Category Archives: Uncategorized

6 Psychological Factors Have Been Linked To Dementia Risk, And 2 Are More Important Than The Rest

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We’ve already shared at HuffPost UK how everything from reading fiction to walking may help to decrease your risk of developing dementia.

In fact, for a small group of genetically predisposed older people, something as simple as fish oil tablets may offer some protective benefits.

And now, a study has been released that suggests those with poor “psychological well-being” may have a higher chance of developing dementia.

This comes from a paper published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry which tracked over 900 participants over 14 years.

They tracked who got mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, and who didn’t.

What did they mean by “psychological well-being”?

The team measured “self-acceptance, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, positive relation with others, and personal growth,” the researchers said.

Every year, they measured participants’ scores in those six areas using Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-Being.

They found that “Psychological well-being (specifically purpose in life and personal growth) became significantly lower before MCI diagnosis,” the study said.

Researchers found that the dip in psychological well-being usually happened six years before the diagnosis.

The 73 participants who developed dementia were more likely to have lower psychological well-being than those who didn’t.

The mean age of participants was 79.9 years old, and “most participants are white and female, which may limit the generalisability of our findings to other populations,” the scientists said.

So, will I definitely get dementia if my psychological well-being is low?

Absolutely not.

“Future studies with larger and more diverse samples are warranted to verify our findings,” the paper said ― even then, it only studied older, mostly white, mostly female people.

They did not find that every person with decreased psychological wellbeing got MCI or dementia, nor did they find that every person with good psychological wellbeing was dementia or MCI-free.

“Compared with participants who were dementia-free, those who developed dementia were more likely to be older, female, APOE ε4 carriers, and to have a lower level of psychological well-being (p0.05 for all),” the paper said.

Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation for Alzheimer’s Society, told The Guardian that it’s very likely taking care of your mental health and social life is a prevention factor.

But he added, “At this stage, it is not clear whether we can use these wellbeing factors as a predictor of MCI and we need research to demonstrate if tackling these factors might change the trajectory of a decline in memory and thinking skills.”

Speak to your GP ASAP if you suspect you or a loved one have dementia.

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Russia Slapped Down At UN Meeting As Ukrainian Allies Remind Moscow It Is Not A ‘Victim’

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Russia did not get the sympathy it was hoping for at an informal UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday.

Ukraine has managed to humiliate Moscow over the last nine days by breaching Russia’s southern borders, reaching into the Kursk region and taking 100 Russian troops as prisoners of war.

Kyiv says it is already occupying 1,000 sq km (386 sq miles) – that’s the same amount of Ukrainian land Russia has seized so far this year.

Despite often boasting of its military prowess and Vladimir Putin’s promise to “kick the enemy out”, Moscow is struggling to remove the Ukrainian forces.

And it’s certainly not getting any help from the West judging from what happened at the informal the UN Security Council.

Ukraine’s allies, the US, France and the UK, did not waver in their support for Kyiv during the mini stand-off, and instead chose not mention the Kursk attack at all.

Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said: “We haven’t heard a word of condemnation of these actions from the Western sponsors of the Kyiv regime who continue to cover up the abhorrent crimes of their puppet.”

He claimed Ukrainians have been killing Russian civilians and questioned what Kyiv wants with the attack, adding: “I would be grateful for the explanation how intentionally targeting civilians serves the goal of disrupting attacks on Ukrainian territory, given the fact that there were no military objects or infrastructure in the area.”

Several members instead accused Russia of hypocrisy, double standards and wasting the council’s time, listing all the ways Moscow has been accused of breaking humanitarian law in Ukraine.

According to Reuters news agency, senior Slovenian diplomat Klemen Ponikvar said: “We will not recognise the aggressor as the victim.”

Military vehicles drive near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
Military vehicles drive near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.

via Associated Press

UK diplomat Kate Jones said: “We will never falter in our support for Ukraine for as long as it takes to secure just and sustainable peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law.”

And US diplomat Caleb Pine joined in, saying: “There is no question as to which country has committed numerous well-documented atrocities, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, on Ukraine’s sovereign territory. That country is Russia.”

The amount of land Kyiv is occupying is nothing compared to the 18% (109,000 sq km or 42,000 sq miles) of its Ukrainian territory Russia is currently claiming as its own, more than two years after its invasion of its European neighbour.

