Vitamin D and calcium supplements do little to prevent fractures and falls a major study has found.
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A statue commemorating actor and writer Terry Jones is vandalised just weeks after being unveiled.
The childhood best friends from Liverpool are the youngest duo in this series of the BBC show.
Siblings Katie and Harrison from Manchester say they entered the BBC show to have an adventure.
Hi Everyone! I’m Aoife Gordon, I am a final year MSc Occupational Therapy Student (Pre-Registration) at Queen Margaret University. My last practice placement has been with Alzheimer Scotland, giving me the opportunity to work with their two campaign groups; Scottish Dementia Working Group and the National Carers for Dementia Action Network. One of my learning outcomes has been to share my work, reflections and learning on social media. Which has led me to write this blog, as the campaign groups encouraged a reflection on any preconceptions or stigmas, I had before starting this placement.
Before starting my placement and since attending meetings with the Scottish Dementia Working Group (SDWG) and the National Carers for Dementia Action Network (NDCAN), I found that I had preconceptions of dementia. It feels important to write about this, so that other AHP students can perhaps relate, reflect and potentially challenge their own preconceptions of what dementia is or is not?
My undergraduate qualification was in general nursing, where much of my experience was hospital based and involved caring for people who had been diagnosed with dementia for a number of years, often experiencing delirium and significant distress. In this setting, people’s environments and routines usually changed suddenly, and I understood just how important stability and familiarity are for people living with dementia. However, that clinical lens shaped my expectations more than I realised.
I did not realise that I was carrying assumptions, about what dementia can be for others, how people would communicate, and who would hold influence in the room, particularly when attending group sessions with SDWG members. I assumed professionals would guide discussions and that people living with dementia would be supported to engage, rather than driving and leading the conversations themselves. I also held some tunnel visioned preconceptions of caring, imagining it largely as practical support: help with eating, drinking, washing, or getting from A to B. I hadn’t fully grasped the impact that being an unpaid carer can have on identity, finances, employment, and a person’s sense of self.
What I encountered while on my placement with Alzheimer Scotland challenged all of that. I was struck most by the positivity, humour, and strength of people living with a dementia diagnosis. When I was in attendance with SDWG members I noticed laughter, often shared, and a sense of connection that felt deeply human. Members sometimes joked about certain aspects of their experiences together, on their own terms. This wasn’t minimising or denial; it was agency. The language used across both groups was consistently person-centred, respectful, and thoughtful. Conversations were clear, purposeful, and led by lived experience.
I was also unaware before starting my practice placement, how influential both SDWG and NDCAN groups have been. I had assumed staff would shape opinions or lead discussions, but I quickly learned that staff are intentionally there to support, not to give views of their own. The voices that mattered most were those of people living with dementia and their supporters’. Seeing firsthand how lived experience directly shapes policy and service provision was powerful, and not something I could have understood fully without being present.
Alongside working with both the campaign groups, I also had the opportunity to attend as a volunteer with Brain Health Scotland at the Alzheimer Scotland Shooting Stars event, helping to run a smoothie bike stand. The smoothie bike allowed for conversations to be help surrounding the impact of physical activity and a balanced diet on risk reduction for dementia. The bike created a very different but equally important space for conversation. The interactive nature of the bike allowed me to engage mostly with children, talking about brain health in an accessible and positive way. It reinforced for me how early education can help challenge stigma before it forms, and how creating inclusive, approachable environments can make difficult topics feel normal rather than frightening.
As these realisations set in, I felt disappointed that I had held these preconceptions, having completed TURAS modules; such as ‘Trauma skilled practice in dementia care’, I can understand the impact awareness can have in your professional delivery of care. What also helped was the openness of the groups in acknowledging that many people arrive carrying stigma or uncertainty. Being encouraged to reflect, and even write about it, created space for my learning and reflections. If I could speak to my past self before my first meeting with SDWG and NDCAN, I would say: Just be present. Ask questions. Take it all in. Don’t be afraid of getting things wrong.
Having listened and learned, I now feel a responsibility to play a role in increasing an understanding of brain health, dementia, promoting inclusion, through even spreading awareness to others regarding dementia friendly aspects they could easily carry out day-to-day and as health and social care professionals. I can help educate others about stigma, challenge assumptions about ability and influence, and support the use of respectful, person-centred language. I think many people avoid dementia-related spaces out of fear, fear of saying the wrong thing or making things ‘worse’. But what I have learned is that people who have the knowledge to share about dementia, especially those I have met throughout my placement, such as SDWG and NDCAN members, all the Alzheimer Scotland staff I have encountered and my Practice Educator Elaine Hunter, are often open, patient, and willing to educate, when approached with honesty and respect
I want to carry these insights forward in my future career as an occupational therapist by challenging stigma, advocating for inclusion, and encouraging others not to let fear stand in the way of connection. Listening changed my understanding. Showing up, changed my perspective. I hope sharing this reflection might make it easier for someone else to do the same.
