A new single-pill HIV treatment has proved as effective as a course of up to 11 tablets a day in suppressing the virus in hard-to-treat patients. It’s a “potential breakthrough for a growing cohort of long-term HIV survivors” who are resistant to standard treatments and struggle with complex medication schedules, said the Financial Times. Along with a twice-yearly jab to prevent HIV infection, this represents the “latest advance in a scientific ‘golden age’ for treating the virus,” even as wealthy countries cut their funding. 

How effective is the new single-dose pill? 
In a study spanning 15 countries, researchers recruited more than 550 people living with HIV for whom conventional therapies were no longer effective. They had a median age of 60, many had other health conditions, and their HIV treatment involved taking between three and 11 pills a day. 

For the research, they were randomly assigned to continue their treatment or switch to the new single pill. Almost 96% of those who switched continued to suppress the virus, without new signs of drug resistance, according to results published in The Lancet. That was a similar rate to the control group that stayed on a more complicated multi-pill treatment. And the “switchers” found the new regimen easier to follow and experienced a decrease in some side effects, such as elevated cholesterol levels. 

The findings are “game-changing” for people who have lived with the virus for decades and have conditions “associated with aging,” said study lead Chloe Orkin, a professor of infection and inequities at Queen Mary University of London. 

How do the HIV-preventive injections work? 
A twice-yearly jab of lenacapavir was shown in 2024 clinical trials to be 100% effective at preventing new HIV infections. An injection like this has a clear advantage over daily prevention pills in poorer countries, where patients, particularly young women, might struggle to access clinics or feel stigmatized for seeking treatment. The World Health Organization recommended the jab last year, when Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described it as the “next best thing” to an HIV vaccine. 

There was initial concern that the drug would not be affordable in poorer countries, but manufacturer Gilead then granted licenses to six manufacturers to produce generic versions of the drug in 120 low- and middle-income countries at $40 per patient per year. This is a “historic breakthrough,” said Philippe Duneton of the Unitaid global health initiative.

A dating term trending on TikTok has daters concerned about a horrifying practice that some experts say is a form of abuse. Fear of abandonment is fairly common. But when weaponized as a tool for ending a relationship in the middle of the wilderness, it’s compounded by a potential for dangerous outcomes.

Fears swirl online
Social media is buzzing about the term “alpine divorce.” It happens when a couple explores nature during a hike or camping trip and “one abandons the other in the wilderness,” said USA Today. The concept appears to have originated in a late-1800s short story called “An Alpine Divorce” by Robert Barr. The story involves a man who “attempts to murder his wife while the two are out hiking on a mountain.”

Thanks to a viral TikTok video, the phrase has newfound attention. With more than 19 million views, the video features the caption: “POV: You go on a hike with him in the mountains, and he leaves you alone by yourself, and you realize he never liked you to begin with.” Stories of alpine divorces littered the comment section, as other women shared their experiences of being left alone in the wild.

The renewed interest has also been linked to the recent case of an Austrian mountain climber who was found guilty of gross negligent manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend behind during a hike. She then died of hypothermia. The incident, said Outside, “sparked intense debates” about alpine divorces and whether the “more skilled climber should be held liable for mountain tragedies or if responsibility rests with the individual climber.”

Future implications
Alpine divorce’s sudden popularity reflects “broader anxieties about trust, safety and power dynamics in relationships,” particularly in remote or high‑risk settings, said Newsweek. Outdoor safety experts have “long emphasized that hiking and climbing partners share responsibility for each other’s well-being,” especially when “experience levels differ.”

Some believe there are exceptions to the controversial trend. Alpine divorce could be warranted if you ever feel unsafe, Karsten Delap, a professional climber, guide and rescuer, said to Outside. 

Lee Cox hugs his dog Bruin as the Clumber spaniel is named best in show at Crufts 2026 in Birmingham, U.K. The 4-year-old is a “bit of a diva,” said Cox, after Bruin became the first of his breed to win the top prize since 1991.
Shirlaine Forrest / WireImage / Getty Images

As Hollywood gets ready to salute the best of 2025 at the annual Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, studios are starting to roll out films that could end up nominated next year. Keep an eye on these.

‘Undertone’
Writer-director Ian Tuason makes his feature directing debut (pictured above) with this disturbing story of Evy (Nina Kiri), who cohosts a paranormal investigation podcast while caring for her terminally ill mother. The film “weaponizes our instinct to pair sound and image, delivering a slow-burning, sound-driven nightmare that’s as immersive as it’s diabolically terrifying,” said Julian Singleton at Cinapse. (in theaters Friday)

‘Project Hail Mary’
This adaptation of Andy Weir’s bestselling 2021 novel stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher who has been dispatched against his will on an interstellar suicide mission. A “miracle of a movie,” it “celebrates the bravery in all of us, our capacity to do the right thing in the face of overwhelming odds and our faith in science to lead us toward a better future,” said Next Best Picture’s Matt Neglia at X. (in theaters March 20)

‘Tow’
Rose Byrne looks to follow up her Oscar-nominated performance in 2025’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” with another dramatic turn. In director Stephanie Laing’s film, she plays Amanda Ogle, a Seattle mother living in her 1991 Toyota Camry. The film “spotlights issues around homelessness and addiction with empathy, a grounded realism and a touch of humor,” said Lovia Gyarke at The Hollywood Reporter. (in theaters March 20)