A new kind of blood test promises to find cancer early – sometimes even before symptoms appear.

The pitch is compelling: a single sample of blood could scan the body for dozens of different cancers at once, catching disease at a stage when it is easier to treat and more likely to be curable. For people who fear cancer – which is most of us – this sounds like a medical revolution.

These tests look for tiny pieces of DNA from cancer cells that are circulating in the blood – something my research teams have spent years working on. In the lab, powerful machines analyse these DNA fragments, searching for patterns that suggest a hidden cancer somewhere in the body.

Instead of waiting for a lump, unexplained weight loss or other symptoms, you could have a blood test every six or 12 months to check if cancer is starting to grow. NHS England described the test – which they were trialling in 142,000 patients – as “the beginning of a revolution”.

The revolution postponed

But when researchers have put these tests through their paces, the reality has fallen well short of the headlines. In one large recent UK study, the blood test missed most cancers that participants went on to develop.

A negative test may feel like a clean bill of health, but at the moment, it is nothing of the sort. This matters because people naturally change their behaviour when they are reassured. If you believe a high-tech blood test has “ruled out” cancer, you may delay seeing a doctor when symptoms appear, or dismiss nagging changes in your body as nothing to worry about.

Traditional screening tests have their own problems, but they are built on decades of evidence. Mammograms for breast cancer, colonoscopy or stool tests for bowel cancer, and cervical screening all went through long, careful trials to show they save lives overall, not just that they find more abnormalities.

Even then, they can miss cancers, and they can also pick up growths that would never have caused harm. With multi-cancer blood tests, the evidence is much thinner, and we still do not know whether using them in healthy people actually reduces deaths from cancer.

The tests also generate false alarms. Sometimes the test can flag people as having cancer when they don’t, causing huge amounts of stress. Health systems that are already stretched risk being overwhelmed by follow-up investigations, triggered by blood test results, that may ultimately lead nowhere.

Cost is another consideration. These tests are not cheap to develop or buy. If these tests are used widely before we know whether they work, health services could waste money and staff time on unproven technology instead of on proven measures like prompt diagnosis, smoking cessation, weight management and ensuring that existing screening programmes reach the people who need them most.

Yet it would be wrong to dismiss these tests entirely. The underlying science is sophisticated, and it is advancing quickly. In high-risk groups – for example, people with strong family histories of certain cancers, or those with inherited genetic mutations – carefully used blood tests might genuinely help to detect tumours earlier than we can today.

They are also helpful in checking if cancer is returning after treatment, or in choosing treatments that match the specific biology of a person’s cancer.

The deeper issue is how we introduce such technology into everyday life. There is a long history of medicine being captivated by new treatments and procedures, only to discover later that the harms and compromises were greater than expected.

Early cancer blood tests are arriving at a time when trust in institutions is fragile, misinformation spreads fast, and many people understandably feel that getting to see a doctor at all is increasingly difficult. Adding another layer of complexity and uncertainty could easily widen inequality between those who can pay privately for extra tests and those who cannot.

Sensible steps you can take

While we wait for better evidence, there are still sensible steps people can take. First, if you are invited to take part in a trial of a new cancer blood test, ask what the study is trying to show and what is already known. Genuine clinical trials, run through the NHS or academic centres, are how we answer important questions about benefits and harms.

Second, if you are offered one of these tests privately, ask who will interpret the result, what support you will get afterwards, and whether it is likely to change your care in a meaningful way.

Most importantly, do not let the idea of a “simple blood test” overshadow the basics. If you notice a new lump, unexplained bleeding, persistent cough, weight loss or a change in bowel habit that goes on for more than a few weeks, you should still contact your GP, even if a previous test was normal.

Trust your instincts about your own body and keep pushing if you feel something is wrong. Stories of delayed diagnoses repeatedly show that persistence from patients, families and doctors can make a crucial difference.

Cancer outcomes have been improving slowly over time, thanks to a combination of better treatments, earlier diagnosis and public health measures. New technology, including blood tests that scan for traces of cancer, will probably play a part in the next chapter of that story. But on their own, they are not a magic bullet against disease.

