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A 22-minute brisk walk, jog or cycle every day is enough to offset the negative health effects of too much sitting down, research has suggested.

Experts found that people who sit for long periods – such as in an office job or watching TV – are more likely to die earlier, but moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) eliminates this risk.

The study backs up the UK chief medical officers’ recommendation that people aim for 150 minutes of MVPA per week – roughly 21 minutes per day.

Examples of moderate activity include very brisk walking (4mph or faster), heavy cleaning such as washing windows or mopping, cycling at 10-12mph, or badminton.

Vigorous activities include hiking, jogging at 6mph or faster, shovelling, fast cycling, football, basketball or tennis.

UK guidelines say: “For good physical and mental health, adults should aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none, and more is better still.”

In the new study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, experts examined data for 11,989 people over 50, with a 50/50 split male and female, from Norway, Sweden and the US.

More on Exercise

People in the study had worn activity trackers which measured their MPVA.

In all, 5,943 people spent fewer than 10.5 hours sitting down every day while 6,042 spent 10.5 or more hours being sedentary.

Over a five-year follow-up, 6.7% (805) of the people died.

The research showed MPVA for 22 minutes each day offset the negative effects of being sedentary and eliminated the risk of dying early due to prolonged sitting.

Author Edvard Sagelv, from the Arctic University of Norway, said: “In our study, we found that only those people doing more than 12 hours per day sitting had a higher risk of death.

“We are talking about any sitting behaviour – such as being in the office or watching TV for long periods of time.

“In our study, every minute higher MVPA showed a lower risk of death – meaning if people were doing less than 22 minutes (such as 10 minutes) there was still a lower risk of death.

“However, doing 22 minutes eliminated the higher risk of death from sedentary time.

“This means that if doing 22 minutes or more per day, there was no excess risk from sedentary time.

“And, if doing more than 22 minutes per day, there was a lower risk of death overall. Basically, the more the better.”

Read more:
Arthritis sufferers urged to lose weight and exercise instead of taking prescribed medication
Diets of British teenagers are ‘unhealthy and unsustainable’

The overall research team concluded: “Efforts to promote physical activity may have substantial health benefits for individuals and small amounts of MVPA may be an effective strategy to ameliorate mortality risk associated with high sedentary time.”

Regina Giblin, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This research supports previous findings that show the negative effects of long periods sitting down and the positive impact of exercise.

“Walking away from your computer screen at regular intervals, going for a walk or cooking a healthy meal from scratch are ways to incorporate active time into your day.

“Being active can help you control your weight, reduce your blood pressure and improve your mental health.”

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Gaza aid worker detained after Israeli attack has been released

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Gaza aid worker detained after Israeli attack has been released

A paramedic in Gaza who was detained for more than five weeks following an Israeli attack that killed 15 aid workers has been released, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said.

Asaad al Nsasrah was one of 17 aid workers who were attacked in Tel al Sultan in southern Gaza by Israeli forces on 23 March.

Asaad was one of two first responders who survived – the other 15 were killed.

He was initially thought to be missing, as his body was not among the dead. It was not until 13 April, three weeks after the attack, that Israel confirmed Asaad was alive and in Israeli detention.

The PRCS announced Asaad’s release on X and shared a video of him reuniting with colleagues.

Sky News has seen images showing Asaad, among other released Palestinians, in a grey tracksuit at al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, where he is undergoing medical examination, according to the PRCS.

Sky News investigated how the attack on the aid workers unfolded – unearthing new evidence earlier this month contradicting Israel’s official account of what happened.

The Israeli military later released the findings of its own investigation into the incident, saying it had dismissed a deputy commander for providing an “inaccurate report”.

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How two hours of terror unfolded

The PRCS claimed the Israeli military’s investigation was “full of lies”.

Asaad’s voice can be heard in a video, initially published by the New York Times, that shows the moments leading up to the attack on the aid workers.

The video was discovered on Rifaat Radwaan’s phone, which was found on his body by rescue workers five days after the attack.

Among those killed were one UN worker, eight paramedics from the PRCS and six first responders from Civil Defence – the official fire and rescue service of Gaza’s Hamas-led government.


The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.

