Latest news with #ImperialCollege
The Independent
an hour ago
- Health
- The Independent
Fewer women should become doctors as they ‘have got to have babies', retired surgeon says
A prominent retired surgeon has claimed too many women are doing medical degrees, which is causing problems for the NHS as 'women have got to have babies" and many end up working part-time. Dr Meirion Thomas, a former professor of surgical oncology at Imperial College, said the gender balance has swung too far in favour of female medical students. Asked what was wrong with having more female doctors in training, Dr Thomas told Times Radio 'the fact of life is that women have got to have babies'. He said: 'You're putting me on the spot now, and I'll be hated for this, but the fact of life is, of course, women have got to have babies. Of course, they've got to have time to bring up their children.' Dr Thomas said women often end up working part-time or job-sharing, and that it takes two women to work the equivalent of one full-time man. 'I'm going to be hated for saying that, but I'm afraid it's true,' he added. His comments came as part of a discussion about NHS strikes, which are set to run for five days from 7am on Friday, with thousands of resident doctors expected to join the walkout in an ongoing dispute over pay. Dr Thomas said 'please don't take offence at this', before referencing a photograph from a previous doctors' strike, which he said showed that of the 30 to 40 people pictured, only two were men. 'All the rest were women. So that tells me something,' he said. Pressed on why that would be a problem, Dr Thomas said: 'The one problem is that medical schools now are taking 60 to 70 per cent women as medical students. It's a huge imbalance, huge imbalance and that should be reduced to 50-50 for sure.' Dr Thomas has previously complained about GPs working part-time, which the Royal College of General Practitioners has said 'misses the point'. He has also previously warned that the NHS is being flooded with doctors from poorer countries, claiming that the UK has 'no idea if they are competent'. The public is being urged to continue coming forward for NHS care during a five-day strike, which is likely to see tens of thousands of operations and appointments cancelled. NHS England said hospitals and local teams have been preparing before the strike, and have plans in place to 'minimise disruption to patient care and ensure life-saving care continues'. Thousands of resident doctors are expected to join the walkout, which is the 12th by resident doctors since March 2023. New NHS England boss, Sir Jim Mackey, has urged hospital leaders to keep routine operations and appointments going if possible and to only cancel if there is a risk to patient safety. During the strike, GP surgeries will open as usual and urgent care and A&E will continue to be available for those who need them, NHS England said. It urged the public to use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England national medical director, said: 'There is no doubt this industrial action will take a toll on patients and NHS staff, and it is disappointing it is going ahead. 'While it will mean some appointments won't be able to go ahead as planned, we are doing all we can to limit this, and patients should continue to use NHS services in the usual way. 'The public should dial 999 in an emergency, and otherwise use 111 online, your local pharmacist or GP, and patients should attend NHS appointments unless told otherwise.'
NDTV
3 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Study Abroad: Canada Or UK? Top Universities, Fees And Other Details As Per QS Rankings
Study Abroad: Canada Or UK?: Canada and the United Kingdom are among the most sought after destinations for international students because these countries not only offer a multi-cultural environment, but also provide quality education through its world-class universities. But before choosing a country for higher education, it is necessary for students to carry out thorough research about universities and their fee structures. Here is a comparison of the top universities in Canada and UK: 1. Imperial College, London vs McGill University, Canada Imperial College is the top university in the UK and the second best in the world as per QS World University Rankings 2026. The university has a Employer Reputation (ER) score of 100. ER evaluates how highly employer's worldwide regard a university's graduates. A total of 225 courses are offered by the institution. McGill University, Canada is the best in the country and is ranked 27th among the top universities of the world providing courses in Bachelor's (249), Master's (167 programs), 3 MBA courses and 79 PhD programs. The university has a ER of 93.5. McGill university currently has 10,194 international students studying while Imperial College has 9,230 international students. Comparing the top universities of their respective country, UK and Canada, UK's Imperial College has a higher Employer and world-wide reputation. The tuition-fees starts from Rs.22,04,763 for the McGill University, while for Imperial College the tuition-fees starts at Rs.40,70,283. 2. University of Oxford, London vs University of Toronto, Canada University of Oxford is the second best in the UK and ranked fourth among the top universities of the world with a ER of 100. University of Toronto, Canada is the second best in Canada with a global ranking of 29 and an ER of 99.1. Oxford currently has 9,087 international students enrolled while Toronto has a total of 31,911 international students studying. Toronto does not offer PhD programs while Oxford offers 80 programs in several fields. 3. University College London (UCL) vs University of British Columbia, Canada UCL, London is the fourth best university in the country and ninth best in the world. The university's tuition-fees starts at Rs.27,91,051 and has a ER of 99.4. University of British Columbia, Canada provides a total of 496 Undergraduate and Postgraduate programs. It is ranked the 40th best university in the world with an ER of British Columbia currently has 16,228 international students enrolled while UCL has 26,184 international students. 4. University de Montreal, Canada vs University of Cambridge, UK Montreal University charges a tuition-fees of Rs.4,00,196 to international students and is ranked 168th among the top universities of the world. The university has 8,885 international students currently enrolled and has a low ER of 44. University of Cambridge, London has a Employer Reputation score of 100 and provides 300 Undergraduate and Postgraduate programs. The university currently has 7,973 international students enrolled.
