Author: BBC

Getty ImagesIdris Elba is one of the producers of Shifters Luther actor Idris Elba told the BBC he knows what heartbreak feels like as he spoke at the opening of a new play he is promoting.Shifters, starring Heather Agyepong and Tosin Cole, tells the story of Des and Dre, two young black people who meet again after years apart.The drama of first love is described by The Guardian in a four star review as having “giddy kisses, real heart and soul” while also showing the “everyday tragedy of long-lost first loves”.Speaking after the show at London’s Duke of York theatre,…

Getty ImagesThe first drug to slow the progression of early stage Alzheimer’s won’t be available on the NHS because health assessment body NICE says the benefits “are too small to justify the costs”.Lecanemab has been licensed by the UK medicines regulator, the MHRA, which means it can be prescribed privately.In trials, the drug was shown to slow cognitive decline by about a quarter in patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s over the course of 18 months. But in draft guidance, NICE said there was a significant cost to the treatment including intensive monitoring for side-effects and fortnightly trips to…

Getty ImagesNearly 20 million passengers travelled through the West Sussex airport in the first half of 2024Gatwick Airport said it is having one of its “busiest summers yet”, according to the latest passenger data.In the first half of 2024, 19.9 million passengers travelled through its two terminals, which is 7.7% more than the same period in 2023. The West Sussex airport hopes to double capacity by making use of its existing northern runway.Stewart Wingate, airport chief executive, said the “strong start” is thanks to “robust planning” and it has delivered a “reliable and enjoyable experience” for passengers.Mr Wingate said: “I…

2KOpening Night Live gave us a first glimpse at Borderlands 4If there’s one thing the world’s gaming studios need at the moment, it’s a little bit of hype.It has been a year with no major new console launches and where the industry has seen strikes and cuts with thousands of workers being laid off.The opening night of Gamescom is often an opportunity for a big shiny night to get fans all excited for the year ahead.Setting the stage for the next 12 months, here are the biggest things we found out from Europe’s biggest gaming show in Germany.A Borderlands sequelIn…

South Africa’s last zoo elephant has been released back into the wild after 40 years of captivity.The elephant, named Charlie, was captured in 1984 from Zimbabwe’s Hwange national park when he was two years old.He was taken to Boswell Wilkie Circus in South Africa and trained to perform tricks. In the early 2000s he was transferred to the country’s only national zoo.In recent years, animal welfare groups have pushed for the elephant to be freed due to concern for his health.On Tuesday, EMS Foundation, which advocates for the rights of wildlife, announced that after “a nail-biting four-hour trip to freedom”…

Getty ImagesSir Ken pictured with two of his trademark tickling sticksSir Ken Dodd’s joke books, tickling sticks and other artefacts are to be preserved in a new £15m centre dedicated to the late comedy legend in his home city of Liverpool.The Sir Ken Dodd Happiness Centre will provide a permanent home for his archive, as well as hosting comedy performances and events.The four-storey centre will be attached to the city’s Royal Court theatre, where Sir Ken regularly performed during his career. He died in 2018.The plans were submitted in November and were approved by Liverpool City Council last week.His widow…

Apian Ltd/PA WireThe drones travelled 68km (42 miles) over the Northumberland coastlineDrones can be safely used to deliver urgent blood stocks between hospitals, a new project suggests.Researchers from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) sent 10 identical blood packs from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Wansbeck Hospital to Alnwick Infirmary in Northumberland and back again.Half were transported by drones, the other five by road, and the researchers concluded drone delivery did not influence the blood’s quality or how long it lasted.Dr Gail Miflin, chief medical officer at NHSBT, said: “The results of this first trial are very promising, showing no compromise…

Getty ImagesThe rising cost of public services and benefits has driven government borrowing to higher levels than expected in July, official figures show.Borrowing, the difference between spending and tax income, hit £3.1bn last month, the highest level for July since 2021.The increase was £1.1bn higher than what most economists had predicted, leading to speculation about what tax and spending decisions the chancellor will announce at the autumn Budget.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also revealed the UK’s national debt remained at its highest level since the early 1960s.Jessica Barnaby, deputy director for public sector finances at the ONS, said income…

OpenAI and global magazine giant Condé Nast have announced a partnership to allow ChatGPT and its search engine SearchGPT to display content from Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ and other well known publications.The multi-year deal is the latest such agreement struck by OpenAI with major media firms.The content produced by media organisations is sought after by technology companies that use it to train their AI (Artificial Intelligence) models.Some media firms including the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune have resisted this and taken legal action to protect their content.OpenAI and Condé Nast did not disclose the financial terms of…

The bodies of six hostages being held by Hamas have been retrieved from an “underground tunnel route” inside the Gaza Strip, Israel’s military has said.A statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the bodies of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Chaim Peri and British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell were recovered from the Khan Younis area on Monday.Five of their deaths had already been announced by Israel, though it was thought Avraham Munder could still be alive.The overnight recovery operation was carried out by the IDF alongside the security agency Shin Bet.During the operation, the IDF said its forces…