reason

Foreigners seeking visas to live in the U.S. might be rejected if they have certain medical conditions, including diabetes or obesity, under a Thursday directive from the Trump administration.

The guidance, issued in a cable the State Department sent to embassy and consular officials and examined by KFF Health News, directs visa officers to deem applicants ineligible to enter the U.S. for several new reasons, including age or the likelihood they might rely on public benefits. The guidance says that such people could become a “public charge” — a potential drain on U.S. resources — because of their health issues or age.

While assessing the health of potential immigrants has been part of the visa application process for years, including screening for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and obtaining vaccine history, experts said the new guidelines greatly expand the list of medical conditions to be considered and give visa officers more power to make decisions about immigration based on an applicant’s health status.

The directive is part of the Trump administration’s divisive and aggressive campaign to deport immigrants living without authorization in the U.S. and dissuade others from immigrating into the country. The White House’s crusade to push out immigrants has included daily mass arrests, bans on refugees from certain countries, and plans to severely restrict the total number permitted into the U.S.

The new guidelines mandate that immigrants’ health be a focus in the application process. The guidance applies to nearly all visa applicants but is likely to be used only in cases in which people seek to permanently reside in the U.S., said Charles Wheeler, a senior attorney for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, a nonprofit legal aid group.

“You must consider an applicant’s health,” the cable reads. “Certain medical conditions — including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions — can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care.”

About 10% of the world’s population have diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases are also common; they are the globe’s leading killer.

The cable also encourages visa officers to consider other conditions, such as obesity, which it notes can cause asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure, in their assessment of whether an immigrant could become a public charge and therefore should be denied entry into the U.S.

“All of these can require expensive, long-term care,” the cable reads. Spokespeople for the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the cable.

Visa officers were also directed to determine whether applicants have the means to pay for medical treatment without help from the U.S. government.

“Does the applicant have adequate financial resources to cover the costs of such care over his entire expected lifespan without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutionalization at government expense?” the cable reads.

The cable’s language appears at odds with the Foreign Affairs Manual, the State Department’s own handbook, which says that visa officers cannot reject an application based on “what if” scenarios, Wheeler said.

The guidance directs visa officers to develop “their own thoughts about what could lead to some sort of medical emergency or sort of medical costs in the future,” he said. “That’s troubling because they’re not medically trained, they have no experience in this area, and they shouldn’t be making projections based on their own personal knowledge or bias.”

The guidance also directs visa officers to consider the health of family members, including children or older parents.

“Do any of the dependents have disabilities, chronic medical conditions, or other special needs and require care such that the applicant cannot maintain employment?” the cable asks.

Immigrants already undergo a medical exam by a physician who’s been approved by a U.S. embassy.

They are screened for communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis, and asked to fill out a form that asks them to disclose any history of drug or alcohol use, mental health conditions, or violence. They’re also required to have a number of vaccinations to guard against infectious diseases such as measles, polio and hepatitis B.

But the new guidance goes further, emphasizing that chronic diseases should be considered, said Sophia Genovese, an immigration lawyer at Georgetown University. She also noted that the language of the directive encourages visa officers and the doctors who examine people seeking to immigrate to speculate on the cost of applicants’ medical care and their ability to get employment in the U.S. considering their medical history.

“Taking into consideration one’s diabetic history or heart health history — that’s quite expansive,” Genovese said. “There is a degree of this assessment already, just not quite expansive as opining over, ‘What if someone goes into diabetic shock?’ If this change is going to happen immediately, that’s obviously going to cause a myriad of issues when people are going into their consular interviews.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

IRON Maiden rocker Bruce Dickinson says he took up fencing to help him fend off sex-hungry groupies. 

The heavy metal star, 67, turned to the sword-fighting sport to keep a clear mind — but ended up as one of Britain’s best competitors. 

Run to the Hills singer Bruce — worth about £100million – was at one point ranked No7 in the UK and an outside contender for the Olympics. 

He tried fencing as a teenager and then took it up as a hobby in 1983 to distract himself from the temptations of sex, booze and drugs after finding fame. 

He spent months training with Team GB and represented a semi-pro club.  

Asked why he picked up the blade, he told Classic Rock mag: “I was busy sh*****g everything that moved and none of it was healthy.  

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“I remember something that (The Who guitarist) Pete Townshend once said about groupies — ‘The moment you realise you can click your finger and manipulate people into having sex with you, that’s the moment you’re going down the slippery slope’. 

“You can’t believe women are throwing themselves at you. You think, ‘Well this is nice’. And it is. It’s f*****g great. But there’s a dark side to this.  

“Where do you stop? When does it become a prop, like alcohol or cocaine?

“So that’s when I started doing extracurricular activities like fencing.  

“I was thinking, ‘I’ve got to do something to keep my brain clean’.”  

Bruce, also a qualified pilot who flies Iron Maiden’s private 747 on tour, still takes part in fencing competitions for his age group.  

The band has sold more than 130million albums since forming in London in 1975. 

Selling Sunset star Emma Hernan reunited with her on-and-off boyfriend Blake Davis after the latest season wrapped filming.

Selling Sunset’s Emma Hernan has revealed the real reason she reunited with her on-and-off boyfriend Blake Davis.

Emma, 33, introduced Blake to her friends Chrishell Stause and Chelsea Lazkani in season nine, and Chrishell had her doubts about the coupling.

Blake, 28, also has a real estate background and seemed completely smitten with the reality star. He even proposed to Emma, but she soon ended the relationship.

Now, the O Group agent has confirmed she is back together with Blake, despite her friends’ concerns.

Opening up to Tudum, she explained: “If I really cared about making myself look good, I would’ve stayed broken up with him or would’ve said, ‘Nope, we’re not together.’

“But ultimately, with relationships, there’s back and forth — and I think that that’s OK to show.”

Diving into why she reunited with her ex, Emma continued: “I had a realization at the reunion that I was [thinking too much] about what other people think.

