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Politics

US And Iran Reach Deal To End War And Reopen Strait Of Hormuz

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US And Iran Reach Deal To End War And Reopen Strait Of Hormuz

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that his administration has reached a peace deal with Iran more than three months after the US and Israel launched a disastrous war that has put intense strain on the world’s energy supply, and left the Iranian regime strengthened and emboldened.

The agreement constitutes the most notable diplomatic development since the strikes on Iran began on February 28.

American and Israeli forces decapitated the Iranian government by reportedly acting on information that many of the country’s top leaders would be in the same place at the same time.

The Iranian regime, however, has managed to sustain its grip on power, even in the wake of mass protests that were put down with ruthless violence earlier this year.

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After some initial confusion among Trump’s own Republican Party as to what the US military action was ultimately meant to accomplish, the president began repeating that Iran could not be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon, and that the Strait of Hormuz needed to be reopened to commercial shipping, as it was before the war began.

He has also said that Iran’s nuclear “dust” — or the remnants of nuclear materials that were targeted in US airstrikes last summer — must also be destroyed. The issue of how the country will dispose of its highly enriched uranium has long been a point of contention.

Fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz is expected to alleviate some of the pressure on global fuel markets, which have seen major spikes in oil and gas prices due to the closure of the waterway.

Prior to the Iran war, 20% of the global oil and gas supply moved through the Strait.

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Iran effectively shut it down by threatening to attack ships that attempted to cross, leaving some crews stranded on ships waiting for the conflict to resolve.

Casualty estimates from the war vary, with the Israel Defense Forces estimating some 6,000 Iranians have been killed. The US officially counts 13 deaths on its side.

News of a previous possible deal between the US and Iran drew pushback in May from some Senate Republicans, who favored a harsher approach toward Iran.

Trump had signalled he would not be rushed into an agreement. He repeatedly pushed back on the idea that the upcoming midterms were putting political pressure on him, due to rising prices that could be directly tied back to his decision to launch the war.

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“I don’t care about the midterms,” Trump said bluntly at one point. At another, when asked whether he shared Americans’ concerns over the high cost of living, he was even more abrasive.

“The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all,” he said.

He doubled down on that sentiment last week, saying, “I love the inflation.”

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Why Peter Capaldi Really Left Doctor Who

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Why Peter Capaldi Really Left Doctor Who

Peter Capaldi, who was the 12th Doctor on BBC hit Doctor Who, has spoken out about his exit from the show.

The Thick Of It Star left the franchise in 2017. In a recent appearance on YouTube series 100 Questions with John Simmons, he claimed that he decided to leave the role because “I just wasn’t sure that it was going to go in the direction that I… everybody was leaving that I’d worked with.”

He added, “Everybody was leaving. Jenna [presumably Jenna Louise-Coleman, who played the Doctor’s companion Clara Oswald] had gone, and Steven [probably former head writer Steven Moffat, who also left in 2017] was going, and Brian [likely Brian Minchin], the producer, was going, and those are the people that make it work for you.

“We’d had some talks about the direction. I wasn’t sure that that was where I wanted to go with the show. And I also thought, I’m not sure I could come up with anything new.”

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Peter continued to say that while his regeneration, which saw the actor replaced by Jodie Whittaker, was “very sad”, he thinks that the biological process the Doctor uses to survive serious damage has become “diminished”.

Calling the concept “a very, very powerful death motif,” he said, “To be perfectly honest, I think there are too many regenerations.

“I love all the Doctors, but I’ve lost count now of how many of them there are, so the weight of this kind of regeneration is diminished. Whereas when I grew up as a kid, the first time it happened it was: ‘What just happened there?’ It was mysterious and strange. It holds the mystery of the show, the regeneration.”

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It’s not the first time he’s expressed his feelings about the show, of which he was a super-fan in his youth.

On the Half Of The Picture podcast this year, he claimed: “The show became very, very big. And it was never like that when I loved it. So it became a different thing.

