Latest news with #Didcot
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Claims of ‘cyber-attack' dismissed by UK space and laser lab in Didcot
A national research laboratory working in laser development and space technology has denied it was hit by a 'cyber-attack' this week. The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is based in Harwell Science and Innovation Campus at Chilton near Didcot. Initially set up in the 1950s, it has around 1,200 staff working across its Central Laser Facility, Diamond Light Source, Space Centre and Particle Physics Department. It is operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), a government agency set up almost 20 years ago. An interior view of its ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Earlier this week a person who wished to remain anonymous said that the laboratory had been suffering 'disruptive and very frequent internet issues thought to be due to cyber-attacks'. READ MORE: They said there have been days when there's been no connectivity for hours at the pioneering UK scientific research facility. In response, STFC confirmed that something happened on Monday June 16 but refused to disclose what, other than it wasn't the result of a hacker. The spokesperson said: 'There was no cyberattack and systems were back to normal before 5pm. We do not talk about operational activities outside STFC.' Experience the pulse of Oxford at your fingertips 🗞️ With our flash sale, Oxford Mail keeps you updated for less: only £4 for 4 months or save 40 per cent on an annual subscription. Don't miss out on what's happening locally #DigitalDeal #LocalJournalismhttps:// — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) June 16, 2025 The danger of computer hackers has been a well-publicised topic in recent months with Marks and Spencer's online services disrupted since April. Last week, the retailer reopened its website to shoppers although it has been estimated the cost of the attack – caused in part by human error – will be around £300 million. Speculation has been mounting that it was caused by hacking community Scattered Spider, but that has not been confirmed.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Didcot rescue cat supported mum with post-natal depression
A cat that has been credited with helping its owner through postnatal depression has been nominated for a national Booker, from Didcot, said her rescue cat Panzer supported her after her baby Finn required life-saving treatment following his Booker said her cat, that she adopted from a local shelter four years ago, was "a bit of a character" and "always up for fuss and strokes".The 17-year-old feline is a finalist in the senior cats category at the Cats Protection National Cat Awards 2025 - which will be held in September. Explaining how Panzer helped her, the 33-year-old librarian said that as a first-time mum, she found it "quite lonely and overwhelming" but her cat was "very caring"."Panzer seemed to know when I needed a bit of comfort and having him there for cuddles was really reassuring," she said."If he wasn't cuddling up, he was keeping an eye on us the whole time." "He suffered from anxiety and had over groomed and we felt sorry for him, so we took him in," Ms Booker said of Panzer's adoption."Within a couple of months, he was off his medication, his fur had grown back and he was zooming around the house."Panzer is now one of the finalists in one of four categories at the National Cat Awards, with the public voting window opening on will conclude at the end of July, ahead of the ceremony later this annual awards are organised by Cats Protection - a charity which helps about 157,000 cats and kittens in the UK each year. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
The 9 life-saving questions to ask your partner, dad or brother NOW – without being accused of nagging
FATHER'S Day is all about appreciating the men in our lives, whether they're husbands, dads or grandads. And the best present you can give them? To talk about their health. Men are notorious for avoiding the GP – almost half feel under pressure to 'tough it out' when it comes to health worries, and one in three feel that speaking about their health issues threatens to make them look weak, according to the Office for National Statistics' Health Insight Survey of 1,000 men. But women can help nudge them. 'We get a lot of men saying they're coming in because their partner's told them to,' says Dr Rachel Ward, GP at Woodlands Medical Centre in Didcot. So, this Father's Day, take our quiz with your loved one to help turn their health around. 1. Are you exercising? Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health – physically and mentally. 'People underestimate how much healthier you feel,' says Dr Ward. It can also improve sleep, eating habits and your sex life. WHAT NEXT? The NHS says you should do 150 minutes of moderate, or 75 minutes of vigorous, exercise a week. Don't know where to start? 