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‘He Should Be Ashamed’: Lammy Tears Tory MP Apart For Joking About Arson Attacks Targeting Starmer
David Lammy told the Conservatives’ deputy chairman he should be “ashamed of himself” after he mocked the arson attacks targeting Keir Starmer.
Two Ukrainians set alight to the prime minister’s family home and his car in 2025 after being recruited online by a Russian-speaking Telegram user “El Money”.
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Roman Lavrynovych, and Ukrainian-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc were convicted of conspiracy to carry out arson attacks on Monday.
But on Tuesday, Matt Vickers joined Talk’s Peter Kyle in laughing at the incident.
The Tory MP joked about the far-right conspiracy theory that the two Ukrainian nationals found guilty of conspiring to carry out the attacks on Starmer’s property and car were “rent boys”.
So when Vickers stood up to ask about the high rates of unemployment during deputy prime minister’s questions, Lammy hit back by pointing out the MP had been “laughing and joking” about the arson attacks against Starmer only yesterday.
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Standing in for Starmer, Lammy said: “I must say to this Tory deputy chairman, yesterday he was on television laughing and joking about the arson attack on the prime minister’s home.
“Laughing about a firebomb targeting the prime minister and his family.
“Not only that, he joined with promoting conspiracies about the attack and laughed along to demeaning, homophobic remarks.
“He should be ashamed of himself.
“My advice to him is to grow up, apologise, and do considerably better.”
Vickers just shook his head from the Commons’ opposition benches.
Labour chair Anna Turley later said: “It is frankly sickening that anyone would seek to laugh and joke about an appalling attack on a fellow politician’s family home.
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“To do so on the same day as we stood in unity to mark the anniversary of our dear friend and much missed colleague Jo Cox, is beyond the pale.
“Matt Vickers is not fit to be an MP and if Kemi Badenoch had an ounce of integrity or respect for the safety of those who seek to serve the public, she would do the right thing and sack him today.
“Just two days ago, Kemi Badenoch rightly called out the perpetrators of the vile attack against the Prime Minister. Some issues go beyond the rough and tumble of Party politics. If she fails to act now, her words clearly will have meant nothing.”
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When asked for his take on the story on Talk on Tuesday, Vickers did begin his interview by acknowledging the serious concerns around Russian influence in the UK and the subsequent impact on security.
However, he soon added: “The idea that there some secret Russian effort to destabilise the country via the prime minister… I mean, you’d leave him in office!”
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Kyle laughed loudly while Vickers continued: “Let him destroy the country! Don’t distract him, because he’s doing a pretty canny job of blowing himself up.”
Referring to the false rumour spread by Russia around the attacks, Kyle asked: “Were they rent boys?”
“I’m not familiar with them,” the MP replied, smiling.
Kyle said: “His front door was firebombed wasn’t it? Why are you laughing? It wasn’t his back door, it was his front door.”
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The presenter then turned to the backlash to the PM’s attempts to introduce a social media ban for under-16s, adding: “He’s trying to bring a social media ban in through the back door quite quickly, isn’t he?”
Vickers struggled to stop his laughter.
A Tory Party spokesperson said: “If you’ve got an issue with the content of the programme, I suggest taking that up with Jeremy Kyle.”
He said party leader Kemi Badenoch had outright condemned the arson attacks on Tuesday.
The spokesperson said: “If you listen to what he actually says, the content of his words isn’t actually saying anything wrong. He laughed on that part, he was purely polite to the host of a radio programme.”
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Watch the Talk interview here:
Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
Peter Capaldi Just Shared Why He Really Left Doctor Who
Peter Capaldi, who was the 12th Doctor on BBC hit Doctor Who, has spoken out about his exit from the show.
The Thick Of It Star left the franchise in 2017. In a recent appearance on YouTube series 100 Questions with John Simmons, he claimed that he decided to leave the role because “I just wasn’t sure that it was going to go in the direction that I… everybody was leaving that I’d worked with.”