“If I want to go spend time with this person, why am I so concerned about what everyone else is going to say? After the reunion, I went to go see him, and we’ve been traveling and been together ever since.”

During the reunion, Emma revealed she was back in contact with Blake.

It also came to light that Emma had “lied” to Chrishell about going to the Bahamas for Blake’s birthday, which has played a part in souring their friendship.

The duo were at a Beyoncé concert when Emma abruptly left.

Chrishell revealed: “You [Emma] told me that you were going to Boston to see your family and that’s why you had to leave early. That’s what you told me.”

She went on to add: “The next day she shows up in the Bahamas with Blake.”

The 44-year-old claimed she disliked Blake because the relationship causes Emma to “flake” on their friendship.

But Chrishell’s disappointment didn’t end there, the actress also claims Blake has problematic views.

Back in May, a fan took to Instagram and asked Chrishell: “What’s happening with you and Emma? Hot topic on Reddit.”

She responded: “Ask her about her MAGA bf who told me pronouns are dumb and that he likes to use the N word. I just can’t with that. Too old to allow that in.”

The social media comment sparked online conversation and press coverage which didn’t exactly paint Emma in a favourable light.

During the season nine reunion, Chrishell opened up about the post, claiming Blake revealed his views during a conversation in her kitchen.

“He told me proudly [that] he openly uses the N-word. He thinks that people [who] don’t sing lyrics with all the words, he thinks they are the ones that are too woke,” she explained.

Emma, who was there during the chat, fired back with: “He never said the word woke. He never said that.”

She went on to explain that Blake expressed that “he’s friends with a bunch of rappers and they try and get him to say it [the N-word] and he says no”.

Emma also argued that Chrishell’s post was not an accurate representation of what Blake said, and that he never voiced any political views.

Selling Sunset Season 9 is streaming now on Netflix

Brookside icon Tinhead is returning to the famous close for a one-off episode twinned with Hollyoaks, and actor Philip Olivier has opened up about the character’s nickname.

Brookside legend Tinhead is making a comeback to the renowned close for a special one-off episode alongside Hollyoaks.

Both beloved Channel 4 dramas were created by Grange Hill mastermind Sir Philip Redmond, with Brookside subsequently inspiring the development of Chester-set Hollyoaks.

To celebrate Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary, the shows are joining forces for a landmark crossover episode, with Philip Olivier returning to his memorable role as Tinhead.

Tim “Tinhead” O’Leary made his debut in 1996 as the offspring of Carmel and Tommy O’Leary, portraying a wayward pupil at Brookside Comprehensive High School.

Throughout his storyline, Tinhead formed an intricate relationship with beloved character Sinbad, portrayed by Michael Starke, who served as a mentor figure for the rebellious youngster, reports the Manchester Evening News.

However, Tinhead was compelled to transform his ways following a devastating incident that nearly claimed his sister Melanie’s life.

His future seemed promising when romance blossomed with Emily, portrayed by Jennifer Ellison, and the couple wed in 2001.

Yet marital happiness wasn’t destined for the pair.

Following further involvement in unlawful activities, Emily perished during a burglary in 2002, leaving Tinhead bereaved at a young age.

Philip Olivier, 45, last appeared as Tinhead in November 2003 when Brookside broadcast its concluding episode.

However, over two decades later, he’s reprising his role as Timothy O’Leary, alongside Suzanne Collins as Nikki Shadwick, for a special Hollyoaks and Brookside episode.

How did Tinhead earn his nickname?

Despite the character’s actual name being Timothy, soap fans will recognise him by his unusual moniker.

Ahead of the rebooted episode, Olivier shed light on how his character acquired the nickname, revealing it was purely coincidental.

The actor shared: “There was a pretty rough school in my area with a really hard kid who everyone knew as Tinhead. This was before I got the part. The name was spray-painted on the side of a building near the school.

“I know a lot of Brookside writers used to live round that area so they must’ve drove past and remembered the name. People thought I’d suggested it but it was a coincidence.”

Olivier also disclosed that he had initially auditioned for a different role in the show before landing the part of the teenage troublemaker.

He elaborated: “Originally, I went up to play the character of Danny Simpson, then ended up playing the kid that bullied him at school.

“I auditioned for Danny then got a call a month later about this character called ‘Tinhead’.”

The Brookside and Hollyoaks crossover episode airs on Wednesday (October 22) at 7pm on E4.

Social Security will soon be making a big announcement. On Oct. 24, 2025, the Social Security Administration will finally let seniors know what their 2026 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is going to look like.

COLAs happen in most years to help retirees maintain their buying power. Because COLAs increase the retirement benefits seniors collect, the news about how big the raise will be is always much-anticipated.

Unfortunately, although retirees are most likely going to get a bigger benefits increase than last year, many seniors are inevitably going to end up disappointed with the increase to their checks in 2026.

Here’s the surprising reason why that’s the case.

The COLA is going to be bigger– but there’s a problem

Although the official announcement on the Social Security COLA has not been made yet, the Senior Citizens League is projecting that benefits are going to increase by 2.7% next year. This estimate is based on year-to-date changes to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

CPI-W is used to determine how much Social Security benefits should increase because it helps to measure inflation, and the purpose of the COLAs is to make sure that Social Security benefits do not lose buying power. While the formula isn’t a perfect one since the spending habits of urban wage earners and clerical workers aren’t exactly aligned with senior spending, the formula does give an idea of how much prices are rising — and retirees get a benefits increase equal to the average year-over-year change to CPI-W in the third quarter of the year.

Since we have a lot of this data available, the Senior Citizens League estimate is probably fairly close to accurate, and barring any major surprises when the September inflation data is released in October, the raise should come in at around that projected 2.7%. And, if it does, that will be a little bit bigger than the benefits increase retirees received in 2025.

