BUNIA, Congo (AP) — The healthcare workers at the epicenter of Congo’s Ebola outbreak are walking off their jobs to protest delays in their payments, threatening efforts to slow the outbreak that officials said continues to spread faster than the response.

In Ituri province, the hardest hit among the three provinces in eastern Congo affected by the outbreak, some of the health professionals and other front-line workers told The Associated Press they’ve not been paid their wages and bonuses since the outbreak was declared on May 15. They also alleged they were working with limited gear, and were being treated unfairly by authorities as well as response teams.

“Since the Ebola virus disease outbreak was declared, we’ve been demanding payment for our work,” Dr. Biensi Kano, a member of the epidemiological surveillance committee in Ituri’s capital, Bunia, told The Associated Press.

The latest government data shows 1,708 recorded cases, including 580 deaths, and that the first month of this Ebola outbreak was already the worst on record, health authorities said. The strike comes at the start of enrollment for clinical trials for the treatment of the Bundibugyo virus that is responsible for this outbreak.

Treatment centers at near-full capacity

The World Health Organization representative in Congo, Dr. Anne Ancia, said Tuesday that the virus continues to spread, fueled by population movements and insecurity, while some treatment centers are at near-full capacity.

The non-payment of benefits “exposes us and our families to significant socio-economic difficulties and seriously undermines our living conditions,” said Kano.

In an official notice to national and provincial authorities over the weekend, front-line workers in Ituri threatened to strike if the wages were not paid in 24 hours. By Tuesday, some had already stopped working although no official strike has been declared.

The aggrieved front-line workers also include safety and security teams, those that often embark on community outreach as well as those burying patients who died from Ebola.

Congo’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the situation. Officials in Ituri, however, said they’ve met with the workers and their concerns are being addressed

When he visited the mining town of Mongbwalu — considered the hot spot for the disease — last month, Congo’s Minister of Health Roger Kamba assured the response teams that the government was prioritizing their working conditions.

“All doctors, all nurses and all staff working on the response will be fully supported. We have the money for that,” Kamba said at the time.

But front-line workers say the reality is different.

“We are doing everything we can to make the public understand how dangerous this disease is. I came here to save people’s lives, but this is how I am being thanked. We are working day and night without being paid,” said Dr. Ghislain Maneba, an epidemiologist and community investigator in the Rwampara health zone.

Meanwhile, the strike by some workers has caused concern among residents in Ituri, where measures to slow the outbreak have resulted in economic hardship.

Bunia resident Anifa Kito said she fears that response efforts may falter, further complicating daily life. “I would ask the authorities to resolve this situation before things get any worse,” she said, standing in front of her tomato stall.

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AP writer Constant Same Bagalwa in Bunia contributed to this report.

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For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

“Love it. Perfect for a small picnic, lightweight and takes small ice pack in the lid.”

With the current warm weather and whether you’re planning to make the most of the sunshine with a picnic or a leisurely walk, or simply commuting to work, having a cold drink on hand will be essential.

Thankfully, one compact gadget can keep your drinks and snacks cool throughout the day, and some customers can obtain it for free by taking advantage of a cashback offer .

The Ice Backpack Cooler is priced at £15 at Argos, however, a promotion from TopCashback allows new members to receive a complimentary £15 welcome bonus alongside cashback on any Argos purchase of £15 or above. This effectively means the Ice Backpack Cooler can be snapped up at no cost once the cashback has been processed.

Customers will need to pay the initial £15, but this sum will be credited back to their TopCashback account as cashback, which can then be transferred to a bank or PayPal account. It should be noted that cashback isn’t issued immediately and may take up to seven days to appear in accounts.

This price includes free click and collect, with standard delivery starting at £4.95 or complimentary for smaller items when spending over £100. To claim the offer, shoppers simply need to complete their purchase via this unique link , reports the Manchester Evening News.

Perfect for day hikes or picnics, the Ice Backpack Cooler maintains the freshness of your food and beverages without the hassle of carrying a cool box. Its insulated design preserves temperature for hours, ensuring sandwiches remain fresh and drinks stay cold from the car park right through to the campsite.

