Plans have been submitted to create a 24/7 mental health hub in a former bank building, as part of an NHS pilot scheme.
Whitehaven Community Trust Limited has applied for permission to turn the former Halifax branch on King Street, Whitehaven, into the Hope Haven centre.
It comes after NHS England announced the pilot to expand mental health services in the area and bring different services under one roof.
“The hub will provide drop-in support, 1:1 consultations, group therapy and sessions focused on physical health, fitness, health promotion and shared learning,” planning documents submitted to Cumberland Council said.
Various organisations would work from the hub including Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, mental health charities and organisations that can provide housing and employment advice.
The Halifax branch shut in 2024 and although the building is not listed it sits within the Whitehaven town centre conservation area.
Planning documents said minimal alterations would be made to the outside of the building and any work would respect its “architectural character and historic value”.
“The proposed use seeks to revitalise the building, currently vacant and in a state of decline,” they added.
Good news for the sole: Contrary to popular wisdom, people can get the same health benefits from walking 7000 steps a day as they do from walking 10,000 paces, according to a comprehensive review and meta-analysis published in The Lancet Public Health.
“For all outcomes, health benefits continued to accrue until around 7000 steps,” said Katherine Owen, PhD, biostatistician at the University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, who led the review. “After 7000 steps, benefits either plateaued or there were very small additional benefits.”
Owen and her colleagues reviewed 57 studies and conducted a meta-analysis on 31 of them, examining the relationship between health and physical activity based on daily steps.
The researchers looked at nine different health outcomes: all-cause mortality, the incidence of and deaths from cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer incidence and mortality, the incidence of type 2 diabetes, depressive symptoms, and falls. Every outcome showed improvement as the amount of daily activity increases, but for most people the benefits tapered off at around 5000-7000 steps per day.
Compared with taking just 2000 steps per day, walking approximately 7000 steps per day reduced all-cause mortality by 47% and decreased the incidence of cardiovascular disease by 25%, of cancer by 6%, of type 2 diabetes by 14%, of dementia by 38%, of depression by 22%, and of falls by 28%.
The study also highlighted that even modest step counts of around 4000 per day were beneficial compared with lower activity of just 2000 steps. “Every step counts,” Owen said. “All physical activity is beneficial, but increasing daily steps to around 7000 steps is optimal to improve all health outcomes.”
The conventional wisdom that 10,000 steps per day was the optimal amount has no real basis in fact, said I-Min Lee, MD, epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School, Boston, who was the first to show that the health benefits of daily exercise leveled off after 7500 steps.
“There are quite a bit of data now showing that fewer than 10,000 steps per day brings health benefits,” she said.
Lee said that most studies to date have focused on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular health. The new study expands the evidence to other health outcomes, although the data for some conditions, such as diabetes, are relatively sparse.
Current guidelines for physical activity, such as those from the US Department of Health and Human Services, recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. However, due to lack of evidence at the time of publication, these guidelines do not include daily step targets.
As step tracking technologies have become more common, and data on step-based activity have improved, Lee wants future guidelines to incorporate step targets.
“I don’t believe they should replace time targets, since not everybody wants to track their steps,” she said. “But they should be included.”
Owen and Lee declared having no competing interests.
Brian Owens is a freelance journalist based in New Brunswick, Canada.
Centuries by Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar send England-India series to fifth Test match decider at The Oval.
India, led by captain Shubman Gill, batted with great character to secure a hard-fought draw in the fourth Test against England and keep the series alive going into the final game.
After losing two wickets before they had scored a run in their second innings, India batted for over five sessions for the loss of two more wickets to end the match on 425-4 at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday.
A courageous hundred from Gill – his fourth of the series – and dogged unbeaten centuries from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – gave the home crowd little to cheer on a tough day five for England.
A closely fought series remains at 2-1 to England, and the hosts must avoid defeat in the final Test at The Oval in London, starting on Thursday, to win it.
“This is no less than a win for us, given we were around 300 runs off the lead. Our batsman put on a great display,” Gill told the BBC.
“As soon as England got the new ball, it was doing a little bit, but our batters did really well, and it was tremendous, with a little bit of luck going our way as some balls can get dragged on, brilliant batting and brave batting.”
England captain Ben Stokes, who took five wickets in India’s first innings but was not fit to bowl much on Saturday, brought himself into the attack on Sunday morning with India resuming on 174-2.
