
Biden arrives in Israel after Arab leaders summit cancelled
The US president lands in Israel as Gaza reels from a hospital blast feared to have killed hundreds.
2023-10-18 16:17

Anger erupts across Middle East over Gaza hospital blast as Biden travels to Israel
Protests erupted across the Middle East following the deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital as Israeli and Palestinian officials traded accusations over who was to blame just hours before US President Joe Biden is set to arrive in Tel Aviv.
2023-10-18 16:15

Oscars 2024 bosses announce Raj Kapoor as executive producer and showrunner of upcoming show
After last year’s televised ceremony yielded the lowest-ever ratings for the awards presentation, Oscars bosses have announced Raj Kapoor as executive producer and showrunner of the 2024 Academy Awards show.
2023-10-18 15:23

James Arthur puffed ‘ungodly amount of weed’ and boozed to get through anxiety while on ‘X Factor’
Eleven years after winning the show, James Arthur has admitted he smoked a huge amount of marijuana and drank when he was on ‘The X Factor’ to cope with the crippling panic attacks he was suffering at the time.
2023-10-18 15:17

Liam Gallagher and John Squire 'to release joint album next year'
Liam Gallagher and John Squire have reportedly been working on a joint record.
2023-10-18 15:15

Putin accepts invitation to soon visit Hanoi - Vietnam state media
HANOI (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation from his Vietnamese counterpart to soon visit Vietnam as the two
2023-10-18 14:59

More girls miss school and college due to their periods than colds, survey finds
Girls miss more school or college days due to periods than any other reason – including colds, mental health or truancy, according to a new report. Periods cause girls to be absent from school or college for three days a term on average, compared with colds and flu (2.6 days), mental health (1.9 days) and truancy (1.2 days), the data released by washroom provider phs Group has revealed. This equates to 54 lost education days over the course of their teen years, the equivalent of 11 academic weeks. The findings form part of phs Group’s Period Equality: Breaking the Cycle report, now in its third year, for which Censuswide polled 1,262 girls aged 13-18 years across the UK. The majority (82%) cited cramps as the main reason for this, while almost one in five (19%) said they stay away from lessons because they’re embarrassed about being on their period, and one in 12 (8%) said it’s because no period products were available to them. This is despite the introduction of period equality measures in recent years, designed to improve access to free period products in education settings. “It’s important to recognise that huge advances have been made in giving girls access to free period products in schools across the UK. What we must do now is close the gap between providing schools with all the products they need and getting them into the hands of any girls that need them, for whatever reason,” said Kelly Greenaway, period equality lead at phs Group. “We know from our own data providing schools with products, that they have more than enough for their girls, so we need to tackle the misconceptions around free access to products in washrooms, and the stigma and shame that goes hand-in-hand with failing to have open conversations about menstruation.” Since the launch of the Government’s Period Product Scheme in January 2020, which provides free period products to education settings in England, via phs Group, 99% of secondary schools and 94% of post-16 organisations have ordered products through the scheme. However, the report published today highlights how periods remain a barrier to education for many girls – with the number of girls missing school due to their periods almost the same for the 2023 findings (54%) as the findings in 2019 (52%), before free sanitary product schemes were introduced. Despite the roll-out of such schemes, over half (52%) of the students surveyed said they did not find period products freely available in their school and college settings, while one in seven (14%) said they did not know if they were available. To help tackle the issue and raise awareness, phs Group is launching a new period equality podcast – called The Blobcast: Free The Period – hosted by menstrual wellbeing and confidence educator Kasey Robinson. Robinson said: “I know too well about the barriers facing so many of us when it comes to our menstrual health. It’s simply not enough to blame absenteeism figures on access to products alone. “On the ground, the story is clear: we aren’t being educated, supported and informed enough about periods. Menstruation is still a taboo subject, and our experience is a secret to keep to ourselves and something we feel forced to hide. In education settings, this is leading to more and more girls staying away from school. “Without workshops, learning resources and the support for and from teachers and caregivers, this issue will stay the same, or get worse,” Robinson added. “It should not be a revolutionary act to teach people about periods, it’s a right. We need to break the cycle of shame and encourage open and honest conversations about periods – exactly what The Blobcast is seeking to do.” The Blobcast: Free The Period launches on all free streaming platforms on October 18. More information can be found at www.phs.co.uk/TheBlobcast.
2023-10-18 13:25

How same-sex unions are rooted in Indian tradition
History demonstrates that same-sex love flourished in ancient and medieval India in various forms.
2023-10-18 12:50

3 Diamondbacks to blame for disheartening Game 2 loss to Phillies
The Arizona Diamondbacks were stomped in Game 2 of the NCLS against the Philadelphia Phillies. Let's place some blame.
2023-10-18 11:49

Australia's AMP hits over 2-month low on flagging fall in annual margins
By Rishav Chatterjee Shares in AMP touched a more than two-month low on Wednesday, after the Australian wealth
2023-10-18 09:26

SEC standings ordered by Offensive EPA per play after Week 7: LSU lapping field
Get the latest update on the SEC standings after Week 7 of the college football season. Find out which teams are leading the East and West divisions, both by record and Offensive EPA per play.
2023-10-18 09:24

J.J. Redick reveals surprising most impressive part of Victor Wembanyama’s NBA game
Victor Wembanyama's offensive highlights are hard to wrap one's mind around, but J.J. Redick is even more impressed with the No. 1 pick's defense.
2023-10-18 09:23