A bigger raise should make seniors pretty happy since they’ll get more money to help maintain buying power — but there’s a surprising reason why that’s not necessarily going to be the case. The problem is that a good portion of the additional funds coming to retirees will disappear to cover rising Medicare premiums.

COLAs will take a huge hit due to rising Medicare premiums

For any retiree who is on Medicare, the COLA is probably going to be a huge disappointment because of how little of it will be left after Medicare premiums are accounted for.

See, Medicare premiums come out of most people’s Social Security checks. And Medicare Part B premiums are going up by a huge amount next year. The Medicare Trustees’ report projects that premiums are going to increase by $21.50 per month, jumping all the way up from $185 in 2025 to $206.50 in 2026. This is one of the biggest year-over-year increases in the history of the Medicare program.

If a typical retiree is collecting the average benefit of $2,008.31 in 2025, a 2.7% COLA would result in their benefits increasing by around $54. If $21.50 of that disappears, then the typical retired Social Security recipient will end up seeing their monthly payments go up by only $32.50.

By contrast, if someone had started with that same $2,008.31 check in 2025 and received a 2.5% COLA, they’d have seen their benefit go up by around $50.00 — but, since Medicare premiums only rose by $10.30 per month between 2024 and 2025, retirees would have seen benefits go up by around $40.

Retirees need to be aware that so much of their benefit increase is going to disappear to rising Medicare premiums this year, and take that into account during their retirement planning process for the upcoming year. Seniors need to maintain a safe withdrawal rate from their 401(k) and other retirement accounts, and with a Social Security raise that ends up pretty small after Medicare costs take a bite out of it, this may require some careful budgeting.

It seems as if all eyes are on Oklo (OKLO 1.39%) right now. Shares have surged in value by more than 700% since April. But when you look closer, Oklo’s entire industry is skyrocketing. Nuscale Power, another company focused on small modular nuclear reactors, has seen its valuation nearly quadruple since April.

Why are stocks like Oklo and Nuscale rising exponentially? There’s one primary factor to be aware of now for investors to consider.

Small-scale nuclear power may soon be a reality

For decades, small modular nuclear reactors have been relegated only to science fiction. In theory, the technology makes a lot of sense. Small modular reactors, commonly referred to as SMRs, can be deployed anywhere in the world, even in remote locations without any road access. Once built, they can produce fairly affordable power with minimal carbon emissions. And they don’t have as many issues with generation intermittency as other renewable energy sources like wind or solar.

Companies like Oklo and Nuscale, however, claim that they are just a handful of years away from constructing the world’s first commercial SMRs. Nuscale is already certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Council in the U.S. Oklo is currently in the application process. If successful, this industry could upend the global energy paradigm, delivering low-cost, low-carbon fuel at any scale, anywhere in the world.

Image source: Getty Images.

Here’s the problem: We still don’t know if what these companies are promising is even possible. Neither Oklo nor Nuscale has any existing orders from customers. And analysts are ready to point out the industry’s consistent failures over the years.

Many of these failures weren’t technological, but simply a matter of cost, with huge cost overruns the norm throughout history. “The technical and extreme cost challenges of SMRs has been known and widely reported on for years, raising the question of why the hype continues to grow,” observes Jim Green, a member of the Nuclear Consulting Group.

As one of the leading semiconductor companies, Broadcom (AVGO -1.24%) has handily outperformed the market recently. It’s up 51% year to date (as of Oct. 17), while the S&P 500 index has risen 13%.

Following such a rally, this might not seem like the ideal time to invest in Broadcom — the stock is trading near its all-time high. Given the tech giant’s growth, however, its stock can continue to climb. Here’s one reason why.

Image source: Getty Images.

A growing list of high-value partnerships

On Oct. 13, Broadcom and OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, announced a partnership on 10 gigawatts of custom artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators. Broadcom will be helping OpenAI design its own custom chips, and this is just the latest of several AI companies that are working with Broadcom for that purpose.

Broadcom makes custom AI chips for three major hyperscalers, believed to be Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. It’s seeing increasing chip demand from these companies, and CEO Hock Tan has also mentioned a fourth major customer that has placed $10 billion worth of orders. While there was speculation this mystery customer was OpenAI, Broadcom has now said that’s not the case.

Broadcom’s share price has been soaring, but it’s not fueled by hype. Revenue is on the rise, particularly its AI revenue, which increased 63% year over year to $5.2 billion in Q3 2025. Tech companies are increasingly turning to Broadcom for custom chips that better fit their needs and to avoid being overly reliant on graphics processing units (GPUs) from Nvidia.

During Broadcom’s last earning call, Tan mentioned that the company has an order backlog of over $110 billion, an indicator that its excellent revenue growth should continue. Don’t let the valuation deter you — Broadcom’s crucial role in AI development makes it one of the stronger tech companies to invest in.

Shares of SoFi Technologies (SOFI -0.24%) have been on an unbelievable run. During the past year, they have soared 166% (as of Oct. 17). The tech heavy Nasdaq Composite is up 24% during the same period.

SoFi has been putting up strong financial results. And the market has noticed, viewing the business in a much more optimistic light.

This fintech stock is now trading not far from record territory, so investors might think it’s too late to put some money to work. But that’s a flawed perspective. Here’s one reason now is a great time to buy SoFi.

SoFi should benefit as rates start to come down

Last month, the Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark fed funds rate. This was the first reduction since December 2024.

Market watchers have been waiting for such a move, as the central bank aims to boost the labor market. Investors expect the Fed will lower the rate two more times before the year is over.

Generally speaking, lower interest rates are good for the economy. They can drive consumer spending and business investment since it becomes cheaper to borrow capital. Consequently, a bank like SoFi can benefit greatly.

It is already growing rapidly. During the second quarter, its revenue surged 43%, with the business adding 846,000 net new customers. Despite a prolonged period of above-average interest rates, SoFi has still been expanding at a brisk pace. The potential for lower interest rates can supercharge that growth.