The hosts were firm favourites to seal victory at this point, even more so when Stokes’s reintroduction paid dividends. The 34-year-old trapped KL Rahul by lbw for 90, ending his excellent third-wicket partnership with Gill at 188.
Gill remained undeterred, however, even after getting a nasty blow on the hand. In his first series as captain, the 25-year-old became only the third skipper to score four hundreds in a single Test series.
Captain Shubman Gill set the tone for India’s fightback, with a century in the second innings, July 27, 2025 [Darren Staples/AFP]
Gill Falls
After almost seven hours at the crease, a tired-looking Gill wafted at a Jofra Archer delivery to fall just before lunch for 103. Jadeja was dropped on the next ball by Joe Root, a tough chance at first slip.
England still had plenty of time to secure victory, but the home side barely created any chances, with India seeing out the draw in relative comfort.
Washington moved along conservatively after lunch, but hit successive boundaries, one a huge six, to move to his fifth Test half-century. Jadeja reached his fifty and passed 1,000 Test runs against England, becoming the third Indian player to do so this series.
After tea, with their chance of victory gone, England offered India the opportunity to call a halt to proceedings early, but Gill kept his team out there.
With England rotating their bowlers, Jadeja swept to his fifth Test century under no pressure, before Washington quickly completed his maiden Test hundred.
India did then agree to a draw – the first non-rain affected draw for England since coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes came together in 2022.
“Another hard-fought Test,” Stokes told reporters. “Another five-dayer. We set the game up really well, the way we put the Indian bowlers under pressure, focusing on batting once.
“We gave ourselves a great chance of bowling them out. We played the game how we wanted to; it didn’t just pan out the way we wanted,” Stokes added.
“Mentally, I feel fine; physically, I’ve been better. It has been a pretty big workload this series.”
England captain Ben Stokes was named player of the match at Old Trafford, but is an injury concern heading into the deciding fifth Test at The Oval [Darren Staples/AFP]
Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX now on sale with Zen 5, 96 cores, 192 threads
AMD’s most powerful workstation CPU available from major retailers for $11,699
Most professionals won’t need the 9995WX despite the impressive specs
The AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX is now available to buy from major retailers, including Amazon and Newegg, with a starting price of $11,699 – much cheaper than initial predictions.
It’s the top chip in AMD’s new Threadripper Pro 9000 WX-series and is built on the latest Zen 5 architecture, sporting 96 cores, 192 threads, and offers a boost clock of up to 5.4GHz.
The 9995WX uses TSMC’s 4nm process and fits the sTR5 socket. The CPU supports 8-channel DDR5-6400 memory, offers up to 148 PCIe lanes, and carries a 350W TDP.
For professional workloads
This processor is aimed at professional workloads that can scale across dozens of threads.
AMD lists compatibility with chipsets like Pro 695, TRX50, and WRX90.
The chip also supports ECC memory and includes features like AMD Pro technologies and EXPO for memory tuning.
For those running highly parallel tasks like visual effects rendering or scientific modeling, this processor can deliver impressive throughput, but at this price, it’s hard to recommend unless the application is truly pushing the limits of core count.
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While AMD’s new CPU can deliver unmatched multi-threaded performance in the right environment, most professionals will likely find better value in AMD’s lower-tier options (the EPYC 9655 matches Threadripper PRO 9995WX core count for less than half the price) or in Intel’s workstation CPUs, depending on their specific use case.
With no integrated graphics, a discrete GPU is required. Cooling is also left to the buyer, as no cooler is bundled.
Unless you’re operating in a niche that truly benefits from 96 cores, it’s unlikely to be the best choice or offer the best value for most users.
Buyers in the UK can, as always, expect to pay slightly more than their American counterparts. Novatech is currently selling the new chip there for £10,510, or around $14,205.
USQRisk, part of Ryan Specialty’s alternative risk division, has promoted Michael Zipper and Parag Bavishi to Co-Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of USQ, effective August 1st, 2025.
Meanwhile, USQ’s current CEO, Anibal Moreno, will be stepping down, effective July 31st, 2025, to focus on personal interests.
In April 2025, Ryan Specialty acquired certain assets of the international managing general agent (MGA), USQRisk Holdings, LLC, to create the new business unit.
Zipper is a co-founder and serves as President of USQ, leading structuring solutions and risk financing strategies for clients, utilising traditional property & casualty, credit, and financial products. Before this, he was a senior executive and General Counsel of Allianz’s alternative risk transfer and insurance-linked securities/collateralised reinsurance businesses.
