It is more than 20 years since I discovered in my 50s that I have a copy of the gene, ApoE4, that has been linked to a raised risk of Alzheimer's. It's the same gene that the actor Chris Hemsworth carries, although he has two copies, one from each of his parents - he learned this in 2022 after having tests for a documentary series he was making about longevity. Now comes news of a major study that has found that almost everyone who has two copies of this gene goes on to develop early signs of Alzheimer's. Researchers at the Sant Pau Research Institute in Barcelona looked at data from 10,000 people and 3,000 brain donors and found that the majority of those with two copies showed signs of Alzheimer's by the time they reached the age of 55. The researchers estimate that around 2 per cent of people have this gene profile.

The jab, developed in the UK, was supposed to be a shining example of British ingenuity that would banish the devastating Covid pandemic, now it's being hauled through the courts. One of those seeking compensation for injuries linked to the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine is father-of-two and IT engineer Jamie Scott (far right). Ministers were so confident in its success that then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock (left), who famously shed a tear on national television at the start of the Covid jab rollout, privately labelled it the 'new Mini', a symbol of a revitalised Britain's place as a world leader. It came just weeks after Mr Hancock, who was later resigned after being caught kissing his aide in a breach of the Government's social distancing rules, famously shed a tear on national television following the first rollout of the Pfizer jab. The pharmaceutical giant's decision to forego massive profits, and instead deliver jabs for the cost of a cup of coffee, even prompted the World Health Organization to label it a 'vaccine for the world'.

It's been protecting London from costly and potentially deadly flooding since 1984. But as the Thames Barrier celebrates its 40th anniversary, scientists have warned that the £535 million structure - opened by Queen Elizabeth II on May 8, 1984 - might not provide an adequate flood defence until 2070 as planned. Repeated closures of its 10 steel-clad gates due to wild weather from climate change will add wear and tear, prompting the need for a replacement much sooner than previously thought. However, Richard Tol, a professor of economics at the University of Sussex, called the project 'risky'. 'It will need to be replaced at one point - a major infrastructure project,' he told MailOnline.

Bernard McDonagh, 41, and Ann McDonagh, 39, of Sandfields, Port Talbot, tried to shield their faces as they arrived at Swansea Magistrates' Court. Mr McDonagh, dressed in a salmon-coloured polo shirt and light grey jacket, put his hand over his face with Mrs McDonagh walking in front with the hood of her light brown trench coat pulled over her head. Police discovered they had rung up a total bill of £1,168.10 from five restaurants in South Wales. They also admitted shoplifting a total of £1,017.60 from Tommy Hilfiger, Sainsbury and Tesco. The McDonaghs were jointly charged with five frauds and four shoplifting offences. Mrs McDonagh admitted a further offence of obstructing a police officer.

Mary Earps was today made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Prince William at Windsor Castle as she joined VIPs including Gladiator director Sir Ridley. When posing for photographs with her honour outside the castle, Earps was asked if she would consider acting in Sir Ridley's upcoming film. 'A gladiator? Oh I don't know, I don't know if I can act, I don't know if I've got it in the locker but I'm willing to give most things a go,' joked Earps. 'There's still so much I want to do in football, that's all I think about really, so very fortunate to pick this up today.'

Rishi Sunak was hit with a bombshell today as another Tory defected to Labour . Dover MP Natalie Elphicke crossed the floor in the Commons just moments before Mr Sunak faced a bruising PMQs session. Having shaken her by the hand as she took a seat behind him, Keir Starmer seized on the news saying it showed the government was collapsing. Dan Poulter made the same switch at the end of last month. Ms Elphicke - up until now regarded as on the right of the Conservatives - slammed Mr Sunak's 'broken promises' and 'tired and chaotic government'. She said the 'key deciding factors' for her had been 'housing and the safety and security of our borders'.

The is the moment Prince Harry chuckles as he is asked whether he is happy to be home during his whistle-stop trip to the UK. The Duke of Sussex will give a speech at St Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games after he was 'snubbed' by his father following his arrival in the UK. He was captured leaving an event in Central London strolling towards a black Range Rover. The smartly dressed prince smiled as he said hello and waved at onlookers. Walking with a black folder under his arm, he nervously chuckled as he was asked if he was happy to be home.

