Rice is delicious. For some, it’s also a bit of a health worry.

You might already know that rice takes up arsenic – a naturally-occurring, toxic chemic element – from the environment.

While it’s impossible to get rid of this completely from our food, we know that consuming a lot of it can be harmful to health.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) claims long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions. It’s also been linked to heart disease and diabetes.

The BBC previously reported that rice “has around 10-20 times more arsenic than other cereal crops”.

Separately, researchers have also previously highlighted how brown rice (which is often touted as ‘healthier’) contains more arsenic and other pesticide contaminants than white rice.

Bearing all of the above in mind, having a solid preparation method for your rice is important.

Over the years I’ve tried rinsing rice under a running tap (although it turns out this doesn’t do much to remove arsenic). I’ve also tried soaking it in a bowl of water, swirling it about and discarding the water (repeating four or five times) until the water’s pretty much clear.

But according to University of Sheffield researchers, there’s a much more effective way of lowering arsenic levels in your rice.

A 2020 study, published in Science of the Total Environment, suggested cooking rice in a certain way removes over 50% of the naturally occurring arsenic in brown rice, and 74% of it in white rice. Yet it didn’t reduce micronutrient levels.

The PBA method involves parboiling the rice in pre-boiled water for five minutes before draining it and topping up with fresh water, then cooking it on a lower heat to absorb all the water.

Dr Manoj Menon, the study’s lead author, said at the time it’s especially useful for parents who want to prepare rice for babies and children who are “highly vulnerable” to arsenic exposure risks.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, children are up to three times more susceptible to arsenic risks than adults due to their smaller size.

It’s for this reason that rice milk isn’t recommended for young children under five.

Yet previous research from the University of Sheffield also found more than half of rice varieties sold in the UK contained levels of arsenic higher than regulations allowed for babies and children under five.

At the time, they called for labelling to warn the public about levels of arsenic in shop-bought rice.

Cara Delevingne has spoken for the first time about rumours of a romance between herself and Amber Heard.

The British model’s name was previously mentioned during Amber’s now-infamous defamation trial back in 2022, where it was alleged that the two had an affair while the Aquaman star was still married to her ex-husband Johnny Depp.

As part of a wide-ranging interview on Louis Theroux’s podcast, the host asked Cara directly about “the Johnny Depp thing”, specifically bringing up the suggestion that the Pirates Of The Caribbean actor “was driven crazy by the idea that Amber might be sleeping with you”.

“Am I meant to comment?” the American Horror Story performer responded, before clarifying that she and Amber first crossed paths when they “did a movie together”, referring to 2018’s London Fields.

“He was also doing the movie,” she pointed out, alluding to Johnny’s brief cameo in London Fields. “I think he was pretty driven crazy by jealousy.”

Cara then insisted that “nothing was happening at that point”, although things between herself and Amber did take a romantic turn “after they divorced”.

“We were close for a long time, and then when they were going through the divorce, yeah, we were entangled, I suppose,” she continued. “But she was also entangled with other people.”

Louis then mentioned Tesla founder Elon Musk, who also previously dated Amber.

“There you go,” Cara responded.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp were married for two years before divorcing in 2017.

In the years that followed, they were embroiled in numerous court battles, and since their high-profile defamation trial came to an end in 2022, Amber has begun a new life in Madrid, Spain.

Last year, she announced that she had given birth to twins, having previously welcomed her first child, a daughter, via a surrogate in April 2021.

Keir Starmer has warned Andy Burnham not to rip up his defence spending plans when he becomes prime minister.

The outgoing prime minister was speaking as he unveiled the government’s long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP) just three weeks before he leaves No.10 for good.

He announced that an extra £15 billion will be spent on defence by 2030.

That is £1.5bn more than the amount John Healey was promised, prompting him to resign as defence secretary earlier this month.

But it is still well short of the £28bn that defence chiefs say is needed to meet the needs of Britain’s armed forces.

