Author: BBC

A drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity could also slow down the process of ageing, researchers believe.Semaglutide, better known as Ozempic, “has far-reaching benefits beyond what we initially imagined,” Prof Harlan Krumholz, from the Yale School of Medicine, said following the publication of several new studies.They found that the drug could be used to treat a wide range of illnesses linked to heart failure, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and even cancer.”It wouldn’t surprise me that improving people’s health this way actually slows down the ageing process,” Prof Krumholz was quoted on Friday as telling the European Society of Cardiology…

Mongolian officials “have the obligation” to arrest Vladimir Putin if he visits the country next week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has said.The trip, expected to happen on Tuesday, will be the first time the Russian leader has visited an ICC member nation since the court ordered his arrest in March 2023. The court alleges Mr Putin is responsible for war crimes, saying he failed to stop the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since the conflict began.Despite officials in Ukraine demanding that Mongolia arrest Mr Putin once he arrives in the country, the Kremlin said it had…

BBC/Sisi BurnRhiannon May (centre) plays Ludwig van Beethoven in the British Sign Language performance at the BBC PromsConversations between Ludwig van Beethoven and his friends are being used for a British Sign Language exploration of his Ninth Symphony, 200 years on from its premiere.Ludwig van Beethoven debuted his Ninth Symphony, widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of Western classical music, in 1824 as he was losing his hearing.To celebrate 200 years since its debut, actors at this year’s BBC Proms performed a British Sign Language (BSL) exploration of the piece, followed by the Aurora Orchestra playing the symphony from…

Full-time workers could be given the right to ask their employers to work a four-day week under government plans to increase flexible working.Employees would still have to work their full hours to receive their full pay but could request to compress their contracted hours into a shorter working week, according to plans first reported by the Daily Telegraph. Conservative shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake claimed businesses were “petrified” about the plans. However, ministers insist they will not impose the change on staff or businesses.”Any changes to employment legislation will be consulted on, working in partnership with business,” said a spokesperson…

X, formerly known as Twitter, has said it expects to be blocked in Brazil after failing to meet a deadline to name a new legal representative for the company.The social media network closed its office in the country earlier this month, saying its representative had been threatened with arrest if she did not comply with orders it described as “censorship”.The months-long row began with Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes in April ordering the suspension of dozens of X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation.X owner Elon Musk has threatened to reactivate the accounts, and has described Justice Moraes as a…

Michael KeohanCraig Mackinlay said the limbs he paid for privately made him feel “whole again”Former MP Craig Mackinlay, who lost his hands and feet after a life-threatening episode of sepsis, has urged the government to end what he says is a “postcode lottery” for amputee care.Speaking as the Paralympics gets under way in Paris, Lord Mackinlay said he wanted to use the focus on the games to push the government to do more for people who lose limbs.The former MP for South Thanet warned that NHS prosthetics currently on offer could leave people “in a pit of despair” while the…

Getty ImagesThree people are still missing after a landslide in Aichi prefectureMore than five million people in Japan have been told to evacuate their homes after the country was hit by one of its strongest typhoons in decades.At least four people have been killed and more than 80 injured after Typhoon Shanshan made landfall in the country’s south-west. Hundreds of thousands of people have been left without power.The typhoon has now weakened to a severe tropical storm and is making its way north-east, bringing torrential rain and severe disruption to transport services.Most of the evacuation orders are in place for…

Simon EmmettThe scramble is set to begin for tickets for the long-awaited Oasis reunion, with the band adding three new tour dates due to “unprecedented demand”.The new shows are on 16 July in Manchester, 30 July in London and 12 August in Edinburgh.Yet more dates could be added when the pre-sale opens on Friday, and when the general sale starts on Saturday.A ballot for access to pre-sale tickets closed on Wednesday evening.Fans are now awaiting details of UK ticket prices. The band’s Irish promoter has said their two Dublin shows will start at €86.50 (£72.80), not including booking fees.Here’s everything…

PA MediaEnvironmental campaigners have welcomed the government’s decisionThe UK government will not fight a legal challenge against the decision to grant consent to drill in untapped oil fields off Shetland and Aberdeen. Greenpeace and Uplift jointly brought judicial reviews in an attempt to stop the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.It comes after the Supreme Court ruled that a UK council should have considered the climate impact of new oil wells – setting a precedent for all regulators.The government’s decision does not mean the licences for Jackdaw and Rosebank have been withdrawn.But if the judicial review backs the environmental…

Telegram boss and founder Pavel Durov has been placed under formal investigation in France as part of a probe into organised crime on the messaging app, Paris prosecutors say.Mr Durov, 39, has not been remanded in custody, but placed under judicial supervision, and has to pay a €5m (£4.2m; $5.6m) deposit.The Russian-born billionaire, who is also a French national, also has to show up at a French police station twice a week and is not allowed to leave French territory.Mr Durov was first detained upon arrival at Le Bourget airport north of Paris last Saturday under a warrant for offences…