He added, “Everybody was leaving. Jenna [presumably Jenna Louise-Coleman, who played the Doctor’s companion Clara Oswald] had gone, and Steven [probably former head writer Steven Moffat, who also left in 2017] was going, and Brian [likely Brian Minchin], the producer, was going, and those are the people that make it work for you.
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“We’d had some talks about the direction. I wasn’t sure that that was where I wanted to go with the show. And I also thought, I’m not sure I could come up with anything new.”
Peter continued to say that while his regeneration, which saw the actor replaced by Jodie Whittaker, was “very sad”, he thinks that the biological process the Doctor uses to survive serious damage has become “diminished”.
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Calling the concept “a very, very powerful death motif,” he said, “To be perfectly honest, I think there are too many regenerations.
“I love all the Doctors, but I’ve lost count now of how many of them there are, so the weight of this kind of regeneration is diminished. Whereas when I grew up as a kid, the first time it happened it was: ‘What just happened there?’ It was mysterious and strange. It holds the mystery of the show, the regeneration.”
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It’s not the first time he’s expressed his feelings about the show, of which he was a super-fan in his youth.
On the Half Of The Picture podcast this year, he claimed: “The show became very, very big. And it was never like that when I loved it. So it became a different thing.
“I think the show is a little bit of a victim of its success. You know, the show that I loved was a tiny thing, a little small thing that survived. It just survived, but nobody knew that it was warming its way into the culture in such a deep way. And I think that’s what I have an affinity with.”
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In the ’70s, the Doctor Who fan club received so much correspondence from a young Capaldi that then-president of the group, Keith Miller, said he felt “haunted” by the Doctor-to-be.
London On Heatwave Alert Again As Temperatures Set To Hit 30C
Soon after a 35°C May record-breaker, the Met Office said more heatwaves are likely in the UK this summer.
And it turns out they may be just days away from being proven right in London.
As of the time of writing (17 June), temperatures between 28°C and 30°C are expected in the capital this weekend.
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Here’s what you need to know about: when that could happen, what it would take to count as an official heatwave, and why hot spells can be so insufferable in the city.
When could there be a heatwave in London this June?
The Met Office predicts our current miserable weather will take a sunnier turn on Friday, 19 June.
At that point, temperatures will rise to 29°C.
From then on, per the Met Office, Londoners can expect:
- Friday 19 June: 29°C
- Saturday 20 June: 28°C
- Sunday 21 June: 30°C.
Even if the highest of those temperatures come to pass, however, an official heatwave may still not have taken place.
When is it officially a heatwave in London?
A heatwave is defined as three back-to-back days at or above an area’s maximum temperature threshold.
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Because some parts of the UK are usually hotter than others, that upper limit changes depending on location.
As you head further North or West, that threshold is set a little lower than the warmer South-East – around 25°C and 26°C.
But in London, the threshold is 28°C.
That means that it’d need to reach at least 28°C on Tuesday after the predicted Sunday and Monday temperatures to officially count (or Saturday would have to be a degree hotter than currently anticipated).
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Why does London feel so hot on sunny days?
As we mentioned before, London is already in the warmer South-East. Then, there’s the infrastructure to consider.
Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Richard Millard, senior sustainability consultant at Building Energy Experts, said that built-up areas can make already brutal UK heatwaves even more unbearable.
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“Our towns and cities have a large urban heat island effect due to the amount of concrete, asphalt and such that absorbs heat and releases it slowly, making cities and towns feel hotter,” he shared.
2026′s two consecutive record-breaking May temperatures were recorded in London’s Kew Gardens this year (34.8°C and 35.1°C, respectively).
10 ‘Worth Every Penny’ Shower Products For Folks With Limited Mobility
For folks with limited mobility, day-to-day activities and tasks can take more effort and pose increased risk. Showering, in particular, can be challenging and even downright scary. Getting in and out of the tub and moving around in the shower presents the possibility of slipping or falling because of wet surfaces.
