A National Cancer Plan for England “that will revolutionise the way we treat cancer”. It is a bold and ambitious claim to make, but this strategy cannot afford to be anything else.

Cancer destroys far too many lives. According to the charity Macmillan, someone in the UK is diagnosed with the disease at least every 75 seconds. That is a grim statistic.

Tomorrow, the government will publish a new 10-year plan to tackle it, pledging that more people will survive a diagnosis in the coming years.

This cancer plan says it puts “patients at the very heart of it”. Eleven thousand people responded to the call for evidence: stories of resilience against the odds, personal battles against a healthcare system buckling under the cancer burden.

The metrics are quantifiable. In around 10 years time, three out of four people diagnosed with cancer will be living well or cured from cancer within five years of their diagnosis.

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According to the Department of Health, this would represent the fastest rate of improvement in cancer outcomes this century, and would translate to 320,000 more lives saved over the lifetime of the plan.

The document will also pledge that the NHS will meet all its cancer waiting time targets by 2029, and is set to be joined with other announcements, including a big expansion in robot-assisted surgery and faster diagnostic tests to cut down delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

This is achievable. But it will take commitment and investment.

The Danes have done it. They have had five successive national cancer plans.

Our health ministers have been studying their blueprint very carefully to apply the most successful interventions into our own plan.

Smaller organisations working at a local level will be empowered and financed to support their own communities. This is practical and sensible.

Some £6bn has been earmarked for capital investment to invest in the latest technology, AI and robotic surgery to identify and treat cancer quickly.

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Cancer is indiscriminate. So children and young people will, for the first time, be given a dedicated chapter in this plan to meet their own special needs.

According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, four in 10 cancer cases are preventable.

It has examined 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, and, for the first time, nine cancer-causing infections.

This area will come under renewed focus after the government’s success in introducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to ensure an entirely smoke-free generation.

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Community Diagnostic Centres easily accessible with a high street presence, and open for days and hours that suit ordinary people, will speed up diagnoses.

And importantly, as science makes great strides in extending life, survivors must not be left alone to face the “cancer cliff edge”, the feeling of abandonment after their cancer treatment has finished.

Survivorship is as important as early diagnosis.

All of this is to be welcomed and applauded, but to move to this level will need a big step change.

Many hospitals still cannot share imaging or pathology results in a timely way due to old technology holding them back.

And some estates are not fit for purpose, let alone to house a specialist cancer ward.

I have stood under gaping ceiling holes where rain pours through into overflowing buckets, feet away from patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Cancer patients have been failed for far too long.

A Minnesota comedy club abruptly canceled six sold-out shows by comedian Ben Bankas after a viral clip of his stand-up routine — in which he mocked a woman who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent — ignited outrage.

Laugh Camp Comedy Club in St. Paul pulled the plug on Bankas’ scheduled January 30–February 1 performances after backlash erupted over jokes he made about Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother of three who was killed during an encounter with federal immigration authorities earlier this month. 

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Comedian Ben Bankas’ six sold-out Minnesota shows canceled after viral clip mocking the ICE shooting victim, Renee Good, sparked massive outrage and protest threats. (Ben Bankas/Instagram/ODU English Department/Facebook)

Bankas replied bluntly to the cancellations in a recent video posted to Instagram.

He told an audience, “I just found out that my shows were canceled in Minnesota,” prompting loud boos.

“F— ’em,” he added, appearing to refer to the venue.

In the caption, Bankas wrote that he is “working on a new venue and dates for the fine people of Minnesota.” 

His response comes after he posted an Instagram video on January 13, filmed during a show in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., just days after Good’s death.

A crashed car at the scene where an ICE agent shot Renee Good. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

In the clip, which has racked up more than 8.9 million views as of February 3, Bankas said, “Her last name was Good. That’s what I said after they shot her,” and also referred to Good’s wife as a “dog.” He also called Good “r—–ded.”

Good was shot and killed on January 7 after authorities said she swerved her vehicle toward an ICE officer. Her death sparked protests in Minneapolis and beyond, intensifying scrutiny of federal agents’ use of force. 

Tensions escalated further after another Minneapolis agitator, Alex Pretti, was shot and killed by federal agents on January 24. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other local leaders have publicly criticized ICE’s actions.
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U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) speaks as fellow House Homeland Security Committee members look on during a news conference to discuss the killing of Renee Nicole Good outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

As Bankas’ clip gained traction, St. Paul residents began signaling plans to protest outside his upcoming shows, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune — a development that pushed the comedy venue to cancel. 

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, club owner Bill Collins said the decision came after weighing escalating risks.

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“After discussions with, and concern from, public authorities, legal counsel and staff, combined with heightened threats, increasing media attention and civil disorder, we have determined the risks and related liabilities cannot be overcome,” Collins said in an email.

