Author: Andrew Rogers

The top legal adviser to the European Court of Justice has said the European Commission should not have unfrozen billions of euros for Hungary. Advocate general Tamara Ćapeta argued that Hungary failed to fully implement the judicial reforms required to unlock about €10bn in EU funds. The commission had suspended payments in 2022 over concerns about corruption and rule-of-law breaches under prime minister Viktor Orbán. In 2023, it concluded reforms were sufficient and lifted the suspension. The European Parliament challenged that decision, claiming serious errors and suggesting political motives linked to EU support for Ukraine. Ćapeta said the commission did…

Aerobic exercise such as running, swimming and dancing can act as a frontline treatment for mild depression and anxiety, researchers say. A large review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that physical activity significantly reduced symptoms, especially in young adults and new mothers. Scientists analysed 63 reviews covering nearly 80,000 people. Aerobic activities that raised the heart rate produced the strongest improvements in depression. Resistance training and yoga also helped, though to a lesser extent. Group and supervised exercise delivered extra benefits, suggesting social interaction plays an important role. Lead researcher Neil Munro of James Cook University…

Traditional Nepali foods could help reverse a growing type 2 diabetes epidemic, researchers say.Doctors point to lentils and rice replacing western junk foods as a low-cost solution. Around one in five Nepalis over 40 lives with type 2 diabetes.Medication often remains unaffordable, worsening health and economic hardship. A pilot study in Kathmandu placed patients on a calorie-controlled traditional diet.Forty-three percent achieved remission within months. A wider community trial shows similar results, with modest weight loss.Researchers say Asian populations need less weight loss to reverse diabetes. The project is led by the University of Glasgow with Dhulikhel Hospital.It uses local foods…

Drinking a couple of teas or coffees a day may lower the risk of dementia and slightly slow cognitive decline, scientists say. A large US study found that people who regularly drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of caffeinated tea had a 15–20% lower risk of dementia over four decades than those who avoided the drinks. The research analysed health data from more than 130,000 participants and was published in Journal of the American Medical Association. Caffeinated coffee drinkers also showed marginally better performance on some cognitive tests than those who drank decaf,…

BP faces renewed pressure from shareholders as it prepares to publish full-year results expected to show weaker profits. Analysts forecast earnings of about $7.5bn, down from nearly $9bn in 2024, after falling oil prices dragged crude below $60 a barrel late last year. Investors want reassurance that BP can move beyond years of strategic turbulence, especially after its recent shift back toward fossil fuels. Incoming chief executive Meg O’Neill will face demands to outline a clear long-term strategy. Activist investors, including the group Follow This, want BP to explain how it will create value as global demand for oil and…

Researchers say a menstrual blood test could offer a convenient alternative to cervical screening.A sanitary pad with a sample strip can detect HPV, the virus causing most cervical cancers. Women could use the test at home without invasive procedures.Researchers published the findings in BMJ. The study involved more than 3,000 women in Hubei, China.Researchers compared menstrual blood samples with clinician-collected cervical samples. The pad-based test detected serious cervical abnormalities with 94.7% sensitivity.This result matched the accuracy of clinician-collected samples. Specificity was slightly lower, but negative results were equally reliable.Referral rates for follow-up testing were also similar. Researchers said the test…

A major review published in The Lancet finds that most statin side-effects listed on labels are not caused by the drugs. Researchers analysed 19 randomised trials involving 124,000 people and found evidence for only muscle pain, diabetes risk, and four minor effects. These included small liver test changes, mild liver abnormalities, urine changes, and tissue swelling. The study found no strong evidence linking statins to memory loss, depression, sleep problems, or nerve damage. Lead author Christina Reith said statins do not increase common complaints and their benefits far outweigh risks for most patients. Experts called for updated labels to reduce…

Hidden sellers promote unlicensed weight-loss drugs through WhatsApp and Telegram giveaways.They offer injectable medicines as competition prizes. The Guardian found groups advertising retatrutide, an unapproved experimental drug.Posts pressure users with 24-hour entry deadlines. Experts warn these tactics create serious health risks.They misuse marketing strategies designed to override caution. One group offered retatrutide, Glow pens, and melanotan II.None of these injectable products hold UK approval. UK law allows weight-loss injections only with prescriptions.Unapproved drugs cannot be legally sold or advertised. Some sellers disguise drug sales as fitness coaching programmes.Platform owners say they ban illegal drug sales.

Researchers from Harvard University, the University of Michigan and Duke University argue ultra-processed foods should face tobacco-style regulation.They say UPFs are engineered to drive addiction and overconsumption, mirroring cigarettes.The study links UPFs to widespread health harms and compares industry tactics to historic tobacco practices.Published in the Milbank Quarterly, it calls for marketing restrictions and stronger accountability.Experts urge shifting blame from individuals to the food industry.Some scientists warn the comparison risks overreach but agree regulation must increase.

Toto Wolff dismissed rival claims that Mercedes’ 2026 engine breaches regulations.He insisted the power unit fully complies with FIA rules.Wolff said other manufacturers missed an opportunity and should focus on themselves.The dispute centres on engine compression ratios increasing under thermal expansion.Rivals Ferrari, Audi and Honda raised concerns with the FIA.Mercedes and Red Bull Racing maintain their designs stay within testing limits.Wolff said the FIA approved Mercedes’ interpretation and warned rivals may still protest after Melbourne.