“I think the show is a little bit of a victim of its success. You know, the show that I loved was a tiny thing, a little small thing that survived. It just survived, but nobody knew that it was warming its way into the culture in such a deep way. And I think that’s what I have an affinity with.”

In the ’70s, the Doctor Who fan club received so much correspondence from a young Capaldi that then-president of the group, Keith Miller, said he felt “haunted” by the Doctor-to-be.

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Starmer’s new line will be hilariously ironic if Burnham wins Makerfield

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Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham

Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham

In a new interview with Sky’s Beth Rigby, Keir Starmer has said he wants Andy Burnham to “have a big role in government” if he wins the Makerfield by-election. What Starmer means is he wants Burnham to be a top level minister. The irony is Burnham will likely be the highest level minister possible – i.e. the prime minister:

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Burnham returns

Beth Rigby has described her interview with Starmer as “deeply personal”. It’s unclear what personal stuff they got into, as everything she’s highlighted so far was a work thing.

It’s also unclear why we should care about him personally. We’re not employing him to be a person; we’re employing him to be the prime minister. If a colleague at your work repeatedly f*cked everything up, the last thing you’d want to hear about was how the endless mistakes were making them feel.

Here’s what Rigby highlighted anyway:

🚨 He wants Andy Burnham back in cabinet – to “have a big role in government”
🚨He says he will talk to Burnham “after the weekend”
🚨“I don’t feel angry. I don’t feel bitter” Starmer says, on the leadership crisis he’s facing
🚨Starmer says under no circumstances will he walk away, “I’m going to fight”
🚨Acknowledges he may not lead Labour into the next election, “We need to turn things around. I think that is obvious from the May elections”
🚨On his biggest regret in government, “none of us get every decision right”

“After the weekend” is interesting given that the by-election is on Thursday. Presumably this means Burnham will be busy for a few days (and we expect he will be, because he’ll be plotting to bring down Starmer).

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The acknowledgement that he “may not lead Labour into the next election” is interesting given his expressed intent to fight off Burnham. If he can read the writing on the wall, why not just go now?

Of course, he could be saying this because Burnham might not win in Makerfield. And should that happen, Starmer may be able to fend off Wes Streeting and stumble on for a few more years. And that really is the most optimistic scenario for him.

Musical chairs

Regarding Burnham potentially returning to the cabinet, Dan Hodges had this to say:

If Keir Starmer is going to offer Andy Burnham a “big role” in his cabinet, which of his existing senior ministers is he prepared to sacrifice in order to try and save himself.

If Burnham returns to parliament only to fall in line behind Starmer, the question shouldn’t be ‘who gets the sack?‘; it should be ‘who even wants to remain in this dysfunctional Labour government?‘. It probably won’t be, obviously, because the sycophants Starmer has surrounded himself would endure any level of humiliation to retain their grip on power.

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Featured image via the Canary

By Willem Moore

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Best Early Amazon Prime Day Home Deals: From Air Fryers To Vacuu

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Best Early Amazon Prime Day Home Deals: From Air Fryers To Vacuu

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

Whenever you have an unfortunate yellow stain on your favourite white blouse, or your beloved vacuum cleaner breaks, there’s one place many of us turn to: Amazon.

So, of course, we’re already dreaming of all the money we’ll save on home products ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2026.

Whether you’ve been eyeing up a new air fryer, or you’re finally giving into the Ring doorbell buzz (pun intended), our shopping writer has rounded up the best early Amazon Prime Day deals for home and garden products.

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So far, there are already huge savings on some of our favourite brands, from Shark Ninja, to Tefal, Ring, Russell Hobbs, and more.

Keep reading for 17 of the best early Amazon Prime Day deals, as well as everything you need to know about how to get involved in the sale this year.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon runs an annual Prime Day sale, with deals across multiple categories, including homes and gardens.

