A busy road in Aberdeen has been shut this morning following a crash in the early hours.

Officer from Police Scotland were called to the A92 between Bridge of Don and Blackdog at around 5.48am on Thursday, April 23.

Following the crash the road is shut in both directions. The southbound carriageway of the A90 and the nearby B999 northbound is also closed.

It is not known at this stage if anyone has been injured.

Dr Helen Wall says many women are reaching breaking point after years of being “missed, mislabelled or dismissed”, as she speaks out about the overlooked link between menopause and ADHD.

She was a familiar face during the coronavirus years working to reassure people and part of the team working to stamp out the infection in Bolton.

She is also women’s health advocate and has now spoken out about the overlooked link between menopause and ADHD, saying many women are reaching crisis point after years of being “missed, mislabelled or dismissed.”

Dr Wall, a familiar face from BBC Breakfast, is releasing her new book Menopause and ADHD: How to Navigate Hormone Flux and Neurodivergence on May 14.

Drawing on more than 25 years in medicine, she hopes it will give women the tools to better understand their bodies, and advocate for themselves.

Her interest in the topic began not in research labs, but in her own clinic.

She said: “I started seeing in menopause clinic this recurring pattern of women that were quite burnt out and had things in their history that indicated they may have some undiagnosed neurodivergence.

“As I started talking about it on social media, lots of women were contacting me with their experiences, saying how they’d also struggled and what they’d discovered during perimenopause and menopause.”

What followed was a surge of stories from women who, often for the first time, were beginning to make sense of lifelong challenges.

Dr Helen Wall’s brand new book will be out May 14 (Image: Vermillion)

A hidden struggle

While menopause is increasingly discussed, Dr Wall says the intersection with ADHD is still largely under the radar.

“Navigating menopause can be challenging for any woman, but for those with ADHD, the experience can feel like a bomb has gone off in your life,” she explained.

Part of the issue, she says, is historical bias, both in research and diagnosis.

She said: “We’re really underserved as women in medicine in terms of funding and research.

“And historically, we have not really recognised ADHD in girls.

“It’s always been that classic hyperactive boy who’s disruptive in the classroom.”

Instead, she says many girls learn to mask their symptoms.

“They conform to that societal norm of being a ‘good girl’… not being disruptive,” she said.

“They might over-prepare, rehearse conversations, constantly scan the room to see what people are thinking or feeling. And that is chronically exhausting.”

Over time, this can take a toll.

“These women often turn up to the GP earlier in life and are diagnosed with anxiety, depression or stress,” she added.

“There’s a lot of societal bias, they’re labelled as ‘dizzy’ or ‘scatty’ rather than asking what’s actually going on.”

Why menopause can be a tipping point

According to Dr Wall, the hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause can intensify existing ADHD traits, often pushing women to breaking point.

“Our chemical messengers in the brain are very reliant on oestrogen,” she explained.

“So if you’ve already got a brain that’s struggling with dopamine signalling, which affects focus, motivation and emotional regulation, and then you add fluctuating or dropping oestrogen — it can make everything worse.”

“They often turn up just really in bits, feeling like they can’t function anymore.”

Crucially, she stresses that menopause does not “cause” ADHD but can reveal what has always been there.

“This is not that you suddenly get ADHD in menopause,” she said.

“It’s been there throughout your life, it’s just been missed.”

‘We’ve got a long way to go’

Dr Wall believes the healthcare system still has significant gaps in understanding.

She shared that recently out of a room of about 100 clinicians whether any had ever been taught about the effects of female hormones on the brain, and not one person had.

Caution: Dr Helen Wall administering Covid vaccines (Image: NHS)

She also highlighted time pressures in general practice.

“It’s really hard to do a good consultation in this space in 10 minutes.

“You need to understand someone’s whole life story, and that’s just not possible in that timeframe.”

Empowering women

Her book aims to bridge that gap offering guidance whether a woman has a diagnosis, suspects ADHD, or simply feels something isn’t right.

“It’s about giving women the tools to take themselves through that journey,” she said.

“How to talk to your GP, how hormones affect your brain, what you can do to support yourself.”

She also acknowledges the long waits many face for diagnosis.

“If you do want a diagnosis, it can take years on the NHS.

