As per the latest data released by Transforming Access to Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) and the Policy Institute at King's College London, the number of UK students reporting mental health difficulties tripled. The estimate reveals that around 300,000 students could now be experiencing mental health struggles. Of the total, 18% of students reported some kind of mental health issue in 2024.

As per the reports, this estimate is triple what was reported in 2017, where it was at 6%. Experts also say that Covid-19 pandemic is "often considered to have contributed to this, it does not explain the ongoing rise in mental health difficulties." Another reason could also be the "changing definition and increasing openness about mental health" which has led to a rise in numbers. The report notes, "This trend pre-dates the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Although these factors play a part in students' deteriorating mental health, they cannot therefore be the only explanation."

How Did The Report Conclude?

The report drew data collected over the latest Student Academic Experience Survey of 93,212 students. From the survey, it was found that there exist significant disparities between demographic groups, with women being twice as likely to report mental health difficulties, about 22% as compared to men, at 11%.

What Did The Results Reveal?

The results revealed that students who identified as LGBTQ experienced the highest rates of mental health challenges. This has actually lessened the hope that conditions for LGBTQ students are improving, which may not have been a positive case.

Of them, 42% are bisexual and lesbian students, whereas last year it was 35% and 32% respectively. The report also noted that mental health difficulties among lesbian women and gay men rose three times the rate of straight people, and among bisexual and asexual people, it was twice as high. For trans students, the number jumped from 25% in 2023 to 40% in 2024.

Is The LGBTQ+ Prone To Mental Health Crisis?

As per the Child Mind Institute, being LGBTQ+ does not cause mental health problems, but because these kids often face factors like rejection, discrimination and violence, they are at a higher risk of challenges including depression, anxiety, and even attempting suicide.

A UTAH Health study quotes Anna Docherty, PhD, LP, assistant professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental Health Institute that, "likely with any identity, feeling different - or worse, unaccepted as you are is a significant risk factor of mental health struggle." The data reveals that LGBTQ+ teens are six times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than non-LGBTQ+ identifying teens. They are also more than twice as likely to feel suicidal and more than four times as likely to attempt suicide. In the US alone, 48% of transgender adults report that they have considered suicide in the last year, compared to 4% of the overall population.

What Do These Findings Mean?

TASO's academic lead and professor of public policy at King's College London, Michael Sanders said, "LGBTQ students and women bear the brunt of the rise in declining mental health and urgent action is needed to understand and address these trends."

Children living in London showed faster lung growth after the city introduced restrictions on traffic pollution, according to a new study.

Researchers observed more than 3,400 children aged 6 to 9 in London and Luton for five years, comparing lung development in the two locations. The study was led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the University of Oxford and was published in The Lancet Public Health.

London introduced its Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in 2019, initially covering central London. The scheme restricts older, more polluting vehicles by charging drivers whose vehicles do not meet emissions standards.

Children In London Initially Had Smaller Lungs

At the beginning of the study, children living in London had poorer lung function than those in Luton. Researchers then tracked the development of their lung as pollution levels changed following the introduction of the ULEZ.

The main measure was FEV1, or forced expiratory volume in one second. It measures how much air a person can forcefully breathe out in one second and is commonly used to assess lung function.

The London children's FEV1 increased by approximately 10 millilitres more per year than that of children in Luton.

By the end of the study, the difference in lung function between the two groups had largely disappeared.

Also read: Christy Knowings Dies At 46 After Asthma Attack: When Can It Turn Fatal?

Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure Fell More Sharply In London

The improvement in children’s lung development coincided with a greater reduction in exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), a pollutant strongly associated with vehicle exhaust, particularly from diesel engines.

Researchers found that children's exposure to NO₂ fell more than twice as much in London as in Luton during the study period.

There was also a reduction in the proportion of London children with clinically impaired lung function, from 14% to 9%. In Luton, the proportion fell from 9% to 7%.

Also read: Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Investigation In Toronto After 6 Cases Surface: What We Know

Researchers Were "Stunned" By How Quickly Children's Lungs Recovered

Professor Chris Griffiths, senior author of the study, said the speed of the improvement was unexpected. He said, “I was absolutely stunned when I first saw the results.”

He said the “speed of catch up in lung capacity” among London children was particularly striking and suggested that ambitious clean-air measures could help reverse some pollution-related effects on children's lungs.

Lead author Dr Helen Wood, a research fellow at Queen Mary University of London, said, "We already knew that the ULEZ reduced air pollution but now we know that children’s lung health has improved at the same time, which is a really important finding for children and parents living in London."

Damage To Lungs At Early Stage May Lead To Irreversible Damage

Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution because their lungs and respiratory systems are still developing. Long-term exposure to traffic-related pollutants has previously been associated with reduced lung growth.

If children fail to reach their expected lung capacity during development, it may potentially increase their vulnerability to respiratory problems like asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), which includes conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, as well as early death.

Reducing exposure to pollution while lungs are still developing could help with growth. The researchers credit improved air quality, associating it with the introduction of ULEZ and better lung development. However, the study cannot prove that ULEZ alone caused improvement.

Other factors may have changed during the five-year period, including travel habits, physical activity, and pollution levels unrelated to the emissions zone. The COVID-19 pandemic also dramatically changed traffic and pollution patterns during part of the study period.

A 17-year-old high school student from Pennsylvania has developed a blood test for detecting pancreatic cancer. Its early testing indicated it correctly identified 87% of patients with the disease.

Audrey Zheng, a senior at North Allegheny Senior High School in Wexford, Pennsylvania, developed the test as part of her bioengineering research. Her work focuses on detecting tiny tumour-derived particles circulating in the blood, potentially offering a less invasive way of identifying pancreatic cancer.