The lightweight build won’t burden you during walks, while the hands-free backpack format allows you to carry additional equipment or keep children under control. An internal bottle holder system secures drinks upright, preventing any tipping or spillage while on the move.

The space-efficient design has enough space for a family lunch or a full day’s snacks without taking up boot space. The durable fabric withstands regular outdoor use and cleans easily after muddy excursions, with the internal bottle holder ensuring everything remains within easy reach when required.

For those with a larger budget, Dunelm offers the Three Rivers 2 Person Backpack with Picnicware for £59. This backpack includes all the necessities for an ideal outdoor meal for two, featuring two acrylic wine glasses, two acrylic plates, and two sporks.

The 15-litre insulated section is ideal for maintaining your food and beverages at the perfect temperature for as long as six hours. Thanks to the white PEVA heat-sealed interior, any spillages can be quickly wiped clean.

Alternatively, the Lifewit 21L Soft Cooler Backpack Bag is £20.99 on Amazon. This multi-purpose insulated rucksack can hold up to 30 cans and features several pockets for convenient hands-free transport during picnics, camping trips or family days out.

Meanwhile at Argos, the Ice Backpack Cooler has received almost 30 five-star reviews. One customer commented: “Love it. Perfect for a small picnic, lightweight and takes small ice pack in the lid.”

Another reviewer shared: “Put a frozen bottle of water in at 8am and it still had ice in it at 5pm after being in 26°C heat all day. Excellent bag, plenty of room for a few bottles of drink and sandwiches.

“Highly recommend, would buy again. I love it, handy big pocket on the front for a phone, for example.”

A third customer explained: “I bought this because I no longer own a car so do a lot of my shopping on foot and bus,” a third said. “I buy frozen fruit and veg because they keep better, but I’m often buying several 1KG or 500g bags at a time and this is too much to carry with all the other bits and pieces.

“So, I bought this. I can now put all my frozen food in this on my back and still carry two bags with my others shopping. Keeps tighter frozen stuff nice and cool and it comfy so very happy. Big enough for me and very light.”

The Ice Backpack Cooler hasn’t attracted any critical feedback online, though there are a few considerations worth noting before making a purchase. With a 10-litre capacity, it’s perfectly suited for transporting a packed lunch, but may fall short for family-sized picnics.

Additionally, the bag comes exclusively in blue, which might not suit everyone’s preferences. Despite this, another satisfied Argos customer praised their recent buy , stating: “I bought this two weeks ago for a road trip and it kept drinks cold throughout. Well worth the price.”

A separate five-star review notes: “I bought this for a holiday and took it on a hike. It was perfect for the job.

“It’s big enough for two (500ml) water bottles, a small first aid kit and I could have fit a snack in too, if I’d had one. I used the side pocket for sun cream and it was really comfortable to carry for the walk, which was about 90 mins. Really happy with it.”

Here’s how to claim the cool bag ‘for free’ via TopCashback:

• Sign up as a new member at Top Cashback for free via this link .
• Search for ‘ Argos ‘ on the site, click through and buy the item normally.
• Get £15 cashback when you spend £15 or more on an item.
• The cashback will track to the TopCashback ‘Earnings page’ within seven days of your purchase.

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Norman Mackenzie continued to work after the accident but then needed emergency surgery in a bid to save his life

A man died after falling onto a bamboo garden cane while trimming hedges, a fatal accident inquiry has heard. Norman Mackenzie fell backwards onto the cane which pierced his groin and left a fragment of his jeans embedded deep inside the wound, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.

The injury happened while the 68-year-old gardener was trimming hedges at Darnaway Castle near Forres on September 17, 2024. Despite pulling himself free and continuing to work for the rest of the day, the father of two developed a rapidly spreading infection.

Four days later he died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary from multi-organ failure, septic shock and necrotising fasciitis – described as a flesh-eating bacterial infection. Sheriff David Harvie found that the accident could realistically have been avoided had a safer working platform been used instead of a step ladder positioned beside the edge of a sunken flower bed.

