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Screening men for prostate cancer using a blood test is likely to reduce deaths from the disease, a new review has found, although experts stressed there are still risks around overdiagnosis and overtreatment. The findings of the analysis, which included almost 800,000 patients, may “support a conversation” around screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, researchers said, although they described the test as “imperfect”. Cancer Research UK […]

The first-ever bathing spot on the River Thames in London is among 13 new sites opening as the season kicks off. The official bathing season begins on Friday and will run until September 30. The season will see 464 sites open across England’s coasts, rivers and lakes subject to regular water quality testing. This gives people a better idea of the state of the water they are swimming, […]

British Gas has agreed to a £20 million payout and to compensate customers who had a prepayment meter installed without their permission, regulator Ofgem has said following an investigation. The watchdog found that British Gas failed to protect vulnerable customers by forcibly fitting the energy meters into people’s homes in previous years. The energy supplier will compensate customers who were affected in 2018-21, on top of payments that […]

Andy Burnham will be among the potential Labour candidates to stand in the Makerfield by-election, the party’s ruling body has said. The Greater Manchester Mayor declared he would seek permission from Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to contest the by-election after the current MP, Josh Simons, announced on Thursday he would quit Parliament to make way for Mr Burnham. If successful, Mr Burnham is widely […]

Commemorative coins celebrating Pink Floyd are being launched by The Royal Mint, celebrating the band’s enduring legacy. The coin’s reverse design places the prism from Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side Of The Moon at its heart, as a symbol of the band’s visionary approach to art, sound and experimentation. A selection of coins will also feature a rainbow prism effect, bringing the design to […]

House prices came under increased pressure in April, with signs of a widening regional divide, according to surveyors. A net balance of 34% of property professionals reported house prices falling rather than rising, deteriorating from a balance of 25% of professionals who saw this in March, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said. The report highlighted a widening divide, with stronger downward pressure on […]

Millions of people in UK towns and cities are living in “tree deserts”, with not enough trees to protect them from air pollution, heat, stress and ill health, campaigners warn. Trees in urban areas can provide shade and cooling in increasingly hot summers and reduce worsening flooding as the climate changes, cut air pollution, and alleviate stress and depression, the Woodland Trust said. They can […]

The world’s first roadside laughing gas breathalyser is being trialled by two police forces in the south of England. The device is being tested by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police for what they describe as the “emerging threat” of drivers taking to their vehicles while high on nitrous oxide, referred to as NOS and also known as “hippy crack”. Possession […]

The UK economy has recorded the strongest quarterly growth in a year over the first three months of 2026 with a surprise spurt in activity after the Iran war began, figures show. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 0.6% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. This was higher than the 0.5% growth that most economists had been expecting, and marks the highest since […]

Angela Rayner has said she has been cleared of deliberate wrongdoing in an investigation over her tax affairs, paving the way for a potential leadership bid amid uncertainty over Sir Keir Starmer’s future. As Health Secretary Wes Streeting mulls whether to quit and challenge the Prime Minister, Sir Keir’s former deputy indicated she could run in any race but insisted she would not “trigger” a contest. […]