Cancer has always been present in my life. It pretty much wiped out most of my father’s side of the family – my grandfather in his 50s, my grandmother in her 70s, one aunt when she was in her 30s and a second one before she turned 60.
So, when my dad was diagnosed in 2015 with pancreatic cancer, I knew, from the outset, that the news was not good. He was a larger-than-life, strong-as-an-ox character and, within a few weeks of diagnosis, was a shadow of himself. He died just eight weeks later and it left us all in a state of utter shock.
I hadn’t really joined up the dots before losing my dad, but it now felt clear that cancer was a disease which was prevalent in the family and we might have an inherited risk. I tried to be proactive. I went to see my GP, who referred me for a series of scans. I was relieved to discover that nothing sinister was lurking beneath the surface.
Vapes and prescription medicine now used to spike victims
Drug-laced vapes, as well as prescription and over-the-counter medications, are increasingly being used to spike victims, police have said.
Various drugs used in vapes
Cases have emerged where officers have encountered vapes containing THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, and the synthetic drug spice, alongside the use of high doses of common medications such as antihistamines and travel-sickness tablets.
4 min read
3 min read
Victims targeted in private settings
We’re seeing offenders use a wider range of substances than ever before, including everyday medications and substances added to vapes, while increasingly targeting victims in private settings such as homes, parties and student accommodation
Metropolitan police spiking lead Detective Superintendent Dan Thompson
How widespread is the issue?
- Over the past year, more than 2,700 spiking-related offences were reported to the Met, but only 131 resulted in a charge, caution or summons.
- This marked a 20 per cent increase over the previous year.
- More than half the victims were aged 18 to 35.
- A YouGov poll from December 2022 found that 10 per cent of women and 5 per cent of men said they had had a drink spiked.
The four key moments from Burnham’s meeting with Trump
There was no shortage of trip-wires that could have derailed Andy Burnham’s first meeting with Donald Trump, but in the end, it produced remarkably little friction.
Even without the charm offensive, Trump liked Burnham better than Starmer
In July, when Trump met Sir Keir Starmer at the Nato summit in Turkey after he had announced his resignation, the US President said he wanted to “bring him back” and “make him great again”.
Two months on, that affection has evaporated. Asked about a special relationship that has been up and down, Trump said things were “more up than they were under your last prime minister”.
No Trump attack on UK migration policy
Trump has previously said Britain is “on the edge of disaster” because of “insane” immigration policies, but in New York, he called it “a worldwide situation”.
For a Labour Prime Minister under pressure on small boats, being spared a public rebuke on his first outing is significant.
Trump thinks Britain has ‘tremendous potential’
Trump has previously called the UK “essentially bankrupt” for refusing to fully exploit North Sea oil and for relying on green energy. He has also claimed the country is “dying” under alleged mass migration.
This time he said Britain had “tremendous potential” and compared it favourably with other countries whose leaders he meets but in which he sees little promise.
2 min read
3 min read
Burnham swerved a Trump rebuke over West Bank
- Many expected Washington to condemn Britain’s sanctions on illegal West Bank settlements.
- When asked directly, Trump did not engage. He said he did not know about the move and left the question for Burnham to answer.
- It was an odd moment, but a useful one for No 10. A US president who wanted to punish Britain had an open invitation to do so and passed it up.
How the licence fee could be scrapped for a new monthly charge
The licence fee could be axed and replaced by an £11-a-month internet levy – and viewers invited to become “BBC members” – under new proposals.
The licence fee is becoming increasingly unsustainable, with 3.7 million households claiming to not need one, while half a million households stopped paying last year, forcing the BBC to find £500m in cuts.
‘Home internet levy’ fairest solution
A “home internet levy” method of funding is most likely to command public consent, the report, commissioned by campaign organisation 38 Degrees, found.
A BBC internet levy would cost £11 per month, an average increase of 35 per cent on the current cost of internet bills, but would be £4 a month cheaper than the current licence fee.
4 min read
3 min read
The other proposals for the BBC
The report looked at other funding solutions such as keeping the licence fee, but adding a “news and culture levy” of £2.30 on to internet bills.
Also proposed was a £12 a month “household levy” or putting the cost of the licence fee on to streaming subscriptions.
Make BBC a ‘mutual’ society
- The report also proposed radical changes to make the BBC more accountable to the public by becoming a “mutual-style membership” organisation.
- Members would be chosen by lottery to take part in a member council, where they would serve terms of up to three years and be paid for their time.
- They would “hold the board of the BBC to account, ensuring that the organisation is meeting its duties to the public”.
- Under the proposals, the council would have no control over editorial decisions, hiring talent or decisions on programming.
