Fox News has announced the departure of its influential host, Tucker Carlson, after months of speculation regarding the controversial figure’s future at the conservative news network. The announcement came as a surprise to many, given Carlson’s popularity and influence within conservative circles.
According to a statement released by Fox News on Sunday, the network and Carlson have “mutually agreed” to part ways, with the host’s final show set to air on June 30. While the reasons behind the decision have not been explicitly stated, Carlson’s tenure at Fox News has been marred by a number of controversies, including allegations of racist and sexist comments, as well as criticism of his coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election.
The decision to part ways with Carlson is seen as a significant move for Fox News, which has been grappling with declining ratings and internal strife in recent months. The network has also faced scrutiny over its coverage of the January 6 Capitol riots, which many critics have accused of fomenting violence and promoting conspiracy theories.
Despite Carlson’s departure, he remains a polarizing figure in the world of conservative media. Some have speculated that he may seek to launch his own media platform or be courted by rival conservative outlets.
Carlson has not yet commented on his departure, leaving many to wonder what lies ahead for the controversial host. Regardless of what the future holds for Carlson, his departure from Fox News marks the end of an era for the conservative news network.
San Francisco: Professional networking platform LinkedIn has introduced new ways to verify your identity and where you work as part of verification, which will be free for all members.
“Starting today, we’re rolling out three additional ways to verify your identity and where you work. We believe verification should be for everyone on LinkedIn, that’s why every feature will be available and free to all our members,” LinkedIn said in a blogpost.
LinkedIn is partnering with CLEAR, a secure identity platform, to provide verification for its members in the US.
Starting this month, users can display on their profile that they verified their identity with CLEAR and to do so, all they need is a US government-issued ID and phone number.
Another way includes verifying “where you work with your company email”.
Users now can verify where they work using their company-issued email addresses.
According to the company, around 50 million members globally are on LinkedIn, and there are over 4,000 companies, and this is one more way to demonstrate the authenticity of your profile.
The company said that it will be rolling this feature out to more companies and expanding eligibility.
Moreover, LinkedIn members can also verify where they work with Microsoft Entra.
The company is partnering with Microsoft to allow organisations to leverage the Microsoft Entra Verified ID platform to issue digital workplace IDs for free, enabling workers to display the verification on their LinkedIn profiles.
The feature will be rolling out at the end of April, and the company plans to make this available to dozens of participating companies reaching more than two million LinkedIn members.
New Delhi: India and Iraq on Monday discussed ways to further increase and diversify trade from oil to non-oil sectors, while stressing the importance of expanding economic partnership and technology engagement.
The two sides held wide-ranging talks during the second round of the India-Iraq Foreign Office Consultations in Baghdad where the Indian delegation was led by Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (CPV & OIA), while Iraq’s delegation was led by Hisham Al Alawi, Undersecretary for Political Planning Affairs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq.
Sayeed also called on Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Hayyan Abdul Ghani, Iraq’s Minister of Trade Atheer Dawood Salman, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasem Al Araji and Iraq’s President of Sunni Awqaf Board Mesh’an Al Khazraji, and discussed a range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Both the sides noted the warm and friendly traditional relations, and comprehensively reviewed the current status of bilateral relations in all fields including political, economic, defence, security, trade and investments, development partnership, scholarship programme and capacity building, cultural relations and people-to-people contacts, the statement said.
Detailed discussions were held on further strengthening of the bilateral relations and the future direction of the growth of bilateral cooperation, the statement said.
Both sides expressed their satisfaction about the bilateral trade, which exceeded USD 34 billion for 2021-22 and discussed ways and means to further increase and diversify trade from oil to non-oil sectors, it said.
The Indian and Iraqi sides noted the importance of expanding economic partnership and technology engagement.
They also noted opportunities for investment, particularly in the fields of oil and gas, infrastructure, healthcare, power, transport, agriculture, water management, drugs and pharmaceuticals, ICT, and renewable energy.
They urged business community to engage closely for mutual benefit.
A sizeable number of candidates from Iraq have been benefiting from our capacity-building programme, including ITEC and higher education scholarships. Both sides are keen to enhance the level of economic engagement and people-to-people exchanges.
The secretary (CPV & OIA) also announced that an artificial limb fitment camp (Jaipur Foot) will be organised in Iraq soon, the MEA said.
Sayeed interacted with the Indian community, Indian and Iraqi business leaders and Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation and Indian Council for Cultural Relations alumni from Iraq.
He also inaugurated the newly-constructed Indian Consular Application Centre (ICAC) in Baghdad which will facilitate Indian and Iraqi nationals, seeking visas and consular services.
Both sides agreed on the importance of continuing the upward momentum in the relationship through exchanges of regular visits and consultations, and agreed to hold the next India-Iraq Joint Commission Meeting at Oil Ministers’ level in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date, the statement said.
There are few downsides to secondhand furniture and homeware, especially in a cost of living crisis. They keep things in use and out of landfill, while reducing the need for cheap and trend-led fast furniture, which doesn’t tend to last as long, devours precious resources and is often hard to recycle. In the UK, we discard 22m furniture items a year, according to a 2019 report by the North London Waste Authority, while demand for new furniture has risen. The home improvements rush at the start of the pandemic in 2020 saw the household goods market leap by 42%.