“So it’s also about what you can do in the meantime to understand your brain and feel better.”

A growing conversation

With a large online following of a quarter of a million, around 96 per cent of whom are women, Dr Wall says the demand for information is undeniable.

“The number of women that contact me on a daily basis, just sharing how difficult things are for them, it tells me there’s a huge way to go in this space.” she said.

While ‘Menopause and ADHD’ is her first book, she admits it may not be her last.

“Whilst I was writing, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is so stressful, I’ll never write again.”

“Then you finish it and think, okay, what about the next one?”

For now, though, her focus is clear: making sure women feel seen, heard, and better equipped to navigate a stage of life that, for many, has been misunderstood for far too long.

Menopause and ADHD: How to navigate hormone flux and neurodivergence By Dr Helen Wall will be available to buy for £14.99.

RAF Leeming has confirmed there will be heightened flying operations from April 27 to April 30 and again from May 5 to May 7, as part of routine training exercises.

In a statement, the RAF said: “There will be increased movement by exercising aircraft operating from RAF Leeming from 27 to 30 April and 5 May to 7 May.

“Resident aircrew will be conducting night flying training, which is due to conclude no later than 10.30pm.

“We understand our responsibility as good neighbours to inform the local community of such events that are additional to our normal flying activities, and every effort will be made to keep the disturbance to a minimum.”

The activity will involve night-flying exercises, with aircraft expected to operate later than usual on several evenings.

While RAF Leeming is based in North Yorkshire, the noise may be noticeable across a wider area, including parts of County Durham and the North East.

Although large-scale exercises such as Cobra Warrior have already taken place this year, the RAF stressed that the upcoming activity is part of ongoing, routine training designed to maintain operational readiness.

Night flying remains a crucial skill for pilots, ensuring they can operate effectively in low-light conditions when required on the front line.

The RAF has thanked residents for their patience and understanding during these periods of essential training, adding that every effort will be made to minimise disruption.

Ronnie O’Sullivan was in ruthless mood as he thrashed He Guoqiang 10-2 in the first round of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible, with Manchester United legend Paul Scholes watching on from the front row

BBC commentator John Parrott issued an apology to Paul Scholes during the World Snooker Championship — owing to how little of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s match the former footballer actually got to witness. Scholes was seated in the front row for the second session of O’Sullivan’s first-round clash against Chinese debutant He Guoqiang.

The Rocket had stormed into a 7-2 lead after the opening session and required only three further frames at the Crucible on Wednesday to seal a commanding victory and book his place in the last 16.

During the ninth frame, the BBC cameras panned to Manchester United legend Scholes watching intently from his seat. O’Sullivan was subsequently spotted acknowledging the former England midfielder with a thumbs up while seated in his chair.

Parrott remarked: “A very interested spectator, one of England’s greatest midfielders, Paul Scholes, is here today to watch Ronnie. I’m sure he’ll be impressed with what he’s seen.”

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Ken Doherty then chipped in from the BBC studio at the conclusion of the frame: “Fantastic. One great watching another. What a player he was! I know he loves the snooker. A lot of the footballers love to play snooker in their spare time. Great to have him here.”

However, the contest was wrapped up shortly afterwards, as O’Sullivan sealed the win with two magnificent century breaks of 113 and 120. Parrott concluded: “Paul Scholes might have enjoyed this but he’s only going to see three frames of it. Sorry Paul, this man is just too good.”

Seven-time Crucible champion O’Sullivan, 50, is making his record-extending 34th consecutive appearance at the Crucible and faces fellow Class of 92 snooker legend John Higgins in the next round in Sheffield.

O’Sullivan told BBC Sport: “A couple of oldies. I was saying just hanging around this venue I feel kind of old now because everyone is 22, 23. It’s like walking into a creche! But we are still hanging around and having a go. I am not the player I was and probably never will be but as long as I can still enjoy the game…

“I am starting to enjoy it again. I’ve got a new method. I was a bit lost for three years, really lost. I am getting through the ball but still not good enough to win these events, I have to rely on a bit of luck whereas years ago I felt if my game was OK, it’d take someone really good at their best to beat me. Not so much now! I have to play really good and they can play alright and still beat me.

