Samay Mahata, from Cambridge, died aged 20 in May 2025

The parents of an “optimistic” 20-year-old student who died in 2025 want to raise awareness about the “stigma” that surrounds mental health. Samay Mahata, from Cambridge, was studying for his A-levels at Hills Road Sixth Form, and had applied to study at Durham University before his death on May 6, 2025.

His parents Bidesh and Jhuma Mahata, described their son as “optimistic” and a “positive” 20-year-old. In tribute to him, they added: “Our beloved son and brother, Samay, was just like any other boy you know – curious, brilliant, funny, kind. A mathematician who saw beauty in numbers. A voracious reader who carried books everywhere. A quiet poet who wrote about home, love and safety.

“A loving elder brother who would do anything for his sister Emma. He dreamed of becoming one of the finest mathematicians. He was on his way. But life was unfairly, unbearably cruel. Samay never saw his 21st birthday. His most profound journey wasn’t solving equations—it was trying to understand the invisible illness that stole his future, shattered our family, and broke our hearts.”

Following his death, his parents are now calling for the stigma around mental health to “improve”. The couple feel awareness and research into mental health is “neglected”. Jhuma said there is a “big stigma” around mental health, and believes people with mental health illnesses are “discriminated against”.

She added: “Mental health is just as important as physical health, and it should be treated that way by all of us.”

Bidesh said: “In primary education and higher education the message is missing. Mental health is a priority and we need to raise general awareness about it.”

Bidesh and Jhuma believe doctors and nurses are not doing enough research into treating people with mental health illnesses. They believe it needs to be treated the same way a person with a cardiac problem would be treated.

Bidesh added: “Many people give them [people with mental health issues] the stigma. But they are real people, fighting a very real illness, one that simply has no visible physical form.

“They deserve dignity, they deserve life, and above all, they deserve genuine empathy from the community around them. I don’t want to say the system is broken. But it is under-resourced, and we need more research.”

Bidesh and Jhuma continue to raise money to support further mental health research via a Just Giving page. A pre-inquest into Samay’s death is due to be held next Thursday (May 28).

Some of the most powerful interventions to slow or improve frailty are also the most ordinary: regular movement, adequate nutrition and meaningful social connection.

It almost sounds too simple for a condition now recognised as one of the strongest predictors of hospitalisation, disability, poor recovery from illness or surgery, nursing home admission and death in later life.

Older adults living with frailty have less physiological reserve: the body’s spare capacity to cope with illness, injury or stress. A relatively small event, such as a chest infection, a medication change or even a few days in bed, can trigger a sudden loss of independence. Meanwhile, a more robust older adult may recover quickly from a more serious illness.

How we age can vary greatly, even between people of the same age. One 82-year-old may stay active and independent, while another struggles to rise from a chair and becomes increasingly dependent after a short hospital stay.

The growing recognition that frailty, rather than age alone, shapes how people age is changing the way clinicians and researchers think about later life. While living longer is one of society’s greatest achievements, frailty and its evidence-based management have become increasingly important public health and clinical concerns.

Checking for frailty is now routine in many healthcare settings for adults aged over 65. Assessment increasingly focuses on how robust or frail a person is physically, cognitively and socially.

Frailty assessment

There are two main ways frailty is assessed. The first sees frailty as a physical syndrome marked by weakness, exhaustion, slow walking speed, unintentional weight loss and low physical activity. People with one or two of these features may be considered “pre-frail”, while those with several are considered frail.

The second approach views frailty as the accumulation of health problems over time. In this model, chronic illnesses, mobility problems, memory difficulties, hearing or vision loss, poor nutrition and social isolation all contribute to a reduced ability to cope with a stressful event for the body, such as a fall, infection or hospital stay.

Frailty is often spoken about as though it is permanent, something a person simply becomes. You are either robust or frail, independent or dependent, strong or declining. But research suggests the reality is far more fluid.

Frailty exists on a spectrum from robustness to pre-frailty, mild frailty, moderate frailty and severe frailty, and people may move in either direction over time. Although frailty often progresses, it can sometimes be delayed or improved, depending on the underlying cause and the support available.

Frailty isn’t always permanent

A large review involving more than 42,000 older adults found that, over an average follow-up period of almost four years, around 14% of people improved their frailty status, nearly 30% became more frail, and just over half remained stable. The findings suggest frailty is dynamic and, for some people, potentially reversible.

Rather than simply asking whether someone is frail or not, clinicians are increasingly looking at where a person sits on the frailty spectrum and what supports might help build resilience. Early signs such as slowing down, fatigue or unintentional weight loss are now recognised as an important opportunity for intervention through relatively simple lifestyle changes.

Regular physical activity that includes resistance-based exercise, such as using weights, elastic bands or body weight to build strength at least twice per week, can help improve frailty or slow its progression. The benefits can be even greater when exercise is combined with nutrition or cognitive interventions, such as memory, attention and problem-solving activities.