We’ve found some reviewer-beloved products from Amazon that folks swear by for preventing injuries while bathing. Many people say these items changed and saved their lives, and some even deemed a product the “Cadillac” of shower assisters! Read on for some of their favorite picks.
The original version of this story was published on HuffPost at an earlier date.
A daily probiotic may help relieve depression and anxiety
Could improving gut health also help improve mental health? A small clinical trial suggests that probiotics, often called “good bacteria,” may provide an extra boost for older adults being treated for depression.
Researchers found that seniors with depression who took a daily probiotic alongside their regular antidepressant treatment experienced modest but meaningful improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms compared with those who received a placebo. A placebo is an inactive treatment designed to look identical to the real one.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Exploring the Gut-Brain Connection
Scientists have become increasingly interested in the relationship between the digestive system and the brain, often referred to as the gut-brain connection. The trillions of microbes that live in the human digestive tract, collectively known as the gut microbiome, may influence mood, behavior, and mental health through a variety of biological pathways.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that can help support a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut. Researchers have been investigating whether these microbes could potentially complement traditional treatments for conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Inside the Clinical Trial
The pilot study enrolled 58 adults in India who were at least 60 years old and had moderate depression. All participants continued receiving standard antidepressant treatment.
The volunteers were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a daily probiotic supplement or a placebo for 12 weeks. Researchers then continued monitoring participants for another 12 weeks to track longer-term outcomes.
Importantly, both groups showed substantial improvement over the course of the study. However, the probiotic group experienced somewhat greater reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Measuring Mental Health and Biological Changes
To evaluate the effects of treatment, researchers used several different tools.
They assessed participants using established psychological rating scales designed to measure depression and anxiety symptoms. They also examined a biomarker known as (serum brain-derived neurotropic factor level). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, often abbreviated as BDNF, is a protein involved in the growth, maintenance, and survival of nerve cells and is frequently studied in mental health research.
In addition, investigators analyzed participants’ gut bacteria through (fecal microbiota profiling), which allows scientists to examine the composition of microbes living in the digestive system.
Taken together, the findings suggested that probiotic therapy contributed to symptom improvement. However, the researchers did not find clear evidence that probiotics produced additional improvements in overall quality of life compared with placebo.
Encouraging Results, But More Research Needed
Because this was a relatively small pilot study, the findings should be viewed as preliminary. Larger studies will be needed to determine how much benefit probiotics may provide, which patients are most likely to respond, and whether the effects remain consistent across broader populations.
Even so, the results support the idea that probiotics could serve as a safe and biologically plausible addition to standard depression treatment.
“The results of our study are novel, and we are now planning a follow-up, larger-scale clinical trial due to the encouraging findings,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Saibal Das, MBBS, MD, DM, PhD, of the Indian Council of Medical Research — National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections, Kolkata.
“My vision is to develop affordable healthcare solutions and make them available to the larger population for meaningful public health impact,” added co-corresponding author Abhinaba Ghosh, MBBS, MSc, PhD, a physician-neuroscientist from Tata Medical Center, Kolkata.
Superconductivity breakthrough could unlock ultra-efficient electronics
Superconductors could one day help power a new generation of ultra-efficient electronics, but major technical hurdles have kept the technology largely confined to research labs. Now, scientists at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a new approach that tackles one of the field’s biggest challenges: maintaining superconductivity at higher temperatures while also resisting strong magnetic fields.
The advance could help move superconducting technologies closer to practical use in electronics, energy systems, and quantum devices.
Modern digital devices, data centers, and information and communications technology (ICT) networks are responsible for an estimated 6 to 12 percent of global electricity consumption. As energy demand continues to rise, researchers are searching for ways to make electronics far more efficient.
Superconductors are particularly attractive because they can carry electrical current with no energy loss. Unlike conventional electronic systems, which waste energy as heat, superconductors can transmit electricity without resistance. In theory, this could make power grids, electronics, and quantum technologies hundreds of times more efficient.
Why Superconductors Are Difficult To Use
Despite their promise, superconductors face several obstacles that limit their real-world applications.
