Author: Andrew Rogers

People who drink a few cups of tea or coffee each day may face a lower risk of dementia, researchers say. A long-term US study found that adults who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of caffeinated tea daily had a 15–20% lower dementia risk than non-drinkers. The research analysed health records from more than 130,000 participants followed for up to 43 years and was published in Journal of the American Medical Association. Caffeinated coffee drinkers also showed slightly less cognitive decline and better performance on some brain tests than those who drank…

BP faces growing pressure from shareholders as it prepares to publish full-year results. Analysts expect weaker profits after oil prices fell for a third straight year, marking the sharpest decline since the Covid pandemic. City forecasts put BP’s annual profit at about $7.5bn, down from nearly $9bn in 2024, after crude prices dropped below $60 a barrel late last year. Incoming chief executive Meg O’Neill will face demands to set out a clear new strategy. Investor groups want BP to explain how it will manage spending as long-term demand for fossil fuels declines. Shareholders led by the Australasian Centre for…

Researchers say menstrual blood testing could provide a convenient alternative to cervical screening.A sanitary pad fitted with a sample strip can detect human papillomavirus, which causes most cervical cancers. The test allows women to collect samples at home without a clinician.This could help reach millions who currently skip cervical screening. Scientists in China compared menstrual blood samples with clinician-collected cervical samples.The study involved more than 3,000 women with regular menstrual cycles. Results, published in BMJ, showed high accuracy for detecting serious cervical abnormalities.Pad-collected samples detected CIN2 lesions with 94.7% sensitivity. This matched the performance of clinician-collected samples.Researchers called the method…

Most side-effects listed for statins are not caused by the drugs, a major review finds.Researchers published the analysis in The Lancet after reviewing 19 trials with 124,000 participants.The study found evidence for muscle pain, diabetes risk, and four minor effects only.These included liver test changes, mild liver abnormalities, urine changes, and tissue swelling.Researchers found no strong evidence linking statins to memory loss, depression, sleep problems, or nerve damage.The benefits of statins in preventing heart attacks and strokes far outweighed the small risks.Lead author Christina Reith said statins did not increase common complaints compared with no treatment.Experts called for updated drug…

Hidden sellers promote unlicensed weight-loss drugs through WhatsApp and Telegram giveaways.They offer injectable medicines as competition prizes. The Guardian found groups advertising retatrutide, an unapproved experimental drug.Posts pressure users with short entry deadlines. Experts warn these promotions pose serious health risks.They misuse aggressive marketing tactics for unlicensed medicines. Some sellers disguise drug sales as fitness coaching programmes.Authorities say platforms ban illegal drug sales.

Comedian and actor Dave Coulier has announced that he is now in remission from tongue cancer. The news comes after a period of early detection, treatment, and recovery that Coulier says offers hope to others facing the disease. Coulier, best known for his role on the popular television show Full House, shared his journey publicly to raise awareness about cancer prevention and the importance of regular health checkups. He emphasized that catching the cancer early played a major role in his successful treatment. The actor underwent medical treatments that included surgery and ongoing monitoring. Doctors confirmed that his cancer is…

Researchers say ultra-processed foods resemble cigarettes more than healthy food and need stricter regulation.A study from Harvard, Duke, and the University of Michigan said UPFs are engineered to drive addiction.They linked UPFs to widespread health harms similar to those caused by smoking.The findings appeared in Milbank Quarterly.UPFs include soft drinks, crisps, and packaged snacks made with industrial additives.Researchers criticised “health washing” claims like “low fat” or “sugar free”.They urged policies similar to tobacco control, including marketing limits and legal action.Experts warned action should shift responsibility from consumers to the food industry.

Toto Wolff dismissed rival claims that Mercedes is exploiting loopholes in the 2026 engine rules.He insisted the power unit is legal and approved by the FIA.The dispute centres on engine compression ratios and alleged gains from thermal expansion.Audi, Ferrari and Honda raised concerns, but Wolff said rivals should “focus on themselves”.He warned protests could still follow after the season opener in Melbourne.

Researchers recreated cosmic dust in a Sydney lab to study how life’s building blocks reached Earth.University of Sydney PhD candidate Linda Losurdo produced dust by mimicking dying stars.Cosmic dust carries organic CHON molecules, essential to life’s chemistry.Scientists debate whether these molecules formed on Earth or arrived via meteorites.Losurdo used plasma and star-like gases inside a vacuum chamber.The method reproduces dust with infrared signatures matching real space material.Experts say the work could advance research into early life formation.The study appeared in the Astrophysical Journal.

Consumer prices for goods such as computers, electrical machinery and transport equipment could rise sharply as shipping costs surge, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply warned.CIPS said rising transport, energy and raw material costs are exposing cracks in global supply chains.A late-2025 survey showed supply disruption concerns at a two-year high among procurement leaders.Shipping and logistics face the steepest increases, with 22% reporting costs rising over 10%.Computer, transport and electrical equipment prices have also climbed.CIPS said volatility now looks structural, driven by geopolitics, tariffs and trade tensions.