Author: Andrew Rogers

BP faces shareholder pressure as it prepares to publish weaker full-year results.Analysts expect profits to fall to about $7.5bn after declining oil prices hit earnings.Incoming chief executive Meg O’Neill must outline a clear strategy to end years of instability.Investor groups including Follow This and Nest want limits on future oil and gas spending.BP recently refocused on fossil fuels, launching seven new projects after retreating from renewables.Citi says BP’s shares outperformed rivals, though Shell may gain further value from new discoveries.Activists warn long-term demand will fall, citing forecasts from the International Energy Agency.

Researchers say menstrual blood testing could offer a simple, non-invasive alternative to cervical screening.A sanitary pad fitted with a sample strip can detect human papillomavirus, which causes most cervical cancers. Scientists in China compared menstrual blood samples with clinician-collected cervical samples.The study involved more than 3,000 women with regular menstrual cycles. Results published in BMJ showed high accuracy for detecting serious cervical abnormalities.The pad-based test detected disease at rates similar to clinician sampling. Researchers said the method could improve screening access for women who avoid clinic appointments.Cancer Research UK called the approach encouraging but said further trials were needed. Eve…

Most side-effects listed for statins are not caused by the drugs, a major review has found. Researchers analysed 19 trials involving 124,000 people and published the results in The Lancet. Apart from muscle pain, diabetes risk, and four minor effects, evidence did not support 62 listed side-effects, including memory loss, depression, and sleep problems. The review showed statins greatly reduce heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths, while proven risks remain small. Lead author Christina Reith said benefits clearly outweigh harms for most patients. Senior researchers called for updated drug labels to reflect the evidence and support informed decisions.

Hidden-market sellers promote unlicensed weight-loss drugs through WhatsApp and Telegram giveaways.They offer injectable medicines like retatrutide as competition prizes. The Guardian observed groups urging users to enter within 24 hours.Experts warn these promotions pose serious health risks and bypass medical safeguards. UK law restricts weight-loss injections to prescription-only supply.Unapproved drugs like retatrutide cannot be legally sold or advertised. Telegram and Meta say their platforms prohibit illegal drug sales.

Ultra-processed foods should be regulated like cigarettes because they are engineered to drive addiction and overconsumption, a new study argues.Researchers from Harvard University, the University of Michigan and Duke University said UPFs share key traits with tobacco products.They found both are designed to deliver rapid reward responses and maximise consumption.The report, published in Milbank Quarterly, links UPFs to widespread health harms similar to smoking.Researchers criticised “health washing” claims that delay regulation.They urged governments to shift responsibility from individuals to the food industry.Some experts cautioned against direct comparisons but agreed stronger regulation is needed.

Toto Wolff dismissed rival complaints over Mercedes’ 2026 engine legality.He insisted the power unit fully complies with Formula One regulations.Wolff said other manufacturers missed an opportunity and should “get their shit together”.Rivals questioned Mercedes and Red Bull Racing over compression ratios that may rise when engines heat up.FIA discussed the issue but reached no ruling before testing.Wolff said the FIA and its president backed Mercedes’ interpretation.He did not rule out protests after the season opener at the Australian Grand Prix.

Researchers say recreating cosmic dust could reveal how life’s building blocks reached Earth.At the University of Sydney, PhD candidate Linda Losurdo has produced cosmic dust from scratch in a laboratory.Cosmic dust forms around dying stars and contains CHON molecules essential for life.Scientists debate whether these molecules formed on Earth or arrived via meteorites.Losurdo recreated space conditions using a vacuum, gases, and high-voltage plasma.The artificial dust matches infrared signatures seen in real meteorites.Experts say the method could help explain how organic matter formed across the universe.

The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply warned soaring shipping costs could push up consumer prices in 2026.Procurement leaders see growing cracks in global supply chains affecting computers, machinery, and transport equipment.Survey respondents reported rising logistics, energy, and raw material costs.Concerns about supply disruption reached a two-year high in late 2025.Shipping costs rose fastest, with 22% reporting increases above 10%.Price volatility now appears structural, driven by geopolitical tensions and trade barriers.

West Ham United banned a season-ticket holder after he helped display an anti-board banner at a home match.Joshua Wood received a five-game ban for holding an “oversized” banner during the game against Sunderland.The banner urged owners David Sullivan and Karren Brady to sell the club.West Ham said the ban related to stadium regulations, not the message itself.Wood denied bringing the banner into the ground and plans to appeal the decision.

AI-supported breast cancer screening cut later cancer diagnoses by 12% and boosted early detection, a Swedish study found.The trial involved 100,000 women randomly assigned to AI-assisted mammography or standard double readings.AI helped triage low- and high-risk scans and flagged suspicious findings for radiologists.Published in The Lancet, the study showed higher early-stage detection and fewer aggressive cancers.Researchers from Lund University said AI could ease radiologist workload but must be introduced cautiously.