The inquiry heard Mr Mackenzie, who had worked for Moray Estates for around 40 years, misjudged the bottom step of the ladder as he climbed down. He stumbled backwards into the flower bed, where a bamboo cane penetrated his groin.

Believing the injury was not serious, he pulled the cane from his body, rested briefly and then returned to work before going home for lunch and completing the day’s duties. He attended Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin two days later after suffering increasing pain and swelling. Scans showed the injury reached from the scrotum towards the abdomen, but did not reveal that a small piece of denim from his jeans had been driven into the wound.

By the following day his condition had deteriorated sharply. Blood tests showed severe infection and emergency surgery was carried out at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where surgeons discovered widespread necrotising fasciitis and recovered a fragment of torn denim from the wound. Large areas of dead tissue from his lower abdomen, groin and scrotum had to be removed in an attempt to halt the infection.

Despite intensive care treatment, Mr Mackenzie died on September 21. While the inquiry heard evidence that earlier surgery might, with hindsight, have been beneficial if the contamination had been known, Sheriff Harvie concluded there was insufficient evidence to find that the clinical decisions made by NHS Grampian caused or contributed to Mr Mackenzie’s death. Instead, the sheriff identified failures in workplace supervision and the use of inappropriate equipment.

He found there was no clear responsibility for supervising Mr Mackenzie and that he had effectively been left to assess risks himself despite restrictions on the work he was supposed to be carrying out. Following the accident, Moray Estates removed bamboo canes from its sunken gardens and flower beds, tightened accident reporting procedures, strengthened supervision arrangements and reviewed its risk assessments with external health and safety advisers.

Sheriff Harvie made no formal recommendations, noting that significant changes had already been implemented by both Moray Estates and NHS Grampian following Mr Mackenzie’s death. The sheriff offered his condolences to both Mr Mackenzie’s family and friends.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding secrets have been spilled by guest Greg James as he gushed he ‘had the best night.. probably ever’.

The BBC Radio 1 DJ was among the 1,000 guests invited to the epic Madison Square Garden nuptials on Friday night, and on Wednesday he finally returned to his Breakfast Show to reveal all in a Q&A with his team and Swifties who called in.

Greg confessed he had been lying to his friends, family and fans for months, revealing he had received his wedding invite in mid-March and only told his wife Bella Mackie, who was also invited. 

The only other person Greg could discuss the big day with was fellow guest Graham Norton.

The chatshow host and Greg were coincidentally booked on the same episode of This Morning shortly after they received their invites, where they held a whispered conversation in the dressing room.

Greg revealed that they then arranged to have a dinner alongside his wife Bella and Graham’s husband Jono McLeod, laughing: ‘We arranged to have a secret, under the cover of darkness dinner. It was like The Traitors meeting in the tower.’

The BBC Radio 1 DJ and his wife Bella Mackie were among the 1,000 guests invited to the epic Madison Square Garden nuptials on Friday night 

‘We were going to go to a restaurant and he messaged to say maybe not a restaurant so we had a secret dinner round his house to talk about it.’ We had this dinner and were like “what’s happening, where even is this wedding?”. 

At the wedding itself, Greg revealed he hung out with fellow British guests, pointing out: ‘The Brits gravitate towards each other in any situation like that, and at one point it was me and Bella, and Hugh Grant and his wife and we were watching proceedings happen.

He added that with such an array of guests invited ‘every 10 seconds’ he was star struck, pointing out: ‘It was a room full of the most famous people in the world.’

‘I just couldn’t believe it. It was like going to Madame Tussauds but the wax was animated and you could interact with wax and it talked back to you, it was absolutely mad … I had a few wees next to some NFL players.’ 

Greg also insisted that there was no champagne shortage, gushing that ‘the food was plentiful and delicious there was lots of everything.’

‘You know how sometimes at a wedding you get the first drink free on arrival? This was the first 10,000 drinks.’

Greg also revealed that contrary to rumours about watermarked invites, all of his communication about the wedding was electronic.

