Author: Andrew Rogers

The UK tourism industry is showing optimism after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent visit to China. Officials and business leaders believe the trip could lead to more Chinese tourists and stronger cultural exchanges between the two countries. Industry experts say renewed engagement with China is likely to boost travel bookings and tourism spending in the UK. Hotels, attractions, and transport services could all benefit from the expected rise in visitors from China. Starmer’s diplomatic visit focused on strengthening people-to-people connections, trade, and cultural cooperation. Tourism stakeholders view this as a positive sign that travel between the UK and China will…

Ultra-processed foods should be regulated like cigarettes because they promote addiction and harm health, researchers said.Scientists from Harvard University, University of Michigan and Duke University compared UPFs to tobacco products.They said manufacturers design both to maximise consumption and stimulate reward pathways.The study, published in Milbank Quarterly, linked UPFs to widespread public health harm.Researchers criticised “health washing” claims such as “low fat” or “sugar free”.They urged marketing restrictions, legal action and stronger industry accountability.

Toto Wolff dismissed rival complaints about the legality of Mercedes’ 2026 engine.He insisted the design fully complies with regulations set by the FIA.Wolff said rival manufacturers missed an opportunity and should “focus on themselves”.The dispute centres on engine compression ratios that rise under thermal expansion.Mercedes and Red Bull Racing deny exploiting any loopholes.Mohammed Ben Sulayem backed the engine’s legality.Wolff accepted rivals may still protest after the Australian Grand Prix.

Researchers say lab-made cosmic dust may explain how organic matter reached early Earth.Thousands of tonnes of cosmic dust hit Earth yearly, mostly burning up in the atmosphere.At the University of Sydney, Linda Losurdo recreated cosmic dust from scratch in a laboratory.She simulated space conditions using vacuum tubes, gases, and high-voltage plasma.Cosmic dust carries CHON molecules, the chemical building blocks of life.Scientists debate whether these molecules formed on Earth or arrived from space.The work could clarify how meteorites acquired organic material.The study appeared in the Astrophysical Journal.

Consumer goods prices could rise sharply as global shipping costs continue to surge, an industry body warned.The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply said cracks are forming in global supply chains.Procurement leaders expect higher costs for computers, electrical machinery, and transport equipment in 2026.Shipping and logistics face the steepest increases, with many firms reporting double-digit cost rises.Rising energy, transport, and raw material prices are adding pressure across global trade.CIPS said volatility now looks permanent, not a temporary post-pandemic disruption.

West Ham United banned a season-ticket holder after he helped display an anti-board banner.Joshua Wood received a five-game ban for breaching stadium rules on banner size.The club said CCTV showed him retrieving an oversized banner from under his seat.The banner called on owners to sell but the letter cited only safety regulations.Wood denied bringing the banner into the stadium and plans to appeal the ban.

A major Swedish trial found that using AI in breast cancer screening reduced later cancer diagnoses by 12%.The study followed 100,000 women undergoing routine mammography between 2021 and 2022.Women receiving AI-supported screening had higher rates of early cancer detection.The AI system helped radiologists prioritise high-risk cases and flag suspicious findings.Researchers reported fewer aggressive cancers in the AI group.The results were published in The Lancet and mark the largest trial of its kind.Experts said AI could ease radiologist workloads but should not replace human readers.

Google DeepMind launched AlphaGenome, an AI tool that identifies genetic mutations driving disease.AlphaGenome analyses up to one million DNA letters at once.The system predicts how mutations disrupt gene regulation across different cells and tissues.Researchers trained the model on public human and mouse genetics databases.Scientists say it could speed discovery of disease mechanisms and new treatments.Experts believe AlphaGenome may guide future gene and cancer therapies.

Amazon revealed plans for fresh global job cuts after workers received an email sent in error.The message reached staff at Amazon Web Services and referenced layoffs under “Project Dawn”.It wrongly claimed affected employees in the US, Canada, and Costa Rica had already been informed.Senior vice-president Colleen Aubrey signed the draft email, which mentioned future organisational changes.Amazon cut 14,000 corporate roles last October and continues trimming pandemic-era hiring.Chief executive Andy Jassy has warned AI could replace some white-collar roles.Amazon declined immediate comment on the latest reports.

Scientists launched an AI-powered app that identifies dinosaurs from fossil footprints with about 90% agreement with human experts.Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Helmholtz-Zentrum developed the system using unlabelled footprint data.The team trained the AI on 2,000 footprint silhouettes and let it group shapes by shared features.The system identified eight key features, including toe spread, heel position, and ground contact.Researchers turned the tool into a free app called DinoTracker.Users can upload footprints and compare them with similar fossil tracks.The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The AI supports earlier claims that some Triassic footprints look…