Thank you for reading this blog. As I come to the end of my final placement, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed so meaningfully to my learning and development. To the members of the Scottish Dementia Working Group and the National Dementia Carers Action Network, thank you for your openness, honesty, and willingness to share your experiences. Listening to your perspectives has been both a privilege and a powerful reminder of the importance of person-centred, rights-based practice. To the staff at Active Voice, thank you for creating such a welcoming and supportive environment. Your commitment to amplifying the voices of people with lived experience has been inspiring, and it has challenged me to think more critically about my role as a future occupational therapist. To my practice educator, I am grateful for your support and facilitation throughout this placement. This experience has had a lasting impact on how I will approach my future professional role. I leave this placement with a strengthened commitment to advocacy, collaboration, and ensuring that the voices of those with lived experience remain central to practice.
Contributor: Aoife Gordon, Queen Margaret University, MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-Registration) Student
You can find the Alzheimer Scotland 24 hour Freephone Dementia Helpline, for information, signposting and emotional support to people with dementia, their families, friends and professionals here
If you would like to learn more about the Scottish Dementia Working Group click here and the National Dementia Carers Action Network click here
Allied Health Professionals have created a suite of information resources for people with dementia, their families and carers that you can find here
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The full list of food which could see prices drop is expected to include biscuits, chocolate, dried fruit and nuts
Shoppers could save on the cost of biscuits and chocolate as part of a package of measures being set out by Rachel Reeves to ease the impact of the Iran war. The Government is cutting import tariffs on more than 100 types of product in a move that is expected to save consumers more than £150 million a year.
The Chancellor also set out a “Great British Summer Savings” scheme, including free bus travel for children in England during the school holidays in August. In the Commons on Thursday, Ms Reeves will give details of policies to tackle the cost-of-living squeeze triggered by Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East but is not expected to announce immediate help with rising energy bills.
The household energy price cap is predicted to rise by £209 a year from July after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz pushed up global oil and gas prices. Ms Reeves may set out more details of her contingency planning but she is expected to wait until September before finalising any package of targeted support for households over the winter months, when more energy is used.
The plan to suspend tariffs on some food imports is part of the Government’s wider effort to combat rising prices. The full list of products will be published next week but is expected to include biscuits, chocolate, dried fruit and nuts.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “We know many hard‑working families are still feeling the squeeze and too often think they have to hold back. By giving every child free bus travel throughout August and cutting tariffs on everyday food items, we’re putting money back into people’s pockets and making life that bit easier.
“This government is focused on practical steps that help right now — easing pressure on household budgets, supporting parents during the school holidays, and backing British businesses.”
The free bus travel scheme will allow every child aged five to 15 in England to travel on participating local routes. The Chancellor is committing more than £100 million to fund the free fares scheme and to support bus services facing increased costs.
Ms Reeves said: “My number one priority is protecting households from rising costs. This summer I want every family to be able to enjoy themselves, that’s why we’re launching the Great British Summer Savings Scheme, and why we’re helping kids with free bus travel throughout August.
“As the war in Iran pushes prices up at home, my economic plan is the right one. I will continue to make the right choices, to protect households and businesses, and build a stronger and more secure Britain.”
The latest package comes after the Government announced an extension of the 5p cut in fuel duty until the end of the year, along with a tax break for hauliers and help with red diesel costs for farmers. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation fell to 2.8% in April, down from 3.3% in March – and the lowest level since March 2025.
But this was largely driven by regulator Ofgem lowering the energy price cap from the start of April by 7%, or £10 a month, for the average household using both electricity and gas, which was pushed down by Government measures to reduce bills.
Inflation is expected to surge back up as the conflict in the Middle East has sent fuel prices soaring and the energy price cap is expected to increase significantly from July when it is next updated. Energy analyst Cornwall Insight’s prediction for Ofgem’s cap from July to September now stands at £1,850 for a typical dual fuel household, an increase of 13% on April’s £1,641 annual cap.
Ministers are wary of a Liz Truss-style universal bailout for all households, warning that unfunded giveaways could trigger an increase in government borrowing costs and inflation, feeding through to higher mortgage rates, which would end up leaving people worse off.
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Dementia patients are being let down at every stage of their care in a failing system that would never be tolerated for cancer or heart disease, a landmark report warns today.
