Syrians celebrated throughout the night after US President Donald Trump announced he would lift US sanctions on Syria during his visit to Saudi Arabia. Imran Khan breaks down what this means for the Syrian people.
Olympic swimming star Rebecca Adlington wishes she had asked her doctors to test her for coeliac disease sooner. But her story, which she is sharing this Coeliac Awareness Month, is by no means unusual. With just 36% of people with coeliac disease medically diagnosed in the UK, an estimated 500,000 people will be living with unexplained and often debilitating symptoms.
It was only in October last year, aged 35, Rebecca was finally diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune condition that causes the body to react to gluten in the diet. The four-time Olympic medal-winning swimmer describes it as “life changing”, after years of upset.
“As I have had multiple pregnancies, I put a lot of symptoms down to hormonal changes,” she explains. “I suffered with stomach pain, fatigue, mouth ulcers, bloating, and constantly felt run down or ill. The tiredness affected both my personal and professional life as I didn’t feel as productive or have enough energy like other people.
“Meanwhile, the mouth ulcers affected my diet as I struggled to eat sometimes as they were so painful and so many. The stomach pain was persistent. I also experienced two miscarriages and whilst my doctor couldn’t pinpoint the cause, this and my stomach pain ultimately led to me being tested for coeliac disease and subsequently diagnosed.”
READ MORE: ‘I have coeliac disease like Rebecca Adlington – doctors ignored two signs’
She adds: “If you are experiencing ongoing symptoms or issues like I had, just ask the doctor for a test. I never even thought I might have coeliac disease but I wish I had asked my doctors to test me sooner.”
For this year’s Coeliac Awareness Month, running throughout May, Coeliac UK is urging the public to ask their GP: “Is it coeliac disease?” and take the charity’s free online self-assessment tool to calculate their risk. People can check if they are experiencing common symptoms and, if so, it is recommended they ask for testing for the condition. But it’s important to not remove gluten from your diet until you have a blood test – and possibly a biopsy – to confirm it, as this risks a potential false negative result.
Coeliac disease is a serious autoimmune condition affecting one in 100 people in the UK – yet it remains hard to diagnose. When someone with coeliac disease eats gluten, their body attacks its own tissues, causing damage to the gut and leading to serious health complications if left untreated. The only treatment is a lifelong, strict, gluten-free diet.
Symptoms of coeliac disease can be recurrent, persistent or unexplained. They may include, but are not limited to, fatigue, stomach pain, anaemia, and neurological issues, such as loss of balance, brain fog and neuropathy – numbness and tingling in the body.
Now mum-of-two Rebecca is on a strict gluten-free diet, she has seen vast improvements in her health and wellbeing. “Since removing gluten, I feel significantly better. My mood, my energy – everything is better. I am not in pain any more. I am able to exercise more as I feel better.
“To achieve a balanced diet, I eat things that naturally don’t have gluten, like rice and potatoes, but also rely on gluten-free substitutes for items like bread and flour, but these are so much more expensive. Shopping takes longer as you have to examine every label and ingredient to make sure it doesn’t contain gluten. I had lots of people recommend Coeliac UK to me when I announced my diagnosis on social media. I found their support and information so helpful when adjusting to living on a strict gluten-free diet.”
Hilary Croft, Coeliac UK CEO, says: “For those battling with unexplained symptoms, a coeliac disease diagnosis can be life changing. Our campaign aims to increase awareness of coeliac disease and we aim to reach the estimated half a million people living with the symptoms of undiagnosed coeliac disease to help guide them on the road to recovery. At Coeliac UK, we’re here to help with advice and information for anyone who suspects they might have coeliac disease as well as those looking for ongoing support.”
The Coeliac Awareness Month campaign looks at raising awareness of coeliac disease by sharing real stories and empowering those affected by it to recognise symptoms, complete its online self-assessment, and take the first step on the road to recovery.
For more information, visit coeliac.org.uk/awareness-month-2025
Let’s be honest, if anyone can make jeans look like couture, it’s Kate Middleton. Whether she’s heading out for a royal engagement, chasing after the kids at home, or simply out and about doing regular mum things, the Princess of Wales consistently nails ‘royal off duty’ chic. And now, we’ve discovered the secret behind one of her most flattering wardrobe staples, and it’s something many mums (and anyone who enjoys a bit of a comfy waistband) will want to hear.
Kate has been spotted wearing a pair of skinny jeans from the British brand I Am Denim London, and trust us when we say they’re not just any old skinnies. These are the Above and Beyond Tummy Friendly High Waist Skinny Jeans that are set to revolutionise your denim wardrobe.
At £95, these jeans might feel like a bit of a splurge, but it’s a worthwhile one. According to the brand, these jeans are designed with what they call tender tummy technology. It’s basically a hidden hero for anyone who’s ever dealt with what’s affectionately known as a ‘mum tum’– that little post-baby pooch or general tummy area we all have our own relationship with.
READ MORE: Princess Kate debuts new look as she steps out in a Victoria Beckham two-piece
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So, what makes these jeans so magical? The brand explains that they’ve created the ultimate in tummy-friendly denim, using a unique design that offers full support and coverage of the midsection. The waistband is specially crafted to be soft, super stretchy and, most importantly, supportive without feeling like you’re being squeezed into a denim corset. Essentially, you get comfort, confidence and style in one very royal-worthy package.
Honestly, if it’s good enough for Kate, it’s good enough for us. The Princess is famously a fan of high-street fashion mixed with designer staples, and I Am Denim falls nicely in the middle of both. It’s also a refreshing change to see a label acknowledging the very real, very normal changes our bodies go through. Whether you’ve had kids or not, most of us appreciate a little extra support now and then, especially when it comes without sacrificing style. I Am Denim gets that, and they’ve built an entire brand ethos around inclusivity, comfort and confidence. These jeans aren’t about hiding your body, they’re about dressing it with kindness.
Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 70 people, medical sources told Al Jazeera, as indirect ceasefire talks continue in Qatar.
At least 50 people were killed in Israeli attacks on northern Gaza, including in Jabalia refugee camp, since the early hours of Wednesday, according to medical sources.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health said almost 50 people were killed around Jabalia and 10 others in the southern city of Khan Younis.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
In Jabalia, rescue workers smashed through collapsed concrete slabs using hand tools, lit only by the light of cellphone cameras, to remove the bodies of some of the children who were killed.
Reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said Israel was carrying out a “systematic and intensifying military aerial campaign”.
“[It’s] primarily targeting residential homes in order to force families to leave these areas and to move to live in makeshift tents, which will facilitate any plans to displace them out of northern Gaza,” he said.
“This has been a very dramatic reality and it underscores the severity of the humanitarian toll that children and displaced families in northern Gaza have been bearing over the course of the past week,” Abu Azzoum added.
The attacks come as an Israeli delegation was in Doha to continue indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas through the mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States, a day after the release of Israeli-American captive Edan Alexander during a short pause in Israel’s bombardment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Tuesday that Israel would not end its military campaign in Gaza even if a ceasefire deal was reached.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 52,908 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
Israel’s assault has devastated much of Gaza’s urban landscape and displaced more than 90 percent of the population, often multiple times.
Israel launched its military campaign in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed at least 1,139 people, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli statistics.
International food security experts issued a stern warning earlier this week that Gaza will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn’t lift its blockade and stop its military assault.
French President Emmanuel Macron strongly denounced Netanyahu’s decision to block aid from entering Gaza as “a disgrace” that has caused a major humanitarian crisis.
“I say it forcefully, what Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is doing today is unacceptable,” Macron said on Tuesday evening on TF1 national television. “There’s no medicine. We can’t get the wounded out. Doctors can’t get in. What he’s doing is a disgrace. It’s a disgrace.”
Macron, who visited injured Palestinians in El Arish hospital in Egypt last month, called to reopen the Gaza border to humanitarian convoys. “Then, yes, we must fight to demilitarise Hamas, free the hostages and build a political solution,” he said.
Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation, living at “catastrophic” levels of hunger, while one million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises.
Israel has banned all food, shelter, medicine and any other goods from entering the Palestinian territory for the past 10 weeks, even as it carries out waves of air strikes and ground operations.
Troops of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, operating under Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have killed a suspected bandit and recovered an AK-47 rifle in Taraba State.
The suspected bandit, according to the statement made available to journalists on Wednesday by the Brigade’s Acting spokesperson. Captain Oni Olubodunde, was neutralised during a clearance operation in Karim Lamido local government council of the state.
The development, according to the acting spokesperson, followed a recent strategic visit by the Commander of 6 Brigade, Brigadier General Kingsley Uwa, to the Bandawa community.
READ ALSO: Senate Asks Military To Deploy Troops To Borno, Yobe
During the visit, the Commander highlighted the need for enhanced military presence and proactive measures to secure the area.
“Acting promptly on the Commander’s directive, troops on a fighting patrol along the Bandawa, Karim Lamido road encountered armed criminals.
“In a swift and decisive exchange of fire, the soldiers neutralised one bandit and recovered an AK-47 rifle along with 39 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition,” Olubodunde said.
The operation, he said, underscored the Brigade’s resolve to rid Taraba State of criminal elements and restore lasting peace.
In a related development, a peace meeting was held on May 12, 2025, to address growing tensions between communities in Kashimbila community in Takum council of Taraba and Jato Aka in Kwande local government council of Benue State.
The incessant clashes in the areas had resulted in attacks on motorists along the Kashimbila–Jato Aka road.
Although we’re loving the rising UK temperatures, which seem to be here to stay, it does make the commute that little bit more uncomfortable than usual. Whether you’re completely WFH, hybrid or in the office full-time, there’s nothing worse than sitting on a sweltering hot train or bus with nothing to cool yourself down with.
And now many companies are enforcing more mandatory days in the office, the trains only seem to be getting busier. So to help you out, we’ve rounded up some cooling, necessary and most importantly, affordable, products to see you through commuting in the summer.
From breezy neck fans to hydrating face mists and durable water bottles, check out our pick of the best heatwave saviours for your commute.
READ MORE: Next’s breezy denim-look trousers are the cooling jeans alternative you’ll be wearing on repeat
READ MORE: Electric handheld pressure washer that ‘easily cleans gardens’ gets axed by £70 in sale
Turbo fan available for £21.99 here, and neck fan available for £14.99 here
For me, a portable fan is a summer essential that I literally cannot go anywhere without. There’s nothing better than being able to smugly sit there with your fan and enjoy the cool breeze.
And if you want to go one step further, you can also get a wireless neck fan that frees up your hands and provides some cooling air down your neck, hairline and back.
Available for £15.50 here
Avene’s face mist has been formulated with Thermal Spring Water to nourish, soothe, and cool the skin with just a spray. And of course, its use is not exclusive to the face.
You can spray this anywhere you need some cooling down, on the train or bus, from your neck to your wrists.
Currently available for £9.99 here
These ice packs are technically for injuries, but if you’re stuck in sweltering 30-degree heat (we’re thinking the central line in peak summer), you’ll be so happy you packed these handy ice packs in your bag. Simply wrap these flexible gel packs around your wrist, and cool your body temperature right down.
And you can still have hands-free travel, as these gels come with an adjustable soft wrap to keep them in place.
Available for £34.99 here
A water bottle may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t bring one along. This ceramic one from Frank Green is perfect for warmer days as the triple wall vacuum will keep your water chilled all day long.