The mum of a seven-year-old boy with a rare genetic condition says life-changing surgery means he is finally able to have his very first sleepover.

William, from Bath in Somerset, has Treacher Collins syndrome which is a condition that affects the growth of a child’s skull and facial bones.

In May, he underwent an eight-hour surgery where doctors rebuilt his jaw using bone grafts from his ribs – allowing him to breathe, eat and swallow independently.

“Now he’s looking at his eighth birthday with his world opening up,” said William’s mum Kate.

Kate told BBC Radio Bristol that William has a “severe” case of Treacher Collins syndrome, which disrupted the development of his bones and caused his airways to be blocked.

“From birth he struggled to breathe and was given a tracheostomy at two-weeks-old,” she said.

A tracheostomy is a procedure where a hole is made at the front of the neck and a tube is inserted through the opening.

“It is taken very seriously, he had to be with someone at all times who knew what to do in the event of an emergency,” Kate added.

Surgeons at Bristol Children’s Hospital have successfully reversed the procedure, removing William’s breathing tube and taking a small part of bone from his ribs to create new jaw joints.

“A frame was put into his lower jaw and we were turning these screws to try and artificially pull it forwards,” Kate said.

The surgery means William no longer needs to be constantly supervised by an adult who knows what to do if he stops breathing.

“He’s desperate to go down water slides and he’s lined up his little besties to have sleepovers and to go on play dates,” she said.

“On his first sleepover I think I won’t sleep a wink that whole night, it will be enormous but for all the right reasons.”

The UK is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle the rising numbers of infections that have become resistant to treatment.

The project – a collaboration between the Fleming Initiative and the pharmaceutical company GSK – is a battle between superbugs and supercomputers.

It aims to speed up the discovery of fresh antibiotics and deliver new ways of killing other threats, including deadly fungal infections.

Overusing antibiotics drives bacteria to evolve resistance to infections, which means new drugs are a priority.

Drug-resistant infections are a growing problem – one known as “the silent pandemic”.

Superbugs are now thought to directly kill around one million people a year worldwide and contribute to the deaths of millions more. Those figures are predicted to continue to grow.

The collaboration will spend £45m on six fields of research.

“This represents the single biggest investment in a UK antibiotic project I’m aware of,” says Dr Andrew Edwards from Imperial College London.

He will be targeting AI at a tricky group of infections, called Gram-negative bacteria, that includes well known bugs such as E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

These species have an extra outer layer they use to control what gets in and out of a bacterium. Gram-negative species can block antibiotics from getting in and rapidly pump out those that penetrate the bacterial defences – making them tough to treat.

The team will be performing experiments using molecules with different chemical structures and recording what can get inside and stay inside these bacteria.

This data will then be fed into the AI so it can learn what it takes for an antibiotic to persist inside a Gram-negative bacterium.

“The sort of AI that people are using routinely today is built on the sum total of information on the internet – it doesn’t just produce answers out of thin air,” Dr Edwards told the BBC.

“If you want to make progress, you have to have data,” he says.

The aim is to convert years of research, if done by hand, into a simple job for a computer.

Then once the chemical code has been cracked, it will guide scientists on how to modify potential antibiotics to bypass the organism’s defences.

Dr Edwards said there were cases coming out of the conflict in Ukraine now where infections could not be treated with any antibiotic.

“That means that limbs have to be amputated. I would say it’s a glimpse into the future, but it’s happening right now, it’s a pretty horrific thought.”

So can AI outpace bacterial evolution?

“That’s a very good question, I think what we’ve seen is that if we can get a few good antibiotics, then we’ll be back on on the front foot and then I think we can keep things in check,” says Dr Edwards.

The Fleming Initiative is named after Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin in 1928 and started the antibiotic age.

Even by the time he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 80 years ago, he had warned of the dangers of resistance.

Alison Holmes, the director of the Fleming Initiative, said antibiotics were “one of the greatest health resources that has been squandered” and we should all think of how much we owe to antibiotics.

“Whether it’s that time we stepped on a nail and or got cellulitis following an insect bite or our C-section wound, or our UTI, or our STI – we all depend on them,” she said.

The collaboration will also use AI like a weather forecast to predict how superbugs emerge and spread.

And the project is also looking beyond bacteria to use AI to tackle the rise of deadly fungal infections, starting with Aspergillus mould.

Its spores are normally harmless, but can become deadly in people with weakened immune systems.

Tony Wood, the chief scientific officer at GSK, said: “We will open up new approaches for the discovery of novel antibiotics as well as anticipate and outpace the development of resistance to transform the treatment and prevention of serious infections.”

Researchers in the US and Canada have already started using AI to shortlist drugs or even design antibiotics from scratch to target drug-resistant bacteria like gonorrhoea.

Data for the UK suggests nearly 400 new antibiotic-resistant infections are being detected every week.

“She’s still funny, she’s talking, she’s happy.”

Birds of a Feather actress Pauline Quirke was diagnosed with dementia in 2021. Her family, who are unsure what stage she is at, have spoken of their “disbelief” at the time.

Despite being “very private”, they told BBC Breakfast they decided to speak out to raise awareness and funds for the condition.

