Mental

Nurses’ union criticises ‘catastrophic system-wide failure’ in NHS as more under-18s getting stuck in emergency wardsChildren and young people in England having a mental health crisis are spending up to three days in an A&E unit before they get a bed in a specialist unit, NHS figures reveal.One children’s nurse who works in an emergency department said such long waits for under-18s who were in acute distress were “frankly barbaric” but “becoming far more normal”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Families of victims have called for health workers to be first responders and police minister says deal with NSW Health ‘very close to being signed’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNew South Wales police and the health department are expected to sign a new agreement on how to deal with mental health incidents, as the police union demands officers no longer be the “default response for every crisis”.“There is an MoU that is very close to being signed,” the police minister, Yasmin Catley, told police union members on Tuesday when discussing mental health call-outs. Continue reading...

Celeste Calocane gives evidence for first time at inquiry into Valdo Calocane’s 2023 attacksThe mother of the man who killed three people in an attack in Nottingham in 2023 has told an inquiry that the mental health “system is broken” and until there is a crisis “no one listens to you”.Valdo Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced to a suspended hospital order in January 2024 after killing students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, a 65-year-old caretaker, on 13 June 2023, and attempting to kill three others. Continue reading...

Elias Calocane says he thought violent messages sent by brother related to suicidal thoughts not harming othersThe younger brother of Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in an attack in Nottingham, said he felt “powerless” over his sibling’s mental ill health and believed violent messages his brother had sent concerned suicidal thoughts.Valdo Cacocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, stabbed to death Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, on 13 June 2023, and seriously injured three others. Continue reading...

One of PM’s expanding cohort of critics in Labour party says policy programme ‘sums up where we have gone wrong’For Keir Starmer’s Labour critics, his second king’s speech, in which the government set out what it would do in parliament over the next 12 to 18 months, was a crystallisation of everything that was wrong with the prime minister’s strategy.Over 34 bills and three draft ones, Starmer set out a programme he said would “make this country stronger and fairer”. But the package, which included limiting trial by jury, reshaping the NHS and moving the country closer to the EU, fell short of what some in the prime minister’s party feel is needed to win back voters’ trust. Continue reading...

• Buriram United defeated Johor Darul Ta'zim 3-1 in the first leg of the ASEAN Club Championship semifinals last week. • The Thai club heads into the second leg on Wednesday with a two-goal advantage, leveraging their recent mental dominance in head-to-head matchups. • This matchup highlights the intense rivalry in Southeast Asian club football, with Buriram aiming to advance to the final.

Researchers find 50+ hours a week can be detrimental to health but lighter responsibilities have positive effectThe stresses and strains of caring for someone for 50 hours or more a week leads to “accelerated cognitive decline” in middle-aged and older people, research shows.However, providing care for only five to nine hours a week has the opposite effect, boosting brain health so much that the benefits last until older age. Continue reading...

• Greens are increasingly conflicted but starting to benefit from embracing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' movement. • Environmental groups publicly rejected Kennedy during his presidential run, but some are now quietly aligning with the longtime environmental attorney. • The shift matters as it bridges divides between traditional greens and MAHA's health-focused agenda, potentially amplifying influence on policy.

Prime minister will try to convince Labour MPs to back him after suffering major election losses last week Good morning. The news this morning is full of speculation about whether or not there will be a Labour leadership contest. A better way of explaining the situation might be to say that a leadership contest is already under way; Angela Rayner issued what was in effect her manifesto late yesterday afternoon (although she also hinted she would be happy for it to be delivered by Andy Burnham as leader), and Keir Starmer delivers what you could see as a hustings speech this morning.Leaders can survive challenges. In 1995 John Major was widely seen as doomed, but Michael Portillo postponed a decision to stand against him, Major easily saw off a challenge from John Redwood (the Catherine West of his day, in some respects), and Major survived another two years. In 2016 the vast majority of Labour MPs voted no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn, but he survived (because he was adored by Labour members, a benefit that Starmer does not enjoy). In 2006 Tony Blair accepted he would have to go. But he was allowed to work his notice for a year; Gordon Brown and his allies were powerful enough to force him out, but not to force him out quickly.To meet the challenges that our country faces, incremental change won’t cut it.On growth, defence, Europe, energy – we need a bigger response than we anticipated in 2024 because these are not ordinary times. Continue reading...

Tuesday’s federal budget to include $500m to fund faster approvals for housing, energy and mining projects. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning, Krishani Dhanji here with you. Friends, it’s budget week, and it has come very quickly if you ask me!We’re getting a few final announcements from the government before Jim Chalmers hands down his budget tomorrow. That includes some money to speed up environmental approvals to boost productivity (more on that in a moment). Of course, all the big-ticket items – including reforms to capital gains tax, negative gearing and trusts, have already been out for weeks. Continue reading...