One challenge is temperature. Many superconductors only work at extremely low temperatures, often around minus 200 degrees Celsius. Reaching and maintaining such temperatures requires complex and energy-intensive cooling systems.
Magnetic fields present another major problem. Strong magnetic fields can weaken or even eliminate superconductivity. This is particularly important because many advanced electronic systems and quantum technologies either generate or rely on magnetic fields.
To become practical for widespread use, superconducting materials must be able to operate at higher temperatures (ideally close to room temperature) while remaining stable in strong magnetic environments.
A Different Strategy for Stronger Superconductivity
Researchers have spent years trying to improve superconductors by altering their chemical composition, but progress has been limited. The Chalmers team decided to take a different approach.
“By sculpting the surface that the superconductor rests on, we were able to induce superconductivity at significantly higher temperatures than previously possible. We also found that the material remained superconducting even when exposed to strong magnetic fields,” explains Floriana Lombardi, Professor of Quantum Device Physics at Chalmers and lead author of a study published in Nature Communications.
How a Tiny Surface Change Made a Big Difference
The researchers worked with a copper-oxide material from the cuprate family. Cuprates are already known for exhibiting superconductivity at relatively high temperatures, but their chemical structure is difficult to modify once they have been manufactured.
The superconducting layer used in the study was only a few nanometers thick, less than one millionth the thickness of a human hair. Such ultrathin materials must be grown on a supporting foundation called a substrate, which acts as a template during fabrication.
The breakthrough came from making nanoscale modifications to the substrate itself.
“Because the atoms in the substrate are arranged in a specific pattern, they can ‘guide’ how the atoms in the superconducting layer settle. By changing the surface design of the substrate, we were able to influence the superconducting properties and ensure they were preserved, even at higher temperatures and when high magnetic fields were applied,” explains Eric Walhberg, a researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.
Before adding the superconducting film, the team treated the substrate in a vacuum at high temperature. This process created an orderly pattern of tiny ridges and valleys across the surface.
Those microscopic features altered the electronic environment where the substrate and superconducting layer meet, creating conditions that favored stronger superconductivity.
“We could see how the electrons’ properties began to have a preferential direction in this interfacial region and behave in a way that stabilized and strengthened the superconducting state,” says Lombardi.
A New Design Principle for Future Superconductors
The findings introduce a new way of thinking about superconducting materials. Instead of focusing solely on discovering new materials or changing their chemistry, researchers may be able to improve performance by carefully engineering the surfaces on which those materials are grown.
“Instead of searching for entirely new materials or manipulating the chemical properties of existing ones, we are now showing how superconductivity can be enhanced by sculpting the substrate,” says Lombardi.
The researchers believe this strategy could eventually help superconductors function at much higher temperatures, potentially even approaching room temperature.
The work also points toward future applications in energy-efficient electronics, advanced quantum components, and technologies that must operate in strong magnetic fields.
“This shows that very small changes at the nanoscale can have decisive effects and may even unlock the full potential of superconductivity in future electronics,” says Lombardi.
Study Details
The study, “Boosting superconductivity in ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7−δ films via nanofaceted substrates,” was published in the journal Nature Communications.
The authors are Eric Wahlberg, Riccardo Arpaia, Debmalya Chakraborty, Alexei Kalaboukhov, David Vignolles, Cyril Proust, Annica M. Black-Schaffer, Thilo Bauch, Götz Seibold, and Floriana Lombardi.
Researchers involved in the project are affiliated with Chalmers University of Technology, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science — Pilani, K. K. Birla Goa Campus, India, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), India, Uppsala University, Sweden, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université de Toulouse, INSA-T, France, and Institut für Physik, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany.
Part of the research was carried out at Myfab Chalmers, a cleanroom facility.
Funding was provided by the Swedish Research Council (VR), the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the European Union through an EIC Pathfinder grant, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
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10 surprising ways diabetes and dementia are connected
The link between diabetes and dementia is becoming increasingly clear. New research shows how blood sugar problems affect brain health and vice versa. Here are ten evidence-based insights into how the two conditions are related.