In the second quarter, the bank originated $8.8 billion worth of loans (combined among personal, student, and home). That figure was up 64% year over year. Besides interest income, the business collects fees for originations. And lower interest rates, unsurprisingly, can jump-start loan originations, which have already been growing at a fantastic clip.

This same situation can help the banking industry as a whole. On the flip side, though, investors need to pay attention to risks. Lower interest rates might spur demand from borrowers to take out loans. However, this can increase default risk on a lender’s balance sheet.

To its credit, SoFi has done a good job targeting a more affluent demographic. For instance, the company’s personal-loan borrowers have a weighted-average income of $161,000 and a weighted-average Fair Isaac FICO score of 743. They should be better able to make their loan payments.

“The health of our consumer remains strong, and we’re not seeing any signs of weakness,” Chief Financial Officer Chris Lapointe said during the second-quarter earnings call.

The business is poised to continue growing its profits

A reduction in interest rates can not only help SoFi generate more revenue, but it can also increase the company’s profits. It first became profitable on the basis of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the fourth quarter of 2023. Since then, the bottom line has expanded in an impressive fashion.

In 2024, SoFi reported $227 million in adjusted net income; management expects the company will post $370 million in 2025. And Wall Street analysts on average anticipate earnings per share will increase 77% in 2026 and 36% in 2027.

This is a very exciting outlook for shareholders. It highlights that SoFi operates with a very scalable business model, which is helped by the fact that it doesn’t carry the overhead of physical bank branches. It would make sense that SoFi’s earnings would grow at a faster clip than the top line.

And that can continue driving the stock higher. Value investors might hesitate, with the shares trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 47. However, don’t ignore the incredible trajectory that SoFi is on. It’s easy to be confident that the stock will do well over the long run given a more accommodative interest-rate environment that can push profits up.

ONE popular airline was forced to stop flights this week after a ‘freak’ maintenance issue.

Thousands of passengers have had their flights cancelled or delayed due to an unusual safety problem.

According to Finnair, the issue that caused the cancellation was aircraft seat covers being cleaned incorrectly.

A statement from the airline revealed that the “seat cover cleaning method (water washing) on fire protection has not been properly verified”.

It continued to add that safety is its “top priority” and it would be acting on the “manufacturers’ maintenance instructions as well as the guidelines and recommendations of the authorities”.

The airline said that it would make daily aircraft type changes to minimise the number of cancellations, but that this would likely “lead to overbookings”.

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It added that “several flights between 13 and 17 October 2025” had been cancelled and it would be likely that there would be more “flight cancellations, delays or changes in the operating airline”.

On October 13-14, the airline cancelled 40 services, with a further 18 more services grounded on October 15-16, according to FlightAware.

Today, four flights have been cancelled travelling from London Heathrow to Finland‘s capital, Helsinki.

Finnair is one of Europe‘s largest airlines and the cancellations have affected around 10,000 passengers.

Passengers caught up by these cancellation mishap may be due up to £520 in compensation for the inconvenience caused, as outlined by AirAdvisor.

Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor, said: “From a compensation perspective under UK and EU law passengers whose flights were cancelled as a result of this operational error could be due up to £520 in compensation.”

Anton continued: “It remains to be seen how Finnair will frame the cause of the cancellations, but the issue appears to have originated from a maintenance procedure rather than a regulatory safety order.

“If your flight is delayed by over two hours, airlines should offer affected passengers free food and drink vouchers to make the delay more comfortable.

“Equally, if your flight is moved to the following day, you can seek overnight accommodation from your airline.”

There were also problems in Belgium airports this week as thousands of passengers had their journeys interrupted due to strikes.

Brussels Airport and Brussels South Charleroi Airport on Tuesday cancelled all their flights on October 14, due to a national strike being held by several unions

Belgium has as many as 120 flights a day, according to finance experts at Dot Dot Loans.

This means as many as 72 flights to and from the UK saw disruption, affecting nearly 13,000 passengers.

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Flight compensation rules

A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.

If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.

You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.

So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.

But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.

When am I not entitled to compensation?

The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.

Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.

Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?

If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.

Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.

Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.

If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.

For more on Finnair, one Sun Writer checked out their business class pods – and called them a game-changer.

Plus, the major airline launches first lie-flat beds in premium economy.

Europe’s victory at Bethpage Black was McIlroy’s sixth in eight Ryder Cups and second in America after 2012’s memorable triumph at Medinah.

Speaking on Tuesday, Donald – who also led Europe to their 2023 win in Rome – said McIlroy would make a “good captain”, but the world number two does not expect to take the reins until the “mid-2030s”.

“Certainly not 2027 [at Adare Manor in Ireland],” he said.

“I hope I’m still playing at that point. But yeah, I would love to be the European team captain at some point.

“But that will be beyond my playing days, or at least when my playing days are coming to an end and I’m not good enough to make the team, or I make way for the new generation to come along.

“Hopefully that’s not in 2027. Hopefully, I’m still good enough to play and put points on the board for Europe.”

McIlroy is returning to action at the DP World Tour’s India Championship – a new tournament – alongside Ryder Cup team-mates Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland.

Grouped with Hovland and US Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin, McIlroy begins Thursday’s first round at Delhi Golf Club at 02:55 BST

Eli Lilly (LLY -0.82%) has been one of the best-performing healthcare giants over the past decade. It now stands as the largest in the sector by market cap.

Even with headwinds it has encountered this year, the drugmaker is arguably one of the top stocks in its industry to buy right now. Here’s why.

Image source: Getty Images.

Innovation pays off

It’s hard to find a drugmaker that has proven more innovative than Eli Lilly in recent years. Within its core areas of diabetes and weight management, Lilly launched tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for obesity. Tirzepatide was a significant breakthrough, as the first dual GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (gastric inhibitory polypeptide) agonist, a medicine that mimics the action of these two gut hormones.

