There may be many more people who are suffering in silence.

Professionals working in the field estimate the extent of domestic and sexual abuse is widely under-reported, with victims often unwilling to reveal to relatives, friends, agencies or the authorities what is happening to them.

The current domestic abuse strategy plan for York and North Yorkshire, estimates there are 32,500 adults suffering domestic abuse in its area alone.  

As well as its Yorkshire-wide domestic abuse service, IDAS provides an independent sexual violence advisor service in North Yorkshire, which in 2025 supported 507 adults and 198 children and young people, with 27 per cent being aged between 16 and 20. Two per cent were aged 65 or over.

Its chief executive officer Sarah Hill said: “We know that long-term change can only be achieved when communities are equipped to recognise the causes and impacts of abuse and so we have strengthened our whole-community approach, embedding specialist support in everyday settings and building partnerships that extend far beyond traditional service boundaries.

“We believe that everyone has the right to live a fulfilled life, free from abuse and violence and we want to ensure that this is a reality for those we support today and for future generations.”

In 2025, the charity worked with the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and survivors of domestic abuse in rural areas to run campaigns, train volunteer coordinators to act as champions in their areas and attend rural roadshows to bring support closer to where domestic abuse occurs.  

It also started initiatives to help those in military families or surroundings.

IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Service) provides help for those suffering from violent, emotional, coercive and other domestic abuse across Yorkshire. 

In 2025, in addition to 29,513 calls to its helpline, IDAS also managed 20,762 referrals and responded to 1,952 online chats on its website, its 2025 impact report reveals.

It trained 12,805 professionals and champions of survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, supported 8,014 adults and children and provided accommodation for 318 adults and children.  

A health expert with millions of TikTok followers has warned that thinning eyebrows could be a cause for concern

If you have noticed your eyebrows thinning, the reason might not be cosmetic. According to a doctor with millions of followers on TikTok, it could actually be your body indicating a crucial nutrient deficiency.

The alert comes from Dr Eric Berg, a health guru with over 2.3 million followers and 30.7 million likes on TikTok, as well as approximately 14 million subscribers on YouTube. In a recent video, he informed viewers: “Thinning eyebrows, especially on the outer third is an iodine deficiency.”

This specific pattern is widely recognised in medicine. Doctors refer to it as the ‘Hertoghe sign’ or ‘Queen Anne’s sign’, which denotes thinning or loss of the outer third of the eyebrows.

According to Medical News Today, this symptom is often associated with thyroid issues. The outer edge of the eyebrow is the area most commonly affected when thyroid hormone levels are low.

Iodine plays a vital role because this mineral is required to produce thyroid hormones. Without sufficient iodine, the thyroid cannot generate enough hormones, potentially leading to an underactive thyroid and symptoms including hair thinning.

These hormones also regulate the growth cycle of hair follicles. As per Healthline, low thyroid hormone levels can prevent hair follicles from regenerating properly, which may result in hair loss on the scalp and eyebrows.

When hormone levels decline, hairs can enter the resting phase of their growth cycle prematurely. Experts suggest this disruption may result in fragile hair and visible thinning along the outer eyebrow.

Iodine deficiency continues to be a worldwide health concern despite contemporary diets. Research referenced by the World Health Organization suggests approximately two billion people globally may have inadequate iodine intake, though severe deficiency is now rarer in developed nations.

The condition can trigger a broad spectrum of symptoms beyond hair loss. Tiredness, weight gain, dry skin and sensitivity to cold are also frequently associated with low thyroid hormone levels resulting from iodine deficiency.

Dr Berg’s video prompted numerous reactions from viewers online. One person joked: “I’m deficient in everything.

“Thin eyebrows but I was a 2000s teenager,” another wrote, referencing the thin brow trend of the era. Several viewers thanked the doctor for highlighting the symptom.

One commented: “Thank you so much Dr Berg,” whilst others felt the warning was personal: “Bro called me out,” a viewer admitted.

​The Ox Pasture Hall Hotel, at Lady Edith’s Drive, Scarborough, is seeking a new premises licence from North Yorkshire Council.

​If approved, the licence would permit the playing of live and recorded music indoors and outdoors.

​The premises licence application also seeks permission for the supply of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises.

​The provision of late-night refreshment has also been proposed for consumption on and off the premises.

​“The Ox Pasture Hall Hotel is a relaxing and romantic place to stay,” according to its website.

​“A former country house which has been transformed into a beautiful country house hotel, located in the magnificent North Yorkshire Moors National Park just outside Scarborough, it’s perfect for relaxing breaks or romantic getaways on the Yorkshire coast.”