Royal claims you haven’t heard as Earl Spencer’s book published
With Earl Spencer’s controversial book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister now released, The i Paper has taken a closer look at some of the claims.
Here are five of the most eye-catching.
Charles acted like ‘child’
Then-prince Charles acted like a “petulant” child, according to Spencer. Charles is said to have told the author that he was “lucky” to be inheriting the Althorp Estate while still in his twenties.
- According to Spencer, Charles told him: “You’re just so lucky – you know, inheriting when you’re so young. I mean, I’m 43… and I employ 50 people … but my parents insist on treating me like – like a child!”
A closer look at the claims
Spencer claims, via a courtier, that the late Queen Elizabeth II said Charles was “resentful”. “He always resents things. He even resented it when I taught him the alphabet.”
He also wrote about Elizabeth’s apparent response to the news Diana was involved in an accident. “When the Queen had heard the first news of Diana’s being in a traffic accident, she had asked tetchily, ‘What is she up to now?’” he wrote. “This, before the seriousness of it all became clear.”
Diana suspected Charles had ‘tryst’ with Camilla on train
Diana suspected that Charles may have had a “tryst” with Camilla, according to the book. The suspicion followed a press report in 1980 which claimed Charles was seen with a blonde woman on the royal train.
However, Spencer wrote that this was not Diana and that she suspected that it was Camilla on the train.
Law firm offered to help him sue over Diana crash
Earl Spencer claims that a law firm offered to help him, William and Harry sue over the crash that killed Diana in France.
He said that he did not reply to the letter.
6 min read
2 min read
Morgan threatens to sue
Piers Morgan has threatened to sue Earl Spencer after claiming that there are “fabricated inaccuracies” in the book.
- The Earl claimed that Morgan “snarled with annoyance” after he was uninvited from Diana’s funeral.
The reaction
- Earl Spencer, responding to the Palace’s pushback over Charles’s alleged words, told the BBC: “Those are exactly the words he said.”
- He has also denied being vengeful. “I don’t hold resentments,” he told .
- Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the latest revelations and referred back to Wednesday’s initial statement.
- Earl Spencer was approached for further comment.
4 min read
Children as young as 13 diagnosed with ‘ketamine bladder’
Children as young as 13 have been referred to a specialist clinic with ketamine-induced uropathy (KIU), according to new analysis.
What is ‘ketamine bladder’?
KIU – also known as ketamine bladder – is a painful and severe condition caused by the drug damaging the urinary tubes, kidneys and bladder.
- Frequent urination, blood in urine and a loss of bladder control are some of the symptoms.
- The UK’s first KIU clinic opened in May 2025 due to a rise in young people with the condition.
Which children are most affected?
- The average age of the first 60 patients was 14.
- Around 66 per cent of the patients were girls, with a similar proportion living in the most deprived areas.
- 72 per cent had experienced emotional trauma, with one in five having experienced the care system.
- 16 of the children had autism or ADHD, or both.
The underlying factors
We are trying to understand the wider picture. use does not happen in isolation, and our analysis is helping us explore the different factors that may be associated with young people developing serious health problems
Professor Rachel Isba, consultant in paediatric public health medicine at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
How one test could ‘transform’ womb cancer care
A simple test analysing cells in urine and vaginal fluid could help rule out womb cancer in women experiencing bleeding after menopause.
Women could avoid invasive tests
The new test has the potential to “transform care” researchers said, sparing patients from “invasive, uncomfortable” tests that are costly for the NHS.
Around 10,200 women are diagnosed with womb cancer in the UK each year. Bleeding after menopause is a common symptom and can trigger urgent cancer referral.
5 min read
2 min read
A closer look at the study
- The research included 1,864 women attending hospital with postmenopausal bleeding.
- The test correctly identified 80 per cent of cancers.
- It had a negative predictive value of 98.8 per cent for womb cancer, meaning women with a negative result were very unlikely to have the disease.
- It also detected 95.8 per cent of high-grade tumours and 96.4 per cent of cancers that had spread beyond the uterus.
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
4 min read
A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
2 min read
It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
2 min read
Then, one morning, while working, I got a message from a stranger on LinkedIn who said that she believed we were related and asked for my email address. Naturally, I was suspicious at first, but when further probing revealed that she knew the name of the town I grew up in, I figured she must be legit, so curiosity got the better of me, and I duly gave her my contact details.
She revealed that, due to the public nature of my work and the fact that I had written an article in the past which referenced my small village, she was able to track me down online to let me know she was the daughter of one of my deceased uncles.
She never met her father and was, in her own words, “the product of a one-night stand”; her mother died when she was a child, and she was brought up by relatives in Ireland before she moved to London in her late teens.
