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Human skeletons found as major roadworks could face delays

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Cambridgeshire Live

The roadworks are set to last around a year

Human skeletons have been discovered during major city centre roadworks. Roadworks have been ongoing on the Queensgate roundabout in Peterborough since the start of July as part of the City Link project.

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The project is a £65m scheme to upgrade the city’s railway station and connect the city better. As a result, lane closures are in place on the roundabout and these will be in place for around a year.

While carrying out the works, seven human skeletons have been found within the roundabout area. A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said: “Seven human skeletons have been found on land deep within the Queensgate roundabout, which is currently being developed as part of the City Link project.

“An archaeologist believes that these remains date from a cemetery which existed on this site during the Mediaeval period and later developed in the Victorian period.

“We have obtained an archaeological licence and appointed an archaeologist to ensure the skeletons are reburied in line with national guidelines.”

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Due to the discovery, the council warns that the roadworks could be delayed up to four weeks. However, it is looking at options to reduce the delay in later phases of the project.

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Tom Holland Used Web Fandoms For Spider-Man: A Brand New Day

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Tom Holland Used Web Fandoms For Spider-Man: A Brand New Day

It’s not as unusual as you might think for screenwriters to be inspired by fan communities. Huge franchises, like Lord of the Rings and (famously) Doctor Who, have changed plot lines and even given characters bigger roles thanks to viewers’ theories and opinions.

So when Tom Holland told Waitrose’s The Dish podcast he’d done the same for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, he joined the ranks of some of the greats.

Speaking about his Peter Parker role, he told the hosts Angela Hartnett and Nick Grimshaw: “it is not something that I think I will ever get tired of. You know, I, I think there’s something so special about Peter Parker as a character. That I think people just love him because he feels like just a regular human being. He’s so relatable.”

He added that he’s enjoyed “more responsibility” in the newest instalment of the franchise.

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“I was welcomed into the writers’ room and worked with the director – and collaborated on like what the film should be,” Tom said.

“And I think what I’ve really enjoyed is spending, you know, months and months and months just looking at what the fans wanted online. So, I felt like when I was in the room with the writers, I was like the representative of the fans.”

His Spider-Man and The Odyssey co-star, wife Zendaya, also told Associated Press she felt the love (and pressure) from the Marvel character’s huge fandom.

She pointed out that Spider-Man fandom can be generational, and each member of the fandom has a “special connection [to the characters] in their own way.

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“You want to do justice to that. You want to make sure that you’re doing the best work so that people feel seen and heard and understood, and you want to do justice to the characters,” she said.

Online forums and comments weren’t Tom’s only inspo, however.

On Dish, he said: “There’s a huge part of the movie that is all my brother’s idea – and you know, sitting down with him and getting to watch that and see how, like, we’ve all kind of we all kind of exist in that world – is really awesome.”

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Little-known sign of cancer that ‘shouldn’t be ignored’

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Daily Record

It may seem normal, but it could actually be an early warning sign

Feeling full is completely normal – especially after a takeaway or one too many helpings at dinner. But in some cases, a lesser-known type of persistent fullness can be a warning sign of cancer.

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Sharing “symptoms of cancer you might be ignoring but shouldn’t”, Johns Hopkins Medicine stresses that while some cancer diagnoses come with no symptoms at all, more often, there are signs the body gives. And being ‘full’ can act as an early warning sign.

The healthcare professionals advise paying close attention to your body so you can spot any symptoms that start suddenly or begin to worsen. If that happens, it’s worth speaking to your GP to make sure there’s nothing to worry about.

5 symptoms of cancer you might be ignoring but shouldn’t

1. Shortness of Breath – This can have lots of causes, including something as straightforward as needing to build up your fitness. But if you’re finding yourself breathless during everyday tasks or when walking up stairs, that isn’t normal and should be checked out.

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2. Lumps and Masses – Sometimes, lumps can be completely normal. For example, a cold can cause your lymph nodes to enlarge. This is temporary and is your body’s way of fighting off the cold. If you are worried or there is no clear reason, seek help from your GP.

3. Difficulty Swallowing or Feeling Full – Do you feel like food gets stuck in your throat, or that swallowing is difficult? This is known as dysphagia. It isn’t always a sign of cancer, but if it worsens over time you should speak to your doctor. Maybe you notice a “full” feeling even when you’re hardly eating – that also warrants a visit to your doctor.

