Some days I am so homesick it hurts. What should I do? | Leading questions

You’re desperate to go home, but there’s also a huge risk of idealising it, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Start looking at the hard details outside the fantasy

• Read more Leading questions

After living overseas for many years, suffering a severe illness and nearly dying, I am desperate to return home to be nearer my family and friends. However, I have a good life where I am living with my husband (we don’t have children): we both have good jobs (I managed to change profession after my illness and landed a really good new role), and a lovely house in a good area.

I feel quite lonely here because despite my husband and colleagues I have few friends. I also keep getting sick as my immune system has been damaged and I have a couple of autoimmune issues. I’m desperate to go home and imagine an idyllic life living in a beautiful little house seeing my family and friends. Ideally not having to work much but spending more time with my parents in their retirement years.

Published: November 13, 2025, 11:28 pm

New AI tool could cut wasted efforts to transplant organs by 60%

Machine learning model predicts whether donor is likely to die within the timeframe that liver remains viable

Doctors have developed an AI tool that could reduce wasted efforts to transplant organs by 60%.

Thousands of patients worldwide are waiting for a potentially life-saving donor, and more candidates are stuck on waiting lists than there are available organs.

Published: November 13, 2025, 11:30 pm

AI firm claims it stopped Chinese state-sponsored cyber-attack campaign

Anthropic says financial firms and government agencies were attacked ‘largely without human intervention’

A leading artificial intelligence company claims to have stopped a China-backed “cyber espionage” campaign that was able to infiltrate financial firms and government agencies with almost no human oversight.

The US-based Anthropic said its coding tool, Claude Code, was “manipulated” by a Chinese state-sponsored group to attack 30 entities around the world in September, achieving a “handful of successful intrusions”.

Published: November 14, 2025, 4:27 pm

AI slop tops Billboard and Spotify charts as synthetic music spreads

Hits include country songs and a Dutch anti-refugee anthem, both entirely made without human composition

Three songs generated by artificial intelligence topped music charts this week, reaching the highest spots on Spotify and Billboard charts.

Walk My Walk and Livin’ on Borrowed Time by the outfit Breaking Rust topped Spotify’s “Viral 50” songs in the US, which documents the “most viral tracks right now” on a daily basis, according to the streaming service. A Dutch song, We Say No, No, No to an Asylum Center, an anti-migrant anthem by JW “Broken Veteran” that protests against the creation of new asylum centers, took the top position in Spotify’s global version of the viral chart around the same time. Breaking Rust also appeared in the top five on the global chart.

Published: November 13, 2025, 9:58 pm

Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin launches rocket carrying twin Nasa spacecraft to Mars

A huge New Glenn rocket successfully took off to place two spacecraft in orbit for a later boost to the red planet

Blue Origin successfully launched its huge New Glenn rocket on Thursday with a pair of Nasa spacecraft destined for Mars. It was only the second flight of the rocket that Jeff Bezos’s company and Nasa are counting on to ferry people and supplies to the moon.

The 321ft (98-meter) New Glenn blasted into the afternoon sky from the Cape Canaveral space force station, sending Nasa’s twin Mars orbiters on a long journey to the red planet. Liftoff was stalled for four days by inclement local weather as well as solar storms strong enough to paint the skies with auroras as far south as Florida.

Published: November 13, 2025, 11:54 pm

Lies, damned lies and AI: the newest way to influence elections may be here to stay

The use of AI-generated campaign videos – labeled or unlabeled – is likely to permeate future US elections

The New York City mayoral election may be remembered for the remarkable win of a young democratic socialist, but it was also marked by something that is likely to permeate future elections: the use of AI-generated campaign videos.

Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Zohran Mamdani in last week’s election, took particular interest in sharing deepfake videos of his opponent, including one that sparked accusations of racism, in what is a developing area of electioneering.

Published: November 13, 2025, 12:00 pm

UK firms can win a significant chunk of the AI chip market | John Browne

Britain’s legacy in chip design is world-class, and we could supply up to 5% of global demand if we get our act together

The UK is in a uniquely promising position, far too little understood, to play a lucrative role in the coming era of artificial intelligence – but only if it also grabs the opportunity to start making millions of computer chips.

AI requires vast numbers of chips and we could supply up to 5% of world demand if we get our national act together.

Lord Browne is the co-chair of the Council for Science and Technology. He is the chair of BeyondNetZero and was the chief executive of BP from 1995 to 2007

Published: November 13, 2025, 6:26 pm

Question 1: Are phone cheats killing the pub quiz?

Quizmasters are banning smart devices, using dedicated apps and finding plain old honesty can combat trivial offences

Who is older, Gary Numan or Gary Oldman? If you know the answer to this question (see below), you are probably one of hundreds of thousands of Brits who attend a pub quiz every week.