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Over four days, Amazon Prime members can shop hundreds of discounts across their favourite products. If you’re not already a member, you’ll need to sign up for Amazon Prime to take part.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2026?

Prepare your wallets, because Amazon Prime Day 2026 is less than a week away. The sales will run from 23rd to 26th June, with savings across all kinds of tech, beauty, fashion, and homes products.

How do I take part in Amazon Prime Day?

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To take part in Amazon Prime Day sales, you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member.

Once you’ve created an account, you’ll have access to hundreds of early deals, and thousands of savings when the event drops on 23rd June.

If you’re already eyeing up specific products, save them to your wishlist to come back to during the event, so you can see if they’re included in sales.

The best Amazon Prime Day early home and garden products to shop now

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28% off

Best lawnmower

There’s nothing like having to get an extension cable out to put you off doing your housework, so this battery-powered lawnmower will be all the motivation you need to get out into the garden this summer. It’s lightweight and compact, but don’t worry: that doesn’t sacrifice on power. The intensity is completely adjustable, depending on the terrain you’re dealing with, and you can also change the height of the mower to make it more comfortable to manoeuvre. Speaking of comfort, you can simply collapse the mower to store it, and the grass collector does its job well, so you won’t be crawling around picking up strays when you’re done.

26% off

Best hand blender

Whenever a recipe calls for blending, I release an audible sigh. If there’s one thing that can convince me to make a salsa, smoothie, or pesto, though, it’s this 3 in 1 hand blender. It’s not only ridiculously easy to use, but it’s much easier to clean than a traditional blender. It comes with two attachments, depending on whether you’re going for a more processed or whipped texture, and comes with either a chopper or beaker container so you can get as up close and personal with your ingredients as the recipe calls for.

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25% off

Best standing fan

If you’re looking for a versatile fan, this standing one from Russell Hobbs will cover all bases. With an adjustable height and tilted blades, it’ll provide as much cooling while you’re sitting on the sofa as it will when using a standing desk. The white colour makes it pretty inoffensive, compared to other tower fans, along with the fact it’s fairly quiet.

29% off

Best double air fryer

It can feel somewhat excessive to heat a whole air fryer to make a few fish fingers, which is why we’re big fans of the fact this one from Tefal has a mini compartment that’s separately operated so you can make smaller meals when the time comes. Or, when you’re cooking for the whole family, you can use both – the larger compartment is so big it can roast a chicken, while the smaller can be home to your accompanying veg, chips, or potatoes.

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15% off

Best table fan

Whether you’re working or eating, trying to function as normal in the heat can be near-impossible. To keep you cool and sane, this table fan from Honeywell has a 90-degree oscillating head that will stop the sweat from dripping this summer. With three speed settings, you can choose exactly the power that will keep you comfortable, and it even comes with a wall mount should you need it while cooking or doing your makeup (because let’s be honest, things get slippery very quickly).

20% off

Best oscillating fan

It’s all very well cooling yourself down during a heatwave, but if your room isn’t cool it’s game over. To help get the air flowing in your home, this vertical fan oscillates at three different intensities. Even on the highest mode, it’s fairly quiet, making it perfect for hot sleepers – and you can set a timer for up to 120 minutes to keep you cool at night, too.

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30% off

Best hedge trimmer

Put the secateurs and ladder away, this cordless hedge trimmer will leave you with the neatest hedges of your life, and you’ll be able to keep two feet on solid ground the whole time. With dual action blades, and a soft grip handle, you’ll barely notice you’re standing there trimming your hedge.

43% off

Best cordless vacuum

Let’s be honest, cleaning is a chore, so whatever help your appliances can give you is a real blessing. When your arms can’t take it any more, this cordless floor cleaner will keep you going with its self-propelling system. With a smart detector, the vacuum and mopping power will adjust based on spillages and stains, and covers more surface area than other vacuums so you won’t miss any dirt where the floor meets the wall. It even has a self-cleaning function, so you won’t have to empty and clean the mechanisms too often.