Well-chosen secondhand stuff looks better, too. “Adding vintage pieces can bring depth, history and a unique touch to any interior that cannot be replicated with mass-produced items,” says Siobhan Murphy, an interior designer who is a fan of maximalism. “They can also provide a contrast to modern elements, creating an eclectic and layered look.” As well as supporting small businesses, the local economy and charity shops, buying used furnishings can save you money, and even make you a profit when you sell them on. “These items have been around for decades, and with a bit of love and polish, they can go on for another 100 years,” says Estelle Bilson, a 70s enthusiast, vintage dealer, TV presenter and author of the forthcoming book 70s House: A bold homage to the most daring decade in design. As an added bonus, no self-assembly is required – not that there isn’t a place for Ikea, of which Bilson is a fan. “Vintage Ikea is very sought-after and ‘spendy’ right now, so it’s come full circle,” she says.
There can be no bigger thrill than finding something beautiful and unique for a good price, so here’s the experts’ guide to furnishing your home with vintage treasures.
What to buy
Vintage sideboards are a top recommendation – they are functional and stylish. Photograph: captainsecret/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Among Murphy’s favourite vintage finds are “sideboards, bar carts and unusually shaped chairs”, she says. She likes sculptural vases and interesting art: “Don’t worry about the frame as these can be replaced.” Kate Watson Smyth, an interiors writer and podcaster, and the author of the forthcoming book Home: The Way We Live Now, is a fan of vintage sofas and chairs, “because they’re well made. Vintage armchairs are often really comfortable; the angle of the back is really nice.” Old furniture is often smaller, too, “so the scale works for the smaller homes many of us live in now – our new builds are the smallest in Europe.”
Anything with a dual purpose really works, says Bilson: “A sideboard is one of the best investments you can make. Not only is it decorative, but you can store stuff in it and put stuff on it. That’s a win for me.” Keeley Rosendale, a vintage dealer and the author of Style Me Vintage: Home, would go for a sideboard too, followed by art that “ties rooms together” if the colours match other elements in the room. She likes hunting for vintage glass – “it looks nice on windowsills and brightens up the room” – and textiles, “which can be reused for cushions and covering chairs”.
Hone your online search skills
If you are pushed for time when shopping on sites such as eBay, Watson-Smyth recommends using precise search terms. But if you want a bargain, says Bilson, loose terms are better. “Rather than saying ‘Danish sideboard’, I might just put ‘sideboard’.” It will turn up “some absolutely rotten stuff”, but if you trawl through for long enough you may find your dream item at a much lower price.
Shop local to save money
Trawling round junk shops, salvage yards and car boot sales – or even online – takes time and often requires a car to get there or to transport purchases home. By contrast, buying new furniture from a big store, with low delivery costs (and the possibility of spreading the payments) might seem the only way to afford bigger items. But there are ways to get secondhand furniture more cheaply. Charity shops such as Sue Ryder, Emmaus and the British Heart Foundation have furniture stores, and can often arrange delivery. Some local charities and projects sell furniture at a discount to those on low incomes, or give it away. You can find a local one through the Reuse Network or through the organisation End Furniture Poverty.
Look beyond eBay
A trip to an auction house or flea market can unearth bargains – and be a lot of fun. Photograph: taikrixel/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Ebay is still good, but Facebook Marketplace is where you will usually find things cheaper and closer (though you can also search further afield). This is Bilson’s favourite place to buy: “You could kit out a flat for a couple of hundred pounds.” Other sites such as Gumtree and PreLoved are worth a look. The more intrepid could bid online at auctions and salerooms around the country. Follow secondhand dealers on Instagram, where many list pieces. There are lots of fashionable vintage interiors sites such as Vinterior and Merchant & Found, but they can be pricey. Watson-Smyth likes the app Narchie, which “brings together smaller sellers. It’s more manageable than eBay.”
Turn the hunt into a fun day trip
Rosendale likes to shop in person. “With vintage, I want to feel it, touch it, open the doors of a cupboard, sit in a chair. It’s hard to buy things online because you never really know what you’re getting until it arrives.” Trips to markets, car boot sales or good areas for charity shops can be fun outings. Going to an antiques fair, says Watson-Smyth, “is a lovely day out, although the people there know what they’re selling” and you are unlikely to stumble on a bargain. Overlooked places include salvage yards and local auction houses. Don’t be intimidated by the auction room – they will talk you through the process, and you may be able to buy ahead of the auction. One of Watson-Smyth’s favourite purchases was the chaise longue she got from her local auction house for about £250. Keep an eye out for shops closing and selling off items. “I recently picked up a couple of marble plinths from a department store that was closing down and getting rid of all their visual merchandise and display pieces,” says Murphy. “I paid £70 for the pair, and they’ll look perfect with tropical palms on top.”