​The proposal was submitted by Asquith Hall Ltd and is open to public comments until Wednesday, April 8.

​In 2023, the hotel also applied for a premises licence, which proposed the sale of alcohol from 10am to 2am, Monday to Saturday.

​The hotel’s website adds: “This stunning country house hotel is widely regarded as the best of all the Yorkshire Coast hotels and is consistently rated as one of the top hotels in North Yorkshire.”

​Members of the public wishing to make representations regarding an application must give notice in writing to: North Yorkshire Council, Licensing Services, Town Hall, St Nicholas Street, Scarborough, YO11 2HG or, by email, to licensing.east@northyorks.gov.uk.

​

Sterling has risen from around €1.14 to about €1.16 in the past two weeks, reaching its highest level since June 2025. Currency specialists say the shift means UK travellers heading to Europe may currently get a slightly better deal when exchanging money.

Analysts say the movement has been driven largely by expectations that the Bank of England will keep interest rates higher for longer than the European Central Bank, which markets think could move sooner to cut rates.

Tony Redondo, founder of Cosmos Currency Exchange, said rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions have pushed markets to rethink the outlook for inflation and interest rates.

He said: “The Pound’s rise and the Euro’s decline are being driven by another uptick in oil prices. In an environment of rising global fuel prices, markets are betting that the Bank of England will raise UK interest rates faster and further than the European Central Bank.

“That could benefit UK businesses importing from the EU and holidaymakers looking to book an Easter break or summer holiday on the continent.”

While the stronger Pound could make trips to Europe slightly cheaper, analysts say the move reflects weakness in the Euro as much as strength in the UK economy.

Prem Raja, head of trading floor at Currencies 4 You, said markets have become less confident that the Bank of England will cut rates in the near future as inflation risks rise again.

“The Pound’s recent strength against the Euro is less about strong UK fundamentals and more about relative market pricing,” he said.

“At the same time, the Euro has been under pressure because the eurozone is seen as more exposed to higher imported energy costs.”

That dynamic has helped support Sterling in recent weeks, even as global uncertainty rises.

But experts warn that currency markets can shift quickly, meaning today’s favourable exchange rate might not last.

Recommended reading:

Rohit Parmar-Mistry, founder of Pattrn Data, said even small currency swings can have a big impact for businesses and travellers.

“A 1% move between the Pound and the Euro is noise for traders but it matters if you price in Euros and pay costs in Pounds,” he said.

“For importers it offers a bit of breathing space, but don’t bank it as the new normal. Forex trends love to reverse the moment a data print surprises or risk appetite turns.”

For holidaymakers, the current exchange rate could offer a small window of opportunity.

You don’t have to read between the lines when President Trump posts on Truth Social.

The motive for the bombing of Kharg Island was writ large – literally – some of it, caps on.

The tone was performative, the wording absolute, almost cinematic, and prepared for multiple audiences.

His first audience, Iran. He highlights the completeness of the strike and vulnerability of the island.

Sitting in the Persian Gulf, close to all major shipping routes, it handles 90% of Iran’s oil exports.

Follow the latest on the war in Iran

Trump was sending a signal that the country’s “crown jewel”, in terms of its economy, lies within reach of the US.

The underlying signal was deterrence. If military sites can be hit, the oil terminals can be too, “should Iran, or anyone else” disrupt shipping.

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Trump says Iran war to last ‘as long as necessary’

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His second audience, global oil traders. He claimed the US had “totally obliterated every MILITARY target”. Note the caps on.

He stressed that he had “chosen NOT to wipe out” the oil infrastructure on the island.

That’s because he knows crippling Kharg could send crude prices skyrocketing, as high as $150 per barrel according to some analysts.

That makes the island much more than Iran’s economic heart. It is a pressure valve for the global economy.

A single escalation could ripple from the water of the Gulf to petrol stations in Europe, Asia and America.

Read more:
‘Trump is doing a favour for humanity’: Views from ‘Tehrangeles’
All crew members killed in US refuelling plane crash in Iraq
Oil tankers to be escorted through Strait of Hormuz

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Iran war day 14: Videos on the ground

And there’s a third audience: the domestic one. The language of short, sharp strength.

The bombing was over, it was historic, he claimed, declaring the US military “Lethal, Powerful and Effective”.

That turns a complex geopolitical move into a simple narrative for a base already nervous about this war.

Taken together, the president’s post was political theatre – less technical explanation, more strategic signal.

Passengers faced lengthy delays at Washington, D.C.-area airports Friday evening after a “strong odor” at an air traffic control center was reported.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an X post a ground stop was issued for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

He said the Federal Aviation Administration was working to find the source of a “strong odor” at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control, or TRACON, in Warrenton, Virginia.

