A UK single mother suffering from pelvic congestion syndrome has been told by the National Health Service (NHS) that she won't be able to see a blood specialist about her condition until 2024. Lolita Vaciete has been prescribed strong painkillers to manage agonising pain caused by veins in her lower abdomen becoming congested, making everyday tasks highly challenging. She has set up a crowdfunding page to raise the £4,000 it will cost to pay for the treatment she needs privately. Experts have raised concerns that the long waiting times for medical consultations could be contributing to a rise in anxiety levels among UK patients. Data for 2021 reveals that 7.6 million people in England are now on waiting lists for routine hospital procedures, an increase of 4.2%, while 5.3 million have waited longer than 18 weeks for treatment. It is estimated that cases of backlogged treatment lists in parts of the country could take two years or more to resolve.
Research has debunked the idea that horizontal stripes make people look wider, rather than taller and slimmer. Peter Thompson, a University of York perception expert and psychologist, conducted the research 15 years ago. Some sartorial 'truths' are based on preconceptions rather than actual facts he said, noting that some people still believe vertical stripes make wearers look taller and slimmer when it is what travels along the body that counts. He added that the emptiness of a house does not make it look bigger. Wide-set stripes are more fashion-friendly this year than ever, according to the Daily Telegraph, which also warned that wearers should be aware of variations in stripe placement when donning the pattern.
Researchers at Queen’s University revealed that people perceive those with deep, baritone voices as being more suitable for positions of leadership when compared to higher-pitched counterparts, regardless of gender or the audience present. Jillian O'Connor, an assistant professor of psychology at Queen's University, said this preference also stretches to stereotypically feminine leadership settings, including parent-teacher associations and school boards.
Photographers hounded the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, for over two hours after the trio attended an awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the couple. Several blacked-out vehicles were alleged to have pursued the Sussexes. Commentators have drawn comparisons with the 1997 car chase that led to the death of the duke's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Mia Farrow has called for stricter controls of paparazzi photographers, and the couple issued a statement condemning the way the snaps were obtained.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly been involved in a dangerous car chase with paparazzi that allegedly lasted two hours, causing multiple near-collisions with other drivers and pedestrians. The event has led to immediate comparisons with Princess Diana, who was killed in a high-speed chase as she attempted to retreat from pursuing paparazzi through a Parisian tunnel in 1997. The incident also resurfaces Harry's public concerns over "history repeating itself". In the past, he has linked his mother's treatment by media to his experience with Markle's media representation. Harry has been openly critical of the media and the paparazzi ecosystem in general, citing it as a reason for he and Meghan's separation from the royal family and their decision to move to the United States. The couple, who have two young children, Archie and Lilibet, recently courted attention for their explosive interview conducted with Oprah Winfrey, during which they discussed their history with the British royal family and media, and the systemic racism faced by Markle.
Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and her mother escaped a paparazzi car chase in New York City. The royal family spokesperson blamed the media, citing a “near catastrophic car crash” that posed a severe threat to the safety of the royals. The couple had been attending an award ceremony when the incident occurred. Media harassment has been a long-standing issue for Prince Harry, whose mother, Diana, died in a car accident while being pursued by press photographers in 1997.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and her mother have been involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" involving "highly aggressive" paparazzi photographers that lasted over two hours and could have been fatal. The pursuit took place on Tuesday evening after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had attended a charity awards ceremony alongside Ms. Foundation for Women. The couple was reportedly followed by six blacked-out vehicles with unidentified people driving recklessly. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from their royal roles in 2020 and moved to the US, partly due to what they described as intense media harassment.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Meghan's mother narrowly escaped a "near-catastrophic car chase" last week reportedly driving through New York City after attending a charity function. The couple alleges several paparazzi in six black-out vehicles endangered their convoy and caused multiple near collisions with other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. While Harry and Meghan public figures accepted a heightened level of attention, the spokesperson declared "Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger has claimed he and his ex-wife Maria Shriver should be awarded Oscars for how they managed their split, turning it into a drama-free process for their adult children. The pair divorced in 2011 after 25 years of marriage, which ended months after Schwarzenegger publicly revealed he had fathered a fourth child with housekeeper Mildred Baena. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the breakup, Schwarzenegger said he loves Shriver but does not miss being married.
Australian golfer Jason Day is adopting a different approach to manage expectations ahead of the PGA Championship after suffering from back problems, a decline in his game and his mother’s death from lung cancer last year. His win in the Byron Nelson last week, his first in five years, felt like a “good step in the right direction” rather than anything more significant. Day had won 13 PGA Tour events and a major by 2015, but has struggled in recent years with just 16 top-10 finishes and 29 missed cuts in 79 events.
