Os pires abençoados chegaram a parfois quando compareceram aos poucos e aos jogadores do FC Supra du Québec, que foram levados ao tribunal por seu subie pelo defensor Ismaël Yeo.
A organização confirmou mais esta semana que a temporada do jogo homme de 21 anos terminou após apenas três encontros. Você foi vítima de uma ruptura do ligamento cruzado anterior, uma bênção que geralmente requer uma operação, enquanto enfrenta o Wanderers de Halifax.
« Este é meu companheiro de defesa central, mas é um amigo antes de tudo. Para todas as pessoas que je vois subir esta bênção – c’est sans doute la bênção que fait peur à tout joueur de soccer – c’est vraiment triste », a réagi ao telefone Matisse Chrétien, que amei a festa no machado aux côtes de Yeo.
Le Supra foi confrontado com seu primeiro verdadeiro golpe de Estado. Il faudra encontrou soluções para paliar esta ausência. Você deve aproveitar Keesean Ferdinand ou Thomas Lebeuf no terreno.
« O prochain défenseur que vai ser substituído, il sait qu’il devra mettre les bouchées doubles et moi aussi, a réagi Chrétien, qui connaît Yeo depuis qu’ils se sont afrontés à l’université aux États-Unis. On perd Ismaël, mais on va quand même tout donner et ce n’est pasça qui va changer notre manière de jouer. »
Um imenso potencial
Com este aprendizado de vitesse grand V para a organização da criança, esse não é o preço do tempo antes de bater um grupo de tecido serré. Esta equipe de Quebec «representa aquela que escolheu o plus», para representar os termos de Loïc Kwemi.
En voyant Yeo se abençoador, les joueurs ont vraiment perdu l’un des leurs.
« Ça m’a vraiment touché, a avoué Kwemi. É um jogador com boas qualidades. Eu sempre fui meus co-equipadores e eu viajei muito no potencial de desenvolver um dos melhores defensores da liga, malgré son jeune âge. »
« Juste avec les deux matches qu’il a pu jouer, il a su montrer qu’il avait les qualités pour jouer dans esta liga. Em um ódio qu’il revienne et qu’il puisse montrer filho talento », ajouté l’attaquant.
Antes de assinar um contrato com o Supra, Ismaël Yeo trouxe as cores do CS Saint-Laurent e dos Redhawks de Seattle, na NCAA. Na primeira temporada profissional, você pode ser educado, mas parece ter deixado uma excelente impressão.
If you feel exhausted from having to create and keep track of an ever-growing number of passwords, you’re not alone. A 2019 study by Google found that about 65 per cent of people reuse their passwords for some, if not all, of their online accounts and subscriptions.
“Password fatigue” is a growing problem – and leads to people writing down passwords, or reusing the same one (or a slight variation) repeatedly. It can result in data breaches, identity theft, and ultimately financial losses.
Experts say most security breaches are not caused by sophisticated hacking; they result from common password mistakes that quietly weaken multiple accounts at once. The National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, has announced that passkeys, a newer method for logging into online accounts, should now be consumers’ first choice for logging in across all digital services. With passkeys, instead of creating and remembering a password, your device handles the authentication for you, usually using biometrics like a fingerprint or face ID, or a secure device PIN.
We spoke to Jemma Davis, founder of Culture Gem, and a specialist in cyber behaviour and accessible security awareness, to find out how to keep your passwords and data safe.
Stop reusing the same password across multiple sites
If you have one good, strong password, it can be tempting to use it across multiple sites, so you always remember it. But as Davis explains, the issue is that a single breach can trigger a domino effect. “If a password is exposed on one site and the same one is used elsewhere, attackers will try it across email, shopping accounts, social media, and banking. That is what makes reuse so risky. It is not just about one account being affected; it is about the knock-on effect across your whole digital life.”
This tactic, known as credential stuffing, is an incredibly effective type of cyber attack in which attackers use previously leaked usernames and passwords to try to log in to other websites. Because the process is automated, attackers can test thousands of login combinations in minutes. Even strong passwords can fail if they are reused. So, as tempting as it is to keep the same password for multiple sites, the risk is too great.
Some passwords look strong, but are predictable
Passwords that replace a letter with a number, like substituting an I for !, might look secure at a glance, but they follow predictable patterns that password-cracking tools are designed to detect. Davis says password strength is determined far more by length and randomness than by complexity alone. Longer passphrases made of unrelated words are significantly harder to crack than short, complex-looking strings.
Davis says, “A password needs to be unique, and ideally longer than 12 characters, rather than just being visually complicated”.
Better to write logins in a notebook than an app
Davis warns against logging all your passwords in your notes app. “If a device is compromised, synced insecurely, or left unlocked, those credentials may be very easy to access.”
A password book kept at home sounds like a bad idea, but Davis says it’s often a perfectly reasonable coping strategy, especially for people managing lots of accounts, or for those who need a system that works in the real world. “The motivation of someone stealing a notebook is usually not cyber crime. That risk is very different from reusing the same password across multiple online accounts. The bigger issue is whether the method helps the person stay organised without creating wider exposure.”
Always use a password manager
Using a password manager secures your online accounts by generating, storing, and auto-filling complex, unique passwords in an encrypted vault, so you only need to remember one master password. Davis says password managers are a great option because they reduce the pressure to remember everything. “They make it much more realistic than using a different password for every account. They are not the only acceptable solution, but they are one of the most practical ones, particularly for people with lots of online accounts.”
You can download a password manager app on your phone or tablet, or use one on a website in your browser. Whichever type you use, once you’ve logged into it, it will store your passwords for all your online accounts in a safe place. One of the main benefits of a third-party password manager over one in your browser is that it can synchronise passwords even when you have a mix of different browsers and devices.
.. and Two-Factor Authentication
With Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), rather than depending on a single password, access is granted only after a second verification step is completed. This may involve entering a temporary code that is sent to you by text or email, approving a request in an authentication app, or using a hardware security key. Yes, it’s an extra, annoying step, but Davis says 2FA is one of the most common missed opportunities in personal security. “If a password is stolen, guessed, or reused from another breach, 2FA can be the thing that stops that from becoming a full account takeover. It adds friction, but it also adds a very important second barrier.”
If you enable 2FA on your email accounts, banking and finance apps, cloud storage and social media profiles, it will make it much harder for someone to access your accounts.
Try passkeys
Passkeys are a newer way to log in to accounts without a traditional password. Instead of creating and remembering a password, your device handles the authentication using biometrics like a fingerprint or face ID, or a secure device PIN.
Davis explains they are more secure because there is no password to steal, guess, or reuse. “The login is tied to your device, and the underlying technology means the actual credential is not shared with the website in the same way a password is. This makes common attacks like phishing and credential stuffing far less effective. In practical terms, if someone is tricked into entering their details on a fake site, a passkey will not work in the same way a password would. That removes one of the most common routes attackers use to gain access to accounts.”
Passkeys reduce many of the everyday risks associated with passwords and eliminate the need to remember or store multiple logins. “That said, they are not yet available everywhere, and people still need to think about device security and access. If someone loses a device or shares it with others, that becomes part of the risk picture,” says Davis.
A célula cibernética da Polícia J&K abriu um processo contra certos indivíduos na quinta-feira (30 de abril de 2026) sobre a disseminação de propaganda separatista “que visa perturbar a paz pública e a integridade nacional”.
De acordo com a polícia, houve um “crime aparente aparente” punível nos termos das Secções 152, 196(1) e 353(1)(b), (c) e (2) do Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
BBC Sport staff fear more programme cuts and redundancies after the axeing of Football Focus with AI now being trialled to produce reports.
Insiders believe more long-running shows could be dropped with bosses planning to close 2,000 jobs under a new £500m savings drive.
BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski has told staff that resources will be directed towards video content made for YouTube, Instagram and the BBC app, in a bid to reach younger audiences.
Shorts – Quick stories
Armed forces
RAF troops shot down 100 Iranian drones
Caption: Image of the Rapid Sentry air defence system, seen here at the Air Defence Range at Manorbier, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales on the 18/03/2024.
Photographer: AS1 Jessica Eglon Copyright: UK MOD ? Crown copyright 2026
Troops used video game-like shooters to blast unmanned drones and missiles out of the sky.
The coalition base in Iraq faced 28 air attacks a day before the temporary ceasefire.
What you need to know
RAF aces used counter-drone missile systems to defend the base, reports Sky News.
The unidentified base in Iraq also houses US personnel.
The RAF is looking at making provision for expanding the UK armed forces’ counter-drone capabilities in the long-awaited defence investment plan.
Alistair Carns, the armed forces minister, said on a visit to the base: “I would argue this place would be a smouldering wreck if it wasn’t for you guys.”
Rapid fire
Troops on the base use Rapid Sentry counter-drone systems to intercept drones and missiles headed their way.
The launcher fires four laser-guided missiles against incoming threats.
Caption: Image of the Rapid Sentry air defence system, seen here at the Air Defence Range at Manorbier, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales on the 18/03/2024.
Photographer: AS1 Jessica Eglon Copyright: UK MOD ? Crown copyright 2026
NEWS
3 min read
Call of Duty pays off
It is a little bit different to the Xbox controller, but the concept is pretty much the same. If you are good at Xbox and PlayStation, then I think this is probably the one for you.