'A half-hour afternoon walk will transform your day,' says Dr Ward, who recommends doing this five times a week. 2. Have you checked your vitals? ' High blood pressure or cholesterol predisposes you to heart attack and stroke, but it is a silent disease – frequently, you won't have symptoms,' says Dr Ward. 'It's important to get blood pressure and cholesterol checked, because they can be doing damage, even though you're oblivious.' WHAT NEXT? 'Pharmacists offer free blood pressure tests, and from age 40, you can have the NHS Health Check, which checks blood pressure and cholesterol, and for diabetes,' says Dr Ward 3. Have you had any ongoing pain? We all have a little pain here and there. 'If you had knee pain and you were older with some arthritis, it's less concerning,' says Dr Ward. 'But chronic pain is not good and affects mobility and mood. "You shouldn't just soldier on. Certain pains could relate to an underlying cancer.' For example, abdominal pain could be caused by pancreatic or bowel cancer. WHAT NEXT? If you have a new pain that's not going away, get it checked out by a GP. 4. Have you thought about stopping smoking? Newsflash – smoking is really bad for you. 'It's a huge risk factor for multiple cancers, but also heart disease and stroke,' says Dr Ward. It is bad for every organ system and it can kill you.' WHAT NEXT? 'It's a really difficult thing to give up,' Dr Ward says. 'But you've got a much higher chance of being successful if you get help.' Local free NHS stop-smoking services are a great starting point. 5. Who do you talk to when you're overwhelmed? 'Men, especially older generations, are still not great at admitting to themselves when they're feeling overwhelmed,' says Dr Ward. 'Men are less likely to talk about it with mates than women are.' But it's vital that they do get talking – 75% of those who die by suicide in the UK are male.* WHAT NEXT? 'Thinking: 'Who is a person I can trust?' is a healthy conversation to have, even if you are feeling well,' says Dr Ward. Visit which runs free mental health sessions, and Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123. 6. Have you weighed yourself recently? Obesity is a key driver of diabetes and heart disease, according to the World Health Organisation. 'But people don't realise how much of a predisposing factor it is for cancer,' says Dr Ward. 'It has a massive impact on every aspect of health.' WHAT NEXT? Suggest the whole family look at creating healthier habits, such as daily walks or preparing meals together from scratch. GPs may be able to refer you to free NHS weight services. 7. Do you pee easily? While getting up in the night to wee, hesitancy, reduced flow and dribbling are associated with ageing, Dr Ward warns: 'They can also be symptoms of prostate cancer,' which is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Other symptoms are feeling like the bladder has not fully emptied and blood in urine or semen. However, many men do not have symptoms, especially in the early stages of disease, so it is vital to be aware of the risk, which increases with age. 'If you have a family history and if you are black, you have increased risk,' says Dr Ward. Thankfully, caught early, the disease is manageable. WHAT NEXT? 'New or worsening symptoms should be a trigger to speak to your GP and get your prostate checked,' says Dr Ward, who adds that men should not feel embarrassed. 'Urinary and bowel symptoms are bread and butter for us.' Use the risk checker at Prostatecancer or talk to your GP. 8. How are things in the bedroom? Admittedly, this is probably one to ask your partner, rather than your dad! But sexual dysfunction is not something to be brushed off. 'It can be a sign of prostate cancer, diabetes, mental health problems and relationship issues,' says Dr Ward. It can also warn of heart health issues. WHAT NEXT? Men should always speak to their GP about erectile dysfunction. It can be caused by other medications, so a GP can consider alternatives, while Viagra is available over the counter in pharmacies. 9. How much are you drinking? There are huge health repercussions from excess drinking, says Dr Ward. 'It increases the risk of cancer, liver disease, cognitive impairment, mood and more.' The NHS-recommended limit is up to 14 units spread over one week, the equivalent of around six pints of average-strength beer. WHAT NEXT? If you are worried about a loved one's drinking, start with a chat about it. Avoid judgement and instead express concern, care and support. Encourage them to use resources such as the DrinkControl: Alcohol Tracker app, Alcohol Change UK, or to see their GP. Don't be a nag (but do get results) Sex therapist and head of clinical practice at Relate, Ammanda Major, shares her tips for navigating a defensive partner. Skip the guilt trip. 'Try speaking from a caring position instead,' says Ammanda. 'Avoid negative statements like: 'You never go to the doctor.'' Instead, invite conversation with caring language. 'Say: 'I really love you and I feel a bit concerned. "I wondered whether it'd be an idea to see the doctor. What do you think?' "Don't blame, and be curious about the responses.' Find a quiet moment to address the issue. 'Don't bring it up mid-row,' says Ammanda.