4. Changes in Body Functions There are other ways your body may try to alert you to a potential cancer. You should contact your doctor if you have these symptoms:

  • Sudden constipation or diarrhoea
  • Difficulty passing urine or passing stool
  • Passing air in urine or urine mixed in your stool
  • Feeling like you’re not emptying your bowels completely
  • Any other change from your normal bowel function

5. Bleeding – Doctors consider certain types of bleeding more indicative of cancer than others. While they could be caused by other conditions, these types of bleeding should be evaluated by a doctor.

Bleeding to look out for includes:

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  • Coughing up blood, called hemoptysis
  • Blood in stool, which can look dark or tarry
  • Abnormal vaginal bleeding
  • Blood in the urine (hematuria)
  • Bloody nipple discharge

What can I do to reduce my risk of getting cancer?

Cancer Research notes that while there is no sure way to prevent cancer and “no guarantees” even if you do make changes. But there are “healthy changes” that can “help reduce your risk.”

It explains: “A person’s risk of cancer depends on many different things. This includes things we can’t change, like getting older and our genetics. As well as exposure to cancer risk factors.

“The world around us can make it harder to be healthy. The world around us also affects how healthy we are, like whether we can access healthier food options or have opportunities for exercising.

“These challenges can impact some people more than others. While there are things we can do to help us form healthy habits, we also need the government to help make it easier for everyone to be healthy.”

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While there is no way to fully prevent it, you can try the following:

  • Stop smoking
  • Keep a healthy weight
  • Protect your skin from the sun
  • Cut down on alcohol
  • Have a healthy, balanced diet
  • Get the HPV vaccine

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Tom Holland Says Spider-Man Fitness Prep ‘P*ssed’ Him Off

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Tom Holland Says Spider-Man Fitness Prep 'P*ssed' Him Off

Between The Odyssey and the new Spider-Man installation, Brand New Day, Tom Holland has been working pretty hard on his new movies.

And for the Marvel flick, that graft includes a rigorous workout routine.

The actor’s trainer, Duffy Gaver, has previously shared the brutal “ladder” routine that helped the star to get into “crazy shape” for the franchise.

But in a recent appearance on Waitrose’s Dish podcast, Tom said that the most brutal prep for his recent film had nothing to do with pull-ups.

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“I tried to do that whole like dehydration thing,” he explained to hosts Angela Hartnett and Nick Grimshaw.

“It’s like what athletes do – to try and lose weight really quickly. But one of the side effects of it is it really accentuates the work you’ve been doing in the gym.”

Some sportspeople, like bodybuilders, dramatically cut their water consumption right before competing. This sometimes gives the appearance of a leaner physique, but it doesn’t make you lose any actual fat – and we hope we don’t need to tell you that dehydrating yourself is not good for your health at all.

Per the NHS Royal Devon University Healthcare, dehydration can sometimes make people “seriously ill”, possibly even leading to kidney issues.

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Nonetheless, actors have long tried the trick for topless scenes.

Hugh Jackman, who was working on another Marvel movie Wolverine at the time, told Stephen Colbert: “You increase your water intake to, like – I’m trying to think what the gallons is – but you have about 10 litres of water, which is, what? Three gallons of water a day?

“And then you stop about 36 hours before you shoot. But, because you’ve drunk so much water, you are peeing, all the time.”

Zac Efron, meanwhile, who starred in the 2017 Baywatch movie, revealed to Men’s Health: “That Baywatch look, I don’t know if that’s really attainable. There’s just too little water in the skin. Like, it’s fake; it looks CGI’d.

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“And that required Lasix, powerful diuretics [medicine that makes you pee] to achieve. So I don’t need to do that. I much prefer to have an extra, you know, two to three percent body fat.”

For Tom, though (who was presumably supervised while making the step), the method didn’t give him the desired effect at all.

When it came to giving his muscles a more defined look, “For me, it didn’t do any of that,” the star said.

“It just really pissed me off because I was so thirsty.”

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You can listen to the entire Dish podcast here.

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Lorraine Kelly’s daughter Rosie announces she’s married and calls it ‘the most special weekend’

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Daily Mirror

The daughter of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has announced she is now married. Rosie shared the wonderful news yesterday on Instagram saying she had ‘the most special weekend’

The daughter of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has announced her marriage.