Air Specialist (Class 1) Westworth, RAF Ace
The PlayStation Showcase will be broadcast live this evening (Photo: Getty)
News
Stephen Fry sues conference for £100,000
The comedian, actor and presenter has brought a claim against the organisers of an AI conference at which he fell off the stage following his keynote address.
What you need to know
Fry, 68, fell 6ft off the stage on to concrete at London’s O2 Arena in 2023.
He broke his right leg, hip, pelvis and some ribs in the fall.
Fry told BBC Radio Two: “I didn’t realise that I was walking off the part of the stage where there was nothing – just a six-foot drop.”
The comedian is now suing CogX Festival and the event organiser, Blonstein Events, for personal injury damages.
TELEVISION
3 min read
A closer look at the detail
In court documents, his lawyers allege organisers failed to ensure “the stage and backstage area were safe, adequately lit and properly protected to prevent a fall from height”.
Fry took months off work after the incident, requiring “constant physiotherapy” for his injuries.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 22: Stephen Fry attends The Standard Theatre Awards 2025 Winners Dinner hosted by the Standard’s proprietor Lord Lebedev on March 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images) Photographer: Dave Benett Provider: Dave Benett/Getty Images Source: Dave Benett Collection Copyright: 2026 Dave Benett
BOOKS
6 min read
Prediction tool spots who needs weight-loss jabs before obesity hits
People who are overweight but not obese could be given GLP-1s if they are identified as at high risk of suffering from obesity-related complications.
Caption: TOTNES, DEVON – FEBRUARY 20: A close-up of a woman injecting a Mounjaro weight-loss jab on February 20, 2026, in Totnes, Devon. The popularity of weight-loss jabs to tackle obesity has soared in the UK in the past year with around 4 per cent of households currently using them. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images) Photographer: Matthew Horwood Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
What you need to know
Caption: FILE PHOTO: Pens for the diabetes drug Ozempic sit on a production line to be packaged at the Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s site in Hillerod, Denmark, September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo Photographer: Tom Little Provider: REUTERS Source: REUTERS
Predicting disease risk
Obscore was created by academics from Queen Mary University of London and the Berlin Institute of Health.
Complements BMI
The model offers a more accurate way to spot people at higher risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes.
A nurse gives a patient a diabetes test (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Diabetologist doctor waiting for result from glucose testing in diabetes clinic. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Catch issues in advance
The project identified 20 commonly collected readings which can be used to predict 18 different complications.
Tool could stop at-risk patients falling through the net
Dr Kamil Demircan, from Queen Mary University, said: “We actually observed that a considerable proportion of individuals were living with overweight rather than obesity.
“These constitute a population of individuals who may be overlooked if we only look at BMI and not other risk factors.”
Caption: A medicine distributor stores Mounjaro (tirzepatide) self-injecting GLP-1 prefilled pens and vials in a fridge at his office in Thane on March 20, 2026. A deluge of weight-loss drugs is set to transform the global fight against obesity as India prepares to unleash low-cost generic versions of injections like Ozempic after a key patent expired on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors
SCIENCE
4 min read
Caption: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing S5,Thames,4,Paul Whitehouse, Ted the dog, Bob Mortimer,River Thames,Owl TV,Owl TV Photographer: Owl TV Provider: BBC/Owl TV Copyright: WARNING: Use of this copyright image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures’ Digital Picture Service (BBC Pictures) as set out at www.bbcpictures.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/. In particular, this image may only be published by a registered User of BBC Pictures for editorial use for the purpose of publicising the relevant BBC programme, personnel or activity during the Publicity Period which ends three review weeks following the date of transmission and provided the BBC and the copyright holder in the caption are credited. For any other purpose whatsoever, including advertising and commercial, prior written approval from the copyright holder will be required.
entertainment
Bob Mortimer ‘very, very sad’ after death of Gone Fishing dog Ted
Comedian Bob Mortimer has said he is “very, very sad” after the death of Ted, the dog who starred in Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
What you need to know
Ted first appeared in the show during its third series in 2020 and quickly became popular with fans, being given a lifetime achievement award during the show’s 2025 Christmas special, as he appeared alongside Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse.
Caption: WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 00:00:01 on 24/08/2021 – Programme Name: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing S4 – TX: n/a – Episode: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing S4 – iconic (No. n/a) – Picture Shows: Burghley House, Stamford Paul Whitehouse, Bob Mortimer – (C) Owl Power – Photographer: Marianne Wie
TV Still
BBC Photographer: Marianne Wie Provider: BBC/Owl Power/Marianne Wie
Caption: TX DATE:26-10-2025,TX WEEK:43,EMBARGOED UNTIL:21-10-2025 00:00:00,DESCRIPTION:,COPYRIGHT:Owl Power,CREDIT LINE:BBC/Owl Power/Marianne Wie Photographer: Marianne Wie Provider: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Owl Power/Marianne Wie Copyright: BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES
Mortimer said: “So very, very sad. Lovely Ted, the best companion and the greatest little chum. Going to miss him so much… and away boss.”
The last we’ve seen of him?
Whitehouse added: “Bye bye Ted old friend. He wasn’t a dog, he was a species all of his own. He’s gone to the great briefcase emporium in the sky. We will really miss you mate.”
Ted is set to make his final appearance in the show during its upcoming ninth series.
Caption: Ted, the Patterdale Terrier mix, who found fame on BBC?s Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing alongside Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse has died.
(Images: Lisa Clark/Gone Fishing/Guy Levy)
TELEVISION
3 min read
Caption: A statue of a man holding a flag which covers their face, and signed ‘Banksy’, has appeared in Waterloo Place in London. Picture date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Photographer: Stefan Rousseau Provider: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire
ART
New Banksy statue pops up in London
A new plinth and statue have appeared in the centre of London, bearing the signature of secretive street artist Banksy.
The work appeared in the early hours of Wednesday, with Banksy taking credit a day later.
What are the details?
The statue depicts a man marching forward off the plinth, brandishing a flag which has blown back to cover his face.
It was first spotted on Waterloo Place yesterday.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: A new satirical statue attributed to Banksy appears in Waterloo Place on April 29, 2026 in London, England. The sculpture depicts a person in a suit marching forward off a plinth while their face is completely covered by a large, billowing flag. It is located near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images) Photographer: Martin Pope Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: A new statue and plinth in Waterloo Lace, signed by the artist Banksy, on April 29, 2026 in London, England. A new satirical statue attributed to Banksy appeared in Waterloo Place, Central London today. The sculpture depicts a person in a suit marching forward off a plinth while their face is completely smothered by a large, billowing flag. It is located near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images) Photographer: Martin Pope Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: 2026 Martin Pope
The background
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: A new satirical statue attributed to Banksy appears in Waterloo Place on April 29, 2026 in London, England. The sculpture depicts a person in a suit marching forward off a plinth while their face is completely covered by a large, billowing flag. It is located near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images) Photographer: Martin Pope Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
Banksy has built an international reputation for his thought-provoking, politically charged art.
This sculpture is his first public work since December.
CULTURE
3 min read
The drunken monkey theory could explain humans’ drinking habit (Photo: Olga Pankova/Getty)
HEALTH
How even moderate drinking can damage your liver
MetALD is a type of liver disease which arises when there is a combination of moderate levels of drinking along with being overweight or having other “metabolic conditions” that often accompany weight problems.
What you need to know
Caption: 3D Illustration Concept of Human Internal Digestive Organ Liver Anatomy Photographer: magicmine Provider: Getty Images Source: iStockphoto
MetALD is thought to affect up to one in 10 people.
Being overweight can interact with drinking because fat is a key part of how alcohol affects the liver.
Ultrasound scanning of intestines, abdominal cavity, right lobe, liver, bile ducts, gallbladder – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Brian Lawless/PA).
If excessive drinking continues, the liver develops scarring which can lead to liver failure and liver cancer.
What do experts say?
Even a moderate amount of alcohol can lead to liver scarring if combined with being overweight or other metabolic problems. Most people don’t realise how easy it is to damage your liver
Dr Naina Shah, liver specialist at King’s College London
What are the risk factors?
The condition was only named three years ago and public awareness is low.
MetALD is usually seen in people who are overweight and are drinking more than 17.5 units a week for women, or 26 units for men.
Having high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes also increases the risk.
NEWS
3 min read
How to stop liver scarring
In most cases, scarring of the liver can be reversed by stopping alcohol consumption and weight loss. Weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy may also help people lower their alcohol intake.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
UK news
Everything you need to know about Golders Green terror attack
Caption: Screen grab from body worn camera issued by Metropolitan Police of police officers confronting and arresting a 45-year-old man who remains in custody, they have said, following two people being stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London. Issue date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Metropolitan Police Provider: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire Source: PA
The stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, yesterday was declared a terrorist incident. Police arrested a Somalia-born British national on suspicion of attempted murder.
What you need to know
Iran-linked Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) took credit for the attack on Telegram.
The victims – Shilome Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76 – were taken to hospital after being stabbed shortly after 11am. They are in a stable condition.
Sir Keir Starmer said he would visit the community “as soon as possible”.
Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mervis, called for the “silent majority in the UK to raise their voices” against antisemitism.
Developments since the attack
Caption: Members of the community watch as forensic officers search the area after two people were stabbed in the Golders Green neighbourhood, that has a large Jewish community, in London, Wednesday, April 29, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Photographer: Kin Cheung Provider: AP Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
The Home Secretary has condemned the “spate of attacks” on the Jewish community.
Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley and local MP Sarah Sackman were both heckled at the scene.
