I was in a pub garden, sharing a bottle of rose with my recently-divorced friend and talking about the new world of dating she found herself in. She admitted that the apps were intimidating at first (“there were crummy dates”) and I nodded sympathetically – hearing that dating after a long-term relationship was especially tricky for women in their fifties like us – but then she made a confession. “The sex has given me a new lease of life.”
I’ve read many horror stories about midlife dating: people who claim to be single but aren’t, having to get into the mindset of sex with someone new after years sharing a bed with one person, showing your body to someone who didn’t watch you birth two children. But my friend revealed she now had a friend with benefits – and it had changed her life.
“We meet up twice a month, maybe more, and have the most incredible time together,” she explained. I asked if she thought he was seeing other women, too. “He might be but I don’t care,” came the response. “I’m not looking for a serious relationship. I just need a bit of fun, in fact, I might not even settle down ever.” She took another sip of wine, and smiled knowingly. “It’s fun and if it’s not then you move on”.
Noah Woods drowned after slipping through ‘gap in playground fence’
Noah Woods, the three-year-old boy who was the subject of a huge search in Suffolk, drowned after escaping “through a gap in the fence” at a playground, an inquest has heard.
Major search for toddler
The toddler, who had a speech delay and was partially deaf, became separated from a relative at a playground in Brantham village on 15 September.
A major search was carried out, with at least 1,300 people helping to try find him in the 24 hours after he went missing, along with helicopters, dog units and police divers.
Noah ran out of sight
Police told Suffolk Coroner’s Court that Noah had left the playground, walked into a memorial garden and left that through an open gate.
- He then ran down a path on a new housing estate towards the nearby Decoy Pond.
- Det Ch Insp Matt Connick from Suffolk Police told the court that CCTV showed Noah playing in the area with a relative close by.
- After he had left the play area, he was closely followed by the relative trying to catch up with him, he added.
- The inquest heard the relative had shouted out to Noah, but he went out of sight shortly afterwards.
Police divers recover boy’s body
Police divers from the Metropolitan Police searched Decoy Pond the next day. They found the boy’s body five metres from the edge of the pond within submerged tree roots at a depth of 1.8 metres.
Noah’s death was confirmed at 4.31pm by paramedics and his identity was formally confirmed by his mother, at Ipswich Hospital that evening, the inquest heard.
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- The inquest has been adjourned until a later date.
- In tribute shared by Suffolk Police, his family said that Noah was a “happy, cheeky, playful” boy who was being assessed for autism.
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‘The centre of our world’
He was part of a loving and caring family, living with his mummy, daddy and his little baby brother. He was at the centre of our world… Despite the challenges he faced, he was learning every day. He was saying new words all the time and had only just started finding and using his little voice.
dr pauline swift, the charity chair of blood pressure uk
Pope Leo arrives in France for first papal visit in 18 years
Pope Leo has arrived in France for a whirlwind four-day papal visit – the first in 18 years.
Leo, who became pope in May last year, said he wished to be a pilgrim of peace for a world at war, as he prepares to meet victims of the Catholic Church abuse scandal.
Pope meets with Macron
Earlier this year, the first US pope criticised leaders who spend billions on wars, just days after a high-profile spat with US President Donald Trump over the Iran conflict.
Superstar fanfare
- Over a million people are expected to turn out to see him, with the highpoint being a Mass attended by half a million people in central Paris.
- Leo has built a strong following among Gen Z through addressing modern anxieties.
Visit hoped to repair Church image
Local Church leaders hope the trip will repair the Church’s standing after a 2021 report found that 330,000 French children had been abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders over the past 70 years.
French bishops have since introduced compensation and safeguarding measures.
The pope will meet seven French victims of abuse by Catholic clergy on Sunday in Lourdes.
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AI presents ‘new dangers to international peace’, says pope
Leo, who has made AI concerns a cornerstone of his papacy, is expected to address the issue at UNESCO.