However, diplomats from Syria, Belarus and North Korea spoke out for Russia at the meeting.

Moscow has called Ukraine’s surprising offensive a “major provocation” and claims the country is just trying to strengthen its hand in any upcoming peace negotiations.

The whole operation has been shrouded in secrecy.

Kyiv has not revealed the exact purpose of this offensive, although it has said it has no plans to annex the Russian land, like Moscow has done with Ukrainian land.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy remained elusive on Monday, just saying: “Russia must be forced into peace if Putin wants to continue waging war so badly.”

Ukraine’s allies have repeatedly claimed they had no prior warning of the offensive – the West is also eager to avoid the Ukraine-Russia war pulling NATO into direct conflict.

Kyiv only confirmed that it had indeed breached Russia’s borders on Saturday, days after it first broke through.

And, according to Reuters, both Ukraine and Russia have barred journalists from the battlefield, meaning any claims made by either side cannot be independently verified.

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Tory Leadership Hopeful Tom Tugendhat Slams Elon Musk And Nigel Farage

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A Conservative leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat has hit out at Elon Musk and Nigel Farage in his first major speech since announcing his bid to lead the Tories.

Musk, who owns the social media platform X, has criticised PM Keir Starmer repeatedly over his response to the far-right riots in recent weeks, and even claimed “civil war is inevitable” in the UK.

Tugendhat, a former security minister, responded to those remarks on Tuesday afternoon, saying: “Frankly I found those comments delusional and simply false.

“The question as to how we operate on social media is a difficult one.”

He added: “I refuse to be on TikTok because the algorithm is set by a foreign dictatorship. Others make different choices.”

He did not say politicians should quit X though, after a handful of Labour MPs left.

Tugendhat also ruled out making a deal with populist party Reform UK if he became Tory leader, and said he would not allow the party’s leader Farage into the Conservatives.

He claimed that Farage has been “deeply irresponsible and dangerous” over the riots in trying to amplify “false information”.

The Reform leader had suggested the police were withholding information from the public over the Southport stabbings.

Tugendhat slammed Farage for criticising the breakdown of law and order, “but not the riots themselves”.

Tugendhat also discussed the conspiracy theory that there is “two-tier” policing in the UK, which claims the authorities treat some protesters more kindly than others.

Musk has even called the PM “Two tier Kier” over this claim, which Starmer – and the police – have vehemently denied.

Tugendhat, now the shadow security minister, said he did not believe there was a two-tier approach, but claimed there is sometimes “inconsistency”.

He said: “A two-tier approach suggests there is an active choice to treat communities differently. I don’t believe that that is the case.”

He claimed “inconsistency” leads to “lack of predictability”.

He added: “As security minister, I constantly had to encourage the police to make arrests on the day as crimes were being committed rather than waiting until after the protest had finished.”

Tugendhat will be competing alongside James Cleverly, Priti Patel, Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch and Mel Stride to lead the Tory Party.

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Most Brits Do Not Care Who The Next Tory Leader Is, Brutal New Poll Finds

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Most Brits do not actually care who the next Conservative leader is, according to a new poll.

In yet another humiliating twist for the Tories – just a month after their worst ever electoral defeat, Ipsos UK has found 62% of Brits surveyed were not interested in following who would replace Rishi Sunak.

To make matters worse, that includes 36% of Conservative voters.

The pollsters found none of the candidates are very well known among the British public, despite all of them holding ministerial roles at some point.

Just 45% of the 1,091 adults surveyed said they know a great deal or a fair amount about former home secretary Priti Patel, followed by 26% for shadow home secretary James Cleverly, and 24% for shadow housing secretary Kemi Badenoch.

The polling, which took place between August 2 and 5, also found 34% of the public said they do not favour any of the current candidates.

There was a narrow preference for Cleverly among those surveyed, with 18% suggesting he would do a good job, followed by Patel (17%) and shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat (17%).

Badenoch is slightly behind on 14%, putting her on par with former migration minister Robert Jenrick.

Meanwhile, 9% thought shadow pensions secretary Mel Stride would do a good job leading the opposition – which, unfortunately, is the same percentage of respondents who backed a candidate called “Stuart Lewis”, a fake politician added to the poll by Ipsos.