Taylor invited the Radio 1 DJ live on air in October and he has now revealed he received his official invite in mid March. 

Greg revealed he hung out with fellow British guests, pointing out: ‘The Brits gravitate towards each other in any situation like that, and at one point it was me and Hugh Grant and his wife’

‘This is how long I’ve been lying to you,’ he apologised. ‘The invitation arrived on my phone in the form of a link in the middle of the night when I was trying to get some sleep in Weymouth, during a storm when I had a really upset stomach.’

Greg explained that he was staying in a Weymouth hotel on March 12, the night before starting his Comic Relief cycle challenge.

‘I was going to the bathroom and I turned my phone on and this link came through saying “you have been invited to the wedding”,’ he revealed.

‘It was the night before the Comic Relief challenge and I had to sit with it all week. I turned my phone off and had to be like “I can’t deal with that right now, I’m about to cycle a 1,000km on a tandem”.’

Greg said the only person he told that week about the invite was his wife who calmly told him “you can’t focus on that now, we will deal with that in July”. 

‘So it was during an almighty storm and an almighty storm in my stomach… That was the unglamorous place I received it… All I wanted to do was shout it and tell everyone but you don’t want to be that guy that ruins it all.’

After telling his BBC bosses he was taking annual leave, he also told a white lie to organisers of the Crosswires podcast festival he was at on Thursday night. 

‘I couldn’t tell the people at the festival why I couldn’t do the rest of the weekend. I went “something’s come up”. I think they assumed it was to do with my dad not being very well so that felt bad! I can’t use him as an excuse!’ 

Greg and his wife Bella met up with fellow guest Graham Norton before the wedding, laughing that their secret dinner ‘was like The Traitors meeting in the tower’

Greg did concede that the lack of a paper invite made him suspicious that he was part of some Radio 1 prank, admitting: ‘Honestly until we were in there there was a huge part… Bella and I were like “this could be a scam” until we were in we were like “we might have made a big trip for nothing here”.’

The Radio 1 star scored his invite months after Taylor, who he has interviewed multiple times over the years, told him live on his show that he would be there. 

After Greg joked that he wanted to meet her NFL star beau Travis, Taylor laughed that he’d get the chance at the wedding, telling him he was ‘obviously’ invited.

Taking to his Instagram Stories on Saturday, Greg revealed he had indeed been at the star-studded celebration after fans wondered if he made the guest list.

After skipping his Radio 1 show on Friday, Greg had insisted to listeners he was busy in Sheffield for a live recording of his Bad Chat podcast at the Crossed Wires festival. In fact, he had jumped on a flight across the Atlantic to make it in time for Taylor’s evening nuptials. 

Sharing a photo of a slice of pizza the morning after, he joked: ‘I am currently experiencing the world’s greatest hangover and unable to reply to the hilarious number of messages I have received over the last 24hrs. 

‘But just to say: true to her word, of course the invitation arrived and I couldn’t tell anyone. And oh my God, what an unbelievably brilliant night. I’m off for a nap.’

Emmerdale has confirmed that Doctor Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker) will be murdered in the future.

In an episode that was broadcasted a couple of days ago, a flashforward sequence aired that saw Doctor Todd lying in a pool of blood.

Prior to this happening, Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) was seen confronting Caitlin about raping Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).

Doctor Todd said that if she was forced to go to court, the jury would believe her version of events over Charity’s because she’s a well-respected member of the NHS. Mack couldn’t handle being around Caitlin for any longer, and left after telling her that if she went near Charity again, he’d ‘bury her’.

While the flashforward kept most of the details surrounding Doctor Todd’s death a mystery, it may not have been completely devoid of clues, as one small detail hidden in the scene may reveal exactly where she dies.

The only real clue comes from the floor beneath Caitlin. She’s lying on light wooden floorboards that could belong to an unfamiliar location, but they also closely resemble the flooring in one of Emmerdale’s best-known cottages.

In Jacobs Fold, where Charity lives with Mack, Noah Dingle (Jack Downham) and young Moses, the floorboards look exactly the same as those seen in the flashforward with Doctor Todd.