A shooting outside the US consulate in Toronto is being investigated by police as a “national security incident”.

The Canadian city’s deputy police chief Frank Barredo said officers were called to the scene at around 5.30am on Tuesday, where they found spent shell casings and ⁠damage to the building.

Witnesses said a white SUV had stopped outside the consulate and two men got out, before a handgun was fired at the front of the building. The pair then got back in the vehicle and drove away.

People were inside at the time, but no one was injured, police said.

Chris Leather, chief superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said the shooting was being investigated as a “national security incident” but added it was too early to determine a motive.

Security around the US and Israeli consulates in Toronto, and embassies in Ottawa, has been increased as a precaution, he added.

The shooting comes just days after two synagogues were struck by gunfire in the Toronto area.

Toronto’s mayor, Olivia Chow, said: “The US consulate was shot at. This comes after shootings at synagogues. This cannot stand.

“Toronto’s Jewish community has the right to practice their faith and culture and to live their day-to-day lives without fear, intimidation or violence.”

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“As we have seen too many times, antisemitic incidents spike when international incidents rise. It is never acceptable to target the Jewish community,” Ms Chow added, referring to US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which have prompted large gatherings outside the US consulate, both in support and protest.

Mr Barredo said that while it was too early to draw a connection between the consulate shooting and those at the two synagogues, “we do not look at them in isolation”.

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Ontario premier Doug Ford described the shooting as “an absolutely unacceptable act of violence and intimidation aimed at our American friends and neighbours”.

“Everyone at all levels of government and across Canada needs to make clear that there is zero tolerance for this sort of intimidating and dangerous behaviour,” he added.

They were collected by a local litter picker from Seven Acres Country Park and stacked on the side of Waggon Road.

Paul Lancaster, 55, grew up on Waggon Street where his parents still live and said it was “shocking” to see the bottles.

He said: “It was just shocking to see – it’s not something you often see piled up at the side of the road.”

Paul said the pile was just across from the playing fields where he “always played as children”.

He said: “It’s just dirty.

“I think they should be more aware of what they’re actually doing and just stop and go to the toilet somewhere.”

Breightmet resident Stacey, 35, called the find “disgusting” and said the people doing it “should be ashamed of themselves”.

She said: “It’s disgusting that they think it’s acceptable to do this in a wildlife area – an area used by locals, children’s groups and wildlife groups.

“Lots of people work hard to keep this area clean and nice for the wildlife and children.

“They should be ashamed of themselves, there’s plenty of bins around and even toilets – it’s lazy, dirty and vile.”

Bottles of what appears to be urine were discovered at Seven Acres Country Park (Image: Paul Lancaster)

Bottles of what appears to be urine were discovered at Seven Acres Country Park (Image: Paul Lancaster)

Cllr Adele Warren, of Breightmet, said that it was “really nasty” and had been reported to Bolton Council on Friday (March 6).

She said: “This has been going on for several years in that location and there’s been numerous comments and discussions with various departments at various times.”

She said it’s suspected to be from taxi drivers who “don’t have access to a public toilet” and stop on the road to take their breaks.

The Conservative councillor added: “But when you see it stacked up like that – it suggests it’s been going on for a significant amount of time.

“There’s been a period when complaints were made to local taxi firms and licensing but unless somebody sees someone doing something it’s very difficult.

“At the minute, it’s just an educated assumption.”

She said she received a reply from the council on Monday morning (March 9) telling her the bottles are classed as “clinical hazardous waste” and will need a specialist contractor to dispose of them.

Bottles of what appears to be urine were discovered at Seven Acres Country Park (Image: Paul Lancaster)

Cllr Warren said: “Who in their right mind would throw it in the nature reserve?

“It’s just horrible. It’s a quiet road but it does have a lot of through traffic and there are a lot of dog walkers.

“Hopefully with a bit more awareness the person, or people, are shamed – it’s not acceptable.”

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said they would send someone out to collect the bottles on Tuesday (March 10).

They said: “This has been brought to our attention, and we will be removing this waste today (Tuesday).

 “At this stage we do not know what the contents of the bottles are, or where they have come from.”

The family of Lewis Rimmer have given an update on his care

A beloved dad-of-two who has spent nearly five months in hospital after being knocked down by a Range Rover in Bolton last year is recovering well, his wife has said.

41-year Lewis Rimmer, who owns a garage in the Bromley Cross area, was knocked down outside a Sainsburys Local on October 27 last year.

He had gone inside to buy a lottery ticket and was in the car park outside the store when he was struck, getting crushed against a steel pillar before the car then ploughed into the shop building.

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Lewis sustained severe injuries in the incident, including a broken pelvis, broken femur and ruptures to his internal organs. He was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital where he spent more than four months being treated – including three weeks in a coma – before being moved to Salford Royal at the end of February.

Lewis’ wife Sarah told the M.E.N that the move to Salford Royal would make outpatients appointments easier when he is ‘hopefully’ discharged.

“He is doing really well,” Sarah said. “It’s about the physical and rehab side of things now, doing really simple things. He’s been in hospital for nearly five months so it’s building everything up again, being able to sit up and sit on the edge of the bed.

“Everyone at Salford and Preston have been amazing, the care he has had has been incredible,” she continued. “I think it’s just time he needs now.”

Describing the months since the accident, she said: “It has turned our lives upside down. We’re coming to terms with a different way of life.

“The start was just getting through it, he was in a coma for 3 weeks and we were told to prepare for it all as nobody know how it would go.”

In the intervening months, Lewis has undergone approximately 40 hours of surgery and multiple tests. The couple’s two young daughters have been able to visit their dad ‘a couple of times a week’.

“It’s hard on him being away from the girls, he really misses them,” Sarah said. “It’s five months he shouldn’t be away from his children.

“They’ve had to adjust to a lot, and we all will. There are things we used to do so normally before, but there’s now there’s adaptations we’re still getting our heads around.”

The driver of the Range Rover, a 56-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs.

He was later bailed pending further enquiries. The M.E.N understands from GMP that no-one has been charged in relation to the incident.

“The police have been fantastic,” said Sarah. “They’ve been keeping us updated throughout and I can’t fault them. We’re in their hands, we’ll trust the process and wait to hear from them if something has changed.”

Despite the hardship they have endured, Sarah said that being positive has helped them come to terms with what’s happened. “Lewis is a very positive person and I think we’re all following that,” she said.

“When you read what happened on paper, it is horrific and it shouldn’t have happened. It would be easy to get into a negative headspace but doing that isn’t going to change anything or do us any favours.

“All the energy is concentrated on Lewis being alright. We’ll have days where things are really difficult, but I need to be strong for the girls.

“There might come a time when that changes, we might get home and come back to reality. I’m still running on adrenaline five months later. But we’re concentrated on getting Lewis back home.”

In the meantime, Sarah said she had received countless messages from the local community and beyond. “People we don’t even know have been reaching out, he is well known in the village and it happened practically on people’s doorsteps.

“The local area has been really supportive and people have sent a lot of well wishes. That, and close friends and family, are getting us through.”

Six North Yorkshire Police vehicles, including a dog unit, an unmarked car, and armed officers, were spotted this afternoon at the junction of George Street and Long Close Lane.

The armed officers were seen in the front garden of a property in the area for a short period, but it was not clear if they entered any of the houses or why they were at the scene.

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One witness said: “It was all really weird. They came and went within about 10 minutes – they arrived at 4.19pm and were in their cars leaving by half four.

“We have no idea what was going on, we thought we’d be here waiting for ages. They didn’t peel away like they were going anywhere else.”

The Press has contacted North Yorkshire Police for a comment and when we hear back, we will update this story with the response.

In 2021, dozens of governments quietly agreed to stop using public money to finance fossil fuel projects overseas.

Their pledge – now known as the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) – has helped drive a 78% reduction in public finance for fossil fuel projects among signatory countries.

What makes this especially striking is where the idea came from: a grassroots campaign in the UK initially targeting the government’s export credit agency.

With governments withdrawing from climate commitments, and some administrations – most notably Trump’s – tying them to security and trade deals, international climate cooperation is increasingly fragile. Yet the CETP stands out as a genuine success among a litany of failed international climate initiatives. My new research set out to understand what made it such a success.

Climate policy (and campaigning) is messy

Many assume that international climate commitments emerge from polite diplomatic negotiations, with small changes accumulating over time. The reality is far messier. Domestic and international climate policy is fiercely contested and victories are only ever provisional, with each settlement shaping the terrain for the next battle.

My research, based on interviews with campaigners and policymakers, shows that the partnership came about through a series of political confrontations – “battle-settlement events” in the academic lingo – moments when activists, governments and institutions clashed and new compromises emerged.

The CETP traces back to a UK grassroots campaign from 2017 onwards led by environmental and human rights campaign organisations including Global Witness and Oil Change International, partly inspired by a parallel European push targeting the European Investment Bank over its fossil fuel financing.

Campaigners initially pushed for a full fossil fuel phase out. However, they soon switched to a more strategic target: UK Export Finance (UKEF). They saw this as a more achievable battle that would provoke less resistance from industry and politicians.

UKEF is a government agency that helps UK companies sell goods and services abroad. It provides loans, guarantees or insurance to reduce the financial risk of exporting.

Campaigners built up evidence and pushed parliament to investigate. The resulting 2019 House of Commons committee report found that 96% of UK Export Finance’s energy sector support went to fossil fuel projects, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries, and called for a halt by 2021. Despite these damning findings, Theresa May’s government initially refused to budge.

So campaigners upped the ante. They drew attention to the contradiction between the UK’s climate leadership rhetoric and its public funding of fossil fuel projects linked to conflict and displacement overseas. Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon weighed in to urge the UK to “recalibrate its export finance policy”, while activists from the climate campaign group Extinction Rebellion covered the Treasury in red paint to symbolise its claims the government was complicit in violence and suffering. People I interviewed who were involved at the time said this created “insurmountable pressure” on the government to act.

The Cop spotlight

The announcement in August 2019 that Glasgow would host a major UN climate summit transformed the campaign. The summit, known as Cop26, became an opportunity to both expose the gap between UK climate ambition and its export policy, and to use any domestic win as a launchpad for coordinated international action.

The government felt it too. The then prime minister, Boris Johnson, wanted to use the summit to cement his image as a climate-friendly conservative, and a restructured “Cop Unit” within the Cabinet Office had genuine agency to develop ambitious policy ideas and secure buy-in across government.

Though Cop26 was delayed until 2021 due to COVID, this gave campaigners more time to build internal support and sustain the narrative that the UK government was a “climate hypocrite” in reputable outlets like the Financial Times and The Times. Johnson’s government eventually conceded, announcing a unilateral ban on public finance for overseas fossil fuel projects in December 2020. Given that his government was simultaneously consumed by Brexit and internal power struggles, it was a massive achievement.

Glasgow and beyond

With the UK ban secured, attention turned to getting other countries on board. The Cop Unit used the UK’s diplomatic relationships to convince other governments to make similar commitments at Cop26, pointing to the UK ban as proof of concept.

On the conference floor, campaigners and UK officials played ambitious governments off each other in a spirit of friendly competition. Those I interviewed for my research noted that some countries signed up before fully understanding what was required, causing some delegations to get a shock when they realised.

As the summit closed, 34 countries and five public finance institutions signed the Glasgow Statement on aligning international public finance with climate change goals. Signatories to this statement, which would go on to become the CETP, included major fossil fuel funders like Canada and the US.

Walking the talk

Then came the hard part. Keeping up momentum meant regular meetings with signatories to troubleshoot implementation, while domestically the initiative had to survive an attempt by Liz Truss’s short-lived government to kill it altogether. That threat was repelled, and arguably strengthened the initiative by reinforcing signatories’ commitment.

Implementation remains uneven. Most signatories have ended or curtailed fossil fuel finance, and the CETP has cut between US$11.3 billion (8.4 billion) and US$16.3 billion in annual public finance to fossil fuel production.

But the critical counterpart – scaling up public finance for clean energy – has lagged badly. The CETP’s own data shows clean energy financing actually fell between 2022 and 2023. The US has since exited under Trump and some signatories, including Italy and Switzerland, are still way behind on both stopping fossil finance and scaling up finance for renewables.

Yet the CETP’s impact is real. It has redirected tens of billions away from projects that would have locked in fossil fuel infrastructure for decades, and demonstrated that coordinated civil society pressure can shift both domestic policy and international norms. In a political environment where climate ambition is being systematically dismantled, that matters.

The partnership’s future is uncertain. But its journey – from a small UK campaign targeting export finance to a global coalition of governments – shows that domestic activism can still lead to ambitious and durable policy change.

The five teenage foreign nationals are all charged with assault offences, relating to four complainants, arising from an incident last year.

Two further teenagers have been charged over their alleged involvement in an affray on Ballyholme beach last year.

The development means that five teenagers are now facing charges and the case had been set for a preliminary enquiry on Tuesday, which, if it had gone ahead, would have seen the case returned to the Crown Court for trial.

However, Newtownards Youth Court heard that due to the officer in charge being on leave, papers were not served on one of the defendants and would not be served until later this week.

Although the prosecutor said she had been instructed to ask for a six-week adjournment, District Judge Amanda Brady told her, “I find that unacceptable.”

The five teenage foreign nationals are all charged with assault offences, relating to four complainants, arising from an incident in Co Down on 11 April last year.

On the face of it, the most serious charges are against the 17-year-old boy accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, possessing a knuckle duster and a knife, three counts of actual bodily harm and affray “within the vicinity of Bank Lane, Bangor.”

A co-accused, also 17, faces four charges of ABH, possessing a knuckle duster and a broken bottle and affray while the last defendant, who has also turned 17 since he was first charged, is charged with three counts of ABH and one common assault.

The two defendants who have been added to the bill of indictment are a 16-year-old, who cannot be identified because of his age, and 19-year-old Ahmed Izeldin Mohamed, with an address at Kansas Avenue in North Belfast.

They are jointly charged with three counts of causing actual bodily harm to three separate complainants, and a single count of affray.

Although the alleged facts have not yet been opened in court, it was reported at the time that police were called to Ballyholme beach after receiving reports of a “large fight” where “weapons had been used.”

Videos taken at the scene were widely shared online and on social media platforms and at one point, there was speculation that someone had died but that was dismissed as an “unhelpful” rumour.

The PSNI statement appealing for information and witnesses at the time said: “At around 8.15pm last evening, Friday, we responded to reports of a large fight at Ballyholme beach. Further reports from the area suggested that weapons had been used.

“We attended the scene and dealt with a large number of young persons in the area and we remained at the beach dealing with the incident for some time.

“Our investigation into this incident is at an early stage however, we are aware of a number of videos circulating online showing fights between large groups of people.

“We are asking for witnesses to this incident to come forward and work with us as we investigate and try to identify those responsible.

“We are also aware that there are rumours circulating that following the incident, a male has died – this is not the case and this sort of speculation is not helpful. We are not aware of any serious injuries. People need to be responsible when posting online.”

In court on Tuesday, a clearly angry Judge Brady highlighted the fact that the case has been “carefully managed” for the last ten months and that everything had been set in place so that the case would be returned to the Crown Court.

“I find it unacceptable that an officer goes on leave and hasn’t served the papers,” she told the court, “are there no other officers in the police who could take that duty on?”

Judge Brady told the PPS lawyer: “There is absolutely no way the prosecution are getting six weeks… nobody in the PPS seems to be doing their utmost to address the issue.”

“I find it astonishing and concerning about the lack of attention to detail,” she added, refusing the application for a six-week adjournment, and instead putting the case back to 24 March.

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But one staff member told the BBC that the third and fourth floors had been blocked off for the police investigation, with the displaced people staying on them moved elsewhere. He said the hotel was large and busy, and he and his work friends did not know who had been staying in the specific room that was hit, but had heard the reports.

