fertility

Oct. 16 (UPI) — President Donald Trump announced a deal Thursday between his administration and a pharmaceutical company that could reduce the cost of some fertility medications.

Administration officials say the deal between the government and EMD Serono will help millions of U.S. women who have trouble conceiving afford the cost of medications that could help.

“In the Trump administration, we want to make it easier for couples to have babies, raise children and start the families they’ve always dreamed about,” Trump said during his Oval Office announcement.

The president said during the announcement that EMD Serono, the world’s largest fertility drug manufacturer, has agreed to provide discounts for the drugs it sells in the United States, including Gonal-f, which is used to treat infertility by men and women.

A fertility drug cycle typically costs between $5,000 and $6,000, the administration said, and only about 30% of families have access to employer insurance that will cover the treatment. Women trying to conceive can require different amounts of the drug.

Trump said his administration is working with employers to make it easier for them to offer supplemental insurance coverage for fertility treatments.

“As a result of these actions, the per-cycle cost of drugs used in IVF will fall by an estimated 73% for American consumers, and the numbers are going to actually be very substantially higher as time goes by when it really kicks in,” Trump continued during the announcement.

Trump blamed inflated fertility drug prices as a reason for the high cost of IVF treatment, and claimed the cost for the procedure is 700% times more expensive in the United States than in the rest of the world.

Seroni said in its statement that IVF patients will be able to buy Gonal-f at an 84% discount.

Michelle Ryan’s Zoe Slater is at the centre of many iconic moments on Albert Square

Zoe Slater is officially back in Walford. Michelle Ryan and her iconic character returned to EastEnders permanently this week and her storyline is already of to a dramatic start, complete with dark secrets, arguments outside the Vic and a shocking shooting.

The character’s return was hotly anticipated by fans ever since she briefly appeared in three episodes earlier this year. Her reunion with mum Kat Slater aired on Tuesday night (2 September) and fans have flocked to the internet to share their theories around where her storyline might go.

Zoe is fan favourite on EastEnders thanks to her involvement in many of the show’s iconic moments and characters. Here we take a look at her past, from her reason for leaving Walford to one of the show’s most quoted arguments…

Arriving in Walford

Twenty five years ago, The Slater family first burst onto the BBC soap. A teenage Zoe moved to Albert Square with her sisters, Kat, Lynne and Little Mo, father Charlie and grandmother Mo Harris.

Later, her cousin Stacey would arrive and become one the core members of the family, but at the start, Zoe was the youngest Slater and described by the BBC as “bolshy and defiant”. Though her family had just moved to Walford, she was intent on getting away and joining her Uncle Harry in Spain – something Kat was not willing to let happen.

Finding out who her mother is

Less than a year after she arrived, Zoe wanted to leave Walford to join Harry Slater, her uncle, in Spain. Her sister Kat is not willing to let that happen and orders Zoe not to go.

In a fight outside the Vic, Zoe yells the first half of one EastEnders’ most iconic quotes: “You can’t tell me what to do, you ain’t my mother!”

“Yes, I am!” Kat responds.

She explains that she was 13 when she had Zoe and that she got pregnant after being raped by Harry. The argument leads Kat to attempt suicide, and Zoe, unable to process what she’s learned, runs away.

The twist has affected Kat for the rest of her time on the show and even led to a spin-off called Kat & Alfie: Redwater, in which she goes looking for Luke, her long-lost son and Zoe’s twin brother.

During her first time away from Walford, Zoe is found on the streets by Roxy Drake, a pimp who forces her into sex work. Thankfully, Kat tracks her daughter down and is able to take her home after head-butting Roxy.

Love triangle with Kat

Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed a weird look Zoe gave to Anthony Trueman when she entered the Vic on Tuesday’s episode. This is because the two used to be in a relationship.

But Zoe is not the only Slater that Anthony has been involved with. In fact, before he dated her, Anthony was dating Kat. Zoe disowned Kat for disapproving of the relationship but when Anthony reveals that he’s still in love with Kat, the relationship ends and Zoe runs away again.

Sleeping with Den Watts

When Zoe returns again, she starts to date Dennis Rickman, the son of iconic EastEnders villain Den Watts. The relationship with Dennis was doomed from the start, as unbeknownst to Zoe, he was in love with his adoptive sister, Sharon Watts.