That’s one of the reasons tirzepatide has proved more effective than traditional GLP-1 drugs, and is racking up sales the likes of which have almost never been seen in the history of the industry. That’s not hyperbole. Most compounds never reach $1 billion in annual sales. Most of those that do, never get to $5 billion, and those that do, typically take years on the market to get there. In its third full year on the market, tirzepatide will generate well over $20 billion this year.

The next chapter

Last year, Eli Lilly earned approval for Kisunla, a medicine indicated to treat Alzheimer’s disease, an area that had long been considered the graveyard of investigational medications. So Lilly’s innovative prowess extends beyond its core markets. And the company is leveraging its success in weight management and obesity to establish a strong foundation for the future.

Thanks to acquisitions and licensing deals, it has significantly expanded its pipeline, which should power clinical and regulatory success over the next few years and strong financial results well into the next decade. That’s why Eli Lilly is one of the top healthcare stocks to buy right now.

The Strictly Come Dancing ‘curse’ has taken many victims, but musical theatre contestant Amber Davies is confident that she and Nikita will not be a part of it

For years, the Strictly Come Dancing ‘curse’ has haunted the ballroom, blamed for break-ups, busted engagements, and headline-making scandals. But while the dancefloor has seen its fair share of heartbreak, Amber Davies is confident she won’t be a victim of the ‘curse’.

Musical theatre and former Love Island star Amber is currently paired up with professional dancer and one of Strictly’s favourites, Nikita Kuzmin. Amber, 29, has revealed that she is good friends with Nikita’s partner, model Lauren Jaine, and has also introduced her boyfriend Ben Joyce to Nikita and Lauren.

Amber said: “I’ve met Nikita’s girlfriend. I love her, she is so supportive, so easy-going. She met Ben and my sister too. It was lovely.”

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Lauren has also hit back at viewers who claimed that they wanted Amber and Nikita to succumb to the curse and said: “Please be respectful to the real-life partners and let them have a good experience of the show too.”

Amber and Nikita appear to be going from strength to strength in the competition and scored a whopping 35 for their American Smooth. They danced to the track Sixteen Going on Seventeen from The Sound of Music, which put them second on the leaderboard.

A source has since revealed that Amber is going to be taking the competition ‘one week at a time’ and that she ‘isn’t complacent’. The source also gave an insight into Amber’s thoughts on the ‘Strictly curse’.

They said to The Sun: “As for the curse, she’s madly in love with Ben and he is 100 per cent supportive of her. They are both performers and know how to block out the noise. They have zero doubt the curse won’t touch them. Amber and Lauren get on really well. They swapped numbers early on.”

Amber has been sharing some behind-the-scenes footage on her social media and revealed that her beau Ben has been watching her videos every day.

She said in a TikTok live video: “He is always like ‘let me see the tapes from today’. Sometimes Ben will make me bits and bobs for lunch. Contestants can stay in hotels but I don’t before a live show. I want to be in my own bed with my dog and my boyfriend.”

Amber didn’t even know she was going to be on Strictly until 48 hours before her first dance when she was whisked into the cast of the BBC show as a replacement for fellow Love Island winner Dani Dyer, who had sustained an injury in rehearsals before the first live show.

Just days before she was announced as Dani’s replacement, it was revealed that she will be taking on the tough role of Elle Woods, the part originally made famous by Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 classic, in a new UK tour of Legally Blonde.

READ MORE: ‘I’m a wine connoisseur and this wine advent calendar is the best I’ve found’

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Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has revealed the part husband David Beckham played in her creating her steely pose in which she rarely smiles for the camera

Victoria Beckham’s trademark pout has become symbolic with her appearance over the years. The singer and fashion guru, 51, is well known for her steely look on the catwalks and red carpets and is rarely spotted cracking a smile.

However, while her trademark look has long been speculated, the former Spice Girl has finally revealed the real reason behind keeping her teeth under wraps. Sorry David, but she’s gunning for you.

Victoria’s latest project sees her appear in her self-titled Netflix docuseries and she spills the beans on a number of the family’s most personal details. And this also includes her lack of smiling.

READ MORE: Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz’s heartbreaking cameo in Victoria’s Netflix showREAD MORE: David Beckham told Victoria ‘This can’t continue’ during desperate money showdown

She insists her look was simply formed after husband David stood on her “good side”. She said: “Here’s a fact, I’ve looked miserable for all these years because when we stand on the red carpet, this guy has always [stood] on the left.

“Now I didn’t realise that when I smile – which I do! – I smile from the left, because if I smile from the right, I look unwell. So I’m smiling on the inside but no one ever sees it – so that’s why I look so moody.”

As well as the admission about David’s positioning, Victoria later revealed it may have been a confidence thing at times. She said she was left feeling as though she didn’t want to smile after losing her way following the split of the Spice Girls in 2000.

As her solo career failed to hit the same heights, Victoria said people questioning her next moves began to take a toll on her. “I’d be lying if I said I was the best singer or dancer,” she said. “But when people are mean and you’re hearing things and you’re seeing things and you’re constantly made to feel you’re not good enough, that really hurts. I became so self conscious.”

She later added: “The minute i see a camera, I change. The barrier goes up, my armour goes on and that’s when the miserable cow who doesn’t smile comes out.

“I’m so conscious of that and I don’t like that, I’d rather not be that person. I’d love to have the confidence to walk out of a restaurant and smile but I just can’t do it.'”

And her change in persona was also noted by David who said he could see her confidence and bubbly side slowly disappearing.

Elsewhere on the series, Victoria admitted she became “good at lying” as she revealed how she was able to hide an eating disorder. The mum-of-four explained that she stopped eating because she was felt unable to control what others were saying about her during the height of her fame, but “I can control my weight”.

She revealed how she tried to control the narrative about what was being reported about her: “I could control it with the clothing, I could control it with my weight and I was controlling it in an extremely unhealthy way.

“When you have an eating disorder you become very good at lying and I was never honest about it with my parents.”

Victoria Beckham is available to stream on Netflix now.