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15% off

Best budget hoover

Sometimes all you need from an appliance is something that gets the job done. No app compatibility, no wireless charging. Just good ol’ suction power. This budget vacuum from the Amazon Home Range comes in at under £30, and has plenty of that baked in. Although it’s on the cheaper side, reviews claim it’s surprisingly powerful, and it can even be taken apart to make a mini vacuum suitable for getting into smaller spaces.

39% off

Best grass trimmer

Can’t be bothered with a whole mower? For smaller patches, this trimmer is designed to be super accurate and lightweight, so you can trim the grass quickly and crack on with the rest of your gardening. With a one hour battery charge, it’ll last long enough to cover your whole garden, and it’s lightweight, so you’ll have no problem carrying it on longer stretches. The handle is completely adjustable, to avoid any strain on your wrists, knees, or back, and it can also be converted into an edge trimmer in seconds.

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31% off

Best app controlled robot vacuum

Whether you’re a self-described worrywart, or have precious items you don’t want your robot vacuum to hoover up, this one from roborock puts precise control over its cleaning routine directly in the palm of your hand. While the device itself comes loaded with intuitive obstacle avoidance, meaning it dodges everything from the sofa to the cat, you can also sync it with your phone or smart watch to control it using your voice and ask it to leave specific areas untouched. You’ll also be able to set your own cleaning schedules, and the charge lasts long enough to get the job done in one go.

11% off

Best robot vacuum for climbing steps

Imagine never having to vacuum again. Truly, what could be better? For a hands-free cleaning experience, this robot vacuum from Dreame comes highly rated, not least because of its ability to get under tight spaces that you might not be bothered to get to. Unlike your corded vacuum that gets tangled or won’t reach up the stairs, this one can climb steps up to 6cm with the included ramp. But it’s not just vacuuming it’ll do for you, it also mops and empties its own water into the included tank so you won’t have to get involved with the mucky mop water. Don’t worry though, it won’t mop your carpets, as it uses clever sensor technology to avoid carpets while on the wet function, and extra suction power to give them a deep clean while vacuuming.

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58% off

Best smart TV stick

There are so many streaming platforms these days that trying to find which one that show you wanted to watch is on can take longer than actually watching the show itself. Not to mention lag times when your TV is finally catching up with your wifi. Thanks to the easy search voice button function, Fire Stick Plus will make finding programmes easier than ever. Not only will it take you to your favourite shows, but this smart remote can also provide all the information you need about what you’re watching or recommend shows for you to watch in seconds – all you have to do is chat. Plus, you’ll be able to sync your TV up with your smart home to control everything from alarms and food deliveries, to your baby monitor.

50% off

Best video doorbell all round

If you’re not bothered by the whole ephemera of a Ring, and simply want to know who’s approaching your front door, the latest generation of Ring is now at its lowest price ever – woah. As well as being equipped with a more impressive battery life, it comes with retinal 2K night vision, so it shows what’s going out in your front garden in better detail than any other Ring to date. Set with a free 30 day subscription trial, you’ll have plenty of time to test the doorbell’s features by syncing it up with your Alexa or Echo to customise notifications and make sure you don’t miss a single visitor – unwanted or wanted.

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46% off

Best for sparkling water lovers

Now that we’re all being more mindful of our plastic consumption, there’s never really a need to buy bottled water. But for the sparkling water lovers out there, that’s a hard pill to swallow. This Soda Stream can make up to 60 litres of sparkling water with one CO2 canister. As well as being BPA free, and dishwasher safe, it can also make any drink you like fizzy – so you can get started with your very own ‘will it soda?’ hobby.

29% off

Most comprehensive Ring bundle

Want to ensure security for your home? If you’ve never heard or seen a Ring doorbell, where have you been?! This one comes with savings on not only the bell itself but a wifi extender, chime box, and nightlight, which all work to make sure you can keep an eye on your front door, whether you’re in the kitchen or away on a cruise.