Olly Alexander has spoken out about the dramatic moment his Eurovision semi-final performance went awry, after sparking concern among fans with his 'shaky' vocals. The Years and Years singer, 33, spoke to Lorraine on Wednesday about his 'wardrobe malfunction' he suffered, after fans got to hear his song Dizzy performed live ahead of Saturday's final. Olly is representing the United Kingdom with his catchy tune Dizzy, and performed the song with plenty of raunchy dance moves. Unfortunately, things began to go pear-shaped when Olly's microphone pack slipped from his trousers and began dangling behind him. The star then had to continue the performance whilst attempting to grab the pack, no doubt contributing to the less-than-perfect vocals some fans complained about.

Shocking scenes in London saw an alleged phone thief knocked off his bike and confronted - before being quickly backed up by his machete-wielding accomplice. The chaos unfolded in Stratford, North East London on Sunday 5 May and was captured on the dashcam of a passing car. The man, who had allegedly nicked a mobile, was sent flying after being ploughed into by a car, but duly received reinforcement in the form of his pal brandishing the large knife at his assailant.

Katherine Asplundh, formerly Driscoll, (right) married Cabot Asplundh, 27, (together middle) of the Pennsylvania billionaire family at a reception in Palm Beach, Florida, two weeks ago. The newlywed has now unintentionally gone viral after reaching out to another woman of the same name in hopes of purchasing her Instagram handle to reflect her new surname. In the exchange (inset), Asplundh said celebrities often bought social media handles and suggested she deserved to have the moniker for her account. The user, identified only as Kate, was reluctant to go ahead with the transaction in fear of being banned from the popular social media platform. The response did not satisfy Asplundh who began threatening to report the woman to Instagram.

A heartbroken man says his life was 'completely shattered in a moment' when his pregnant actress partner and their unborn daughter were killed by a dangerous driver. Calvin Buckley has revealed his anguish after he lost Frankie Jules-Hough and their unborn daughter Neeve after a horrifying crash on the M66. Reckless BMW driver Adil Iqbal, from Accrington, was swerving between lanes at 123mph while filming himself before he lost control and smashed into Frankie's parked car.

 Emily Atack gave a baby bump update on Instagram on Wednesday as she enjoyed a relaxing getaway ahead of the arrival of her first child.  The actress, 34, - who is expecting her first child with her scientist boyfriend Alistair Garner - took to Instagram to share an insight into her UK break.  Emily showed off her pregnancy curves in a plunging ribbed red swimsuit in a mirror selfie which she uploaded on Instagram.  

Queen Letizia, 51, looked in high spirits as she attended the event in the Spanish capital city to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the National Police. The royal (pictured left and right) put her best fashion foot forward and opted to recycle her timeless, houndstooth print oversized blazer from Uterque, which showed off her sophisticated figure. King Felipe and Letizia were given the National Police flag from two young children of National Police agents (inset), during the ceremony. Letizia looked overjoyed by the gesture as she smiled away and chatted with the two kids, who were dressed in colourful clothes.

A savvy teenager who couldn't afford to move out has transformed his parents' garage into a cosy first flat by doing most of the work himself and snapping up bargains from Facebook Marketplace. Landscaper Josh Jones, 19, from Tunbridge Wells, took to TikTok to reveal how he transformed his parents' garage into a 'dream home' for himself and his girlfriend. He did most of the work himself (centre) and kitted out the flat with bargains from Facebook Marketplace (left and right).

Chilean influencer, Naya Fácil, 26, who has been enjoying a trip around Europe, headed to the Anne Frank House in the Dutch capital. She was apparently taken aback by the size of the 17th-century canal house where Anne hid from the Nazi persecution during WWII after comparing the façade of the whole museum with the size of nearby homes. But Anne and her family hid in only the rear of the building, known as the Secret Annex, for two years before being caught by the Gestapo in 1944. Anne died at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in early 1945 aged 15. During a recent visit to the museum dedicated to the Jewish wartime diarist in Amsterdam, Fácil told her 2.4 million Instagram fans: 'I'm shocked by Anne Frank's house. She had half the place to herself. She lived better than we do.'

