‘I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 35 – these were the signs’
A man who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in his thirties after struggling to walk had been told he was “too young” to have the disease.
Toussaint Smith, 39, from west London, started to feel physically drained and more clumsy than usual in late 2019.
The father of one recalls the left side of his body becoming weak and being unable to move his hands easily, when he was just 33 – but he assumed it was a trapped nerve.
For months he ignored his symptoms, which included stiffness, illegible handwriting, shuffling and walking slowly until he researched it online – the result suggested he had Parkinson’s.
“I googled my symptoms and some of them seemed to resemble Parkinson’s, but I never expected to have it, especially at my age,” he told The Independent.
“I thought it was only older people that had Parkinson’s because there is no awareness around it,” he added.
There are around 1,800 people in the UK living with Parkinson’s under the age of 50, accounting for approximately 1.2 per cent of all cases, according to Parkinson’s UK.
However, it’s even rarer in those aged under 40, with just one or two people in every 100,000 aged 20-29 and four or five people in every 100,000 aged 30-39 diagnosed with the disease, the charity explains.
The neurodegenerative disorder has more than 40 symptoms, from tremors and pain to anxiety, and there is currently no cure. But it can be managed with medication, exercise and physical therapies.
Mr Smith says his symptoms have changed his life dramatically.
“I have to rely on other people now, especially when my medication isn’t working at its best. Sometimes I can’t function, and I can’t even walk. I need help doing daily tasks like cooking and I am not allowed to drive any more,” he said.
After months of not feeling himself, Mr Smith decided to go to A&E where he was referred to the neurology department and had a CT scan.
However, he claims a doctor told him they could not “pinpoint the issue” and added “it doesn’t appear to be anything sinister”.
Still unaware that Young-Onset Parkinson’s could occur in people in their thirties and forties, Mr Smith continued to worry about the cause of his severe symptoms.
It wasn’t until he struggled to sleep for almost six months – a common symptom of Parkinson’s – that he decided to see a private neurologist and movement disorder specialist.
Describing the moment he was diagnosed, he said: “I felt more relieved than anything. It was confirmation that I had been right – there was something wrong.
“This was especially meaningful because both I, at times, and many people had assumed I was just down, overly anxious or stressed. Now, I finally knew what I was facing and could put a name and diagnosis to it.”
But Mr Smith is not alone. A 2019 survey of more than 2,000 people for Parkinson’s UK found almost a quarter of those with the condition were told they were “too young” to have Parkinson’s.
“The main misconception about Parkinson’s that I would like to address is that this is a chronic condition that only affects the elderly and particularly white males,” he said.
Mr Smith also explained that a tremor is only one possible symptom among various physical and mental challenges people with the disease face.
As a young black person living with Parkinson’s, Mr Smith explained he has not seen many examples of people like him, which is why he joined a research group.
“I’m keen to lend myself to research to help others, both within and outside the community and get a better understanding of the condition,” he added.
Putin fighter jet shot down by Ukrainian sea drone for first time, Kyiv claims
Ukraine forces destroyed a Russian fighter jet using a sea drone in a world first, Kyiv’s military intelligence has said.
The Russian Su-30 fighter jet was shot down by the Group 13 military intelligence unit on Friday near Novorossiisk, a major Russian port city on the Black Sea, the GUR agency announced on Saturday.
Kyiv has turned to drone warfare in the air and sea as a means to fight back against the larger and wealthier Russian army, with its seaborne drones wreaking havoc on Russia’s crucial Black Sea fleet.
It comes after Mr Zelensky claimed his meeting with US president Donald Trump at Pope Francis’ funeral was the best they have had together. The pair met briefly in St Peter’s Basilica before attending the pontiff’s funeral.
In comments released by his presidential administration today, Mr Zelensky said that he and Mr Trump agreed that a 30-day ceasefire was the correct first step towards peace in the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia’s attacks on Ukraine continue, with five people killed and 61 injured in a mass drone and missile strike overnight, Ukrainian officials have said.
Jeremy Vine reveals why he decided to give up cycling videos
Jeremy Vine has revealed the moment he decided to give up on posting footage of his tense cycling encounters with motorists.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter has been sharing videos of his commute to work in London for years, using his platform to call out dangerous drivers and campaign for better road safety for cyclists.
However, the 59-year-old announced last weekend that he will no longer be posting the videos because the trolling he has experienced has “just got too bad”.