Get furniture for free
Freecycle is the place to go to look through listings of stuff people are giving away, or you can post requests for items there, but Facebook is also helpful for this – you might have a local group where people give away furniture and furnishings. Also keep an eye out for people giving away things on the street outside their homes. A skip outside someone’s house can be a treasure trove, but make sure you knock on the owner’s door for permission before taking anything, otherwise you would be, technically, stealing. Local tips – or rather, recycling centres – often sell things very cheaply.
Don’t be scared to mix eras
Mixing styles and eras can produce interesting contrasts. Photograph: keladawy/Getty Images/iStockphoto
It’s your home, so you can do what you like. You may dream of living in a shrine to 60s style, or you may prefer a more eclectic look. “I find it’s easier to choose by colour palettes, then you can go: ‘That vase will go with everything,’” says Rosendale, who adds that not sticking to a particular era will also save you time. Watson-Smyth also likes a mix: “I’ve got a modern table with vintage chairs. I like that contrast of old and new.”
Get to know your own style
If you love something, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or how much it might be worth in future, says Bilson. “If you start buying things that are on trend, or because somebody else has them, you’ll tire of stuff very quickly. Your own style makes an interior so much more interesting. Rather than having matched furniture, everything’s got a story and memories attached.”
Keep your home’s measurements to hand
Make a list on your phone of key dimensions – the width of an alcove, for instance. “I’ve got my TV on a unit, but it could only fit into a certain gap,” says Rosendale. Consider carrying a tape measure around for unexpected shopping opportunities.
Time your finds
Murphy says that the end of a season, or around holiday periods, “can be a good time to find treasure in charity shops, as many people tend to have a clear-out and donate during these times”. Car-booters know that you need to get to events early. Online, Bilson thinks it’s less about looking at specific times, but looking regularly and putting the hours in.
Delivery doesn’t have to be difficult
You can restore or revive old furniture yourself. Photograph: paolomartinezphotography/Getty Images
It might not be as simple as filling in your shipping address on an online order, but getting a table halfway across the country is easier than ever. There are sites such as Shiply or AnyVan where delivery companies will quote for jobs, often planning routes according to pick-ups and drop-offs along the way, so as long as you can be fairly flexible, your eBay bargain can share a van with other people’s items. This means that costs can be kept low, and it’s better in terms of emissions. However, the closer an item is to you, the more sustainable it will be – ask around for recommended local companies, or offer a Facebook seller some money to deliver. “Bear in mind that if things are really heavy you might need two people,” says Rosendale, “or if you’re living in a flat, the item has got to get in a lift or up some stairs. Think about who’s going to bring it and how they’re going to get it in.”
Cosmetic repairs can be easy
“I like to get things as cheap as possible, so I don’t mind doing a bit of work to something if it’s in bad condition,” says Bilson. At antique and vintage fairs, often the work has been done already so the prices are higher, but there will probably be a YouTube tutorial for just about anything you want to repair or recover, and what you’ll lack in terms of a professional finish, you’ll make up for in a sense of achievement. “If I bought a table or a sideboard that had coffee rings on it, that’s easy to strip back with a varnish stripper, sand it down slightly by hand, and finish with some Danish oil. That is a really simple fix. If something’s too far gone, there’s nothing wrong with painting it.” See if there’s a repair cafe in your area where you can find expert help, often for the price of a small donation.
Secondhand sofas can be re-covered to give them new life. Photograph: John Keeble/Getty Images
Sometimes you do need the professionals, such as a reasonably priced local upholsterer, an electrician (for rewiring old lamps), a carpenter or a plumber who will help you turn that chest of drawers into a washstand. This will often cost more than the piece itself, but you will be supporting a local business, and it still may end up far less expensive than buying new. For upholstery, for instance, prices vary across the country, and you may just need something re-covered, which is cheaper than having springs and padding replaced. “It can be a really good way to have a piece of original furniture, knowing that you are saving it from landfill. And you get to choose a material you want that’s completely bespoke,” says Watson-Smyth. She recently got a carpenter to turn a large wooden handrail she picked up in a salvage yard into a coffee table and has a sofa that her great-grandmother bought new, and which has been reupholstered several times.
Watch out for pests – and wobbly bits
Avoid woodworm in wooden furniture and moths in textiles such as rugs and curtains. “If you see any signs of woodworm – little holes in the wood and dust – I would automatically treat it,” says Bilson. “Storage needs to be solid,” says Rosendale. “I always rock the frame of a chair to make sure that it’s sturdy, because quite often older chairs can be a bit wobbly.”
Bear in mind the resale value
Buying things you love can feel more important than their financial worth, but it’s certainly useful – particularly if you move around a lot, a peril of renting – if you can sell pieces on. Vintage furniture tends to hold its value in a way new furniture doesn’t. Mid-century style, for instance, is still sought-after and may be worth more than you paid. “It’s sleek, contemporary in its look, it fits into any kind of house and it’s practical and still solid and usable,” says Rosendale.
