Congratulations to both! And why am I interested, exactly? It’s about the cost of their wedding.
Expensive, I know. The average in the UK now costs more than £23,000, according to the wedding planning website Hitched. Actually, Jaxx and Larsen are in Boise, Idaho. And this is more about who paid for the wedding.
Their parents? Their guests.
How much? Up to $1,000, or more than £700.
Now I’m interested – go on. Jaxx and her fiance, Larsen, were so shocked by wedding costs (including one venue that quoted them a $650 fee just for cake-cutting) that they told their friends and family they would have to pay if they wanted to come.
Presumably, friends and family told them to do one, and the couple ended up getting hitched in the county court with a couple of witnesses dragged in from the street? Incorrect. In the end, nearly 300 people came.
It’s expensive enough going to a wedding anyway, isn’t it? What with stag and hen dos, accommodation, presents, outfits, childcare and travel, you’re looking at £740 a bash on average in the UK, according to one survey this summer. If you’re spending the same on a ticket to the wedding itself … To be fair to Jaxx and Larsen, it was $1,000 for a VIP voucher that allowed access to a whole package of wedding events, including a rehearsal dinner and a “biohacking brunch”.
Whatever that is. That was for richer, then. And for poorer? $57 for admission to the Friday afternoon ceremony and reception.
Now you’re talking. Anyway, not only did Jaxx and Larsen cover the $50,000 cost of the wedding, but they actually made a profit …
Well, that’s just wrong. What happened to marrying for love? …A profit that they donated to a charity providing community-led education in rural Kenya.
Hmmm. It’s still not very traditional, is it? Jaxx and Larsen said they were “disrupting” the multibillion-dollar wedding industry. Also, they didn’t even know many of their hundreds of guests; they were strangers from the internet.
It’ll never catch on. Actually, it does seem to be catching on. A startup in Paris …
The City of Love! TheCity of Love a Business Opportunity, more like. They’ve made an app that allows couples to sell tickets to their wedding to strangers, in order to cover costs.
And what do the strangers get? To go to a wedding they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Do say: “Yeah, a bit like Wedding Crashers but more … Wedding Cashers.”
Don’t say: “If it doesn’t last, I want my money back.”
An artist’s depiction of hair, made out of keratin, denaturing when ions are present. Credit: Michael Rosnach
A new sustainable method has been developed to break down keratins, transforming leftover wool and feathers into useful products.
Every year, textile and meat-processing operations generate billions of tons of feathers, wool, and hair. These materials are rich in keratin, the tough, fibrous protein found in hair, skin, and nails.
Converting this animal waste into useful goods, from wound dressings and eco-friendly textiles to health extracts, could benefit the environment and help build new sustainable industries. The bottleneck is protein upcycling: breaking proteins into their components usually relies on corrosive chemicals used in large, polluting facilities, which keeps an affordable process out of reach.
Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have identified fundamental chemistry that explains how proteins such as keratin de-nature in the presence of certain salt compounds. This insight could move protein recycling forward in a meaningful way.
A team led by Kit Parker, the Tarr Family Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics at SEAS, combined laboratory experiments with molecular simulations to clarify how salts trigger protein unfolding. They found that concentrated lithium bromide, a salt known to break apart keratin, acts in a surprising manner. Rather than binding directly to the proteins, as conventional wisdom suggested, it alters the structure of nearby water molecules, creating conditions that favor spontaneous unfolding.
This insight allowed the researchers to design a gentler, more sustainable keratin extraction process, separating the protein out of solution easily and without the need for harsh chemicals. The process can also be reversed with the same salt mixture, enabling recovery and reuse of lithium bromide denaturants.
The research is published in Nature Communications and is also featured in a Behind the Paper blog post.
Inspired by keratin biomaterials
First author Yichong Wang, a graduate student in chemistry who works in Parker’s group, said the research builds on the lab’s longstanding interest in developing keratin biomaterials with shape memory for biomedical applications. They had previously observed that keratin extracted from lithium bromide solvents can form thick, shapeable gels that readily separate from the surrounding solution and solidify almost immediately when placed back in water. While useful, they found the behavior odd, and they wanted to understand it better.
“We thought there might be a gap between current mechanistic understanding of how de-naturation works, and what we were seeing,” Wang said. “That’s when we got very interested in the mechanism itself to see if we could optimize our extraction procedures by explaining this phenomenon better.”
Molecular dynamics reveals shifts in surrounding water
To dig deeper, the team turned to the lab of Professor Eugene Shakhnovich in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, whose expertise is in protein biophysics. Molecular dynamics simulations led by co-author Junlang Liu allowed them to see that the lithium bromides were not working on the proteins at all, but rather, on the water around them.