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Rosie, who is Lorraine and her husband Steve Smith’s only daughter has tied the knot two years after her boyfriend Steve White proposed. Just two years ago the pair announced they were expecting her first child, now they have revealed they have finally said ‘I do’.

After Steve proposed Rosie shared a carousel of images to her social media, she showed off a snap of her engagement ring, while cradling her bump, with the caption: “There are too many lovely things going on and I’m not quite sure what to do with myself. Everyone always told me you’ll know when it’s about to happen but I had absolutely no idea, but I have a lifetime to get you back @stevewhite94.”

Two months later, they welcomed baby girl Billie on August 29- making Lorraine a grandma.

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Fast forward two years and the pair have now tied the knot. While exact details about the wedding have not yet been shared publicly Rosie took to Instagram to share the happy news on Tuesday July 28.

Taking to her Story she shared a snap of her hotel room as she looked back on the past few days, penning: “Well we got married… Decompressing in Edinburgh after the most special weekend of our lives – will share more soon but taking the time to just soak it all up.”

So far Lorraine is yet to comment publicly on her daughter’s wedding, but she has previously opened up about her sheer joy becoming a grandma.

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But Lorraine admits that becoming a granny is one of the best thing that’s ever happened to her. Explaining that her new role has allowed her to create more time for the people she loves, she says, smiling: “Don’t go out with people you don’t like – spend more time babysitting!”

At the time Lorraine said: “Billie’s so gorgeous. She’s crawling, nearly walking, she’s talking rubbish and she’s wonderful. Her lovely little face lights up when she sees me, she’s my wee sunshine. She’s got such a great temperament. Sometimes she calls me Banana, sometimes it’s Nana. I don’t care, I’ll answer to anything.”

For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

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Tony Adams quit the Cotswolds so whisky heiress wife can go to university

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Tony Adams and his wife Poppy Teacher in London in 2024. Poppy is beginning a masters degree in early modern history

When it was revealed that Oasis star Liam Gallagher had bought Tony Adams’s Cotswolds home for £4million (with no mortgage), there was bemusement about why the former England footballer had decided to sell up.

Adams, 59, had bought the eight-bedroom house – set in five acres near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, and featuring a swimming pool, tennis courts, stables and a two-bedroom cottage – with his wife, whisky heiress Poppy Teacher, in 2002.

He has now revealed his reason for the sale – Poppy is going back to university at the age of 52. ‘This is a new era for us,’ he tells me at The Oldie magazine’s luncheon at the National Liberal Club in Westminster, where he was promoting his new book, 1996: Reflections On The Year That Changed My Life.

‘We’ve sold the house and are returning to London. My wife is going back to school.’

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Poppy, pictured with Adams, says: ‘I told Tony I wanted to do early modern history and he said, “How do you monetise that?” And I said, “You don’t!”

‘But I think he’s proud. He’s telling everyone I’m doing a PhD, but it’s a masters.’

Tony Adams and his wife Poppy Teacher in London in 2024. Poppy is beginning a masters degree in early modern history

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Fittingly for a former Arsenal defender, Adams says: ‘We are now renting while we find a new home in north London. We’re not going back to the Chelsea area where all the Blues are.’

Poppy became the former Strictly contestant’s second wife in 2004 following his recovery from alcoholism. They have three children and he has three more from his first marriage to Jane Shea.

‘I’ve brought up the children, but now I need to use my brain again,’ Poppy says. ‘Tony and I want to have a London life, do things like go to galleries.’

Georgia gets itchy feet over skin range 

Sir Mick Jagger¿s daughter Georgia, seen with mum Jerry Hall, is putting her skincare range, May Botanicals, on hold three years after its launch

Sir Mick Jagger’s daughter Georgia, seen with mum Jerry Hall, is putting her skincare range, May Botanicals, on hold three years after its launch

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Sir Mick Jagger’s daughter Georgia’s struggles with eczema and sensitive skin led her to set up her own organic skincare range, which her mother, Jerry Hall, helped to promote.

Yet after just three years the Burberry model has put the firm, May Botanicals, on hold. ‘This wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the right one for me as I focus on my family, modelling and my other business, Bleach London,’ says Georgia.

The firm’s products include 50ml of Golden Hour Face Oil for £58 and a 50ml of Super Balm Skin Saviour for £50.

