Author: Tara Whitman

A centuries-old Japanese habit has been linked to fewer colds. The headline figure is a relative reduction from one trial, and a later study did not reproduce it. Rinsing the throat with plain tap water is as routine in Japan as washing hands. The practice, known as ugai, is done at school, at home and in the office, and is often fitted into the same bathroom visit. A 2005 trial found that people who gargled water had a 36% lower rate of upper respiratory tract infections. Later research has not confirmed that result, and the 36% figure overstates the real-world…

Fog, light winds and smoke from fireworks and wood burning pushed readings into “unhealthy” territory earlier this week. Government monitors now show low pollution across the capital. London’s air quality has returned to low levels after a high air pollution alert earlier this week, according to Defra’s national monitoring network. Dense fog and light winds let harmful particles build up across the capital, and the Mayor of London issued the alert on Tuesday on advice from forecasters at Imperial College London. It was the fourth such alert this year. Defra’s Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) read 2 out of 10…

A researcher says he saw the critically endangered animal breach 10 to 15 times off the Outer Banks, calling it the most incredible moment of his career. A rare North Atlantic right whale has been seen repeatedly leaping clear of the water off North Carolina’s Outer Banks, according to a marine researcher who witnessed it. John Felter, a research operations technician at the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese, was on a boat with five others on 30 October, the day before Halloween, when the whale appeared. He told WAVY-TV 10 that seeing it breach was “akin to seeing a unicorn”.…

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says ministers are considering adding the resale sites to the UK’s planned social media ban for children. eBay and Vinted say they want to work with the government. Vinted and eBay could be added to the platforms that under-16s will be barred from using, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said. Asked on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg whether the government planned the move, she replied: “We are looking seriously at doing so in order to keep children safe.” The Sunday Times had reported that the social media ban was being widened to cover the popular…

The consumer group says a small symbol on the bottle shows when it was made, and that bottles more than two years old risk splitting or leaking. The Children’s Burns Trust says 239 children suffered serious hot water bottle burns last year. Households bringing hot water bottles out of storage as temperatures fall are being urged to check how old they are. Consumer group Which? says many bottles carry a small “daisy wheel” symbol showing when they were made. Citing the Children’s Burns Trust, it says a bottle more than two years old is too old to use safely. Ageing…

The Duchess of Sussex wants a “full and thorough investigation”, according to a close friend, after her estranged father was charged with possessing child sexual abuse material. The charge is an allegation and has not been tested at trial. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, hopes an investigation will deliver justice for victims after her estranged father, Thomas Markle, was charged with possessing child sexual abuse material, a close friend has said. Mr Markle, 82, was arrested on Friday at a care facility in Tampa, Florida, and appeared before a federal court the same night. US prosecutors allege that suspected illegal material…

The fast-food chain said the error has been resolved after a customer publicly flagged it, having bought 18 meals for £26.54 instead of the usual £188.82. Burger King has confirmed it fixed a technical fault in its UK app that allowed customers to add Whopper meals to an order at no extra cost. The glitch affected the chain’s “two meals for £12” deal and was publicly highlighted by a customer, Paul Martin. He said he bought 18 Whoppers, 18 portions of fries and 18 drinks from the branch on The Strand in central London for £26.54, against the £188.82 the…

Charles will open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting as leaders weigh Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s offer of talks on an apology, which stops short of reparations King Charles is expected to speak about slavery with “unflinching honesty” and “sincere sorrow” when he gives the keynote address opening the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda. The summit is expected to be dominated by the question of slavery and reparations after Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a change in long-standing government policy and offered talks on an apology. Mr Burnham has ruled out reparations. Burnham’s offer Mr…

With Bonfire Night on Thursday, the charity warns that hibernating animals can shelter in piles of logs and garden waste, and says a few simple checks can prevent serious injuries The RSPCA is urging households to check their bonfires for wildlife before lighting them on Bonfire Night, warning that animals hiding in piles of garden waste, leaves and logs can be badly hurt or killed. Hedgehogs, dormice, frogs and toads are among the species at risk as they prepare for winter or hibernate. “Autumn brings with it the arrival of Bonfire Night for us, and hibernation for some wild animals,”…

The assistant coroner for Berkshire says ofloxacin ‘induced a determination to end his life’ and warns that current safety warnings are inadequate A lawyer from Reading with no history of mental ill health died by suicide shortly after starting a course of the antibiotic ofloxacin, an inquest has heard. Alex Mulroney, who was in a secure relationship with his wife and children, was prescribed the drug after a first-line antibiotic failed to clear a recurrence of a physical condition. Berkshire assistant coroner Ian Wade KC said on the balance of probabilities the medicine did not cause his death but “induced…