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READ MORE: Best Prime Day tooth whitening deal is 70% off – and isn’t actually on Amazon

Ruth Codd, who is in this year’s The Celebrity Traitors on BBC One alongside 18 other stars, wants to raise awareness about amputations following a horrific injury

Ruth Codd – the Irish actress in The Celebrity Traitors – described her leg amputation as the “greatest challenge” she has ever faced.

The star’s candid interview, which has resurfaced following her appearance in the new series last night, details why Ruth, now 29, had her right leg amputated below the knee. The actress had injured her foot playing football when she was 15 and, in around 2019, she suffered further complications which led to the surgery.

Ruth, from Wexford, Ireland, said she made the decision to help relieve the pain and gain more control over her life. Ruth has learned in the subsequent years to use a prosthetic leg, she told the Irish Examiner. This interview from 2022 has resurfaced today following interest on Ruth and her injury.

She said: “My injury is the greatest challenge I’ve faced in my life so far. I injured it playing soccer at the age of 15. It never healed correctly so until I was 23, I was on and off crutches, getting loads of operations. Because of nerve damage and chronic pain, I chose to get it amputated. It took eight years of my life, constantly going in and out of hospital.

“My whole life revolved around trying to heal my leg. For years, I didn’t see it getting any better. I was stuck in a really bad mindset and I was pissed off at life. When I made the decision to amputate it, things finally started to turn around. It was a relief. I could get on my life.”

READ MORE: Inside Celebrity Traitors star Cat Burns’ autism struggle which took 23 years to diagnoseREAD MORE: Celebrity Traitors fans ‘work out’ which favourite will leave first in surprise twist

In The Celebrity Traitors, Ruth and 18 other stars compete to prove themselves as either a Faithful or a Traitor. The other celebs include actor and broadcaster Sir Stephen Fry and Olympian Tom Daley.

Ruth, who portrayed Anya in the Netflix thriller series The Midnight Club, previously spoke of her delight to partake in the show. Her enthusiasm was mirrored by the BBC unscripted director Syeda Irtizaali, who said of the show in the summer: “It was a real pleasure to cast this series. I think where we started with was we wanted to have a really broad range of people, obviously, but we also wanted people that were real fans of the show, that really understood it.

“I was worried about it; I was worried about how they were going to play it compared to members of the public, but we have nothing to worry about. They really play the game, and some of the things that you’ll see them doing are extraordinary; that’s all I’m going to say. It’s well worth the wait.”

Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, The Celebrity Traitors will air on Wednesdays on BBC One and iPlayer.

Newcomers Reiss Boyce and Leisha Lightbody tied the knot in Tuesday night’s episode

A groom from Married at First Sight has revealed the heart-wrenching reason why he believes the show’s matchmaking “has to work”.

Tuesday’s episode (7 October) introduced us to newbies Reiss Boyce and Leisha Lightbody, who said their vows. The pair joined the programme on Monday, along with four other latecomers.

The couple were matched by experts Paul C Brunson, Charlene Douglas and Mel Schilling, and are now set to experience married life over the next few weeks.

Before his nuptials, 33-year-old decorator Reiss confessed that people often perceive him as a “pretty boy”. However, the lad from Essex was quick to point out that there’s much more to him than meets the eye.

Discussing his dream relationship, Reiss stressed the importance of family to him. He then revealed that he found out his dad wasn’t his biological father when he was just seven years old, reports OK!

Reiss stated: “When I get married, I don’t want to be having kids and breaking up. No way!”

He went on to say: “I want to do my best to keep it that [his family] all bonded and sealed together forever. When I was seven years old I found out that my dad wasn’t actually my real dad.”

Reflecting on this tough revelation, he added: “Looking back, at the time, I was only a young nipper. I didn’t really know what was going on. It was just a bit of a whirlwind, it was a lot to take in.

“That’s why I’ve got to do it properly. I’ve got one shot here, it’s got to work.”

Despite this, the new groom appears to share a close bond with his grandparents and is searching for a love story similar to theirs.

Sadly, Reiss’ MAFS experience has got off to a bumpy beginning.

Whilst he’s physically drawn to his new bride, the groom considers her “quite loud” and “a little bit over the top”.

The pair even clashed following the ceremony when Leisha challenged her new spouse for only pecking her on the cheek in front of their wedding guests.

They subsequently shared a kiss that Leisha appeared to relish but Reiss criticised because “there was no passion”.

Married at First Sight UK continues on E4 tomorrow night at 8pm

Comedian and TV star Paul O’Grady was set to be the host of Britain’s Got Talent and even have the show named after him until things got very heated behind the scenes

Former Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan has revealed Paul O’Grady was meant to be the host for the hit talent show, until things went very wrong. The controversial broadcaster was part of the original line up on Simon Cowell’s talent show back in 2007.

Music mogul Simon was inspired by former talent shows including Opportunity Knocks and New Faces as he wanted to create a competition for people of any age and location to enter. He wanted a range of personalities on the judging panel with him, and first settled on Piers and Fern Britton.

Simon set his sights on comedian Paul as host and even planned to name the show, Paul O’Grady’s Got Talent. He met with Piers for lunch in Kensington, London to get him on board.

READ MORE: Britain’s Got Talent’s scramble to film auditions after Simon Cowell’s illnessREAD MORE: Simon Cowell’s real reason for pulling out of Britain’s Got Talent after head injury

Piers admitted: “I owe him a lot actually because I would not have had any career in America without him. He has been great for me. He said ‘I am going to bring back an old all-round talent show like New Faces, Opportunity Knocks and The Gong Show in America. It can be any talent’.”

The broadcaster explained: “We did a pilot at ITV. Paul O’Grady was the host. The judging panel was Simon Cowell, me, and Fern Britton. It was about to be greenlit as a prime-time ITV show.”

Piers said he was ready “to get back in the game” but things quickly took a turn and the production was halted. He said: “Then Paul O’Grady had a massive falling out with ITV, told them to shove it and went to Channel 4.”