Caption: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley speaks to the media at the scene in Golders Green, north-west London, after two men – one aged in his 70s and another in his 30s – were stabbed on Wednesday morning. The Metropolitan Police said a 45-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody. Picture date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Lucy North/PA Wire Photographer: Lucy North Provider: Lucy North/PA Wire Source: PA
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Police officers look on as people participate in an ‘Anti-Zionism = Terrorism’ protest, organised by the pressure group Stop the Hate in Golders Green following the stabbing of two people earlier today on April 29, 2026 in the Golders Green area of London, England. According to Shomrim, the Jewish community security organisation, a man with a knife was seen running down the high street attempting to stab Jewish people in the area. Shomrim said they responded immediately and detained a suspect before police arrived and deployed a taser. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Photographer: Carl Court Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
The Government has announced a further £25m for increased security for Jewish communities.
Who is the suspected attacker
The suspect is a 45-year-old British national who was born in Somalia and came to the UK as a child in the 1990s.
Body-worn footage shows the moment he was Tasered and pinned to the ground by police while holding a knife.
Caption: Screen grab from body worn camera issued by Metropolitan Police of police officers confronting and arresting a 45-year-old man who remains in custody, they have said, following two people being stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London. Issue date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Metropolitan Police Provider: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire Source: PA
NEWS
4 min read
New technique could transform endometriosis diagnosis
Waiting times for a diagnosis could be slashed after scientists developed a new imaging tool to spot the condition.
Endometriosis can be a debilitating condition for women which often takes years to diagnose.
The new imaging technique uses a molecular tracer which is injected into the patient and binds to a specific protein.
A scan then reveals inflamed areas or lesions.
HEALTH
4 min read
The story in numbers
9 years
Currently, the average time from first seeing a doctor to getting an official endometriosis diagnosis in the UK is about nine years and four months.
84%
Nineteen patients completed the study, which found that the new imaging technique was able to detect the presence or absence of endometriosis in 16 women.
This means it had a hit rate of 84 per cent of participants.
Diagnosis times slashed
If these results are confirmed in larger phase three studies, imaging with maraciclatide could transform clinical research and practice and potentially empower the development of treatments for women across the globe
Professor Krina Zondervan, co-director of the Endometriosis CaRe Centre
Labour said delays to treatment starts were also worsening even before the pandemic. (Photo: Getty Images)
Declining ratings and changing viewer habits led Kay-Jelski to pull the plug on Saturday institution Football Focus after 52 years.
He will take an unsentimental approach to wringing value out of every penny of his budget, with more “legacy” shows potentially under threat, The i Paper understands.
Schedule fixtures like Ski Sunday, the BBC Two winter teatime show which has undergone numerous revamps since its 1978 debut, could come under scrutiny.
During its 1980s peak, Ski Sunday attracted 4.5 million viewers. It now hovers around the one million mark, with live alpine skiing covered on dedicated sports channels. Presented by Ed Leigh and Chemmy Alcott, the format has expanded to cover snowboarding and other events which attract younger audiences.
One insider said: “If a programme is a fixture in the TV schedules but isn’t making a big enough impact to justify the cost, then it’s probably going to go the way of Football Focus.”
Alex Scott will present the final Football Focus next month. She will remain ‘at the heart’ of the BBC’s sports output (Photo: Nick Eagle/BBC)
A BBC source said: “We have been clear that we are looking at all options to meet our 10 per cent savings challenge. No decisions have been taken.”
Discussions have yet to take place over any plans for the return of Ski Sunday next winter, The i Paper has learnt. The BBC’s 2026 Winter Olympics coverage recorded 83 million streams, illustrating digital interest in snow sports.
The BBC was outbid for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow by Warner Bros Discovery and jettisoned the Boat Race after nearly a century of broadcasts, in order to “deliver the best value for audiences with the that money we have”.
Wimbledon deal discussions
The BBC hopes to extend its £60m deal for Wimbledon after 2027 with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club reportedly seeking new ideas to modernise the coverage.
The daily news segment Sportsday was scrapped last year, in a shake-up which saw 27 jobs go.
“There’s been a lot of change and fear of more redundancies with the latest cuts round,” the insider added. “The drive is to reach younger fans on digital platforms.”
BBC sources said its sports output was “continuously evolving in line with changing audience behaviours, as more people choose to consume content across a mix of television, radio, digital platforms and social media”.
Facing competition for attention from podcasts including Gary Lineker’s The Rest Is Football, Kay-Jelski, a former newspaper executive and editor-in-chief of The Athletic app, has encouraged punchier debates among BBC pundits and more in-depth analysis on the BBC Sport website.
There will be “fresh formats” to replace the axed shows, under “ambitious plans” to put more BBC sport action and analysis on YouTube, sources said – Wayne Rooney’s visualised podcast has racked up 156 million clip views this football season.
AI-generated football news
But there are fears that AI could wipe out sports journalism and production roles, a process already under way in the wider news media.
“They are using generative AI to make a daily football news bulletin with a synthetic voice. But how far will AI go?” the insider asked.
The BBC is trialling My Club Daily, an audio news bulletin for the Sounds app covering 13 English and Welsh clubs, including Liverpool and Newcastle United, produced using Gen AI tools.
The ChatGPT-generated script wrapping up the day’s club news, is voiced by a synthetic AI voice. The BBC said the trial was a success and the Daily will now be scaled up to cover more clubs. Sport staff have been asked to attend AI seminars.
However the BBC said it will only use AI to “organise and reformat existing BBC articles about the clubs to produce a draft audio script”, not to write new stories.
Each script and recording is “checked for accuracy by our editorial team before the completed update is published, and we will clearly highlight our use of AI to listeners in line with the BBC’s AI transparency commitments”.
Impact of ‘hatchet man’
Called a “hatchet man” in reports for his willingness to take tough decisions, such as the removal of Lineker from his BBC duties over an antisemitic post, Kay-Jelski’s forthright approach has disconcerted some at BBC Sport’s Salford base since his arrival two years ago.
An email mentioning redundancies along with training opportunities to produce more video content advised staff: “If the thought of more change is something that concerns you or you feel the direction we’re heading in is not the right fit for you, please have an open conversation with your line manager or HR to discuss all available options, including potential voluntary redundancy.”
BBC sources point to successes during Kay-Jelski’s reign including the decision to replace Lineker with a rotating trio of Match of the Day (MoTD) presenters, with match highlights available on the iPlayer and BBC website hours ahead of its TV broadcast.
Digital viewing of MoTD content is up 36 per cent on last season while the new line-up of Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates has been well received by viewers.
While the BBC’s portfolio of exclusive live rights has shrunk, with the broadcaster unable to match high-spending rivals, a deal to secure World Snooker until 2032 has paid off. The sport retains a loyal TV audience with this week’s World Championships from Sheffield delivering bumper ratings for BBC Two.
The BBC said it retained the “one of the strongest and most enduring rights portfolios in the industry”, including Premier League highlights through to 2029, the Fifa World Cup 2026 and Fifa Women’s World Cup 2027 and the London Marathon.
The BBC now shares live rights to Wimbledon and the Olympics with Warner Bros Discovery-owned channels in deals which ensure that the key moments in sport’s “crown jewel” events are broadcast free-to-air.
In 2029, the ground rent on Terry Patterson’s one-bedroom leasehold flat in Tufnell Park, north London, is set to double from £750 to £1,500 a year.
Earlier this year, Terry thought she had been given a lifeline. In January, Labour announced plans to cap ground rent at £250 per year, which, when implemented, would not only have stopped her costs increasing, but reduced them by £500 a year.
However she says she has been “let down” afterThe i Paper revealed that a series of housing reforms by the Government may not come in until the 2030s.
The Government insists the ground rent cap is still on schedule to be introduced by 2028, but news of delays to leasehold reform has some homeowners fearing the worst.
In a leasehold system, homeowners do not really own their home; they merely own the right to lease it for a specified period of time and must pay ground rent as well as lease extension fees.
Speaking at the Institute for Government, housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook outlined his plan to end the leasehold system of homeownership in England and Wales, by transitioning to a system known as “commonhold”.
However, in an interview following his speech, Pennycook said some parts of the Leasehold and Commonhold Bill may not come into force in this Parliament because of its complexity – the bill has 260 clauses.
If delays affect ground rent reforms, they may come too late for people like Terry.
Her lease is affected by a doubling clause, which means her ground rent doubles 25 years after the lease starts, and at other points.
The only way to avoid this happening was for Terry to pay to extend her lease, which would take the rent back to what is known as a peppercorn level – effectively zero. But this would cost her £25,000, which is money she can’t afford to spend.
The rise in her ground rent is set to happen in 2029 – just as the 62-year-old part-time psychotherapist hits state pension age. And she fears Labour’s reform will “never happen” if reforms don’t happen during this parliament, as the party may not be in government after that date.
“I can’t see this ever happening if it gets delayed further. Surely three years is enough time to get your act together,” said Terry, adding that the prospect of a delay until the 2030s had “plunged” her into a new dilemma over what to do.
“When the rise in ground rent comes in it will be very difficult to afford my flat, but it will also be hard to sell it,” she said. “But because it’s a one-bed, I won’t be able to downsize. I’ll probably have to leave London, where I’ve lived for decades.
“Extending the lease isn’t really an option as I don’t have a huge pot of money to pay for that and I am semi-retired so I can’t really increase my income to save.
“What Labour are doing is letting down leaseholders.”
In Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto, the party promised to “finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end”.