A card with images of Renée Good and Alex Pretti lies among flowers and other mementos at a memorial in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 27, 2026. (Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images)

“A small club like ours does not have the needed resources to mitigate current risks,” he added. “We are obligated to place the highest priority on the safety of our guests, staff and talent, and we are left with no option but to cancel.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Bankas and Collins for comment.

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Collins, who has operated the club since 2007, told the Tribune the cancellations could cost him roughly $17,000. He also said Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents Bankas, is demanding full compensation for the canceled shows because the comedian was prepared to perform.

According to Collins, CAA has also barred its other clients from booking the club until the dispute is resolved.

Bankas was born in Toronto and is now based in Austin, Texas. 

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He hosts YouTube’s “The Tanakas Show,” which his website says reaches more than 10,000 monthly listeners.

A 13-year-old has been arrested over an e-bike crash involving a pregnant woman whose baby was born afterwards in hospital and remains in a serious condition.

It happened on 26 January in Herbert Avenue, Poole, and police said the rider reportedly failed to stop at the scene.

The female pedestrian, in her 30s, went to hospital after the collision – which happened around 3.50pm.

Officers said a 13-year-old boy from Poole had now been arrested on suspicion of a driving offence and remained in custody.

Police Sergeant Dan Yates, from Dorset Police, said: “Our investigation is continuing and we have now made an arrest as part of our enquiries.

“I would like to thank the public who came forward and provided information to help with our investigation.

“We are still appealing for anyone with information in relation to this incident, who has not already spoken to police, to please get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police or – to stay anonymous – the Crimestoppers charity.

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President Donald Trump on Tuesday shared a new rendering of the planned White House ballroom, touting the project as a historic addition he said would “serve our Country well” for “Centuries into the future.”

“This is the first rendering shown to the Public,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Trump said the rendering, shown from the perspective of the Treasury Building, depicts a plan to replace the existing East Wing with a new East Wing anchored by the White House’s first formal ballroom. 

He added that the structure would match the White House in height and scale.

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A rendering of the proposed White House ballroom shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Feb. 3, 2026. (Donald Trump/Truth Social)

The 90,000-square-foot space, designed to seat roughly 650 guests, is already under construction and is expected to cost more than $200 million, with funding coming from Trump and private donors, the administration previously said.

“If you notice, the North Wall is a replica of the North Facade of the White House, shown at the right hand side of the picture,” Trump added in his post about the new rendering.

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The White House has never had a formal ballroom. (White House)

On July 31, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the planned construction of the sprawling ballroom. 

“The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,” Leavitt said during a press briefing, adding the new ballroom will be “a much-needed and exquisite addition.”

The new space is expected to seat around 650 guests. (White House)

Since returning to office, Trump, a former real estate developer, has embarked on a series of projects aimed at altering the look and feel of the White House and other iconic Washington landmarks. Over the weekend, the president announced in a Truth Social post that the Trump Kennedy Center will close later this year for a two-year renovation.

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In October, Trump unveiled a new monument planned to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary next year. The monument, a near twin of Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe, is meant to welcome visitors crossing the Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery into the heart of the nation’s capital.

Trump has also added golden accents to the Oval Office, added a “walk of fame” to the colonnade outside the Oval Office, renovated the Lincoln bathroom, paved part of the Rose Garden and installed two large American flags on the White House grounds.

A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operated by Air India, has been grounded after reports of a “possible defect” with a fuel control switch on the same model of aircraft which crashed in Ahmedabad last June.

Air India said it was getting “the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis” after the incident reported on the flight – AI132 – from Heathrow to Bengaluru on Monday.

It added the airline had previously examined the fuel control switches on its entire Boeing 787 fleet and “had found no issues”.

In a statement to Sky News, Boeing said: “We are in contact with Air India and are supporting their review of this matter.”

Last June, Air India Flight 171 to Gatwick struck a building shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. Briton Viswashkumar Ramesh was the only passenger who walked away from the wreckage.

According to a preliminary report, published by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in July, switches in the cockpit that controlled fuel were moved to a “CUTOFF” position.

Paperwork has been seen by Sky News, reportedly showing a potential fault with a fuel control switch, which was logged by one of the pilots on Flight 132 after the plane landed early on Tuesday morning.

The entry reads: “LEFT FUEL CONTROL SWITCH SLIPS FROM RUN TO CUT OFF WHEN PUSHED DOWN SLIGHTLY. IT DOES NOT LOCK IN ITS POSITION.”

It is unclear why the crew decided to proceed with the flight if, as reported, the switch failed to remain locked in the “RUN” position and moved towards “CUTOFF” during engine start-up.

Sky News understands this happened on two consecutive attempts during the engine start-up procedure.