• Over the last 7 days, the US market rose 3.2% and is up 31% over the past year, with earnings forecast to grow 16% annually, spotlighting undiscovered gems based on debt-to-equity, revenue growth, earnings growth, and health ratings. • Top picks include First Bancorp (68.27% debt/equity, 1.25% revenue growth, -3.09% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), Southern Michigan Bancorp (108.80% debt/equity, 7.38% revenue growth, 0.84% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), and Cashmere Valley Bank (31.63% debt/equity, 5.07% revenue growth, 1.43% earnings growth, ★★★★★★). • Other notables are ASA Gold and Precious Metals (12.65% revenue growth, 41.20% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), Anbio Biotechnology (-30.09% revenue growth, -3.45% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), and Affinity Bancshares (41.71% debt/equity, 1.36% revenue growth, -0.22% earnings growth, ★★★★★★).

Victorian and federal Labor governments greenlight Otway basin drilling project with potential to supply one-third of state’s gasFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcasA new gas drilling project approved for Victoria’s Otway basin will make “the path to a safe climate harder” and put a “pristine ocean environment” at risk, environment groups have warned.The federal and Victorian governments on Thursday announced they had greenlit the production licence for Amplitude Energy’s Annie gasfield project in the Otway basin, which expects to start producing gas by 2028. Continue reading...

Alzheimer’s Research UK says patients at risk of being left behind as lack of formal or accurate diagnoses closes door to trialsPeople with Alzheimer’s disease are missing out on experimental treatments because they are not diagnosed early or accurately enough to be enrolled in clinical trials, a UK charity has said.Trials of Alzheimer’s drugs reached a record high this year, according to data published on Tuesday, but Alzheimer’s Research UK said too few UK patients were taking part because their diagnoses were delayed or were not specific enough. Continue reading...

Half of respondents to RCN poll said patients ‘frequently come to harm’ because caseloads are too highMental health patients in the UK are routinely coming to harm because of high caseloads, understaffing and overwhelming administrative work, according to a poll that found only a fifth of specialist nurses felt their workload was manageable.Prof Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said mental health nurses were caught in a “perfect storm” and unable to keep up with rising demand, with patients paying the price by missing out on crucial care. Continue reading...

• Brazil has suspended a $4 billion Chinese investment in Amazon infrastructure projects following international pressure over deforestation and environmental protection commitments. • President Lula cited insufficient environmental safeguards and lack of transparency in project oversight as the primary reasons for the suspension announced Friday. • Environmental groups and US officials praised the decision, though economic analysts warn the suspension could strain Brazil-China relations and impact Latin American development patterns.

• President Trump issued an Executive Order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to expedite access to treatments for patients with serious mental illness. • The FDA is accelerating its review process for mental health therapies in response to the directive. • This policy shift aims to reduce barriers to treatment approval and expand therapeutic options for affected patients.

Program portrayed efforts to wean Australia off fossil fuels as morally bankrupt, trashing rainforests and enslaving Australia to ChinaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChildren sieve mud, workers drop down claustrophobic hand-cut mine shafts, men grimace while others carve out rock with chisels in bare feet to recover cobalt “for our renewable green dream”.These were the dramatic scenes from the Democratic Republic of Congo in a “special investigation” from Channel Seven’s Spotlight program, aired in prime-time on Sunday evening. Continue reading...

Iran’s top negotiator says both sides remain far apart after Tehran again closed strait of Hormuz after US said it would not end its blockadeFull report: Iran closes strait of Hormuz again ‘until US lifts blockade’Welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Saturday that the recent talks with the US had made progress but gaps remained over nuclear issues and the strait of Hormuz. “We have had progress but there is still a big distance between us,” he told state media, referring to talks last weekend. “We made progress in the negotiations, but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain.”After the initial talks between the US and Iran last weekend in Pakistan, the Iranian deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said a second date cannot be set until both sides “have agreed on the framework”.Iran’s supreme national security council, the country’s highest decision-making body under the supreme leader, said it is reviewing “new proposals” put forward by the US, according to Iranian media.Hezbollah has denied it was involved in the deadly attack against UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, which killed a French soldier. A UN peacekeeper was killed and three others were injured after a patrol came under attack from “non-state actors”, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said.Israeli forces on Saturday began demolishing homes in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil and other border towns where Israeli troops are present, Lebanese state media reported.The Israeli military killed two Unicef-contracted truck drivers at a water point in the northern Gaza Strip, forcing the UN agency to suspend its operations in the area, Unicef said.Pope Leo XIV said that it is “not in my interest at all” to debate Trump about the Iran war, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.Trump left the White House Saturday afternoon to play golf, despite Iran’s re-closure of the strait of Hormuz in response to the US blockade of Iranian ports. Continue reading...

