Author: Andrew Rogers

Jennifer Lawrence became the youngest recipient of the Donostia Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival, where she used her platform to warn that “our freedom of speech is under attack in America.” The 35-year-old Oscar winner presented her new film Kill Me Love, which she also produced, and encouraged young filmmakers to persist in their craft: “Learn, go to casting tests, keep trying. But above all, watching films is very important.” Reflecting on women’s roles in Hollywood, she praised creators like Greta Gerwig for broadening perspectives: “When we are given the opportunity, the world benefits, because more stories are…

Early clinical results from Cambridge University have raised hopes for a new class of therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS), after researchers found that combining a common diabetes drug with an antihistamine could partially repair nervous system damage. The CCMR Two trial tested metformin, widely used for type 2 diabetes, alongside the antihistamine clemastine in 70 people with relapsing MS. Over six months, patients on the drug combination showed improvements in nerve signal speeds compared with those on a placebo, suggesting some remyelination — repair of the fatty coatings that protect nerve fibres. While the effect was small – just a…

Women who miss their first breast cancer screening appointment face a 40% higher risk of dying from the disease, according to new research from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, tracked around 500,000 women who received their first mammogram invitation between 1991 and 2020, following them for up to 25 years. It found that almost one in three (32%) did not attend their first screening. Those who skipped the appointment were less likely to attend future screenings, more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage, and had higher mortality rates. Over 25 years, breast…

The world’s oceans have crossed a dangerous acidity threshold, failing a key planetary health check for the first time, scientists warn. According to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, rising ocean acidity caused by fossil fuel emissions has pushed marine ecosystems beyond safe limits. This marks the seventh of nine planetary boundaries now transgressed, alongside climate change, deforestation, and freshwater depletion. The 2025 Planetary Health Check reports ocean surface pH has dropped by 0.1 units since the industrial era, a 30-40% rise in acidity. This threatens coral reefs, Arctic ecosystems, and shell-forming species such as molluscs, oysters, and clams,…

Amazon will shut all 19 of its Amazon Fresh stores in the UK, just four years after opening its first outlet in London. Five of the locations will be converted into Whole Foods Market shops, the US organic grocery chain that Amazon acquired in 2017. The Fresh stores, launched in 2021, offered cashierless shopping using cameras, sensors and an app to charge customers automatically when they left. But the format failed to catch on after demand for contactless shopping fell post-pandemic, leaving Amazon unable to compete with Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Amazon has not confirmed how many staff will be affected…

Vodafone franchisees warned in 2020 that commission cuts were affecting their mental health, four years before a group of 62 launched a £120m high court claim. A survey of 119 franchisees revealed stress, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and low trust in the company. The claim alleges Vodafone “unjustly enriched” itself at the expense of small business owners, some of whom reported personal debts over £100,000 and suicidal thoughts. Vodafone says it “strongly refutes” the allegations and describes the case as a “commercial dispute,” while also launching a fourth investigation into its franchising division.

European leaders are advancing plans to establish a “drone wall” along the EU’s eastern frontier, a project driven by concerns over Russian drone activity. The initiative, backed by the Baltic states and supported by Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, aims to strengthen EU and NATO air defence capabilities. At the core of the project is Eirshield, a multilayered anti-drone system developed by Estonian company DefSecIntel and Latvian firm Origin Robotics. Eirshield combines radars, cameras, radio-frequency detectors, and AI to automatically detect, track, and neutralise hostile drones. Interception methods include signal jamming, direct engagement by counter-drones, or gun systems. The…

Massive Attack have removed their catalogue from Spotify in protest at founder Daniel Ek’s €600m (£520m) investment in the military AI company Helsing. The band cited a “moral and ethical burden” on artists whose work ultimately funds lethal technologies, noting that Helsing develops AI software for battlefield decision-making and manufactures military drones. The announcement coincided with the band joining the No Music for Genocide initiative, in which over 400 artists and labels block their music from streaming services in Israel. Massive Attack emphasized that their Spotify withdrawal is separate from this initiative, highlighting the ethical concerns around Ek’s investment. Spotify…

Donald Trump announced on Friday that Chinese president Xi Jinping had agreed to approve a deal over TikTok, though no specifics of the agreement or signing timeline were disclosed. The announcement followed a phone call between the two leaders, their first direct contact since June, amid heightened tensions over trade and technology. Trump said earlier this week that Washington and Beijing had reached a deal to place TikTok’s US operations under American control, with Oracle among the investors in talks to take a significant stake. Reports suggest the framework is still incomplete, and negotiations continue over compliance with laws passed…

A Swedish trial has found that a low daily dose of aspirin can cut the risk of colorectal cancer returning by more than 50% in patients with specific gene mutations. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute tested over 3,500 post-surgery patients across Scandinavia, finding that those with PI3K pathway mutations who took 160mg of aspirin daily for three years were far less likely to relapse than those given a placebo. The study suggests aspirin helps by reducing inflammation, interfering with the PI3K pathway, and limiting blood platelets that shield tumour cells. About 40% of colorectal cancer patients have these mutations, highlighting…