CNN
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
European heat has killed thousands this summer – are changes coming to cool off?
European heat has killed thousands this summer – are changes coming to cool off? The most recent heatwave in Europe killed 2,300 across 12 cities, according to new research from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. CNN's senior climate writer Laura Paddison explains why Europe still struggles so much with the heat. 01:21 - Source: CNN Vertical World News 16 videos European heat has killed thousands this summer – are changes coming to cool off? The most recent heatwave in Europe killed 2,300 across 12 cities, according to new research from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. CNN's senior climate writer Laura Paddison explains why Europe still struggles so much with the heat. 01:21 - Source: CNN Taiwan conducts 10-day military drill The Taiwanese government is preparing for a war they hope will never happen. For the first time this year, Taiwan combined two major civil defense exercises, with the drills lasting ten days. These drills have included urban combat, mass casualty simulations, emergency supply drops and cyber defense that could be enacted if an invasion was to occur. CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Will Ripley, reports. 01:44 - Source: CNN Surgeon shows humanitarian crisis in Gaza's hospitals A surgeon working in southern Gaza says babies are arriving at hospital so malnourished that 'skin and bones doesn't do it justice.' He also describes what appears to be a disturbing pattern in the gunshot wounds of children arriving from food distribution sites. CNN's Nada Bashir reports. 02:55 - Source: CNN Brazil's Lula tells Christiane Amanpour: Trump 'Was not elected to be emperor of the world' Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview it was 'a surprise' to see President Donald Trump's letter posted to Truth Social, threatening Brazil with a crippling tariff of 50% starting August 1st. Lula says that he initially thought the letter was 'fake news.' Watch the full 'Amanpour' interview on CNN. 01:33 - Source: CNN Gaza's only Catholic church hit by Israeli strike Gaza's only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli tank, killing three and injuring many more, church officials said. It became internationally recognized after reports emerged that the late Pope Francis used to call the church daily. CNN's Nada Bashir reports 00:53 - Source: CNN Prince Harry recreates his mother's historic landmine walk Following in his mother's footsteps, Prince Harry visited Angola's minefields just as Princess Diana did 28 years ago. The Duke of Sussex was in Angola with The Halo Trust as part of the group's efforts to clear landmines. 00:39 - Source: CNN Massive fire destroys Tomorrowland's main stage Tomorrowland's main stage went up in flames just days ahead of the festival's opening in Boom, Belgium. 00:38 - Source: CNN How Trump's image is changing inside Russia Once hailed as a pro-Kremlin figure, President Donald Trump's image is changing inside Russia. It comes after Trump vowed further sanctions on the country if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent is on the ground in Moscow with the analysis. 01:41 - Source: CNN Who are the armed groups clashing in Syria? Dozens were killed in Syria this week after clashes between government loyalists and Druze militias in the southern city of Suwayda, prompting Syrian forces to intervene. That, in turn, triggered renewed Israeli airstrikes. 01:57 - Source: CNN Syrian anchor takes cover from airstrike live on TV An airstrike on the Syrian Ministry of Defense was captured live on Syria TV, forcing the anchor to take cover. Israel has been carrying out airstrikes on Syria as part of its commitment to protect the Druze, an Arab minority at the center of clashes with government loyalists. 00:30 - Source: CNN Video shows machine gun fire near Gaza aid site A video from social media shows machine gun fire spraying the ground near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza as crowds of Palestinians lie on the ground for safety. Although the source of the gunfire is not seen in the video, multiple eyewitnesses say it shows the Israeli military opening fire on Palestinians as they waited for food on Saturday. In a statement, the IDF said, 'The details of the video are under review.' 01:02 - Source: CNN Analysis: Moscow's reaction to Trump's 50-day peace deadline President Donald Trump has vowed further sanctions on Russia if a peace deal is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent breaks down the Russian reaction and perspective on Monday's announcement from Moscow. 01:13 - Source: CNN Trump attends FIFA Club World Cup final CNN's Patrick Snell reports on President Trump's visit to MetLife Stadium for the FIFA Club World Cup Final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. 00:52 - Source: CNN Top Russian diplomat is in North Korea. What does this mean? Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in North Korea for a three-day visit. CNN's Will Ripley explains why this could be a sign of deepening relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. 01:16 - Source: CNN ICE vehicle runs through protesters CNN affiliate KGO reports that an ICE vehicle ran through protesters attempting to stop an alleged deportation outside the San Francisco Federal Immigration Court. 00:59 - Source: CNN Doctor drives heart through Kyiv during Russian drone attack Amid explosions from a massive Russian drone attack, a Ukrainian doctor drove through Kyiv to deliver a heart to his seriously ill patient, after a donor became available on the opposite side of the city. Following the surgery, the doctor said he was hopeful the 12-year-old girl would recover. 00:51 - Source: CNN
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Climate
- Gulf Today
