Africa Daily Focus on Africa: Why has polio re-emerged in Angola?
Angola was certified as polio-free in 2015, but is now combating a new outbreak of the disease after several cases were reported in a Western province. What has caused the virus to come back?
A new report says Islamist militants are using Starlink technology to ramp up operational capabilities in Niger.
And why are South Sudanese women fashion's favourites and are being sought after on the catwalk?
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
I thought my drink had been spiked on holiday but I'd actually had a STROKE at 23 – I was shocked to find out why
STRAPPED to a stretcher in an ambulance, Alicia Kember desperately tried to make sense of what was happening. On August 7, 2022, the now 26-year-old had woken up in the villa in Portugal where she was staying with a friend, looking forward to another relaxing day on the beach. 6 6 But as she got up to use the loo, Alicia was struck with an intense dizzy sensation - and collapsed on the floor, throwing up and passing out. Alicia, from Surrey, tells Sun Health: 'I think I was drifting in and out of consciousness for around an hour before I remembered, through the fog, that I was wearing my smart watch and could call my friend Chloe on it. 'After finding me lying on the bathroom floor, unable to get up, she immediately called an ambulance.' Chloe's initial assumption was that one of Alicia's drinks the night before had been spiked, and as she was rushed into A&E, Alicia too was trying to find an explanation for this sudden onset of illness. Alicia remembers: 'I thought I must have been spiked the night before when we were out. 'Or, maybe I was experiencing a reaction to some cheap alcohol, or had heatstroke or food poisoning? 'My mind was racing, and I felt scared and confused, as doctors and nurses surrounded me, trying to establish what was wrong.' Doctors also suspected there was a straightforward, holiday-related explanation for her state. She says: 'They thought it was down to drink or drugs, and I was just another young person on holiday who'd partied too hard. 'One asked me, 'Did you take something?' and in trying to answer no, I realised my speech wasn't normal. How to check your pulse, for risk of stroke 'My voice felt weak, and my mouth was shaky as I tried to form words. 'When it became clear my condition wasn't improving, and I couldn't even get out of bed unaided, I was taken for a CT and MRI scan. 'Then, a doctor delivered the shocking diagnosis that I'd suffered a stroke, explaining that the blood flow to a part of my brain had been cut off.' Stroke shock In the UK, over 100,000 people have a stroke or mini-stroke every year. Most people who have strokes are over 65, but one in four strokes happens in younger people, according to the charity Different Strokes ( which supports younger stroke survivors. 'I was immediately transferred to the ICU and hooked up to beeping machines and drips,' says Alicia. 'I still felt incredibly unwell and exhausted, and just couldn't properly process this news. 'Surely strokes were something that happened to the elderly, not a 23-year-old on holiday?' 6 6 Alicia's parents and her boyfriend Josh, now 27, flew to Portugal, where they spent the next month by her hospital bedside. 'The stroke had affected the cerebellum [part of the brain], which is responsible for coordination and balance,' says Alicia. 'As a result, although I wasn't paralysed and could eat and drink, my fine motor skills were very poor, my speech weak, and I was wobbly on my feet.' After a multitude of tests failed to confirm why Alicia had suffered a stroke, Portuguese doctors agreed she could fly home in September 2022. I was trying to process how I'd gone from being on holiday after graduating, planning a move to London for my career in sales, to lying in a hospital bed after a stroke. Alicia Kember She says: 'Getting on the plane was emotional, not just because I was scared I might fall ill in the air, but I was also very worried about what lay ahead in attempting to recover at home. 'I was trying to process how I'd gone from being on holiday after graduating, planning a move to London for my career in sales, to lying in a hospital bed after a stroke. 'When I'd flown out to Portugal, life had felt so good. I was at the beginning of a new, exciting chapter. 'A holiday had turned into a nightmare and I had no idea what I was now facing. 'Pause button on life' For three months, Alicia was cared for by nurses from a local hospital, which had a neuro-rehab unit, along with regular sessions with a physio and a psychotherapist. She says: 'With a lot of effort, I relearned how to walk properly, hold a pen, and climb stairs, all of which had become very challenging as a result of the stroke. 'As the weeks passed, things did improve.' But it was the emotional recovery that was hardest, as Alicia felt 'isolated'. 'I know now that can be common among stroke survivors,' she says. 'Stuck at home while friends were working, socialising and travelling, I felt like a pause button had been pressed on my adult life, just as it had been getting started. 'I'd feel angry and envious, then realise they were doing nothing wrong, it was just hard to be reminded of my past self. 'Even once I was well enough to go out again, I'd feel anxious about falling because I was still suffering from tremors on my right side, and I was extremely sensitive to noise and lights. 