It turns out lithium bromide ions cause water molecules to shift into two different populations – normal water, and water molecules that become trapped by the salt ions. As the normal water volume decreases, the proteins start to unfold due to the thermodynamic shift in the environment, rather than being directly ripped apart like in other de-naturation methods. “Making the water less like water, allows the protein to unfold itself,” Wang said. They had similar results by testing simpler proteins like fibronectin, pointing to a universal mechanism.
Better understanding and designing protein extraction methods that are less energy-intensive and less polluting than conventional ones opens potential avenues for protein-upcycling industries. In the Parker lab, using keratin as a substrate for tissue engineering is a major research thrust; having a reliable, sustainable method to extract and re-use such products would bolster their efforts.
What’s more, the process could lay a path for a whole new biomaterials industry, turning a massive waste stream like hair or chicken feathers into low-cost recycled materials, possibly as an alternative for traditional plastics, for example.
Reference: “Entropy-driven denaturation enables sustainable protein regeneration through rapid gel-solid transition” by Yichong Wang, Junlang Liu, Michael M. Peters, Ryoma Ishii, Dianzhuo Wang, Sourav Chowdhury, Kevin Kit Parker and Eugene I. Shakhnovich, 26 July 2025, Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61959-9
The research had many sources of federal support, including the National Institutes of Health (R35GM139571 and R01EY030444) and the National Science Foundation through the Harvard University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (DMR-2011764). Other funding came from the Health@InnoHK program of the Innovation and Technology Commission, part of the Hong Kong SAR Government; and the Medical and Health Informatics Laboratories at NTT Research, Inc.
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An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while sentencing Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and others to 10 years in prison over yet another May 9 riots case, pertaining to the burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House.
Following the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, from the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) premises, riots erupted across the country and went on for at least 24 hours. Protesters vandalised and torched government buildings and military installations, while also breaking into the residence of the Lahore corps commander. The state subsequently launched a crackdown against him and his party, filing several other cases against Imran and party leaders since the events of May 9.
Sarwar Road Police had registered a case against the PTI leaders on charges of setting police vehicles on fire near Jinnah House (Corps Commander House).
Advocate Rana Mudassar confirmed the development to Dawn.com, saying ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill acquitted Qureshi while Rashid, Chaudhry, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema were sentenced to 10 years in prison in the case.
He added that PTI activist and fashion designer Khadija Shah was also sentenced to five years in prison in the case, adding that a total of 51 accused were involved in the case, with 12 declared absconders and the trial of 39 completed.
Today’s court proceedings come after similar other acquittals for the former diplomat and sentences for the PTI leaders in multiple May 9 cases.
The Duke of Sussex has made a personal donation of £1.1m to a BBC Children in Need project in Nottingham supporting young people who have been affected by violence.
Prince Harry is on the second day of a UK visit, where he’s been attending charity events.
In Nottingham he visited the Community Recording Studio, an initiative supported by BBC Children in Need, where he applauded a rap music performance, giving a hug to one of the young people taking part.
The prince hoped the donation, from his own money rather than his Archewell organisation, would help “changemakers in the city continue their mission to create safe spaces… and offer hope and belonging to young people who need it most”.
Prince Harry told the event that “Nottingham has been a place where I’ve heard harrowing stories, learned important lessons, seen resilience, and felt truly inspired”.
“The challenges remain serious and sadly aren’t getting any easier,” said Prince Harry. “Violence impacting young people, particularly knife crime, continues to devastate lives, cut futures short, and leave families in grief.”
He praised the efforts of those in the city who were working to tackle issues such as “food poverty, racism and educational inequality”.
Looking relaxed and wearing jeans, Harry met youth workers and local groups at the recording studio and heard about their efforts to tackle violence in Nottingham, in a scheme supported by BBC Children in Need.
“You gave me goosebumps,” he said after listening to a rapper called Paige.
“I was proper nervous,” Paige told Prince Harry about her first visit to the recording studio. “I’d never seen a booth or a mic or anything. So I’m listening to all these rappers on YouTube – and I’m like, ‘How do they even make that?’”
A young comedian, Ki’miya, teased Prince Harry about different backgrounds growing up by saying: “I bet you never had to stand on a chair to get a Hobnob.”
As well as showing a few dance moves when he arrived, and turning down the chance to sing backing vocals, Prince Harry joined conversations about creating more positive opportunities for young people.
BBC Children in Need is now one of the country’s biggest funders of independent youth workers.
Tony Okotie, the charity’s director of impact, said the donation would help “create spaces where young people feel safe, heard, and empowered to build brighter futures”.
