We hadn’t been on a holiday since our first child was a baby. An impromptu weekend trip to the mountains, three hours away from where we lived in Calgary, Canada, with our three-month-old baby was the last real holiday our family had gone on since we started having children.
Nine years later, we were standing on Scottish ground at Edinburgh Airport. Sweaty, stinky, hungry, and tired, our family of four started our first vacation in nearly a decade driving through the Scottish countryside on our way to Alnwick, Northumberland.
The summer sun was setting as we drove to our first Airbnb. The fields of sheep and quaint cottages were caught up in the evening glow of the sunset. I had spent the last two months planning it all, and I was relieved to finally be where I’d fantasised about. The landscape was stunning. I was so happy. Stopping at Morrison’s for groceries, it felt surreal being in a new supermarket when only eleven hours before, we’d boarded our flight from Calgary. The shopping, we put on the credit card. The rest of the trip, we did just the same.
Top Gear to return to BBC – everything we know
The BBC has confirmed is returning to the broadcaster. The show has been on hiatus since presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was almost killed during filming in December 2022.
What we know so far
The BBC’s director of entertainment Ed Havard confirmed the news of the return at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday. He said: “There has been a lot of speculation about this and we can confirm that is coming back.”
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What happened to Flintoff?
Following the crash, the BBC announced would not be returning “for the foreseeable future”, explaining it had “decided to rest the UK show”.
Who will host now?
- Havard declined to comment on reports that Jimmy Carr is being lined up as the show’s new host.
- However, reports claim talks are underway with the comedian.
- Joe Marler, a former rugby player who appeared in last year, is also being eyed by the BBC, according to Deadline.
- No deals are thought to be in place.
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The back story
- It enjoyed a second life when Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness and Flintoff took over hosting duties from Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans, before the crash involving Flintoff occurred.
Dozens of Britons missing in deadly Nepal flood
More than 160 people have died and hundreds are missing, including , after a devastating flash flood on the Nepal–Tibet border.
What happened?
- Floodwater swept along the Bhote Koshi river in Rasuwa region, in the Himalayas, at around 8.30am local time on Wednesday, destroying roads and washing away houses and bridges.
- More than 40 people were injured in the tragedy and are receiving treatment in hospital.
- Nepali officials said a further 826 people are missing, the majority of them tourists, including 33 Britons.
- Around 2,000 military personnel have been deployed by the Nepali army to assist with search and rescue operations.
What is known about the missing Britons?
Among the 33 Britons missing, 12 were with one tour company. Ram Kumar Adhikari, manager of Alpine Eco Trek, said the group included a 13-year-old girl, with the oldest member aged 65.
He said they had passed Chinese border controls to enter Tibet.
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The flood in pictures
Thunderstorms expected across England and Wales
Flooding has hit part of the West Midlands as are expected across large areas of England and Wales.
A yellow thunderstorm has been issued from 5am until 10pm on Thursday.
What the warning says
The yellow warning covers swathes of the country, from Norwich and London to Cardiff and Manchester.
Some areas could see 50-75mm of rainfall on Thursday, as well as lightning and hail, which could cause disruption.
Warm temperatures with highs of 27°C or 28°C are expected, and there is a small chance some areas could see more than 75mm of rainfall.
Where the warning is in place
What happened in Birmingham?
There has been significant flooding in Birmingham. A flood warning was issued for the Perry Barr area on Wednesday night due to rising river levels.
The Environment Agency has issued 22 flooding alerts – meaning flooding is possible – in the Midlands and South East.
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The forecast for the rest of the week
- Further heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected on Friday across the UK.
- Further rain will move in on Saturday, followed by a mix of sunshine and showers on Sunday and Monday.
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Liver disease cases linked to obesity up five-fold
Cases of a linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes have risen five-fold in a decade, a study has found.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) happens when in the liver and is left undiagnosed, researchers said.
What are the symptoms?
- Symptoms include feeling very tired or generally unwell, and pain in the abdomen.
- People who are overweight or not active are more likely to develop MASLD.