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40% off

It’s smoothie season! If you prefer to drink your greens, it’s time to upgrade to a blender that won’t leave you with clumps. Whether you’re making a gazpacho, frozen marg, or your favourite juice, this blender can handle up to two litres of liquid, and it’ll work with hot food come soup season. So you don’t risk nicking your fingers while you clean it, it comes with dishwasher-safe parts, too.

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Rivals Season 3: Everything We Know So Far

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Bella Maclean

That means the Rutshire drama will continue past this year’s November release, when we get to witness the second half of season 2.

But what do we know so far about the coming series?

When will Rivals season three come out?

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We don’t know yet, though HuffPost UK has asked Disney and will update if we hear back.

The gap between Rivals season one and Rivals season two was about a year and a half.

What’s Rivals season three about?

According to a Disney press release, the franchise’s third season will be “shocking”.

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In a teaser, they said: “As the dust settles post the scandalous revelations in Season Two, we see the stakes become higher and the alliances more fragile, with nothing staying buried for long.

“New romances blossom, old flames rekindle and shocking secrets will be spilled in this third series which takes everyone’s favourite rivalries to the next level. In a world of power, passion and betrayal, everyone has something to lose.”

Lee Mason, vice-president of scripted at Disney+ Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), added in a release: “Expect more ambition, more romance, more rivalries and, of course, more scandal as we return to Rutshire for another irresistible chapter.”

Bella Maclean

Is there a trailer for Rivals season three?

Why was Rivals renewed for a third season?

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The first half of Rivals season two heralded the biggest original Disney+ premiere of 2026 in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region.

It’s also gotten rave reviews, which we can’t imagine hurts.

Lee Mason, vice-president of scripted at Disney+ Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), said: “The phenomenal response to Rivals is a credit to the bold, irreverent and endlessly entertaining world created by Dame Jilly Cooper, our cast, creative team and production partners at Happy Prince.”

Who will star in Rivals season three?

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HuffPost UK asked Disney whether any cast changes are expected for the third season of the show. They haven’t responded immediately, but again, we’ll let you know if anything changes.

Who’s producing Rivals season three?

The third series will be produced by:

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The production company behind Rivals is Happy Prince.

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Shrek 5 Trailer Has Just Launched Without Zendaya

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Shrek 5 Trailer Has Just Launched Without Zendaya

Shrek, the little ogre that could, is set for his fifth movie in the DreamWorks franchise.

Shrek 5 has been confirmed since 2024, and provides a welcome end to the movies’ 16-year hiatus.

Mike Myers will play the titular role, while Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy will reprise their roles as Fiona and Donkey, respectively. Originally set to come out in 2026, the flick is now due for release on 30 June, 2027.

Still, at least fans can console ourselves with the just-released trailer, despite its notable omission. Universal had previously released a 2025 teaser, though this was an animated cast announcement rather than a glimpse at the contents of the film.

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“It’s happening – it’s really happening!” star Cameron Diaz said in an Instagram post above the new preview.

Universal Pictures’ 81-second-long teaser shows yet another adventure for the donkey and Shrek, as well as what seems to be a worn-out pastiche of Frozen’s Olaf, who growls, pipe in hand: “Wanna date a snowman?”

(In the Disney film, Elsa’s sister Anna famously sings, “Do you wanna build a snowman?” before the princesses meet their animated snowman companion).

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The family, including Donkey, Fiona, Shrek, and their children Fergus and Fakle end up imprisoned in the clip, too.

But Shrek and Fiona’s other child, Felicia, who is voiced by Zendaya, doesn’t appear once in the trailer, despite her name appearing under Cameron’s, Myers’, and Murphys’ in the title card at the end of the video.

The first Shrek 5 cast announcement, released in 2025, did feature Zendaya’s voice and character.

Zendaya, whose partner, Tom Holland, seems to have recently confirmed his marriage to the Euphoria star, has a history with Shrek.