As a nation of committed trivia buffs, it was unsurprising that news of a quizmaster in Manchester outing a team for cheating was leapt on. Just where, we asked, is the special place in hell reserved for those quizzers who take a sneaky look at their phones under the table?

Published: November 14, 2025, 3:28 pm

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 review – hallucinogenic romp through dystopia is stupidly pleasurable

Activision; PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, PC
With a deafening onslaught of massive shootout set-pieces in exotic locations, an evolving campaign mode and excellent multiplayer offerings, this maximalist instalment of crazed carnage is a hoot

It seems like an anachronism now, in this age of live service “forever games”, that the annual release of a new Call of Duty title is still considered a major event. But here is Black Ops 7, a year after its direct predecessor, and another breathless bombard of military shooting action. This time it is set in a dystopian 2035 where a global arms manufacturer named the Guild claims to be the only answer to an apocalyptic new terrorist threat – but are things as clearcut as they seem?

The answer, of course, is a loudly yelled “noooo!” Black Ops is the paranoid, conspiracy-obsessed cousin to the Modern Warfare strand of Call of Duty games, a series inspired by 70s thrillers such as The Parallax View and The China Syndrome, and infused with ’Nam era concerns about rogue CIA agents and bizarre psy-ops. The campaign mode, which represents just a quarter of the offering this year, is a hallucinogenic romp through socio-political talking points such as psychopathic corporations, hybrid warfare, robotics and tech oligarchies. The result is a deafening onslaught of massive shootout set-pieces in exotic locations, as the four lead characters – members of a supercharged spec-ops outfit – are exposed to a psychotropic drug that makes them relive their worst nightmares. Luckily, they do so with advanced weaponry, cool gadgets and enough buddy banter to destabilise a medium-sized rogue nation. It is chaotic, relentless and stupidly pleasurable, especially if you play in co-operative mode with three equally irresponsible pals.

Published: November 14, 2025, 6:00 am

Porn Play review – Ambika Mod excels as an academic undone by pornography addiction

Royal Court theatre, London
Sophia Chetin-Leuner’s drama toggles between digital and physical worlds as it traces a scholar’s grim compulsion

‘It’s not that deep,” Ani’s friend assures her. Who cares if she watches a lot of extreme pornography? But after the light is switched off, Ani can’t get through their impromptu sleepover without masturbating to porn on her phone. The friend wakes up next to her and exits in disgust.

The same scenario has already led Ani, a 30-year-old academic, to break up with her partner. Like Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, she was using porn next to her boyfriend in bed. Fleabag darkly regaled us with her voracious YouPorn habit but Ani, despite her robust reasoning in their argument, is deeply troubled by her behaviour. So, too, is her father when Ani hides away in her old childhood bedroom with her laptop.

Published: November 14, 2025, 11:34 am

UK hospitals bracing for once-in-a-decade flu surge this winter

Officials urge vaccination against mutated strain of virus that may be more transmissible than usual

Hospitals are bracing for a once-in-a-decade flu season, with a mutated version of the virus that is spreading widely in younger people expected to drive a wave of admissions when it reaches the elderly.

The threat has prompted NHS managers to redouble efforts to vaccinate staff and communities, expand same-day emergency care and treat more patients in the community to reduce the need for hospital stays.

Published: November 14, 2025, 2:03 pm

Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin launches rocket carrying twin Nasa spacecraft to Mars

A huge New Glenn rocket successfully took off to place two spacecraft in orbit for a later boost to the red planet

Blue Origin successfully launched its huge New Glenn rocket on Thursday with a pair of Nasa spacecraft destined for Mars. It was only the second flight of the rocket that Jeff Bezos’s company and Nasa are counting on to ferry people and supplies to the moon.

The 321ft (98-meter) New Glenn blasted into the afternoon sky from the Cape Canaveral space force station, sending Nasa’s twin Mars orbiters on a long journey to the red planet. Liftoff was stalled for four days by inclement local weather as well as solar storms strong enough to paint the skies with auroras as far south as Florida.

Published: November 13, 2025, 11:54 pm

Rare bronze and iron age log boats reveal details of Cambridgeshire prehistory

Well-preserved oak and maple boats used for transport and fishing to be displayed in Peterborough

After lying undisturbed in mud for more than 3,000 years, three rare bronze and iron age log boats have emerged to offer fresh insights into prehistoric life.

The boats were among nine discovered in a Cambridgeshire quarry 13 years ago – the largest group of prehistoric boats found in the same UK site. Most were well preserved, with one still able to float despite its long incarceration.