- Those who have type 2 diabetes, are over 50, or have high blood pressure are also more at risk.
- New diagnoses doubled from 2012 to 2022, and those diagnosed with the condition were three times as likely to have type 2 diabetes, analysis of GP records found.
A closer look at the findings
The study by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Glasgow found that 2.4 per cent of adults – 283,762 people had the disease in 2022, up from 0.02 per cent (1,300 people) in 2003.
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The expert view
The diagnostic gap remains large compared to expected rates. At-risk groups such as those living with type 2 diabetes and obesity should be identified and -finding actively pursued
researchers at Queen Mary University and University Glasgow
More on health from The i Paper
Mpox arrives in new countries – how worried should you be?
Since 2022, there have been nearly 190,000 lab-confirmed cases of mpox, but a fresh outbreak in the small West-African nation of Guinea-Bissau means the virus is back on the global agenda.
What we know about the new outbreak
Cases had not been reported in Guinea-Bissau before the latest outbreak, with 23 of the 46 reported cases being children under the age of 15.
The confirmed cases do not appear to be linked, suggesting the virus is circulating more widely and there are unidentified cases.
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Why is it spreading?
In the last major global outbreak in 2022, mpox appeared to undergo changes which meant it spread more efficiently from person to person, passing via close contact.
- This more infectious version of the disease means that it spreads more easily in places like West Africa as there are areas where many people live closely together, such as refugee camps.
Vaccines and treatments
The WHO recommends two vaccines, but the issue of availability is particularly pressing in poorer nations.
A new global stockpile is set to be launched within weeks, meaning vaccines can be deployed more quickly to stop outbreaks.
But they do not stop outbreaks alone, with experts calling for better contact tracing, early detection, strong public health surveillance and supportive care.
The young Maga women whitewashing Trump’s presidency
The make-up of Donald Trump‘s inner circle has come under scrutiny after US Senator Jon Ossoff remarked on the President’s close relationship with his executive assistant, Natalie Harp.
The episode has highlighted how Trump has surrounded himself with young, perfectly groomed Maga women in the White House.
Leavitt has been perhaps the most prominent of these women as White House press secretary. She recently announced she would step down at the end of August to focus on her family.
- Upon her appointment to the post, she became known for her combative style, quick thinking and pushing false claims. She was often described a Trump’s “attack dog”.
Martin, communications adviser and special assistant to Trump, has been tipped as a possible replacement for Leavitt. She is the President’s leading content creator, often posting photo dumps and reels of events she has attended with Trump.
She was accused of “whitewashing and sanitising” Trump’s Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin by Azza Cohen, Kamala Harris’s official White House videographer.
Kelly is also in the running to replace Leavitt, who she has worked under as White House deputy press secretary.
The 29-year-old is a former beauty queen with a master’s in political management, and has followed Leavitt in attacking journalists and defending Trump.
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The President and Harp have a very close working relationship.
She also reportedly left him notes saying, “you are all that matters to me” and, “I want to bring you joy”.
A closer look at Ossoff’s comments
Ossoff made his comments after it emerged that Harp was one of the few aides who went with the President when he secretly switched planes after a Nato summit in Turkey last month, because of a possible Iranian threat.
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Plug-in solar panels go on sale – what you need to know
New rules mean that people can now buy plug-in solar panels online and in shops.
Retailers will begin selling them from Thursday, meaning solar power can run into the home network using an ordinary plug.
What you need to know
A kit can produce up to 800W of power, enough to generate up to 20 per cent of an average home’s electricity, officials say.
This should equate to savings of around £110 annually on bills. As they appear on shelves, ministers say prices could start off higher, but they expect them to average out at around £400-£600.
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Who will sell them?
Argos has confirmed it will sell the kits from Thursday and Amazon is expected to follow suit soon.
Other retailers, including Currys, B&Q, Screwfix and Wickes have committed to stocking the plug-in panels.
Why are they only on sale now?
The sale of the technology was previously restricted because of safety and wiring standards.
The legal change follows rigorous, independent safety checks which show the panels are safe, according to officials.
Can everyone have one?
