Health

The article says tea is the world's most popular drink after water, with about three cups consumed globally for every one cup of coffee, and notes UK figures showing 63% of adults regularly drink coffee versus 59% who regularly drink tea.

Dame Tracey Emin was diagnosed with an aggressive bladder tumour in June 2020 and announced she was cancer-free in 2021; she has opened a Tate Modern retrospective called A Second Life that reflects on that experience.

Paul Elliott will tour the UK from 3 to 11 March to support Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal, with stops including Glasgow, Bradford and a final stop at Land’s End.

Mumsnet has launched a national advertising campaign using cigarette-style health warnings to call for a ban on social media for under-16s and asks people to email their MPs; the government says it will run a swift consultation and set out plans in the summer.

Actress Beverley Callard had surgery to remove two lymph nodes after an early breast cancer diagnosis and says she is recovering at home but worried about her appearance and intimacy with her husband; she has a follow‑up appointment to learn if further surgery is needed.

A US dentist highlighted that green tea's catechins can suppress harmful oral bacteria, and a 2021 meta-analysis of 18 randomized trials reported improvements in periodontal measures.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit World Central Kitchen’s regional headquarters in Jordan to learn about its meal operations supporting people in Gaza and displaced populations, and they will meet a WHO delegation and visit a national mental health rehabilitation centre.

An interim review led by Baroness Amos finds racism, staffing shortages and other systemic problems across maternity services in England; final recommendations are due in April and the Health Secretary has said he will act.

An interim report by Baroness Amos's National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation finds NHS maternity services in England are failing many women, babies and families and says repeated failures have not been addressed. The report says investigators met more than 400 family members and heard from over 8,000 people, and that final recommendations will be published in the spring.

An interim national investigation report says some NHS trusts covered up failings and falsified records, and that bereaved mothers faced cruel comments and incidents of racism; the inquiry is ongoing.

An independent inquiry led by Baroness Amos reports that some NHS trusts have hidden or altered medical records after incidents causing harm in childbirth, and families have often been denied clear answers. Baroness Amos's final report is due in the coming months and local inquiries, including the Nottingham investigation, remain underway.

A Harvard study of about 100,000 former US veterans found that GLP-1 medication use combined with six healthy lifestyle changes was associated with more than a 40% lower risk of major cardiovascular events; GLP-1 use without lifestyle changes was linked to a 16% lower risk.

Cass Thorburn said she is in her second week of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with triple‑negative occult breast cancer and thanked health staff and supporters for their care and messages.

Hundreds of special needs assistants, parents and children protested outside Leinster House seeking clarity after the Government paused a review of SNA allocations; the Government said it will not reduce SNA numbers at any school from September and will allocate additional staff where the NCSE recommends.

Adam Essid, a three-month-old from Finchley, died at Great Ormond Street Hospital after emergency responders attended his home; his parents have been charged and remanded. A plea hearing is set for 13 May and a provisional trial date is scheduled from 15 February next year.

Harry and Meghan visited a hospital in Amman to meet teenagers evacuated from Gaza under Jordan’s medical evacuation initiative, and hospital staff said evacuations and transfers to Jordan are continuing.

Thomas Morgan was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 19 years after being found guilty of murdering five-month-old Jensen-Lee Dougal, who suffered a catastrophic brain injury while in his care in March 2024.

The Vatican announced Pope Leo XIV will travel to Monaco, Spain and four African countries (Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea) in the first half of 2026, and will also begin a multi-stop tour of Italy in May.

A man, Thomas Morgan, has been convicted of murdering his girlfriend's five-month-old baby after an incident in March 2024; he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Reports say he must serve a minimum period — reported as 18 years and 136 days, reflecting time on remand — before he can apply for parole.

The government has added £25 million to Health and Growth Accelerator pilots in northern England to help people with health conditions stay in or return to work. The pilots combine NHS care and employment support in areas with high economic inactivity.

Last year, 254,500 babies were born in South Korea, a 6.8% increase and the largest annual rise since 2007, and the total fertility rate rose from 0.75 to 0.80. Demographers link the rebound to the 'echo boom' cohort and to changing childbearing behaviour among women in their 30s.

The Care Quality Commission rated Mill Lodge in York and Red Kite View in Leeds as 'good' following inspections in October; inspectors said young people felt safe and staff showed kindness, but flagged shortcomings in medicines management.

The Schools White Paper proposes school-drawn Individual Support Plans and sets EHCP reassessments from September 2029, with EHCPs to be reserved for the most complex needs by 2035; the government has pledged £4bn for SEND over three years.

A working paper by King's College London and Stanford finds that when both partners work from home at least once a week lifetime fertility rises by about 0.32 children per woman; the UK's fertility rate was 1.41 children per woman in 2024.

A mouse study published in Science reports a nasal 'universal' vaccine that primed lung immune cells and protected mice against multiple respiratory viruses for up to three months; human safety and effectiveness remain unproven.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met WHO officials and humanitarian leaders in Amman to discuss the health and humanitarian needs of refugees as they start a two-day visit to Jordan.

A long-term campaigner for her daughter Lucy welcomes the government's Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper and its pledge of more teachers, but warns urgent, deeper and coherent reforms plus genuine consultation are needed to turn promises into better support for SEND children.

A new NHS contract requires GPs in England to offer same-day appointments for urgent health needs from April, supported by new and ring-fenced funding; doctors' groups have warned this may stretch capacity while a survey found many people delayed contacting their GP last year.

NHS England data for 2025 shows many trusts missed the 62-day cancer treatment target and a small number of patients waited more than 104 days from urgent referral to first treatment; nationally 69.1% began treatment within 62 days.

A University College London‑led study estimates obstructive sleep apnoea causes large productivity losses, costing the US about £133bn and the UK about £4.2bn annually; roughly one in five surveyed adults reported core symptoms consistent with the condition.