In clinical testing, the method correctly identified 87% of people with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and correctly ruled out the disease in 87.5% of people who did not have it.

Her research has earned her a place as a national finalist in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search, one of the major science competitions for US high school students.

Audrey Zheng's Blood Test Uses Tiny Tumour-Derived Particles

The blood testdeveloped by Audrey Zheng uses tiny magnetic beads to separate tumour-derived particles from blood samples.

These particles can carry biological information released by cancer cells. Zheng's research then focuses on analysing genetic mutations within this material to identify pancreatic cancer in patients.

The milestone is noteworthy as pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to detect early. Many patients do not develop obvious symptoms until the disease has already advanced, reducing the chances of successful treatment.

Also read: Moderna and Merck’s Custom-Made mRNA Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise In Late-Stage Melanoma Trial

Early Detection Is A Major Challenge In Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer. There is currently no standard screening test for pancreatic cancer for people at average risk.

Researchers have therefore been exploring blood-based biomarkers, imaging techniques, and artificial intelligence tools that could identify the disease earlier.

Although Zheng's work is still at the research stage and would require much larger independent studies and trials before it could be considered for clinical use.

Also read: Why Flight Attendants, Pilots Face Higher Risk Of Radiation-Linked Cancer Deaths Than Other Occupations?

A Significant Milestone

The reported 87% figure refers to sensitivity, meaning the proportion of people with pancreatic cancer whom the test correctly identified. Its reported ability to correctly rule out cancer was 87.5%.

Current diagnosis methods for pancreatic cancer involve imaging scans, endoscopic procedures, and tissue sampling, depending on the patient's symptoms and clinical situation. A blood test would be much less invasive and could potentially be easier to repeat.

Researchers around the world are already investigating this area. For example, Harvard researchers have developed artificial intelligence approaches that can identify people at increased risk of pancreatic cancer years before diagnosis using clinical information.

Zheng's work takes a different route by looking for molecular signals associated with the tumour directly in blood. The reported results are encouraging, but the method would need extensive validation before doctors could use it routinely.

Researchers would need to establish its accuracy across larger populations and determine whether it can reliably detect pancreatic cancer at stages when treatment is most effective.

The US continues to report food recalls and foodborne illness investigations involving a range of products, from salsa, guacamole and lettuce to fruit bars, eggs, nut butter and even dog food. Recent recalls have been linked to pathogens including Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli, as well as foreign-material contamination.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about 48 million cases of foodborne illness occur in the US each year — equivalent to about 1 in 6 Americans. These illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually.

Foodborne Illness Investigations Rise

Between 2021 and 2025, the FDA investigated an average of about 25 foodborne illness outbreaks each year. This year, the agency has already posted 20 investigations and says work remains active for 18 foodborne illness clusters.

There have been about 10,500 cases of foodborne illness associated with outbreaks so far this year, according to data from the FDA and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The annual average has been 1,500 cases between 2021 and 2025.

The vast majority of these cases are linked to fresh jalapeños associated with a multistate Salmonella outbreak and fresh lettuce from Taylor Farms linked to Cyclospora.

Also read: Amid Cyclospora, Salmonella Outbreaks, US FDA Issues Guidance on Ready-to-Eat Produce

Here is a look at some of the other foods recently recalled or linked to contamination concerns in the US.

• Outshine Fruit Bars: Select Outshine Fruit Bars were recalled over concerns they may contain pieces of glass, posing a potential injury risk.
• Pillsbury Bread Rolls: General Mills recalled nearly 736,000 Pillsbury rolls due to possible glass contamination. The recall included 3,080 cases of Pillsbury Bread Rolls “Hard Roll Dough.”
• Oma’s Pride Dog Food: A lot of Oma’s Pride frozen dog food was recalled after testing found Salmonella contamination, which can affect both pets and people.
• Lacnola Lactation Granola: The granola was recalled over possible Salmonella contamination linked to moringa powder used in the product.
• Pastrami & Corned Beef: Ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef products were recalled over concerns about possible Listeria contamination.
• Chicken Salad: A chicken salad product was subject to a public health alert because it may be contaminated with Listeria, a potentially serious foodborne pathogen.
• Shell Eggs: Nearly 1.59 million dozen eggs were recalled because they may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis.

Why Are There So Many Foodborne Illnesses?

Read More: US Foodborne Illnesses Surge: Salmonella Hits 431, Cyclospora Cases Top 15,700

While FDA investigations into the outbreaks are underway, top Trump health officials have said that the US food supply remains safe and that fresh produce is safe to eat. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told reporters last month that the situation was “under control.”

However, experts blamed federal funding cuts under the Trump administration, which reduced budgets for food inspections by federal agencies and grants to state and local health departments that conduct traceback investigations to determine where outbreaks originate.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seeking more information about what she called the administration’s “calamitous” response to the cyclosporiasis outbreak and expressing concern that politics could be to blame.

The number of outbreak investigations “represents an increase from previous years,” the FDA said in an email to CNN. The agency said it is constantly working to improve laboratory detection of foodborne illness and that stronger surveillance efforts can lead to increased detection. It also noted that ensuring food safety is a shared responsibility across the global supply chain.

Warren said the administration’s handling of the outbreak had been marked by missteps that raised questions about its decision-making.

More: Nearly 40,000 Bottles Of Popular Eye Drops Recalled Due To Potential Contamination

How To Stay Safe

To stay safe, the best way to avoid the foodborne illness is to:

• Discard or return any recalled products.
• Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water, even if labeled pre-washed.
• Avoid bagged greens when possible.
• Cook produce whenever possible; a temperature of 158 degrees Fahrenheit is the most effective way.
• Follow safe food-handling practices and stay updated on food recalls.