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After her role in the movie was announced, fans brought up a 2017 X post of hers which read, “I watch Shrek too often in my adulthood”.

“This aged well,” fans said at the time.

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Photos Of This Body Part Could Help Predict Alzheimer’s Risk

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Photos Of This Body Part Could Help Predict Alzheimer's Risk

Photos of the back of the eyes could offer a way to predict some of the common risk factors linked to Alzheimer’s disease, which is the leading cause of dementia.

That’s according to a new study, which used AI to analyse retinal photographs from more than 40,000 UK patients.

Alzheimer’s disease is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. It impacts more than 520,000 people in the UK.

Some of the risk factors for developing the condition include: old age, genetics, history of head injury, smoking, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hearing loss, untreated depression, loneliness, drinking too much alcohol and not exercising enough.

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In the latest study, researchers were able to identify regions of the retina associated with Alzheimer’s risk factors.

Lead author Ruogu Fang, a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Florida, said most of the existing diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s disease focus on later in life, “when it is too late to intervene”.

But by looking at retinal health earlier on, “we offer new opportunities to identify patients at risk, offer appropriate tests and encourage them to develop healthy lifestyles to mitigate their risk”, she said.

Retinal photos are a relatively easy and cheap way to assess health

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Many patients routinely have pictures of their eyes taken – whether because they have diabetes or glaucoma, or for routine eye examinations.

That means analysing retinal photographs could be a simple and low-cost way to spot Alzheimer’s risks factors compared to more expensive technologies, like MRI scans.

Co-author Seowung Leem, a doctoral student at University of Florida, said with the assistance of AI, they were able to identify subtle retinal variations that were previously overlooked across thousands of subjects – and these variations “may function as reliable indicators of future disease risk”.

Their AI model accurately predicted biological characteristics like sex or blood pressure as well as lifestyle factors associated with developing Alzheimer’s, such as smoking, alcohol use and even insomnia.

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While these factors might be captured in patients’ medical charts, researchers noted those records are often incomplete. For example, people might not reliably report alcohol consumption or smoking.

Retinal photographs may provide another, more objective way to detect these risk factors, they said. Plus, they can capture damage accumulated over the years. The findings were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

They suggested identifying early risk factors via retinal photos could better identify patients who might respond to earlier interventions – including protective lifestyle changes, some medications or brain training – before irreversible damage takes place.

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The Organic Cotton PJs To Take Your Kid From Sleepless Nights To Sweet Dreams

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The Organic Cotton PJs To Take Your Kid From Sleepless Nights To Sweet Dreams

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

If there’s one thing you don’t want to mess around with, it’s your kid’s sleep.

From newborn through to primary school age, what gets them to sleep and keeps them comfy through the night is a delicate balance.

Whether they’re still being swaddled, or have graduated to pyjamas with actual sleeves and legs, naturally, you only want what’s best for your little one.

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If your whole house is tired of sleepless nights, we’ve found the sleepwear solution to keeping your kids safe and itchy skin-free.

Australian brand ergoPouch uses all organic cotton and natural fibres to create sleepwear for kids up to six years old that’s as comfortable for your them as it is reassuring for you.

From practical swaddles, to preschool pyjamas, each item is made with their skin comfort in mind, and comes in a range of cute colours and patterns. Its sleepwear is even TOG-rated, so you know they’re the right temperature throughout the night.

Right now, they have 25% off some of their bestselling items. If you’re looking to stock up on breathable, organic kids pyjamas or bedding, we’ve rounded up our top picks from the ergoPouch sale to shop now.

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Brexit ten years on: regulation

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Brexit ten years on: regulation

Ahead of the ten year anniversary of the EU referendum on 23 June, UK in a Changing Europe experts have written a short series of blogs reflecting on some of the issues at the heart of Brexit then and now. Here, Joël Reland reflects on Brexit and regulation.

