured with girlfriend Kate Cassidy in 2022, died last October after falling from a balconyLiam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy has said she finds it “really hard” to accept he’s gone, almost five months after his death.The One Direction singer died last October at the age of 31, after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.In an emotional interview on ITV’s Lorraine, Cassidy said she sometimes finds it “hard to get out of bed” and still refers to him in the present tense.”It’s hard for me to refer to him in the past tense, and when…