If you do have half an eye on investment potential, think about where trends are heading – it can’t be mid-century for ever. “Many vintage pieces, such as beautiful walnut furniture from the 1930s, were built with high-quality materials that are becoming scarce,” says Murphy, while more recent decades are gaining traction. “I think 80s style is coming back,” says Bilson. However, there isn’t that much 80s stuff around – a lot of it was cheaply made and hasn’t lasted. So-called brown furniture – the darker-wood Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian stuff – has been out of fashion so long, says Bilson, “that it’s due a resurgence. If Victorian mahogany side tables are your thing, and you can get it cheap enough, buy it.”
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
“It’s a lot harder than getting a man to the moon,” Gilbert Welch, an internist and senior investigator at the Center for Surgery and Public Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said of curing cancer. “It’s a very complex set of diseases. You need to think of it as a family of diseases. The moon is just one thing. Just gotta get there. This is hundreds of different things.”
Biden wants to press ahead on a bipartisan initiative. He has called on Congress to maintain funding for the 2016 law that launched the moonshot, the 21st Century Cures Act. He pledged to cut cancer death rates by 50 percent in the next 25 years and to turn fatal cancers into treatable diseases.
Biden also has asked Congress to reauthorize the National Cancer Act, signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1971. Reauthorization would help the National Cancer Institute support researchers around the country by building clinical trial networks and more robust data systems, according to Danielle Carnival, the White House’s moonshot coordinator.
But some experts, such as Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and former White House adviser, said there’s plenty of money devoted to cancer research. The National Cancer Institute had a nearly $6.4 billion budget for cancer research in 2021 and its annual spend has been growing since 2015. Cancer non-profits like the American Cancer Institute also raise hundreds of millions of dollars every year.
Additionally, the pharmaceutical industry is incentivized to put money behind increasingly lucrative cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Research shows that from 2010 to 2019 revenue generated from cancer medicines increased 70 percent among the top 10 pharmaceutical companies to reach $95 billion.
And not everyone thinks more funding is a good thing. “There’s so much money sloshing around,” Welch said of the cancer industry, adding, “Both academic and biotech or industry are excessively enthusiastic and just trying to put out as many products as they can.”
We’ve overinvested in cancer, according to Welch, especially in expensive cancer drugs with modest or unproven benefit for patients and in screenings — Welch’s research area. He’s particularly opposed to the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, sponsored by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), which would require Medicare to cover cancer blood tests if they’re approved by the FDA. From Welch’s vantage point, benefits from screenings have been exaggerated, while its harms have been minimized.
Other critics, such as Keith Humphreys, a public health professor at Stanford University who has published academic articles on the link between alcohol use and cancer, see cancer prevention as a more immediate way to save lives.
Managing disease and curing it
The president’s agenda goes beyond money, Carnival told POLITICO, emphasizing prevention efforts, such as improving nutrition for kids, discouraging smoking, and decreasing environmental risks.
“We’re going to have to reach more people with the tools we already have and those we develop along the way,” Carnival said. “The purview is much broader than research. I don’t think anyone would say we have all of the research advancements and knowledge and treatments that we need today to end cancer as we know it.”
Those closely involved in developing cutting-edge cancer therapeutics said the field has shifted dramatically in recent years. It’s gone from treating cancer as a chronic disease, to trying to cure patients.
During his medical fellowship in the early 2000s, improving patient survival by months or years was the goal, explained Marco Davila, a physician-scientist at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y., who helped pioneer some of the first CAR-T cell therapies for patients with blood cancer.
Since then, treatment breakthroughs for some previously incurable cancer have upended the cancer-as-chronic-disease philosophy. Now, doctors and researchers believe cancer-curing therapies are within reach. “It’s changed the nature of how we manage patients. There’s that option there. It’s on the table,” Davila said.
For Davila, moonshot funds earmarked for cancer research and therapies created a new pool of money for his work. It doesn’t fix the problem of underfunded science as a whole, he said, but it makes his work as a cancer researcher a priority.
“It’s great for us, because that’s our field. It’s also great for patients, because cancer is still going to be one of the most common causes of people’s death in the United States,” Davila said. (In the U.S., it’s second behind heart disease, taking more than 600,000 lives in 2020, the most recent year for which there are statistics.)
Indeed, since the late 1980s, scientists have developed effective treatments for lung cancer, breast cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. There are caveats, of course. They don’t work for all patients.
“It’s maybe 20 percent, 30 percent,” Davila said. The goal now is to keep improving those cure rates over time — to 50 percent or 60 percent, for example.
“Will it get to 100 percent in your lifetime? I don’t know,” he said.
What Davila does know is that each 10 percent cure-rate increase means saving tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of lives.
‘Prevention takes action’
But some cancer experts said there’s a downside to the shift toward precision medicine and individualized treatments. Attempting to test everyone or characterize every tumor more precisely is a bit of magical thinking, according to Welch.
“The more you subset people, the more difficult it is to know whether your treatments help. It’s too small of a group,” Welch said. “It used to be just lung cancer. Now we’ve got eight genetic variants we’re testing in adenocarcinomas of the lung,” he added.
“Ironically, the more precise we get, the more types of cancer there are, as we genetically signature each cancer, all of a sudden we don’t really know what to do with any one of them.”
Others think there needs to be a fundamental shift away from screening and treatment and toward preventing cancer in the first place.