A malfunction such as this, under specific conditions, could lead to an inadvertent engine shutdown in flight.

Captain Amit Singh, founder of the aviation safety group Safety Matters Foundation, said: “The incident is especially alarming as it mirrors a known risk previously identified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“In 2018, the FAA issued Safety Alert For Operators SAIB NM-18-33, explicitly warning that certain fuel control switches, including those on Boeing 787s, could malfunction in this exact manner, increasing the risk of accidental engine shutdown.”

A statement from Air India said: “We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft.

“After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the aircraft and are involving the OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturer] to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis. The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA [Directorate General of Civil Aviation].

“Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority.”

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Captain Singh told Sky News: “The fuel switches are relevant to AI171 because it points to a possible hazard: unintended switch movement.

“Investigators can confirm or dismiss this using recorded data, switch inspection and maintenance records. It does not prove the cause, but it’s a sensible line to check.”

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In July, Air India said it had “completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet” and “no issues were found”.

Captain Singh described the most recent report of an apparent fuel control switch issue as “deeply troubling” after the airline’s checks found no issues. “This discrepancy raises urgent questions,” he added.

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Sumeet Sabharwal was the captain on Flight 171, which crashed in June, and was in charge as the pilot-in-command, while Clive Kunder was the first officer flying the plane.

The initial report from investigators stated that, in an audio recording from the cockpit, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he “cut off”, an apparent reference to the fuel control switches. The other pilot responds that he did not do so.

The 15-page report did not identify which comments were made by the flight’s captain and which were made by the first officer.

The Washington Post editorial board argued on Monday that raising taxes on top earners in the United States, a solution lauded by many prominent progressives, would be a fruitless endeavor based on new research.

The Post published an editorial titled “Little to gain by raising taxes on the rich,” citing a paper by three members of the “scrupulously nonpartisan” Joint Committee on Taxation which concluded, “Large changes in top tax rates around the revenue-maximizing rate yield small changes to revenue.”

“Politicians who want to raise taxes on the rich will be disappointed to learn they wouldn’t get much additional money to spend by doing so, though it would slow economic growth,” the outlet claimed.

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The Washington Post argued in a Monday editorial that there’s “little to gain by raising taxes on the rich.” (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

The research paper referenced by the Post, titled “Laffer Curves Are Flat,” was written by economists Rachel Moore, Brandon Pecoraro and David Splinter, and used the “Laffer Curve” as a means to measure the trade-off between the top tax rate and revenue.

“Holding the rest of the tax system constant, they found the top federal rate to maximize total government revenue would be 39%, and that would only raise long-run revenue by 0.21%. Any top rate in the range of 30% to 45% raises roughly the same amount of total revenue over the long run. Go higher, and revenue falls,” the Post wrote.

Aside from pinpointing the optimal top rate, the Post highlighted the importance of considering how federal tax rates interact with state and local taxes.

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“If raising more federal revenue corresponds with reductions in state or local revenue, then there’s not much point in raising it, since those other jurisdictions are likely to beg Washington for funds,” the editorial board contended.

As noted by the Post, Moore, Pecoraro and Splinter concluded that determining the exact revenue-maximizing top rate isn’t very important.

The Washington Post editorial board highlighted a report from economists Rachel Moore, Brandon Pecoraro and David Splinte that looked at how increasing the top tax rates would affect economic growth and revenue.  (DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)

“The relevant policy choice is between tax progressivity and growth: the equity-efficiency trade-off,” the economists wrote.

Referencing the economists’ findings, the Post contended that “small changes in revenue from raising the top rate” typically resulted in “significant reductions in economic growth from doing so.”

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The editorial board argued that “a more progressive tax code means a smaller economy,” and that even modest increases to the top tax rate would result in “millions fewer jobs and an economy that’s worth trillions less, all with less revenue to show for it.”

Reflecting a broader trend for the historically liberal newspaper, the Post highlighted an argument long emphasized by conservative economists — that further redistribution of income through higher taxes and increased government transfers is counterproductive.

People attend a press conference and rally in support of fair taxation near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C,. on April 10, 2025.  (Bryan Dozier / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)

“A recent report from the Congressional Budget Office [CBO] found that the federal tax and transfer system significantly reduces income inequality,” the outlet noted. “While it’s true that the top 1 percent of income earners have gradually gained a larger share of pretax income over time, their share of the federal income tax burden has increased faster.”

Pointing to the CBO’s findings, the editorial board noted that “social insurance, taxes and transfers lower the most common measure of income inequality, something called the Gini coefficient, by 28 percent.”

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“Other rich countries have much less progressive tax systems, not because they tax the rich less, but because they tax the middle class more,” the Post added.

Wrapping up its thoughts, the editorial board concluded that making “an already progressive income tax a little more progressive isn’t worth the trouble.”