Author: BBC

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, is “actively reviewing” banning or restricting the private prescription of cross-sex hormones to young people, according to evidence given to the High Court.Government lawyers say an expert panel will report in July on the use of this type of medication by under 18s wishing to change their gender. An application by campaigners for a full judicial review of the secretary of state’s handling of the issue was rejected on Wednesday afternoon.Dismissing the application, Lady Justice Whipple said “the case had moved on substantially” as a result of the government setting up a review in April.The case…

Nike is set to raise prices on some trainers and clothing from 1 June, weeks after rival Adidas warned it would have to hike the cost of products due to US tariffs.The BBC understands Nike’s decision was taken due to a number of internal and external factors and the sportswear giant said it regularly made “price adjustments”. While it did not name US tariffs explicitly as a reason for the increase, almost all of Nike’s goods are made in Asia – a region targeted by President Donald Trump’s tariffs.The US has paused higher so-called “reciprocal” tariffs until July, but a…

The Marks & Spencer website is back online after leaving users unable to browse for several hours.Customers have been unable to make online orders for weeks as the retailer deals with the aftermath of a cyber-attack, but on Wednesday evening the website went down completely.A message read: “Sorry you can’t browse the site currently. We’re making some updates and will be back soon.” However, just after 07:00 on Thursday morning, the company confirmed that the website was open for browsing again after making some overnight updates.Following the cyber attack, M&S said some personal customer data had been stolen, which could…

Ian YoungsCulture reporterGetty ImagesChris Brown has had hits with tracks like Freaky Friday and Turn Up the MusicUS singer Chris Brown has been freed on bail by a court in London after being charged with inflicting an “unprovoked attack” in a nightclub in 2023.The Grammy-winning star, who has not yet been asked to enter a plea in the case, is able to begin his world tour next month as planned as part of his bail conditions.He was arrested last week and later charged with grievous bodily harm over an incident in which he allegedly attacked a music producer with a…

Andrew Rogers & James GallagherBBC NewsBBCCampaigner Max says he will definitely be getting the new vaccine England will be the first country in the world to start vaccinating people against the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea.It will not be available for everyone. The focus will mainly be on gay and bisexual men with a history of multiple sexual partners or an STI.The vaccine is 30-40% effective, but NHS England hopes it will reverse soaring numbers of infections.There were more than 85,000 cases in 2023 – the highest since records began in 1918.Gonorrhoea does not always have symptoms, but they can include…

Charlotte EdwardsBusiness reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesA rise in the cost of household bills has pushed UK inflation to its highest rate in more than a year.Inflation was 3.5% in April, up from 2.6% in March, according to official data.Water, gas and electricity prices all went up on 1 April along with a host of other bills, pushing inflation further above the Bank of England’s target of 2%.The largest upward contributors to the rise were from “housing and household services, transport, and recreation and culture,” the Office for National Statistics said.April’s rate of inflation is higher than economists had predicted.The pace…

Jennifer Lopez is being sued for posting photos of herself at a Hollywood party, with the photographer and a paparazzi agency saying she failed to get permission to use them.The singer and actress shared pictures on social media of herself arriving at the Amazon MGM Studios and Vanity Fair Party in Los Angeles the night before this year’s Golden Globes in January.Photographer Edwin Blanco and Backgrid, the agency he was working for, have each filed lawsuits saying they own the copyright to two photos.The pictures were used “to promote Ms Lopez’s public appearances, boost user engagement, increase shareability, and lend…

Meryl Sebastian, BBC News, KochiGetty ImagesSeveral parts of the city have received over 100mm of rain which authorities say is rareParts of the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, often called India’s Silicon Valley are under water after heavy rainfall. The city is on high alert for more pre-monsoon showers on Tuesday due to cyclonic formations over the Andaman Sea, according to authorities. Three people, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed in rain-related incidents on Monday.Bengaluru is home to major global technology companies, many of whom have asked their employees to work from home due to flooded roads. Getty ImagesLarge parts…

Molly Brewer & Lauren HirstBBC News, ManchesterBBCRoya Rasouli has made it her mission to help othersA woman who struggled with undiagnosed endometriosis for 10 years has urged fellow sufferers not to suppress their health needs in the workplace.Fashion designer Roya Rasouli, 27, made a promise to herself on her hospital bed to share her story after finally being given a diagnosis for the condition in 2019.She said she vowed to speak up as part of her personal mission to help others, calling for better workplace support.”It feels heartbreaking that women are left to go and deal with it behind closed…

Tom EspinerBBC business reporterGetty ImagesA distributor to the UK’s major supermarkets has said it is being held to ransom by cyber hackers.Logistics firm Peter Green Chilled said it supplies supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Aldi, but it is relatively small compared with larger UK food distributors.It told BBC’s Wake Up to Money clients were “receiving regular updates” including “workarounds” on how to continue deliveries while one of its customers said thousands of their products could go to waste.Recent major cyber-attacks on Marks & Spencer and Co-op were larger, but the attack highlights the challenges smaller logistics firms face, an industry…