But, it’s not all doom and gloom for Stride.

While a whopping 44% of respondents said they thought Patel would do a bad job, (and 22% thought the same of Badenoch, 20% of Cleverly, 15% of Jenrick, 11% of Tugendhat), just 9% said thought Stride would also perform poorly.

Trinh Tu, UK managing director, public affairs, said: “This new poll suggests high level of public apathy about the Conservative leadership race.”

She added that Patel seems to be most divisive figure at the moment, but for the most part, “Britons are unfamiliar with the main candidates and say they do not care very much about who will emerge at the winner”.

Meanwhile, 65% said a backing from ex-PM Liz Truss would give that candidate the worst chance of winning.

Far fewer (46%) said Reform leader and MP Nigel Farage would have a negative effect on a candidate’s hopes of victory, and 44% said the same for ex-PM Boris Johnson.

Only former PM and Rishi Sunak’s foreign secretary David Cameron was seen as the one who could have a positive impact overall – 31% said it would worsen a candidate’s chances with an endorsement, compared to 32% who said it would improve.

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‘Dude, F*** Off’: George Clooney Fires Back At Quentin Tarantino After ‘Irritating’ Comment

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During a joint interview with Brad Pitt in the September issue of British GQ magazine, George revealed he was “irritated” with the Pulp Fiction director, after the filmmaker claimed he wasn’t a real movie star.

“Quentin said some shit about me recently, so I’m a little irritated by him,” the Gravity star explained. “He did some interview where he was naming movie stars, and he was talking about [Brad Pitt], and somebody else, and then this guy goes, ‘Well, what about George?’. He goes, he’s not a movie star.

“And then he literally said something like, ‘Name me a [George Clooney] movie since the millennium.’ And I was like, ‘Since the millennium? That’s kind of my whole fucking career’.”

As Brad laughed, George continued: “So now I’m like, all right, dude, fuck off. I don’t mind giving him shit. He gave me shit.”

George and Quentin actually previously shared the screen in the 1996 horror movie From Dusk Till Dawn.

While the two-time Oscar winner didn’t actually direct the film in question, he did write it, and was seemingly heavily involved in the casting process, even selecting George because he thought they looked so similar.

And, George had some feelings about that comment, too, in a clip which resurfaced on social media last year…

Read George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s full interview in the September issue of British GQ, available on newsstands and via digital download from Tuesday 27 August.

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I’m A Doctor ― This Common Gut Health Buy May Be A Waste Of Money

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It’s well-known that if you’re going on antibiotics, you’ll need to supplement the tablets with probiotics to protect your gut’s microbiome, right?

The medication wipes out the “good” bacteria along with the bad, and you need something like a specially-designed probiotic drink to restore it, the common argument goes.

But Dr. Karan Rajan, who’s known for spreading his medical know-how on TikTok, recently shared a video explaining that the relationship isn’t as straightforward as that.

Why not?

“Whilst there are some strains of bacteria known to have a protective effect at reducing the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, there’s no guarantee your average supermarket probiotic [drinks] contain these strains, even if they claim to,” he says.

“And even if they do contain it, are they even alive or present in sufficient concentrations to have any effect?” he asked.

He’s not alone in doubting the supermarket supplement.

Women’s Health writes that “the benefits [of supermarket probiotic drinks] are negligible,” with or without antibiotic use; dietitian Sophie Medlin told Which?, ”[the effect of probiotic supplements] depends on what bacteria is already present in your gut. This is why it’s hard to prove probiotics offer the same benefit to everyone.”

Medlin and Women’s Health both agree that research into the effectiveness of probiotic drinks is thin on the ground.

It’s not that nobody thinks any probiotic drink can help; it’s just that proving they do can be harder than you’d think.

“The jury is still out about which strains and which dosages are the most effective,” Dr. Karan Rajan says.

“So instead of spending your money on [probiotic drinks], there is something more evidence-based and effective that you can do during and after taking antibiotics.”

Which is?

I hate to be this person, but; plain ol’ fruits and veggies, apparently.

“Add more prebiotic fibres to your meals,” the doctor advised. “These plant fibres feed and encourage the growth of the existing good bugs.”

He added that “you can get these prebiotics in the form of supplements like psyllium husks or fibre-rich plants ― fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses.”