Georgia, 34, who has a 21-month-old son, Dean, with her boyfriend, Texan skateboarder Cambryan Sedlick, 26, adds: ‘Building May Botanicals has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.’

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Sir Lenny Henry was happy to accept a knighthood, but the investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle appears to have been a challenge. ‘I got knighted by Queen Elizabeth,’ he said in the comedy tent at the Latitude Festival near Southwold in Suffolk at the weekend. ‘It was a huge honour… although a bit triggering. Posh English person coming at me with a sword – triggering on an ancestral level.’ 

Suits you! Phoebe finally weds in traditional gown 

When Mountbatten heiress Phoebe Knatchbull married 32-year-old banker Leopold Glover last year the groom wasn’t the only one in a suit.

Phoebe, 30, a great-granddaughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, wore a tuxedo dress by her step-sister Daisy Knatchbull, a Savile Row designer, at the ceremony in Chelsea, west London.

But at their second, more lavish ceremony in Portugal at the weekend, she wore a traditional bridal gown. Daisy says Phoebe’s ‘in her Mrs G era’.

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Phoebe and Leopold got married in February 2025 in a small ceremony at the Kensington and Chelsea Registry Office in London. The couple had a second celebration in Portugal where Phoebe modelled a stunning white dress (pictured)

Phoebe and Leopold got married in February 2025 in a small ceremony at the Kensington and Chelsea Registry Office in London. The couple had a second celebration in Portugal where Phoebe modelled a stunning white dress (pictured)

Did Meghan eat her words on chef show? 

The Duchess of Sussex’s guest appearance as a judge on MasterChef Australia may have left some of her admirers rather confused.

She declared on the show: ‘I grew up in California and so, as you know, we have incredible produce, so you just start to love farm-to-table at an early age.’

She added of her mother, Doria Ragland: ‘My mom’s an incredible cook and I grew up watching so many cooking shows.’

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However, the comments have a different flavour to some she made last year on her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.

‘I was a latchkey kid,’ the duchess said then. ‘I grew up with a lot of fast food and also a lot of TV-tray dinners.

‘It feels like a different time, but that was so normal with the microwaveable kids’ meals.’

The former actress continued: ‘I used to eat a lot of Pollo Loco, Taco Bell… Jack In The Box, because my mom loved their tacos.’

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She captured the greed and extravagance, the insecurity and vulnerability, plus the other hallmark of Sarah Ferguson’s character – summarised by my colleague Christopher Stevens as ‘thoughtless contempt for anyone but herself’ – without sharing any of those traits.

Indeed, after portraying Fergie in The Lady, ITV’s drama about Fergie’s former aide, murderess Jane Andrews, Natalie Dormer, 44, donated her fee to charity. So I’m pleased to see that the Game Of Thrones star has received lucrative rewards elsewhere.

Latest accounts show she made a £400,000 profit in 2025 at Pangur, one of two firms into which she pays her earnings, boosting its bottom line to £1.7million last November.

Hiss and make-up… 

Bridget Jones star Sally Phillips admits that, at the age of 56, she had to concede defeat after being body-shamed by a cosmetician.

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She explains: ‘A make-up artist said to me recently, “I’m going to put powder on”. I said, “Do you put powder on now at my age?” She said, “You don’t put gloss paint on a cracked wall.” So, powder it is.’

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Dozens remain missing as desperate search enters its second day after 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Japan – flattening mall and splitting roads in two

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An aerial view shows the damaged Aeon Mall shopping centre after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture

Dozens of people remain missing after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake flattened a shopping centre in Japan.

At least 13 people were confirmed dead on Tuesday after the quake, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. 

A number were understood to have been killed following an explosion at the Aeon mall in Kashima Town, thought to have been triggered by a gas leak. 

A large chimney at a paper factory also collapsed amid reports of injuries and damage to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fire.

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An unknown number of people were trapped when the second floor of the shopping centre collapsed, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Four people were pulled out with injuries and taken to a hospital while 10 others were unaccounted for.

The extent of the damage is still under investigation as search-and-rescue efforts continue.

A 35-year-old shopkeeper told Japan’s Asahi newspaper he fled the building after a quake alert and heard an explosion sounding like a bomb blast around an hour later.

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When he turned around he reported seeing plumes of white smoke billowing from the mall.

