UK to Build More Attack Submarines in ‘Message to Moscow'
The UK intends to send a 'message to Moscow' with plans to expand its fleet of attack submarines and invest in its nuclear deterrent as part of a new defense strategy to head off the threat posed by Russia.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government will on Monday reveal plans to spend £15 billion ($20 billion) on its warhead program and build up to 12 new submarines as part of the AUKUS program it operates alongside the US and Australia, to bolster Britain's 'warfighting readiness,' the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.
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Medscape
11 minutes ago
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UK Cancer Deaths Drop 22% in 50 Years Despite Rising Cases
Cancer death rates in the UK have fallen by 22% over the past 50 years. However, diagnoses have risen by almost half, according to a new analysis by Cancer Research UK (CRUK). The Cancer in the UK Report 2025 provides the first 50 years of UK-wide data on cancer mortality and cases. Death rates fell from around 328 per 100,000 people in 1973 to around 252 per 100,000 in 2023. CRUK described the findings as 'profound'. The charity said improvements in diagnosis, treatment, and smoking reduction had helped drive the decline. People today are twice as likely to survive their disease for at least 10 years compared to 50 years ago. Survival rates improved from one in four people in the early 1970s to one in two today. Rising Incidence Despite Progress Cancer incidence rates increased sharply by 47% during the same period. Cases rose from around 413 to 607 per 100,000 people. However, the charity noted that because of the UK's growing and ageing population, actual numbers continue to rise. Nearly 1100 new cases are diagnosed daily, with more than 460 deaths each day. This occurs despite significant progress in prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. CRUK called on the government to ensure that its upcoming National Cancer Plan for England is 'ambitious and fully funded'. Early Diagnosis Rates Stagnant Research into improving screening programmes, tests, and drugs helped reduce death rates. Policy action on smoking reduced rates for cancers with poor survival outcomes. Lung cancer mortality rates decreased from 80.9 per 100,000 people in 1971-1973 to 49.8 in 2021-2023. Bowel cancer rates fell from 48.0 to 26.3, whilst breast cancer dropped from 30.7 to 16.9. However, pancreatic cancer rates remained stable at around 15 per 100,000 people. Some cancers showed increases, including prostate cancer from 13.3 to 18.3 and oesophageal cancer from 9.2 to 12.0. Just over half of cancers (54%) were diagnosed at an early stage in England, the report found. This proportion has not changed for almost a decade. Around half of all new cancer diagnoses occur in people aged 70 and over. However, incidence rates are rising fastest in younger people, with a 23% increase in people aged 20 to 49 since the early 1990s. Screening Programmes Save Lives Three cancer screening programmes save around 5000 lives every year across the UK, according to CRUK. Smoking remains the biggest cause of cancer in the UK. It accounts for around a fifth of all cancer deaths each year. Around one in 20 UK cancer deaths are now linked to being overweight or obese. Michelle Mitchell, CRUK's chief executive, welcomed the reduced death rates and doubled survival rates. However, she stressed that too many cases are diagnosed at a late stage. "If we want to change that, we need bold action from the UK government," Mitchell said. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, highlighted recent innovations. These include lung cancer screening in car parks and AI technology to spot skin cancer. Mitchell urged that the upcoming National Cancer Plan for England must improve survival and transform services. She said the plan "could save countless lives across England and ensure people affected by cancer live longer, better lives". CRUK has also published devolved nation summaries of its findings for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Map shows where benefits claimants are most likely to lose their PIP payments
MPs are due to vote later this month on the government's controversial plans to make £5bn of benefits cuts. Sir Keir Starmer is facing the prospect of a backbench rebellion over the proposals, which include controversial plans to restrict the eligibility rules for people claiming PIP disability benefit. The growing political row has shone a light on the scale of the cuts, which could impact some 800,000 disabled people claiming PIP by 2030, according to the department of work and pension's (DWP) own figures. However, some think tanks believe at least another 100,000 people will be impacted by the cuts. The DWP data reveals that the cuts are most likely to affect PIP claimants in Labour heartlands, with a swell of Labour backbenchers taking issue with the scale and severity of the welfare reforms. As a result, Starmer is reportedly considering considering 'tweaks' to the cuts to soften the impact and quell anger among his own MPs. Yahoo News has already analysed the health conditions most at risk from the cuts (the people most likely to miss out are those who suffer from back pain). We've now taken a look at the areas are where claimants are most likely to lose out on PIP payments. From November 2026, those claiming the "daily living element" of PIP – which provides financial support for individuals who need help with everyday tasks and mobility – will need to score a minimum of four points in at least one activity (there are 10 categories for daily living and two for mobility) to continue to qualify for benefits support. According to data released by the DWP, the PIP cuts will hit hardest in the north-west of England, where 208,157 