Kim Ki Nam died on Tuesday due to old age and 'multiple organ dysfunction', having been treated at a hospital since 2022, the country's official Korean Central News Agency said. He was 94. Kim Jong Un visited the funeral hall early Wednesday morning, paid silent tribute and looked around the bier with 'bitter grief over the loss of a veteran revolutionary who had remained boundlessly loyal' to the regime, state media KCNA said. The North Korean leader was seen bowing in front of the bier as a contingent of military men in uniforms serenaded them with various musical instruments. Nam was often referred to as the Joseph Goebbels of North Korea, in reference to the Nazi propagandist-in-chief, so key was his work in entrenching the Kim family in power.

Are you a plant pundit, and do you have particularly praiseworthy vision? If so, the pairing may be able to help you weed out a hidden object quicker than most. Only the most eagle-eyed players will be able to locate the camouflaged cactus in seconds in this mind-boggling brainteaser. Crafted by Tombola, the perplexing puzzle challenges readers to find a cactus concealed within a jungle of various houseplant varieties in a shop. However, you need to have the sharpest of eyes to spot the prickly plant - as the brainteaser dares you to locate it in under 9 seconds. The average time to find the cactus is 55 seconds - but be warned, one in five players gave up entirely

People from around the world have shared snaps from their toxic workplaces and Bored Panda collated the most shocking into an online gallery. They include a company, in the US, who charged employees $3 to wear their own shorts to work in a heatwave (left). Another company put a 'peeing only' notice on the staff toilets (bottom right). Elsewhere staff were forced to make this sign so customers would know were the tips were ending up (top right).

Flight attendants had to break up a fight between two men on a long-haul flight that started after one sat in the other's seat because he wanted to get away from another passenger's incessant coughing. The row started a few hours into the journey from Taiwan to San Francisco when one of the men was upset about a passenger next to him constantly coughing. The unnamed man took it upon himself to change seats and went to find an empty space.

A remote fisherman's cottage in what is said to be Britain's only desert is on sale, ideal for an introvert who wants to live 'in a Wes Anderson movie'. The brightly-coloured detached bungalow is surrounded by nothing but sand, sea and stones and is being sold for £875,000 by Wards estate agents. Located in Dungeness, a headland on the coast of Kent, the area is formed largely of a shingle beach. It is a 'hidden gem' loved by celebrities, from musician Ed Sheeran to comedian Micky Flanagan. The 'authentic fisherman's cottage' was previously used as an Airbnb holiday home, and comes with an artist's studio and a 'large shingle garden'.

The boy, who was aged between two and four, suffered a cardiac arrest after receiving the one-off gene therapy last year. Pfizer has not determined exactly what happened or whether the death was caused by the treatment, called fordadistrogene movaparvovec. The New York pharma giant said the pause would allow it to investigate the death 'while protecting the safety of the participants, which is our top priority.'

The couple, who recently welcomed their fourth son, are living together once again, but have faced turmoil since Lauryn Goodman revealed Kyle Walker is the father to both her children.

JG Ballard's The Garden of Time was the theme for this year's event, but celebrities seem to have become confused and dressed for The Garden of Eden instead. Rita Ora led the way with the barely-there looks, donning little more than a body stocking with a few strategically placed tassels for the main even, before flashing her nipples at the after party with just a floral arrangement protecting her modesty. Meanwhile, rapper Doja Cat wore a white wet Vetements dress; going braless and without underwear to show off her figure to the max, before changing into sheer tights and a top for the after party.

Eddie Redmayne stood out from the crowd as he arrived at the 2024 Met Gala with his wife Hannah Bagshawe at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday.  The actor, 42, pushed the boundaries for fashion's biggest night, opting for an androgynous look that he matched with his wife, 41. Eddie wore a black blazer dress with a white net skirt and featuring sheer cut out panels and a wavy ink blot pattern.

Rita Ora proved that she was still the ultimate party girl as she and her husband Taika Waiti returned to The Mark Hotel after a wild all-nighter at The Met Gala. With her ample cleavage on full display in the unforgiving sunlight, the singer attempted to preserve her modesty by covering her chest as she headed up to her room with the director (right). Rita's return came hours after she exited her hotel in a sheer nude gown (centre) having ditched her equally revealing beaded look from the Met Gala itself (far left).