On Christmas Day 2005, Zoe learns of Dennis and Sharon’s affair and plan to run away together. Den convinces Zoe that the only way to keep Dennis is to say she is pregnant, as Sharon is believed to be infertile.

The plan works but Dennis refuses to sleep with Zoe again and she becomes desperate to get pregnant for real. At his suggestion, Zoe resorts to sleeping with Den.

After Dennis catches his girlfriend and his father in bed together, and realises Zoe wasn’t pregnant, he leaves to be with Sharon. But not before informing Den’s wife Chrissie of his affair with Zoe.

READ MORE: Shop Stacey Solomon’s exact drawers that are ‘perfect’ for adding warmth to a bedroom

Her involvement in Den’s murder

Zoe does get pregnant by Den and a vengeful Chrissie convinces her to terminate the pregnancy and team up to exact revenge on Den. Joined by Sam Mitchell, the three hatch a plan to reveal everything he has done to his beloved daughter Sharon.

Upon learning of the way Den used her infertility against her, Sharon disowns him. When Den realised this was Chrissie’s plan, he attacks her and a distressed Zoe panics and hits him with a metal doorstop. Den collapses and Zoe believes she has killed him.

But, after she leaves, Den wakes up and grabs Chrissie who hits him with the same doorstop. Zoe is led to believe she is the murderer, but is eventually told the truth by Sam. When she learns what really happened, Zoe punches Chrissie and decides to leave Walford.

Leaving Walford

Before this year, the last time Zoe was seen on EastEnders was when she was leaving for Ibiza after finding out she wasn’t responsible for Den Watts’ murder. At the tube station, Zoe tearfully called Kat to say goodbye.

Kat races to meet Zoe at the station and gives her the hospital bracelet she had as a baby. Zoe replied: “I love you, Mum.”

The two parted on good terms, and Zoe wasn’t seen again on screen until this year, when she was revealed to be staying with Stacey Slater. However, as proven by her frosty reunion with Kat, something must have changed.

In 2015, Kat tells Mo and Stacey that she was planning to save some money to visit Zoe in Spain, but Mo tells Stacey that Zoe does not want to see Kat. Mo tries to contact Zoe to change her mind, but she refuses and tells Kat that she wants to move on from her and Walford. Kat then visits the convent where she gave birth to Zoe and finds out about her son, Luke.

Return to Walford

Zoe’s return to EastEnders got fully underway in the most recent episodes of the soap and fans have many theories about what she has been up to in the two decades since she left. Some have suggested she may be the real mother of Joel Marshall, one of the show’s current villains.

Others have guessed she is secretly be married to another returning favourite, Max Branning. If so, she would be the second Slater to be involved with him, as Stacey has been romantically linked to Max several times, including when she was still dating his son, Bradley.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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EXCLUSIVE: Amy Dowden talks about returning to Strictly, menopause, IVF and marriage to Ben as she discusses life after chemotherapy and finding her new normal

When she rang the bell to mark the end of her breast cancer treatment, Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden thought her nightmare would end. Instead she found herself at an “all time low” as she came to terms with her new reality – she was bald, menopausal and too weak to dance.

Amy told The Mirror: “I thought my life was going to get back to normal. I was deluded. I honestly thought that I’d be back dancing on Strictly in no time and that my hair was going to grow back far quicker than it did. I thought that I’d be back to the old Amy, and it hit me really hard. I was scared and petrified. It was a very daunting, difficult time as well as being put into menopause.”

Amy had been diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, less than a year after marrying her husband Benjamin Jones. She was 32 and preparing for a new series of Strictly. Almost immediately, she had a mastectomy, followed by IVF two weeks later to try and preserve her chances of having a family.

Amy said: “I started IVF treatment two weeks after the mastectomy. I was still recovering from surgery and then that was another journey. And then two weeks after I started chemo.”

After eight rounds of chemotherapy, Amy completed her treatment and rang the bell. Sadly it didn’t herald an instant change in fortune and just a few days later Amy broke her foot, compounding her fears she’d never dance again. Amy said: “A few days later I broke my foot. I felt more of a cancer patient than ever. I felt isolated and lonely. And I didn’t know what my life ahead was going to be.”