An aerial view shows the damaged Aeon Mall shopping centre after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture

Footage shows clouds of smoke billowing into the air as flames engulf a building

Footage shows clouds of smoke billowing into the air as flames engulf a building

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This aerial image shows a section of the Kyushu Expressway damaged by the earthquake is seen in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Monday, July 28, 2026

This aerial image shows a section of the Kyushu Expressway damaged by the earthquake is seen in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Monday, July 28, 2026

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An employee at the mall told Japanese broadcaster TBS television she and her colleagues smelled gas when they returned to their shops after helping customers to evacuate out of the building, then heard the explosion.

And a man interviewed by Yomiuri newspaper said his friend who works at the mall was missing, and he was praying for those who are unaccounted for to be safely rescued.

Footage on social media shows members of the public running for cover and crouching down on the floor as the ground shook at the shopping centre.

Other videos showed clouds of smoke billowing into the air as flames engulfed a building, while firefighters scrambled to tackle the blaze.

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A separate clip showed the section of a collapsed bridge lying in a river in Yatsushiro City, while another showed how multiple freight wagons were derailed at Yatsushiro Station.

Sections of the Kyushu Expressway, a major highway linking Fukuoka and Kagoshima, suffered severe damage.

Footage appeared to show how sections were separated from the main structure following the quake, while separate images showed how parts of the road appeared to have split in two.

Around 30 people were injured across the Kagoshima prefecture, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said on Wednesday.

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Pictures: Shoppers run for cover after the earthquake struck at the Aeon shopping centre in Kashima Town

Pictures: Shoppers run for cover after the earthquake struck at the Aeon shopping centre in Kashima Town

Costco shoppers run away in fear in the aftermath of the quake

Costco shoppers run away in fear in the aftermath of the quake 

A damaged truck is seen on a debris-covered road following an explosion at the Aeon Mall in Kashima

A damaged truck is seen on a debris-covered road following an explosion at the Aeon Mall in Kashima

Sections of the Kyushu Expressway, a major highway linking Fukuoka and Kagoshima, suffered severe damage

Sections of the Kyushu Expressway, a major highway linking Fukuoka and Kagoshima, suffered severe damage

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A road guardrail is damaged following an explosion at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture

A road guardrail is damaged following an explosion at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture

Pictured: The section of a collapsed bridge lying in a river in Yatsushiro City after a powerful earthquake struck southern Japan

Pictured: The section of a collapsed bridge lying in a river in Yatsushiro City after a powerful earthquake struck southern Japan

Damage is seen to part of the Aeon Mall where three people died and dozens more people were injured

Damage is seen to part of the Aeon Mall where three people died and dozens more people were injured

Scenes also showed shoppers screaming inside a Costco supermarket in the aftermath of the tremor. 

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Footage shows toppled-over boxed food items, as people climb over knocked-over shelves.

Large cracks appeared on major roads, including an elevated highway, and a goods train derailed, according to NHK, while rail services were halted and flights grounded.

At the Nippon Paper Industries Co.’s Yatsushiro factory, where a chimney collapsed and the building was damaged, 11 people were trapped underneath the debris, the Kumamoto emergency team said. 

Two of them were later found without vital signs, while the conditions of nine others were unknown.

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The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 260,000 people were advised to evacuate, most of them in Kumamoto prefecture, but also in the neighbouring Nagasaki prefecture.

The affected area is around 540 miles south-west of Tokyo, the country’s capital.

A tsunami advisory for the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas on the western coasts of Kumamoto prefecture and three neighbouring prefectures was lifted within two hours, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Emergency workers gather outside the Aeon Mall after scores of people were trapped inside following an explosion

Emergency workers gather outside the Aeon Mall after scores of people were trapped inside following an explosion

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A damaged motorcycle and bicycles lie in a debris-covered car park following an explosion at the Aeon Mall

A damaged motorcycle and bicycles lie in a debris-covered car park following an explosion at the Aeon Mall

An unknown number of people were trapped when the second floor of the shopping centre collapsed, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency

An unknown number of people were trapped when the second floor of the shopping centre collapsed, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency

View of the heavily damaged Aeon Mall Kumamoto building in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan

View of the heavily damaged Aeon Mall Kumamoto building in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told journalists there were reports of damage to roads, bridges and buildings as well as blackouts and fires, though details were unclear. 

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The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said major public facilities or infrastructure were not damaged. 

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at three nearby nuclear power plants. 