“John loves playing me. He really enjoys it. I think he plays better against me than I do against him. I think in a way I will be a bit of an underdog because I’ve hardly played for the last three years compared to John.

“He’s at every tournament and beating a lot of good players. Rusty Ron comes here and rolls a bit of a dice. Sometimes he throws some sixes but most of the time they’re ones the last three years! Let’s hope I can throw a couple of fives or sixes against John. But he’s probably favourite but it’s a different type of pressure.

“The pressure’s off me and more on John in this match. It should be a good game. Hopefully I can give him a decent game!”

O’Sullivan admitted to experiencing cue tip troubles during the week. He continued: “I think the tip is more important than the cue to be honest with you. That’s why I brought two cues. I have been saving this all year because it had a bit of life in it and I thought if I come here and my main cue is no good then I’d rather have a cue I like with a good tip on because I can get used to anything pretty quickly if I like it.

“The tip wasn’t good yesterday. I did a good job considering. A bit of a roll of the dice, a bit of a gamble, I was a bit nervous because I thought I could look a bit silly but you have to back yourself. I back myself.

“I make some crazy decisions in everyone else’s eyes but they make complete sense to me and it’s seemed to work for me over the years so I tend to listen to my own advice. It might go wrong sometimes but overall it’s worked pretty well for me.”

The Oscar-winner had already made headlines at the New York premiere earlier in the week, where she stole the show in a vermilion Givenchy cape coat paired with black leather opera gloves and her signature Miranda Priestly sunglasses, a moment that rivalled even the presence of Vogue editor Anna Wintour, widely considered the real-life inspiration behind the character.

Russia has been accused of targeting the protective dome at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant with drone strikes, with a security expert warning the damage could trigger a surge in Chernobyl radiation child cancer cases across Ukraine and beyond

Vladimir Putin’s “murderous” bombardment of the facility which shields Ukraine from a second Chernobyl catastrophe could disperse radioactive particles and “escalate” childhood cancers, according to a security expert.

In 1986, the Reactor 4 explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant led to a predicted 2,000 cancer diagnoses over 50 years, according to The ASCO post.

It took an extraordinary 36 hours before the nearby city of Pripyat, home to 43,000 residents, was evacuated and a 10km exclusion zone established around the damaged reactor.

Subsequently, an inner steel-and-concrete structure, known as the sarcophagus, was rapidly constructed to prevent any further nuclear leaks. In November 2016, a €1.5 billion high-tech metal dome called the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure was built to reinforce the inner shell.

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Nevertheless, Kyiv has repeatedly accused Russia of targeting the power plant since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, reports the Express.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the drone impact had degraded the steel structure and it no longer blocked radiation.

Anthony Glees, professor at the University of Buckingham, told The Express: “Words like ‘insane’, ‘reckless’ or ‘murderous’ do not begin to hack what Putin’s is doing to the lives of his own people let alone the brave Ukrainians under continuous attack even now, during a ‘ceasefire’.

“If Putin is not stopped soon, we must expect childhood thyroid cancers to start ramping up again and deaths from all cancers to mount up.”

The threat is all too apparent. When Chernobyl exploded on 26 April 1986, three lethal radioactive materials were discharged into the surrounding region, Iodine-131, Strontium-90 and Caesium-137.

Approximately 150,000 square kilometres were contaminated. The Strontium (which causes leukaemia) and the Caesium (which impacts the entire body but particularly triggers cancer of the liver and the spleen) is estimated to have given 1800 children thyroid cancer.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said an inspection “confirmed that the [protective structure] had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems.”

Greenpeace has also sounded the alarm concerning the nuclear waste, according to Euro News.

Prof Glees said: “The IAEA, who don’t ever make things up, tell us that the Russian drone attacks on the protective outer dome at Chernobyl have degraded the steel structure so that it is no longer capable of blocking radiation.

“IAEA director Rafael Bossi tells us it is has lost its safety function and to repair the damage done to date would cost some €500m to repair it.

“After 1986 200,000 people in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia had to be evacuated but in due course a concrete ‘sarcophagus’ was built on top of the nuclear core, reinforced in 2016 by a €1.5bn dome designed to keep the radioactivity confined to the site. It is this dome that Putin is determined to destroy.

