Institute for Fiscal Studies says half of the rise in working-age people claiming the benefit last year is linked to mental health

More than half of the increase in disability benefits is due to more mental health claims, according to research.

Since the pandemic, the number of working-age adults in England and Wales paid disability benefits has increased by nearly 1 million people to 2.9 million in 2024, with 7.5% of 16- to 64-year-olds claiming.

Research shows apex predators are increasing in numbers and excreting important nutrients into Top End waterways

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The growing saltwater crocodile population in the Northern Territory has led to the creatures gorging on nine times more prey than they did 50 years ago, with the apex predators contributing important nutrients to Top End waterways, new research suggests.

Saltwater crocodile populations have increased exponentially in recent decades, from less than 3,000 in 1971, when a ban on hunting was introduced, to more than 100,000 animals today.

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Firings announced Tuesday as administration decried as ‘detached from how Americans live’

The US Department of Education intends to lay off nearly half of its workforce. The layoffs of 1,300 people were announced by the department on Tuesday and described by the education secretary, Linda McMahon, as a “significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system”.

In a post on X, McMahon said: “Today’s [reduction in force] reflects our commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.”

• PSG beat Liverpool on penalties in Champions League
• Slot praises ‘teams of an incredible level and intensity’

Arne Slot described Liverpool’s Champions League exit as the ­finest game of his career after Paris Saint‑Germain stunned Anfield with ­victory in a penalty shootout.

The Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma proved the decisive figure in the last-16 second leg with penalty saves from Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones. The game had gone to extra time and penalties after ­Ousmane Dembélé’s winner cancelled out Liverpool’s first‑leg lead from Paris. PSG converted all four of their penalties in a flawless shootout display.

Remains brought to Britain as part of colonialism, such as Egyptian mummies, should be repatriated, a report says

The public display of human remains in the UK, including the ancient Egyptian mummies in the British Museum, is offensive and should be stopped, according to a group of MPs.

A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations (APPG-AR) said it should become an offence to sell ancestral remains or publicly display them without consent.