The Leave campaign’s central slogan – ‘Take Back Control’ – evoked the idea of EU rules preventing the UK from looking after its own best interests. Boris Johnson bemoaned Brussels “telling us how powerful our vacuum cleaners have got to be, what shape our bananas have got to be” while a Leave campaign briefing claimed that EU regulations serve ‘a small number of large multinationals’ and ‘crush entrepreneurial competition’.

Against that backdrop, Theresa May quickly decided that regulatory freedom would be central to her Brexit agenda, using her first Party Conference speech to promise that “our laws will be made not in Brussels but in Westminster”.

But it soon became apparent that this would both add major costs to EU trade – due to leaving the single market – and create a regulatory border with Northern Ireland (which had to remain aligned to EU law to keep the Irish border open).

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This realisation was, according to Philip Hammond, “like a light bulb going on” – leading May to develop the ‘Chequers deal’, under which the entire UK would continue to adhere to all EU regulations necessary to maintain frictionless trade in goods. Boris Johnson and David Davis resigned at this “semi-Brexit” and May ultimately failed to get her plan through Parliament.

Johnson subsequently won an election promising to use ‘post-Brexit freedoms to transform the UK for the better’ and accordingly negotiated a Brexit deal which gave Great Britain near-total control over its law-making, at the cost of new trade frictions with the EU and – despite his denials – Northern Ireland.

Yet Johnson’s administration consequently struggled to develop a plan for unpicking EU red tape. A 105-page paper called ‘The benefits of Brexit’ outlined a long list of options for regulatory reform, but gave no sense of prioritisation or how policy would be delivered.

The strategy – if there was one – focused on the quantity, not quality, of reform. In 2022, the newly-installed Minister for Brexit Opportunities, Jacob Rees-Mogg, announced plans for a ‘Brexit freedoms bill’ – officially titled the Retained EU Law (REUL) Bill – under which all REUL (i.e. EU-derived law) would expire by default, except where ministers chose to retain specific pieces. It was accompanied by a Retained EU Law Dashboard, to provide live data on the proportion of REUL which had been abolished.

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The highly performative approach was heavily criticised, especially by business, for creating a deeply uncertain regulatory horizon which prevented long-term planning and risked citizens losing vital legal protections – especially as officials did not even seem to know how much REUL was out there in the ether.

The plan was eventually abandoned under the Sunak government, with then-Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch stating “we are not arsonists… I do not think a bonfire of regulations is what we wanted”. Since then, the rate of plans for divergence has slowed significantly.

A glance at the REUL dashboard today might make you think that a bonfire of EU red tape has, nevertheless, been lit. It shows that 37% of REUL has been reformed – with 23% repealed and 13% amended or replaced (the other 1% has expired).

But this, in fact, amounts to little more than a glorified regulatory spring clean: the vast majority of ‘reformed’ REUL has either been subject to technical amendment (e.g. restated in a new legislation) or is no longer of relevance (e.g. legislation relating to the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis or EU regimes which the UK is no longer part of).

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Moreover, our series of Divergence Tracker reports, shows that successive UK governments have delivered little in the way of substantive divergence from EU law.

There have been a smattering of changes to financial services regulations, such as lifting the cap on bankers’ bonuses, while rules on the use of genetic editing techniques have been liberalised. Several ‘freeports’ have been established; the export of live animals for fattening and slaughter has been banned; and certain alcohols are now taxed by strength, not quantity. There have also been some symbolic changes, such as permitting the sale of Champagne in pint-sized bottles and new guidance on selling groceries in imperial measures.

Given regulatory control was so central to Brexit, what explains this lack of action? One reason was that the government never set a clear strategy for divergence, while the civil service – overwhelmed with a wide range of new post-Brexit regulatory functions – had little capacity to focus on strategic ideas for reform.

But the most fundamental reason is that divergence, more often than not, adds costs to trade. The government argued that regulation could be better ‘tailored’ to UK interests (rather than being a cross-EU ‘compromise’). But, from a trade perspective, regulation is all about compromise: creating common standards between parties which reduce trade frictions.