Menopause is a notoriously difficult time for any woman, but coming after chemotherapy, it left Amy exhausted, emotional and suffering debilitating hot flushes. She said: “When I finished treatment, I actually hit an all time low. I went from this super fit young lady used to the spotlight and hair and make up to not liking to look in the mirror. But also there was a voice in my head saying, ‘Cancer can’t take away your dancing.’”

Amy has always dreamed of being a mother and thanks to the IVF wedged in between her mastectomy and chemotherapy, she has five frozen embryos that could hold the key to her future happiness.

However, doctors have warned Amy that even though she’s cancer free, she cannot yet risk undergoing IVF as the hormones she would have to take could raise her risk of the cancer returning.

Amy said: “I always wanted the honour of being a mother. My oncologist said he won’t speak to me about it yet. It’s too soon. We were lucky enough to get five embryos, but right now, it’s still too soon. I only finished active treatment just over a year ago. My body has just got to recover first, hopefully.”

Amy is sharing her recovery story after making a short film called Beyond the Bell, which is part of the Keep Ahead campaign from Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK, to shed light on life post-breast cancer.

While ringing the bell might appear as a moment of joy for people outside of cancer treatment, Amy wants to prepare people going through treatment for the reality.

Last year (2024), Amy triumphantly re-joined Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with singer JB Gill. However, she was forced to withdraw in November with a stress fracture, and was replaced by Lauren Oakley, who made it to the finals with JB.

In hindsight, Amy realises her return to Strictly was too soon for her physically – though she believes dancing on the show was vital to her mental and emotional recovery.

Amy said: “I went back to Strictly far too early last year because I just wanted to get what I thought was my normal back. I needed it mentally to go back, otherwise I don’t think I would have ever gone back. I needed that normality. I couldn’t have watched another series from the sofa. It was killing me. Physically I wasn’t ready, but I thought I was. The BBC put so much in place to ease me back in gradually and I’m so grateful for them and they constantly had my best interests at heart.”

With the 2025 series of Strictly looming, Amy believes she’s fitter than ever and is grateful that her body has adjusted to the menopause.

She said: “I still get the occasional hot flush. This time last year it was really tough but now I really feel my body’s adjusted to it.”

Amy and Ben have just celebrated their third wedding anniversary and despite the traumatic start to their marriage, their love is deeper than ever before. Amy said: “We’re even closer than ever now, especially this past year getting our life back together, enjoying holidays and doing our house renovation. My husband said to me earlier this year, ‘I love my life and I’m really happy.’ It makes you realise how precious life and your loved ones are after a cancer diagnosis. We just enjoy every little bit of time we get together.”

Part of Amy’s new normal is saying ‘no’ more often and prioritising her recovery. She said: “I would always work myself into the ground. I wouldn’t take a day off. I’d run Dance Academy, I’d be saying yes to absolutely everything and I’ve learned that now, actually, I need time off to recover. I need a day off or I need to go and see my family. That’s what I learnt most about cancer – life is precious.”

Another unexpected side effect of cancer is that Amy has lost close friends who never reached out to her after her diagnosis, leaving her hurt and confused. Amy said: “There were people sat at my wedding six months before and I still haven’t heard from them today. Everyone deals with it differently, but it’s still very tough. So much has changed for me.”

However, cancer has brought new people into her life and her true friendships and relationships have strengthened. Amy said: “I learned who my true friends and family were and I only surround myself with them, that’s the new normal for me.”

Amy has shared her early breast cancer journey from the beginning, hoping her story helps others who are also affected by the disease. She said: “If a lady’s diagnosed with cancer she can say it, ‘Well, Amy got back on the dance floor or she can say to her little girl, ‘Look, Mum’s got what Amy’s got and she’s back on Strictly, she’s got a smile on her face.’”

While her recovery has been gruelling, Amy believes that she’s now fitter than she’s ever been. She said: “Everyone is different but actually I feel stronger and fitter than I did now before my cancer treatment. I’ve done that hard work in the gym and I’ve really loved seeing the differences made and doing one up on cancer.”

So it’s with an unflinching smile that Amy heads into this year’s Strictly.

While she dreams of being victorious and lifting the glitterball trophy with her celebrity partner, Amy admits just completing the competition would mean the world to her.

She said: “Watching your celebrity fall in love with dancing, that for me is a win. It would just be wonderful to be able to complete the whole Strictly series. I just can’t wait to just soak myself in all the Strictly magic.”