Burnham is expected to replace Starmer as Labour leader on July 17, and formally become prime minister three days later.

There has been speculation that he will want to look again at the DIP – but Starmer said that would be a bad idea.

He said: “I don’t think anybody would argue that the Strategic Defence Review was needed because any prime minister will want to know what are the capabilities I have at my disposal now and what are the capabilities I’m going to need in the future.

“The Defence Investment Plan builds on that by setting out what those capabilities will be and how they’re going to be costed.

“That is something that any Labour prime minister would want to stand behind. It’s a platform that any Labour prime minister would want to stand on, because the first duty of any prime minister is the defence and security of the country.

“I think everybody knows that and accepts that.”

Earlier today, one of the co-authors of the Strategic Defence Review warned that the government had not come up with enough cash for the armed forces to keep the country safe.

General Sir Richard Barrons said: “In order to defend the UK sufficiently well, sufficiently quickly, more has to be done sooner and that requires more money than is currently on the table.”

He added: “We’re not keeping up with our allies, we’re certainly not keeping up with our enemies, and we know that the US is not going to come and save European security in the face of a Russian threat.

“So until we come to terms with the fact that we have to find more money for defence, and yes it will be at the expense of other things we like more, we are simply not going to be ready to defend this country properly.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

Earlier this month, budget airline Ryanair made a change to how they charge parents travelling with their children.

Following the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)’s investigation into their former policy, which saw parents pay a fee to sit next to their children, the company has “reluctantly” tweaked their rules.

Prior to the adjustment, Ryanair required parents flying with children aged two to 11 to pay for one reserved “mandatory family seat”. Up to four children could then sit by them for free.

As of the 25 July, 2026, Ryanair said, adults will be offered seats next to their kids “free of charge”, though they suggested these will probably be at the rear of the plane “as front rows tend to be reserved and sell out first”.

“This minor policy tweak will align Ryanair’s family seating policy with that of most other EU airlines, which responds to the desire of Europe’s regulators to stifle innovation and progress,” they added.

As you might be able to guess from that comment, the airline said they were “reluctant” to adopt the change.

The airline’s controversial CEO, Michael O’Leary, said consumer watchdog the CMA “is on a mission to force Ryanair to adopt the less transparent and less consumer-friendly family seating policy applied by most other airlines – just because it’s the industry standard.

“We will reluctantly adjust to this industry standard as we don’t want to waste time explaining to misguided regulators how badly they misunderstand what is in the best interest of UK and Europe’s consumers,” he added.

O’Leary also said that after the rule change, “families may have to wait until after they have checked in to find out their seat allocation and are more likely to be seated at the rear of the cabin”.

A CMA spokesperson told the BBC, “Ryanair claims its seating policy now complies with the law, and we’ll test that thoroughly. If true, it’s a win for families – who will no longer have to pay to sit with their children…

“But it doesn’t change the fact families have been paying for ‘mandatory family seats’. Our investigation remains ongoing.”

Helen Skelton is shutting down rumours that she and her Morning Live co-host Gethin Jones are more than just colleagues.

Last year, the BBC pair found themselves at the centre of rumours that they were secretly dating, after it was reported by The Sun they’d been spotted spending time together away from the TV studio.

During a new interview with The Times, the former Strictly Come Dancing star addressed the “wild” speculation head-on.

“We’re not,” she insisted, when asked if she and Gethin were an item. “We work together; he’s one of my best friends.”

Helen also revealed that, despite there being nothing going on between herself and her co-presenter, even some key people in her life have been taken in by the tabloid rumours.

“I’ve had my best friend congratulate me on our engagement,” she noted, before reiterating there’s nothing romantic going on between herself and Gethin.

Earlier this year, Helen told The Mirror: “[Gethin and I] just work together, we are not together. No, no, no. We are just work friends.

“They printed pictures of us at work and [claimed] that we’re together [but we were] at work together.”

Gethin previously told The Sun: “We are very supportive of each other, we like to look out for each other. I think that’s fair to say on and off camera.

“You sometimes could get… you might need a little pep talk every now and then. Because she’s very passionate.”

Helen was previously married to former rugby pro Richie Myler, with whom she shares three children, for nine years.

In April 2022, the Countryfile host announced that she and Richie had parted ways, telling her Instagram followers at the time: “Very sad to say that Richie and I are no longer a couple. He has left the family home. We will be doing our best to co-parent our small children.”

Helen later wrote in her memoir that the break-up had come as a huge “shock”, claiming: “I know that following break-ups, people often say they didn’t see it coming and it sounds like a cliché, but that was me.”

Months after the split, Helen confirmed she was set to take part in Strictly Come Dancing, telling HuffPost UK at the time she’d signed up for the show to bring some “joy” and “fun” back into her life.

The government’s long-delayed blueprint for how it will fund Britain’s armed forces is not enough to keep the country safe, according to a former army chief.

Keir Starmer will unveil the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) on Tuesday in one of his last major acts before he resigns as prime minister.

It is expected to contain an extra £15 billion for the armed forces over the next four years – £1.5bn more than former defence secretary John Healey was given before he dramatically resigned earlier this month.

But it is well short of the £28bn defence chiefs say is needed.

Crucially, the DIP will also not say how the UK plans to spend 3% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2030, or hit Nato’s target of 3.5% by 2035.

General Sir Richard Barrons, who last year co-authored the government’s Strategic Defence Review, told Radio 4′s Today programme that ministers urgently needed to find more cash.

The former Commander of Joint Forces Command said: “In oder to defend the UK sufficiently well, sufficiently quickly, more has to be done sooner and that requires more money than is currently on the table.

“If the demand was for £28bn over the first four years and the settlement might be around £15bn over four years, that means either some things are not going to be bought or will be delayed, and it will mean that some forms of activity like training and infrastructure maintenance and logistics, things that cost real cash, will be done less well or perhaps not even done at all.”

He added: “The good news is that today’s British armed forces know perfectly well what they have to do, they understand this transformation, and all three services have really very good models for what they need to do.

“Their challenge is that in order to do it well enough and fast enough, they’ll need more money sooner.

“And what they’re going to see in the DIP today is a struggle, not just for the first four years, but until the government can articulate how the UK gets to spend 3.5% of GDP … by 2035.

“Until that trajectory is clear we don’t have a four-year slowdown, we have a 10-year slowdown.”

Barrons said the UK was also lagging well behind other European countries.

“If you look at most of our European allies in Nato, they are spending more money much faster on revitalising and beginning to transform their armed forces, and they’re looking at the UK, who were once an exemplar of a European nation in Nato, and we’re now about halfway down the spending table in Nato.”

He added: “We’re not keeping up with our allies, we’re certainly not keeping up with our enemies, and we know that the US is not going to come and save European security in the face of a Russian threat.

“So until we come to terms with the fact that we have to find more money for defence, and yes it will be at the expense of other things we like more, we are simply not going to be ready to defend this country properly.”

But speaking ahead of the DIP’s publication, Starmer said: “This game-changing investment will strengthen our armed forces on land, at sea and in the air, ensuring our servicemen and women have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to deter evolving threats and keep the British people safe.

“At the same time, we are backing British innovation, British industry and British jobs and delivering opportunity to every corner of the country.

“Today’s defence investment plan will help drive growth across the UK, giving our industrial base the confidence, certainty and support it needs to develop and scale the technologies that will keep our country safe and secure long into the future.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

One in 11 people aged 65 and over have dementia in the UK, the NHS said. And according to Alzheimer’s Society, a person’s risk “roughly doubles” every five years after around 70.

But while it might take decades for symptoms to show, researchers increasingly think markers of coming dementia can begin years before diagnosis.

And a recent paper in Springer Nature has suggested that a biomarker in people’s blood – pTau181, which is linked to a higher dementia risk – might hint at a greater likelihood of developing the condition when seen in 45-year-olds.

“Although plasma pTau181 has been shown to accurately discriminate patients with Alzheimer’s disease from healthy older adults, there are few studies of plasma biomarkers among middle-aged populations,” the paper reads.

45-year-olds with elevated pTau181 were more likely to say they had concerns about their cognition than adults of the same age with lower pTau181 levels in this study.

They tended to be more worried about their memory and thinking, though this didn’t show up on cognitive scores.

Researchers call this phenomenon – the “self-reported persistent decline in cognitive performance with normal performance on objective cognitive tests, in the absence of another explanation” – subjective cognitive decline (SCD).

Scans and other investigations didn’t show any structural brain changes, usually linked to dementia, among those with more pTau181.

Speaking to the University of Otago, the study’s lead author, Dr Ashleigh Barrett-Young, said that this might mean signs of higher dementia risk begin years before the changes we associate with the condition start.

“This means there may be an important window for prevention, which remains one of the most promising approaches for Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.

Dr Barrett-Young added that their results might mean small changes in cognition –SCD – combined with elevated pTau181 aged 45 could hint at measurable issues later on.

“This highlights the need for careful research to understand how early changes relate to later outcomes.”

Dr Barrett-Young stressed that this theory needs more research.

She said “Understanding the earliest stages of disease development is essential for designing effective prevention and treatment strategies, even if clinical tools are still some way off.

“Importantly, biomarkers like pTau181 reflect risk, not certainty”.

We don’t know for sure whether those with a combination of higher pTau181 and SCD aged 45 will definitely face a higher dementia risk, either.

Writing for The Conversation, Dr Barrett-Young said: “Perhaps pTau181 increases during the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease, when people first start to notice their memory worsening, but no changes are shown yet in MRI scans.

“Or it could be that elevated pTau181 is not related to Alzheimer’s disease risk in midlife, and the protein is only useful for detecting Alzheimer’s in older adults. We don’t know enough yet, but will be following the same group of people as they get older to continue this research.”

Vladimir Putin has been mocked after trying and failing to fully seize Ukraine’s Donbas region “15 times”.

The Donbas, made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to the east of Ukraine, has been mostly under Russian occupation since Putin launched his illegal invasion in 2022.

But the Kremlin has struggled to establish full control over the last 10% of the region – despite repeated attempts.

It comes as Putin’s grip on power is said to be weakening, especially as long-range drone strikes from Ukraine rock the everyday lives of the general Russian public.

His Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was quick to call attention to Putin’s failures on Monday.

“Since the start of the full-scale war, the Russian army has been given as many as 15 deadlines for capturing our Donetsk region,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly online address.

“Russia’s political leadership remains obsessed with Donbas. They have entertained this delusion – that they would fully capture Donbas – 15 times already.”

He claimed Putin has set multiple deadlines for his troops to capture the region but instead has endured more than 1.5 million casualties.

“In 2022, the deadlines were 31 March, then 9 May, 1 June, 15 September, and 31 December,” the Ukrainian president said.

“In 2023, Putin set two more deadlines for capturing Donbas: 1 March, and then, when that failed again, they moved it to 31 December. In 2024, there were again two such deadlines.”

Zelenskyy claimed Putin wanted to show US president Donald Trump – who has been trying, unsuccessfully, to end the conflict – that Ukraine would “supposedly fall”.

But he continued: “If Russia does not end its war, they will have to move this deadline again as well.

“If Putin wants to sacrifice another million of his soldiers to keep smashing against this wall, then the million Russians who have not yet been mobilised into the Russian army and are arguing in gas lines should think about what awaits them next.”

Away from the Donbas, Russia has captured all of the Luhansk region and a large proportion of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Together with the Crimea peninsula, which has been occupied since 2014, Putin holds around a fifth of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.

But Ukraine seems to hold the cards on the warfront at the moment.

Even Trump, typically sympathetic to Russia, has acknowledged: “Zelenskyy is doing pretty well. No matter how you look at it, he’s holding his own at least.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.