However, while Pennycook suggested that he expects the legislation to pass in this Parliament, which is due to run until 2029, he warned that the laws may not come into force until later.
He spoke to The i Paper ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on Friday, in what will be the biggest shake-up of tenants’ rights in England and Wales since 1988.
He said his plans would see “commonhold become the default tenure” of homeownership in England and Wales. “We do want to be ambitious. We’re going as fast as we possibly can, balancing speed with care,” he added.
The stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green was not just an attack on two individuals. It was an attack on the basic promise that in modern Britain, we Jews should be able to walk the streets without fear of being targeted for who we are.
But this doesn’t come in a vacuum. It is part of a grim pattern that has become disturbingly routine. Jewish people are harassed on the streets, ostracised in their workplaces, and vilified simply for who they are. Antisemitism has permeated our society to such an extent that we’ve now had a series of attacks on Jewish communities in the last few weeks.
Understandably, the message behind these attacks seems to many in our community that being visibly Jewish carries a cost. And with attacks on British Jews becoming more and more frequent, that cost is rising.
Time and time again, after every attack we are told that there is zero tolerance for antisemitism and that lessons have been learned. But words are cheap. And increasingly, they ring hollow.
Because while these attacks are only increasing, accountability has not.
We are given more money to protect our synagogues, our schools, and our streets. We are of course grateful for that support; that funding is needed. But why should the onus always be on Jews to protect ourselves, instead of rooting out the cause of these horrific events in the first instance?
It is the consequence of a system that routinely fails to confront antisemitism. Take, for example, the knifeman who terrorised staff at a kosher supermarket, also in Golders Green. In 2024 he was handed two suspended sentences and an alcohol treatment requirement instead of prison time. No meaningful deterrent, and so the cycle continues.
But it is not inevitable, and there are things we can do to reverse the tide. Firstly, we must be honest about the threat. Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, the Iranian-linked group that claims responsibility for the latest spate of arson attacks and Wednesday’s stabbing, should be proscribed immediately. If an organisation inspires or is associated with violence against British Jews, it must not be tolerated.
Secondly, the Government must finally take decisive action against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. For too long, there has been hesitation, caveated language, and political caution. That must end. The IRGC should be formally proscribed, and this commitment should be placed clearly in the King’s Speech next month. Anything less signals weakness in the face of a regime that has been repeatedly linked to destabilising activity and extremist networks.
Thirdly, there must be diplomatic consequences. The expulsion of the Iranian ambassador, and potentially wider diplomatic staff, should be on the table. States that export or enable hatred cannot expect business as usual.
And finally, the justice system must recognise the threat British Jews are facing. During the summer riots of 2024, we saw that when the political will exists, court processes can be expedited. A clear message was sent that disorder would not be tolerated. Why should antisemitic violence be treated with any less urgency?
But laws and policies alone are not enough. Because antisemitism does not exist in a vacuum. It is fed by a culture that too often excuses, minimises or redirects it. A culture where Jewish concerns are questioned, where our fears are downplayed, where antisemitism is treated as conditional.
That needs to change. This is not just an issue for us as British Jews. It is an issue for British values.
When any group is targeted with impunity, the fabric of our country begins to fray. The values we claim to uphold, which the Jewish community have played a role in helping to shape – like fairness, tolerance, the rule of law – are tested. And right now, we are failing that test.
Antisemites are raising the cost of being Jewish through fear, intimidation, and violence. Our response must be the opposite: we must raise the cost of being antisemitic. Yes, that means real consequences. It also means real solidarity.
Where are the anti-racist activists who are so quick to flood the streets in protest for any other cause? Britain has a strong tradition of fighting racism in all its forms, but it is beginning to feel like antisemitism is the one prejudice that is effectively tolerated.
If the Britain I know wants to stamp out this evil for good, it’s time for all of us to stand visibly and unapologetically with the Jewish community. Not just after the headlines fade, but consistently, firmly, and without caveat.
The question this moment poses is not complicated. Will we allow our community, British Jews, to live openly and safely in this country? Or will we accept a reality where their safety depends on keeping their heads down?
Wednesday’s attack in Golders Green demands an answer. And history will remember what we chose.
Donald Trump’s response to the shooting in Washington DC on Saturday reiterates his only coherent narrative – an obsession with being a Great Man of History. He was “honoured” to be a target, he said, because “when you look at the people… whether it was an attempt or a successful attempt, they’re very impactful people. Just take a look at the names.”
For once, I agree with the US President. He will be remembered as a big name, but not necessarily in the way he intended. For all his professed obsession with “Western civilisation”, he is perhaps America’s first non-Western president. The one who has shown the fragility of the US alliance with Europe, threatened to break apart Nato, and more importantly, consistently violated the values people who believed in “The West” thought were its own. The actions of this US President and other populists will be remembered for exposing the idea of “The West” first to breaking point, and now to total narrative collapse.
That this US administration believes fervently in the idea of “The West” is not in question. In a National Security Strategy published in December, it warned that Europe faces “civilisational erasure”, warning of a loss of “national identities and self-confidence” thanks to migration policy, censorship and a lack of strong militaries and economies. It called for the restoration of “Western identity”.
Shorts – Quick stories
Prediction tool spots who needs weight-loss jabs before obesity hits
People who are overweight but not obese could be given GLP-1s if they are identified as at high risk of suffering from obesity-related complications.
Caption: TOTNES, DEVON – FEBRUARY 20: A close-up of a woman injecting a Mounjaro weight-loss jab on February 20, 2026, in Totnes, Devon. The popularity of weight-loss jabs to tackle obesity has soared in the UK in the past year with around 4 per cent of households currently using them. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images) Photographer: Matthew Horwood Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
What you need to know
Caption: FILE PHOTO: Pens for the diabetes drug Ozempic sit on a production line to be packaged at the Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s site in Hillerod, Denmark, September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo Photographer: Tom Little Provider: REUTERS Source: REUTERS
Predicting disease risk
Obscore was created by academics from Queen Mary University of London and the Berlin Institute of Health.
Complements BMI
The model offers a more accurate way to spot people at higher risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes.
A nurse gives a patient a diabetes test (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Diabetologist doctor waiting for result from glucose testing in diabetes clinic. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Catch issues in advance
The project identified 20 commonly collected readings which can be used to predict 18 different complications.
Tool could stop at-risk patients falling through the net
Dr Kamil Demircan, from Queen Mary University, said: “We actually observed that a considerable proportion of individuals were living with overweight rather than obesity.
“These constitute a population of individuals who may be overlooked if we only look at BMI and not other risk factors.”
Caption: A medicine distributor stores Mounjaro (tirzepatide) self-injecting GLP-1 prefilled pens and vials in a fridge at his office in Thane on March 20, 2026. A deluge of weight-loss drugs is set to transform the global fight against obesity as India prepares to unleash low-cost generic versions of injections like Ozempic after a key patent expired on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors
SCIENCE
4 min read
News
Stephen Fry sues conference for £100,000
The comedian, actor and presenter has brought a claim against the organisers of an AI conference at which he fell off the stage following his keynote address.
What you need to know
Fry, 68, fell 6ft off the stage on to concrete at London’s O2 Arena in 2023.
He broke his right leg, hip, pelvis and some ribs in the fall.
Fry told BBC Radio Two: “I didn’t realise that I was walking off the part of the stage where there was nothing – just a six-foot drop.”
The comedian is now suing CogX Festival and the event organiser, Blonstein Events, for personal injury damages.
TELEVISION
3 min read
A closer look at the detail
In court documents, his lawyers allege organisers failed to ensure “the stage and backstage area were safe, adequately lit and properly protected to prevent a fall from height”.
Fry took months off work after the incident, requiring “constant physiotherapy” for his injuries.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 22: Stephen Fry attends The Standard Theatre Awards 2025 Winners Dinner hosted by the Standard’s proprietor Lord Lebedev on March 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images) Photographer: Dave Benett Provider: Dave Benett/Getty Images Source: Dave Benett Collection Copyright: 2026 Dave Benett
BOOKS
6 min read
Armed forces
RAF troops shot down 100 Iranian drones
Caption: Image of the Rapid Sentry air defence system, seen here at the Air Defence Range at Manorbier, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales on the 18/03/2024.
Photographer: AS1 Jessica Eglon Copyright: UK MOD ? Crown copyright 2026
Troops used video game-like shooters to blast unmanned drones and missiles out of the sky.
The coalition base in Iraq faced 28 air attacks a day before the temporary ceasefire.
What you need to know
RAF aces used counter-drone missile systems to defend the base, reports Sky News.
The unidentified base in Iraq also houses US personnel.
The RAF is looking at making provision for expanding the UK armed forces’ counter-drone capabilities in the long-awaited defence investment plan.
Alistair Carns, the armed forces minister, said on a visit to the base: “I would argue this place would be a smouldering wreck if it wasn’t for you guys.”
Rapid fire
Troops on the base use Rapid Sentry counter-drone systems to intercept drones and missiles headed their way.
The launcher fires four laser-guided missiles against incoming threats.
Caption: Image of the Rapid Sentry air defence system, seen here at the Air Defence Range at Manorbier, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales on the 18/03/2024.
Photographer: AS1 Jessica Eglon Copyright: UK MOD ? Crown copyright 2026
NEWS
3 min read
Call of Duty pays off
It is a little bit different to the Xbox controller, but the concept is pretty much the same. If you are good at Xbox and PlayStation, then I think this is probably the one for you.