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Emmerdale fans are convinced an iconic couple could be set to reunite after 14 years

An iconic Emmerdale duo could be reuniting after 14 years, leaving fans gobsmacked.

Soap aficionados will recall the complex history between Charity (played by Emma Atkins) and Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley).

The pair, who are second cousins, had a notable teenage fling which resulted in their daughter Debbie’s (Charley Webb) birth.

Following Debbie’s arrival, Charity and Cain made several attempts to reignite their romance, including a marriage proposal and a near-wedding, but ultimately, their relationship didn’t last.

Cain is currently wedded to Moira (Natalie J Robb), while Charity is married to Moira’s younger brother, Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb), reports Leicestershire Live.

It’s been a challenging few months for the pair, following the death of Cain’s son, Nate Robinson (Jurrell Carter).

Nate was murdered by John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) following last year’s barn fire.

John notably administered an injection to Nate that had fatal consequences. He then moved Nate’s body to a bridge and dumped the concealed body into the lake where the limo crash occurred.

More than eight months after the barn fire, Nate’s body was retrieved from the lake by police, with Cain quickly becoming a suspect.

As Cain grappled with his grief, he was further devastated to discover that his and Charity’s granddaughter, Sarah (Katie Hill), had been diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer.

Emmerdale’s drama hit fever-pitch last month when Sarah Sugden announced her IVF intentions with ex, Jacob Gallagher as the donor.

But Sarah’s family shared their doubts, with Cain voicing: “Why him? That’s what I want to know. It’s only five minutes ago since he dumped her.”

Meanwhile, Charity offered solace, saying: “She’s dead set on having a kid, so there’s no point you and her falling out over this. And while she’s busy getting excited about Jacob being the sperm donor, she’s not thinking about [her cancer operation]. So, it’s a really great distraction.”

Post cancer surgery – involving an emergency hysterectomy – Sarah was heartbroken at the news of her inability to conceive.

Fans are buzzing about a potential reunion for Charity and Cain as they rally around Sarah, with one viewer expressing on X (formerly Twitter): “It’s great to see how Cain and Charity now get on so well, especially when you watch old episodes and they were at each other’s throats all the time.”

Whilst another questions: “Cain and Charity have a wonderful relationship, could they get back together now they’re spending more time with each other?”

One viewer commented: “Cain and Charity are destined to be together,” while another echoed the sentiment, stating: “Charity and Cain are getting closer? They could be the exes that get back together, not Charity and Vanessa.”

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX

June 4 (UPI) — Federal officials have arrested a Washington man they said provided “significant quantities” of explosive materials to the man who attacked a California fertility clinic in a suicide bombing.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California charged Daniel Jongyon Park of Kent, Wash., with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists.

Officials arrested him Tuesday night shortly after he arrived on a flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Park had been deported from Poland where he traveled to in the days after the May 17 attack.

Police said Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms, Calif., attacked the American Reproductive Centers location in Palm Springs, Calif., using a vehicle-borne bomb. He was allegedly motivated by his anti-natalist views that people shouldn’t be brought into the world without their consent.

The Justice Department said Park shared Bartkus’ views and bought and shipped more than 200 pounds of ammonium nitrate to Bartkus’ home. Park also joined Bartkus in Twentynine Palms, where the two allegedly conducted experiments on how to build explosives using the chemicals.

Attorney General Pam Bondi thanked the Polish government for assisting in returning Park to the United States to face charges.

“Bringing chaos and violence to a facility that exists to help women and mothers is a particularly cruel, disgusting crime that strikes at the very heart of our shared humanity,” she said.

May 18 (UPI) — A 25-year-old man on Sunday has been tentatively identified as the suspect in an explosion outside a Southern California fertility clinic that injured four and and killed one.

The FBI believes Edward Bartkus, a resident of Twentynine Palms, home to a large U.S. Marine Corps base, about 58 miles northwest of Palm Springs, used a vehicle-borne improvised bomb. The explosion occurred at 11 a.m. PDT Saturday and damaged several buildings.

“We are working through some other technical means to positively identify the decedent here, but we believe at this moment, based on the evidence that we’ve gathered, that that is Mr. Bartkus as the decedent here,” Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said at a Sunday morning news conference.

