Author: BBC

Getty ImagesMen taking sodium valproate are being warned to use contraception while on the medicine, because of a “potential small increased risk” of autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions for any children conceived. They should continue to do so – and cannot donate sperm – until three months after they have stopped taking the drug.Sodium valproate, prescribed under brand names including Epilim, Belvo, Convulex and Depakote, is an effective treatment for epilepsy and bipolar disorder.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which issued the warning, stressed patients must speak to their doctors before making any changes to their medicines. ‘Safety…

The Japanese owner of convenience store chain 7-Eleven has rejected a $38bn (£29.2bn) takeover bid from Canadian rival Alimentation Couche-Tard.In a letter addressed to the prospective buyer, Seven & i Holdings said the Circle K owner’s offer “grossly” undervalued the company and was fraught with regulatory risk.The 7-Eleven owner added, however, that it remains open to negotiations and ready to consider a better proposal.If successful the buyout would create a 100,000-strong global convenience store giant.Stephen Dacus, the chair of the Seven & i board considering the deal, said in a letter that the proposal was “opportunistically timed”.The proposal, Mr Dacus…

AlamyRebecca Cheptegei, pictured running last year, came 44th in the marathon at the Paris OlympicsOlympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend.The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, had suffered extensive burns after Sunday’s attack.The authorities in north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained, said she was targeted after returning home from church with her two daughters.Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said that he had lost a “very supportive” daughter. Fellow Ugandan athlete James Kirwa told the BBC about her generosity and how she…

Indecent assault charges in the UK against disgraced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein have been discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).The CPS said it had made the decision after reviewing the evidence in the case and concluding “there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction”.Weinstein, 72, was charged in 2022 with two counts of indecent assault against a woman in London for alleged offences in 1996.The alleged victim is a woman who is now in her 50s, the Metropolitan Police said at the time.Frank Ferguson, head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division at the CPS, said it…

Getty ImagesIn groups people screen out chatter around them – and now technology can do the sameIt’s the perennial “cocktail party problem” – standing in a room full of people, drink in hand, trying to hear what your fellow guest is saying.In fact, human beings are remarkably adept at holding a conversation with one person while filtering out competing voices.However, perhaps surprisingly, it’s a skill that technology has until recently been unable to replicate.And that matters when it comes to using audio evidence in court cases. Voices in the background can make it hard to be certain who’s speaking and…

A hospice has announced it needs to save £1.5m and cut 40 jobs in order to secure its future.The chief executive of St Catherine’s Hospice, which operates in West Sussex and Surrey, said funding of the sector needed an urgent root and branch review. Giles Tomsett said the government’s contribution covered 23% of running costs and that over 10 years it had not kept up with inflation. The Department of Health said the new government had inherited huge challenges but ministers were “determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals” into the community.Mr Tomsett said increases in the cost of…

Car company Volvo has abandoned its target to produce only fully electric cars by 2030, saying it now expects to be selling some hybrid vehicles by that date.The carmaker blamed changing market conditions for its decision to give up a target it had announced only three years ago.It comes as the industry faces a slowdown in demand in some major markets for electric vehicles (EVs) and uncertainty due to the imposition of trade tariffs on EVs made in China.Volvo, which has traditionally flaunted its environmental credentials, joins other major carmakers General Motors and Ford in rowing back on EV ambitions.Volvo…

Jimmy McCain, son of the late Republican Senator John McCain, is endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris following controversy around Donald Trump’s recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery. He called Trump’s visit last week to the military burial site “a violation”. The Army has accused a Trump staffer of pushing aside an Arlington employee as they tried to warn his team about rules against filming in the cemetery.The Trump campaign says it received permission from families of fallen service members to film video during an event to honour US soldiers killed during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.”Show respect and leave.…

EPADaniel Craig launched his new film Queer at the Venice Film Festival on TuesdayDaniel Craig is one of several Hollywood figures whose awards-tipped films will be shown as part of this year’s London Film Festival, organisers have announced.Other actors whose latest work is being screened include Angelina Jolie, Zoe Saldaña, and Amy Adams.Craig’s movie Queer, which will have its British premiere at the annual event, is based on the 1985 novel by William Burroughs, and follows a man exploring the American expatriate community in 1950s Mexico.Craig’s performance in particular has received strong praise in many reviews, following its world premiere…

UK shares dropped on Wednesday morning following falls in Asian and US markets as concerns grow about the world’s largest economy.Data showed US manufacturing activity remains subdued, with investors now focussed now on US jobs figures due on Friday.American chip giant Nvidia was hit particularly hard, slumping by almost 10% as optimism about the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) dampened.Despite the sharp fall, Nvidia’s shares are still worth double their value a year ago.The FTSE 100 index, which comprises the largest companies on the London Stock Exchange, dropped 0.76% in early trading, with major European indexes also down.Market watchers are…