Author: BBC

A new drug that slows the pace of Alzheimer’s disease is too expensive for too little benefit to be used on the NHS, the drugs spending watchdog says. Donanemab was hailed as a turning point in the disease last year. But the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said it provided only a small benefit to patients. And came with huge costs including the price of the drug and monitoring for significant side-effects including brain swelling. People do not get better on donanemab. It is not a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but it slows the progression of the…

Getty ImagesWater regulator Ofwat could be abolished as a new independent commission prepares to launch the largest review of the industry since privatisation in the 1980s.The Independent Water Commission will be chaired by former deputy governor of the Bank of England Sir Jon Cunliffe and will report by the middle of next year.Fury has mounted in recent years over the UK’s polluted waterways and crumbling infrastructure, which is struggling to cope with the challenges of a rising population and climate change.Environment Secretary Steve Reed told the BBC “the water sector is failing” and said he had asked the commission to…

A communications satellite designed and built by embattled aerospace giant Boeing has broken up in orbit.The satellite’s operator, Intelsat, has confirmed the “total loss” of iS-33e, which has affected customers in Europe, Africa and parts of the Asia-Pacific region. Intelsat also says it has taken steps to complete “a comprehensive analysis” of the incident. Boeing has been facing crises on multiple fronts, with a strike at its commercial plane business and issues with its Starliner spacecraft.”We are coordinating with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing, and government agencies to analyse data and observations,” Intelsat said.Boeing did not comment directly on the incident,…

Dyson MediaFilming took place on canal paths in the Gas Street Basin area on Monday eveningHe had us glued to our TV screens for six series. And now Tommy Shelby’s silver screen debut is well on the way – with Birmingham taking centre stage.Parts of the city centre became film sets on Monday for scenes being shot for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie.The hugely successful TV show, which ran from 2013 to 2022, starred Oscar winner Cillian Murphy and followed a Birmingham crime gang in the years after World War One.The show’s creator Steven Knight, from Birmingham, is also at…

The former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) and his British partner have been arrested and are facing sex trafficking charges.Mike Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith and the couple’s alleged middleman were arrested on Tuesday morning.The FBI and prosecutor’s office are expected to announce more details at a press conference shortly.Lawyers for Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith have both previously denied any wrongdoing by both men. Responding to the latest news, Mr Jeffries’ lawyer told the BBC: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so…

Andrea Byrne says infertility made her feel guiltyNews presenter Andrea Byrne has said she feared her husband would be “better off” without her during the couple’s seven-year experience of infertility.Byrne, 45, who is married to former Wales rugby international Lee Byrne, 44, has presented Welsh and network news for ITV since 2008.”You feel so guilty,” recalled Byrne, who was told by doctors that she would likely never be able to carry her own pregnancy.”I remember those feelings all the time of thinking [Lee] would be better off without me.”The couple gave birth to their daughter Jemima, who “defied science” by…

Getty ImagesGovernment borrowing rose last month, marking the third-highest September since records began in January 1993.Official figures show that borrowing – the difference between spending and tax take – reached £16.6bn, continuing a trend of overshooting official forecasts.The numbers present a challenge for the Treasury at the Budget next week as it has decided it will not borrow to fund day-to-day spending.It is, however, expected to change its self-imposed debt rules to give it more leeway on investment, meaning it could spend more on longer-term projects. Chief Treasury Secretary Darren Jones claimed the new Labour government had inherited a fiscal…

Tesla / YouTubeAn image shown during Tesla’s We, Robot eventThe maker of the film Blade Runner 2049 has sued Tesla, Elon Musk and Warner Bros Discovery, alleging they used imagery from the movie without permission.Production firm Alcon Entertainment claims it had specifically denied a request from Warner Bros to use material from the film at the launch event for Tesla’s long-awaited robotaxi.Alcon alleges that despite its refusal Tesla and the other organisers of the event on 10 October used artificial intelligence (AI) to create promotional imagery based on the film.Tesla and Warner Bros did not immediately reply to requests for…

Paul Di’Anno, the original singer for heavy metal band Iron Maiden, has died at the age of 66.Born Paul Andrews, the musician featured on the band’s first two albums, Iron Maiden and Killers, establishing them as a crucial part of the new wave of British heavy metal.He left the band in 1981 and was replaced by Bruce Dickinson. Di’Anno later admitted he had been partying “non-stop, 24 hours a day” and that the impact of his lifestyle “wasn’t fair to the band, the fans or to myself”.However, he had a long and eventful recording career with groups such as Battlezone…

South Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador, seeking the “immediate withdrawal” of North Korean troops which it says are being trained to fight in Ukraine.About 1,500 North Korean soldiers, including those from the special forces, have already arrived in Russia, according to Seoul’s spy agency.In a meeting with the ambassador Georgiy Zinoviev, South Korea’s vice-foreign minister Kim Hong-kyun denounced the move and warned that Seoul will “respond with all measures available”.Mr Zinoviev said he would relay the concerns, but stressed that the cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is “within the framework of international law”.It is unclear what cooperation he was…