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Experts say the menopause market has expanded to include apps, wearable cooling devices and supplements, and researchers have warned that unregulated companies may be exploiting limited reliable guidance.

The Herald spotlights informal and community learning across Scotland, citing projects such as Sunny Govan Radio, the Inverclyde Shed and the Reimaging Art project as examples of grassroots education and social support.

Kabul and much of Afghanistan are facing worsening water shortages after an unusually weak snowfall and reduced reservoir inflows, while the return of more than five million people since 2023 has increased pressure on water systems and services amid cuts to international aid.

India's 2026-27 budget exempts income from foreign ownership of capital equipment provided to contract manufacturers in customs-bonded areas until the 2030-31 tax year, a change announced to promote electronics manufacturing and explained in the budget documents.

Work is under way to restore Park End Shelter in Vulcan Park, Workington, into a fully accessible community space with a kitchen, meeting room, toilets and Wi‑Fi; work began on Monday and is expected to finish within eight weeks.

Newquay RNLI volunteers were paged on January 31 after a landslide near the Fly Cellars and rescued five people and two dogs; all were taken to the lifeboat station for checks and refreshments.

Restoration teams, backed by the British Council and UNESCO, are repairing coral‑stone buildings in Suakin as local officials hope to revive tourism after years of decline and war‑related disruption.

Israeli authorities said the Rafah crossing with Egypt opened in a test and preparations are under way for limited travel, with EU agents to supervise entry and exit and Israeli and Egyptian vetting in place.

A community event celebrating Guernesiais will be held on Saturday 7 February at St Martin's Community Centre from 14:00 to 16:00 GMT, and Prof Julia Sallabank of the Guernsey Language Commission will outline a new adult course.

Birmingham's Light Festival runs from 12–15 February with 11 artworks across the city, including installations and live performances at venues such as the Bullring, Brindleyplace and Oozells Square.

The article notes that placing a wildlife pond where it can be seen from the house and balancing sun and shade supports frog spawning and can help limit algae growth.

A BBC Yorkshire roundup shares recent feel-good items from across the region, including a Hull City player comforting a bullied six-year-old and a fundraiser added to the Sheffield Walk of Fame.

All 23 NHS Urgent Dental Access Centres are now operating across North East and North Cumbria, and the network has seen more than 41,000 patients since the first pilot sites opened in 2024.

A federal judge ordered the release by 3 February of five-year-old Liam Ramos and his father, who were held by ICE in San Antonio; the family says they came from Ecuador in 2024 to seek asylum.

The Recording Academy presented Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Special Merit Awards to Chaka Khan, Cher, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Fela Kuti and Whitney Houston; Chaka Khan attended and accepted her award in person.

New analyses from the French NutriNet-Santé study linked higher intakes of some food preservatives to increased risks of breast and prostate cancer and to type 2 diabetes; the article outlines seven food swaps away from products that often contain these preservatives.

Federal immigration raids in Minneapolis have led one Mexican family to remain inside their home for weeks, and the article reports earlier fatal incidents involving federal agents during the recent operations.

A senior Saudi official told Asharq Al-Awsat that Riyadh has not changed its stance on regional escalation and continues to back diplomatic efforts; the official also reiterated rejection of using Saudi airspace or territory for military operations against Iran.

Brighouse Art Circle will host a life model session at Waring Green Community Centre on Thursday 5 February from 7pm to 9pm, followed by a poster art challenge on Thursday 12 February.

Exiled Tibetans in 27 countries began voting for a government-in-exile to select parliamentary candidates and a leader, with a final round set for April 26 and results due May 13; China condemned the elections as a "farce."

Insight Gloucestershire’s shop at 58 High Street in Stroud, which opened in September, is asking for clean, undamaged clothing and homewares to raise funds and awareness for blind and partially sighted people across Gloucestershire.

Rose Hill Community Centre in Oxford marked its tenth anniversary; the centre opened on 30 January 2016 and offers rooms, community services and renewable energy features.

The Hilton, Milton and Castle Heather Community Council has applied for £77,808.46 toward a roughly £96,000 project to upgrade play parks across five sites; Highland councillors are being recommended to approve the grant when the City of Inverness area committee meets next week.

More than five million Afghans have returned since September 2023, and in Bamiyan families were given new houses financed by UNHCR on land provided by local authorities but lack running water, nearby services and steady work.

Lidl is reported to be opening 19 new supermarkets in 2026 and is awaiting approval for a proposed Croxteth branch. Aldi has announced plans for 40 new branches and said it will invest £370 million in new store openings across Britain this year.

A US envoy said he held constructive talks with a Russian envoy in Florida; Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were due to meet in Abu Dhabi the next day to discuss a US-backed plan.

Mark Hehir, a former London bus driver, was dismissed after he chased a thief to recover a passenger's necklace and an employment tribunal upheld the dismissal. He says he would welcome an apology from Metroline but will not return to his job.

The article reports that fatty liver is increasingly common in the UK and that early-stage disease may respond to dietary and lifestyle changes; it cites studies linking coffee, berries and a Mediterranean-style diet with improved liver markers.

Experts and campaigners say treating more people with dementia in virtual 'hospital at home' wards can prevent deterioration linked to hospital stays and may save the NHS millions; reporting states discharge delays for dementia patients cost the NHS £328 million and used half a million bed‑days last year.

The article outlines medicines and non-drug therapies used in the UK to manage dementia symptoms, and describes practical and legal steps often taken after diagnosis.