Harvard scientists have pinpointed the dietary changes that may lower the risk of death following a cancer diagnosis and exactly how many calories to replace with healthier fats.
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It was during a family brunch that Luke Smith realised he had a drinking problem. It was just 11am and he was huddled in his parents’ bathroom, downing two cans of beer.
Two ‘vital reviews’ will report back with changes after system declared ‘not fit for purpose’
An update has been given on key changes which are being planned for benefits – with Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in the firing line. In a House of Lords debate, the government confirmed when two ‘vital reviews’ will report back with changes.
Big changes could hit people claiming PIPs especially. The Timms Review Interim Report concluded that the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system is no longer fit for purpose.
Claimants of personal independence payment (PIP) often find the system to apply for the benefit “dehumanising”, “soul destroying”, and “degrading”, the interim Timms report said. PIP is intended to help with everyday tasks and extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability.
The latest official figures earlier this year showed the number of people in England and Wales claiming the main disability benefit passed four million for the first time – roughly doubling since 2019. The number of claimants classed as having autistic spectrum disorders has more than doubled in six years, as has the number with mixed anxiety and depressive disorders, while the number with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) has almost quadrupled in that time period.
A separate report led by Alan Milburn in an interim response revealed that nearly one million young people are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). His interim review into youth employment calls for a fundamental system reset from a “Welfare State” that exacerbates inactivity to a “Working State” that builds capability.
In a House of Lords debate, Labour’s Baroness Sherlock, speaking for the government, explained both will come back with concrete plans this autumn: “The Government are absolutely looking at how we can reform our social security system. It simply is not fit for purpose and it needs work. The noble Lord will know that we are in the middle of two vital reviews: into youth unemployment, led by Alan Milburn, and into the future of personal independence payment, led by my colleague Stephen Timms. In the meantime, we are taking action across the field, investing in support for young people, rebalancing universal credit to encourage people into work, guaranteeing disabled people the right to try, overhauling job centres and building personalised work programmes. We are determined to get this right.”
Baroness Teather from the Liberal Democrats asked about ‘right to work from home’ for the disabled: “My Lords, many people with disabilities and long-term conditions want to work and, with a lot more flexibility and support, would be able to do so. I welcome the new disabled persons bus pass with free travel, something for which my Lib Dem colleague Tom Gordon long campaigned. Does the Minister also support giving disabled people more rights to flexible working, including, for example, a right to work from home unless there is a strong business case against it?”
Baroness Sherlock said: “We are working extensively with sick and disabled people to support them back into work, but we must first make sure that they have the support they need, the motivation they need and, crucially, the jobs they need. We also need to work with employers. We are doing a lot of work with employers who are trying to hire people and want to make sure that they know what they can best do. Our connect to work programme is working with both the individual and the employer, to find people, connect them with jobs and make sure that they get the help they need. That is the most important step to take now.”
The firm has made a major announcement today, Wednesday, September 2
An Uber Eats courier is seen on the street in Krakow, Poland, on May 13, 2025. (Photo by Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Uber has updated its work from home policy as it unveiled plans to cut its global workforce by about 10%. The move is part of a major restructuring, which is set to result in around 3,300 corporate job losses.
The boss of the US-based ride-hailing app told staff that the changes would create a “simpler and faster” business by cutting layers of management and merging teams.
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s chief executive, announced the plans in a message to employees on Wednesday.
He said the shake-up would reduce the size of its workforce by about 10%, which equates to around 3,300 staff, as first reported by Bloomberg.
Uber, which has its global head office in San Francisco, did not specify how many roles would be impacted in each location that it has offices, including its UK office in London.
Staff affected have been notified, but some countries will have their own local process to follow, according to the firm.
Mr Khosrowshahi said in his message that Uber had been growing in the past five years and the business was performing well.
“But that growth has also brought complexity: more layers, more co-ordination, more fragmented ownership, and in some cases structures that made sense when businesses were smaller but no longer serve us well at our current scale,” he said.
“The changes we’re making today are designed to do two things: make Uber simpler and faster, and create more capacity to invest in our future.”
Uber is also asking the majority of its staff that work remotely to come into an office, meaning less than around 1% of employees will be remote.
It said it will reinforce a hybrid work policy which require three days a week in the office.
Mr Khosrowshahi laid out organisational changes that Uber is making including combining operational and tech teams, and reducing the number of “micro-teams” – where one or two employees report to a single manager – by nearly 50%.
The number of employees who sit more than seven layers from the chief executive has also been cut by 20%, according to the boss.
“The decisions we’re making today are difficult, but they will help us build an even stronger Uber for the years ahead,” Mr Khosrowshahi said.
Uber is preparing to launch self-driving taxis for the first time on UK roads after partnering with robotaxi business Wayve and being granted approval by Transport for London last month.
By Liz Clow, Rachel Hope.
The NHS App, from digital front door to lifelong companion
18 May 2026
The NHS App, from digital front door to lifelong companion
Liz and Rachel set out the NHS App’s journey from digital front door to lifelong companion – meeting people where they are, at home and on demand.
As a diehard fan of hit 2010 movie Burlesque, I approached this touring musical adaption with a mixture of excitement and nervousness – curious to see how it would translate to the stage, and more importantly how it would feel without the presence of Christina Aguilera (who does have a credit as executive producer here) or Cher.
The first thing you’ll notice, then, is just how different the story is. The musical retains its familiar setting, New York nightspot the Burlesque Lounge, and many of the characters we know and love – but takes the plot in a different direction. Some of the relationships and character journeys have been changed, and the story feels developed for the stage, as opposed to being a simple recreation of the film. Even so, I was initially tentative about these changes, and there are moments where I found myself instinctively comparing everything to the movie.