“It’s terrific when we develop new treatments for cancer, but it certainly is always better to prevent something than to treat it,” said Humphreys, who served as a drug policy adviser under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
“Very high-end, complicated treatments are never going to be accessible to the whole population,” he added. “Congress could definitely do more.”
Tobacco taxation is widely considered one of the most effective practices in preventing people from starting to smoke in the first place, leading existing smokers to quit, and reducing deaths from tobacco-related cancers. Humphreys said Congress could take the same taxation approach to the alcohol industry. “We have very good evidence that when we raise the federal alcohol tax that fewer people die,” he said.
While broad blood-based cancer screening may not be a cost-effective strategy for stopping cancer early, targeted cancer screening for colorectal, breast, cervical, prostate, and lung cancers could be. Rules could stoke participation or ensure that patients on Medicaid, who are more likely to be at risk of cancer, are getting regular screenings.
“It’s important to acknowledge that our biggest success in cancer really reflects prevention,” Welch said. “It’s nothing fancy. It’s discouraging cigarette smoking.”
Following a surgeon general warning in the 1960s about the health risk of smoking, and subsequent anti-smoking campaigns, tobacco use — and later lung cancer rates — plummeted.
The White House touts prevention in its moonshot agenda. In 2022, the first year of the reignited moonshot, the FDA proposed rules to prohibit menthol cigarettes. Among other agenda items, the moonshot program plans to increase cancer screenings in at-risk communities and facilitate donations of sunscreen to schools and youth organizations.
But prevention is a trickier cancer-prevention mechanism than treatment. It could mean cleaning up Superfund sites or removing lead pipes to reduce environmental cancer risk. It often requires people to change their behavior — to drink less alcohol and exercise more or stop smoking — a more challenging mission at the population level than directing patients to take a pill or offering them a diagnostic test.
“It’s not necessarily clear how one spends money on prevention,” Welch acknowledged. “It’s much easier to sell a test or a drug. It’s a concrete thing. Prevention takes action on the part of individuals,” he said. “You gotta say, that’s harder.”
More funding wouldn’t necessarily solve the problem, according to Emanuel.
There’s a lot of money already in the system. It just needs to be redirected and allocated differently, Emanuel explained.
Who is spending that money also matters. The government sponsors roughly one-third of clinical cancer research, according to Emanuel. Industry accounts for the remaining two-thirds of funding. “It’s good that they’ve got a lot of drugs that they’re testing. What’s bad is having industry shape the clinical research agenda, because industry has a bias.”
Emanuel’s solution: stronger government leadership and more non-industry sponsors.
“The NCI [National Cancer Institute] is the biggest NIH institute,” Emanuel said. “It’s not exactly like they’re starving.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
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[ad_1] This colorful set of 52 puzzle cards provide children with an excellent way to learn letter and word recognition. The 26 sets of 2 piece match-up puzzles have beautiful illustrations. Simply match the three pieces together to complete the puzzle.Many ways to play ?Ask the kids to identify the objects in the picture cards.Take any letter card and ask the kids to name different things starting with that letter.Spread the letter and picture cards. Ask the kids to match the pictures with their starting alphabet.Take out all the letter cards and shuffle them. Ask the kids to arrange all the letter cards in alphabetical order.Choose a sequence of 4 to 5 letter cards. Ask the kids to identify the letters that precede and follow the sequence.Create a ssequence of 4 to 5 letter cards. Ask the kids to close their eyes. Remove any letter from the sequence. Ask the kids to open their eyes and identify the missing letter.Memory game – Mix all the letter and picture cards and lay them face down. The first player turns any 2 cards. If the letter and picture cards match, the player will keep the set and continue playing. If the letter and picture cards do not match, keep them face down again. Keep playing till all the cards are matched. The player with the highest number of sets wins. MANY WAYS TO PLAY – 1. Identify objects in the pictures. 2. Match the objects with its starting letter. 3. Pick a letter card and name different things starting with that letter. 4. Arrange all the letter cards in alphabetical order. 5. Identify the missing letter card from a sequence of letter cards. 6. Identify the letter card that precedes or follows a sequence of letter cards. 7. Memory game INCREASE ATTENTION SPAN & FOCUS â?? Working towards creating each puzzle provides plenty of motivation and this helps your child develop their concentration skills IMPROVE MOTOR SKILLS – Thick, durable cardboard construction makes products easy to grasp and use, and also a great way of improving hand-eye coordination and encouraging the development of essential motor skills GAIN EARLY READING SKILLS â?? Alphabet Fun puzzles build early reading skills by teaching letter and word recognition. The adorable illustrations like kid-favorite animals (dog, fish) and objects (boat, watch) make learning a lot of fun
If you want to get fit, joining a gym is often the starting point but the financial pressures caused by the cost of living crisis mean that for many Britons, committing to another big monthly expense is simply not an option.
Indeed, a study issued this month found that more than a third of consumers have given up fitness memberships for money reasons. Generation Z and millennials were hardest hit, with half of 25- to 34-year-olds cancelling memberships, rising to 56% for 18- to 24-year-olds, according to the poll by the workspace firm IWG.