• President Trump signed an executive order directing federal regulators to fast-track FDA review of psychedelic drugs including psilocybin and ibogaine for treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD. • The order allocates $50 million in federal funds to states implementing or developing psychedelic treatment programs as part of a federal-state partnership initiative. • Trump highlighted that over 14 million American adults have serious mental illness, with approximately 8 million on prescription medication, framing psychedelics as addressing a national mental health crisis including suicide prevention.

• The FDA announced it will issue national priority vouchers for three psychedelic drugs next week, marking the first time the agency has fast-tracked any psychedelics for review under Trump's executive order on mental health reform. • The vouchers can compress FDA review timelines from several months to just weeks, according to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, if the drugs align with national priorities. • Trump's order directs $50 million in federal funding to states developing psychedelic treatment programs and establishes a federal-state partnership for technical assistance and data sharing.

• President issues executive order on April 18, 2026, to speed medical treatments for serious mental illness using psychedelic drugs including ibogaine compounds. • Order highlights clinical studies showing potential for patients with persistent conditions unresponsive to standard therapies. • Directs federal agencies to prioritize research, approvals, and access to innovative mental health interventions nationwide.

• Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science, working with collaborators from Japan's National Institute for Materials Science, have observed electrons in graphene flowing like a nearly frictionless liquid, defying a core law of physics. • Researchers created exceptionally clean graphene samples and measured electrical and thermal conductivity, finding that as electrical conductivity rose, thermal conductivity dropped—the opposite of expected behavior. • The team discovered the fluid's viscosity is extremely low, making it one of the closest realizations of a perfect fluid ever observed, establishing graphene as an accessible platform for studying extreme physics phenomena.

Second day of ‘faux-royal’ tour sees Duke of Sussex speak candidly about challenges of new fatherhood as amused football fans watch onIt was an unusual sight. As a group of children were rocking out to the Wiggles, Prince Harry kicked a football on Whitten Oval in Melbourne, home of Australian rules team the Western Bulldogs.“Just a regular Wednesday,” a member of the crowd, dressed mainly in suits and from the advocacy and academic fields, said. Continue reading...

• 95% of HR and benefits professionals view workplace mental health as vital to 2026 business strategy. • 61% of HR leaders report mental health leaves increased in the past year, with 16% noting 25% or more rise. • 36% of employees identify sleep issues tied to mental health as a top challenge, signaling burnout risks.

Democratic representative Yassamin Ansari says the war has only more deeply entrenched the Iranian regimeSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump is an “evil human being” who “wants to be an emperor” and should be removed from office over the war in Iran, Yassamin Ansari, an Iranian American member of the US Congress, has told the Guardian.Ansari, the daughter of Iranian immigrants who decades ago fled the regime, spoke out after the president threatened to wipe out Iran’s civilisation before backing down and announcing an uncertain two-week ceasefire. Continue reading...

Seafarer tells of ‘impossible’ situation, with strait still so unsafe that crew would not cross even if told to sailMaritime and port workers: how is the Middle East conflict affecting you?‘You can try to minimise the impact that this situation has on your mental health but it’s becoming impossible.” After six weeks stranded in the Gulf, one of the 20,000 seafarers trapped by Iran’s chokehold on the strait of Hormuz is reaching their limit.Yet with the fragile Middle East ceasefire already fraying, the oil tanker worker – who first spoke to the Guardian a month ago – said any hope they may soon be free to leave had already evaporated, if it ever felt real at all. Continue reading...

Charity says it dealt with 75 incidents last year involving 100 or more animals living in one propertyThe cost of living crisis and an increase in people experiencing mental health difficulties have led to a rising number of multi-animal rescue incidents in England and Wales, an RSPCA superintendent has said.The animal charity this week had to confirm that a shocking photograph of more than 250 poodle-cross dogs found at a property in the UK was not faked with artificial intelligence. The RSPCA took in 87 of the dogs and the remainder went to the Dogs Trust, another charity. Continue reading...

Legislative change backed by libertarian president makes it easier to extract metals in frozen parts of the AndesArgentina’s congress has approved a bill promoted by the libertarian president, Javier Milei, that authorises mining in ecologically sensitive areas of glaciers and permafrost, and has outraged environmentalists.The amendment to the so-called glacier law, which was already approved by the senate in February, would make it easier to mine for metals such as copper, lithium and silver in frozen parts of the Andes mountains. Continue reading...