An Irish trial of a home-based frailty programme delivered through primary care targeted older adults living with mild frailty or less. The programme combined strengthening exercises, regular walking and dietary protein guidance. Frailty rates in the intervention group fell from 17.7% to 6.3% after three months, while they slightly increased in those receiving usual care.

Recovery also appears to depend on more than physical health alone. In a study of more than 5,000 adults aged 75 and older, nearly one-third of those who were frail at the start of the study recovered to a less frail state within two years. Recovery was more likely among those who took part in exercise-based social activities, rated their own health more positively, trusted their community and regularly interacted with neighbours.

Activities that challenge memory, attention and problem-solving can support cognitive health and may help reverse frailty. Psychological resilience, the ability to adapt to stress or difficult life events and recover from them over time, has also been linked to better frailty outcomes.

Frailty is now recognised as more than an inevitable part of ageing. While it remains a powerful predictor of hospitalisation, disability and death in later life, growing evidence shows it can often be prevented, slowed or improved. Everyday choices, including how much we move, who we spend time with and the activities that give us purpose and connection, can help support healthier ageing.

Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.   

Carli Bellmer, 27, was left horrified after she accidentally swallowed her AirPod instead of ibuprofen – and it began playing a voice note from inside her stomach Woman accidentally swallows AirPod instead of ibuprofen in viral TikTok

A 27-year-old woman was horrified to discover she had gulped down an AirPod rather than the ibuprofen she intended to take.

After she had swallowed the Apple earphone she was horrified when it played a voice message to her friend from her stomach.

Carli Bellmer, shared on TikTok she had made the dreadful blunder, before the AirPod travelled completely through her digestive tract.

Despite some claiming the footage was merely an attention-seeking stunt, an X-ray appeared to validate her claims.

Known on TikTok as @IamCarliiib, the woman told her followers that, disturbingly, the earpiece kept playing a voice memo she dispatched to her friend while lodged in her stomach, reports the Mirror US.

She told her 3,200 followers: “So like, I ate my f***ing left AirPod. I was crawling into bed and I had an ibuprofen 800 in one hand and my f***ing AirPod – my left earbud – in the other.”

The Boston-based podcaster revealed that she swallowed what she thought was the tablet with water.

She explained: “I then realised that it wasn’t the ibuprofen,” she said. “I tired puking it and it won’t come out, and I’m f***ing losing my mind.”

The footage amassed more than 2.4 million views on TikTok.

Carli said she felt compelled to share her peculiar tale as she wasn’t the first person this has occurred to.

“So for educational purposes, I wanted to share my journey of how this is all going,” she said. Numerous people sent Carli their best wishes for a speedy recovery, though others made their scepticism abundantly clear. One commented: “How do you mix up ibuprofen and an AirPod?”

Another dismissed her account as attention-seeking, declaring “Sound like c*** to me.” However, some rushed to her defence, with one person pointing out: “In her defence, Ibuprofen 800 are huge so they do sorta resemble an AirPod if you’re distracted.”

In subsequent posts, Carli revealed she could actually hear the AirPod playing her voice message while it remained connected to her iPhone. “It’s comical now, but very scary at the time,” she admitted.

The TikToker confirmed that an X-ray had shown the AirPod had travelled through her digestive system. She explained: “An X-ray showed that I passed it. I had a feeling that I passed it. I did not retrieve it, but I know that it’s passed. I know that it was in my stomach and no longer is.”

Worryingly, Carli isn’t the first person to accidentally consume an AirPod. Back in 2021, a Massachusetts bloke woke up struggling to breathe after swallowing his AirPod while asleep.

Medics carried out an emergency endoscopy, employing a lengthy, slender tube to remove it from his gullet. Brad Gauthier made a complete recovery – though the AirPod didn’t fare so well, according to the Independent.

Last January, a seven year old lad from Georgia was rushed to A&E after swallowing an AirPod he’d been holding in his mouth, and had to wait for it to pass naturally once it reached his tummy. In 2019, a bloke in Taiwan went through a comparable ordeal, though his AirPod astonishingly continued functioning after travelling through his system.

As reported by our sister title the Bury Times, Greater Manchester Police said that at 3pm today (Friday, May 22) police attempted to stop a vehicle on Bury New Road, Whitefield, near J17 for the M60.

The car did not stop and “drove directly” at police as it tried to get away.

A firearms officer then fired a shot at the car and the driver was taken to hospital for an injury to his arm, which has been described as neither life-threatening nor life changing.

No police officers were injured in the incident and investigations are currently ongoing.

A 20-year-old white British man has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop from our Serious Crime Division said: “We know people in the area will be concerned by what has happened and the visible increase in police officers in the local area as our investigations continue.

“Thankfully no members of the wider public, or officers were harmed in the incident this afternoon and we thank people for their patience while we remain at the scene.

“Should anyone have any concerns, please speak with our officers who are out in the local area, they are there to listen and assist where possible.”