Heat wave in Europe kills 1,500 people in 10 days
Europe is reeling under an unprecedented heatwave, and it has touched extremely high temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius and 46 degrees Celsius in late June and early July. And it has caused an alarming death toll of 1,500 people, many of them aged above 65. Europe is not used to these high summer temperatures and it has not experienced this kind of extreme heat at the very beginning of summer. Summer peaked in Europe in late July and August. Meteorologists are explaining the extreme heat event to the formation of a heat dome over places experiencing peak temperatures in Spain and Portugal because of high pressure. They say the high pressure captures heat near the surface and it does not allow convex clouds to form and lead to rainfall. Europe has been bearing extreme summer temperatures for many years now, though the years of peak temperatures have been in 2003, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. According to researchers at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, of the 2,300 heat-related deaths, 1,500 were due to climate change. Says Imperial College researcher Ben Clarke, 'Climate change has made it significantly hotter than it would have been, which in turn makes it a lot more dangerous.' The danger aspect of the heatwave is reflected in the death toll in many cities in 12 countries. A study by the two London institutions showed that 317 deaths in Milan were due to climate change, and 182 were not related to climate change, and the numbers for other cities show a similar pattern. In Paris, 235 deaths were due to climate change and 138 due to other reasons, in Barcelona 286 deaths were due to climate change compared to 54 for other reasons. In Rome, 162 deaths were due to climate change, and 118 for other reasons, and in London it is 171 deaths due to climate change and 92 due to other reasons. These deaths occurred in a short period of 10 days ending on July 2. The impact of high summer temperatures has a drastic impact in Europe because the temperate climate in the European countries had never experienced these heat extremities. People are not used to the heat as much as they are to the cold waves. It is a fact that the Europeans have been at the forefront of the climate change battle, they have raised the alarm much before the others, and they have been trying to adopt green technologies and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. But it becomes clear that Europe cannot protect itself from the consequences of climate by taking care of itself. Climate change is a global phenomenon. Europeans cannot hope to check the rise in temperatures and reduce CO2 emissions on their own. All other countries have to be part of the process. European climate negotiators have been playing tough in climate talks, especially with regard to giving financial assistance to developing and least developed countries so that they can buy the green technologies needed to cope with the challenge of climate change. The developed countries of Europe are refusing to share the financial burden of adopting the technologies needed to curb CO2 emissions and control pollution and rising temperatures. The unfortunate death toll of people in Europe unable to bear the extreme heat is a tragic reminder to the political leaders that they have to share the global burden of fighting climate change. Europe cannot hope to save itself from the disasters of climate change by trying to protect itself alone. It is very clear that Europe cannot remain immune to the depredations of climate change.
The Independent
7 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Universities awarded funding to help recruit ‘world's top researchers' to UK
A group of leading universities and research organisations has been selected to deliver a £54 million Government fund to recruit world-leading researchers to the UK. The Global Talent Fund, administered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), aims to attract up to 80 researchers in high-priority sectors such as life sciences and digital technologies. Twelve universities and research institutions across the UK have secured an equal share of the fund to help bring some of the world's foremost researchers and their teams to the UK. The institutions selected are: University of Bath; Queen's University Belfast; University of Birmingham; University of Cambridge; Cardiff University; Imperial College London; University of Oxford; University of Southampton; University of Strathclyde; University of Warwick; John Innes Centre and MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. The five-year Government fund, which starts in 2025/26, will cover all eligible costs with no requirement for match funding from research organisations. Visa and relocation costs for researchers and their family members will be covered by the fund. Science minister Lord Vallance said: 'Genius is not bound by geography. But the UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to incubate brilliant ideas, and turn them into new medicines that save lives, new products that make our lives easier, and even entirely new jobs and industries. 'Bringing these innovations to life, here in Britain, will be critical to delivering this Government's Plan For Change. 'My message to the bold and the brave who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is: our doors are open to you. 'We want to work with you, support you, and give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from.' Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: 'The UK is home to some of the world's best universities which are vital for attracting international top talent. 'Supported by our new Global Talent Taskforce, the Global Talent Fund will cement our position as a leading choice for the world's top researchers to make their home here, supercharging growth and delivering on our Plan For Change.'
