Author: BBC

Getty ImagesGonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial STI in the UK (chlamydia is the most common)The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is warning about a small but significant rise in cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea. Most cases of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) can be treated quickly, but there’s growing concern over strains that can’t be dealt with so easily.Between June 2022 and May 2024, scientists working at the UKHSA identified 15 cases in England that were resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone, the first option drug used to treat the condition in the UK.That compares to just nine cases that…

People in Botswana have reacted with outrage on social media after the government asked citizens to donate money to reward the country’s historic gold-medal winning Olympic team. The fund would be a way for citizens to honour the athletes by “contributing rewards to our champions”, said the government in a statement on Monday.Letsile Tebogo brought glory to Botswana after he became the first African athlete to win the men’s 200m at the Olympics, bringing home the country’s first ever gold medal. But the government’s request for donations has halted celebrations for some, who question why their taxes aren’t being used…

Charlotte RainvilleShawn Mendes plays an intimate show at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Tuesday 13 AugustShawn Mendes made an emotional return to the stage in London on Tuesday, two years after scrapping a world tour to focus on his mental health.The pop star played an intimate show at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, previewing his new album to a room full of dedicated fans.The show was punctuated by screams of “we love you, Shawn”, as he talked at length about the struggles he’d faced in the last two years.The 26-year-old recalled cancelling his 2022 tour after just…

The train drivers’ union and the government are hopeful a deal can be struck to bring an end the long-running strike action, the BBC understands, as talks over pay take place on Wednesday.The meeting between representatives from Aslef and the Department for Transport will aim to resolve the pay dispute between drivers and train companies in England.A breakthrough would herald the end of industrial action which has spanned more than two years and saw drivers stage 18 strikes and take part in several overtime bans, leading to cancelled services.Under the new Labour government, senior officials began direct pay talks with…

Chinese car maker Zeekr says its new electric vehicle (EV) batteries charge faster than any of its rivals, including industry leaders Tesla and BYD.The firm claims its upgraded batteries can be charged from 10% to 80% capacity in 10 and a half minutes using its ultra-fast charging stations.In comparison, Elon Musk’s Tesla says a 15 minute charge allows its Model 3 to cover 175 miles (282km), a little under half the car’s full range.Zeekr’s 2025 007 sedan, which will be available from next week, will be its first vehicle to have the new battery.The battery performs well even in cold…

Matt McBriarMatt McBriar said the surgery had gone wellMatt McBriar, one half of dance music duo Bicep, has announced he is receiving treatment for a “large and pretty rare” brain tumour.The Belfast-born producer posted about his condition on his Instagram account.He said a non-cancerous tumour had been found on his pituitary gland in his brain.He said he had surgery on 9 August, that it had gone well and he was recovering in hospital.Getty ImagesMcBriar with the other half of Bicep, Andrew Ferguson, at the 2021 Brit Awards”Towards the end of 2023, I got some intense localised headaches matched with a…

Mpox, the high infectious disease that used to be called monkeypox, has been declared a public health emergency in Africa by the continent’s top health body.Scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) say they are alarmed by the speed at which a new strand of mpox has been spreading.Since the beginning of the year, more than 13,700 cases and 450 deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo.The virus, which can cause lesions across the whole body, has spread to other African countries, including Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR) Kenya and Rwanda.The…

ReutersSinger Sabrina Carpenter, pictured in June, has six nominations at the VMAsMTV has delayed its annual Video Music Awards (VMAs) by a day to avoid clashing with the US presidential debate. Former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris agreed last week to face each other in a televised debate on 10 September.The VMAs had already been scheduled for that date, but broadcaster MTV has announced the ceremony will now take place the following night.If both events had gone ahead on the same evening, it would almost certainly have damaged viewing figures for both events, but particularly the VMAs.Interest…

Getty ImagesThe UK’s unemployment rate has fallen slightly, official figures suggest. Unemployment was 4.2% in the three months to the end of June, down from 4.4% over the previous quarter.Meanwhile, wage growth continued to slow, rising at an annual rate of 5.4% – the weakest for around two years, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested.Its director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown told the BBC’s Today programme despite the positive news that unemployment had fallen, there were signs that the jobs market was “cooling” due to high numbers of vacancies, redundancies and those not actively seeking work.’More to…

Phool dev ShahniPhool dev Shahni makes a living harvesting makhana or lotus seedsLike his father and grandfather before him, Phool dev Shahni once made a living by diving to the bottom of 8ft-deep (2.4m), muddy ponds.”I used to dive in 7 to 8ft of water for hours a day – coming to the surface to breathe after 8 to ten minutes,” explains Mr Shahni.While down in those murky depths he was harvesting the seeds of a type of water lily called euryale ferox.Known as makhanas, fox nuts or lotus seeds, they are prized for their nutritional value, being high in…