If Caitlin is killed in Charity’s house, it potentially makes the suspect list a lot shorter.

Mackenzie is a broken man after Charity confessed all of her secrets to him. He is trying to contain his anger whenever he sees Ross Barton (Michael Parr), Leyla’s dad, but things will come to a head in a few days time, as he ends up fighting with his former best friend in a barn.

Could this, along with the threats he made towards Doctor Todd, be foreshadowing? Will he end up killing Caitlin after being pushed over the edge?

It’s also possible that Charity will attempt to get violent revenge on Doctor Todd, given the police investigation into her is currently moving pretty slowly.

While Mack and Charity are high on the list of suspects, there’s also Noah Dingle to think about.

The young man has a criminal record after stalking and harassing Chloe Harris a few years ago, and currently has no idea of the things Doctor Todd has put his mum through.

Interestingly, spoilers for future episodes confirm that Noah is debating applying for jobs abroad. This could be a subtle way of hinting at him being Doctor Todd’s killer, as he may end up making a run for it and leaving the village to prevent spending time behind bars.

MORE: Ross ‘dead’ in final violent showdown with Emmerdale’s Mack

MORE: Emmerdale’s Vanessa horrified as she discovers the shocking truth about Dr Todd

MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as another crime rocks the village

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

Every morning I follow the same routine. I take a liquid probiotic on an empty stomach that requires me to wait ten minutes before eating or drinking anything.

Desperate to have my first strong, flat white coffee of the day, I set a timer on my phone. When the time seems to drag, I check the timer is definitely running. Come on! Why is it taking so long?

By the time we’re at eight minutes, I start preparing the coffee with my fancy machine so my steaming mug is ready and waiting on the stroke of ten minutes. Bliss.

Safe to say, I love coffee. None of your mild and weak rubbish watered down with half a pint of milk, either – it has to be espresso, the highest intensity I can find, either with a dash of hot milk, or sometimes drunk as a double – black, straight down like a tequila shot.

My first coffee is swiftly followed by another and I carry on drinking cups throughout the day, notching up five on average – though six or seven isn’t unheard of.

Coffee is now so popular in the UK that 98million cups of it are consumed daily. This means there are now more regular drinkers of coffee than tea, something that would have been unthinkable a generation ago.

Since splashing out £600 on a sleek barista-style machine that uses pods (the expense felt justified since a flat white takeaway is now just shy of £5 in many coffee shops), I rarely drink tea. But the question is: do I drink too much coffee? And even though I seem to experience no ill effects, will quitting make me healthier? Is it – God forbid – ageing?

The messages are mixed.

It’s well established that caffeine can increase anxiety, disrupt sleep and induce temporary spikes in your heart rate and blood pressure. Some studies suggest it can raise cholesterol, too.

Yet, just last week, a report based on a large-scale analysis of UK health trends found drinking four to five coffees a day can significantly improve liver health – reducing the risk of liver cancer, for example, by 47 per cent – while it also contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory qualities.

Having recently turned 60, I’m firmly in what’s referred to as ‘sniper’s alley’ when it comes to health. It’s an age when people can suddenly be taken out by things such as high blood pressure, heart disease and raised cholesterol.

So, to see once and for all whether being a coffee addict is either good for me or keeping me from optimum health, I decide to quit for six weeks.

Coffee never gives me palpitations, but the thought of giving it up does. I honestly think I’d find it easier to give up food than coffee. It’s one of my few vices.

To ensure fair and accurate results, I take a series of health tests while still drinking my usual amount, with a plan to repeat them when I’m coffee-free.

Health firm Medichecks offers a series of home assessments and recommends I take its £119 Advance Diet and Lifestyle Blood Test, which will measure 27 biomarkers, including liver and kidney function, cholesterol level and key vitamins and minerals.

A nurse draws the blood and the results are sent off to a lab to be analysed and studied by a doctor.

In the meantime, I visit my GP to have my blood pressure checked – it’s a healthy 117/78 (anything under 120/80 is considered good). I then purchase an at-home monitor, to make further, regular checks. Sure enough, I get the same reading as the GP, so I know it’s reliable equipment.