Bavishi is also a co-founder of USQ and serves as Chief Underwriting Officer, and has over two decades of experience in Alternative Risk Transfer and Risk Finance re/insurance.
He currently oversees pricing, underwriting and portfolio management with USQ and maintains the re/insurance relationships for the Alternative Risk Transfer business. Before USQ, Bavishi has held senior executive roles in underwriting and actuarial functions at Allianz, Northbridge and Zurich.
Zipper and Bavishi commented, “Since USQ’s founding five years ago, Anibal has consistently brought, innovation and leadership to the company’s evolution.
“We are grateful to Anibal for his vision and courage to build a first-of-its-kind MGA concept and the years he devoted to growing the business. As Co-CEOs of USQ, we look forward to carrying forward USQ’s mission to deliver innovative, bespoke risk solutions to our clients.”
Moreno added, “As USQ enters an exciting new chapter following the acquisition by Ryan Specialty, I’ll be stepping down – grateful, proud and inspired by our accomplishments and thankful to the team and everyone that supported our mission along the way.
“It’s been a privilege to work alongside Michael Zipper and Parag Bavishi for over a decade. Their insights, expertise and unwavering drive make them the perfect leaders to carry USQ’s vision forward. While I’m stepping away, I will remain a passionate believer in USQ and look forward to watching its continued impact, from a different vantage point.”
When it comes to heart health, most people rely on the usual suspects , cholesterol numbers, blood pressure readings, maybe a stress test if things look off. But what if there’s a scan that could tell you your real heart attack risk long before symptoms show up? There is a quick, painless CT scan that looks for calcium buildup in your arteries (a major red flag for heart disease). It’s way more accurate at predicting future heart attacks than just looking at cholesterol alone. The kicker? Most people have never even heard of it. Whether you’re in your 40s and feeling fine or just curious about your long-term heart health, this scan might be the wake-up call you didn’t know you needed. Here’s what it is, how it works, and why it might just save your life.
Heart Attack Warning Signs That Women May Confuse With Menopause Symptoms
What is the Coronary Artery Calcium Test?
The CAC test is a simple, non-invasive CT scan (a type of X-ray) that looks specifically for calcium deposits in the coronary arteries the blood vessels that supply your heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood. These calcium spots are essentially hardened bits of plaque resulting from the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in your arteries (a process called atherosclerosis). The presence and amount of calcium in your arteries signal the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD), which is the main cause of heart attacks.
Poll
What do you think is the most important factor in assessing heart health?
Think of it this way: Your cholesterol test gives you clues, but it’s kind of like guessing what’s inside a wrapped gift. The CAC test is like unwrapping it to see if there’s actually something you should worry about inside your arteries.“A coronary calcium scan isn’t for everyone, but it’s the finest way for those who are uncertain about their heart disease risk to make better decisions about treatment and medications,” says Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., director of clinical research at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins.
Why is this test a game changer?
Many people rely on cholesterol levels (LDL, HDL, total cholesterol) and traditional risk calculators to estimate their heart attack risk. But these don’t always tell the whole story. The CAC test:Detects plaque buildup early often before symptoms appear.Helps predict your actual heart attack risk better than cholesterol numbers alone.Guides decisions on preventative treatment, especially whether or not you should start or continue statin medications (which lower cholesterol).Gives you a clear calcium score, a numeric value that correlates with your risk level — from zero (no calcium, low risk) to over 1,000 (very high risk).
Who should consider getting a CAC Test?
The test isn’t for everyone. Various health guidelines suggest considering it if you:
Are between 40-80 years old.
Have an intermediate risk of heart disease based on risk factors like age, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, or family history.
Are unsure whether to start statin therapy or want to weigh benefits versus possible side effects.
Have a family history of early heart disease but otherwise seem low-risk.
Your healthcare provider can help you decide if this test makes sense for you. It’s not typically recommended if you have low risk or already have known heart disease, because other tests may be better suited then.
What does the research say?
