Author: BBC

BBCWe are now in the era of weight-loss drugs.Decisions on how these drugs will be used look likely to shape our future health and even what our society might look like.And, as researchers are finding, they are already toppling the belief that obesity is simply a moral failing of the weak-willed.Weight-loss drugs are already at the heart of the national debate. This week, the new Labour government suggested they could be a tool to help obese people in England off benefits and back into work.That announcement – and the reaction to it – has held a mirror up to our…

Getty ImagesNiall Horan (right) said “the bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime”Liam Payne’s former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan has said he is “absolutely devastated” by the “passing of his amazing friend”.Payne died on Wednesday evening in Buenos Aires and had flown in to Argentina to see Horan perform on tour.”It just doesn’t feel real,” Horan wrote.”I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”In the statement, posted on Instagram, Horan said:…

Getty ImagesThe Treasury has given its clearest indication yet it will change its self-imposed debt rule in order to borrow billions to fund a new infrastructure projects.Independent checks on spending for major building work will be introduced to allow the government to borrow for investment “more efficiently”, the Treasury Chief Secretary, Darren Jones, has said.He claimed that the safeguards on spending will aim to avoid a repeat of the financial turmoil which followed the 2022 mini-Budget under former Prime Minister Liz Truss.New watchdogs will oversee a 10-year strategy for a pipeline of major projects, on areas such as buildings, roads…

NetflixBaby Reindeer, created by and starring Richard Gadd, has been a big hit for Netflix Netflix is starting to raise prices in some countries as growth spurred by its crackdown on password sharing starts to fade. The film and TV streaming giant said it had already lifted subscription fees in Japan and parts of Europe as well as the Middle East and Africa over the last month.Changes in Italy and Spain are now being rolled-out.In its latest results, Netflix announced that it had added 5.1 million subscribers between July and September – ahead of forecasts but the smallest gain in…

Jeannie AmbroseJeannie Ambrose, one of about 1,000 affected patients, says Enhertu should be made available on the NHSMore than a thousand patients with advanced breast cancer are being denied a drug that can keep them alive for longer. It is already available in 19 countries in Europe – including in Scotland – but not in the rest of the UK.Jeannie Ambrose is warm and funny. But beneath the surface, she is raging.She was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2019, when it had already spread to her spine, pelvis, collarbone and ribs.She was told she had three to five years…

Watch: Moments from Liam Payne’s careerLiam Payne, the former One Direction star, has died aged 31 in Argentina after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, police say.In a statement, police said they discovered Payne’s body after an emergency crew responded to an call in the upscale neighbourhood of Palermo on Wednesday. On Thursday, police inspected the area where Payne fell, and found items including alcohol and a phone. Medication was found in his room.Payne had risen to global fame as part of the much-loved boyband created on the X Factor TV show in 2010, along…

BBCLiam Payne arriving at BBC Music Awards 2015The family of former One Direction star Liam Payne have said they are “heartbroken” as they paid tribute to a “kind, funny and brave soul”, after his death aged 31.”We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.” The pop star, who found fame on The X Factor in 2010, died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, police say.Liam was one of five members of One Direction, along with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan…

Several cabinet ministers have written to the prime minister and the Treasury to complain about dramatic cuts which would see spending slashed in some government departments.The Chancellor is expected to raise taxes in the Budget at the end of this month.But spending cuts will also be required to plug what Whitehall sources have suggested is a £40bn funding gap without further borrowing.The Chancellor was due to submit a final outline of her planned measures to the official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility, on Wednesday.There has been considerable Cabinet disquiet about the spending cuts required to meet the Treasury’s proposed…

Social media companies will face punishments for failing to keep children safe on their platforms, communications watchdog Ofcom has warned.Services like Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp could face fines from the regulator if they do not comply with the new Online Safety Act – which comes into force early next year – Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes, told the BBC.Dame Melanie said it was the responsibility of the firms – not parents or children – to make sure people were safe online.Companies will have three months from when the guidance is finalised to carry out risk assessments and make relevant…

Hilary NichollsClarissa Nicholls collapsed and died while hiking in FranceStudents at the University of Cambridge have been offered heart screenings after a 20-year-old undergraduate suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.Clarissa Nicholls collapsed and died from an undiagnosed arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) while hiking in France in May 2023.Miss Nicholls’ friends have begun Clarissa’s Campaign for Cambridge Hearts and have raised more than £55,000 to pay for heart screenings through electrocardiograms (ECGs) for hundreds of students.Hilary Nicholls told the BBC that her daughter would have been “very proud”.Robbie Kalus/BBCHilary Nicholls (left) and Jess Reeve – co-founder of Clarissa’s CampaignMiss Nicholls was studying French…