There have been previous significant donations by the prince. He gave £1.2m of the proceeds from his memoir Spare to Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in southern Africa, which he subsequently left in an acrimonious dispute.
Prince Harry arrived in the UK on Monday – and went to lay a wreath on the grave of Queen Elizabeth II in Windsor, on the third anniversary of her death.
But it is still not known whether he will meet his father King Charles during this visit to the UK, despite much speculation that a meeting is on the cards.
The two men have not met face to face since February 2024 and Prince Harry has talked emotionally in a BBC interview about wanting a “reconciliation” with his family.
While Prince Harry has been in Nottingham, his brother the Prince of Wales has been carrying out his own engagements – visiting a housing project in south London as part of his Homewards campaign to tackle homelessness.
On Monday, Prince Harry had attended the WellChild awards in London, while his brother Prince William was at a Women’s Institute meeting in Berkshire, with guests remembering the legacy of the late Queen Elizabeth.
France co-captain Manae Feleu says her side want to build on their “statement” victory over South Africa in the final match of the pool stage over the weekend.
Les Bleues topped Pool D following their 57-10 victory over one of the tournament’s surprise packages at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday.
But it was the manner of victory, particularly in the forward battle which is a traditional strength of South Africa’s, that brought the most satisfaction.
“We wanted to dominate in the scrum, in the tackles,” Feleu said after her side’s third straight victory in the pool stage.
“We knew South Africa was going to be tough, they have a really big team, tough physically, so we wanted to make a statement on that.
“When you get the upper hand in the scrum, it’s easier because you feel you’re winning the mental battle too.
“We’ll need to watch the game in detail, but on the pitch it had been a long time since we’d enjoyed ourselves that much.
“That’s a good sign for what’s ahead. We’ll keep building on this. We’ve laid down solid foundations and we’re moving forward step by step.”
That next step is a quarter-final showdown with Six Nations rivals Ireland at Sandy Park on Sunday.
“We are really excited,” Feleu said. “We have been working for the past three years for this.”
Mastercard Player of the Match, Pauline Bourdon Sansus added: “We still have a lot to give. Our objective was to finish first and we did it. Now it’s getting better and better, stronger and stronger for the quarter-final and we are ready to go.”
France’s three victories in the pool stage came on the back of a defeat to England in the build-up to the tournament, a loss which was almost entirely borne of forward power. Should France make it past Ireland they could well be coming up against the Red Roses in the semi-finals, where they would surely be looking for redemption.
It is for that reason their whole camp was so pleased to get one over a physical side like South Africa in the lead-up to the knockouts.
“We knew the scrum was one of their strengths. We wanted to show we could match them there,” co-head coach Gaëlle Mignot said.
“We wanted to prove that France could dominate both in the scrum and in defence. The girls fronted up in the contest. I’m pleased with that.
“Now it’s a whole new competition. It’s knockout rugby: you win or you’re out. We’ll want to lean on our strengths and what worked today in a high-stakes game. We have to believe we can achieve something big, tidy up a few details, and keep building momentum.”
France are well aware of the threat Ireland pose, as one of the few teams to have registered a win against the Black Ferns in recent years as well as being Six Nations rivals.
“We play them every year,” Émilie Boulard said of the challenge. “Our last match in the Six Nations over there was tight.
“They’ve been getting stronger in recent years – they beat the Black Ferns in WXV. They’ll come in with huge belief, thinking everything is possible against us.
“So it’s up to us to shut down their intentions early, impose our game, and build confidence. Starting well will be absolutely crucial.”
France face Ireland at Sandy Park on Sunday and you can get your hands on tickets to the game by clicking here.
Earlier in season two, viewers saw a surprise return of season one’s teacher-turned-villain Marilyn Thornhill, aka Laurel Gates, played by Christina Ricci. After it was revealed that Thornhill was actually the person controlling Tyler’s Hyde, who was behind all the outcasts’ killings in the first season, she was ultimately attacked by Eugene’s (Moosa Mostafa) bees in the finale.
However, she clearly didn’t die — at least not yet — as she made her grand return in episode four, titled “If These Woes Could Talk,” of season two. Dr. Fairburn (Thandiwe Newton) has Thornhill transferred to Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, where Tyler is being held after he was apprehended in season one, for advice on how to rehabilitate Tyler, as she’s his master.
But when Thornhill asks to see Tyler face-to-face, which Dr. Fairburn eventually agrees to, it doesn’t go as planned, as Tyler clearly has some resistance towards her. He ends up transforming into a Hyde and angrily grabs Thornhill by the neck, slamming her against the wall, but not enough to kill her.