Air Specialist (Class 1) Westworth, RAF Ace
The PlayStation Showcase will be broadcast live this evening (Photo: Getty)
Caption: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing S5,Thames,4,Paul Whitehouse, Ted the dog, Bob Mortimer,River Thames,Owl TV,Owl TV Photographer: Owl TV Provider: BBC/Owl TV Copyright: WARNING: Use of this copyright image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures’ Digital Picture Service (BBC Pictures) as set out at www.bbcpictures.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/. In particular, this image may only be published by a registered User of BBC Pictures for editorial use for the purpose of publicising the relevant BBC programme, personnel or activity during the Publicity Period which ends three review weeks following the date of transmission and provided the BBC and the copyright holder in the caption are credited. For any other purpose whatsoever, including advertising and commercial, prior written approval from the copyright holder will be required.
entertainment
Bob Mortimer ‘very, very sad’ after death of Gone Fishing dog Ted
Comedian Bob Mortimer has said he is “very, very sad” after the death of Ted, the dog who starred in Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
What you need to know
Ted first appeared in the show during its third series in 2020 and quickly became popular with fans, being given a lifetime achievement award during the show’s 2025 Christmas special, as he appeared alongside Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse.
Caption: WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 00:00:01 on 24/08/2021 – Programme Name: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing S4 – TX: n/a – Episode: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing S4 – iconic (No. n/a) – Picture Shows: Burghley House, Stamford Paul Whitehouse, Bob Mortimer – (C) Owl Power – Photographer: Marianne Wie
TV Still
BBC Photographer: Marianne Wie Provider: BBC/Owl Power/Marianne Wie
Caption: TX DATE:26-10-2025,TX WEEK:43,EMBARGOED UNTIL:21-10-2025 00:00:00,DESCRIPTION:,COPYRIGHT:Owl Power,CREDIT LINE:BBC/Owl Power/Marianne Wie Photographer: Marianne Wie Provider: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Owl Power/Marianne Wie Copyright: BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES
Mortimer said: “So very, very sad. Lovely Ted, the best companion and the greatest little chum. Going to miss him so much… and away boss.”
The last we’ve seen of him?
Whitehouse added: “Bye bye Ted old friend. He wasn’t a dog, he was a species all of his own. He’s gone to the great briefcase emporium in the sky. We will really miss you mate.”
Ted is set to make his final appearance in the show during its upcoming ninth series.
Caption: Ted, the Patterdale Terrier mix, who found fame on BBC?s Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing alongside Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse has died.
(Images: Lisa Clark/Gone Fishing/Guy Levy)
TELEVISION
3 min read
Caption: A statue of a man holding a flag which covers their face, and signed ‘Banksy’, has appeared in Waterloo Place in London. Picture date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Photographer: Stefan Rousseau Provider: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire
ART
New Banksy statue pops up in London
A new plinth and statue have appeared in the centre of London, bearing the signature of secretive street artist Banksy.
The work appeared in the early hours of Wednesday, with Banksy taking credit a day later.
What are the details?
The statue depicts a man marching forward off the plinth, brandishing a flag which has blown back to cover his face.
It was first spotted on Waterloo Place yesterday.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: A new satirical statue attributed to Banksy appears in Waterloo Place on April 29, 2026 in London, England. The sculpture depicts a person in a suit marching forward off a plinth while their face is completely covered by a large, billowing flag. It is located near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images) Photographer: Martin Pope Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: A new statue and plinth in Waterloo Lace, signed by the artist Banksy, on April 29, 2026 in London, England. A new satirical statue attributed to Banksy appeared in Waterloo Place, Central London today. The sculpture depicts a person in a suit marching forward off a plinth while their face is completely smothered by a large, billowing flag. It is located near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images) Photographer: Martin Pope Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: 2026 Martin Pope
The background
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: A new satirical statue attributed to Banksy appears in Waterloo Place on April 29, 2026 in London, England. The sculpture depicts a person in a suit marching forward off a plinth while their face is completely covered by a large, billowing flag. It is located near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images) Photographer: Martin Pope Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
Banksy has built an international reputation for his thought-provoking, politically charged art.
This sculpture is his first public work since December.
CULTURE
3 min read
New technique could transform endometriosis diagnosis
Waiting times for a diagnosis could be slashed after scientists developed a new imaging tool to spot the condition.
Endometriosis can be a debilitating condition for women which often takes years to diagnose.
The new imaging technique uses a molecular tracer which is injected into the patient and binds to a specific protein.
A scan then reveals inflamed areas or lesions.
HEALTH
4 min read
The story in numbers
9 years
Currently, the average time from first seeing a doctor to getting an official endometriosis diagnosis in the UK is about nine years and four months.
84%
Nineteen patients completed the study, which found that the new imaging technique was able to detect the presence or absence of endometriosis in 16 women.
This means it had a hit rate of 84 per cent of participants.
Diagnosis times slashed
If these results are confirmed in larger phase three studies, imaging with maraciclatide could transform clinical research and practice and potentially empower the development of treatments for women across the globe
Professor Krina Zondervan, co-director of the Endometriosis CaRe Centre
Labour said delays to treatment starts were also worsening even before the pandemic. (Photo: Getty Images)
UK news
Everything you need to know about Golders Green terror attack
Caption: Screen grab from body worn camera issued by Metropolitan Police of police officers confronting and arresting a 45-year-old man who remains in custody, they have said, following two people being stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London. Issue date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Metropolitan Police Provider: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire Source: PA
The stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, yesterday was declared a terrorist incident. Police arrested a Somalia-born British national on suspicion of attempted murder.
What you need to know
Iran-linked Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) took credit for the attack on Telegram.
The victims – Shilome Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76 – were taken to hospital after being stabbed shortly after 11am. They are in a stable condition.
Sir Keir Starmer said he would visit the community “as soon as possible”.
Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mervis, called for the “silent majority in the UK to raise their voices” against antisemitism.
Developments since the attack
Caption: Members of the community watch as forensic officers search the area after two people were stabbed in the Golders Green neighbourhood, that has a large Jewish community, in London, Wednesday, April 29, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Photographer: Kin Cheung Provider: AP Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
The Home Secretary has condemned the “spate of attacks” on the Jewish community.
Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley and local MP Sarah Sackman were both heckled at the scene.
Caption: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley speaks to the media at the scene in Golders Green, north-west London, after two men – one aged in his 70s and another in his 30s – were stabbed on Wednesday morning. The Metropolitan Police said a 45-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody. Picture date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Lucy North/PA Wire Photographer: Lucy North Provider: Lucy North/PA Wire Source: PA
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Police officers look on as people participate in an ‘Anti-Zionism = Terrorism’ protest, organised by the pressure group Stop the Hate in Golders Green following the stabbing of two people earlier today on April 29, 2026 in the Golders Green area of London, England. According to Shomrim, the Jewish community security organisation, a man with a knife was seen running down the high street attempting to stab Jewish people in the area. Shomrim said they responded immediately and detained a suspect before police arrived and deployed a taser. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Photographer: Carl Court Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
The Government has announced a further £25m for increased security for Jewish communities.
Who is the suspected attacker
The suspect is a 45-year-old British national who was born in Somalia and came to the UK as a child in the 1990s.
Body-worn footage shows the moment he was Tasered and pinned to the ground by police while holding a knife.
Caption: Screen grab from body worn camera issued by Metropolitan Police of police officers confronting and arresting a 45-year-old man who remains in custody, they have said, following two people being stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London. Issue date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Metropolitan Police Provider: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire Source: PA
NEWS
4 min read
The drunken monkey theory could explain humans’ drinking habit (Photo: Olga Pankova/Getty)
HEALTH
How even moderate drinking can damage your liver
MetALD is a type of liver disease which arises when there is a combination of moderate levels of drinking along with being overweight or having other “metabolic conditions” that often accompany weight problems.
What you need to know
Caption: 3D Illustration Concept of Human Internal Digestive Organ Liver Anatomy Photographer: magicmine Provider: Getty Images Source: iStockphoto
MetALD is thought to affect up to one in 10 people.
Being overweight can interact with drinking because fat is a key part of how alcohol affects the liver.
Ultrasound scanning of intestines, abdominal cavity, right lobe, liver, bile ducts, gallbladder – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Brian Lawless/PA).
If excessive drinking continues, the liver develops scarring which can lead to liver failure and liver cancer.
What do experts say?
Even a moderate amount of alcohol can lead to liver scarring if combined with being overweight or other metabolic problems. Most people don’t realise how easy it is to damage your liver
Dr Naina Shah, liver specialist at King’s College London
What are the risk factors?
The condition was only named three years ago and public awareness is low.
MetALD is usually seen in people who are overweight and are drinking more than 17.5 units a week for women, or 26 units for men.
Having high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes also increases the risk.
NEWS
3 min read
How to stop liver scarring
In most cases, scarring of the liver can be reversed by stopping alcohol consumption and weight loss. Weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy may also help people lower their alcohol intake.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
Identities are constructed, and the idea of being “Western” is no exception. The problem with this particular identity is how tenuous it is. There is not, and has never been a “West”. The crass chaos of the Trump administration has only helped strip away the facade for what the narrative of “the West” has always been: a made-up history of white colonisers at every longitude – from Argentina to Israel.
It is about nations addicted to the industrialised killing of perceived “others” to maintain, ironically, a story about rights, and the rule of law, and how civilised they are. It has always been a story. Democracy in Britain was built on autocratic rule in the colonies, where dissidents were imprisoned and shot.