Third person sentenced for role in dumping Megan Gallagher's body in river after her murder
CBC
23-05-18 00:23
Ernest Whitehead has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for offering an indignity to human remains by dumping murder victim Megan Gallagher's body in the South Saskatchewan River in September 2020. Four people have been charged with first-degree murder in her death, while two others face charges for aggravated assault and unlawful confinement. Ten other people spoke in court, describing the loss of the "spunky young woman" and her skills as a cook. Gallagher's remains were found while Saskatoon police searched along the south Saskatchewan River near St. Louis in October 2022.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly chased by paparazzi as they left the Ms Foundation for Women award ceremony in New York City on 5 October, in a pursuit the couple’s spokesperson described as “near catastrophic.” No injuries were reported, and it is unclear whether photographs of the couple that subsequently appeared on DailyMail.com and The Daily Express were taken by the pursuing photographers. A statement by the couple’s spokesperson condemned the images as “encourag[ing] a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”
While menswear brands have set the standard for high-quality shirts, the women's fashion industry has been slower to adopt accessible shirt lines. The lack of accessible options for women’s shirts prompted the launch of WNU (With Nothing Underneath) founded by Pip Durell in 2017. The brand, which began with a "borrowed-from-the-boyfriend-style", now offers six cuts in a broad range of fabrics and colours. Other fashion brands, including Cassini, Boden, and Cefinn by Samatha Cameron, have begun to follow suit with their own durable and versatile shirt lines for women. The shirt is a staple clothing item that can be worn casually or in professional settings and is considered by many fashion experts to be one of the most important wardrobe staple items.
The mother of Celebrity Big Brother 2013 contestant Lauren Harries has issued a plea for information about her daughter's medical symptoms after doctors failed to diagnose the cause. Harries, who became a child star on Terry Wogan's television show, underwent emergency surgery on her brain last month and has remained in hospital since. Her mother has taken to her daughter's Twitter account to ask for any assistance people may have. She also thanked NHS staff who, she said, saved Lauren's life.
Kyo Maclear, the Toronto-based author of multiple children’s books, two novels and a memoir, has explored the meaning of family, identity and heritage in her new book, Unearthing. Three months after the death of her father, celebrated foreign correspondent Michael Maclear, Maclear discovered her DNA did not match his, prompting her to examine her own and mother's histories in a meditation on secrets and stories, race and lineage, grief and grace. She used the notion of gardens and the backdrop of the natural world to muse on the subtleties of the passages of time. The non-linear structure of the book reflects the minuscule changes in seasonal landscapes, the beauty of all things, passive and active, and celebrates “permeability”.
A UNICEF-funded milk bank in Poland is helping mothers in crisis, including Ukrainian refugees, to care for their newborns. More than 300 mothers benefit each month from lactation advice and psychological support in 10 hospitals hosting milk banks in Poland. The milk bank is seen as a symbol of female solidarity and has helped mothers of pre-term babies, infants born with health problems, or those who have suffered war trauma. Women in crisis situations receive aid and milk from donors such as Karolina Dabiak, a former Polish health and safety worker.
Award-winning photographer Fredrik Lerneryd has produced a series of photographs released by The Independent, depicting mothers and their children suffering from extreme hunger and malnutrition-induced sickness in the midst of a drought crisis in Southern Somalia. According to the UN in February this year, almost 8.25 million people in the region – almost half the population – require immediate lifesaving aid and protection, whilst a report by Somalia Government’s Minister of Health estimated 43,000 excess deaths due to the ongoing drought. The charity Oxfam warns that climate-induced drought has left 36 million people in East Africa, covering Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and South Sudan, facing severe hunger. 85,000 people in South Sudan and Somalia are said to be on the brink of famine. Oxfam has called on the G7 to take “life-saving action” over famine in East Africa, ahead of the summit scheduled for Friday. It has claimed that “world leaders are failing to live up to their commitments”.
After being acquitted of defaming his ex-wife Amber Heard, actor Johnny Depp has spoken out about the alleged domestic violence he suffered as a child. Depp claimed his mother was "quite violent and quite cruel", adding that she would hit him with objects like an ashtray, often hitting him in the head and using a "high heeled shoe or a telephone or whatever was handy". Describing his relationship with his father, Depp claimed he was "shy" and "stoic" and used to beat him with a belt. This comes ahead of a documentary series on Channel 4 called "Depp vs Heard" which airs on Sunday 21 May.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s encounter with “highly aggressive” paparazzi in New York has sparked controversy, with polarised opinions on social media. Supporters see the incident as typical of how the media harass and intrude into the couple’s life similar to what Princess Diana experienced before she died. However, detractors see it as a celebrity stunt by a pair who are regarded as publicity-seeking and self-aggrandising. The police said the incident was less serious than the press reports and even one celebrity agency reportedly acknowledged that the couple’s security team were behaving in a reckless manner.
Alberto Sierra Jr will be arraigned on Thursday in Worcester Superior Court, Massachusetts, charged with murder in connection with the death of five-year-old Jeremiah Oliver. Oliver’s body was found in April 2014 by the side of a highway an hour outside of Boston. The child’s former mother’s boyfriend is also charged with disinterring a body. Oliver had not been seen alive for several months and was not reported missing until several months later. The child’s family was being monitored by the state Department of Children and Families due to accusations of abuse and neglect.