Later in the episode, when chaos unfolds at Willow Hill, Thornhill lets Tyler out of his isolation cell. “I told you Mama would get you out of here. I could never abandon you,” she tells him. However, Tyler clearly feels very different. “Wish I could say the same. You’re the reason I’ve been locked away in here. You’re not my mother. You’re my master, or should I say… you were,” he replies.
After giving her a head start to run from him, Tyler transforms into a Hyde, quickly catches up to Thornhill and ultimately kills her… or so it seems.
When later asked, co-creators and showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar wouldn’t confirm whether Ricci’s character is definitively deceased. “Christina Ricci is just an amazing person and actor, and she brings such value to the show, and the character’s so wonderful. Never say never,” Gough told Netflix, before Millar added, “I will say, in this show, no one is officially dead dead. There’s always a way.”
Audible has just released a lavish new audio retelling of Jane Austen’s legendary Pride and Prejudice to honour the author’s 250th birthday. This star-studded production features Marisa Abela as Elizabeth Bennet and Harris Dickinson as Mr. Darcy, supported by a powerhouse ensemble including Glenn Close, Bill Nighy and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. The auditory experience is elevated by an original score from Grammy-nominated composer Morgan Kibby, with Dolby Atmos sound design heightening emotional impact.
Fans have been fixated on this release, especially given Audiobook’s global reach across English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese editions. The production strikes a compelling balance between Austen’s timeless prose and modern immersive storytelling techniques. In this version, listeners hear Elizabeth’s inner thoughts as a guiding thread through lush choreography of dialogue, soundscapes and music.
The cast also includes Will Poulter, Jessie Buckley, Toheeb Jimoh, Bill Nighy, Glenn Close, Sophie Wilde, and many more, bringing depth to beloved characters with remarkable nuance. Lulu Raczka adapted the novel for audio with direction by Dionne Edwards; executive production comes from Sarah Brocklehurst and Nicole Davis with full support by Brock Media.
This Audible release arrives amid broader Pride and Prejudice media buzz. A Netflix six-episode adaptation starring Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden and Olivia Colman is also currently in development. Meanwhile, the audio format’s upfront accessibility and dramatic sound design offers a new way for audiences to engage with the story.
Whether you’re an Austen purist or a newcomer, this adaptation is hard to ignore. It’s refreshing to see an audio version matching the scale and sophistication of visual adaptations while staying intimate. For people seeking to interact with Pride and Prejudice beyond film or TV, Audible’s version is a powerful invitation to listen anew, and fall in love all over again.
Patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd; Daiichi Sankyo, Merck) met its primary end point of overall response rate (ORR) in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative (HR+/HER2–) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) in the ICARUS-BREAST01 trial (NCT04965766). The data were published in Nature Medicine.1,2
HR+/HER2– mBC is the most common BC subtype, accounting for nearly 72.7% of all cases. Treatment of these patients is difficult due to the aggressive nature of tumors with HER2 alterations, highlighting the critical need for advanced therapies. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) pair a monoclonal antibody with a cytotoxic agent, aiming to expand the therapeutic window by directing the toxic payload to tumor cells while reducing systemic toxicity. These agents demonstrate significant efficacy and safety for the treatment of patients with HR+/HER2– mBC. However, only a small portion of these drugs are capable of reaching the tumor cells—calling for the development of agents that overcome this limitation.3,4
HER3-DXd is an ADC composed of an anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody conjugated to a topoisomerase-I inhibitor by a cleavable peptide linker. In the phase 2, open-label ICARUS-BREAST01 trial, researchers reported statistically significant response rates in patients with HR+/HER2– mBC treated with HER3-DXd. The trial enrolled a total of 99 patients from May 2021 to June 2023 who received HER3-DXd at a dose of 5.6 mg kg−1 intravenously every 3 weeks.2
The study met its primary end point, showing an ORR of 53.5% (90% confidence interval [44.8–62.1%]). Of the population, 2 patients achieved a complete response, 51 achieved a partial response, and 37 presented with stable disease. There was a clinical benefit rate (CR, PR or SD ≥ 6 months) of 62.6% (95% CI [52.3–72.1%]).2
At a median duration of 15.3 months, 62 patients experience disease progression of death with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 9.2 months (95% CI [8.0–12.8 months]). Overall survival data were immature at the time of the data cut-off.2
The researchers also performed a post-hoc analysis of ORR and PFS and reported an ORR of 60% (95% CI [40.6–77.3%]) in the HER2-low (1+, 2+) and of 48.7% (95% CI [32.4–65.2%]) in the HER2-0 patient populations. They reported a median PFS of 12.8 (95% CI [8.11–N/A]) months and 9.1 (95% CI 6.7–N/A) months in HER2-low and HER2– subgroups, respectively.