While the blood tests will measure my cortisol levels at the time of taking, I also want to investigate them throughout the day to see if caffeine causes any big spikes. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and when levels become consistently too high it can lead to other problems – such as weight gain, mood swings and brain fog.

Regenerus Labs offers a £133 cortisol analysis saliva test based on four samples gathered throughout the course of one day.

Since the most commonly experienced side-effects of caffeine are a racing heart and poor sleep, I need to track those, too. For that I use an Oura Ring (from £399). Fitted with sensors, it analyses 30 biometrics (including sleep patterns, stress and heart rate), uploading the data to a linked smartphone app.

Blood pressure is typically a little higher first thing in the morning and when I take mine, before any coffee, it’s 119/80 – still in the healthy range but slightly elevated. A few minutes after, I’m one flat white down (with an extra shot for good measure) and I take some more readings. My blood pressure is now 121/81 and my resting heart rate goes from 65 to 68bpm. However, just five minutes later things have settled to their pre-coffee levels.

Caffeine can induce temporary spikes in your heart rate and blood pressure, disrupt sleep and increase anxiety 

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So coffee does spike blood pressure and heart rate, but I don’t feel it and I don’t really care. I once wore a heart monitor to see how stressed I got reverse parking a car – it was much worse. During my coffee phase, I drink a minimum of five cups a day, including into the afternoon.

I know some people swear they can’t have caffeine after a certain time, but it never seems to interfere with my sleep. I’ve even been known to take a book and a coffee to bed with me.

I’m on HRT, which has undoubtedly saved me from menopausal insomnia. Consequently, I’ve always slept like a log.

My Oura Ring requires at least two weeks of wearing before it can start accurately reporting my stress levels and ‘readiness’ – this is a daily score calculated after analysing nine key metrics including sleep, heart rate, body temperature and activity.

I’m not a ‘stressy’ person – I tend to take everything in my stride – and feel confident my stress readings won’t be dramatic.

But it does get to work immediately on analysing my sleep. Have I been kidding myself all this time about the way coffee affects it?

I check the data the morning after drinking five coffees – the last one at 6pm before going to bed at 11pm – and it shows that I have a sleep score of 78 (out of 100) and a ‘readiness’ score of 83, rated as very good.

Over the following month of coffee-drinking, I average seven hours, 40 minutes of sleep per night, achieving good levels of both REM and deep sleep – the most restorative stages.

I know most would think this very odd, but the only part of my data that surprises me is that it seems to take me around 40 minutes to drop off – it always feels much faster than that to me.

Claudia wears an Oura ring – a device that analyses sleep, heart rate, body temperature and activity – which helped her to track the effects of going caffeine-free

On my last full week of caffeine, a bit nervous about what lies ahead, I ramp things up a bit and drink six cups a day – a bit like an alcoholic before they go to rehab.

Astonishingly my sleep score marginally improves, while my resting heart rate when asleep goes down to 62bpm.

My blood results from Medichecks fall well within normal ranges and my cortisol analysis from Regenerus shows my levels are on the lower side first thing in the morning. They then fall back to a normal range throughout the day. Coffee definitely doesn’t seem to be spiking them.

What’s more, my first stress report from my Oura Ring confirms I experience lower than average stress. I’m beginning to feel really quite super-human, especially as throughout the six weeks of sustained coffee-drinking my blood pressure remains good and steady. I’m very much dreading having to quit. But perhaps doing so will tip me into super-healthy status, delivering the sleep quality, stress levels and blood pressure of a baby?

I decide to go cold turkey and brace myself for hideous withdrawal symptoms: headaches, fatigue, not to mention my irritability at missing my favourite drink. I’ve known people to be physically sick from caffeine withdrawal, with terrible aches and pains after giving it up.