1. Diabetes raises the risk of dementia
People with diabetes are about 60% more likely to develop dementia than those without, and frequent episodes of low blood sugar are linked to a 50% higher chance of cognitive decline.
2. Insulin resistance affects the brain too
Insulin resistance – the major cause of type 2 diabetes – happens when cells stop responding properly to insulin. This means that too much sugar, in the form of glucose, is left in the blood, leading to complications.
It usually affects the liver and muscles, but it also affects the brain. In Alzheimer’s, this resistance may make it harder for brain cells to use glucose for energy, contributing to cognitive decline.
3. A brain sugar shortage in dementia
The brain is only 2% of our body weight, but uses about 20% of the body’s energy. In dementia, brain cells appear to lose the ability to use glucose properly.
This mix of poor use of glucose and insulin resistance is sometimes unofficially called type 3 diabetes.
4. Alzheimer’s can raise diabetes risk
People with Alzheimer’s often have higher fasting blood glucose, even if they don’t have diabetes. This is a form of pre-diabetes. Animal studies also show that Alzheimer’s-like changes in the brain raise blood glucose levels.
Also, the highest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s, the APOE4 genetic variant, reduces insulin sensitivity by trapping the insulin receptor inside the cell, where it cannot be switched on properly.
5. Blood vessel damage links both conditions
Diabetes damages blood vessels, causing complications in the eyes, kidneys and heart. The brain is also at risk. High or varying blood glucose levels can injure vessels in the brain, reducing blood flow and oxygen delivery.
Diabetes can also weaken the brain’s protective barrier, letting harmful substances in. This leads to inflammation. Reduced blood flow and brain inflammation are strongly linked to dementia.
6. Memantine: a dementia drug born from diabetes research
Memantine, used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s symptoms, was originally developed as a diabetes medication. It didn’t succeed in controlling blood glucose, but researchers later discovered its benefits for brain function. This story shows how diabetes research may hold clues for treating brain disorders.
7. Metformin might protect the brain
Metformin, the most widely used diabetes drug, does more than just lower blood glucose. It gets in to the brain and may lower brain inflammation.
Some studies suggest that people with diabetes who take metformin are less likely to develop dementia, and those who stop taking it may see their risk increase again.
Trials are testing its effects in people without diabetes.
8. Weight-loss injections may reduce plaque buildup
GLP-1 receptors agonist drugs, such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), lower blood glucose and support weight loss. Records show that people with diabetes on these drugs have a lower dementia risk. Comparing GLP1 drugs to metformin, studies have found that they were even more effective than metformin at reducing dementia risk.
Two major trials, Evoke and Evoke Plus, are testing oral semaglutide in people with mild cognitive impairment or early mild Alzheimer’s.
9. Insulin therapy might help the brain
Since insulin resistance in the brain is a problem, researchers have tested insulin sprays given through the nose. This method delivers insulin straight to the brain while reducing effects on blood sugar.
Small studies suggest these sprays may help memory or reduce brain shrinkage, but delivery methods remain a challenge. Sprays vary in how much insulin reaches the brain, and long-term safety has not yet been proven.
10. SGLT2 inhibitors may lower dementia risk
New evidence suggests that compared to GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, (a type of diabetes drug) are superior at reducing dementia risk, including Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, in people with type 2 diabetes. These tablets lower blood sugar by increasing sugar removal in urine. This study builds on early evidence suggesting they lower dementia risk by reducing inflammation in the brain.
This growing body of evidence suggests that managing diabetes protects more than the heart and kidneys, it also helps preserve brain function.
Questions remain whether diabetes drugs only reduce the diabetes-associated dementia risk or whether these drugs could also reduce risk in people without diabetes.
However, diabetes research has been very successful in creating at least 13 different classes of drugs, multiple combination therapies, giving rise to at least 50 different medicines. These reduce blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation. A “side-effect” may be better preservation of brain health during aging.
