WEIRD STUFF

Britain's reign as the world's cleanest team has come to an end -- with the country's litter-picking champs losing their sparkle at this year's Spogomi World Cup in Tokyo, Japan.

After dazzling the globe with victory in 2023, Team UK could only manage a 13th-place finish this time around -- their dreams swept away like yesterday's rubbish.

The quirky sport, born in Japan, mashes 'sport' and gomi (Japanese for garbage), challenging players to scoop, sort, and sprint their way through heaps of litter -- with cigarette butts worth big points, but bulky junk earning painful penalties.

This year's showdown unfolded in Tokyo's buzzing Shibuya district on October 29, where competitors hauled in an astonishing 879 kilogrammes of rubbish in under two hours.

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Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch has launched a dog TV channel to help soothe anxious pups during Bonfire Night -- one of the most stressful evenings of the year for pets.

The 'Calm for Canine' channel, available in all pet-friendly rooms, features relaxing scenes of dogs sprinting across fields and beaches, rabbits nibbling carrots, and red squirrels splashing in water -- all set to calming classical music.

The footage uses blues, yellows, and greens, colours most visible to dogs, to keep furry guests captivated.

The initiative comes after new research by Virgin Red, the Virgin Group's loyalty programme, found 87 per cent of dog owners avoid taking their pets into cities during fireworks displays.

Two-thirds said they "dread" November 5 because of how frightened their pets become.

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Daily walks could delay Alzheimer's disease

A few thousand steps a day could be the secret to keeping your brain sharp well into old age, new research suggests.

Scientists at Mass General Brigham Hospital in Boston found that walking between 3,000 and 7,000 steps a day may delay Alzheimer's disease by up to seven years -- proving that even a modest stroll can make a massive difference.

The 14-year study, published in Nature Medicine, tracked nearly 300 adults age 50 to 90 and found that regular walkers had fewer Alzheimer's-related brain changes, sharper memories, and better thinking skills.

"Even small, consistent changes can protect your brain," said lead researcher Dr Wai-Ying Yau. "A short daily walk could delay the disease's progression by several years."

Those who walked 3,000-5,000 steps daily delayed decline by around three years, while those who hit 7,000 steps pushed symptoms back up to seven.