More than two hours later, Duffy announced the ground stop had been lifted and “operations have resumed.”

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Flights out of the three airports faced delays of one hour to more than three hours, according to multiple news reports. As of late Friday night, the delays at the D.C.-area airports have ended, per the FFA.

Passenger Kristen Rodrigues told CNN she was set to fly to Chicago early Friday afternoon, but she ended up getting stuck on the tarmac at Reagan Airport for hours before heading back to the terminal.

“Two hours go by, we’re still on the runway – no updates – and I could see that the pilots are pretty frustrated,” Rodrigues said.

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There was also a ground stop at Richmond International Airport, Charlottesville Albemarle Airport and Manassas Regional Airport, all in Virginia, CNN reported.

Duffy said the smell was from an overheated circuit board that was later replaced.

“Firefighters from Fauquier County and Prince William County confirm there is no danger to air traffic controllers, and they are returning to the Potomac TRACON,” Duffy wrote on X. “The source of the strong odor was traced to a circuit board that overheated, and it was replaced.”

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During the commotion, Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, wrote on X he was “thinking of all workers impacted by this incident and praying for their health and safety.

“Thank you to all first responders addressing the situation.”

The Frauquier County Fire Rescue System said in a press release it, along with a Hazardous Materials Team from Prince William County, responded to the incident after FAA employees reported a “strong smell of chemicals.”

“The Hazardous Materials team identified a faulty building monitor being worked on by a contractor,” Fire Rescue System Chief Kalvyn Smith said in a statement.

More than 30 FAA employees were evaluated and none needed to be taken to the hospital.

President Donald Trump said U.S. forces on Friday “obliterated” targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, which is home to the primary terminal that handles the country’s oil exports. The speaker of the Iranian Parliament had warned that such strikes would provoke a new level of retaliation.

Meanwhile, an American official said 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious assault ship are being sent to the Middle East nearly two weeks into the war with the Islamic Republic.

Iran has continued to launch widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states, and has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes, even as U.S. and Israeli warplanes pummel military and other targets across Iran.

The moves appear to signal the two-week-old war is not nearing an end.

Here is the latest:

Iranian media reports 15 explosions in Kharg following US strikes

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported at least 15 explosions with thick smoke rising over Kharg Island, earlier hit by U.S. strikes.

It said the strikes targeted an air defense facility, a naval base, the airport control tower, and an offshore oil company’s helicopter hangar, adding no oil infrastructure was damaged in the attack.

Iran reiterates threats to target US-linked oil facilities

Iran’s joint military command reiterated its threat to attack U.S.-linked oil and energy facilities in the region if the Islamic Republic’s oil infrastructure were hit.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters made the threat early Saturday, according to Iran’s state-run television.

He warned that Iran will target “all oil, economic, and energy infrastructures belonging to oil companies across the region that have American shares or cooperate with America” if energy and economic infrastructure in Iran is attacked.

No comment from US Embassy after strike on Baghdad compound

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad after a strike hit it’s compound in the Iraqi capital.

On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups have previously carried out attacks against U.S. citizens, interests and infrastructure, and “may continue to target them.”

The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones in the past by Iran-aligned militias.

The groups have recently stepped up attacks on bases hosting U.S. and coalition troops.

A drone strike in northern Iraq on Thursday killed a French soldier and wounded several others stationed there as part of an international coalition.

Missile strikes helipad inside US Embassy compound in Baghdad

A missile struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, two security officials said.

The projectile landed within the embassy’s boundaries after the Green Zone, the heavily fortified district in central Baghdad that houses Iraqi government institutions and foreign embassies, added the security officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak with the press.

Video obtained by The Associated Press showed smoke billowing from inside the compound.

By Qassim Abdul-Zahra

“Did you know your blood sugar can spike even if you haven’t had a single bite to eat?” he said

A doctor has shared five “surprising” factors that could spike your blood sugar – that don’t include food. In some cases, this might not always be a “bad thing”, he said.

Blood sugar, or glucose, is the body’s primary energy source, which comes from food and is regulated by insulin. Having too much or too little blood sugar can be dangerous for different reasons.

A common cause of blood sugar spikes is food. Eating refined carbohydrates, sugary foods, or large meals is known to make your levels go up. However, this is not the only potential cause.

In a video posted to his Instagram account, Doctor Amir Khan shared some “surprising” reasons your blood sugar may spike. Dr Amir, who is best known for his appearances on ITV, said: “Did you know your blood sugar can spike even if you haven’t had a single bite to eat?

“Let me share five surprising things that can raise your blood sugar and why it might not always be a bad thing.”