Emergency services at the scene following Saturday’s shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington DC. Trump suggested assassination attempts happened to ‘impactful people’ (Photo: Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
Colonial history has a way of continuously resurfacing. A recent leak from the Pentagon, suggesting the US could trade British sovereignty over the Falklands for support in the Iran war, powerfully makes the point. Trump shows great support for Argentinian President Javier Milei, one of the world’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders for so-called “Judeo-Christian” values – merging religious teachings to advocate for a conservative moral outlook.
Milei is one of the doomsayers of a much older tradition, the idea of Western decline. “The West is in danger,” he warned earlier this year.
That this sentiment may lead the USA and Argentina to unite against Britain, which has no logical business owning land in the South Atlantic in the first place, is a mind-boggling example of this “Western” incoherence. An American president is using the language of anti-imperialism to side with a populist in Argentina against Britain, a democracy whose continuing imperial possessions are a reminder of how hollow these ideas have always been.
In the 19th century, Europeans crafted a new origin story about their identity, imagining them in the early democratic ideas of Ancient Greece and Rome. The fact those empires were physically and intellectually closer to Asia and Africa was an inconvenient detail.
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact historical moment the myth of “Western civilisation” captured the imagination of the political class. But it wouldn’t be far off to say its roots lie in a war with Iran.
Nineteenth-century politician John Stuart Mill said that the Battle of Marathon in 490BC – in which the Athenians repulsed a Persian invasion – “as an event in English history, is more important than the Battle of Hastings”.
Had the Greeks lost, as Mill put it, “the Britons and the Saxons might have still been wandering in the woods”. The reality could not be more different. Ancient Greece drew its ideas from Africans, and Ancient Rome survived into the Middle Ages in Turkey. Their ideas were kept alive not by Europe, but by Islamic scholars, who harboured and evolved them for centuries before they were introduced to Europe.
The real origins of ideas considered “Western” are far from the actual “West”. So for most of my life, I assumed the mythmaking around the so-called “Western civilisation” would undergo a series of factual corrections until it was rendered essentially redundant.
Instead, it’s more muscular and violent than ever. Trump and his populist allies have not only revived this fiction, but shouted loudly about this “civilisation” while simultaneously demonstrating how uncivilised it can be.
Assassinating leaders in the midst of negotiations, as the US and Israel did to Iran, before lamenting there is “no one left to negotiate with”. Threatening to seize territory from allies such as Denmark, who have jumped to the aid of US aggression in previous wars, like the war in Iraq. Attacking the independence of the judiciary, law firms, universities and government officials and anyone else who does not behave like the President’s private staff. Carrying out unlawful interventions abroad, such as Venezuela, and supporting unlawful, fatally armed insurrections within, like January 6.
‘The West’ is now whatever America says it is
The West has problematic racial ideas baked into the very core of its identity. To position itself as “The West” has always required an other, giving rise to “The Third World”, the “The Far East”, “The Middle East” and other identities formed to bolster an innate sense of “Western” superiority.
The fate of Jewish people is one of the most powerful examples. Long before Mill and German-American political philosopher Francis Lieber, who came up with the phrase “Western civilisation”, proto-ideas of “The West” wreaked havoc against Jews. A belief in defending “Christendom” and the Catholic Church – even Christianity was bad if it was “eastern” – drove Crusaders and genocidal Europeans to persecute and murder Europe’s Jews.
The nations that would later congratulate themselves for existing at the heart of “The West” carried out inquisitions and pogroms. Right up to the 20th century – the Nazi Holocaust was met, at first, with a level of indifference.
“Western civilisation” allowed the murder of Jews to “bounce off consciences like peas off a steel helmet”, as George Orwell described it in 1944. It’s one of history’s greatest ironies that Israel has now hijacked those same ideas to continue the most violent of the West’s projects.
At least the 19th and 20th-century architects of the idea of “The West” genuinely believed in its values. For John Stuart Mill, it was the promise of democracy. For US political scientist Samuel Huntington, Christianity and the rule of law. For the Australian writer PD Marchant, it was the dream of “a Man with one wife, a vote and a union card”.
Even African American thinkers like W E B Du Bois believed “Western values” could be the ultimate emancipatory tool.
It’s becoming harder for any sensible person to look at the world now and believe everything will be OK if only the West has its way. Fossil-fuelled, industrialised consumption has gone from the ideal of progress, to one of the most suicidal ideas in history, making our planet uninhabitable. “The West” has deteriorated into whatever America says it is.
America, rather than protecting those “Western civilisational” ideas, flawed as they are, has become a predatory hegemon. Less the actual Crusades – although those are a legacy damning enough – more Crusade cosplay. Ironically if they were alive today, I suspect the original creative writers of “The West’s” identity would be the most embarrassed by its crude demise.
Afua Hirsch is the author of Brit(ish) and Decolonising My Body. Her documentaries include Enslaved with Samuel L Jackson and BBC series Africa Rising. She is professor of journalism at the University of Southern California
Sir Keir Starmer could attempt a Cabinet reshuffle perhaps as soon as the days after next week’s local elections.
The party is expecting a difficult set of results and the already-beleaguered Prime Minister could use a rejig of his top team to try to shore up his diminishing authority.
Though Starmer’s aides are understood to be divided over whether he should change his Cabinet, The i Paper‘s reporting has uncovered some of the key names being tipped for demotion or a comeback.
So, who do Westminster insiders really think could be on course for a new job – or on track to be sacked?
Shorts – Quick stories
Armed forces
RAF troops shot down 100 Iranian drones
Caption: Image of the Rapid Sentry air defence system, seen here at the Air Defence Range at Manorbier, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales on the 18/03/2024.
Photographer: AS1 Jessica Eglon Copyright: UK MOD ? Crown copyright 2026
Troops used video game-like shooters to blast unmanned drones and missiles out of the sky.
The coalition base in Iraq faced 28 air attacks a day before the temporary ceasefire.
What you need to know
RAF aces used counter-drone missile systems to defend the base, reports Sky News.
The unidentified base in Iraq also houses US personnel.
The RAF is looking at making provision for expanding the UK armed forces’ counter-drone capabilities in the long-awaited defence investment plan.
Alistair Carns, the armed forces minister, said on a visit to the base: “I would argue this place would be a smouldering wreck if it wasn’t for you guys.”
Rapid fire
Troops on the base use Rapid Sentry counter-drone systems to intercept drones and missiles headed their way.
The launcher fires four laser-guided missiles against incoming threats.
Caption: Image of the Rapid Sentry air defence system, seen here at the Air Defence Range at Manorbier, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales on the 18/03/2024.
Photographer: AS1 Jessica Eglon Copyright: UK MOD ? Crown copyright 2026
NEWS
3 min read
Call of Duty pays off
It is a little bit different to the Xbox controller, but the concept is pretty much the same. If you are good at Xbox and PlayStation, then I think this is probably the one for you.
Air Specialist (Class 1) Westworth, RAF Ace
The PlayStation Showcase will be broadcast live this evening (Photo: Getty)
News
Stephen Fry sues conference for £100,000
The comedian, actor and presenter has brought a claim against the organisers of an AI conference at which he fell off the stage following his keynote address.
What you need to know
Fry, 68, fell 6ft off the stage on to concrete at London’s O2 Arena in 2023.
He broke his right leg, hip, pelvis and some ribs in the fall.
Fry told BBC Radio Two: “I didn’t realise that I was walking off the part of the stage where there was nothing – just a six-foot drop.”
The comedian is now suing CogX Festival and the event organiser, Blonstein Events, for personal injury damages.
TELEVISION
3 min read
A closer look at the detail
In court documents, his lawyers allege organisers failed to ensure “the stage and backstage area were safe, adequately lit and properly protected to prevent a fall from height”.
Fry took months off work after the incident, requiring “constant physiotherapy” for his injuries.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 22: Stephen Fry attends The Standard Theatre Awards 2025 Winners Dinner hosted by the Standard’s proprietor Lord Lebedev on March 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images) Photographer: Dave Benett Provider: Dave Benett/Getty Images Source: Dave Benett Collection Copyright: 2026 Dave Benett
BOOKS
6 min read
Prediction tool spots who needs weight-loss jabs before obesity hits
People who are overweight but not obese could be given GLP-1s if they are identified as at high risk of suffering from obesity-related complications.
Caption: TOTNES, DEVON – FEBRUARY 20: A close-up of a woman injecting a Mounjaro weight-loss jab on February 20, 2026, in Totnes, Devon. The popularity of weight-loss jabs to tackle obesity has soared in the UK in the past year with around 4 per cent of households currently using them. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images) Photographer: Matthew Horwood Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
What you need to know
Caption: FILE PHOTO: Pens for the diabetes drug Ozempic sit on a production line to be packaged at the Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s site in Hillerod, Denmark, September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo Photographer: Tom Little Provider: REUTERS Source: REUTERS
Predicting disease risk
Obscore was created by academics from Queen Mary University of London and the Berlin Institute of Health.
Complements BMI
The model offers a more accurate way to spot people at higher risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes.
A nurse gives a patient a diabetes test (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Diabetologist doctor waiting for result from glucose testing in diabetes clinic. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Catch issues in advance
The project identified 20 commonly collected readings which can be used to predict 18 different complications.
