Noom Inc., a startup that for years has touted a psychological path to weight loss, is now ready

Lewis Capaldi is to play a warm-up show in Leeds ahead of his his Reading and Leeds Festival headline slot.

The Biden administration is marshaling the power of the Energy Department to find low-carbon alternatives to petroleum-based transportation

A man paralysed in a bicycle accident more than a decade ago has regained the ability to stand and walk naturally, using technology developed by researchers in Switzerland. Neuroscientists at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) have created what they call a “wireless digital bridge” which is able to restore the connection lost between the brain and the spinal cord. This digital bridge is a brain–spine interface which allows Gert-Jan Oskam to regain control over the movement of his legs, enabling him to stand, walk and even climb stairs. The team said their technology also enabled Mr Oskam to recover some of the brain function he had lost since his accident, where he was able to show motor skills when the digital bridge was turned off. According to the researchers, this “digital repair of the spinal cord suggests that new nerve connections have developed”. Mr Oskam, 40, an engineer from the Netherlands, was living and working in China when he had a cycling accident in 2011. He injured his spinal cord and lost movement in his legs. Neurosurgeon Jocelyn Bloch, who is a professor at the EPFL, said: “When we met Gert-Jan, he was unable to take a step after a severe spinal cord injury.” Gregoire Courtine, a professor of neuroscience at the EPFL, said: “To walk, the brain must send a command to the region of the spinal cord responsible for the control of movements. For the first time after 10 years (I was able) to stand up and have a beer with some of my friends, so that was pretty cool Gert-Jan Oskam “When there is a spinal cord injury, this communication is interrupted. “Our idea was to re-establish this communication with a digital bridge – an electronic communication between the brain and the region of the spinal cord that is still intact and can control the leg movements.” Mr Oskam underwent two surgeries to implant electrodes in the brain and the spinal cord to make the digital bridge. The technology uses artificial intelligence to convert movement thoughts into actions, establishing a direct link between the brain and spinal cord regions involved in walking. Prof Courtine said: “For the first time this digital bridge bypasses an injury, restoring the communication between two regions of the central nervous system that are disconnected.” The team said their findings, published in the journal Nature, establish a framework where natural control of movement can be restored after paralysis. Mr Oskam said he is able to walk at least 100 metres or more, depending on the day. He is also able to walk on crutches, when the implant is switched of, raising hope that technologies such as these could restore lost nerve function. Prof Courtine said: “What we observed is a digital repair of the spine, a recovery of neurological function that he has lost for many years.” Mr Oskam said: “For the first time after 10 years (I was able) to stand up and have a beer with some of my friends, so that was pretty cool.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Meta Ireland to cut about 490 jobs Netflix begins crackdown on password sharing in the UK and US Netflix begins sending emails to UK customers about account sharing

SpaceX has launched a new service for its space-based Starlink internet service that allows customers to connect from nearly anywhere on the planet while in motion. Starlink Mobility uses a receiver that has a wide field of view and improved GPS to connect to SpaceX’s constellation of more than 4,000 low-Earth orbit satellites. SpaceX boss Elon Musk tweeted that it works “almost everywhere on Earth”, including the middle of oceans and deserts. The first customers to try out Starlink Mobility are a fleet of school buses in Arizona, SpaceX said, allowing students to “stay connected and complete their homework” while travelling to and from school. SpaceX said the new service is “ideal for mobile businesses and public sector use cases, including trucking, buses, shuttles, and emergency response”. Subscribers to Starlink Mobility, which costs $250 per month on top of a one-time hardware fee of $2,500, receive network priority over other users during peak hours, meaning emergency responders should avoid losing internet connection. “Starlink Mobility provides 100 per cent coverage in your country and every country where Starlink service is available across the globe,” SpaceX states on its website. “Plans can also be used on the ocean, with connectivity available in the vast majority of the Earth’s oceans and seas.” The Starlink satellite dish, which is a next-generation version of its standard hardware, is designed to be permanently installed on a customer’s vehicle, offering the same download speeds of up to 220 Mbps. SpaceX achieved global coverage of its Starlink internet network last year, four years after launching the first batch of satellites into space. Despite this, some countries have blocked Starlink from operating in its country, such as China and Iran. SpaceX is hoping to launch a satellite-to-cellphone service that would allow users to connect to its internet constellation without the need for additional hardware, however some service providers fear that it will interfere with existing wireless services. AT&T in the US urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reject SpaceX and T-Mobile’s proposal, claiming it would “jeopordise or inhibit” its own terrestrial service. Testing of the satellite-to-cell service is expected to begin later this year. Read More SpaceX launches two missions just hours apart ‘It’s becoming like an airport’: How SpaceX normalised rocket launches Apple launches new campaign about the dangers of losing your health data Meta Ireland to cut about 490 jobs This is how AI ‘superintelligence’ would replace us as the dominant lifeform on Earth