At the time, the Paul O’Grady Show moved over to Channel 4 and ITV stopped him being able to rent their studios. Paul decided to refuse all work with the network following the row.

He explained years later: “I did the pilot for Britain’s Got Talent – which was originally going to be called Paul O’Grady’s Got Talent. But I told the producers they were having a joke if they thought I would front a show with that title.

“The original panel of judges was going to be Simon Cowell, Fern Britton and Piers Morgan. I was the host. Then when I had the row with ITV I was banned from the studios.

“I remember I rang Simon and told him he had a huge hit on his hands, but there was no way I could do it. I said, if I am banned I have to be banned from everything. I can’t be a hypocrite and come in and do this. I had to bow out.”

Paul added: “I don’t regret what I did. Not in the slightest. Good luck to them.” He did also manage to patch things up with ITV and returned years later with Paul O’Grady Live!.

Paul’s decision to boycott ITV meant Britain’s Got Talent was hit with a huge delay and Simon decided to kick off with America’s Got Talent first. Simon enlisted Piers again as he wanted “someone who is judgmental, opinionated, obnoxious and arrogant” as him.

Britain’s Got Talent hit screens a year later with Simon, Piers and Amanda Holden as judges and Ant and Dec as hosts. Piers said on The Overlap and Betfair’s Stick to Cricket show: “He had literally come up with the entire concept of Got Talent on a napkin at the Ivy in Kensington.

“Bring back a talent show. Have a tough mean judge, a mother hen figure, a funny person and any talent goes. Now the Got Talent franchise is in more than 60 countries around the world. It changed my life.”

READ MORE: Shoppers ditch cheap tights for pair that ‘feel soft, warm and comfortable’

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After sliding sharply on Thursday and Friday, Tesla (TSLA -1.41%) is back in focus ahead of its next earnings report, scheduled for Oct. 22. With a combination of record quarterly deliveries, a sharp sell-off, and an earnings report on the horizon, it’s a good time to look closely at the growth stock. Is the pullback a buying opportunity?

The electric vehicle (EV) maker, which also sells batteries and energy-storage systems and is increasingly leaning into software and services with its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver-assistance technology and its autonomous ride-sharing robotaxi operation, has some massive catalysts ahead. But it may have to endure a tough fourth quarter first, making the question of whether shares are a buy a difficult one. The stock’s high valuation makes the decision even harder.

With this backdrop in mind, here are four reasons investors might want to buy the stock and one important reason they may want to avoid it.

Image source: Getty Images.

A return to growth in its core automotive business

Tesla delivered about 497,100 vehicles in the third quarter, a new quarterly record and, importantly, a return to year-over-year growth of about 7% versus the same period last year. That reversal follows two straight quarters of declines: First-quarter 2025 deliveries fell 13% year over year to 336,681, and second-quarter 2025 deliveries slipped 13% to 384,122. Together, these figures frame Q3 not just as a huge sequential jump but also as a clear break in a tough 2025 trend.

Even though the rebound was helped by the expiration of a key $7,500 U.S. electric vehicle credit, it’s worth noting that third-quarter deliveries were far above analysts’ consensus forecast for only about 448,000 vehicles.

Energy is quietly becoming a substantial catalyst

Alongside vehicles, Tesla’s fast-growing energy storage business took another major step forward in Q3. Tesla deployed 12.5 gigawatt hours (GWh) of storage in the third quarter, its highest on record and well above both the 9.6 GWh reported in the second quarter of 2025 and the 6.9 GWh posted in the third quarter of 2024.

This key segment is now generating substantial gross profit for the company and is likely to continue growing as a percentage of overall revenue.

Fading credits may sting, but product and pricing help

The $7,500 federal electric vehicle credit expired on Sept. 30 — a change that likely pulled some U.S. demand into Q3 and could weigh on Q4. But there are two offsets worth watching. First, Tesla’s sweeping post-COVID-19 price cuts have made its lineup far more accessible than a few years ago.

Second, the recently overhauled Model Y, which Tesla is calling Juniper, gives the company a timely hero product to market into the holidays. While these may not be enough to fully offset the loss of the electric vehicle incentive, they are key catalysts that can help the company begin building momentum going into 2026.

A more affordable model is coming

More importantly, the company has a more affordable model coming soon. Indeed, Tesla said in its second-quarter update that it produced its first units of the new model in June, with volume production planned before the year ends. While comments from Tesla CEO Elon Musk in the company’s second-quarter earnings call suggest this may simply be a cheaper version of the new Model Y, it’s still worth getting excited about. A lower-priced car could help offset the loss of the now-expired federal credit.

If the company releases a meaningfully lower-priced model with a compelling range and features, the addition could significantly expand Tesla’s addressable market next year.

A new, higher-margin revenue stream

And don’t forget what is probably Tesla‘s most important catalyst: a recently launched limited robotaxi pilot program in Austin. It is early for the autonomous ride-sharing program, and a cautious rollout and regulatory constraints mean the near-term financial impact is likely small, but this could morph into a major profit stream for Tesla over time.

If the service scales and more owners opt into Full Self-Driving (Supervised), software and services could grow as a share of revenue. This will likely be a positive for margins and valuation over time. Additionally, growing buzz about robotaxi and Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software could help lure in new Tesla buyers, helping accelerate sales growth.

The reason not to buy? Valuation still leaves little room for error

Even after the sell-off, the stock trades at more than 250 times earnings as of this writing. A price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio like this makes the S&P 500‘s P/E of about 26 look cheap — and it leaves almost no room for error. The valuation arguably already prices in substantial progress on autonomy, software monetization, and lower-priced vehicles while also expecting energy to keep compounding. Ultimately, shares could take a beating if Tesla drops the ball in any way.