Tool could stop at-risk patients falling through the net
Dr Kamil Demircan, from Queen Mary University, said: “We actually observed that a considerable proportion of individuals were living with overweight rather than obesity.
“These constitute a population of individuals who may be overlooked if we only look at BMI and not other risk factors.”
Caption: A medicine distributor stores Mounjaro (tirzepatide) self-injecting GLP-1 prefilled pens and vials in a fridge at his office in Thane on March 20, 2026. A deluge of weight-loss drugs is set to transform the global fight against obesity as India prepares to unleash low-cost generic versions of injections like Ozempic after a key patent expired on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors
SCIENCE
4 min read
Caption: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing S5,Thames,4,Paul Whitehouse, Ted the dog, Bob Mortimer,River Thames,Owl TV,Owl TV Photographer: Owl TV Provider: BBC/Owl TV Copyright: WARNING: Use of this copyright image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures’ Digital Picture Service (BBC Pictures) as set out at www.bbcpictures.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/. In particular, this image may only be published by a registered User of BBC Pictures for editorial use for the purpose of publicising the relevant BBC programme, personnel or activity during the Publicity Period which ends three review weeks following the date of transmission and provided the BBC and the copyright holder in the caption are credited. For any other purpose whatsoever, including advertising and commercial, prior written approval from the copyright holder will be required.
entertainment
Bob Mortimer ‘very, very sad’ after death of Gone Fishing dog Ted
Comedian Bob Mortimer has said he is “very, very sad” after the death of Ted, the dog who starred in Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
What you need to know
Ted first appeared in the show during its third series in 2020 and quickly became popular with fans, being given a lifetime achievement award during the show’s 2025 Christmas special, as he appeared alongside Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse.
Caption: WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 00:00:01 on 24/08/2021 – Programme Name: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing S4 – TX: n/a – Episode: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing S4 – iconic (No. n/a) – Picture Shows: Burghley House, Stamford Paul Whitehouse, Bob Mortimer – (C) Owl Power – Photographer: Marianne Wie
TV Still
BBC Photographer: Marianne Wie Provider: BBC/Owl Power/Marianne Wie
Caption: TX DATE:26-10-2025,TX WEEK:43,EMBARGOED UNTIL:21-10-2025 00:00:00,DESCRIPTION:,COPYRIGHT:Owl Power,CREDIT LINE:BBC/Owl Power/Marianne Wie Photographer: Marianne Wie Provider: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Owl Power/Marianne Wie Copyright: BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES
Mortimer said: “So very, very sad. Lovely Ted, the best companion and the greatest little chum. Going to miss him so much… and away boss.”
The last we’ve seen of him?
Whitehouse added: “Bye bye Ted old friend. He wasn’t a dog, he was a species all of his own. He’s gone to the great briefcase emporium in the sky. We will really miss you mate.”
Ted is set to make his final appearance in the show during its upcoming ninth series.
Caption: Ted, the Patterdale Terrier mix, who found fame on BBC?s Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing alongside Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse has died.
(Images: Lisa Clark/Gone Fishing/Guy Levy)
TELEVISION
3 min read
Caption: A statue of a man holding a flag which covers their face, and signed ‘Banksy’, has appeared in Waterloo Place in London. Picture date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Photographer: Stefan Rousseau Provider: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire
ART
New Banksy statue pops up in London
A new plinth and statue have appeared in the centre of London, bearing the signature of secretive street artist Banksy.
The work appeared in the early hours of Wednesday, with Banksy taking credit a day later.
What are the details?
The statue depicts a man marching forward off the plinth, brandishing a flag which has blown back to cover his face.
It was first spotted on Waterloo Place yesterday.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: A new satirical statue attributed to Banksy appears in Waterloo Place on April 29, 2026 in London, England. The sculpture depicts a person in a suit marching forward off a plinth while their face is completely covered by a large, billowing flag. It is located near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images) Photographer: Martin Pope Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: A new statue and plinth in Waterloo Lace, signed by the artist Banksy, on April 29, 2026 in London, England. A new satirical statue attributed to Banksy appeared in Waterloo Place, Central London today. The sculpture depicts a person in a suit marching forward off a plinth while their face is completely smothered by a large, billowing flag. It is located near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images) Photographer: Martin Pope Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: 2026 Martin Pope
The background
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: A new satirical statue attributed to Banksy appears in Waterloo Place on April 29, 2026 in London, England. The sculpture depicts a person in a suit marching forward off a plinth while their face is completely covered by a large, billowing flag. It is located near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images) Photographer: Martin Pope Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
Banksy has built an international reputation for his thought-provoking, politically charged art.
This sculpture is his first public work since December.
CULTURE
3 min read
The drunken monkey theory could explain humans’ drinking habit (Photo: Olga Pankova/Getty)
HEALTH
How even moderate drinking can damage your liver
MetALD is a type of liver disease which arises when there is a combination of moderate levels of drinking along with being overweight or having other “metabolic conditions” that often accompany weight problems.
What you need to know
Caption: 3D Illustration Concept of Human Internal Digestive Organ Liver Anatomy Photographer: magicmine Provider: Getty Images Source: iStockphoto
MetALD is thought to affect up to one in 10 people.
Being overweight can interact with drinking because fat is a key part of how alcohol affects the liver.
Ultrasound scanning of intestines, abdominal cavity, right lobe, liver, bile ducts, gallbladder – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Brian Lawless/PA).
If excessive drinking continues, the liver develops scarring which can lead to liver failure and liver cancer.
What do experts say?
Even a moderate amount of alcohol can lead to liver scarring if combined with being overweight or other metabolic problems. Most people don’t realise how easy it is to damage your liver
Dr Naina Shah, liver specialist at King’s College London
What are the risk factors?
The condition was only named three years ago and public awareness is low.
MetALD is usually seen in people who are overweight and are drinking more than 17.5 units a week for women, or 26 units for men.
Having high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes also increases the risk.
NEWS
3 min read
How to stop liver scarring
In most cases, scarring of the liver can be reversed by stopping alcohol consumption and weight loss. Weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy may also help people lower their alcohol intake.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
UK news
Everything you need to know about Golders Green terror attack
Caption: Screen grab from body worn camera issued by Metropolitan Police of police officers confronting and arresting a 45-year-old man who remains in custody, they have said, following two people being stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London. Issue date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Metropolitan Police Provider: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire Source: PA
The stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, yesterday was declared a terrorist incident. Police arrested a Somalia-born British national on suspicion of attempted murder.
What you need to know
Iran-linked Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) took credit for the attack on Telegram.
The victims – Shilome Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76 – were taken to hospital after being stabbed shortly after 11am. They are in a stable condition.
Sir Keir Starmer said he would visit the community “as soon as possible”.
Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mervis, called for the “silent majority in the UK to raise their voices” against antisemitism.
Developments since the attack
Caption: Members of the community watch as forensic officers search the area after two people were stabbed in the Golders Green neighbourhood, that has a large Jewish community, in London, Wednesday, April 29, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Photographer: Kin Cheung Provider: AP Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
The Home Secretary has condemned the “spate of attacks” on the Jewish community.
Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley and local MP Sarah Sackman were both heckled at the scene.
Caption: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley speaks to the media at the scene in Golders Green, north-west London, after two men – one aged in his 70s and another in his 30s – were stabbed on Wednesday morning. The Metropolitan Police said a 45-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody. Picture date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Lucy North/PA Wire Photographer: Lucy North Provider: Lucy North/PA Wire Source: PA
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Police officers look on as people participate in an ‘Anti-Zionism = Terrorism’ protest, organised by the pressure group Stop the Hate in Golders Green following the stabbing of two people earlier today on April 29, 2026 in the Golders Green area of London, England. According to Shomrim, the Jewish community security organisation, a man with a knife was seen running down the high street attempting to stab Jewish people in the area. Shomrim said they responded immediately and detained a suspect before police arrived and deployed a taser. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Photographer: Carl Court Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
The Government has announced a further £25m for increased security for Jewish communities.
Who is the suspected attacker
The suspect is a 45-year-old British national who was born in Somalia and came to the UK as a child in the 1990s.
Body-worn footage shows the moment he was Tasered and pinned to the ground by police while holding a knife.
Caption: Screen grab from body worn camera issued by Metropolitan Police of police officers confronting and arresting a 45-year-old man who remains in custody, they have said, following two people being stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London. Issue date: Wednesday April 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Metropolitan Police Provider: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire Source: PA
NEWS
4 min read
New technique could transform endometriosis diagnosis
Waiting times for a diagnosis could be slashed after scientists developed a new imaging tool to spot the condition.
Endometriosis can be a debilitating condition for women which often takes years to diagnose.
The new imaging technique uses a molecular tracer which is injected into the patient and binds to a specific protein.
A scan then reveals inflamed areas or lesions.
HEALTH
4 min read
The story in numbers
9 years
Currently, the average time from first seeing a doctor to getting an official endometriosis diagnosis in the UK is about nine years and four months.
84%
Nineteen patients completed the study, which found that the new imaging technique was able to detect the presence or absence of endometriosis in 16 women.
This means it had a hit rate of 84 per cent of participants.
Diagnosis times slashed
If these results are confirmed in larger phase three studies, imaging with maraciclatide could transform clinical research and practice and potentially empower the development of treatments for women across the globe
Professor Krina Zondervan, co-director of the Endometriosis CaRe Centre
Labour said delays to treatment starts were also worsening even before the pandemic. (Photo: Getty Images)
The return of Angela Rayner
Starmer has, for some time, been considering how and when Angela Rayner – one of his key leadership rivals – could be brought back into the fold after she resigned from Cabinet following the stamp duty scandal.