In a speech at the Vatican on Thursday, the pope said AI could benefit humanity, but has introduced “new dangers to security and international peace” and urged global leaders to “govern wisely”.
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In pictures: Leo’s visit to Paris
British rapper Yung Filly to face rape retrial
British rapper Yung Filly will face a rape retrial in Australia next June after a jury failed to reach a verdict in an earlier trial.
Filly, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, was charged with the alleged rape and assault of a fan after performing at a nightclub in Perth in 2024.
No decision for rape charges
In July, a jury acquitted the 31-year-old of three counts of rape, one of assault and one of strangulation but found him guilty of two assault charges.
No decision was reached for three rape charges, which Barrientos has denied.
He is understood to have returned to the UK after the court granted him permission to leave Australia as part of his bail conditions.
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Sentencing to take place after retrial
Perth’s district court has set 15 June as the start date for the retrial, which is expected to last eight days.
Sentencing for the two assault charges that the jury found Barrientos guilty of will take place after the retrial.
Barrientos is known for his work with the YouTube collective Beta Squad and has previously appeared in the celebrity version of on Channel 4.
What the court heard in first trial
Barrientos had been on tour in Australia when he was accused of sexually assaulting the woman in his hotel room after he performed in Hillarys, a coastal suburb of Perth.
- The court heard that the social media star had consensual sex with the fan in his hotel room, before she alleged he turned violent and refused to stop.
- During the trial, Barrientos told the court that he had “fancied” the woman when they met at the concert venue.
- He had been in the VIP area while she leaned over the barrier from the general area.
- He said the “vibes were good” between him and the woman when they arrived at his hotel later.
Prosecution calls Filly ‘entitled’
During the first trial’s closing arguments, prosecutor Danielle Clarke said Barrientos was an “entitled” man with a “moderate degree of fame” who had violated the fan “in the most intrusive way possible”.
His defence lawyer argued that the accuser’s evidence was full of “inconsistencies, embellishments and outright lies”.
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The UK’s pharmacy blackspots
Nearly 300,000 people have seen their local pharmacy shut this year, with dozens closing in shortage areas leaving patients with 17-mile round trips to pick up vital medicines.
Two sites closed per week
Analysis of NHS figures by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) revealed that 51 high-street pharmacies in England shut between January and August this year – the equivalent of two a week.
Of the total, 31 received government funding under a scheme to maintain vital access to medicines for patients in “healthcare shortage” areas.
The South West of England has been hit hardest by closures.
- Nine pharmacies closed across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.
- Three pharmacies alone closed in the Somerset town of Taunton.
- Closures are forcing patients to travel significant distances to access emergency prescriptions as well as contraception and clinical advice, particularly on a weekend, patient groups and pharmacies have warned.
- The recent closure of a Lloyds Pharmacy in Long Rock, Penzance, left patients with an up to 1 hour and 20-minute journey by public transport to access their nearest pharmacy – a 17-mile round trip.
Why are pharmacies closing?
Pharmacies have seen real-terms cuts of 40 per cent to their funding since 2016. Since then, 1,500 pharmacies have closed – meaning 9.9 million patients in England have seen their local chemist close, analysis shows.
Despite a £340m Government boost to pharmacy funding in May, NHS analysis for the Community Pharmacy England (CPE) body shows community pharmacies still face a funding gap of more than £2bn.
Just one in seven pharmacies are profitable, a separate survey by CPE of more than 2,900 pharmacies in July revealed.
Patchy medicine access
When a pharmacy closes, it can create pockets where patients will find it harder to access medicines, collect prescriptions and get advice from their local pharmacy. Closures often happen in areas where healthcare support is needed most so it intensifies health inequalities.
Dr James Davies, director of research and insights at Community Pharmacy England
Pressure on other NHS services
NPA leaders urged the Government to reform NHS’s contract with pharmacies. Around 90 per cent of a pharmacy’s work is funded through the NHS, they added.
William Pett, of Healthwatch, said longer distances were “difficult for those with limited mobility or no access to transport” and that is “is no surprise that some people end up turning to other parts of the NHS when they cannot get the help they need in their community”.