“My mum has always been a charitable person. It’s what she would want me to do,” said her son, Charlie Quirke.

Best-known for playing Sharon Theodopolopodous in long-running sitcom Birds of a Feather, 66-year-old Quirke was also nominated for a Bafta in 1997 for playing a convicted murderer in BBC drama The Sculptress.

In 2022, she was made an MBE for services to the entertainment industry, young people, and charities.

But earlier this year her husband, Steve Sheen, who she married in 1996, had to announce her retirement.

This ended both her 50-year acting career, along with her role as head of Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts, which has about 250 academies, and more than 15,000 young students across the UK.

Steve said they first got an inkling something might be wrong with Quirke in November 2020, after she received a script.

“She started reading it and she phoned me on that day and said, the words are not going in. That’s where it started,” he said.

Their reaction after the diagnosis was “disbelief, really”.

“We looked at each other and went, ‘Can’t be, it’s long Covid. Got the flu’.”

Charlie added he was “quite surprised that this was possible in a woman in her 60s, and it can happen to people in their 50s, people in their 40s, so it’s something you have to deal with and learn about”.

Dementia is described as “young onset” when symptoms develop before the age of 65. It most often develops in people between the ages of 45 and 65 but can affect people of any age.

Asked what stage Quirke is at in her dementia journey, Steve said: “We don’t know. She’s still funny. She’s talking. She’s happy.”

“Is it four years, eight years, 10 years, 12 years, 20, who knows?”

Charlie added: “And that’s the problem, no one tells you.

“My mum knows exactly who we are. Every time she sees all of us, she smiles, laughs, says ‘I love you’, says ‘hello’.”

They spoke about why they were sharing their experience, and what they had learned so far.

“Unfortunately we are not in the state where we can do much about it,” Steve said.

“Just take every day and try and take the best moment out of that day you can.

“It’s a long journey. If we can just help a little bit by using Pauline as the catalyst to make more people aware, then we should, to use her to boost awareness and raise funds for dementia research.”

Steve said the impact of the condition hit them slowly.

“It’s so gradual that for the first year, two years, you’re thinking, ah, she’s alright.

“Now, we’re three or four years in, it’s a little bit different. This is why awareness is important. We didn’t know how long it lasts or how long you have with it, or how bad it is or how quick it is.”

Charlie added that it “progresses and changes every day, but so do we – we change and progress, and so we’re forever learning”.

The NHS website states dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) “associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning”.

Next month, Charlie is doing a fundraising walk for Alzheimer’s Research UK, going 140 kilometres to places that shaped his mother’s life, including homes she has lived in, theatres and TV studios she has worked at.

It will also include the Buckinghamshire headquarters of her children’s drama academy.

“This is my mum’s legacy,” he said.

“This is going to be one of the stops on my trek, because she wanted to nurture the next generation of young actors.”

Steve paid tribute to his wife, saying: “What you see is what you get. Loving. Brilliant. She’s an iconic actress because her talent is immense.”

Charlie added: “She is an incredible, strong, courageous woman that’s been through a lot and she keeps going.

“She’s a fighter and it’s incredible to see, yeah, very proud of her.”

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available via the BBC Action Line.

TV chef John Whaite has revealed his five-year addiction to steroids “made me want to end my life”.

The 36-year-old is best known for winning The Great British Bake Off in 2012, and came second as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.

In an emotional video posted on Instagram, the 36-year-old revealed he had been “taking anabolic steroids illegally for five years, and these things have really, really messed with my life”.

He said he was speaking out now in the hope that “young lads will think very carefully about how they treat their bodies”.

Whaite is also known for fronting cooking segments on daytime shows such as ITV’s Lorraine and Steph’s Packed Lunch.

He told his followers he began taking steroids during lockdown “because I looked in the mirror and hated what I saw”.

Whaite explained he has bulimia, an eating disorder, and body dysmorphia, where a person perceives defects in their own body which are often less noticeable to others.

He said: “The more people acknowledged how I looked on steroids, the more I felt good about myself, I felt valid.”

He said one side effect was that his testicles had shrunk: “I’ve got tiny balls now, there’s your headline,” he said.

Whaite also said steroids had led to him having acne and an unregulated sex drive.

The chef and TV presenter said he decided to speak out after he heard a younger male member of his family discussing a “dangerously strong steroid”.

“I am genuinely worried for the young lads growing up and seeing these unrealistic physiques on Instagram,” Whaite said in the tearful video.

“You’ve only got one body, so please just respect it, please just let it do what it can do, don’t try and push it, stretch, eat well, try and get to the place where you look in the mirror and you see yourself with kind eyes.”

Taking steroids, he added, had been a “stupid decision of my own”, adding that he was “tired of being tethered to this solution”.

In a caption accompanying the video, Whaite concluded: “Steroids have made me want to end my life.

“That stops now. I choose life. I choose health. I choose love. I choose a simpler life.”

The BBC has contacted Whaite for comment.

Anabolic steroids – a man-made substance that copies the male hormone testosterone – are class C drugs that are legal for personal use.

Pharmacists can issue them, but only with a prescription.