But the appetite for getting fit and participating in activities is still there: in December, sports and outdoor retailers had their strongest month since last March, with sales of gear and equipment up 3.5%, according to Barclays data published this week.
The Barclays report says almost a third of those seeking cost-effective ways to start new resolutions are looking to take up “free” forms of exercise, such as running or following YouTube workouts. Here, we look at how to get fit at no or low cost.
Look to your council
Councils offer people low-cost access to sports clubs and facilities. A lot of what’s available is not means-tested. Some of these services will be free, or have a minimal charge. For example, Southwark council in London allows residents to sign up for a free swim pass that can be used at many leisure centres in the borough on Fridays and at weekends. Sign-up is usually required before attending, as new members will have to provide proof of address.
Certain groups will also be entitled to additional classes and clubs. For instance, in Northern Ireland, Mid Ulster’s “active lifestyle programme” is running £1 classes, including yoga, water aerobics and strength and balance. Some sessions are open to everyone but they primarily focus on children and young people with disabilities, new mothers and older people.
Welsh councils, including Conwy, Swansea and Wrexham, have a 60+ active leisure scheme providing cheap access to local facilities for the over-60s. This includes a free initial period.
Seek out initiatives
If you are set on taking up a specific sport, it is worth searching for initiatives funded by Sport England, Sportscotland, Sport Wales and Sport Northern Ireland.
Tennis clubs are particularly keen on helping new members into the sport. Tennis For Free offers sessions nationwide with all equipment provided (in most cases, classes will be starting up again in the spring). Clubs are also worth approaching directly.
Meanwhile, Skate Nottingham runs free weekly skateboarding classes for those aged seven to 14.
Does your child want to learn skateboard skills? Photograph: Lenscap/Alamy
Some commercial brands also run free sessions. Sweaty Betty offers classes in-store, including yoga, barre and Hiit (high-intensity interval training), although you will need to sign up for a free Sweaty Betty membership. Locations include Islington, Brighton, York and Bluewater in Kent.
Brave the outdoors
Wrap up warm and head to your local green space for some free, or low-cost, exercise.
Keep an eye out for public table tennis setups and outdoor gyms, as well as basketball and tennis courts. These are often free to use, although with some there may be a small fee, usually via the council’s website. You will typically have to take your own equipment.
If you are bold enough to give open water swimming a go, you could save a fortune in swim passes all year. Swimming on the coast, or in swimming ponds, is largely free, although some of the famous ponds, such as Hampstead in north London, charge a small fee (£4.25 or £2.55 for concessions in the case of Hampstead). Outdoor swimming groups and free information can be found at the Outdoor Swimming Society.
“Swimming is so cheap,” confirms Kate Rew, the society’s founder. “You don’t need any gear – it’s perfectly acceptable to jump in wearing a T-shirt and pants. You can move on to more gear – but none of it is necessary.”
The not-for-profit sports organisation Our Parks is also offering free classes at various parks around the country. Sessions include yoga, dance, pilates and fitness. However, if you are not able to get to the park, they also have a variety of live online sessions.
A wild swimming women’s group take a dip at Hampstead Heath ponds. Photograph: Hollie Fernando/Getty Images
Another option is parkrun, which hosts a free weekly 5km run on Saturday mornings at lots of UK parks. There’s also a 2km junior parkrun for children aged four to 14 on Sunday mornings.
For those wanting to go at a slower pace, the Ramblers has hundreds of free walking routes across the country, and also hosts free Wellbeing Walks.
Go virtual
Virtual classes via apps, YouTube and fitness platforms are probably the most cost-efficient option, depending on how much space and self-motivation you have.
The free NHS Couch to 5K running podcast is a popular option. NHS Fitness Studio also has free exercise videos for pilates and yoga, strength and resistance, and aerobics.
Gyms often offer free trials at the start of a year. Photograph: Sergio Azenha/Alamy
YouTube has a plethora of free-access sports coaching videos and exercise sessions to get involved in, regardless of whether you are hoping to take up boxercise, Hiit or Zumba.
The Better at Home app also provides 600 virtual free exercise classes.
Take up gym trials
There is often increased interest in gyms in January, and, consequently, gyms often offer free trials at the start of the year. Use this time to think about whether you really will commit to regularly doing weight training and cardio, or attending classes. Some gyms also offer a free personal training session.
If you can’t see a free trial advertised, contact the team and ask if you can try before buying. If that fails, ask friends if they have a referral, or a free pass to a nearby gym.
If you do pursue a membership, check the contract carefully to ensure you are not locked into an unaffordable long-term commitment. Remember that local leisure centres will often be cheaper, although they may have fewer facilities.
Meanwhile, if you have a health condition, you may be entitled to a free pass. For instance, Everyone Active offers a free gym pass to anyone with Parkinson’s.
Get the gear
Avoid investing in expensive gear if you feel that your commitment to a new fitness regime could waver.
In the short-term, ask friends and family if they have old equipment, such as footballs, weights and badminton rackets, that you could borrow. The chances are someone you know invested in some, motivated by new year goals, and never used them again.