She had been recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer and subsequently tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation. She was informed by medics that the gene was likely paternal and was advised to let relatives know they may be at risk. And so, she began an online search, which led her to me – a selfless act for someone who was receiving treatment for terminal cancer and had nothing to gain from trying to find a stranger.
We struck up a virtual friendship, and I shared photos of her paternal family – she told me that she cried when she first saw the picture of our grandmother – and I felt the weight of guilt at the enormous fortune I had been bestowed – with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins on both sides, not to mention the immeasurable gift of having children of my own – while she had none of these things.
She was still living in London, and we made plans to meet, but as I had moved to Ireland and she had a busy schedule of treatment, it wasn’t as easy as just hopping on the Tube. I was determined to make it work, and we had made a loose plan, but tragically, her health deteriorated, and she died before we had the chance to meet – she was just 47 years of age.
Thanks to her intervention, my extended family and I were eligible for free genetic testing, which would determine the presence of a faulty gene. Fortunately, test results revealed that I did not have the mutant BRCA1 gene, but after further testing and an appointment with a genetic specialist, it was deemed that I had a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer and was advised that I should undergo an oophorectomy and (due to a history of uterine cancer on my maternal side) a hysterectomy once menopause had started.
In my mid-40s at the time, I decided that nothing needed to be done for a while – life was too busy, I didn’t have time for menopause symptoms, let alone major surgery. I’m self-employed, with three sons who were living at home at the time and a husband who works long hours. Any thoughts of surgery could wait.
If I’m being honest, I totally compartmentalised the whole thing, because really I didn’t want to do it. I reasoned with myself that it was very unlikely that I would get ovarian cancer, as I didn’t have the faulty gene and what if, by going through the operation, I unwittingly caused more trouble for myself?
What if things went wrong or I was left with lasting side effects? I envisaged issues during the surgery itself and a whole host of varying crises, physical and emotional, which could unfold afterwards.
So, I put it out of my mind. But when menopause started to rear its head during Covid (more joy to add to those strange times), the genetic specialists’ advice crept back into my thoughts. I was about to turn 50 and had three aunts who died before their time – did I want my kids to be telling a similar story because I was too afraid to face up to the challenge?
I had been to see various specialists over the years for check-ups and ovarian scans, but it wasn’t until I was referred to a consultant gynaecological oncologist, who was so insightful, measured and reassuring that I finally felt comfortable enough to agree to surgery. She laid out the facts and told me that if she was in my shoes, she would do the same thing.
She was so open to questions and even when I dithered about the date, told me that I could change my mind at the last minute if I needed to. She was going to be operating on me herself and I really trusted her, so I locked in the date for admission and decided to just get on with it, knowing that I was so fortunate to be able to have the opportunity, unlike my poor long-lost cousin and the various members of my family who were no longer with us.
On the day itself, I made my way to the hospital and, following a pre-op chat where she went through everything again in detail, I gave myself up completely to the expert staff and, following a 30-second chat with the anaesthetist, I was gone and the next thing I knew, I was in recovery.
The surgery lasted around three hours. I was dreading waking up to bad news, but although I was sore, uncomfortable and attached to a plethora of different tubes and devices, I felt fine. The nurses came and went – fixing, adjusting, administering and assuring – as did my surgeon, enquiring as to how I was feeling and letting me know that everything went well.
Having been dreading the moment for so long, it was a case of ‘the anticipation being worse than the execution’, so to speak. I was discharged two days later with a lengthy prescription and a long list of instructions about taking care of myself, which included getting lots of rest, remembering to do physio, going for gentle walks and not lifting anything heavier than a cup of tea.
This all occurred last year and I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. When I went back for my six-week post-operation check, I told my surgeon that if it wasn’t for the small puncture wounds (which have since disappeared) on my stomach, I would have no idea that she had removed my uterus and ovaries. I had no side effects, either physical or mental, helped by the fact that menopause had already started before my surgery.
Instead, I have eliminated my risk for at least three types of cancer and, hopefully, by taking this action, will be around for a lot longer than some of my family members were. And this is all thanks to the selfless woman, who I never met, who made it her last mission to alert a stranger (me) to the potential risk of developing cancer – allowing me and other family members the luxury of taking pre-emptive and potentially lifesaving measures.
Cancer is something which touches all of us – on average, someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer at least every 75 seconds – and there can’t be many of us who haven’t lost a loved one to the disease or been diagnosed with it themselves. This is a reminder that early intervention is crucial, and while far from pleasant, it sometimes involves facing the fear and doing it anyway – as the alternative is not worth thinking about.