Despite the company’s powerful catalysts, the bear case (valuation) is simpler and, for now, heavy enough to matter. Considering all these bullish reasons to buy shares in the context of the stock’s high valuation, investors should proceed with caution. For investors convinced by Tesla’s long-term roadmap, a small position could make sense with the expectation of volatility and the discipline to add only if shares retreat further. Everyone else may prefer to wait for a potential further decline in the share price or for fundamentals to catch up.

My colleague, Adria Cimino, recently predicted that Nvidia (NVDA -0.77%) shares, recently trading near $189 per stub, will reach $400 by 2030, only five years from now. I’m bullish on the stock, myself, own a few shares, and expect them to do quite well over the coming decade.

Why do we expect Nvidia to soar over the coming decade? Well, in my view, there are many reasons. A chief one is the continuing growth of artificial intelligence (AI) technology — around the world. Nvidia, with a recent market cap of $4.6 trillion, is a leading semiconductor company, and the chips it designs are critical for AI because they help train AI.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Nvidia seems likely to reap plenty of profits from its AI-enabling chips, but it will likely also profit from some significant investments in other companies, such as fellow chip specialist Intel and its customer OpenAI, owner of chatbot ChatGPT. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang foresees up to $4 trillion in annual AI infrastructure spending by 2030 and expects Nvidia to reap a lot of that. More currently, Nvidia is seeing around $600 billion in data center spending this year.

So — should you invest in Nvidia? It’s not a crazy idea. Yes, it has averaged annual gains of more than 77% over the past decade, but its stock still doesn’t seem wildly overvalued, considering its torrid growth. Its recent forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 41.5 isn’t too far from its five-year average of 38.9.

If you invest in Nvidia, don’t assume that you’ll enjoy 77% gains each year. Remember that as companies grow huge, it can be hard for them to keep growing rapidly. Still, I suspect that long-term investors buying some shares of Nvidia today will do well over a decade or more.

BIG BROTHER housemate Cameron revealed the surprising REAL reason he entered the house.

The 22-year-old farmer, from Somerset, got candid with fellow housemate Zelah, and opened up about his true intentions for coming onto the show.

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Cameron, who introduced himself as an introvert, told his co-star that he had entered the house on a mission to lose weight, as the pair openly discussed issues around body image.

As the pair had a conversation Cameron admitted that he had come into the house to “lose a bit of weight”.

Zelah, who works a professional trainer, asked if Cameron had any goals when it came to food.

Cameron responded: “Just like not eat so much crap all the time, like don’t binge as much.“

He went on to ask Zelah: “Did you used to be big?”

The personal trainer responded: “I used to be bigger, I used to be overweight.”

Zelah continued: “During my teen years, I developed an eating disorder.”

He opened up about his battle with bulimia, telling Cameron he struggled with “eating and then throwing up”.

Zelah admitted: “It stayed with me for a long time.”

Cameron responded: “At boarding school, we were made to run all the time and I was made to do rugby which I never really liked.”

He added: “I never really enjoyed, especially doing it with other people, I never really enjoyed doing all that.

“I felt embarrassed doing all that actually.”

Viewers praised Cameron for opening up about his body image struggles, particularly after he shared his fears over housemates liking him in an emotional diary room confession after entering the house.

Fans on social media admitted that the farmer has started to grow on them.

One viewer wrote on X: “Farmer O.G Cameron is really growing on me. Seems like such a nice guy. Love the way he emotionally checks in with people so effortlessly.”

Another fan said: “Farmer Cameron is a great addition to the cast i shouldnt have judged him prematurely”.

It comes as Gani became the second housemate to be given the boot from Big Brother house – after facing the first public vote of the series. 

Poor weather conditions meant ITV bosses had to pull the plug on using their outdoor set forcing this week’s evictee to leave via the back door.

Both Gani and Zelah found themselves facing the public vote after being given an evil eye by the four newest housemates – Richard, Feyisola, Cameron B and George.

Upon his departure being confirmed, he was met by Will Best, who walked him over to the Late and Live studio amid the shake-up.

When asked how he was feeling, Gani looked heartbroken as he confessed: “I seriously don’t know what to even say right now.”

During his exit interview with AJ and Will, Gani admitted he wanted to share more of himself whilst on the show.

Rising 30% so far in 2025 and now a $120 billion company, Latin American e-commerce and fintech juggernaut MercadoLibre (MELI 2.89%) may have investors feeling like they missed their opportunity to buy.

However, despite the company’s immense size, one key attribute makes it worthy of buying today: its growth optionality.

MercadoLibre’s seemingly endless ways to grow

Growth optionality, or a company’s flexibility to expand into new markets, is one of the most powerful forces for a stock. And MercadoLibre has growth optionality in spades.

Image source: Getty Images.

Expanding to all of Latin America

MercadoLibre is home to 71 million monthly active buyers who purchased over $15 billion worth of products in the last quarter. Yet Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico account for 96% of the company’s total sales, leaving a long growth runway as it expands into new countries.

As a whole, Latin America has 50% more people than the United States. Still, the region’s e-commerce penetration rate is only half that of its neighbor to the north, highlighting the vast opportunity that remains.

Advertising

The company grew its share of the Latin American digital ads market from 1.5% in 2019 to 6.7% in 2024. This market share makes it the third-largest advertiser in the area.

This burgeoning segment grew sales by 38% in the second quarter. With the Latin American retail media market expected to triple in size between 2024 and 2028, MercadoLibre’s rapid growth here should persist.

Business-to-business (B2B)

MercadoLibre recently launched its B2B offering, with 4 million users enabled to make wholesale purchases.

Management estimates this market is roughly four times the size of the company’s existing consumer marketplace. Any success here could be a major multiplier over time.

Fintech and credit

Home to 68 million monthly active fintech users, MercadoLibre is well positioned to disrupt the largely underbanked and cash-payment-heavy nature of most Latin American countries.

Furthermore, the company now has 35 million users in its credit portfolio — 60% of whom had no credit offers before.

Still growing sales by more than 30% quarter after quarter, MercadoLibre’s growth story is far from over.