But it is illegal to supply or sell them, including giving them to friends. This carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Seizures of anabolic steroids increased by 26% in the UK last year to 995,830 doses, most were found at the UK border.

There is no official medical research or guidance on how to reduce risks of taking them.

The steroids stop many of the body’s normal function including sperm production. Side effects such as testicle shrinkage can be reversible when men stop taking the drug, but it may take years and often is not complete.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this story, you can find support via BBC Action Line.

Scotland’s abortion laws are “not fit for purpose” according to an expert group, which has called for legal recognition for a woman’s right to choose.

Currently, an abortion is only legal before 24 weeks when two doctors agree that certain grounds have been met – such as a risk to the mother’s physical or mental health.

An independent report recommends that these grounds are dropped, and doctors’ agreement should only be required for late-term abortions after 24 weeks.

The Scottish government said it would carefully consider the proposals and women would continue to be supported to access “safe and timely” services.

The Abortion Law Expert Group, chaired by Prof Anna Glasier, was commissioned by the Scottish government to review existing law.

It said the current system requiring approval from two doctors was “anachronistic, paternalistic and failed to reflect best modern practice”.

It stated: “The group agreed unanimously that current Scottish abortion law is not fit for purpose and that alternative models should be considered.

“Legal recognition should be given to the woman’s right to make their own decision regarding whether to continue or to end a pregnancy, and that abortion should become available on request, at least within gestational limits.”

After 24 weeks, an abortion is only possible in very limited circumstances, such as to save the life of the mother or if there is a fatal anomaly with the foetus.

The group said it considered clinical practice, international examples, academic research and a range of views from across Scotland.

Prof Glasier said: “The group worked incredibly hard, and benefited greatly from the input and expertise of a wide range of stakeholders, to develop evidence-based, balanced recommendations.

“The report demonstrates the group’s view that it is time for an abortion law that reflects the reality of current clinical practice where abortions are safely provided in the best interests of women.”

Christian campaign group, Care for Scotland, urged ministers to reject the “extreme proposals” in the report.

Director of advocacy and policy, Caroline Ansell, said: “If enacted, we believe they would have heartbreaking consequences for women and babies, including exposing more women to the dangers and harms of late-term abortions.”

The Scottish government said it would begin its own period of evidence-gathering and “engagement with a range of stakeholders”.

Scotland’s minister for public health, Jenni Minto, said: “It is right that we continue to ensure that abortion is treated as a healthcare matter and that women are supported to access safe and timely abortion services.

“The recommendations within the report represent the views of the expert group – it is only one part of this review process.

“We will take time to carefully consider all the findings and respond in due course.”

This is a significant report which could pave the way for a major change in the way abortion is viewed and administered in Scotland. But that change is unlikely to be happening any time soon, given how close we are to the end of the parliamentary term.

Scottish ministers have a fairly clear view on the issue – they pointedly talk about abortion as a healthcare issue, not a criminal one.

However, they are also going to take time to do their own evidence-gathering, and any changes would require primary legislation which would take months to get through parliament.

We shall see if their promised response materialises before Holyrood breaks up for the election – which oddly enough is 24 weeks away.

But really what will tell us the most about the future of abortion care is what makes it into party manifestos for that poll – because it will be MSPs in the next Scottish Parliament who ultimately end up making the decision.

A county’s health officials have warned more children and young people could become infected with a severe strain of flu than usual at this time of year.

Public health bosses in Hertfordshire said hospital admissions were low at the moment but were expected to rise over the next few weeks.

They advised anyone with symptoms to wear a face mask and avoid contact with other people.

The county council’s executive member for public health, Ajanta Hilton, has called for a national awareness campaign.

Experts in Hertfordshire and across the country were watching the situation in Australia with growing alarm.

The southern hemisphere country has seen its worst flu season on record, with 1,544 cases per 100,000 people – a 10.8% increase on the 2024 record.

Hertfordshire’s director of public health, Sarah Perman, said: “Australia experiences its flu season a few months before we do [and] we’re beginning to see with some concern that case rates are rising in this country.”

Cases among the under-5s in Australia accounted for almost 11% of all infections (more than More than 44,500 cases) and more than a third of the infections were recorded in children below the age of 15.

Ms Perman said a similar trend was now being seen in the UK, but other groups were also at risk.

Ms Perman added: “We are seeing the dominant virus being a strain of influenza A, which is associated with more severe illness and higher mortality, particularly in older people, than some of the other viruses that we commonly see during the flu season.”

She urged children, older people, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions to take advantage of a free vaccination.

“It is also really important,” she added, “that as many people as possible who may not be eligible for the free vaccination get their own vaccination, and you can purchase it privately at many pharmacies across Hertfordshire.”

The most common symptoms are fever, chills, headache, aching joints and extreme tiredness.

Ms Perman said anyone with these symptoms should “try to limit your contact with others, especially those who might be more vulnerable.”

People with symptoms who need to leave the house “should wear a face mask where possible, wash your hands regularly and use dispose of tissues hygienically.”

Hilton said: “What I would love to see is a national campaign to really promote the message, coming alongside our local one that goes out to all our GPs surgeries.