It comes as Kumamoto police are believed to have received more than 100 emergency calls following the quake.

Kyodo News said a hospital in the city of Yatsushiro took in around 40 people with injuries and about 50 others were taken to a hospital in Kumamoto city.

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The quake also affected a number of major manufacturers in Kyushu.

Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains in Kyushu were suspended for safety checks, and the runway at Aso Kumamoto Airport was closed, with ‘no prospect of resuming operations’ in the near future, according to a notice on the airport’s website.

The Japanese Defense Ministry said it dispatched military aircraft to the area to assess the situation.

A train derailed and fell on its side at Yatsushiro station, and stone walls were damaged at Kumamoto Castle, a main tourist destination that was badly damaged in the 2016 quake and is still being repaired, Kyodo said.

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‘The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake (10 years ago) and I was frightened,’ Hiroki Shimoda said, an official at Mifune town hall, who saw roof tiles of nearby homes crash to the ground. 

Kumamoto was hit with a deadly quake in 2016 that killed at least 50 people.

Shinji Kiyomoto, from the Japan Meteorological Agency, has urged residents to be cautious over the next two to three days.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ deputy spokesman extended sympathy to those in danger and the people of Japan.

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‘Our hearts go out to the people affected by this earthquake,’ Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman, said. ‘The national authorities are leading the response, but we stand ready to support if needed.’

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Air filters don’t stop you catching infectious respiratory diseases, landmark study indicates

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Air filters don’t stop you catching infectious respiratory diseases, landmark study indicates

There was an energetic push to install air-filtering devices in schools and care homes when the COVID pandemic struck. However, these devices had rarely been tested in real situations looking at infection outcomes in people.

Because there was no solid proof that these devices actually worked, researchers ran a trial testing whether air filters can prevent viral respiratory infections in care homes for the elderly. The filters used in the study – called Hepa (high-efficiency particulate air) filters – are designed to remove more than 99.9% of very small particles from the air, including, in theory, many viruses.

The UK trial, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, included 91 care homes. Forty-seven were given Hepa filters for communal areas, and 44 were not. Researchers then tracked whether residents or staff developed respiratory infections, and whether staff needed time off sick.

The results showed that there was no difference in infection rates between homes with filters and homes without. There was also no difference in staff illnesses or absenteeism between homes with and without filters.

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In this study, staff and residents knew whether they had filters in their home. This kind of open, unhidden setup (called “unblinded” in the jargon) can sometimes skew results because people’s expectations affect what they report. But this kind of skew almost always makes treatments look better than they really are, not worse – so it’s unlikely to explain why the study found no benefit.

In our own review of the evidence in 2023, we found that while air treatment technologies could reduce the amount of virus in the air, there was no solid proof they cut rates of respiratory or stomach infections among people in real-world settings.

Three other studies since 2022 point the same way. A randomised trial in Australian care homes found no significant drop in infection rates in homes using Hepa filters.

Two further studies, although not randomised, add to the picture. One compared German kindergarten classrooms with and without portable air filters, and actually found higher illness rates in classrooms that had them. The other, a small Swiss study, found air filters made no difference to COVID transmission risk.

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Hepa filters don’t stop respiratory infections from spreading.
Casezy idea/Shutterstock.com

The evidence isn’t even consistent on whether Hepa filters reliably clear viruses from the air in the first place. A large US study, mainly designed to test whether air filters could reduce asthma risk in schools, also measured virus levels in classroom air as a secondary check. It was “double-blinded” – some classrooms got real filters, others got sham ones – and the real filters made no difference to the total amount of virus in the air.

Why don’t they work?

Why might air filters fail to cut infection risk? Filters alone were probably never going to make much difference. Early in the COVID pandemic, it became clear that the biggest risk factor for catching an infection from someone else was simply being close to them, with the risk dropping sharply once people were at least one metre apart.

Most transmission probably happens almost instantly at close range, so a filter sitting in the corner of a room can’t act fast enough on the air passing directly between two people standing near each other. And even where filtration might help in one room, people move constantly between spaces, so filtering air in one place can’t stop infections happening in all the others.

There’s one context where air filtration does seem to have real value: preventing invasive aspergillosis, a serious fungal lung infection that’s especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems. Unlike viral infections, aspergillosis doesn’t spread between people – most outbreaks are linked to construction or building work instead.