And what will I drink instead? I don’t want to risk decaf coffee, just in case the beans get mixed up. (I have to confess that during my waitressing days, when a customer ordered decaf I didn’t exactly take care to make sure I picked up the right jug). I do like matcha tea but it contains caffeine, so I settle on peppermint instead. It’s light and refreshing but nowhere near as satisfying as coffee.

Nearly every morning I reach for coffee on auto-pilot and stop myself in the nick of time. In the end, I dismantle the machine and hide it at the back of a cupboard.

When I travel to London on the train, I usually make a cafetiere’s worth of coffee and fill a travel mug. Twice I do this without thinking, but thankfully realise before taking a sip.

But the physical side still seems bizarrely fine. I wait for the headache to kick in… and it doesn’t. No shakes, no irritability and my head is perfectly clear.

To be honest, I’m baffled – why am I so unaffected? A nutritionist friend suggests my extraordinary tolerance of caffeine may be genetic and suggests a DNA test.

After taking a saliva swab, I send my sample off to DNApal, which will produce a report (prices starting from £239.99) analysing my unique genetic data. This includes my ‘stimulant genotype’ – or how my body reacts to and metabolises stimulants such as caffeine.

Caffeine is not considered addictive in the same way as nicotine or alcohol, but it can still lead to physical dependence. For many, coffee becomes ingrained into a daily routine

My response gets odder still. Rather than improving my sleep, quitting coffee seems to be doing the complete opposite. My first night of caffeine-free sleep is terrible according to my Oura Ring, earning me a score of just 54. The next day is the same.

I put it down to my anxiety about giving up coffee. The only improvement is that it now takes me an average of 30 minutes to fall asleep instead of 40. As for my daily stress levels, they stay the same, as does my blood pressure when I check it.

Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine (nicsnutrition.com) says: ‘Genetics play an important role in how we metabolise caffeine, including variations in the CYP1A2 gene, which influences how quickly caffeine is broken down by the liver.

‘Fast metabolisers often tolerate coffee well and may be less likely to experience sleep disruption or jitters. Age, body size, medications, smoking status and habitual caffeine intake can also influence how someone responds.’

Sure enough, my results from DNApal come back and show that I have an AA variant on the CYP1A2 gene. This gene is responsible for detoxifying multiple substances including caffeine, meaning it moves faster through my system than it does for those without the variant.

As a result, I have a high tolerance and am able to drink it without getting the jitters or feeling anxious. It’s also unlikely to increase my risk of hypertension.

My results also show that when it comes to the ADORA2A gene – which is related to caffeine-linked insomnia – I have something called a TC variant. That means there’s an increased chance coffee could lead to sleep disturbances, but in my case the variant doesn’t appear to be expressed.

When I discuss this with Vicky Godfrey, DNApal co-founder and a registered nutritional therapist, she tells me the fact I metabolise coffee so quickly is the pertinent factor here. And suddenly it all makes sense. It’s why I can order a double espresso at the end of a restaurant meal at 11pm and sleep perfectly well, while my friends sip their chamomile tea and look on in horror.

As I’m getting towards the end of my coffee-free time, I repeat my blood and saliva cortisol tests.

My blood tests show that, off coffee, my cholesterol has risen the tiniest amount, my iron levels dropped fractionally, and my vitamin B12 rose. The cortisol monitoring shows my levels have fallen, but only by the smallest amount.

Had the results shown caffeine made me more stressed and wrecked my sleep, I would have been prepared to quit. But thanks to my genetics, I can knock it back like there’s no tomorrow, so that’s what I will do.

After the six coffee-free weeks are up, I devour my first mug of the day – and then four to follow. For the first time ever, I stop and consider: do I feel wired? Hyper? Shaky? No, I really don’t. I know this is very lucky.

Given coffee doesn’t affect me, does that mean I’m free to drink even more or is there a danger of becoming dependent?

Ludlam-Raine says: ‘Even if someone metabolises caffeine quickly, as you appear to, the general recommendation of up to 400mg per day (roughly three to four barista-style coffees) still applies. It doesn’t mean higher intakes are beneficial or risk-free.

‘Caffeine isn’t considered addictive in the same way as nicotine or alcohol, but it can lead to physical dependence.