It’s easy to settle in, though, and appreciate this production for what it is – its own version of Burlesque. Faye Brookes was fantastic as Tess, bringing plenty of warmth and personality to the role; Gracie O’Brien as Ali was also a real highlight, with a brilliant voice and plenty of confidence.
The big musical numbers were exactly what I had hoped for: loud, glamorous, energetic and packed with glitter, and one facet of the show which definitely brought back that cinematic feeling. An unfortunate technical interruption during the first act stopped the show for around 15 minutes – frustrating for all concerned in the moment, naturally, but the cast handled it professionally and retained their energy on returning.
Would I still choose the film over the musical? Reaffirming my ‘diehard fan’ status – yes, probably. Nevertheless, I left the Wales Millennium Centre genuinely entertained, and pleasantly surprised. This Burlesque isn’t the film, nor does it try to be; it’s a fresh, fun and fabulous take on its own terms.
Burlesque, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 1 Sept
On until Sat 5 Sept. Tickets: £22-£88. Info: here
words CATI FLORES DAVIES
After almost two years of worsening stomach pain, Sam Launder was told he had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Then aged 27, he thought it was something he simply had to learn to live with.
The UK government does not know what the country’s datacentres are being used for despite fears over the growing environmental impact of the AI boom.
When asked in a freedom of information (FoI) request who was using the largest sites and what for, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said it did “not hold the requested information”. The ministry has since been dissolved.
With hundreds of datacentres awaiting planning permission and 315 queueing to connect to the National Grid, there is growing concern over a lack of transparency and justification for these projects given their environmental impact.
Ministers announced plans in January to allow qualifying datacentres to opt into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project scheme. This lets developments bypass local planning committees by securing approval from the government. Campaigners say this “insulates” datacentres from local scrutiny.
Zack Polanski, the Green party leader in England and Wales, said: “The government plans to steamroller over local opposition so private companies can build these facilities – yet they can’t even explain what the benefits are and who is benefiting.”
Datacentres use a huge amount of resources. The Guardian revealed last month that two planned sites will have higher carbon emissions than ExxonMobil in the UK, with concerns raised over how this will fit within the country’s carbon targets.
The government designated datacentres as critical national infrastructure in 2024 and campaigners fear this could mean the water-hungry sites are prioritised over households in times of drought. Water UK, the trade body representing water companies in Britain and Northern Ireland, warned in July that the UK did not have enough water for the datacentre expansion.
Polanski said: “What is more ‘critical’ than people’s access to water? What is more ‘critical’ than our need to transition to a low-energy, low-pollution world so we can put the brakes on climate extremes?”
While there is consensus that datacentres can provide some essential services, there are concerns that developments with a huge environmental impact and local opposition are being prioritised regardless of their use.
Oliver Hayes of Global Action Plan, the environmental charity which submitted the FoI request, said: “It’s highly likely that we’re going to end up seeing datacentres given favourable and preferential treatment when it comes to resources that are actually running chatbots or enabling people to do benign and very wasteful, pointless things.
“At the more serious end, these datacentres could be powering chatbots that enable people to nudify teens without their consent and much worse, frankly.”
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With reports that the Scottish government is inching toward a moratorium on new datacentres, there is growing pressure for the UK government to follow suit.
Friends of the Earth is calling for a ban on new sites until environmental safeguards are in place. The campaign group wants the government to publish clear environmental rules for new and existing datacentres, including requirements for 100% additional renewable energy generation for new projects.
Anisah Khan, the campaigns manager at Global Action Plan, said: “When individuals across the country are facing hosepipe bans and essential housebuilding is being delayed because datacentres are gobbling up grid connections, what we need is not more chatbots at any cost.”
The government did not respond to a request for comment over its failure to say what large datacentres were being used for.
A spokesperson said: “A pause on building new datacentres would simply send investment and good jobs abroad, while leaving Britain dependent on other countries for the processing of sensitive health and defence data. Put simply: it would be a disaster for jobs and national security.”
An Indian restaurant and a Kurdish barber shop in north Wales are among a number of UK businesses penalised for employing illegal workers. The Home Office has released its latest register of UK companies issued with illegal working civil penalties.
This covers the period from January 1 to March 31 this year. The register details both the business name and trading name, along with the final value of the civil penalty once all appeal rights have been exhausted.
Two businesses on Anglesey feature on the list, reports North Wales Live.
They are:
- Surma Beaumaris Limited – at the time trading as Sarisa Indian Kitchen at 17 Church Street, Beaumaris. The business was fined £40,000
- EVA Barbershop Ltd – trading as Kurdish Barber at 79a Market Street, Holyhead. It was fined £45,000.
North Wales Live approached Sarisa Indian Kitchen for a response to the publication of the list and the restaurant confirmed it is now under new ownership and has no connection to the previous proprietors.
It stated that it complies fully with all Home Office regulations regarding the employment of staff.
A spokesperson for Kurdish Barber in Holyhead disputed that the individual in question had been an illegal worker.
The spokesperson maintained that the man was a friend who had “popped in” to the barber shop and, while there, had cut another friend’s hair – at which point enforcement officers arrived.
They insisted the man was not employed by the business and that they had sought to legally challenge the fine with the Home Office but had been unsuccessful. The previous business has since shut down, they confirmed.
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Blockbuster jabs like Ozempic and Mounjaro may be able to slow age-related body damage that accelerates death in women, when started around the age of 62.