The most frequent adverse events were fatigue (83%), nausea (75%), diarrhea (53%) and alopecia (40%).2
“In conclusion, the ICARUS-BREAST01 study shows a substantial efficacy and a manageable safety profile of HER3-DXd in patients with HR+/HER2− breast cancer that make it an optimal candidate for further larger studies in this setting,” the authors wrote. “This study also identifies potential biomarkers of treatment response and provides some insights into the mechanisms of action of HER3-DXd.”2
REFERENCES
1. Patritumab deruxtecan (U3-1402) in unresectable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (ICARUS BREAST). Updated February 10, 2025. Accessed September 9, 2025. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04965766?term=NCT04965766&rank=1
2. Pistilli B, Mosele F, Corcos N, et al. Patritumab deruxtecan in HR+HER2− advanced breast cancer: a phase 2 trial. Nature Medicine. September 4, 2025. Doi:10.1038/s41591-025-03885-3
3. Howlader N, Altekruse S, Li C, et al. US incidence of breast cancer subtypes defined by joint hormone receptor and HER2 Status. J Natl Cancer Inst. April 28, 2014. Accessed doi: 10.1093/jnci/dju055.
4. Gerlach A. The evolution of ADCs in breast cancer: Challenges and innovations. Pharmacy Times. December 12, 2024. Accessed September 9, 2025. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/the-evolution-of-adcs-in-breast-cancer-challenges-and-innovations
Nearly all London Underground services are suspended during the industrial action
Industrial relations on London Underground have “totally collapsed”, a union leader has warned, amid a strike by Tube workers that virtually shut down the network.
It means travellers in London will continue to face disruption as thousands of members of the union take strike action over pay and working hours.
Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union leader Eddie Dempsey said the negotiations became fruitless after the union uncovered Transport for London (TfL) plans to shut Elizabeth line ticket offices – something TfL denies.
Mr Dempsey said further disputes loomed over those alleged proposals as well as pay and conditions of cleaners.
EPA
Tube trains remained parked in depots on Tuesday, as the network came to a virtual standstill
With the exception of the Northern line, running a reduced timetable, all Tube services were suspended on Tuesday.
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has also shut down due to a strike by RMT union members as part of of a separate dispute.
TfL said it had made a “fair” pay offer of 3.4% and that the the union’s demand for a shorter working week of 32 hours was “unaffordable”.
Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, said she was “bitterly disappointed” the strike went ahead, calling the demands “unaffordable and impractical”.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said he urged the RMT to get around the table with TfL to resolve the dispute.
Downing Street has also called on the RMT union and TfL to get back to the negotiating table to end the strike.
EPA/Shutterstock
Buses and other modes of transport saw increased demand
People trying to get around the capital turned to buses, boats, bikes, cars and walking routes, with many struggling to reach their destinations.
BBC newsgathering journalists reported Elizabeth line, Overground, rail and walking routes to be far less busy than they were on Monday.
At the start of the working week, TfL said footfall on London Overground and Elizabeth line services increased by 31%, noting that these lines had likely been absorbing displaced Tube passengers.
Long queues were seen at bus stops in central London, while bike rental schemes Lime, Forest and Santander reported increased uptake on Monday.
Fabio Wardley said he had no hesitation about taking a fight with Joseph Parker and plans to prove he is a world class heavyweight by knocking out his rival.
The Briton faces Parker on 25 October at London’s O2 Arena, with the winner expected to be Oleksandr Usyk’s next opponent.
Like Parker with the WBO, Wardley is ranked highly by the WBA but decided to take on the New Zealander rather than wait for an injured Usyk to return to action.
“It wasn’t really much of a consideration,” 30-year-old Wardley told BBC Sport.
“I believe I should be in the conversation for those top heavyweights. It’s something maybe the public think needs to be proven.
“But what better way to do that than take on the number two heavyweight in the world in Joseph Parker.”
The heavyweights met at their first news conference on Thursday in London, but there were few fireworks aside from the customary promises of domination and knockouts.
Former world champion Parker, 33, has always been a fan favourite but has reinvented himself in recent years with big wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole.
His run was meant to rewarded with a world title shot, but a meeting with then IBF champion Daniel Dubois in February was cancelled in fight week.
Parker, the WBO’s interim champion, then had his shot at Usyk postponed because of an injury to the Ukrainian.
The WBO has granted Usyk a 90-day medical extension to agree terms with Parker, meaning a resolution to whether the undisputed champion fights or vacates his WBO belt may be delayed until December.
