Author: BBC

FAMILY HANDOUTDr Alicia Pylypczuk worked as an emergency doctor in Manchester but took her own life in February 2020 after battling depression triggered by alopeciaEarlier this year a new drug to treat severe alopecia – an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss – was given the green light for NHS use. Some are keen to try it, others aren’t – and some even think it could potentially be life-changing.Alicia Pylypczuk was a gregarious A&E doctor who took her own life after years of struggling with depression triggered by alopecia.It’s now been four years since her death and Alicia’s stepfather Alan…

A search-and-rescue operation has been launched in Russia’s far-east following the disappearance of a helicopter with 22 people on board, most of them tourists.The Mi-8T helicopter took off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula, the emergencies ministry said on Saturday. That area of the peninsula is a popular tourist destination, famous for its rich landscapes and active volcanoes.Officials say the helicopter disappeared from radar shortly after take off, adding that thick fog is hampering rescuers’ efforts.The helicopter, owned by Vityaz-Aero, was carrying out a trip to the volcano. Designed during the Soviet-era, the Mi-8 helicopter…

Tickets for the Oasis comeback tour gigs have gone on sale, after the band warned against reselling at inflated prices.Users trying to access the three websites selling the tickets for the UK dates – Ticketmaster, See Tickets and Gigsandtours – reported issues even before they went on sale at 09:00 BST.Within minutes of them going on sale, people in the queue for the London gigs at Wembley Stadium in July and August 2025 have seen more than one million people ahead of them.Others were put into what they described as a “queue for the queue” with all three ticket sellers…

PA MediaOasis have reformed 15 years after splitting up over a row between brothers Noel and Liam GallagherOasis have issued a warning against reselling tickets to their comeback tour, after some were listed for thousands of pounds within minutes of a pre-sale.A limited number of fans were able to buy the first batch of tickets during a three-hour window on Friday evening.Shortly after, tickets were being listed online for more than £6,000 – around 40 times the face value of a standing ticket.Oasis urged people not to resell tickets at higher prices on websites not linked to their promoter, and…

X, formerly Twitter, has been banned in Brazil after failing to meet a deadline set by a Supreme Court judge to name a new legal representative in the country.Alexandre de Moraes ordered the “immediate and complete suspension” of the social media platform until it complies with all court orders and pays existing fines.The row began in April, with the judge ordering the suspension of dozens of X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation.Reacting to the decision, X owner Elon Musk said: “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.”The social…

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…