Women who miss their first breast cancer screening appointment face a 40% higher risk of dying from the disease, according to a major new study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The research, published in the British Medical Journal, tracked around 500,000 women invited for their first mammogram between 1991 and 2020. Nearly one in three (32%) did not attend, and over a follow-up period of up to 25 years, those who skipped the initial check were more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage and less likely to attend later screenings. The findings showed breast cancer mortality was…
Author: Andrew Rogers
Andrew Rogers
Andrew Rogers is a freelance journalist based in the USA, with over 10 years of experience covering Politics, World Affairs, Business, Health, Technology, Finance, Lifestyle, and Culture. He earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Florida. Throughout his career, he has contributed to outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, and Reuters. Known for his clear reporting and in-depth analysis, Andrew delivers accurate and timely news that keeps readers informed on both national and international developments.
The world’s oceans have crossed a critical threshold of acidity for the first time, according to the latest Planetary Health Check from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Scientists say the shift, driven by fossil fuel emissions, threatens marine life and global climate stability. Since the industrial era, ocean surface pH has fallen by about 0.1 units, increasing acidity by up to 40%. This disrupts calcium carbonate formation, harming corals, molluscs and shellfish, and indirectly affecting species like salmon and whales. Researchers warn of risks to food security and coastal economies, as well as the ocean’s ability to absorb…
Amazon will shut all 19 of its Fresh stores in the UK, just four years after opening the first in London. Five locations will be converted into Whole Foods Market outlets, the US organic grocery chain Amazon bought in 2017. The Fresh stores, launched in 2021, used sensors and cameras to let customers walk out without tills, charging them automatically via an app. The system struggled to attract demand after the pandemic, leaving Amazon unable to challenge UK rivals like Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Amazon did not confirm job losses but said staff would be offered roles in other divisions. The…
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 considering a “drone wall” along the EU’s eastern flank to counter threats from Russian unmanned aerial vehicles. The initiative, driven by the Baltic states and supported by Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, aims to bolster both EU and NATO defences. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as “the bedrock of credible defence,” while EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has called for a meeting of EU defence ministers to discuss deployment. At the core of the project is Eirshield, a multilayered anti-drone system developed by Estonian company DefSecIntel and Latvian firm Origin Robotics. It combines…
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” placed on artists by revenue from their work funding lethal technologies. Helsing develops AI software to analyse battlefield data and produces military drones, including the HX-2. Ek, who is also chairman of Helsing, led the firm’s latest funding round through his venture capital firm Prima Materia. The band’s announcement coincided with their participation in the No Music for Genocide initiative, in which over 400 artists and labels are blocking…
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 major Swedish trial has found that taking a low daily dose of aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of colorectal cancer recurrence in certain post-surgery patients. The study, led by Prof. Anna Martling at the Karolinska Institute, involved more than 3,500 patients across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. Researchers focused on patients whose tumors carried genetic mutations in the PI3K pathway, which makes them particularly responsive to aspirin. Around 37–40% of colorectal cancer patients have these mutations. Participants with the mutations were given either 160mg of aspirin daily or a placebo for three years after surgery. Results showed that…
A new daily pill, orforglipron, has been shown in a trial to help people lose as much as a fifth of their body weight, offering a potentially easier and more accessible alternative to weight loss injections. Manufactured by Eli Lilly, the pill targets GLP-1 receptors, similar to drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy. In a study of 3,127 adults with obesity but without diabetes, one in five participants taking the pill for 72 weeks lost 20% or more of their body weight. Those on the highest 36mg dose lost an average of 11.2%, with more than half losing at least 10%,…
Sky has put 900 UK roles at risk as it reshapes its business to compete with US streaming services, with around 600 expected to be cut and 300 redeployed. The latest round affects technology, product, and corporate teams and follows launches of Sky Glass and Sky Glass Air. Since early 2023, Sky has cut nearly 3,500 roles as it shifts away from traditional satellite pay-TV toward internet-based services like Sky Glass and Sky Stream, which now account for over 90% of new subscriptions. The cuts bring staff levels back to roughly 23,000, similar to when Comcast acquired the company in…