Joining the likes of Kim Kardashian , Zendaya , and Sydney Sweeney was Gustav Magnar Witzøe, who appeared to come dressed as a salmon. A fitting look for the  31-year-old billionaire heir to a Norwegian fish farming fortune. With his dashing good looks, the Elle Norge cover star commanded attention in the semi-sheet pink Versace bodysuit, which came complete with a cape and a half toga skirt. He then added to the Adonis look with a bejewelled headband - appearing more like a Greek god than Norwegian billionaire.

Cardi B pulled out all the stops to host her own Met Gala afterparty in New York on Monday night as the stars continued the celebrations into the night across the city. The rapper, 31, wowed in a slinky red corset gown as she arrived at Silencio. Doja Cat, 28, went braless for nightclub mogul Richie Akiva's bash with Rita Ora, Dua Lipa, Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti and Emily Ratajkowski also partying the night away.

Doja Cat continued to shock with yet another racy ensemble, slipping into a completely sheer crop top and tights (far left) while heading to a 2024 Met Gala after party on Monday. The rapper, 28, went braless to proudly show off the results of her breast reduction surgery as she headed to nightclub mogul Richie Akiva's bash in New York City. Throughout the evening, Doja sported three just-got-out-of-the shower inspired looks on her way and at the star-studded Met Gala, including an oversized wet T-shirt (second right). Before strutting her stuff on the red carpet she donned a towel around her body and head as she departed her hotel, having been spotted arriving in a clear poncho over a nude catsuit (far right).

'Lando No-wins' is just one of the jibes Norris has endured over the years - and the 109 race starts - which followed his debut as Britain's youngest ever F1 driver, in Australia, in 2019 when he was just 19. 'I never lost faith. I never didn't believe in what I could go out and do,' he said, moments after securing his hard-won maiden F1 victory for McLaren at the end of his 110th race.

Members of Aslef at operators including those running services into London such as Southern, Southeastern and South Western Railway will walk out for the day. Strikes will be held on Wednesday and Thursday at different operators, while drivers are also banning overtime until Saturday which is also causing disruption - with passengers urged to check before attempting to travel by train this week. The dispute is now the longest ever in the rail industry.

Fragments of Planet Theia appear to be buried deep beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean. And now more evidence has been found deep inside the moon, via NASA's GRAIL spacecraft. GRAIL has detected 'gravity anomalies' deep under the moon's surface - data that are helping planetary geophysicists retrace the 'blow by blow' of this long-theorized, ancient collision of worlds

Throughout Spacey Unmasked, which aired tonight, an aspiring actor - referred to only by his first name Scott - claimed the unnerving incident happen in 1998 at a cinema where the Oscar award winning film was playing. Spacey has repeatedly denied all allegations that have been made against and ahead of the documentary, which sees 10 men make allegations against the fallen Hollywood star, blasted the new allegations as 'ridiculous' and 'completely offensive'.

This is the extraordinary moment a man chased police officers with a chainsaw. The shocking incident which saw the man, dressed in a grey top and black trousers, run after an officer while wielding the large weapon. He was heard yelling while running down Glasgow Road in Paisley, Renfrewshire this afternoon. A silver police vehicle also smashed into a wall following the chase.

Alison Hammond 's Russian toyboy David Putman's mother Olga has urged him to 'dump' the This Morning star. The TV presenter, 49, has been dating the Russian masseur, 26, since she booked him for a £150 massage and the pair hit it off.

A mother who threw her disabled six-year-old son into a crocodile-infested river where he was mauled to death by reptiles has now blamed her husband, claiming he goaded her into it.  Savitri Kumar, 32, from Uttara Kannada, a district in the western Indian state of Karnataka, had a heated argument with the boy's father, Ravi Kumar, 27, who repeatedly ordered her to 'throw the child away', the Times of India reports.  Police say her husband allegedly questioned her decision to give birth to Vinod, who was born deaf and mute. 

When Donald Trump arrived in a Manhattan courtroom last month to stand trial in the first-ever criminal prosecution of a former U.S. president, he barely acknowledged the man who's been trying to take him down for years. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is Trump's polar opposite - a slim gray-haired man in a gray suit whose mild manner and steady tone belie the relentlessness with which he has pursued the flamboyant ex-president. Even as Colangelo laid out his case against the Republican presidential hopeful, reading aloud the shocking details of the 'P****gate' scandal and various alleged schemes to buy the silence of women who say they had affairs with Trump, the wiry, bespectacled prosecutor displayed little emotion.