Now, he has revealed how he came to both the decisions to begin filming and to stop.
In 2010, Mr Vine said he was cycling to work, heading into Hallam Street by the BBC’s London headquarters, when a cab driver shouted at him: “We was here first!”
The broadcaster said he had asked why the taxi driver had tried to cut across his path, to which the response was that he paid road tax and Mr Vine did not.
Mr Vine replied: “I think we all have to share the roads, don’t we?” The cab driver shot back: “We was here first!” And when the broadcaster questioned what he meant, the taxi driver yelled “Cars!” before driving off.
Writing in The Times, Mr Vine called this “historical sleight-of-hand” and said: “At that moment, back in 2010, I felt the iron enter my soul.”
The broadcaster admitted he had previously been “pretty anti-cyclist” but began commuting into work on his bicycle when he realised he needed to start taking better care of his health.
Then he said he went through his “peace and love” or “kumbaya” phase, imagining his space on the roads would be respected by motorists.
“In the end it didn’t work,” Mr Vine wrote. “Bad drivers don’t notice other road users, and with cyclists that can be fatal. Close passes are incessant. All along my commuting route were places where my fellow riders had died.”
Mr Vine said he bought his first camera in 2012, initially because he assumed he was to blame for the near-misses and wanted to double-check if this was the case.
Then, he said interest in his Twitter account exponentially surged at the same time as the Metropolitan Police set up a portal where cyclists could upload videos of lawbreaking motorists.
Mr Vine’s cycling videos have now been viewed more than 100 million times, while he said he successfully complained via the Met’s portal around 60 times.
“But something also happened that I wasn’t expecting: people got angry with me,” he wrote. “I have been deluged with abuse and death threats. Someone tweeted: ‘I hope he falls under the wheels of five cars that reverse and make sure the job’s done.’”
But Mr Vine continued on his mission – and he said he noticed that the behaviour of drivers was starting to change, now that there was a higher possibility they could be held accountable.
However, he did finally quit last week, he said, for three reasons: firstly, because his bicycle was stolen from outside his house, secondly because he wants to focus on his newly released book, Murder on Line One, and finally, because “the abuse got too much”.
Leeds edge Burnley to title on final day of the season as Luton relegated
Leeds pipped Burnley to the title, Coventry and Bristol City secured the final two play-off places, while Luton and Plymouth were relegated on an eventful final day in the Championship.
United needed to match Burnley’s result to be crowned champions due to their superior goal difference, and they eventually did just that following an afternoon of toil, beating Plymouth 2-1, courtesy of a last-gasp strike from Manor Solomon.
Daniel Farke’s side equalised through Wilfried Gnonto’s third effort in as many games shortly after half-time, cancelling out Sam Byram’s own goal, before the late drama at Home Park.
After Mihailo Ivanovic’s early opener for play-off hopefuls Millwall at Turf Moor, Josh Brownhill took his goal tally for the season to 18 and Jaidon Anthony struck to give Burnley a 3-1 triumph and leave them second with 100 points.
Blackburn, Millwall and Middlesbrough were left disappointed in their hunt for a top-six spot.
Jack Rudoni’s brace took Frank Lampard’s Coventry to a 2-0 home win over Boro, and Ross McCrorie scored twice as Bristol City fought back to secure a 2-2 draw against relegation-threatened Preston at Ashton Gate.
Blackburn were heading into the top six at the Robins’ expense when Yuki Ohashi gave Rovers the lead at Bramall Lane, but they were pegged back by Anel Ahmedhodzic’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United.
Luton’s second successive relegation was confirmed after a 5-3 defeat at West Brom, with Tom Fellows, Callum Styles and Millenic Alli (Luton) all scoring twice at the Hawthorns.
Therefore, the Hatters needed a big favour at Fratton Park, but Hull survived to hang on for a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth, after Christian Saydee equalised for the hosts in the 55th minute.
Derby and Stoke played out a goalless draw to retain their second-tier spots.
Sunderland will go into their play-off semi-final against Coventry after five consecutive losses.
QPR, with assistant coaches Kevin Betsy and Xavi Calm in charge after Marti Cifuentes was placed on gardening leave, claimed a 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light after Nicolas Madsen’s early finish.
Jack Wilshere won the battle with his former Arsenal teammate Aaron Ramsey after Norwich beat Cardiff 4-2 at Carrow Road, with Marcelino Nunez scoring on either side of Calum Chambers’ 16th-minute red card.