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So the evidence is building towards a clear conclusion: Hepa air filtration doesn’t reduce the risk of catching viral respiratory infections. Given the size and quality of the new study, it’s unlikely any future study will overturn it.

Installing Hepa filters shouldn’t be treated as an effective way to control respiratory infections in care homes or schools. As the authors of the latest study put it, care homes should stick to the prevention measures already recommended.

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M1 traffic LIVE: Busy motorway closed near Luton airport after ‘oil spill’

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Daily Mirror

Here is the full statement from National Highways: “The M1 is closed southbound between Junction 11A (Chalton) and Junction 11 (Luton) following a multi-vehicle collision.

“The incident occurred shortly before 8:45pm this evening. One of the HGVs involved has overturned and come to rest on its side. There is also significant damage to the nearside barrier and boundary fencing, along with a substantial oil spillage across most lanes.

“Traffic that was caught within the closure has now been released past the scene via lane 4. Bedfordshire Police and other emergency services remain in attendance. National Highways Traffic Officers are also on scene assisting with traffic management.

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“The carriageway will remain closed while emergency services complete their response, followed by vehicle recovery, barrier repairs and carriageway clean-up.”

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Iran launches ‘attempted surprise attack’ on American forces in Middle East, US military says

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Iran has launched “multiple” ballistic missiles in an “attempted surprise attack” on American forces in the Middle East, the US military said, shattering a lull in the fighting.

The attack occurred at 17:45 EDT (21:45 GMT) on Tuesday, with all missiles “successfully intercepted”, said US Central Command (Centcom), which did not disclose any locations of targets.

The US military and Saudi Arabian forces meanwhile struck “Iran-aligned terrorists” in Iraq in retaliation for Iran-directed drone attacks, according to Centcom.

Tehran has not yet commented. The reported crossfire ended a brief break in hostilities between the US and Iran, which was designed to bring negotiators back to the table.

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The US and Saudi Arabia struck “multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites” in eastern Iraq, according to Centcom.

The US military said this was “a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours”, using an acronym for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Centcom said Iran’s military “and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response”.

Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said its military had intercepted and destroyed drones targeting petroleum facilities in the country’s eastern region.

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Defence ministry spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki alleged the drones were launched by Iran-affiliated militia groups in Iraqi territory.

The reignited hostilities come a day after US President Donald Trump spoke of “very friendly negotiations” with Iran. At that point, the two sides had not exchanged strikes for a third consecutive day.

Access and control of the Strait of Hormuz remains a key sticking point in talks, which Tehran has denied are even happening.

The latest strikes coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where he met Trump at the White House and attended the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Iran hawk.

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At least 624 US military service members have been wounded since Trump ordered strikes against Iran in February, according to recent Pentagon data.

The Pentagon said 417 of those personnel were injured in relation to Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran.

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Man told to tear down metal fence put up without planning permission

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Cambridgeshire Live

East Cambridgeshire District Council ordered the fence to be torn down for its impact on the character of the area

A Fordham man has been told to tear down a two metre tall fence despite claiming the council had approved “an identical adjacent fence”.

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East Cambridgeshire District Council handed Alan Nash an enforcement notice after the metal fence was put up without planning permission at his Moor Road property. They said the fence exceeds the height limit of one metre next to a “highway used by vehicular traffic.”

Mr Nash, of A.L.N. Carpentry and Joinery Limited appealed the notice to the Planning Inspectorate but they backed up the council’s decision. Inspector R Bartlett said the fence, which is painted green, is “softened” by the mature hedges in front of it, but “remains visible through gaps”.

They added that the hedge cover can’t be relied upon to hide the fence in the long-term and will be “less effective during winter months” and the gates “fail to respect the edge of settlement rural character of the road and its surroundings”.

The inspector said Mr Nash “states that the council has approved an identical adjacent fence but has not provided any details or evidence of this.”

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They said there are other high fences and gates nearby but they “are not of the same design and materials, and I am not aware of their planning status”.

They said: “I acknowledge the need for a defensible boundary around the dwelling; however, that is provided by the boundary hedging, which could be reinforced by further planting and/or the erection of a more sympathetic form of fencing.

“Likewise, lower-level agricultural style gates and pillars would secure the access to the site, and I understand that such gates have already been granted planning permission for the appeal site.”

The appeal was dismissed and the inspector ordered the fence, concrete fence posts, metal gates and gate piers to be removed.

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