New findings by the Alzheimer’s Society – released in partnership with the Daily Mail’s Defeating Dementia campaign – lay bare a crisis of staggering scale. From first symptoms to diagnosis, patients wait an average of 3.5 years.
One in five patients say they received no support after diagnosis, with families describing being ‘released into the wild’. Meanwhile only half of those prescribed dementia medication remain on it for a year, despite benefits of continued treatment.
Michelle Dyson, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said the comparison with cancer care should shame the nation.
‘Dementia care in the UK is stuck in a system of delay, denial and neglect,’ says Ms Dyson. ‘In the digital age of instant answers, people are still waiting far too long for a diagnosis of the country’s biggest killer. That would never be tolerated in cancer care, yet for dementia it has become routine.
‘At every stage, people are missed. Symptoms are missed, diagnosis is delayed, and support often comes too late to be that lifeline so desperately needed by people with dementia and their loved ones.’
Around one million people in the UK are living with dementia, a figure set to reach 1.4 million by 2040. The condition already costs Britain £42 billion a year – projected to more than double to £90 billion within fifteen years.
But according to the Alzheimer’s Society new report, Unlocking the Door, patients are regularly failed by the NHS.
The leading charity also found that newly-diagnosed dementia patients on average wait more than 5 months before they are referred to a specialist memory clinic.
Only a third of patients are offered cognitive stimulation therapy – group activity sessions that are proven to memory, mood and daily functioning skills.
The charity also says that access to diagnosis, treatment and social care services varies depending on postcode.
The findings come almost a year after NHS spending chiefs rejected two new dementia drugs. Lecanemab and donanemab are the first-ever medicines proven to slow the progression of the disease.
However, in June 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) rejected them for NHS use in England and Wales, arguing the cost of implementing them was ‘substantially higher’ than considered acceptable for taxpayers’ money.
In March, NICE agreed to look again at the evidence supporting the rollout of lecenameb and donanemab.
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Why do you think dementia care is treated so differently from cancer or heart disease in the UK?
The Alzheimer’s Society is now calling on the Government to introduce clear national targets, a structured care pathway and equal access to treatment regardless of postcode, ethnicity or income.
‘This is not a backlog problem,’ says Michelle Dyson. ‘It is a system that is missing people at every stage and while the system waits, dementia progresses – stealing time, independence and dignity. While politicians race to cut waiting lists, people with dementia aren’t even in the queue. Government action can’t wait.’
In response, a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘Alzheimer’s disease is a cruel illness which requires better understanding and faster diagnosis.
‘The Government is investing in dementia research across all areas, including diagnosis and providing record funding to help the NHS find new ways of slowing down its progress.
‘As part of our 10 Year Health Plan, we will deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to set clear standards for high quality care and enable earlier diagnosis and treatment.’
For years, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) governments faced pressure from international lenders and climate forums to announce fossil fuel phase-outs, moratoriums on new plants, and heavy bets on wind and solar. [some emphasis, links added]
Indonesia and Vietnam secured [funding earmarked for decarbonization] from the Just Energy Transition Partnership. Leaders spoke of achieving net-zero goals by 2050 and phasing out coal by 2040 or earlier.
Natural gas was regarded as the transition fuel, a necessary evil to get to “renewable” nirvana when wind and solar would be “scaled up.”
Then the confident rhetoric met reality.
A sudden oil and natural gas crunch, triggered by the expanding conflict in the Middle East, has laid bare the fatal flaws of net zero. Gas markets tightened almost overnight. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz got risky. LNG (liquefied natural gas) prices surged. Supply chains stumbled.
Now, ASEAN governments are quietly tearing up climate pledges and returning to oil, coal, and natural gas – the only affordable energy sources that guarantee uninterrupted power for their growing economies.
Fossil fuels are back in style.
Since mid-April, reports have described a clear pattern across Asia: LNG disruption, higher spot prices, and a scramble for dispatchable power, which coal can still provide more cheaply and immediately than many alternatives.
ASEAN does not run on slogans; factories, ports, malls, and homes don’t operate on wishful thinking. When gas prices spike and supplies tighten, utilities turn to coal because it is available and familiar.
Take Indonesia. On May 2, Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia made it plain:
“I decided, let coal continue for now. This is about survival mode and efficiency. We must not sacrifice our people with high electricity prices.”
Indonesia has approved higher quotas for coal production and delayed earlier phase-out schedules for coal plants like Cirebon-1. Plans to eliminate coal use sit on a shelf. Affordable power for 280 million people comes first.