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Mark Carney’s Liberal Party wins Canada election, according to Canadian broadcasters

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Mark Carney's Liberal Party wins Canada election, according to Canadian broadcasters

Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won the election in Canada, according to Canadian broadcasters, but it is too soon to say whether they will form a majority government.

Mr Carney, who took over as prime minister after Justin Trudeau stepped down earlier this year, has beaten the leader of the Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre, according to CBC and CTV News projections.

However, it is too soon to say whether the Liberals will form a majority government, they added. The party has not yet secured the 172 electoral districts it needs for a majority.

FILE PHOTO: Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at an election campaign event in Brampton, Ontario, Canada April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo
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Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Pic: Reuters

The election initially appeared to be a clear-cut race for the opposition Conservatives, who were enjoying a double-digit lead over the Liberals before Mr Trudeau resigned, and an intervention by Donald Trump led to a surge in support for Mr Carney’s party.

Mr Trump has repeatedly called for Canada to become the 51st US state since he was elected president for a second time and has imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada.

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Trump on why he wants Canada to be 51st state

Mr Carney has vowed to take a tougher approach with Washington over its tariffs and has said Canada will need to spend billions to reduce its reliance on the US.

Liberal supporters react after Canadian broadcasters project their party has retained power. Pic: Reuters
Liberal supporters react after Canadian broadcasters project their party has retained power. Pic: Reuters
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Liberal supporters celebrate after Canadian broadcasters project their party has retained power. Pics: Reuters

If Mr Carney’s party only captures a minority of the House’s 343 seats, he will be forced to negotiate with other parties in order to stay in power.

Such minority governments rarely last longer than two-and-a-half years in Canada.

Canadians went to the polls after 11 people were killed in a deadly attack at a Vancouver street fair over the weekend that led to the suspension of campaigning for several hours.

Police have ruled out terrorism and said the suspect is a local man with a history of mental health issues.

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Mr Carney previously ran Canada’s central bank and later became the first non-Briton to become governor of the Bank of England.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

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Power returning in Spain and Portugal after large parts hit by blackout – but what caused it?

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Power returning in Spain and Portugal after large parts hit by blackout - but what caused it?

Power supplies have been returning in Spain and Portugal after large parts, including the capitals Madrid and Lisbon, were hit by a huge outage on Monday.

Millions of people were caught up in the chaos after the mass blackout brought many areas to a standstill, with trains stopping, planes grounded, internet and mobile phone services cut, traffic lights and ATMs down, and some routine hospital operations suspended.

Spain‘s interior ministry declared a national emergency and the two countries’ governments convened emergency cabinet meetings as officials tried to find out what caused the outage which started around 12.30pm (11.30am UK time).

A police car passes as vehicles wait in a traffic jam on the other side of the road in Madrid. Pic: Reuters
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A police car passes as vehicles wait in a traffic jam on the other side of the road in Madrid. Pic: Reuters

People gather outside Barcelona-Sants train station during a power outage. Pic: Reuters
Image:
People gather outside Barcelona-Sants train station during a power outage. Pic: Reuters

Blackouts in Spain and Portugal: Follow latest updates

About half the electricity supplies in Spain have now been restored by the grid operator, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday evening, adding the rest should be back by Tuesday.

In a televised address, Mr Sanchez said authorities have not yet worked out what had caused the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula and were not ruling anything out.

He asked the public to refrain from speculation, and urged people to call emergency services only if really necessary.

Eduardo Prieto, the head of operations at Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica, said the event was unprecedented, calling it “exceptional and extraordinary”.

Meanwhile, Portugal‘s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said power in his country would be fully restored in the coming hours.

He said all the state services remained operating in the country despite all the difficulties. He also said there was “no indication” a cyberattack was the cause.

Read more: Analysis – How electricity grids fail

A cook from "La Cocinona" home-made take out food restaurant works in a dark kitchen with the aid of phone's flashlight during a power outage in Madrid, Spain, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Susana Vera
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A chef in Madrid works in a dark kitchen with the aid of his phone’s flashlight. Pic: Reuters

Fans are seen after the matches were suspended due to a power outage.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Fans are seen after Madrid Open matches were suspended due to a power outage. Pic: Reuters

‘Rare atmospheric phenomenon’

Portugal’s grid operator Ren claimed the outage was caused by a fault in the Spanish electricity grid, related to a “rare atmospheric phenomenon”.