Published: November 14, 2025, 12:01 am

Ultra-processed foods may help explain rising bowel cancer in under-50s, study suggests

Research among women finds those who eat more UPFs have greater risk of early onset of polyp that can lead to cancer

Women under 50 who have a diet high in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) stand a greater risk of having abnormal growths in their bowel that can lead to cancer, research suggests.

Ultra-processed foods are typically defined as industrially produced products that are often ready-to-eat, contain little in the way of whole foods, fibre and vitamins, and are typically high in saturated fat, sugar, salt and food additives.

Published: November 13, 2025, 4:00 pm

Deaths linked to antibiotic-resistant superbugs rose 17% in England in 2024

Data also shows an average of nearly 400 newly reported cases of antibiotic-resistant infections a week last year

The number of deaths linked to superbugs that do not respond to frontline antibiotics increased by 17% in England last year, according to official figures that raise concerns about the ongoing increase in antimicrobial resistance.

The figures, released by the UK Health Security Agency, also revealed a large rise in private prescriptions for antibiotics, with 22% dispensed through the private sector in 2024.

Published: November 13, 2025, 12:01 am

Why everyone’s talking about 3I/Atlas, a lupus breakthrough, James Watson’s legacy - podcast

Ian Sample joins Madeleine Finlay to discuss some of the most intriguing science stories from the week. They discuss the complicated legacy of James Watson, who won the Nobel Prize for the discovery of the structure of DNA; a new breakthrough in the quest to understand the autoimmune disease lupus; and why everyone from Joe Rogan to Kim Kardashian is talking about comet 3I/Atlas.

Clips: PBS, Fox 32 Chicago, NBC News, Joe Rogan, News Nation

James Watson obituary

Published: November 13, 2025, 5:00 am

Searches for lorazepam surged after release of The White Lotus, data shows

Third series of TV drama spiked interest in anti-anxiety drug amid warnings over illicit production of ‘benzos’

In the third series of the hit TV show The White Lotus, the entitled North Carolina housewife Victoria Ratliff is often shown reaching for her lorazepam. Now researchers say internet searches for the anti-anxiety drug surged after the show’s release.

Lorazepam, also known by its brand name Ativan, is a type of drug known as a benzodiazepine, or “benzo”. It is thought to work by boosting the effect of a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain.

Published: November 14, 2025, 4:00 pm

Fears for elephant seals as bird flu kills half of population in South Atlantic

Study estimates 53,000 females have died on South Georgia since 2023, with ‘dramatic impact’ on future of the species

Bird flu has wiped out half of South Georgia’s breeding elephant seals, according to a study that warns of “serious implications” for the future of the species.

The remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean is home to the world’s largest southern elephant seal population. Researchers estimate 53,000 females died after bird flu hit in 2023.

Published: November 13, 2025, 4:00 pm

Drop crocs! Everyone loves drop crocs! Or do they? | First Dog on the Moon

It certainly sounds like fun until you walk under a tree and…

• Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are published

• Get all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints

Published: November 14, 2025, 5:48 am

Watch Jeff Bezos's successful Blue Origin rocket launch – video

Blue Origin successfully launches its huge New Glenn rocket on Thursday with a pair of Nasa spacecraft destined for Mars. It is only the second flight of the rocket that Jeff Bezos's company and Nasa are counting on to ferry people and supplies to the moon. The 321ft (98-meter) New Glenn blasts into the afternoon sky from the Cape Canaveral space force station, sending Nasa's twin Mars orbiters on a long journey to the red planet. Company employees cheer wildly as the booster lands upright on a barge 375 miles (600km) offshore while an ecstatic Bezos watches the action from launch control

• Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin launches rocket carrying twin Nasa spacecraft to Mars

Published: November 14, 2025, 6:21 am

Did Hitler really have a ‘micropenis’? The dubious documentary analysing the dictator’s DNA

Was the wartime chant about his solitary testicle correct? Did he have Jewish ancestry? New documentary Hitler’s DNA is trying to answer these, and more contentious, questions – but should it have gone there at all?

If a TV programme sets about sequencing the genome of Adolf Hitler – the person in modern history who comes closest to a universally agreed-upon personification of evil – there are at the very least two questions you want the producers to ask themselves. First: is it possible? And second, the Jurassic Park question: just because scientists can, should they?

Channel 4’s two-part documentary Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator is not the first time the self-consciously edgy British broadcaster has gone there. In 2014’s Dead Famous DNA, it inadvertently answered both these questions in the negative. Having first cast aside ethical integrity by paying Holocaust denier David Irving £3,000 for a lock of hair purporting to belong to Adolf Hitler, the programme’s makers then discovered it not to be Hitler’s and thus useless for DNA sequencing.

Published: November 13, 2025, 9:33 am