Stress

You may not realise the physical impact stress can have on your body. Dr Amir explained: “Number one, stress. When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol, the fight or flight hormone. That tells your liver to release stored glucose to give you energy.

“Great if you’re running from a tiger, less helpful if you’re just stuck in traffic. Remember, chronic stress equals chronic glucose spikes, and that is not good for long-term health.”

Poor sleep

Struggling to sleep can also have a knock-on effect. Dr Amir said: “Number two, poor sleep. One bad night, your body becomes more insulin-resistant.

“That means glucose hangs around in the blood for longer.” Over time, poor sleep could even increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, he warned.

Exercise

This is not necessarily a bad thing, Dr Amir said. “Certain types of exercises, especially intense or resistance training, can temporarily raise your blood sugars,” he said.

“Why? Well again, it’s your body releasing glucose for fuel, but really importantly, long-term exercise improves insulin sensitivity, meaning lower blood sugars overall.

“So this is not a bad spike.”

Infections or illness

Again, this can be the body’s way of trying to stay healthy. Dr Amir said: “When you’re fighting off a bug, your immune system has to ramp up and that comes with a glucose surge.

“It’s your body’s way of fuelling the immune response. People living with diabetes often notice higher blood sugar levels when they’re unwell.

“That’s totally normal and they may have to adjust their medication accordingly.”

Hormones

His final word of advice was aimed at women. Dr Amir said: “Ladies, this one’s for you because it’s maybe around your periods or the menopause. In the second half of your menstrual cycle, that’s the luteal phase, progesterone levels rise.

“This can make your cells more insulin resistant, meaning higher blood sugars, and of course, the perimenopause and the menopause oestrogen levels decline and that comes with insulin sensitivity dropping.

“So you become more resistant to insulin, leading to more frequent spikes in blood sugar. That’s why women in their 40s and 50s may notice weight gain, fatigue or brain fog, which can be linked to blood sugar shifts.”

He added: “So remember, not all blood sugar spikes are bad, context matters. But if you’re seeing high readings and you’re not sure why it’s always worth talking to your doctor and not always about what you’re eating, knowledge is power.”

If you’re concerned about your blood sugar levels, you should speak to your GP.

This makes Northern Ireland the sole region in the UK where the gender pay gap has consistently shifted in the wrong direction.

As families throughout Northern Ireland gear up to celebrate Mother’s Day, fresh figures from PwC’s Women in Work Index 2026 reveal the reality of working life for women – particularly working mothers across the region.

Northern Ireland has dropped one position to third place in the UK in PwC’s regional rankings, following a 2.7-point fall in its overall Index score. The region is now experiencing a growing divide between the opportunities accessible to women locally and those available elsewhere in the UK.

Central to this challenge is participation. Northern Ireland records the lowest female labour force participation rate of any UK region, standing at just 71.3% – nearly three percentage points beneath the regional average.

The region also experienced the largest rise in its participation rate gap, the difference between male and female participation, climbing by 1.88 percentage points, whilst regions across the UK on average witnessed that gap reduce by 0.67%.

The gender pay gap in Northern Ireland has widened every year since 2020, rising from 7.5% to 7.9% this year, driven by a greater proportion of women in part-time positions and longer working hours for men. This makes Northern Ireland the sole region in the UK where the gender pay gap has consistently shifted in the wrong direction.

There is, nonetheless, one positive development: Northern Ireland maintains its leading position for the lowest female unemployment rate in the UK, at just 1.4% compared to the regional average of 3.4%. Whilst this is encouraging, it highlights a paradox – women within Northern Ireland remain in employment, yet far too many women are being excluded from the workforce entirely or restricted to lower-paid, part-time positions.

On a national level, the UK rose one spot to 17th in the worldwide Index, reclaiming its status as the highest-ranking G7 nation. However, underlying advancement has plateaued, hindered by increasing female unemployment and declining full-time employment rates amongst women.

Cara Haffey, Partner at PwC Northern Ireland, commented:. “This Mother’s Day is a moment to celebrate everything that working mums contribute to their families, their workplaces and the Northern Ireland economy. But it should also be a wake-up call. The data shows that women here face the steepest barriers to participation of anywhere in the UK, and the gender pay gap continues to move in the wrong direction.”

“If we want Northern Ireland to thrive, we need to make it easier for women to fully participate in the workforce. That means investing in affordable childcare, creating more flexible working opportunities, and ensuring that the pipeline of talent into well-paid roles is open to everyone.

“The fact that we have the lowest female unemployment rate in the UK shows that when women here can access work, they do – and they stay. The challenge now is to remove the barriers that are keeping too many on the sidelines.”

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