None of those injured are believed to be staff members of the clinic, city officials said.

American Reproductive Centers wrote on Facebook that a “vehicle exploded in the parking lot near our building.”

“Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is,” the center posted. “In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope — because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care,” they wrote in the post.

“Out of every tragedy, there is an opportunity to come together with deeper purpose. While today’s events have shaken us all, they also shine a light on the strength of our community, the bravery of our first responders, and the resilience of the families we serve.

“At ARC, we believe in creating life – not just in the biological sense, but in the emotional and spiritual sense, too,” the post said.

The clinic expects to reopen Monday.

The Center for Reproductive Services and the American Coalition for Telemedicine told CBS News that they had not heard of any threats to their facilities or the organizations they work with across the country.

“We were able to save all of the embryos at this facility,” Davis said. “Good guys, 1, bad guys, 0.”

The blast could be felt more than a mile away from the blast zone and pieces of vehicles were thrown hundreds of feet in the air and then several blocks away.

“You can use your imagination for how big that bomb device was,” Davis said.

People at The Skylark Hotel, about 500 yards from the clinic, said they felt the explosion.

Palm Springs city officials said in a Facebook post that the blast occurred near several healthcare facilities.

“We believe he was the subject found by the vehicle,” Davis said.

The vehicle was a 2010 silver Ford Fusion sedan.

Davis said this is the largest bombing ever investigated in Southern California.

“It does require some planning and some skill to build a bomb of this kind, although we have seen similar devices with even more significant damage before including the horror of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the blast that rocked the World Trade Center during the first attack in February 1993,” Law Enforcement analyst Richard Esposito told CBS News.

Barkus has not been in the FBI’s radar, according to Davis.

In writing or recordings, the suspect was against bringing people into the world against their will, according to CBS law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation.

“The subject had nihilistic ideations and this was a targeted attack,” Davis said. “We believe he was attempting to livestream it and yes, that is also part of our investigation.”

On Saturday, Davis said: “Make no mistake, this is an intentional act of terrorism.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also sent agents to help with the investigation.

“Yesterday, a man intent on harming others in our city failed. Palm Springs survived and we are stronger and more resilient as a result,” Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills said during Sunday’s news conference. “Our determination to continue life as we know it here in Palm Springs continues unabated and you’ll see this city dynamically grow as a result of this.

Late Saturday, the FBI and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office evacuated residents in the Twentynine Palms neighborhood where the suspect lived and more than 50 miles from the blast.

“I can confirm that we were executing a search warrant at that location in Twentynine Palms as a result of this explosion here,” Davis said. “Some residents were evacuated in the neighboring area as a practice of protocol and safety. We do not believe that there is an ongoing threat to the public in the Twentynine Palms area as a result of this investigation.”

Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills said the blast ‘appears to be an intentional act of violence’.

At least one person has been killed after an explosion near a reproductive health facility in Palm Springs, California, the city’s mayor said.

Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills said the blast on Friday “appears to be an intentional act of violence” and that several buildings were damaged, some severely.

“There has been one fatality, the person’s identity is not known,” Mills’ statement said.

The city’s mayor, Ron deHarte, said a bomb was either in or near a car parked outside of the clinic when it exploded, the Reuters news agency reported.

Palm Springs Fire Chief Paul Alvarado said no suspect had been identified.

Authorities said the blast occurred on Saturday around 11am local time (18:00 GMT) near North Indian Canyon Drive and East Tachevah Drive. Police urged residents to avoid the area as fire crews and investigators secured the scene.

Federal agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were dispatched to support the local investigation, which remains in its early stages.

The blast damaged the American Reproductive Centers facility, a fertility clinic run by Dr Maher Abdallah. He told The Associated Press that, while his office space suffered damage, the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) lab and its stored embryos were untouched.

“I really have no clue what happened,” Abdallah said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”

He added that all his staff were safe and accounted for.

Nearby resident Nima Tabrizi, 37, from Santa Monica, said he was inside a cannabis dispensary when he felt the building shake.

“The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s a massive cloud smoke,” Tabrizi said. “Crazy explosion. It felt like a bomb went off … We went up to the scene, and we saw human remains.”

Palm Springs, a wealthy desert city known for its luxury resorts and celebrity history, is located about 100 miles (161km) east of Los Angeles.