Author: BBC

Michelle RobertsDigital health editorGetty ImagesAn injection to prevent HIV is to be offered to patients on the NHS in England and Wales for the first time, bringing the policy in line with Scotland.The long-acting shot, given six times a year or every other month, is an alternative to taking daily pills to protect against the virus.Experts hope the cabotegravir (CAB-LA) injections will help meet the ambition of ending new HIV cases by 2030 in the UK. Meanwhile, early results for a different injection called lenacapavir suggest it may even be possible to move people on to an annual HIV prevention…

Plans for a groundbreaking rare earths refinery in East Yorkshire have been scrapped, after the company behind the project decided to seek investment in the US instead.Pensana has spent the past seven years developing a rare earths mine in Angola. The project, one of the largest of its kind in the world, will begin delivering raw materials in 2027.The firm had planned to build a refinery at the Saltend Chemicals Plant near Hull to process the materials into metals used to create powerful magnets.But Pensana said moves by China to keep rare earth prices low has made refining in the…

It’s known to be China’s biggest online shopping event – taking place on 11 November each year.But this year, Single’s Day sales have already begun in mid-October, as part of efforts by Chinese retailers to boost spending in a sluggish market.China has been plagued with issues like growing youth unemployment , a prolonged property crisis, steep government debt and an ongoing trade war with the US – all of which is making the country’s consumers cut back on spending.The Chinese government has been spending billions – through family subsidies, more wages and discounts for consumer goods in a bid to…

More than £13m has been given to a town’s trust to continue its work improving the health and wellbeing of local residents.The money from Luton Rising, the Luton Borough Council company that owns London Luton Airport, has been given to Active Luton to secure investment in leisure and library services until 2030. The council hoped the funding would “inspire participation in physical activity, and create learning and career opportunities”. It would “focus on reducing health inequalities, improving education, cutting crime and supporting sustainability,” the council added.Lawrence Kay, Active Luton’s chief executive officer, said the support had “played a vital role…

The chancellor should be “bold” in next month’s Budget or risk future spending cuts and tax rises, an influential think tank has said. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) is projecting Rachel Reeves will need to find £22bn to make up a shortfall in the government’s finances, and will “almost certainly” have to raise taxes. Finding this amount would allow the government to maintain the £10bn of headroom it has built into the system – but the IFS says there is a “strong case” for trying to increase it beyond this amount. IFS director Helen Miller said the lack of…

Georgina HayesBBC ScotlandGetty ImagesThe US is the location of most new data centres but the UK is expanding quicklyData centres powering artificial intelligence (AI) in Scotland are using enough tap water to fill 27 million half-litre bottles a year, according to data obtained by BBC News.AI systems such as the large language models (LLMs) that power OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini require warehouses full of specialist computers.The equipment is power-hungry, consuming large amounts of energy, but they also use tonnes of water in their cooling systems to stop the servers overheating.Freedom of Information data shows the volume of tap water…

Nikki FoxEast of England health correspondent andMatt PreceyBBC East InvestigationsFamily photoColin Flatt, who his partner described as having been a “strong, capable man” never recovered after falling over a hospital balcony on to a glass tableAn ex-footballer with dementia who died after falling from a height was “stripped of his dignity” while in NHS care, his family said.Colin Flatt, whose clubs included Leyton Orient and Cambridge United, was shuffled between 12 different settings in the final few months before he died after a fall at Basildon Hospital in September 2021.An investigation, commissioned by the NHS, found he was given unsafe…

Michael Sheils McNameebusiness reporter andJim ConnollyBBC News InvestigationsGetty ImagesVets should be forced to publish price lists so pet owners can see costs up front and shop around for the best deal, the competition watchdog has said.Owners are often unaware of prices or not given estimates for treatments that can run into thousands of pounds, its investigation into soaring vet costs found.Vet prices have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also found.Its proposals included making vets reveal if they are part of a large group, capping prescription fees and banning bonuses on offering…

Lauren Turner andOsmond ChiaReutersThe US government has seized more than $14bn (£10.5bn) in bitcoin and charged the founder of a Cambodian business empire, the Prince Group, with allegedly masterminding a massive cryptocurrency scam, which involved forced labour camps.UK and Cambodian national Chen Zhi was charged on Tuesday in New York for allegedly engaging in a wire-fraud conspiracy and money laundering scheme.Mr Chen’s businesses were also sanctioned by the US and the UK as part of a joint operation. The UK government says it has frozen assets owned by his network, including 19 properties in London – one of which is…

Sophie HutchinsonBBC health correspondent andStuart Woodwardat the Lampard InquiryBBCOxevision uses infrared sensors and cameras to monitor patients while they are in their bedroomsThe public inquiry into the deaths of at least 2,000 people under the care of mental health services heard “grave concerns” about the use of a digital patient monitoring system.The technology, called Oxevision, was used by half of England’s mental health trusts and uses infrared sensors and cameras to monitor patients alone in their rooms, sending alerts to staff when it detects signs of distress or abnormal activity.The Lampard Inquiry was told campaigners were concerned the technology had…