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Why experts fear loss of rare flower shows the UK’s climate future
A rare flower may have gone extinct in southern England due to extreme heat and drought, in what experts fear is a “canary in the mine” for how climate change is affecting biodiversity.
Field gentian all but wiped out
Until recently, the field gentian was abundant in the New Forest, Hampshire.
It was previously thought these populations could survive hot summers, due to their sheer size – often more than 5,000 plants at each site – and their ability for seeds to move with livestock into more sheltered areas.
But successive heatwaves and drought – in the third extreme summer in five years – may have led to their loss from southern England.
Rare flower missing for two years
The Species Recovery Trust has been unable to locate a single field gentian plant in the New Forest for the second year in a row.
Dominic Price, director of the charity, said the purple flower grew in dry or “skeletal” grasslands, which are on the “absolute front line” of climate change as they become parched and dead in hot, dry weather.
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This loss of what was such an abundant plant is deeply worrying, and in many ways, it feels like a canary in the mine for how climate change is likely to accelerate species loss.
Dominic Price, director of the Species Recovery Trust
Is it gone for ever?
- Price said “there’s potential for a miracle” with a wet summer next year helping the plant stage a comeback.
- In the summer of 2022, when UK temperatures soared to 40°C for the first time, field gentian populations crashed in the south of England, and went extinct in Devon.
- But populations recovered slightly the following year.
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The groundbreaking new DNA brain tumour test
A groundbreaking new DNA test will be offered to patients with brain tumours as part of a new pilot study, which NHS officials say will reduce average diagnosis rates from weeks to days.
Experts say the rapid genomic test can confirm a diagnosis within two hours – meaning medics can know the precise type of tumour even during surgery.
Huge boost to personalised care
The NHS said the test will be piloted in specialist centres around England.
Personalised care
It could help patients get personalised care sooner and help enrol them on clinical trials which they may have missed out on.
Officials said brain tumours are “notoriously difficult” to diagnose.
How does it work?
The cutting-edge technology works by quickly analysing the DNA or genetic code of a small tumour sample taken during biopsy or surgery, helping doctors identify what type of brain tumour the patient has.
There are more than 100 different types of tumours, which range from slow-growing to aggressive cancers.
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This remarkable rapid test has the potential to completely transform how we diagnose .
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS England’s medical director, added that the test is a “huge leap forward” for patients.
This is a huge leap forward for patients – a faster diagnosis means they can start the right treatment or access clinical trials sooner, while for some patients it could mean surgeons can make potentially life-changing decisions about their surgery while on the operating table.
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS England medical director
Health Secretary hails ‘incredible breakthrough’
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper called the technology an “incredible breakthrough”.
Dr Simon Newman of The Brain Tumour Charity added that it will help patients avoid the “‘cruel, traumatic’” experience of waiting weeks to find out which type of brain tumour they have and their prognosis.
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Walkers reveals three new crisp flavours
Three new “gold” flavours of Walkers are now available for crisp lovers. The new snacks mark the brand’s biggest revamp in 80 years.
What are the flavours and how much are they?
The new flavours are black truffle, sea salt and olive oil and Somerset mature cheddar and onion.
Each pack is branded as “Premium Potato Crisps”.
The crisps come in 140g bags and can currently be bought for £2 each.
Where you can buy them
The entire range launched on Ocado officially today, but from October 12, they will be widely available in major UK supermarkets for a cheaper price of £1.50.
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Record number of assaults on Britain’s trains – what to know
Assaults on Britain’s railways have hit record levels, new figures from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have revealed.
The numbers
The data published on Thursday showed there were 13,464 reported assaults on people who were not railway workers between April 2025 and March 2026, an increase of 36 per cent compared to the previous year.
- 11,289 assaults on rail workers on mainline networks were also recorded, an increase of 12 per cent. This included 6,390 incidents of verbal abuse, 2,487 physical assaults and 2,412 threats.