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‘Tailoring’ regulation to a single country therefore increases frictions, and several marquee plans for divergence – including on data protection, medical devices and conformity assessments – were abandoned for this reason.

British companies have made it more than apparent that they prefer to avoid divergence where possible. Across multiple sectors – from vehicles to products to food – they have voluntarily opted to adhere to new EU rules, even though they do not apply in Great Britain, because it is necessary to maintain access to the EU market. This is the reason why Rachel Reeves now argues that divergence “should be the exception, not the norm”.

One final curiosity is that the UK has repeatedly used its regulatory freedom to move in a similar direction to the EU. It has set higher emissions reduction targets and has an earlier phase-out date for combustion engine vehicles. Its new rulebooks on online safety and digital markets bear an uncanny resemblance to the EU Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts. And employee protections have increased, despite earlier promises to scrap the Working Time Directive.

Even the few notable cases of divergence often serve to strengthen the hand of the state – increasing animal welfare protections and alcohol taxes – while a fully-fledged UK-US trade deal remains elusive, not least because of public opposition to any watering down of food standards.

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Brexit has revealed the UK’s regulatory instincts to be much more European than many assumed.

By Joël Reland, Senior Researcher, UK in a Changing Europe.

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DPMQs: Who’s Asking the Questions?

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DPMQs: Who’s Asking the Questions?

1 Lauren Sullivan LAB 2 Frank McNally LAB 3 Sarah Owen LAB 4 Matt Vickers CON 5 Debbie Abrahams LAB 6 John Whitby LAB 7 Beccy Cooper LAB 8 Ayoub Khan IND 9 Louie French CON 10 Bradley Thomas CON 11 Yuan Yang LAB 12 Josh Babarinde LIB 13 Anna Gelderd LAB 14 Chris Vince…

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Tony Hawk Says We Missed Out On A Skating Space Jam Sequel

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Tony Hawk Says We Missed Out On A Skating Space Jam Sequel

Skating legend Tony Hawk recently shared details of an abandoned Space Jam sequel on Netflix’s The Pete Davidson Show.

The 58-year-old pro skater said he was approached for Skate Jam, a follow-up to the 1996 film starring Michael Jordan.

“The way that the whole story went down was I got a call saying, ’Hey, Warner Brothers is really interested in doing Skate Jam. And I was like, ‘That is the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard,’ right?

“My oldest son, when he was very young, watched Space Jam endlessly, and had to get Space Jam shoes, would quote it,” he added on the video podcast.

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“And so, just being a father, I was, like, I know how much those movies resonate. To make it about skating would just be like the ultimate dream. They said they really want to get on this.

“They’re about to release Back In Action. That is the vehicle to reintroduce Looney Tunes, Warner Brothers back to the movies, and then we’re going to hit him right back with Skate Jam,” he claimed.

Tony said that the team were so keen, he met them in a restaurant in LA’s airport to discuss details of the project.

“I was leaving for Australia, and they said, ‘We really need to secure this – make sure you’re interested, make sure you like the outline of it,’ and so they met me at that LAX restaurant, and they presented me with storyboards, in the airport, in that restaurant.”

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He recalled: “It was wild. My agent flew from New York to be there, to be in the airport. This thing was happening, right? They’re showing me all the stuff. I’m, like, ‘Yeah, it looks super cool’… I approved everything there.”

Tony claimed he was offered a million dollars for the deal. But, he said, things fell apart after his return from Australia.

“My sister was my business partner and my agent at the time. She’s like, ‘They’re not calling us back,’” he said.

“I thought we were like, this is all happening. And then, finally, the word came back that Back in Action didn’t do the numbers they’d hoped for. They didn’t want to pour anything else into Looney Tunes. So you can’t do Skate Jam.”

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He also stated “that was the one that got away, though, like, in my life”.

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