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Angelina Jolie said her double mastectomy scars 'are a choice' and that she is grateful to have been able to make proactive health decisions; she also called for wider access to BRCA testing and screening.

South Tyneside Council says it has secured limited government funding and is consulting residents and businesses until 11 March on possible uses for the Grade I listed South Shields Old Town Hall.

Three sisters from Iran — Zohreh, Zahra and Fatemeh Taghipour — moved to Sunderland in 2024 to study an MSc in Drug Discovery and Development; Zohreh and Zahra have graduated and Fatemeh is due to graduate early next year.

CMS administrator Dr Mehmet Oz urged Americans to receive both MMR doses amid a large measles outbreak centered in South Carolina; federal two-dose coverage is reported at 93 percent, below the CDC's 95 percent threshold.

Steph Calam, 59, was named one of 26 semi-finalists in Slimming World's Top Target Consultant 2026 competition after maintaining her target weight for ten years; she now supports about 260 local members each week.

BMA Scotland resident doctors voted 97.1% in favour of a £133 million package that delivers a cumulative 8.16% pay increase over two years and removes the immediate prospect of strike action.

A Kinsey Institute survey of 10,036 single adults aged 18–99 found 30.3% reported falling in love twice and 14.2% said they had never experienced passionate love.

A pre-pack sale completed on February 6 rescued Spark Medical and Medi 4 Ambulance Services, preserving more than 375 jobs and ongoing NHS patient transport services.

Saint Catherine's Hospice in Scarborough is inviting schools, nurseries and clubs to take part in a Bunny Run during March to raise funds for patient care; registration is free and participants receive bunny ears and an event pack.

The EPA under the Trump administration plans to repeal the 2009 'endangerment finding' that underpins most federal greenhouse gas rules; the repeal is due to be released on Thursday and is expected to prompt legal challenges.

Ralph Lauren, aged 86, opened New York Fashion Week in a transformed marble palazzo that evoked his country estate. The collection was grand in scale but mixed comfort and real-world styling, and the brand's recent cultural momentum was noted.

The Phoenix Centre's January Community Hub brought together more than 100 local people, with students running stalls and a first-ever book swap that collected over 1,300 donated books.

An ETH Zurich study published in Nature Astronomy reports that the amount of oxygen present while a planet's core forms determines whether phosphorus and nitrogen remain at the surface; the authors say Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago with a balance that kept both elements available for life.

Fifteen-year-old Rebecca Crombie completed a 1,000-mile running challenge for Make-A-Wish UK and climbed the 235ft Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach to raise funds for Shelter; she is now training to run a marathon to benefit ACCT UK.

A West Midlands salon group is offering free haircuts to people who donate at least 12 inches of natural hair to the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs and supports more than 2,000 children and young people each year.

The U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, beating economists' forecast of about 55,000; the national unemployment rate remained near 4.3 percent.

WA Police released the triple-zero call made by 13-year-old Austin Appelbee after his family were swept out to sea; police later located his mother and two siblings and commended his calmness during the emergency call.

Sam and his wife Alice have welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Marmaduke, who was reported born on 9 February at the Kensington Wing of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

St Michael's Hospice was presented with a £2,000 cheque after a local cycle challenge, and the hospice's community fundraiser thanked the club and participants.

Ellis Pears, a 19-year-old Aberystwyth law student, was concussed in a November 2024 car crash and said he lost the ability to speak Welsh days later; by June 2025 his Welsh and mood had largely improved.

Modelling of the UK's proposed 'smoke-free generation' law — which would ban tobacco sales to people born in 2009 or later from 2027 — suggests smoking among 12–30-year-olds could fall below 5%, and projects about 88,000 additional healthy life years by 2075 compared with no new law.

Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn tells The Independent that daily masturbation, especially in the morning, can support mood and aspects of sexual wellbeing; she also describes three pillars of sexual wellness: relational, social and personal.

A loggerhead turtle found cold-stunned on a Jersey beach has been warmed gradually and moved to Weymouth Sea Life centre, where staff report she spent her first night in quarantine and has begun eating; rehabilitators plan months of care before a planned release into warmer seas.

Authorities confirmed nine deaths and said nearly 1,500 people were evacuated after Tropical Cyclone Gezani struck Madagascar; the storm has since weakened to a moderate tropical storm moving inland.

The article reports Reform UK proposed a £3bn hospitality tax cut funded by reinstating the two‑child benefit cap, and HMRC figures suggest the plan would cost about £10bn more than accounted for.

The government and the Royal College of Nursing have agreed measures to raise graduate nurse pay and introduce a national preceptorship. Employers will review Band 5 roles and extra funding is pledged to support any resulting pay uplifts.

Luton Town said a man who sent racist messages to striker Elijah Adebayo has been banned from matches for four years after pleading guilty; the club said players and staff have faced repeated online abuse.

West Sussex Mind will hold its first Kilo Sale at Southwick Community Centre on Saturday 21 February 2026 from 11am–3pm; visitors pay by the weight of selected second‑hand clothes (£20 per kilo) and all proceeds will support the charity.

PIP can support people with many health conditions and awards are based on how a condition affects daily living or mobility. Payments normally start from the date the claim is lodged and are usually paid every four weeks.

Greenland-born Sondre Slettemark finished 62nd in the 20km individual biathlon at Anterselva and said he was proud to be an Olympian; he will race the 10km sprint on Friday with a chance to qualify for the 12.5km pursuit.