It is believed that this is the first time a licensing amendment of this kind has been applied within the city

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A popular Portuguese restaurant in Peterborough has been told it can no longer play loud music late at night. Restaurant O Sado, on Lincoln Road, had the conditions of its premises licence modified by Peterborough City Council at a Licensing Sub Committee meeting on Friday (March 6).

The venue will now only be allowed to play ambient music, live or recorded, from 8am until 11pm from Monday to Sunday. It is believed that this is the first time a licensing amendment of this kind has been applied within Peterborough.

The application to review the restaurant’s current licence was made by the council’s Pollution Control Team, a branch of the authority’s Environmental Health department.

They told the sub-committee that the long-established restaurant had been the source of numerous noise nuisance issues stemming from the playing of loud music from mid-2024 onwards.

The meeting also heard how the premises continued to cause noise issues, even after the Pollution Control Team had served noise abatement notices and installed noise monitoring equipment.

Pollution Control Officer Georgina Flack confirmed the restaurant had “caused noise nuisance while operating within current opening hours”.

“We received complaints regarding loud amplified music late at night and early in the morning,” she said. Ms Flack went on to say that the music could be heard “at least 30 metres away” from the restaurant premises.

She suggested that, even though the restaurant operates as a café, it is “more of a nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights.”

The owner of Restaurant O Sado, Dora Marques, was present at the meeting. She was joined by her sister, Vera Marques who helps run the restaurant, and her solicitor, Kashif Khan. Dora Marques accepted the council’s evidence and apologised for the noise nuisance issues.

She explained that some of the noise could be attributed to people not using Restaurant O Sado who would congregate outside the property late at night. Vera Marques said the much-loved venue “is a place where the [Portuguese] community gathers at weekends”.

“When we received the abatement order we tried our best to control it [the music],” she added. “We will do our best to reduce any noise.”

Mr Khan explained that Dora and Vera Marques were often away at weekends – the time when the bulk of the noise complaints were made – tending to their ill father.

Mr Khan disputed claims that the venue was anything like a nightclub, calling it a “relaxed environment” and “culture hub” that serves as “a meeting place for the Portuguese community.”

He did however acknowledge that the presence of a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights increased noise in and around the venue.

Mr Khan said Dora Marques was prepared to remove the use of DJs entirely, and get rid of any sound equipment that produces heavy bass. These assurances however were not enough for the sub-committee.

“We are of the opinion that there may have been different ways in dealing with the situation, thus our decision is to modify the conditions,” said chair of the meeting, Cllr Chris Harper.

Cllr Harper also stated that the new conditions will insist all music played at the venue must be background noise only, “i.e. it is possible to hold a conversation at normal volume with the music playing”.

Within the first hour of this year’s Cheltenham Festival – by the time the Skybet Supreme and Singer Arkle have been run – the die will be cast and the tone set for the week.

Will the week belong to Willie Mullins – let’s hope his horses are moving better than he is with his chronic back problem – or Nicky Henderson, both of whom fire aces at those races? Gordon Elliott or Dan Skelton? The Irish or the British? The bookmakers or the punters?

And, given that it seems to be the sole metric by which the Jockey Club is judged, will anyone have paid to come and watch it? No one can deny that with strong attendances elsewhere – indeed, a record one at this course on New Year’s Day – it is an important year for the Festival itself.

About the only question I do know the answer to is that the best way to view the preparations for another Festival are from the back of a horse. Will Do, a 28/1 shot for the National Hunt Chase from the 1st battalion Cullentra House, was my viewing platform on Monday from which my main conclusion was; I wish my lawn was like that.

He was taking it all in and was agog at the watering system in action. He was no doubt as surprised as all of us that after such a wet winter the course still needs a drop of water on it to prevent it becoming too lively.

His message, I think, to me and you was that the ground will be much quicker than it has been all winter. His form has not been great in the mud this season but, maybe this is some misguided loyalty after our hour together, if Will Do will do any talking today, it will be on this ground.