The Guardian
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Thames Water's creditors are being too greedy
If you would kindly rip up the regulatory system, move the goalposts on sewage and spills and promise not to fine us too much, we'd be delighted to rescue Thames Water. If these requests cause you political difficulty, dear secretary of state, consider how much worse it could be if you end up controlling this failing company yourself. Do you really wish to be responsible for every burst water main in London and every drop of effluent in Didcot? That seems to be the pitch from the 100-plus group of lenders to Thames Water who are now the only game in town in terms of a 'market-led' recapitalisation, the alternative to special administration, AKA temporary nationalisation. It is expressed in the bland language of 'regulatory support', but the meaning isn't hard to translate. A 'rebased' performance target is a lower one. A 'pragmatic approach to historic and future legal and regulatory compliance' means letting Thames off substantial financial penalties – maybe a billion or two over the next five to 10 years – that would otherwise come its way. If the proposal sounds outrageous (it does), in one sense you can't blame the creditors for giving it a go. Sir Jon Cunliffe's Independent Water Commission, in its interim report last week, nodded to the general idea that failing water companies will need a helping hand from regulators to haul themselves off the floor. 'The commission is of the view that a more formal framework for supporting companies to turnaround performance may be needed, to avoid a future 'doom loop',' the report said. The use of the loaded 'doom loop' phrase will have delighted the creditors. It is exactly how they describe Thames's predicament of fines out to the horizon. If you want to improve the assets, goes their argument, something has to give – and would have to give even under a nationalised setup. There are, though, at least two enormous difficulties to the creditors' plan. Most obviously, how could Steve Reed, the environment secretary, possibly sanction legal immunity for serious environmental crimes for private sector owners of Thames? Remember Reed's refrain every time he bashes a bonus: 'With this government, the era of profiting from pollution is over.' It is hard to walk back that statement. Second, even if the Cunliffe commission's thinking provides philosophical support for regulatory 'flexibility', the final report is still a couple of months away, and parliamentary scrutiny will be needed before the regulatory system for the water industry could be changed fundamentally. The timeframe is beyond the would-be new owners' plan for recapitalising Thames. Thus, if the creditor group has any prospect of getting its proposal to fly, a few of its big numbers will have to look very different from the ones presented in the self-serving outline version. In short, the senior lenders are being far too greedy in imagining they can escape with writedowns on their debt of just 20%, the ratio implied by the proposed £3.2bn hit to total A class debt of £16bn. Come on. The haircut for lenders cannot be that light. The market value of the debt is already implying 30% writedowns. Some of the opportunistic vulture funds are thought to have got in at as low as 60p in the pound; Reed and Ofwat, the water regulator for England and Wales, would look like fools if they approved, in effect, hefty day-one paper profits for them. But it is – just about – possible to imagine a deal in which Thames pays its fines upfront, as it were, in the interest of allowing managers to concentrate on the day job of running the business rather than hiring lawyers to fight Ofwat and the Environment Agency. Add £1.6bn as a settlement of outstanding bad behaviour and in effect you'd get a haircut for senior lenders of 30%. Or maybe the figure would have to be closer to 40% to allow Reed to save face. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Alternatively, the environment secretary may decide that negotiations are a waste of time, that legal shenanigans don't work, or that regulatory get-outs set a bad precedent, or that Thames is too far gone. It would be a reasonable point of view: if you really want to clear the decks, special administration is the surest route. The next step – deal or no deal – looks to be genuinely in the balance; don't underestimate the government's desire to avoid nationalisation. Haircuts of only 20%, however, just don't work. If the bondholders wish their inflammatory proposal to be taken seriously, they should be told to come back with a proper number, or have one imposed on them.
BBC News
02-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Brilliant' Didcot youth worker set up own club aged 17
A woman who set up her own youth club aged 17 has said she was inspired by her own youth workers. Yasmin Betteridge leads Wallingford TRAIN in Oxfordshire, an offshoot of Didcot charity TRAIN Youth which she attended as a teenager last year. She said her youth workers were some of her "biggest role models" and helped her "build up a lot of confidence". Yasmin won a "highly commended" title at the Oxfordshire Apprentice Awards last month. Yasmin grew up in Didcot and started going to TRAIN Youth aged 11, but said she later found herself drawn into trouble in the town as a teenager. "In secondary school I got into a different friendship group, and would say I was involved in anti-social behaviour," she said."In towns like Didcot and Wallingford there isn't really much to do or anywhere to go."We played to stereotypes of what [adults] and pretty much anybody thought of us." Aged 15, Yasmin was asked by TRAIN Youth to help with interviews for a new staff member. She said: "I turned around to one of our trustees and said 'that'll be me you're interviewing one day'."After doing her work experience with the charity she said she "begged" her manager to set up an apprenticeship, which she then successfully applied for. She then worked for the charity while studying for a youth work diploma and is now a youth worker alongside her university studies. . 'She calms me down' Michelle, a volunteer with the Wallingford group, said Yasmin was an "amazing" youth worker who the young people at the club identified with."I've known Yasmin for a long, long time. She's got a super relationship with all the young people that come through. She's a brilliant individual," she who attends the group, said Yasmin was a particularly good listener. "When I'm angry I talk to her and she just calms me down. I have a feeling she's gone through the same thing."Charlotte, who travels to the group from her home in Benson, agreed: "She's a very easy person to chat to and she's... very understanding."Yasmin said she wanted Train Youth in Wallingford to be somewhere that was both inclusive and safe. "I think the young people of Wallingford know if they need something that they can call my work phone [or] come to us if they need anything."That's pretty much what my idea has been," she added. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