Ji-Sung Eom scored a stunner as Swansea, who recently appointed Alan Sheehan on a permanent basis and had Joe Allen playing his final game before retirement, drew 3-3 at home to Oxford, who equalised late on through Przemyslaw Placheta.
Josh Windass, in what could be his final appearance for Sheffield Wednesday, netted in a 1-1 draw at Watford.
Defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals he’s leaving UK for a ‘new life’
Ronnie O’Sullivan is planning “a new life somewhere else” after a crushing semi-final defeat at the World Snooker Championship.
He has revealed he is moving to the Middle East, admitting “I don’t know what the future looks like for me really”.
O’Sullivan’s quest for an eighth Crucible title ended abruptly with a 17-7loss to Zhao Xintong.
The Chinese star dominated the match, winning all eight frames in the morning session and sealing O’Sullivan’s fate in the evening.
O’Sullivan’s preparation for the championship was unconventional. He had been absent from the tour since January, withdrawing mid-tournament from the Championship League after snapping his cue in frustration.
This followed a string of poor results, losing four out of five matches.
Throughout the World Championship, O’Sullivan struggled to find consistency with his new cue, going through three tips and changing both the tip and ferrule after the first session of the semi-final.
The 49-year-old admitted uncertainty about his future in the sport.
He said: “I think I’m going to be moving out of the UK this year. A new life somewhere else.
“I’ll still try and play snooker but I don’t know what the future looks like for me really.
“I’m moving away soon so I’ll just see how it goes. There’s a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker.
“For me, it’s a big part of my life but I’ve got to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it’s playing or not.”
O’Sullivan said he would be moving “away to the Middle East”, but might be back in six months’ time.
“Who knows,” he said.
“There are going to be a few changes in my life so we’ll see how that goes.”
When asked whether he’d like to throw his cue a long distance following his exit, O’Sullivan added: “I won’t throw it.
“The merchandise people want it so it’ll be up for sale. But I won’t be throwing it.”
Why this Mediterranean region is perfect for a Summer escape
Summertime in Dalmatia: lazy days swimming in sparkling waters and feeling the salt dry on your skin, feasting on freshly grilled fish in a rustic beach bar while watching the sun set over the Adriatic, losing yourself in centuries of history surrounded by intense beauty – it’s the stuff of dreams. But oh so easy to turn into reality. Between Dalmatia’s stretch of the Croatian coast and the enchanting islands just a ferry ride away, you have everything you need for a relaxing and rejuvenating summer break. Choose between laid-back islands with quiet coves to lively beach resorts offering watersports and entertainment – all of which you can fit into the same trip. To get you inspired, here are some of the highlights of a Dalmatian holiday.
Croatia’s sunniest island is also the country’s most visited, which isn’t surprising when you first set eyes on Hvar Town. Step into St Stephen’s Square, the largest in Dalmatia, and take in the baroque beauty of its cathedral. Follow the path uphill to the 16th-century Spanish Fortress for fantastic views before checking out Hvar Town’s chic beach clubs. Away from the island capital, Stari Grad offers a slower pace of life, despite being on a major ferry route from Split. Once you’ve explored its colourful port, take a hike in neighbouring Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO-listed site, where you can still see the vineyards and olive groves planted by the ancient Greeks nearly 2,400 years ago.
Surrounded by mesmerising blue-green waters, the smooth white pebbles of V-shaped Zlatni Rat on Brač’s southern coast create Croatia’s most famous beach. Its unique geography draws windsurfing fans from around the world to the pretty nearby village of Bol as they zoom across these waters. Bol is also a handy base for hikes up to Vidova Gora, the highest point in Dalmatia and worth the visit for far-reaching views. Head to the northern coast for picturesque villages such as Pučišća, whose stonemasonry school is the oldest in Europe and continues a centuries-old tradition. When you explore the hinterland, you’ll be tempted to stop by rural restaurants that serve authentic Dalmatian cuisine featuring produce from their own farms and olive groves.
Off limits to tourists until 1989 while it served as an army base, the far-flung island of Vis has been slow to catch up on Croatia’s tourism boom – which suits everyone just fine. The long Venetian-style waterfront of Vis Town will look familiar to fans of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which was filmed here. The island’s other main village, Komiža, is a delightfully laid-back spot from where you can join boat trips to the jaw-dropping natural phenomenon that is the Blue Cave on the tiny neighbouring island of Biševo. There’s more awe in store when you make the rocky trek down to Stiniva Bay on the southern coast, where the pebbly beach is almost entirely encircled by towering cliffs.