Working to make railways safer
No-one on the railway should be subjected to violence, threats or abuse. We’re working with industry and our trade union colleagues to address work-related violence and harassment, including through recent guidance which sets out what we expect from rail employers.
Richard Hines, ORR’s chief inspector railways
She told me that the sex was satisfying because she was older and more confident in saying what she liked best, that she’d realised that her ex and her had been stuck in a rut going through the same old moves and that these moves weren’t working for either of them. “I wish more women could experience this at our age,” she told me.
It’s not just my friend talking about it. Sharon Horgan’s new TV show, , follows the adventures of Alex, a 50-year-old newly divorced woman juggling sex and dating with a teen son and ageing parents. Horgan said in an interview that she has friends who are “incredibly free with their bodies” and feel this stage of life is a “whole new era” that they’re embracing.
I have friends like that, too. Newly single and launching themselves into a brave new world of sex. One friend in her mid-forties (no children) split from her husband a year ago and wasted no time in getting back out there. Like a Greyhound sprinting at the start of a race.
Her relationship wasn’t great for years. Her partner was distant, she suspected an affair, like ships in the night. I think mentally she’d been thinking about divorce for a long time, so she didn’t waste time once it was over. New hair. New wardrobe. She was different to my pub friend in that she wanted a relationship, not just sex. Six months later, she’s moved in with someone new.
It’s worth saying I do have married friends who are happy with their sex lives. They don’t perhaps talk about it so much as the ones who are peeved (women tend to bond over the bad sex they’re having). But we are all well versed in the challenges of maintaining a sexy sex life in a long-term relationship – I sometimes wish there were more TV shows about this.
But many friends who are single are going through a mad sexual renaissance. It’s like they’re coming out of a no-sex coma and being jolted back to life. “Come in, the water is lovely,” they shout at us married folk. They dust off their underwear and start investing in Agent Provocateur peek-a-boo bras whilst carting their M&S pants to the recycling. Shaving their legs every day, rather than on the arranged “sex maintenance day”, and considering waxing their pubic hair.
Of course, it’s not all roses and, of course, there is a lot of fear and sadness too (often around body image and the loss of a relationship, safety and the stability that comes with that). But at least three friends are having the kind of sex that makes those of us living with partners feel FOMO.
We become like private investigators, asking loads of questions. It’s not that we wish we were divorced – it’s traumatic and we want to work things out where we can – but we are curious. What is it like? What positions did you try? Did you hide under the duvet? Did you orgasm? Did you fake it? How long did it last? What’s the fashion in sex right now? Do you need to be very athletic? Did your knees hurt? Do people do things like a 69 these days? What age range are you dating? Is dating younger men weird? What do you do if you don’t fancy each other?
It’s a bit like the scene in , where the Pink Ladies interrogate Sandy and screech – “Tell me more, tell me more”. Or at school when you’re eager to hear the details from the one girl who has given a blow job (and you haven’t seen a penis and are scared).
I came home one evening and told my partner what great sex my friend was having. “Good for her,” he replied. That was it. I don’t know what I was hoping to get out of the exchange. I don’t want us to separate but perhaps I was hoping we’d suddenly be like a couple that have just met on a dating app, wearing sexy underwear, who aren’t always talking about parenting.
I know realistically that sex early on in a relationship is exciting and we’ve all experienced that honeymoon period where you get butterflies each time your partner looks in your direction. And that’s what my divorced friends are having right now. The fresh sex. The passion. The hormone boosting thing that you can’t buy. I need to remind myself not to idealise that.
And to remember there are many crap parts about divorce. Missing the person you can talk to. Having someone to rub your feet and make lasagna and not expect sex. In Kate Bush’s song “Moments of Pleasure”, she recalls her late mother’s saying: “Every old sock needs an old shoe.” There are many benefits to being an old sock. The comfort, safety, warmth, familiarity.
But now and then, there is a bit of envy creeping in. And perhaps some longing for a bit more suspender belt and peek-a-boo bra than M&S pants.