In Vietnam, coal-fired generation jumped 44% month-over-month in March, reaching 16 terawatt-hours. That accounted for 56% of the country’s total power output—the highest share. Utilities negotiated additional coal imports to fill gaps left by expensive and scarce liquefied natural gas.
Thailand took direct action. Authorities restarted two decommissioned units at the Mae Moh coal-fired power plant and ordered existing coal-fired stations to operate at maximum capacity.
The 600 megawatts added helped stabilize electricity costs after gas prices soared.
The Philippines declared a national energy emergency in late March after gasoline prices more than doubled. Coal already supplies about 60% of electricity.
The government ramped up output from coal plants and considered easing restrictions on new capacity. Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla signaled that temporary reliance on coal would prevent shortages.
In Myanmar, long queues at petrol stations [compete with] black-market prices, which are more than double official rates, and have slowed rice harvesting and hiked food prices.
While the immediate crisis hits diesel and gasoline, power utilities lean harder on domestic coal reserves to avoid broader blackouts. Malaysia and others eye similar steps to protect industrial output and rural economies.
The speed at which ASEAN abandoned its net-zero pledges should tell you everything you need to know about the viability of the climate agenda.
The moment a real threat emerged, the green energy transition was exposed as a luxury belief held by those who have never had to worry about where their next kilowatt was coming from.
Developing economies are rejecting the climate dogma that demands their perpetual impoverishment. They are actively expanding coal mining operations to ensure a steady supply of domestic fuel. This protects their economies from the wild price swings of imported LNG.
The irony is obvious. Governments that spent years promising rapid decarbonization are now leaning on coal to keep lights on and electricity prices tolerable.
The middle class applauds because the alternative is higher bills, fuel rationing, and lost jobs. For ordinary households, energy security is not a subject for a debate club. It is the difference between affordable electricity and unnecessary, even dangerous interruptions of modern living.
Top: Indonesian coal barge on the Musi River. Photo by Tri Efendi via Pexels.
Read more at CO2 Coalition
The public could soon be urged to exercise for up to 90 minutes a day after major new research suggested current targets fall far short of what’s needed to significantly cut the risk of heart disease.
While the NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, the study found higher levels of exercise were linked to a far greater reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure.
Researchers from China, writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, said their findings suggest a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to exercise may need to be reconsidered.
The team from Macao Polytechnic University analysed data from 17,088 UK Biobank participants, with an average age of 57, drawing on detailed medical and lifestyle information from volunteers across Britain.
To assess cardiovascular fitness, they examined participants’ estimated VO2 max – a key measure of how efficiently the body uses oxygen during exercise and a marker of heart and lung health.
Participants, more than half of whom were women, wore wrist devices to track their activity levels, while their VO2 max was monitored over seven consecutive days.
Researchers also accounted for factors such as smoking, alcohol intake, diet, overall health, body mass index, resting heart rate and blood pressure.
Over an average follow-up period of nearly eight years, 1,233 participants – around 7.2 per cent – experienced a cardiovascular event.
Researchers have found that exercising for 560 and 610 minutes per week – the equivalent of around 80 to 90 minutes per day – is required to significantly feel heart health benefits
Of these, 874 were cases of atrial fibrillation – an irregular heart rhythm disorder that can increase the risk of blood clots and stroke.
There were also 156 heart attacks, 111 cases of heart failure and 92 strokes.
Those who met the 150-minute weekly target were found to be around eight to nine per cent less likely to experience such an event.
By contrast, those exercising for between 560 and 610 minutes per week saw their risk reduced by around 30 per cent – though only 11.6 per cent of participants reached this level.
The study also found that people with the lowest fitness levels needed an additional 30 to 50 minutes of exercise per week, on average, to achieve the same cardiovascular benefits as fitter individuals.
For example, achieving a 20 per cent reduction in cardiovascular risk required 370 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week for those with the lowest fitness levels, compared with 340 minutes for those with the highest.
As the study was observational, it cannot prove that exercise directly caused the reduced risk in cardiovascular events.
However, the researchers believe that their findings show that while the current 150–minute guideline is effective, advising certain people to exercise more often could be beneficial.
The NHS advises that adults should do some form of physical activity every day, but says exercising just once or twice a week can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
This makes up their guidance to exercise for at least 150 minutes per week at moderate to vigorous levels.
Moderate exercise, they say, ‘will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer.’
They add: ‘One way to tell if you’re working at a moderate intensity level is if you can still talk, but not sing.’
Vigorous exercise, meanwhile, ‘makes you breathe hard and fast’, the NHS says, adding: ‘You will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.’
Spring and summer’s warmer weather lures people outdoors – and into possible contact with ticks that carry dangerous pathogens.