The ball manufacturer Alive and Kicking has scores of “football libraries” across the country that enable locals to borrow footballs for free.
Sites such as eBay, Vinted and Preloved Sports offer secondhand sportswear and equipment. In many cases the items will have never been worn.
However, be cautious about buying certain items. For instance, it may be dangerous to buy a secondhand horse-riding helmet or other protective gear.
If you are in Scotland, your child could be entitled to sports gear via the nationwide Kit for All scheme. In Aberdeen, for example, you can apply for sportswear via Aberdeen city schools.
For those after bigger purchases, such as a bike or an e-bike, there may be payment schemes to help. The nationwide salary sacrifice scheme Bike2Work saves on tax by enabling you to pay via your employer. There’s a calculator on its website to work out how much you could save.
Certain people may also be entitled to an equipment grant.
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
A Massachusetts man accused of killing and dismembering his missing wife, Ana Walshe, 39, allegedly Googled “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to,” according to prosecutors.
Brian Walshe, 47, of Cohasset, appeared in court Wednesday morning on charges of murder and improper transport of a body. Not guilty pleas to the charges were entered on his behalf. Walshe was already in custody after pleading not guilty to a charge of misleading investigators.
Brian Walshe stands during his arraignment in Quincy District Court, in Quincy, Mass., Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, to face charges in connection with misleading investigators. Walshe has been charged with the murder of his wife, missing Cohasset woman Ana Walshe.
Greg Derr/AP
Prosecutors believe Walshe made a series of Google searches including: “how long before a body starts to smell”; “how to stop a body from decomposing”; “how to embalm a body”; and “what’s the best state to divorce.”
Walshe also allegedly Googled “dismemberment” and “what happens when you put body parts in ammonia,” prosecutor Lynn Beland said. There were more Google searches for “hacksaw best tool to dismember” and “can you be charged with murder without a body,” according to Beland.
Brian Walshe, of Cohasset, faces a Quincy Court judge charged with impeding the investigation into his wife Ana’ disappearance from their home, on Jan. 9, 2023.
Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool
Blood, a bloody knife and another knife were found in the basement of the Walshes’ Cohasset home, Beland said.
Prosecutors said police also recovered 10 trash bags containing blood-stained items including: a hacksaw, towels, rags, cleaning agents, carpets, slippers, Prada purse and Ana Walshe’s COVID-19 vaccine card. Investigators found DNA from Ana Walshe and Brian Walshe on the slippers, according to Beland.
In this image posted to her Facebook account, Ana Walshe is shown.
Ana Walshe/FaceBook
Ana Walshe was reported missing by co-workers in Washington on Jan. 4. At that time, Brian Walshe claimed he last saw his wife early on Jan. 1, as she prepared to take a ride share to Boston Logan International Airport for a “work emergency,” but investigators said she never caught a ride and never boarded a plane.
Investigators said they tracked Ana’s phone on Jan. 2, and it pinged in or near her Cohasset home.
Brian Walshe was charged with misleading the investigation on Jan. 8. At that time, investigators revealed they found blood and a broken knife in the family’s basement and had surveillance video of Brian Walshe, wearing a medical mask and surgical gloves, purchasing $450 in cleaning supplies with cash at a Home Depot in nearby Rockland.
Brian Walshe is pictured in this undated Registry of Motor Vehicles photo contained in court papers filed by federal prosecutors in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., on May 9, 2018.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts/Handout via REUTERS
Walshe was wearing a monitoring bracelet as he awaited sentencing for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings to an art buyer in California. He was under house arrest but was allowed to leave home for things like doctors’ appointments and grocery shopping. The bracelet did not have GPS tracking.
Police conducted a sweeping search at a Peabody landfill. The landfill was the destination for a dumpster that was outside Brian Walshe’s mother’s apartment building in Swampscott. He had visited his mom in the days following his wife’s disappearance, claiming he went shopping for her. Police found no receipts from the stores he mentioned.
Investigators have not recovered a body.
Brian and Ana Walshe have three children. Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said Ana Walshe’s disappearance was the second case of domestic violence his office had seen in recent weeks.
“Our thoughts are very much with the families these crimes have left behind,” Morrissey said.
Brian Walshe is being held without bail and is set to return to court on Feb. 9.
ABC News’ Teddy Grant and Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
(This news/post has been generated from abcnews.go.com and its was posted in their US category. CT is not responsible for the above information.)
(We don’t allow anyone to copy content. For Copyright or Use of Content related questions,
A Massachusetts man accused of killing and dismembering his missing wife, Ana Walshe, 39, allegedly Googled “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to,” according to prosecutors.
Brian Walshe, 47, of Cohasset, appeared in court Wednesday morning on charges of murder and improper transport of a body. Not guilty pleas to the charges were entered on his behalf. Walshe was already in custody after pleading not guilty to a charge of misleading investigators.
Brian Walshe stands during his arraignment in Quincy District Court, in Quincy, Mass., Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, to face charges in connection with misleading investigators. Walshe has been charged with the murder of his wife, missing Cohasset woman Ana Walshe.
