Black people in England twice as likely to suffer stroke as white counterparts

People from black backgrounds in England are twice as likely to experience strokes as their white counterparts, while also being less likely to receive timely care, according to the largest study of its kind.The study, conducted by researchers at King’s College London and presented at the European Stroke Organisation conference, analysed 30 years of stroke incidents from the South London Stroke Register, one of the longest-running population-based stroke registers in the world.The register is unique due to the fact that unlike clinical trials, it recruits every single person who has had a stroke in a defined area.Within a population of 333,000 people, according to the analysis, 7,726 strokes occurred. And while stroke incidence fell by 34% between 1995-99 and 2010-14, the rate rose again by 13% between 2020 and 2024

Prosecutors to ‘fast-track’ hate crime cases in England and Wales after spate of attacks

Prosecutors in England and Wales have been told to “fast-track” hate crime prosecutions after a spate of antisemitic attacks that the prime minister on Tuesday called a “crisis for all of us”.Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, issued guidance to his staff on Tuesday telling them to bring forward prosecutions against any sort of hate crime as quickly as they could, rather than waiting until they had gathered all possible evidence.Keir Starmer urged groups including universities, arts groups and charities to do more to tackle antisemitism during a summit in Downing Street.As well as imposing new reporting requirements on universities and the Arts Council, the prime minister threatened “consequences” against Iran if it was found to have been behind last week’s stabbing in Golders Green, north London.Parkinson said in a statement on Tuesday: “The acts of extreme violence and criminal damage that we have seen against the Jewish community in recent months have been deplorable

Rage workouts: the best way to exercise – or just infuriating?

Angry gym classes are booming, with activities including pummelling tyres with a sledgehammer. But they might not be as cathartic as they at first appearName: Rage workouts.Age: Would this be a good time to invoke Aristotle’s beliefs on catharsis?Appearance: Pumped-up, red-faced, veiny, on the brink of a disciplinary hearing.Is this about being angry at the gym? Because, this morning there was a guy just sitting, using his phone, on the machine I needed … You’re close, but you’re not quite right. This isn’t about getting angry while you’re exercising, it’s about getting angry in order to exercise

Dame Shirley Porter obituary

There was a time in the late 1980s when Shirley Porter was the second most famous and powerful female politician in Britain: “the Iron Lady of the town halls”. Like her heroine, Margaret Thatcher, she was a grocer’s daughter, though the family business, Tesco, was somewhat bigger than the prime minister’s corner shop. Porter’s eventual fall from grace was devastating both for her personal reputation and for Thatcherism’s perceived way of doing things. She was, simply, the most corrupt politician of her time.Porter, who has died aged 95, was pursued by the district auditor from her power base at Westminster city council, where she was leader for eight years, 1983-91, and eventually found to have acted illegally in selling council houses with the aim of increasing Conservative votes, in what became known as the “homes for votes” scandal

‘Group is a lifesaver’: strangers buy Wetherspoon’s meals for homeless people through app

Carl used to own pubs – several of them – and a string of hotels. Then two years ago, rising costs forced him into bankruptcy. Now he sleeps on the beach in summer, and in winter sits in an all-night McDonald’s nursing a single cup of coffee.Carl’s daughters are in a different part of the country with his ex-wife. To maintain the illusion that he lives a normal life, Carl is careful only to video-call them from the local Wetherspoon’s with a meal and a drink carefully positioned in shot

Coalition accused of secretly giving big tobacco lobbyists private platform in parliament

Anti-smoking campaigners have accused the Coalition of secretly giving tobacco giants access to a parliamentary inquiry, a move they say undermines more than 15 years of precedent to protect public health.On Monday, representatives from tobacco company Philip Morris appeared before a Senate committee considering the illegal tobacco trade in Australia.Chaired by South Australian Liberal senator Leah Blyth, the committee also heard from anti-smoking campaigners, health groups and Australian Border Force, but Labor, the Greens and the Australian Council on Smoking and Health raised concerns that executives from cigarette manufacturers were allowed to give evidence in a closed session in Canberra.The committee published a full program for Monday’s hearings, but did not list evidence from Philip Morris or any other “in camera” – or private – session.Labor senator Jana Stewart and Greens senator Jordon Steele-John objected to the in-camera evidence by representatives of Philip Morris on Monday afternoon