“So radioactive material is once again seeping into the atmosphere. Radioactivity does not recognise borders and it is ultimately a global threat, not just a threat to the nations in the immediate vicinity.

“Everything Putin has done since attacking Ukraine is a war crime but attacking the Chernobyl safety dome is particularly evil since it targets children and so the next generation who are totally innocent victims of his bestial brutality.

“The only long-term answer to this is to smash Putin and his war machine. Despite Trump claiming Putin is a ‘good friend’ with whom he can do a deal, and despite Trump’s sustained and undermining attacks on the president of Ukraine and its courageous people, it is of paramount importance but also a matter of vital self-interest that Putin be driven back into his lair.”

Pilot Josh Bates always dreamed of becoming a pilot and the British Airways training scheme made that happen

Fulfilling his childhood dream, newly qualified pilot Josh Bates still can’t believe his luck taking passengers around the world and said the job “never loses its magic”.

The 26-year-old said some of his earliest memories involve watching aircraft passing over his head and he always knew flying was in his future.

The British Airways pilot caught up with Belfast Live to talk all things aviation as the airline’s fully-funded pilot training scheme, Speedbird, nears its closing date.

For Ballymena man Josh, the Speedbird Pilot Academy changed his life and made his dreams a reality, and he urged anyone else with hopes of becoming a pilot to go for it.

“It might sound cliché, but flying has always been a part of how I’ve imagined my future,” he said. Adding that as he got older, “it turned into a goal that felt not only possible, but deeply meaningful.”

It was all sparked from a young age, with some of his earliest memories watching aircraft passing over his head, and he spoke of how it made him feel, saying, “There was something magical about it. As a child, I felt there could be an inherent freedom in flight, and I wasn’t wrong.

“That sense of wonder never left me. While my understanding of aviation has grown and changed over the years, that original feeling has stayed constant, and it’s something I still carry with me today.”

British Airways fully-funded pilot training scheme has opened for applications for the fourth year running, with an £18m commitment by the airline for up to 160 aspiring pilots.

Tens of thousands of applicants are expected to apply for a place on the highly competitive Speedbird Pilot Academy, which sees BA covering the £100,000 training cost for those who land a spot on the programme.

So far, almost 50 pilots have come through the Speedbird scheme, marking a significant commitment by the airline to ensure talented applicants from all backgrounds are able to follow their dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot.

Josh applied and was successful for the British Airways scheme and touched on the application and training being “challenging in their own ways, but incredibly rewarding”.

He spoke about the standout moments from the training and said, “Your first solo flight is unforgettable – taking full responsibility for the aircraft and taking to the sky on your own for the first time is both humbling and exhilarating.

“Then there’s qualifying as a commercial pilot at the end of flight school. Holding your licence in your hand might seem simple, but what it represents, the effort, commitment, and growth, makes it incredibly meaningful.”

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His advice to anyone wanting to become a pilot was “Do it!”

He said: “With programmes like the Speedbird Pilot Academy, the path into aviation is more accessible than ever. There’s no perfect time to start – just make the decision to begin your own journey.”

He closed our chat by saying, “Sitting at the controls and flying the aircraft is something that never loses its magic.”

Adding that “being part of a journey that brings so many different lives together is incredibly rewarding. Every passenger has their own story, their own reason for travel – and for a short time, you’re part of that shared experience. There’s something very humbling about helping make the world feel a little smaller. I feel truly grateful to sit in that right-hand seat.”

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The scheme comes as new research reveals significant untapped interest in aviation careers, with almost one in four (24%) UK adults saying they would have considered becoming an airline pilot if training had been fully funded.

Despite this interest, awareness of fully funded pilot training remains low, with 87% of UK adults saying they have never heard of programmes that cover the cost of pilot training, which underlines the importance of initiatives like the Speedbird Pilot Academy.

Applications for the scheme can be made via the British Airways Careers website and will close on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Those interested must be 17-58 years old and 18 years old at the start of training. Applicants also require six GCSEs grade A-C or 4-9, including Maths, English Language and a Science or equivalent qualifications, and hold a valid passport that permits unrestricted worldwide travel.

In previous years, more than 25,000 people have applied for a place on the scheme. Successful applicants will train with one of British Airways’ approved training partners before progressing towards a career on the flight deck.

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