Just across the sea from Split but curiously off most tourists’ radar, Šolta is one of Dalmatia’s lesser-known jewels. Sailors will have moored in its deeply sheltered coves such as Šešula Bay, as well as its attractive villages Maslinica and Stomorska, which bookend the island and give an enticing slice of Dalmatian life. In between you’ll see acres and acres of olive groves that produce award-winning liquid gold – a delicious companion for Šolta’s indigenous robust red wine. Explore Šolta’s heavily indented southern coast if you want true serenity while swimming in secluded pebbly coves backed by fragrant pine-covered hills.
For nearly 40 miles, the Makarska Riviera south of Split offers one alluring beach resort after another – Brela, Tučepi, Baška Voda, Podgora, Drvenik, Gradac and Makarska itself – all in the shadow of the impressive Biokovo Mountains. The sheer variety of beaches and resorts is extraordinary, including the beautiful Punta Rata Beach in Brela and peaceful Nugal Beach just south of Makarska. Follow the long seafront promenade to Baška Voda’s family-friendly beaches including the outstanding Nikolina Beach. And above it all are the hiking trails in Biokovo Nature Park, including the hair-raising Biokovo Skywalk, whose D-shaped glass floor hovers over the cliff and gives you an unforgettable thrill – rather like summer in Dalmatia itself.
For more travel inspiration, information and to plan your trip visit Central Dalmatia
Lorraine Kelly to undergo ‘preventative’ keyhole surgery
Lorraine Kelly has revealed that she needs to undergo surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.
The Scottish TV presenter, best known for hosting her eponymous ITV programme, shared a video from her hospital bed on Saturday (3 May), saying she had not been “feeling all that well for a little while”.
“Just wanted to let you know that I’m having a wee procedure today. I’ve not been feeling all that well for a little while. So I had some scans and tests and I have to have my ovaries and my tubes taken out,” she said in the video.
She assured fans it was “purely preventative” and was being performed using the minimally invasive procedure keyhole surgery, adding that she is being “very well looked after”.
“I’m going to be totally fine,” she said. “See you soon.”
In the post’s caption, Kelly wrote that she was “very lucky to be treated so well” as she thanked gynaecologist Dr Ahmed Raafat and hospital staff.
Kelly was met with messages of support from celebrity colleagues and friends, with Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid writing, “Sending you all the love in the world,” alongside a love-heart emoji.
Countyfile presenter Matt Baker said, “Sending lots of love Lorraine X,” as radio host Adele Roberts added: “Lots of love to you Lorraine! Get well soon xxx.”
TV presenter Vanessa Feltz said: “Thinking of you and sending love. Let me know if you fancy a visit. Love V xx
Chris Hoy’s wife Sarra added: “Sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling well but so pleased to hear there is a plan and you are being sorted. Hang in there xx,” while Katie Piper also wished her a “speedy recovery”.
The procedure, which is known as salpingo-oophorectomy, takes one to two hours and requires several more hours of recovery in hospital.
The NHS advises that you must stay off work for two to four weeks after having the procedure. Kelly did not state why she was having her ovaries removed, but it is typically done as a preventative measure if there’s a significant risk of associated disease, such as ovarian cancer.
Kelly recently commented on the “hurtful” suggestion that she takes too much time off from presenting her morning show.
Recent years have seen Kelly take an increasing number of breaks from presenting, with the parody X/Twitter account @LorraineKWatch documenting the number of times she has appeared on her show. The account has since been taken down.
The presenter told The Guardian that she found it “really hurtful, actually”.
She added: “It really is. I’ve not spoken about it before. I’m a grafter and I work really hard and I’ve had to take Fridays off for the past year. I just thought it was weird to care so much.”
The host said she “initially” took time off to care for her mother “who has been ill”, but then realised she enjoyed the break – and was jealous of other ITV morning hosts who were able to work four days a week.
“It sort of brings you into line with everyone else because, if you look at This Morning, everybody else does four days. And as I’m getting older, I want to do other things – more writing, all of that,” the host, who has written two books, said. “Mate, I’ve been doing this for 40 years, working my a*** off.”