'Nobody truly understood what I'd experienced, and I felt very alone.' A year after her stroke and further tests, Alicia finally learnt what had caused it. She says: 'I had a patent foramen ovale - a hole in my heart since birth, which left me at increased risk of stroke, and I had to go through treatment to close it. 'It was another shock to come to terms with, another blow at a young age.' 6 6 A defining moment in her recovery came when she saw an Instagram post from Different Strokes - '50 things stroke survivors wish people in their lives knew about stroke'. 'I wept reading it, because it was like holding up a mirror to my own feelings,' she says. 'One of the quotes said 'I wish you knew how hard it is to watch others carrying on with their lives whilst you're stuck and left behind, trying to pick up the pieces'.' 'That's just how I felt.' Three years on from her stroke, Alicia is now living in London with a friend and still happily with Josh, but has to manage fatigue. She says: 'I am grateful I now have the chance to share what I went through to help other young people feel less alone, and give them hope that recovery - both physical and emotional - is possible.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Rugby personal trainer feels 'unstoppable' after quitting alcohol
Almost a year ago, Juggy Sidhu gave up alcohol. He had always had a turbulent relationship with it and became addicted at university after losing his 37-year-old personal trainer from Rugby said 12 months into sobriety, he enjoys improved health, better sleep and less anxiety. He supports himself with other techniques such as journaling and breathwork to help him relax."This might sound cheesy but I now feel mentally unstoppable," he said."Alcohol was just distracting me from the problems I was trying to run away from."Whereas now I'm aware of the challenges I'm facing and coming up with more positive solutions to them." He said many of his problems with alcohol stemmed from societal pressure and how "normalised" drinking was in the Asian community."When you're sad, you're encouraged to drink, when you're happy you're encouraged to drink, and every occasion you go to is centred around food and drink," said Mr Sidhu."I just ask myself 'what's my future self going to thank me for?' And very rarely is that going to be having a drink of alcohol." Richard Cooke, professor of health psychology at the University of Staffordshire, said it was becoming more common for people to re-evaluate their relationship with alcohol and choose to drink said researchers had found younger groups were the most "sober curious", but also that middle-aged men were interested in no-alchohol and low-alcohol products."There are a range of reasons," he said. "People are more aware of health issues than they were in the past - for example, more evidence accumulating around the risks of cancer associated with alcohol consumption."He also said some people just wanted to drink less to feel better, adding: "They don't have a hangover and better sleep." According to the ISWR, a body that analyses data from the alcoholic drinks industry, the total UK no and low-alcohol market is expected to have more than doubled in 2024 compared with the previous is a trend that is being picked up by restaurants and bars across the Stark, a sommelier at the Wild Shropshire restaurant in Whitchurch, recently won the 2025 Innovation Award for his non-alcoholic Creations drinks flight, a selection of drinks served together as a tasting said particularly on weekday nights and lunchtimes, "50% to 60% of the room chooses a non-alcoholic flight" and even those who are not driving are opting to try it over alcoholic beverages."Passengers are also choosing the non-alcoholic options too because of how tasty and interesting it is," he added. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Free health advice on offer at Clacton Airshow
Free health advice will be offered to thousands of visitors expected to pack a seaside town for a major Clacton Airshow - taking place this Thursday and Friday - typically attracts about 250,000 people across the two the first day of this year's event, which is organised by Tendring District Council, there will be a Healthier Habits Hub."The airshow is always a highlight in Essex's summer calendar, and it's a fantastic way for organisations to share important advice and support with residents in their community," said John Spence, a county councillor with a responsibility for public health. From 10:00 BST to 13:00 on Thursday, the hub will offer guidance on mental health, community health services and sexual will also be information on lung health and free blood pressure hub will offer "non-judgemental advice that can make a real difference", said Spence, a Conservative councillor. He added that bringing the hub to the airshow would make "vital health and wellbeing support" accessible to residents in an informal and information for young people aged will also be available through Hughes, from the charity, added: "This is a great step for our community, offering a dedicated space for us all to focus on our wellbeing. "It's an opportunity to come together, learn from one another and build a stronger, healthier community." It is hoped the Red Arrows will be flying on both days of this year's free at the district council have promised a "poignant commemoration" marking 80 years since the end of World War Two. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