Dua Lipa said she “bonded” with Donatella Versace over their “shared love of this time of year” as she revealed the clothing in their fashion collaboration. The chart-topping 27-year-old singer, who co-hosted the Met Gala this month, co-designed the La Vacanza women’s collection with Versace. The fashion house said this was the first time it had “opened up the design process to a collaborator in this way” as the designs debuted at a show in Cannes, France, on Tuesday. Lipa and the Italian fashion designer’s clothing includes evening gowns, bikinis and beachwear alongside accessories such as bags and boots in laminated metallic leather and jewellery featuring butterflies and ladybugs. Butterfly and ladybug prints previously featured in the Versace Spring-Summer 1995 collection. Lipa said: “Donatella and I bonded over our shared love of this time of year while making this collection. “Digging through the archives we discovered we were drawn to a lot of the same references which was such an inspiring and fulfilling process. “La Vacanza (or The Vacation in English) ranges from metallic miniskirts and sexy bikinis, to butterfly rings and printed pieces inspired by the Versace SS ’95 collection. “There’s always an occasion to wear Versace, and I know I’ll be spending my days (and nights!) in La Vacanza all summer long.” Versace said the collection “celebrates the very best” of the summer with “gorgeous colours, fun prints, and light silhouettes”. She added: “Dua loves fashion, I love music — we are the perfect duo. “We had such a good time designing this collection together. We felt like we were on vacation and that is exactly the spirit we want people to feel when they wear our clothes.” Versace’s brother Gianni opened the brand’s first boutique in 1978, and following his murder in 1997 Donatella took over the house’s reins. She also described Lipa, who had worked as a model before her record deal, on Instagram as both a “superdesigner” and “Versace supermodel” and said the singer’s “passion and vision” inspired her during the creative process. Versace added: “I love you more than you can imagine.” Born in London to Kosovan-Albanian parents, Lipa has had three UK number ones including New Rules, One Kiss with Calvin Harris and Cold Heart with Sir Elton John. She is also set to release the track Dance The Night on Friday to accompany Barbie’s film soundtrack. Lipa is also starring as a mermaid in the upcoming live-action film alongside Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken.

It's the end for Season 23 of "The Voice" and also a farewell for Blake Shelton.