The doctor went on to say that brightly-coloured plants “tend to have a higher concentration of polyphenols, which our good gut bugs love.”

“Instead of these store-bought probiotics, go for the stuff naturally found in food ― they’re more likely to contain live bacteria in the form of lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which happen to be two of the most researched strains of probiotics,” Dr. Rajan ended his video.

Of course, listen to your doctor first, and if you’ve noticed benefits from drinking probiotic drinks then continue enjoying them.

Though some argue there’s not much proof for their effectiveness, there’s no definitive proof they don’t work, either.

But as dietician Kaitlin Colucci told Which?, while they “can be beneficial” for people who are unwell, “For healthy people without symptoms there’s no need to take probiotic supplements.”

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Russia – And Possibly Farage – May Be Looked At By Security Services In Riots Probe, Ex-MI6 Head Says

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The former head of MI6 claimed the intelligence services will be investigating Russia, Tommy Robinson and possibly even Nigel Farage in their probe into how the far-right riots started.

The UK was hit by a wave of far-right extremism and violence earlier this month, triggered by social media disinformation around the suspect in the Southport stabbings, where three young girls were killed.

Various accounts falsely claimed the person behind the horrific incident was an asylum seeker and on the MI6 watchlist – allegations which then acted as a catalyst for the anti-immigration riots.

Former MI6 spy, Christopher Steele, previously put together a dossier on Donald Trump’s relations with Russia.

He worked for MI6 between 1987 and 2009, and believes intelligence services will now be looking at who evoked the riots.

He told Times Radio on Sunday he believes Russia was involved, while also noting that English Defence League (EDL) founder Robinson, and Reform Party leader, MP Farage, could also be under the spotlight.

Steele said: “I think the Security Service will be looking very carefully at the instigators of these activities, including people like Tommy Robinson, even conceivably Nigel Farage, who incidentally said that we were being misinformed by the government about Southport.”

Farage falsely claimed the police were not telling the whole truth around the tragedies in Southport shortly after the stabbings first happened, and suggested the suspect was already known to the security services.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been encouraging the riots online while on holiday in Cyprus.

Steele continued: “The Security Services require warrants, obviously, to do some of that.

“But I think essentially, looking at communications, looking at travel, looking at financial transfers is the heart of this problem.

“And if we’re going to get to the bottom of it, certainly the government should be doing those things in terms of the instigators. Now, whether Nigel Farage in the end is defined as an instigator of this, I don’t know.”

He added: “They’ll be looking at things like their travel movements, who they’ve been in touch with, monetary transfers, and so on, because that will reveal or not, as the case may be a pattern of behaviour, which can lead to some conclusions about the degree to which Russia has been interfering in this situation.”

Steele explained that he thinks think it’s “clear” there is some Russian involvement, but added: “The degree to which that’s happened and the effectiveness I think is still out for question.

“I mean, when you look at the original disinformation that surrounded the Southport killings, that does seem to have come from a Russian linked website.

“It’s in very much Russia’s interest to destabilise countries like Britain and the United States.”

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So THAT’s What H.E.R.’s Name Really Stands For

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Not everyone will know the name Gabriella Wilson, despite the fact that she took to the Olympic stage in yesterday’s closing ceremony.

But most people will recognise the artist H.E.R. ― a moniker people suspect Gabi Wilson has gone by since her first studio album in 2016.

The name, which is pronounced the same as the word “her,” has become a household one thanks to hits like Could’ve Been.

In fact, the Oscar-winning singer and five-time Grammy recipient has become such a part of my cultural furniture that many of us will never have even stopped to question what the stage name might stand for.

As it turns out, however, the name is an acronym.

Of?

RCA Records’ press release for the star’s debut album, H.E.R. Vol. 1, was one line long; “I can’t tell you much about H.E.R. just yet but give it a listen,” it read.

The cover bore only her silhouette.

So, H.E.R. was pretty bang-on when she told the LA Times in 2016 how “ironic” it is that her name stands for “Having Everything Revealed”.

“The mystery is a metaphor for who I am, or who I was at the time of creating the project,” she told the publication.

“I feel like oftentimes we don’t like to be open as people about our emotions or things that we are going through.”

“I want it to be about the music — its honesty and realness,” she added, saying in the interview, “I’ll reveal who I am in due time.”

She didn’t confirm or deny that she was Gabriella Wilson, though many fans already suspected she was.

To this day, her Grammy entry reads: “The Northern California native is believed to have been born Gabi Wilson, but has never confirmed her true identity” ― even if Interview says there’s “little doubt” they’re the same person.

via Associated Press

It’s far from her first stage career

Though it’s technically unconfirmed by the artist, let’s say for now Gabi Wilson has a preeeeetty high likelihood of being H.E.R..

If that’s the case, it’d mean her career was already taking off when, aged just 10, she performed an Alicia Keys song on The Today Show under her own name.

“She plays the piano, the drums, the bass guitar, and has the rich, soulful voice of a singer three times her age,” a presenter introduced her at the time.

RCA Records struck a deal with the artist when she was just 14 years old; H.E.R. had won a Best Original Song Oscar by 24 for Judas And The Black Messiah’s Fight For You.

She has been nominated for a Grammy 25 times ― just under one nomination for each of her 27 years.

“Whether you know who I am or not, you don’t really know who I am,” she told the LA Times in a 2017 interview. But we certainly know she’s eye-wateringly impressive…

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James Cleverly Accuses Nigel Farage Of Spreading ‘Gossip And Rumour’ After Southport Killings

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James Cleverly has accused Nigel Farage of spreading “gossip and rumour” following the killing of three young girls in Southport.

The Reform UK leader posted a video shortly after the murders suggesting “the truth is being withheld from us” by the police.

He also repeated false claims that the alleged killer was being watched by the security services.

A vigil for the victims, who were all under 10 years old, later descended into violence, sparking far-right riots throughout the country.

Farage has since admitted that he was repeating false claims made on social media by, among others, Andrew Tate.

He has defended his actions by insisting he was only trying to find out “the truth”.

On Times Radio this morning, Cleverly, who is running to be Tory leader, said Farage “needs to decide is he a politician or is a social media content creator”.

He said: “I think some of the things that he has framed as questions are clearly designed to generate traffic, generate digital content, and he needs to decide is he a politician or is a social media content creator because there is a friction between those two functions.

“As politicians, we have a duty to think very very carefully about what we do and very very carefully about what we say. What we must do is not intentionally reinforce gossip and rumour, particularly if it has serious real world implications.

“The question that he will need to ask himself and perhaps others as well is do you believe parliament is an important institution where serious decisions are made and the country is governed or is it just part of a PR operation for clicks and likes and monetised content.

“That is the question I would pose to anybody and everybody when commenting about very sensitive issues like the brutal murder of those little girls in Southport.”

Another Tory leadership candidate, Mel Stride, has also attacked Farage’s response to the Southport killings.

He told Sky News: “His suggestion that the police might not have been telling the truth about that situation, I think helped fuel conspiracy theories around what was happening [and] was deeply unhelpful.”

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Ruth Davidson Has Backed James Cleverly To Be The Next Conservative Leader

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Ruth Davidson has endorsed James Cleverly’s campaign to be the next Conservative leader.

The former Scottish Tory boss said the shadow home secretary had the “pragmatism, optimism and confidence” needed to succeed Rishi Sunak.

Her comments are a major boost for Cleverly, who is one of six candidates vying to become the next Tory leader in the wake of the party’s shattering general election defeat.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Davidson said his experience as a former foreign secretary, home secretary and Tory chairman made him the ideal person for the job.

She said: “We need to pick a leader who can demonstrate and communicate the unity, pragmatism, optimism and confidence we must have to start winning again… for me the standout choice to take us forward is James Cleverly.

“A military man who understands duty and service. A business man who knows how to run organisations. A big hitter, holding two of the great offices of state at the Home Office and Foreign Office. A pragmatist who can unite all sections of the party.”

Davidson said Cleverly had “both rallied world leaders to Ukraine’s cause as foreign secretary and rallied local constituency activists during his time as party chairman”.

She added: ” He knows that we must look outward to rebuild, not turn in on ourselves.

“As leader, he will keep the Conservative Party a broad church, knowing that’s where success lies. And his appeal has breadth, too, enabling us to win back voters that we lost to Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Reform.”

The other candidates for Tory leader are Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat, Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel and Mel Stride.

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