The former housing secretary is currently being investigated by HMRC after she admitted to underpaying stamp duty on an £800,000 property in the well-heeled area of Hove in East Sussex.
The PM is understood to want to try and find a way to bring her back into his top team in an attempt to ensure her loyalty, for now.
Sources insist that no formal offer has been made to the former deputy prime minister, despite reports to the contrary, but there is speculation as to what role she might consider accepting.
Since her departure from Cabinet, she has repeatedly spoken out about issues relating to her former role of housing secretary and Labour sources speculate that she would want to return to this job – currently held by Steve Reed.
There are questions around whether she would really want a new Cabinet role under Starmer given the direction of the current Government and what demands she, or her followers, would make in return for her support.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, centre, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, right, are among Starmer’s biggest possible leadership rivals (Photo: Paul Ellis/AFP)
Deputy Labour leader – and other Rayner allies
With the return of Rayner could come the promotion of those who are known to be supportive of her.
Lucy Powell replaced her as deputy Labour leader but does not currently have a Cabinet role. She is someone considered to be on the hook for a promotion if Starmer has to reshape his top team.
Louise Haigh, a former minister who resigned early on in the Government after a historic guilty plea for fraud was unearthed, is another name being batted around.
Former disabilities minister Vicky Foxcroft has also been talked up.
Haigh and Foxcroft are allies of Rayner and may be in the frame for a promotion if the former deputy prime minister is brought back into the fold.
Could Liz Kendall face demotion?
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has been mentioned as someone at risk of demotion with several Westminster sources saying there are rumours she could be moved.
Kendall was previously work and pensions secretary during the Government’s failure to push through welfare cuts central to its public spending plan. It was eventually forced into an embarrassing and damaging U-turn by its own MPs.
There are some in the party who believe she has demonstrated similar poor management when it comes to the proposed social media ban for children.
Peter Kyle ‘in a vulnerable position’
Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle has been a long-time supporter of Starmer but has been privately criticised by some in the party for not having been an effective Cabinet minister.
Crucially Kyle – like Kendall – is considered to be in a vulnerable position because they are part of the right wing of the Labour Party. This is not expected to be the cohort Starmer would have to win over to maintain power, and therefore the PM would not receive the same backlash for demoting them as he would for other ministers.
Is replacing Shabana Mahmood on the cards?
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has become a controversial figure among the Labour left, in particular due to her very tough proposals for changing the immigration rules to qualify for indefinite leave to remain.
While she is an effective communicator, and an asset to a Government facing a threat from right-wing parties such as Reform UK, Mahmood is problematic for Labour MPs who have a high number of immigrants in their constituencies – such as around London.
She has been out to bat for her policies very forcefully and is so personally linked to them that, should the PM decide to backtrack, he may be forced to replace her at the same time.
There are few things that would-be autocrats seem to enjoy more than a military parade, and few things that seem to disappoint them more than one that goes badly.
Just look at Donald Trump, who attempted to host a US military spectacle last summer, ostensibly to celebrate the USA’s 250th anniversary, but conveniently held on his own 79th birthday. Washington DC’s roads weren’t up to bearing the weight of heavy equipment, and washout weather kept the crowds away – much to the visible dismay of a furious Trump.
Now, it seems Vladimir Putin is having his own issues hosting a military parade. Russia is far more experienced at arranging such affairs – they were a staple of the Soviet era – and Moscow’s Red Square hosts a Victory Day parade every year on 9 May.
But this year, it will do so without any tanks or heavy military equipment whatsoever. Similarly, no military cadets will take part either. What is supposed to be a display of national strength, unity and muscularity could be a limp affair, indeed.
Putin is a leader who likes to project Russian strength across the world. His supporters and ministers routinely boast about how easily he could annihilate the West with Russia’s nuclear arsenal, saying it is only his forbearance and restraint that stop him from doing so.
Until Russia ran aground so disastrously in what it expected to be an easy invasion of Ukraine, it would similarly boast about how readily it could reintroduce its neighbours to “Mother Russia”.
It is both politically and psychologically significant to Putin, then, that he is able to put on a good military show for the TV cameras, and yet it seems obvious that he is unable to do so. Few official explanations have been given, but pro-Kremlin talking heads in Russian media have suggested that the risk of Ukraine striking Russian hardware is the reason for the decision.
That alone is an astonishing admission of failure. Russia was supposed to be able to roll into Kyiv within days of invasion, after experiencing just token resistance. That Ukraine is still standing independently four years later is a huge symbol of defiance in itself. That it is able, even without US support since Trump’s re-election, to threaten targets deep in Russian territory says more than a military parade ever could.
All of that would be embarrassing enough for Putin, and that’s based on the explanation that sources friendly to him are giving. Critics have an even blunter version of events: it’s possible Russia simply doesn’t have enough military hardware to spare from the frontline to put on show and what it has left wouldn’t be impressive enough.
Putin’s story about Russia is that it is a ferociously strong nation, led by a ferociously strong man. That is how he keeps his grip on power, and how he keeps opposition in check. As he grows older and more isolated, and as his army founders in Ukraine, the gap between his story and reality becomes ever harder to ignore. If it continues, even Russia’s compliant media won’t be able to cover it up for much longer.
With summer around the corner, there is no greater time for a trip to your local bookshop to get a good haul. And if you are looking for something fresh, then you are in luck, as this month brings with it a tonne of great new releases.
From the return of Elizabeth Strout with The Things We Never Say – which is an epic novel distilled into 200 pages – to new fiction from Booker Prize winning Douglas Stuart, as well as fascinating history and science books, here is our pick of the best…
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
The Pulitzer Prize winning author’s first standalone novel in over a decade is a balm for the soul. It introduces us to the terrific character of Artie Dam, a history teacher and husband who is far lonelier than he lets on, just as the revelation of a secret upends his life.
Viking, £18.99
Uprising by Tahmima Anam
In this dark, firecracker of a book, a community of sex workers held on a remote island rises up when a new young woman is brought against her will from the city. That it is inspired by a real state-licensed brothel in Bangladesh only makes this novel more captivating.
Canongate, £16.99
John of John by Douglas Stuart
No one can both break and burrow into his readers’ hearts quite like Stuart, whose novels about poverty, love, addiction and identity have earned him a place on the bestseller lists and the Booker Prize. His latest traces the fractures which follow a young man’s return to his family home on the isle of Harris.
Picador, £20
The Lowe Job by Grace Alexander
Lili Lowe is an ambitious young woman whose life goes haywire when she is caught with her married politician boss. But her mother, a former talent agent, has a way of spinning the media frenzy to their advantage. A tonne of fun to read.
Orion, £16.99
Give Me Everything You’ve Got by Imogen Crimp
Ruby knows she has finally made it as a director when the filmmaker she idolises, Ellen, invites her to her country home during a heatwave. But she begins to question things when she finds herself drawn into the tumultuous dynamic between Ellen and her unpredictable daughter.
Bloomsbury, £18.99
Enough by Dawn French
68-year-old Etta gathers her family for what will be a gorgeous weekend, starting with a trip to the beach to watch the sunrise. Then, in this compassionate, wise read from the beloved actor, she makes an announcement which capsizes their world.
Michael Joseph, £22
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
17 years ago, Stockett’s debut novel The Help became a global bestseller and film starring Emma Stone and Viola Davis. Now she is back with a big, fat, sweeping novel, set in 1930s Mississippi and centred on a spirited 11-year-old girl living in the town’s orphanage.
Fig Tree, £20
Prestige Drama by Seamas O’Reilly
This 200-page foray into fiction from the writer of the hit memoir Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? is every bit as darkly funny as you might expect. It’s a Derry-set drama about an American actor who vanishes soon after flying over to film a new series, and Diarmuid, the scriptwriter who was the last person to see her.
Fleet, £14.99
This is Also A Love Story by Sally Hayden
With world events as bleak as they are, here is a must-read from the Orwell Prize Winning author: an account of all the love stories she has witnessed while reporting in the most turbulent places across the globe, from Ukrainian couples to Syrian women.
Fourth Estate, £20
How to Kill A Language by Sophia Smith Galer
When this author’s grandmother died, she realised she had lost her only thread to the North Italian dialect she spoke. And thus began her deep dive into 10 of the 7,000 languages predicted to be extinct by the turn of the century, spun here into a fascinating account.
William Collins, £22
Thirst by John Robins
The comedian and broadcaster tells the story of his life, alcoholism and eventual sobriety through the prism of 12 drinks, starting with his first sip of champagne aged five. It is by turns heart-wrenching and hilarious.
Viking, £20
Imitation Games by Darragh McGee
This much-needed investigation into the way in which gambling has “hijacked” sport, penned by a global health sociologist and leading expert in the field, attempts to answer how exactly we got here, and what we can do about the very human cost.
Bodley Head, £22
Servus by Emma Southon
From the gladiators forced to entertain to the miners who sourced Rome’s marble, this illuminating piece of revisionist history looks at just how much the Roman Empire was built on the back of the people they enslaved.
Hodder & Stoughton, £25
The Secrets of Our DNA by Turi King
From the scientist who identified the remains of Richard III, this lively, myth-busting tour of modern genetics unpacks how DNA solves crimes, rewrites history and shapes our lives. It brims with timely questions about what our genes can (and can’t) reveal.
