Author: Andrew Rogers

Jaguar Land Rover has begun a phased restart of its UK factories after a crippling cyber-attack halted operations for over a month. The company said production will resume this week at key sites in Wolverhampton, Hams Hall, Castle Bromwich, Halewood, and Solihull. JLR’s Slovakian plant in Nitra will follow shortly, restarting Range Rover and Range Rover Sport production lines. Chief executive Adrian Mardell called it “an important moment,” adding, “Our recovery is firmly under way.” The hack, which struck on 31 August, caused a global shutdown and led to a 17% drop in quarterly retail sales. To support suppliers hit…

Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine. They discovered how the immune system avoids attacking the body — a process called peripheral immune tolerance. Sakaguchi identified regulatory T-cells, the “brakes” of immunity. Brunkow and Ramsdell linked the FoxP3 gene to their development. Mutations in FoxP3 cause rare autoimmune diseases like Ipex syndrome. Their work explained how self-tolerance is maintained. “These discoveries reshaped immunology,” said Prof Adrian Liston. “They turned understanding into treatments.” Trials now test boosting T-cells for autoimmune therapy and blocking them in cancer treatment. Prof Adrian Hayday said, “This prize…

George Russell won the Singapore Grand Prix from pole to flag.“Perfect weekend,” he said after his dominant drive for Mercedes. Behind him, McLaren’s title fight exploded.Lando Norris forced past Oscar Piastri at the start, touching wheels through turn three.Piastri fumed: “Are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?” The team replied they would review it later.“That’s not fair,” Piastri snapped. “If he avoids a car by hitting his teammate, that’s a pretty bad job.” Russell stayed flawless out front, securing his second win of the season.Mercedes celebrated while McLaren sealed the constructors’ title.Inside the team, anger…

George Russell produced a stunning lap to claim pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, outpacing Max Verstappen by almost two-tenths of a second and giving Mercedes a major boost in their title push. While Russell celebrated one of the best qualifying performances of his career, Verstappen was left frustrated. The world champion abandoned his final flying lap, gesturing in anger at Lando Norris, who he claimed had obstructed him on the Marina Bay street circuit. “That is what happens when there is a car in front of you and that will be remembered,” Verstappen said, accusing Norris of costing…

Berlin’s thriving goshawk population could soon serve as a model for urban rewilding in the UK. Conservationist Dr Paul O’Donoghue of Rewilding UK plans to release 15 northern goshawks each into Chester and London, aiming to restore balance in city ecosystems. Once hunted nearly to extinction in Britain, the apex predators have adapted to urban life across Europe, with Berlin now home to around 100 breeding pairs. There, the raptors hunt pigeons and corvids from rooftops and park trees, showing little fear of human activity. O’Donoghue believes goshawks could help control mesopredators such as crows and magpies in the UK,…

Ryanair has said up to 600 flights a day could be cancelled next week as French air traffic controllers walk out, potentially affecting 100,000 passengers daily. The strike, called by France’s largest ATC union SNCTA, is scheduled from 7–10 October and will impact not just flights into France but also overflights to popular holiday destinations such as Spain, Italy, and Greece. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary urged the EU to step in, arguing that overflights should be protected. “We cannot have a single market yet close that market every time the French go on strike,” he said, adding that if flights…

Autism may not be a single condition with one underlying cause, according to new research that shows early and later diagnoses are linked to distinct genetic profiles and developmental pathways. The international study, involving genetic data from more than 45,000 autistic people in Europe and the US, found that those diagnosed before the age of six were more likely to display early social and behavioural difficulties that remained stable over time. By contrast, those diagnosed later, often after the age of 10, were more likely to develop increasing difficulties during adolescence and had a higher likelihood of co-occurring conditions such…

Scientists in the US have successfully created human eggs from skin cells in a pioneering development that could one day transform fertility treatment. The Oregon Health and Science University team, led by Prof Shoukhrat Mitalipov, adapted techniques first used to clone Dolly the sheep in the 1990s. They removed the nucleus from female skin cells and inserted it into donor eggs that had their own nuclei removed. The eggs were then fertilised and chemically activated to mimic natural development. The approach could offer hope to women unable to conceive due to age, illness, or chemotherapy, as well as same-sex male…

New Zealand’s fastest bird, the threatened kārearea falcon, has been named bird of the year in a scandal-free edition of the country’s much-loved annual poll. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 200km/h when diving for prey, the kārearea is New Zealand’s only endemic falcon and a vital part of the ecosystem. With just 5,000–8,000 left in the wild, the small tawny raptor faces threats from habitat loss, introduced predators, and collisions with power lines and nets. “The kārearea is just a stunning bird,” said Emma Blackburn, chair of the Karearea Falcon Trust. “It’s our only remaining endemic raptor and…

Colourful cans promising “calm” and “focus” are now staples in supermarket aisles. These so-called functional beverages — often infused with ingredients like ashwagandha, Lion’s Mane mushrooms, magnesium and L-theanine — are marketed as quick fixes for stress and fatigue. Their rise reflects a wider wellness trend and a generational move away from alcohol, with surveys showing younger consumers increasingly opting for low- or non-alcoholic alternatives. “Products like these fit perfectly into today’s wellness culture,” says dietitian Nicolle Cucco. “They tap into people’s desire for convenient solutions in a fast-paced world.” The global market for functional drinks is projected to reach…