The importance of diet for our overall health is well established, but new research out of Sweden suggests eating well can slow overall ageing in later life. The study of 2,400 adults over 15 years showed that those who ate a diet of processed foods were more prone to chronic conditions. And since the accumulation of such conditions is a serious problem in later life, leading to more hospitalisations and earlier deaths, anything that can be done to slow the march is worth trying. These findings can’t stop you ageing, but they might help soften the blow.

French president Emmanuel Macron recently announced his intention to recognise Palestine as a state at the next UN summit in September. There is now talk of the UK following suit. Evidence of starvation in Gaza is adding to the pressure on world leaders to take action. Recognition of statehood means agreeing that a nation has a defined territory and a government, which would gain access to certain rights in international organisations, so Macron’s move is potentially significant.

When Nato leaders agreed to ramp up defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 last month, there remained one hold-out. Spain, it seemed, had somehow negotiated its way out of the commitment. When we looked into why, we found that the Spanish government’s reasoning is both financial and political.