If your relationship with your dad is a tricky one, you’re not alone, new research has revealed.

One in five Brits have admitted they would swap their father given the chance, while one in three pretend they have a better relationship with their parent than they really do.

Many also confessed that they buy Father’s Day cards out of obligation rather than love, according to the survey by online greetings card marketplace thortful.

The research busts the common myth of the perfect dad or hero father, which can leave people agonising over which greetings card to buy.

It also found that one in four would rather celebrate their mum than their dad on Father’s Day.

Thortful has launched a new campaign called “Dad’s not perfect… but” challenging the idea of the “best dad ever” stereotype ahead of the event on June 21.  

The company is offering 50 specially designed cards providing an option for those who do not have the perfect relationship. 

They also reflect that Father’s Day can be shaped by loss, absence, distance or a relationship that simply isn’t straightforward. 

Andy Pearce, founder and CEO of thortful said: ‘Father’s Day can bring up a real mix of emotions. 

‘My own experience of losing my father was one of the catalysts for this campaign, because I know first-hand that the day does not look or feel the same for everyone. 

‘Our research shows that plenty of Brits are navigating relationships with their dads that are more complex than traditional cards tend to allow for, and we wanted to create a range that makes space for that. 

‘These cards are about honesty, humour and genuine relationships, giving people a way to mark Father’s Day in a way that reflects their actual relationship, not the one they feel they are supposed to have.’

Pip Heywood, MD at thortful, added: ‘Our research shows that Father’s Day messaging needs a reality check and at thortful we are championing a new kind of Father’s Day – one that reflects real life, not just clichés. 

‘Ultimately, we want to help people mark Father’s Day in a way that is true to them, without the pressure to pretend their relationship is something it is not.’

Thortful’s alternative Father’s Day card range is available here.  

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Council officers repeatedly warned Kyle Muir, 30, to make sure his dogs, including an illegal XL bully dog, did not escape from his property.

Today he is facing a bill of £2,762 including compensation to another dog owner whose pet was savaged by Muir’s dogs, and City of York Council has imposed a city-wide public space protection order compelling all dog owners to keep their pets under control at all times.

Cllr Michael Pavlovic, executive member of City of York Council, said: “Failing to train and control dogs is not acceptable and can be dangerous.

“We will continue to work closely with North Yorkshire Police and partners to deal with dangerous dogs and the anti‑social behaviour they can create.

“Please report your concerns early, so we can take robust enforcement action to protect our communities.”

Muir, of Thoresby Road, Acomb, pleaded guilty to two charges of having a dog dangerously out of control in his home street in September 2025.  One dog was an XL bully dog called Fendi and one was a brindle bull type dog called Donnie.

He also admitted having an XL bully dog illegally and failure to comply with an official notice to keep his dogs under control and on his property between June 2025 and January this year.

He was ordered to pay a total of £2,762, including £500 compensation to the owner of the dog that was attacked.

A council spokesman said the prosecution followed numerous complaints from residents concerned about his three dogs repeatedly escaping from his property.

From November 2024, the dogs entered neighbours’ gardens, caused damage and behaved in an uncontrolled and, at times, aggressive manner.

The council warned Mr Muir and then gave him a formal notice to stop allowing this behaviour. On 30 September 2025, two of Mr Muir’s dogs forced entry into a neighbouring garden and attacked another dog. Its injuries required treatment by a vet.

Between September 2025 and January 2026, residents reported dogs repeatedly escaping and straying, going into neighbouring gardens, causing a nuisance and barking persistently. They told the council the dogs’ behaviour and the lack of control by their behaviour made them feel unsafe and distressed.

In January 2026, Mr Muir asked the council to take his XL bully dog off him, as he could no longer control it.

Mr Muir failed to attend an interview.

In court he said he was sorry and he was willing to pay the injured dog’s vet.

Gabbard, a loyal supporter of Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign, was confirmed as one of the most powerful figures in US intelligence-gathering weeks after he returned to the White House in 2025. As head of the intelligence community, Gabbard coordinates among multiple intelligence agencies and advises the president.

Emergency services raced to the crash this morning on Clapham High Street, London and a man in his 70s was tragically pronounced dead at the scene

A man in his 70s has died after a collision involving a lorry on a busy London street.

The emergency services raced to the incident at about 11.05am today on Clapham High Street. The man was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.

The road was closed between Nelsons Row and Tremadoc Road while experts carried out ‘accident investigation work’, according to travel website Inrix.

Footage shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed police taped off that section of the road, with a blue tent clearly visible in the middle.

There is a Sainsbury’s and an M&S Foodhall near the scene, both of which were closed, My London reports.

The man was pronounced dead at around 11.35am with his family informed, says the Metropolitan Police. An appeal has been made for anyone with information or dashcam footage to get in touch.

A spokesperson for the force said: “On Friday, May 22, at 11.03am, police were called to reports of a road traffic collision between a pedestrian and a HGV on Clapham High Street, Clapham Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.