Studies in the US consistently highlight how the CAC test improves risk prediction. For example, the MESA study (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) showed that CAC scoring can better identify those at risk of heart attack who might have been missed by traditional risk calculators. The test also helps avoid unnecessary statin use in low-risk people scoring zero, reducing overtreatment.If you’re worried about your heart health but don’t have clear symptoms, and your cholesterol or risk scores seem “in the middle,” a CAC test can be a powerful eye-opener.Here’s something wild—Johns Hopkins researchers studied nearly 7,000 people to see how well we’re actually predicting heart risk. They looked at two methods: one used the usual risk factors like cholesterol levels, smoking habits, blood pressure, and diabetes. The other added in results from a Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) scan—that quick CT scan that checks for calcium buildup in your heart arteries. Turns out, adding the CAC scan seriously sharpened the accuracy. According to a 2013 study published in the European Heart Journal, some people who were told they were at very low risk based on traditional factors actually had high calcium scores—15% of them, in fact. That’s a big deal. Even more surprising? Around 35% of people flagged as high risk had zero calcium buildup, meaning they might not be in as much danger as once thought. Bottom line: the CAC test can change how we see and treat heart risk—big time. It’s quick, painless, and offers a peek inside your arteries that cholesterol tests simply can’t. The real value? Knowing your risk can save your life by prompting early treatment or lifestyle changes — or putting your mind at ease if your arteries are clean.Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before considering a Coronary Artery Calcium test or making heart health decisions. Individual risks vary, and only a qualified professional can provide guidance tailored to your specific needs.
Gambling lobbyists are staging a summer charm offensive designed to stop ministers from raising taxes on the sector, the Guardian has learned, including meeting with Treasury insiders and hosting a darts evening with Labour special advisers and MPs’ staff.
The Treasury is considering whether to simplify the various rates of duty applied to gambling products, a measure that the £11.5bn-a-year sector fears would increase its overall tax bill.
The Betting & Gaming Council (BGC), whose members include high street bookmakers and online casinos, is understood to have outlined its objections in a submission to the Treasury, based on a report written for the trade body by the accounting firm EY.
But the BGC has also embarked on a back-channel lobbying push, according to emails sent to its members and seen by the Guardian. In at least one case, a social event was promoted to Labour staff directly by the Labour Staff Network (LSN), offering them the opportunity to attend and hear speeches.
The event was a darts-themed evening, hosted by BGC and Flutter plc, the owner of Paddy Power, Betfair and SkyBet, an event the trade body said would help it “continue building constructive engagement across Westminster”.
The former Labour MP Michael Dugher is now the chair of the BGC. Photograph: Scott Bairstow/Alamy
At the event, more than 100 Labour staff and ministerial special advisers heard an address from the BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst, a former Ladbrokes executive and one-time aide to the former Conservative MP Philip Davies, who has railed against tax increases.
The social at the end of June was promoted via the LSN, which is run by and for the staff of Labour MPs and is independent of party HQ. It was held in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK.
A Flutter UKI spokesperson said: “The Labour staffers event was a great opportunity for us to talk about our ‘Big 180’ partnership with Prostate Cancer UK – built around the World Darts Championship – which has so far encouraged 350,000 men to check out their risk of developing the disease.”
As part of the charm offensive, the BGC’s chair, the former Labour MP Michael Dugher, met Katie Martin, the chief of staff to Rachel Reeves, and was also “in touch” with the chancellor herself, according to the emails. A source close to Reeves said she had no formal meeting with the BGC and would not ever have discussed the tax changes.
Senior BGC figures also told members in emails that they had briefed Labour MPs including Jo Platt, Gareth Snell and Adam Jogee on tax, as well as meeting the sports minister Stephanie Peacock – who is Dugher’s successor in his former Barnsley East seat.
The emails said Dugher also met the special adviser to the government’s chief whip, shortly after the bruising defeat on the welfare reform bill. They say BGC representatives attended a campaign fundraiser event for Labour’s business champion Gregor Poynton MP and Imogen Walker, the parliamentary private secretary to Reeves, attended by the prime minister’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who is Walker’s husband, and the UK’s ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson.
The BCG also hosted events for the Tories, sponsoring the inaugural Conservatives in Sports drinks reception, addressed by the shadow culture minister, Stuart Andrew, and attended by the shadow gambling minister, Louie French, and the chair of the DCMS select committee, Caroline Dinenage.
A BGC spokesperson said: “It is entirely common and appropriate for trade bodies like the BGC to routinely meet with ministers, shadow ministers and MPs as well as officials and advisers across government. All donations and hospitality are consistent with the parliamentary and other rules and are fully declared and transparent.
“Ministers have been clear in public and in parliament that they would be meeting with the relevant stakeholders as part of the consultation on tax harmonisation proposals. That includes the BGC, which represents companies employing over 100,000 people and a sector enjoyed safely by millions of customers each month.
“The BGC also recently met with the minister leading the tax consultation, James Murray, as would be expected as part of any government consultation on measures which would impact businesses and customers.”