‘There’s a psychological component, with many people associating coffee with routines, comfort, productivity or social occasions. For many coffee drinkers, cravings are likely to be a combination of dependence and habit rather than addiction.’

Remarkably, my first night back on the caffeine is the best sleep I’ve had in ages – eight hours and 32 minutes – and earns me a sleep score of 94.

Maybe the relief of returning to my favourite beverage has relaxed me? Either way, I’ll be caning the coffee from now on.

A manhunt is continuing for a murder suspect believed to have killed a mother and her two children before fleeing the UK.

Bedfordshire Police forced entry into a house on Carnoustie Drive, Great Denham, near Bedford, on Monday after receiving reports the family had not been seen for several days.

Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy said: “We have identified a suspect who was known to all three victims, and who we believe has since left the country.”

Tributes have been paid to the victims, with one woman tearfully laying flowers at the scene saying: “We’re really sorry to lose her. She’s was such a gracious mother.”

By RICHARD MARSDEN, GENERAL REPORTER

Published: 15:10 BST, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 08:44 BST, 8 July 2026

As Britain endures its third heatwave of the summer, up to two thirds of people say they are struggling to sleep during sweltering ‘tropical’ nights.

The latest spell of hot weather could bring highs of up to 35C (95F) by the end of the week and today’s temperatures are set to climb above 30C (86F) in southern England.

Amber heat health alerts apply between tomorrow morning and Saturday evening covering all of southern England, East Anglia and the Midlands.

Now a poll by environmental group Greenpeace suggests the country is not only struggling to cope by day but also suffering ‘mass sleep deprivation’ from extremely warm nights.

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According to forecasters, tomorrow and Thursday nights could count as ‘tropical nights’, when temperatures in the warmest areas could remain in the 20s Celsius (low 70s Fahrenheit) – more usual for a fine summer’s day.

The YouGov poll of 2,135 people for Greenpeace found two in three people struggled to sleep during June’s heatwave, with almost half of people saying they lost at least three hours’ of sleep a night.

Other findings included 86pc of people saying their homes had been too hot while a quarter said they or a household member had felt physically unwell.

About one in five said they had cancelled plans because of the heat.

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Broadstairs beach’s idyllic-looking golden sands today as temperatures began to build

Met Office forecasts show how daytime temperatures are due to climb during the week

More than half said their homes needed retrofit upgrades such as air conditioning to cope with future heatwaves, but 78pc said they would struggle to afford them.

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Almost half of people said they would support a levy on highly polluting companies to fund improvements.

Some 60pc of people said their workplaces were too hot and 1:10 felt working conditions were unsafe.

Mel Evans, the head of climate at Greenpeace UK, said: ‘The poll exposes the brutal reality of dragging our feet on climate action, such as mass sleep deprivation.

Soaring temperatures by day mean very warm nights, leaving people struggling to sleep

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‘Heatwaves are now a creeping health, housing, and economic emergency that is costing families money they don’t have.’

Dr Laurence Wainwright, of the University of Oxford said: ‘Sleep is greatly impacted during heatwaves.

‘The implications are significant: a drop in work performance, an increase in accidents, lower school test scores [and] a decline in mental health.’

Britain’s warmest June temperature of 37.7C (99.86F) was recorded on June 27 at Lingwood, Norfolk, and there were also record-breaking overnight minimums of 23.5C (74.3F) in Wales and 23.2C (73.8F) in England.

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It followed the UK’s hottest ever May temperature, with 35.1C (95.2F) recorded at Kew Gardens, London, on May 25.

That month, the government’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) advisory group warned Britain was ‘built for a climate that no longer exists’ and needed urgent changes.

The heatwave is set to last into the weekend, when it could break down with thunderstorms, according to the Meteorological Office.

Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates said: ‘Unlike the May and June heatwaves, we are not expecting this heatwave to be record-breaking.

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‘There is a chance that a tropical night (where temperatures do not fall below 20°C) may be recorded in a few places.

‘Much of England and Wales will be hot, and the heat will extend to parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland too.’