Greg Derr/AP
Prosecutors believe Walshe made a series of Google searches including: “how long before a body starts to smell”; “how to stop a body from decomposing”; “how to embalm a body”; and “what’s the best state to divorce.”
Walshe also allegedly Googled “dismemberment” and “what happens when you put body parts in ammonia,” prosecutor Lynn Beland said. There were more Google searches for “hacksaw best tool to dismember” and “can you be charged with murder without a body,” according to Beland.
Brian Walshe, of Cohasset, faces a Quincy Court judge charged with impeding the investigation into his wife Ana’ disappearance from their home, on Jan. 9, 2023.
Coffee House Death Investigation (P…
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Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool
Blood, a bloody knife and another knife were found in the basement of the Walshes’ Cohasset home, Beland said.
Prosecutors said police also recovered 10 trash bags containing blood-stained items including: a hacksaw, towels, rags, cleaning agents, carpets, slippers, Prada purse and Ana Walshe’s COVID-19 vaccine card. Investigators found DNA from Ana Walshe and Brian Walshe on the slippers, according to Beland.
In this image posted to her Facebook account, Ana Walshe is shown.
Ana Walshe/FaceBook
Ana Walshe was reported missing by co-workers in Washington on Jan. 4. At that time, Brian Walshe claimed he last saw his wife early on Jan. 1, as she prepared to take a ride share to Boston Logan International Airport for a “work emergency,” but investigators said she never caught a ride and never boarded a plane.
Investigators said they tracked Ana’s phone on Jan. 2, and it pinged in or near her Cohasset home.
Brian Walshe was charged with misleading the investigation on Jan. 8. At that time, investigators revealed they found blood and a broken knife in the family’s basement and had surveillance video of Brian Walshe, wearing a medical mask and surgical gloves, purchasing $450 in cleaning supplies with cash at a Home Depot in nearby Rockland.
Brian Walshe is pictured in this undated Registry of Motor Vehicles photo contained in court papers filed by federal prosecutors in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., on May 9, 2018.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts/Handout via REUTERS
Walshe was wearing a monitoring bracelet as he awaited sentencing for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings to an art buyer in California. He was under house arrest but was allowed to leave home for things like doctors’ appointments and grocery shopping. The bracelet did not have GPS tracking.
Police conducted a sweeping search at a Peabody landfill. The landfill was the destination for a dumpster that was outside Brian Walshe’s mother’s apartment building in Swampscott. He had visited his mom in the days following his wife’s disappearance, claiming he went shopping for her. Police found no receipts from the stores he mentioned.
Investigators have not recovered a body.
Brian and Ana Walshe have three children. Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said Ana Walshe’s disappearance was the second case of domestic violence his office had seen in recent weeks.
“Our thoughts are very much with the families these crimes have left behind,” Morrissey said.
Brian Walshe is being held without bail and is set to return to court on Feb. 9.
ABC News’ Teddy Grant and Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
(This news/post has been generated from abcnews.go.com and its was posted in their US category. CT is not responsible for the above information.)
(We don’t allow anyone to copy content. For Copyright or Use of Content related questions,
Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] – Details)
[ad_1] This colorful set of 78 puzzle cards provide children with an excellent way to learn letter and word recognition. The 26 sets of 3 piece match-up puzzles have beautiful illustrations. Simply match the three pieces together to complete the puzzle.Many ways to play ?Ask the kids to identify the objects in the picture cards.Take any letter card and ask the kids to name different things starting with that letter.Spread the letter and picture cards. Ask the kids to match the pictures with their starting alphabet.Take out all the letter cards and shuffle them. Ask the kids to arrange all the letter cards in alphabetical order.Choose a sequence of 4 to 5 letter cards. Ask the kids to identify the letters that precede and follow the sequence.Create a ssequence of 4 to 5 letter cards. Ask the kids to close their eyes. Remove any letter from the sequence. Ask the kids to open their eyes and identify the missing letter.Memory game – Mix all the letter and picture cards and lay them face down. The first player turns any 2 cards. If the letter and picture cards match, the player will keep the set and continue playing. If the letter and picture cards do not match, keep them face down again. Keep playing till all the cards are matched. The player with the highest number of sets wins. MANY WAYS TO PLAY – 1. Identify objects in the pictures. 2. Match the objectS with its starting letter. 3. Pick a letter card and name different things starting with that letter. 4. Arrange all the letter cards in alphabetical order. 5. Identify the missing letter card from a sequence of letter cards. 6. Identify the letter card that precedes or follows a sequence of letter cards. 7. Memory game. INTRODUCE KEY PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS – These three-piece puzzles are an ideal way to help your child develop a basic understanding of how to solve simple problems, developing important skills that will help them as they progress on to more difficult tasks. IMPROVE MOTOR SKILLS – Thick, durable cardboard construction makes products easy to grasp and use, and also a great way of improving hand-eye coordination and encouraging the development of essential motor skills. INCREASE ATTENTION SPAN & FOCUS – Working towards creating each puzzle provides plenty of motivation and this helps your child develop their concentration skills.