It’s never been more important to protect our right to a free press
As we mark World Press Freedom Day today, let us remember journalists around the world who are in jail, or face intimidation and threats for their work reporting the truth – and let us draw attention to repressive laws designed to restrict media freedom.
First and foremost, before talking about press freedom globally, let us remember and pay tribute to the more than 175 journalists who have lost their lives in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon over the past 18 months, the highest death toll of journalists in recent years. Wherever you stand in the Israel-Gaza conflict, their killings must end. According to last year’s World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, recent years have seen an alarming decline in respect for media freedom and increasing pressure on media workers from governments or other political actors.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that in 2024, at least 124 journalists were killed around the world, making last year the deadliest in more than three decades. At least 361 journalists were in jail last year – a near record high.
Aside from Israel, China and Myanmar are reportedly among the worst offenders, along with Belarus and Russia. Among those still in jail today are the 77-year-old entrepreneur and British citizen Jimmy Lai, founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily in Hong Kong, the citizen journalist Zhang Zhan in jail in China for reporting on Covid-19, and Myanmar reporter Sai Zaw Thaike, sentenced to 20 years in prison for his coverage of Cyclone Mocha in 2023. In Hong Kong’s jails alongside Mr Lai are Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, the editors of Stand News, a publication which, like Apple Daily, was forced to shut down as a result of the draconian national security law imposed on the city by Beijing, violating the international treaty commitments it made that it would respect human rights in Hong Kong following the city’s handover to Chinese rule in 1997.
In mainland China, the world’s worst jailer of journalists, at least 110 are in prison today. These include former state media reporter Dong Yuyu, sentenced last year to seven years in jail on espionage charges, and independent journalist Li Weizhong. Zhang Zhan, who had been released in May last year after serving a four-year sentence, was re-arrested a few months later. In Myanmar, more than 200 journalists have been jailed since the military coup in 2021, with 51 believed to be currently behind bars.
In addition to threats and arrests of journalists, repressive laws are being introduced to stifle press freedom.
Over the past five years since the imposition of Beijing’s draconian national security law in Hong Kong, press freedom has been almost entirely dismantled in the city and almost all independent news outlets shut down. More than 1,000 journalists have lost their jobs, while Hong Kong has plummeted in global press freedom indices, ranking 135 out of 180 in RSF’s index last year. In 2002, it was ranked 18th in the world, and until the crackdown in 2020 was one of the bastions of press freedom in Asia.
The introduction of a further domestic security law last year only makes conditions for journalists even more challenging. A new cybersecurity law introduced in March this year, aimed at strengthening the protection of the city’s critical infrastructure, carries with it further potential implications for whatever remains of freedom of expression online. The new law may grant the government excessive investigative powers to request information if it suspects an offence has been committed, therefore compromising data privacy.
In another concerning development in Hong Kong earlier this year, a former senior official at Meta – Facebook’s parent company – has claimed that a new censorship tool to monitor viral content in Hong Kong and Taiwan has been developed. These allegations raise significant concerns about user data privacy and the extent to which global tech companies might compromise their principles to access the Chinese market. Such tools could have implications for freedom of expression in democracies such as Taiwan too. Last month, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong revealed that 65 per cent of its members surveyed say they self-censor, while 33 per cent are considering leaving the city due to the unravelling of press freedom.
Press freedom – and freedom of expression more broadly – is a fundamental human right, essential for any open society. A free, independent media helps keep people informed, ensures that debate is kept alive and that those in power can be held accountable.
I began my working life as a journalist, in Hong Kong, two months after the handover of the city to Chinese rule in 1997. In the five years I lived there, Hong Kong’s media was vibrant, dynamic and free. I was able to publish articles critical of the governments in both Beijing and Hong Kong. If I was still in Hong Kong today, those articles would never see the light of day and even writing them could land me in jail.
That is why today, on World Press Freedom Day, all of us who have freedom must speak out for Jimmy Lai, Zhang Zhan, Li Weizhong, Dong Yuyu, Sai Zaw Thaike and every other journalist in jail in Hong Kong, China, Myanmar and around the world. We must declare, loud and clear, that journalism is not a crime.
Benedict Rogers is a human rights activist and writer, senior director at Fortify Rights, co-founder of Hong Kong Watch and author of “The China Nexus: Thirty Years In and Around the Chinese Communist Party’s Tyranny”.