Ren says that, due to extreme temperature variations in Spain, there were “anomalous oscillations” in very high-voltage lines.

It also says that given the complexity of the issue, it could take up to a week for the network to fully normalise again.

map of Portugal and Spain power outages

It comes as France briefly lost power following the outages in Spain and Portugal, French grid operator RTE said.

Parts of Madrid underground were evacuated and traffic lights in the city were not working, according to local media.

Play was suspended at the Madrid Open tennis tournament due to the outage – with Britain’s Jacob Fearnley forced off court in a critical moment during his third-round tie with Grigor Dimitrov.

The loss of power affected scoreboards and the camera above the court. Organisers later announced the tournament would not be able to resume on Monday, with afternoon and evening sessions cancelled.

What has been affected by the blackout?

Here’s what we know has been impacted so far:

:: Transport, including trains, metros and airports – with traffic lights also down.

:: Internet and mobile coverage.

:: Lighting in homes, businesses and other buildings, though backup generators are in place in many.

:: ATMs and card payments, as well as most till systems.

:: Lifts in buildings are stuck.

:: Electric car chargers and fuel pumps are also down.

:: Air conditioning units.

:: A significant quantity of water pumps, meaning some homes have no access to drinking water.

Airports affected

Aena, which runs international airports across Spain, said earlier that “some incidents were occurring” at the airports due to the outage.

The company added in a statement: “Contingency generators are active. Please check with your airline, as there may be disruptions to access and ground transportation.”

People ‘had nowhere to go’

Maddie Sephton, who is from west London, was on the Madrid Metro when the power outage occurred.

“We got on the train and everything was fine,” she told Sky News. “But then everything went dark.”

She was stuck on the train for 20 minutes until a staff member opened the doors manually.

A metro worker passes underneath barricade tape, to enter Legazpi Metro station, after the metro was closed during a power outage, in Madrid, Spain, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Susana Vera
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A metro worker passes underneath barricade tape to enter Legazpi Metro station after the outage. Pic: Reuters

A view shows a transmission tower during a power outage, near Barcelona, Spain.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
A view shows a transmission tower during a power outage near Barcelona in Spain. Pic: Reuters

Mrs Sephton says she was on her way to the airport at the time – and had to exit the station by walking up 15 flights of stairs with her luggage.

“No lifts are operating – making it difficult for elderly people with limited mobility,” she added.

Above ground, she said that “everyone is just standing around and waiting”.

A medical staffer relocates a patient during a nationwide power outage in Pamplona, northern Spain, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
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Medical staff relocate a patient in Pamplona, Pic: AP

Bars were unable to take card payments, cash machines are down, and traffic lights weren’t working either.

“I currently don’t have any internet service and just €15 in my wallet – I can’t withdraw any money from the ATM,” she added.

“A couple have offered to let us get a ride in their taxi to the airport. Their flight is at 4.30pm so they’re pretty relaxed – but my flight back to London is at 3pm and I’m nervous.”

Mrs Sephton said: “People are just walking but have nowhere to go, and nothing to do.”

Traffic lights have stopped working following a power outage in downtown Lisbon, Portugal.
Pic: AP
Image:
Traffic lights have stopped working following a power outage in downtown Lisbon, Portugal. Pic: AP

People try to board a crowded bus after the subway stopped running following a power outage in Lisbon, Portugal.
Pic: AP
Image:
People try to board a crowded bus after the subway stopped running following a power outage in Lisbon, Portugal. Pic: AP

Meanwhile, thousands of passengers had to be evacuated after the blackout left the metro service in Barcelona without power.

The blackout was also reported to have forced the closure of the city’s tram system and rendered some traffic lights there inoperable.

It has also impacted medical facilities, with hospitals in Madrid and Catalonia forced to suspend routine medical work. Staff have been able to attend to critical patients using power from backup generators.

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It comes as Metrovalencia, the urban rail system, encompassing both metro and tram services in Valencia, said traffic in the city was “disrupted” due to a “general power outage in the city”.

The outage also hit the Portuguese capital Lisbon and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country.

Portugal’s government said the incident appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa.

“It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It’s still being ascertained,” Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying.

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