More horror films that parody our favourite childhood characters are on their way. The childhood tales of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan (Red Shadow Studios) and Cinderella (ChampDog Films) are getting a terrifying transformation as a result of the stories being part of the public domain. It comes after the controversial Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey movie that was panned by critics but was commercially successful. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Now, two new parody horror films are underway that spoof everyone's favourite golden bear and the boy who never grew up, Variety reported. And if the titles are anything to go by - Winnie the Pooh: Death House and Peter Pan Goes to Hell - they're certainly not suited to younger audiences... First up, we're getting another Pooh-based horror with Winnie the Pooh: Death House which has been described as The Strangers meets The Purge. It will be directed by S.J. Evans (Dead of the Nite), the film's storyline involves "an unexpected school reunion in a remote country mansion – an event orchestrated by members of a cult who were mercilessly tormented by the guests as children. Now, years later, they’re out for gruesome revenge." "The script is supremely clever with scope for iconic visuals, and we have assembled a terrific young cast loaded with star potential. I’m very excited to share this dark and disturbing horror with the world," Evans said. Meanwhile, Peter Pan Goes to Hell, written by Adam Stephen Kelly and directed by Phil Claydon is said to be in the vain of horrors such as Psycho and Nightmares in a Damaged Brain. Although, there is not much information about the plot Claydon did provide some insight and shared his excitement for the film "I grew up on a healthy diet of low-budget horror from the masters like Sam Raimi, Wes Craven and Peter Jackson," he said. "In recent streamer times, opportunities to create high-concept horror on a small budget had vanished so I relished the opportunity to dive on board with Red Shadow Studios in carving out an environment for filmmakers to come and craft some grassroots scares. Let the mayhem commence." "The huge interest in horror movies based on public domain properties piqued my interest as it did many, but with Red Shadow Studios – in partnership with Dolphin Medien – I’m trying to bring together really talented filmmakers and high-caliber actors as I firmly believe that, in this space, budget doesn’t have to mean compromising on talent or creativity," Kelly added, describing the two films as "absolutely ‘out there’ gonzo takes on beloved children’s stories." Along with this, Cinderella is set to have a 'horror-fication' with the film Cinderella’s Curse being for sale at AFM and ITN Studios are set to the film in October 2023, according to Bloody Disgusting. The film is set to be produced and directed by Louisa Warren and written by Harry Boxley and the cast includes Kelly Rian Sanson, Chrissie Wunna and Danielle Scott. “This an incredibly unique spin on the Cinderella we all love and know. There are going to be some truly horrific deaths by her hands," Warren to the publication “I think the gore hounds are in for a treat in my dark retelling.” Elsewhere, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 is set to start filming this Autumn, Collider reported. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Black holes are the most confusing things out there in the universe and no-one really knows what they are – at least, that’s our very basic grasp of it. Now, though, a new study has posited a theory that black holes are structures created by unseen cosmic dimensions - or topological stars. And just to make it a little more confusing, these topological stars exist purely in the hypothetical realms of mathematics. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have been exploring string theory, which posits that particles in the universe are actually tied to extra (hidden) dimensions through vibrating strings. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter According to their findings, hypothetical topological stars could exist for real in the universe and they’re essentially formations of nothing which could appear in space. The study finds that topological stars would appear “remarkably similar to black holes in apparent size and scattering properties, while being smooth and horizonless”. The study, which was published in Physical Review D, found that these stars which until now have only existed in hypothetical form, look an awful lot like the black holes out in the universe. “String theory is a theory that reconciles quantum physics and gravity into a quantum gravity theory,” study leader Pierre Heidmann said. Speaking to Motherboard, he said: “Usually when you have a new theory like that, you have new degrees of freedom that come with it, and you can try to see what new fundamental objects can arise from that.” Co-author of the study Ibrahima Bah added: “It’s an interesting question to ask: Are there things other than a black hole [that] will give you a hint about what new physics could look like?” “But before you get there, you need to know how to tell whether you have a black hole or not, and to do that you have some prototype examples of things that are not black holes to be able to compare." As ever, black holes remain the most mysterious, and the most fascinating things out there. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Nearly half (44%) of women experiencing menopause symptoms ‘suffer in silence’ at work, due to fears it could negatively impact their career. In a bid to hide symptoms, 48% say they would lie about why they needed a sick day, rather than saying menopause was affecting them, and 39% are still embarrassed to talk about the topic at work, according to a new survey by Lime Solicitors. The law firm polled 1,001 women who are experiencing or have experienced menopause or perimenopause. The research, carried out in April, also found 60% of respondents think their workplace should offer more menopause support, and less than a third (29%) of the women surveyed said they would feel comfortable asking for adjustments to help support them with menopause symptoms. “Our research shows that almost half the of women surveyed think going through menopause will negatively impact their career, which is why so many women suffer in silence,” said Neha Thethi, head of employment at Lime Solicitors. “It appears employers are failing an important part of their workforce by not providing the necessary support or creating a positive culture whereby people can raise concerns or issues with confidence. “To help dispel the stigma around menopause and empower women to speak freely and honestly about their experiences, we need menopause champions in all workplaces,” Neha added. How can employers help? “Menopause is a simple fact of life, and very much a reality in the workplace,” Paula Allen, global leader of research and total wellbeing, and senior vice-president at TELUS Health, told PA Media. While there has been a big increase in menopause awareness in recent years – with a number of celebrities, such as Davina McCall, shining a light on the topic, there’s still progress to be made. “It isn’t paid much attention in the workplace as a health issue, and therefore is rarely managed in a way that is optimum,” she added. She said, “eradicating stigma and inaction starts with education” – which can include “wellbeing sessions on all aspects of women’s health, including menopause, and training of managers on how to support employees with health needs”. Dee Murray, CEO of Menopause Experts Group, agrees awareness training is a key part of the picture. “Women who experience menopausal symptoms in the workplace are likely to need some support, or at the very least signposting, when they most need help,” said Murray. “Making sure line managers are trained, or at least have some basic knowledge, is hugely important. It’s also important to remember that those managers too may be experiencing menopause symptoms, or will do at some stage, if they are female. “Menopause champions – just like mental health first aiders – have become a vital part of the workplace for many women,” Murray adds. “Champions allow women to feel safe speaking out about symptoms that may be causing them extra anxiety and challenges at work. “Far too many women still feel embarrassed about discussing symptoms, and they must feel secure in the knowledge that they will not become the butt of the office jokes or judged about their symptoms, which can often be debilitating and very personal.” Workplace adjustments Allen said: “The good news is that even though menopause is a noteworthy health issue, the support needed from a workplace point of view can be quite simple. For example, menopause can cause drastic changes in body temperature, which can be addressed with fans, or by offering desks with windows or air conditioning vents close by. “Symptoms of menopause may also include insomnia, irritability and depressive symptoms, all of which have a physical base but can impact behaviour and mental wellbeing. With this, employees should take advantage of the personal support offered by their workplace through their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and their Telemedicine provider if available.” A flexible approach Murray notes that flexible working can be an effective adjustment too. “Employers who offer flexible working hours and remote working will benefit in the longer term. Firms with Menopause Approved status find they have better retention of staff and are more competitive when it comes to recruitment too,” she said. “Those experiencing menopause are not always seeking special treatment, just acknowledgement and support to help them through what can be a tricky time.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Signs and symptoms of breast cancer as Amy Dowden reveals diagnosis Helen Flanagan says she spent her 20s ‘pregnant and breastfeeding’ Baby food and drink guidelines needed over sugar concerns, say health campaigners

Rapper Ice Cube says he would sue anyone who creates a song using AI to mimic his vocals.

Tom Speight received a confidence boost when his lyrics were praised by Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney