Georgina Rannard,Climate reporter, Belém, Brazil and
Tabby Wilson
Protesters carrying signs reading “our forests are not for sale” broke through security lines of the COP30 climate…

Georgina Rannard,Climate reporter, Belém, Brazil and
Tabby Wilson
Protesters carrying signs reading “our forests are not for sale” broke through security lines of the COP30 climate…

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An Iraqi Kurdish voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Akre in Iraqi’s northern autonomous Kurdish region. Photo: AFP

Osmond ChiaBusiness reporter
Getty ImagesApple has confirmed that it has removed two of China’s most popular gay dating apps – Blued and Finka – from its app store in the country following an order from authorities.
“We follow the laws of the countries where we operate. Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only,” an Apple spokesperson said.
The move has raised concerns amongst the LGBT community in the country.
The BBC has contacted the Chinese embassy in Washington and the companies behind both apps for comment.
A “lite” version of the Blued app remains available on Chinese app stores, according to checks by the BBC. Some other gay and bisexual dating apps are also still available in the country, like Jicco and Jack’d.
Blued is one of the most widely-used gay dating apps in China, with tens of millions of downloads.
Apple runs a separate app store in China, in accordance with the country’s strict internet laws. Popular apps like Instagram and WhatsApp are not available in China.
Android device users there use locally adapted versions of the operating system as the Google Play Store is also blocked in China.
Members of the LGBT community expressed concerns about the removal of Blued and Finka, with one saying, “I hope those heterosexual policymakers can understand that love is rare – it’s not something shameful or unspeakable.”
Screenshot from Huawei AppGalleryIn 2022, popular US-based gay dating app Grindr was removed from Apple’s App Store in China shortly after the Cyberspace Administration of China began a crackdown on content it viewed as illegal and inappropriate.
The following year, the Chinese government announced new rules requiring all apps serving domestic users to register for licenses, resulting in a slew of foreign apps being removed online.
The online regulator said the rules were designed to “promote the standardised and healthy development of the internet industry.”
Homosexuality was decriminalised in China in 1997, though same-sex marriages remain unrecognised.
Advocacy groups, including the Beijing LGBT Center and the ShanghaiPride, have ceased operations in China in recent years.

Researchers at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), have demonstrated that doxycycline, a commonly available and inexpensive antibiotic, can improve survival rates and neurological…


MOSCOW (AFP) – Russia on Tuesday offered to discuss with the United States allegations from Washington that it had carried out secret underground nuclear tests, in a bid to ease tensions between the world’s top…

Beginning on January 1, Lilly employees covered by the company’s medical plan will be automatically enrolled with pharmacy benefit coverage through pharmacy benefit manager Rightway, according to a document viewed by Bloomberg.
Sign up here.
CVS spokesperson David Whitrap told Reuters that while the company won’t comment on specific clients, Caremark’s overall client retention remains in the high 90% range year after year, adding that it offers options that covers both Zepbound and Wegovy, but “this option is costlier for plan sponsors than our standard commercial formulary that excludes Zepbound.”
“Our move earlier this year to negotiate Lilly and Novo against one another drove significant savings for our clients,” Whitrap added.
Eli Lilly and Rightway did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the Bloomberg report.
Novo faces increasing competition from Lilly’s Zepbound and compounded copycat drugs in the weight-loss drug market.
Wegovy and Zepbound are the only highly effective GLP-1 weight-loss drugs sold mainly in the U.S. as weekly injections.
Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal and Dheeraj Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

British adults with diabetes overwhelmingly favor simple, adaptable eating patterns over rigid low-calorie meal replacements, highlighting that personal choice may be key to long-term adherence and better health outcomes.
Study:

SINGAPORE, Nov. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real-time translator app Owll Translator has released a new update that introduces a host of workflow and user experience improvements to make app use even faster, more intuitive, and more…

There could be tug of war under the Christmas tree this year owing to the growing trend of adult toy collectors, a rundown of the season’s must-haves suggests.
Singing Wicked 2 dolls, manga-themed Lego, a Pokémon game and a mini-fridge playset are among the items on the annual DreamToys selection that experts say are as likely to feature on the wishlists of adults as children.
In recent years, the industry has been bolstered by the passions of “kidults” (buyers aged 12 and over) who spend their spare cash on expensive Lego sets and collectible figurines. This group is behind £1 in every £3 spent on toys in the UK.
Almost half of adults (43%) have bought a toy for themselves or another adult this year – a figure that rises to 76% among gen Z (aged 18 to 28) shoppers, according to figures from the data company Circana.
After several difficult years, encouragingly, data from January to the end of June showed that toys for children grew 6%, the strongest performance in years.
“It’s a double success story,” said Melissa Symonds, the UK toys director at Circana. “We’re seeing children rediscover the joy of play while adults are embracing it as a form of self-care, nostalgia and fandom. That combination is keeping the market vibrant and relevant.”
Given the recent strong run, gift retailers were feeling optimistic about the all-important Christmas period but there is now concern that tax rises in the autumn budget could hit spending.
However, Symonds argued the toy market was different: “Toys don’t always follow the general economic trends because they are part of the joy economy.”
Toys are also relatively affordable, she said. Last December, the average selling price for a toy was £13.43, with the £10-20 range accounting for a third of sales.
Paul Reader, the chair of the DreamToys selection panel at the Toy Retailers Association, said it had been an “incredible” year for the sector. “We are in seriously positive territory … and optimistic that the momentum is going to follow into Christmas.”
“There is a strong sense that we are going to have less disposable income coming out of the budget,” he said, adding that the list could help consumers “make informed decisions about what we believe are the best toys this Christmas”.
People were starting to think about how much they would spend and it was “too early” to tell what impact the budget would have. “The magic of Christmas is always going to be there and parents and grandparents all work hard to make sure it is enjoyable for the whole family,” said Reader.
The cheapest toy on the DreamToys list is a £13 Dress to Impress doll spun out of the hit fashion game on Roblox. The most expensive is a £120 Lego ship inspired by the Japanese anime series One Piece.
With the highly anticipated sequel out next week, there is expected to be feverish demand for all things Wicked including the £35 singing Elphaba and Glinda dolls that make the list.
Characters from film and TV loom large. There is a £30 interactive Evie Pig (baby sister to Peppa) and an £80 Stitch soft toy that has 100 sounds and reactions.
One of the most unusual entries is the £20 Fill the Fridge playset. However, it ticks two boxes: it taps into the viral “fridge restocking” trend as well as the popularity of collectibles that make up just over a fifth of all toys sold.
Dress to Impress Mystery Model Dolls – £12.99
Gui Gui Shimmer deluxe pack – £19.99
Hot Wheels Racing F1 Grand Prix circuit – £79.99
Human Controller – £34.99
Jurassic World Primal Hatch T-Rex – £64.99
Marshmallow Madness – £19.99
Fill the Fridge playset – £19.99
Monster Jam Smash & Bash Grave Digger – £49.99
Lego One Piece: the Going Merry Pirate Ship – £119.99
Peppa Pig Oinks & Snuggles Evie doll – £29.99
Pokémon Trading Card: Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box – £54.99
Lego Speed Champions F1® racing cars – £22.99
Sticki Rolls Sticki Rolluxe – £39.99
Disney Ultimate Stitch interactive plush – £79.99
Wicked: For Good singing dolls – £34.99