claimants receiving the benefit currently score less than four points in a single activity. London ranks the second-highest in the findings, with more than 162,000 claimants also receiving PIP without scoring the four point minimum needed for their claim to continue after 2026. Perhaps surprisingly in the north east of England — which is known for experiencing alarmingly high child poverty rates — the cuts will impact the least recipients out of anywhere in England and Wales. However, this may be because the area has a significant number of the most vulnerable disabled people, who have the highest needs and therefore would not necessarily have their payments cut. While the scale of the PIP cuts are clearly far-reaching, our map indicates that the ten areas most affected by the government's PIP cuts are in Labour heartlands. In fact, out of top 20 areas where claimants are set to miss out on PIP, 19 voted for Labour in the general election — with Clacton voting for Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. Liverpool Walton tops the list of worst affected constituencies, with 20.3% PIP claimants in the area facing losing the benefit post-cuts. The historically red area voted for MP Dan Carden in the 2024 general election, securing a thumping 30,520 majority. Here's a list of the top 20 constituencies affected by the cuts, with the number of PIP claimants set to miss out: Constituency % of claimants who scored less than four points in all daily living activities Total number of claimants who scored less than four points in all daily living activities 1. Liverpool Walton 20.3 13,465 2. Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney 19.9 11,888 3. Blackpool South 19.6 13,802 4. Aberafan Maesteg 19.2 10,989 5. Easington 19 11,262 6. Birkenhead 18.8 12,638 7. Knowsley 18.3 11,285 8. Rhondda and Ogmore 18.3 11,481 9. Bootle 18.2 11,978 10. Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare 18.1 11,275 11. Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough 17.1 12,247 12. Liverpool West Derby 17.1 10,902 13. Hartlepool 17 9,948 14. Clwyd North 16.8 9,771 15. Wallasey 16.6 9,942 16. Swansea West 16.2 11,554 17. Clacton 16.1 8,771 18. Llanelli 16 9,195 19. Barnsley South 15.9 10,685 29. Neath and Swansea East 15.7 9,932 In the wake of Labour's chastening local election results in May, some have pointed the finger at the government's welfare cuts as one of the key drivers of discontent among the party's traditional voting base. A backbench rebellion could spread to more than 100 MPs, some reports have suggested. Peter Lamb, the Labour MP for Crawley, is one of those to have publicly criticised the cuts, saying in May he would be 'voting against anything which is going to restrict access to PIP further than it's currently restricted'. Many Labour MPs across different wings of the party are 'deeply uncomfortable' with what ministers are planning, he said. Homelessness charities recently added to the growing clamour of anger among campaigners, warning that the reforms "will increase the number of people at risk of becoming homeless for the first time". An open letter co-ordinated by the St Mungo's homelessness charity and sent to the chancellor Rachel Reeves said the new proposals will 'push people further away from the labour market, increase homelessness and put excessive pressure on statutory services'. The government has now said it is looking into increasing the eligibility threshold for winter fuel payments. An impact assessment published alongside the reforms warned some 250,000 people – including 50,000 children – could fall into relative poverty as a result of the changes. Data from the government shows that between October to December 2024, just over a fifth (21%) of households facing homelessness had some sort of physical ill health or disability. A DWP spokesperson said: 'The majority of people who are currently getting PIP will continue to receive it. We will never compromise on protecting people who need our support, and our reforms will mean the social security system will always be there for those who will never be able to work, and that their income is protected. 'We have also announced a review of the PIP assessment, and we will be working with disabled people and key organisations representing them to consider how best to do this.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
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Watch live: Madeleine McCann investigators scour abandoned farmhouse near Christian Brueckner home in Portugal
Watch live as investigators searching for Madeleine McCann scour an abandoned farmhouse near the home of prime suspect Christian Brueckner. German and Portuguese police are in the municipality of Lagos, which sits next to Praia da Luz, the town in the Algarve where Madeline went missing 18 years ago. The search will cover 20 properties, cisterns, wells and ruins, according to sources close to the investigation. Investigators will reportedly look at trenches dug near the resort at the time of Madeleine's disappearance and are also using ground-penetrating radar to see if it can find any traces of the young British girl. Madeleine vanished from an apartment complex on 3 May, 2007 whilst on holiday with her family, prompting a Europe-wide police investigation. Investigators from Germany have taken the lead in the case since identifying 48-year-old Brueckner - who is currently in prison for a separate crime - as their prime suspect in 2020. Brueckner has repeatedly denied any involvement in the three-year-old's disappearance. A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'We are aware of the searches being carried by the BKA (German federal police) in Portugal as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. 'The Metropolitan Police Service is not present at the search, we will support our international colleagues where necessary.'
