Author: Eka Gerona

Huw ThomasBusiness Correspondent, BBC Wales•huwthomasBBCLaura Mallows, 33, sells body scrubs and beauty products via TikTokLaura Mallows knows she is a poster girl for TikTok’s live shopping business.”I make more in an hour going live, than a day spent in the shop,” she said.A boom in online sales prompted Ms Mallows’ decision to close her flagship beauty store in Cardiff, instead selling her company’s body scrubs and skincare through TikTok’s live shopping stream.But since the popularity of her products surged and hit the shelves in Superdrug and Boots, she is now pursuing her “dream” of opening a real-world shop once more.Selling…

Faarea MasudBBC Business reporterGetty ImagesCryptocurrency firm Bybit said hackers stole $1.5bn (£1.1bn) worth of digital currency in what could be the biggest crypto theft in history.The Dubai-based company’s founder told users that their funds were “safe” and that if would refund any of those affected.It said hackers stole from its Ethereum coin digital wallet. Ethereum is the second largest cryptocurrency by value after Bitcoin.Bybit’s founder Ben Zhou said the money could be covered by the firm or by a loan from partners. Bybit holds $20bn (£15bn) in assets.Bybit said the hackers exploited security features, then transferred the money to an…

Madeline Halpert and Nada TawfikReporting from courtWatch: Luigi Mangione arrives at court surrounded by securityA lawyer for Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has argued that the 26-year-old is not being granted the right to a fair trial.The comments came during a brief procedural hearing on Friday, which drew hundreds of supporters – some from as far as Kansas – chanting the defendant’s name and wearing shirts adorned with his face. Mr Mangione arrived in court with his hands and legs shackled, wearing a green sweater and a bulletproof vest. He has pleaded not guilty to the…

Getty ImagesApple is taking the unprecedented step of removing its highest level data security tool from customers in the UK, after the government demanded access to user data.Advanced Data Protection (ADP) means only account holders can view items such as photos or documents they have stored online through a process known as end-to-end encryption.But earlier this month the UK government asked for the right to see the data, which currently not even Apple can access.Apple did not comment at the time but has consistently opposed creating a “backdoor” in its encryption service, arguing that if it did so, it would…

US President Donald Trump’s remark that his country spent $21m to boost voter turnout in India’s elections has triggered a political slugfest in the country.He made the remark days after a team led by Elon Musk said it had cancelled the payout as part of its crackdown on a US agency providing foreign aid. India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called the payout an “external interference” and accused the opposition Congress party of seeking this intervention.The Congress denied the allegation, calling Trump’s claims “nonsensical”. The US has not provided any evidence to support its claim.Trump vowed to boost the US…

BBC Eye InvestigationsBBC World ServiceBBCAn Indian pharmaceutical company is manufacturing unlicensed, highly addictive opioids and exporting them illegally to West Africa where they are driving a major public health crisis in countries including Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote D’Ivoire, a BBC Eye investigation has revealed.Aveo Pharmaceuticals, based in Mumbai, makes a range of pills that go under different brand names and are packaged to look like legitimate medicines. But all contain the same harmful mix of ingredients: tapentadol, a powerful opioid, and carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant so addictive it’s banned in Europe.This combination of drugs is not licensed for use anywhere…

Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporterGetty ImagesThe closing credits of 2021’s No Time To Die, the most recent film in the 007 series, ended with a familiar message: “James Bond will return.”But for the last few years, fans haven’t been so sure. A year after the release of Daniel Craig’s final film in the franchise, Amazon bought the series’ parent company MGM. Since then, very little has happened. That finally changed on Thursday, when Amazon announced a new deal that would see long-term Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson step back, and Jeff Bezos’s company take full creative control.In the intervening…

Adrienne MurrayAmerican demand for weight-loss drugs is supercharging Denmark’s economy and transforming a small Danish community into an unlikely boomtown.Look back only two years ago and the name of Danish firm Novo Nordisk would hardly ring a bell. But now, soaring sales of two blockbuster drugs, the anti-obesity and diabetes treatments Wegovy and Ozempic, have turned this pharmaceutical giant into one of Europe’s most valuable companies.It has also given Denmark’s economy a huge boost, making it one of the region’s fastest-growing. From new job creation to lower mortgage rates, the ripple effects of skyrocketing drug demand have been felt across…

The US President Donald Trump has said he is not happy with Boeing over a contract to build two new Air Force One planes that is running behind schedule.Speaking on board one of the 35-year-old presidential planes that are currently in use, Trump also said he is looking for alternatives because it is taking Boeing too long to build the planes.The contract for two updated versions of the presidential plane based on the modern Boeing 747-8 were negotiated during Trump’s first term in office.Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BBC News. “No, I’m not happy…

Apple has announced a new iPhone which brings artificial intelligence (AI) features at a lower cost than its flagship handsets.The iPhone 16e has the same processor as the larger iPhone 16, Apple said, with similar storage options, though a lower spec elsewhere, including fewer cameras.Apple has been struggling to find a new product that excites consumers – sales of iPhones dropped at the end of last year.It will be hoping that bringing enhanced AI functionality to a less expensive phone will address that – however analysts have been cautious about the sales boost such tools bring.Its name is clearly a…