It comes as the Treasury considers raising tax on the sector to help Reeves shore up the UK’s ailing public finances. The industry took £15.6bn from British punters last year, of which £11.5bn went to betting and gaming organisations and the remainder to the national lottery and other lotteries.
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A number of Labour MPs are pushing to toughen up the government’s approach to gambling – despite longstanding links of party veterans to the industry. Those who have joined the all-party parliamentary group on gambling include new MPs Beccy Cooper, Sarah Coombes, Alex Ballinger and Andrew Pakes.
The MP Dawn Butler, who intends to run for mayor of London, and the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, have also been pushing to hand more power to councils to block the spread of 24-hour slot machine venues.
The Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has called for local councils to be able to block new slot machine venues. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA
Butler launched a campaign on Wednesday to stop the spread of high street betting shops, saying her own borough of Brent in north-west London had at least 102 venues, including betting shops, casinos, and adult gaming centres.
“Nearly one person a day dies by suicide linked to gambling addiction. This is a public health crisis, and it’s time our planning laws reflect that and stop these gambling companies preying on communities that are often vulnerable and deprived,” she said.
Butlerhas submitted a parliamentary motion, calling for legislative changes to the Gambling Act 2005 to give local authorities greater power to refuse new gambling premises where there is clear evidence of community harm – especially as these venues are being targeted in areas of deprivation.
Gambling companies are projected to pay £3.6bn in duties this year, of which £1.2bn is “remote gaming duty”, a tax of 21% applied to online gambling.
A further £713m is “general betting duty” paid by high street bookmakers at a lower rate of 15%. One option under consideration is to harmonise the two rates.
This has met vehement opposition from the horse-racing industry, which fears the impact on a sport whose finances are already under severe pressure. Senior figures from racing have made this case personally in a meeting with Reeves, according to one industry source.
Some in racing are understood to have made clear they would not object to much higher taxes on online casino products, as long as the sport is left untouched. Several gambling industry sources said this could result in taxes on online gaming products, such as casino games and digital slot machines, being raised from 21% to as much as 35%.
The Social Market Foundation (SMF) thinktank is preparing a report on how much could be raised by adjusting gambling taxes, putting forward several scenarios. At last year’s budget, the Treasury considered but ultimately rejected a proposal from the SMF that would have doubled taxes on the most harmful gambling products to 41%.
Piper Perabo says there has been “some discussion” about a sequel to Coyote Ugly.
The actress visited The Hollywood Reporter’s suite at San Diego Comic-Con to promote her upcoming spy-thriller series Butterfly, alongside cast members including Daniel Dae Kim, who stars in and executive produces the Prime Video series.
The film, which was released 25 years ago next month, stars Perabo as an aspiring songwriter who moves to New York to pursue her dreams and winds up taking a job at a trendy bar, Coyote Ugly. The cast also includes Adam Garcia, John Goodman, Maria Bello, Izabella Miko, Tyra Banks, Bridget Moynahan and Melanie Lynskey.
THR’s Tiffany Taylor interviewed Perabo at Comic-Con, noting that there has been talk of a sequel over the years and asked what the status is.
Kim interjected, jokingly, with a suggestion for a title: “Coyote Uglier?” Quipped Perabo: “Coyote-er Ugly?”
Choosing her words very carefully, Perabo then confirmed that “there has been some discussion about that. Some things are being discussed. I can’t really say, but people that were doing it are talking about some stuff.”
“So the conversations are back on, it sounds like,” Taylor noted, to which Perabo replied: “Among the necessary — and some people that were like, well, we don’t necessarily need, they’re like, ‘Oh, well I wanna be in it.’ So, there’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen right now, but things are moving around.”
As for whether there is a script, Perabo demurred.
“I can’t say anything about that, but I will say that people that were integral to making it are in communication about how to do something more,” she said.
The movie pulled in $114 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, not adjusted for inflation, and received mixed reviews. However, it’s become a bit of a cult classic in the years since its release.
It also spawned a LeAnn Rimes hit, the Diane Warren-penned “Can’t Fight the Moonlight.”
Butterfly, meanwhile, is based on the BOOM! Studios’ graphic novel series created by Arash Amel. It follows David Jung (Kim), an enigmatic, unpredictable former U.S. intelligence operative living in South Korea, whose life is blown to pieces when the consequences of an impossible decision from his past come back to haunt him. The show, which debuts Aug. 13 on Prime Video, also stars Reina Hardesty and Louis Landau.