It depends on your property and its rules. You may still require consent from landlords, building owners, councils, freeholders, planning permission or listed building consent.
- Officials have advised people to check if any permissions are required for their home before buying or installing the techology.
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.
One year earlier, my husband – who is from Lancashire – and I had been watching an episode of . Seventies-era rock’n’roll played over images of Jeremy driving his tractor over golden fields, birds swooping in and out of the frame. Hedgerows and stone walls, wildflowers and wildlife, the bucolic scenes of the British countryside mesmerised me. The beautiful countryside of England looked so beautiful compared to the dried-up, wildfire smoke-filled Canada outside my window. I longed to be where he was.
15 years ago, early in our marriage, my husband and I spent nine months living in Lancashire awaiting his Canadian visa. Living in a new country, leaving behind my friends and family, I disliked England and felt that I didn’t belong. I didn’t enjoy its beauty; I just wanted to go home. This time around, I wanted to see it with fresh eyes.
My husband’s parents were thrilled at the prospect of their son and his family being near them for a month. They generously offered to give us £3,500 towards the trip, which is what they would have spent had they come to Canada. So, we booked our flights and accommodation totaling £5,800 and paid for the rest with our credit cards. There was no discussion between my husband and I as to how we would actually afford the trip. It was just assumed that we would use debt, just like we did for everything else.
Planning ahead for any purchase or lifestyle choice was not something my husband and I did. We made decisions, paid for them using our credit cards and lines of credit, and then spent months and years mildly regretting the financial decisions we made – only to do it all over again.
This trip to England was justified. My husband hadn’t spent more than a week or so with his family since he moved to Canada as a teenager, so we splurged. From high-end grocery store deliveries, endless stately home and castle tours and eating out whenever we felt like it, to souvenirs, gifts and entertainment for the kids, we spent just over £7,700. At the time, the cost felt worth it.
We had no plan for how much or how little to spend on our holiday, and we didn’t care. Figuring we would pay for it later, we spent our way through our holiday and arrived home already planning the following year’s trip.
One year later, I was feeling slightly guilty at the thought of visiting the UK for another month. We hadn’t paid off our debt from the first holiday, but I suppressed my concerns and focused on planning our vacation – instead of planning our way out of an ever-growing amount of debt of £15,000. At this time, our household income was around £45,000. The previous year, we had only made £30,000. Ignoring our increasingly precarious financial situation, we spent another month in England the following summer spending £4,200 this time. We pretended we were rich while we drowned in debt.
Our spending on these vacations reflected deeper problems we were having in our lives. As a stay-at-home parent for the last decade, I felt purposeless and lost. Planning our trips to England gave me a job, it gave me a purpose and a sense of accomplishment. I spent hours researching places to go, things to do and where to eat. I hunted for hiking gear, suitcases and travel activities. I made Amazon lists of toiletries, sundries and necessities. I had a job to do, and I did it well, simultaneously spending a down payment’s worth of money on two holidays we couldn’t truly afford.
Back home after our second trip, I worried about the debt, but not enough to stop overspending in all areas of our life. Meanwhile, my husband stressed and worried about how long it would take to get us out of the mess we had made. It wasn’t until we reached the limit on each of our lines of credit and both of our credit cards did I really start to feel the shame of how much money we spent. “What have we done?” I asked myself and I started to panic. We had spent so much money that wasn’t ours on trips we should never have taken.
As it stands today, we currently have £26,000 of debt that we are sacrificing much to pay off. We’re living in a small apartment while our friends live in five-bedroom houses to cut housing costs. We won’t be going on holiday until our debt is paid in full, which is likely to take nearly two years at minimum. We’re focused on ridding ourselves of this debt; in three months we’ve paid off £10,000. While it feels amazing to see our debt decreasing, the financial decisions I made in the past keep me up at night. Our debt affects each purchase, each decision, every day.
When I used to look at photos from our vacations, I saw gorgeous blue-green lakes, stunning scenery, the beautiful British countryside and fish and chips by the sea. I now see two parents struggling to come to grips with their spending habits and financial beliefs.