All posts tagged: hold

English schools provide free period products – but they’re still not easy for pupils to get hold of

English schools provide free period products – but they’re still not easy for pupils to get hold of

Published by skeptic

Pupils in the UK are struggling to afford menstrual products. In a 2022 UK survey, charity WaterAid found that one in five girls were missing school as a result. Limited access to period products can also have a negative impact on learning and attainment. In 2020, the government attempted to address this problem in England with a scheme to make period products available for free in schools and colleges. This is a valuable endeavour. However, just because pads and tampons are stocked in schools, this does not mean that they are easily accessible to the pupils who need them. In research for my recently published book, I talked to 77 teenagers in England about their knowledge and views of menstruation and related social issues. Many of the girls and non-binary pupils used this opportunity to share the frustrations, anxiety and embarrassment that they had experienced when searching for, requesting, or using the free period products in their current and previous schools. Some pupils explained that they had to ask for period products and wished that …

Tesla sales hold OK in China amid Model Y changeover

Tesla sales hold OK in China amid Model Y changeover

Published by skeptic

Tesla sales in China are relatively fine despite the added complexity of managing the production switch to the new Mode Y, Tesla’s best-selling model. Model Y represents most of Tesla’s sales, and it is currently undergoing a design refresh that started with Gigafactory Shanghai, Tesla’s highest-producing factory. The production shift will inevitably result in lower volumes this quarter, but the market is trying to track Tesla’s deliveries in China closely to see how much lower it will be. The China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) has now released January sales volume and it reported that Tesla China sold 63,238 electric vehicles in January – including vehicles Tesla built in China and exported to overseas markets. That’s down 11.5% from the same period last year and 32.5% compared to December. While sales are down, those numbers are far from awful amid the Model Y changeover happening in China. However, the impact is expected to be much more significant in February due to the Chinese New Year and Tesla is expected to shut down part of the Model …

‘Cautiously optimistic,’ Palestinian Americans hold their breath at news of ceasefire

‘Cautiously optimistic,’ Palestinian Americans hold their breath at news of ceasefire

Published by skeptic

(RNS) — When Terry Ahwal, a Palestinian American living near Detroit, Michigan, learned Israel and Hamas had reached a ceasefire deal, a flood of emotions washed over her. She felt relieved that the 15-month war might end soon but unsure whether the deal would bring long-lasting peace and include solutions to rebuild Gaza.  “I am cautiously optimistic. Any time there is a cessation of violence, it’s a welcome thing, but having lived through too many Israeli ceasefires, I am skeptical, and I’m monitoring with hope,” said Ahwal, who grew up in the West Bank and serves as president of the American Federation of Ramallah Palestine. Her relatives in Palestine celebrated the news, though they are also waiting to see how the deal will unfold and whether the peace will last. “They are on their edge every step of the way, not knowing what’s going to happen,” she said. For Palestinian Americans around the country, the news of a ceasefire was bittersweet. After a year and a half of watching their homeland demolished and hearing news …

NEU to hold indicative strike vote over ‘insulting’ pay rise

NEU to hold indicative strike vote over ‘insulting’ pay rise

Published by skeptic

Union demands ‘fully funded’ pay increase amid concerns schools will have to lay off staff Union demands ‘fully funded’ pay increase amid concerns schools will have to lay off staff The National Education Union (NEU) will hold an indicative strike ballot over pay, after branding the government’s planned rise an “insult” to the profession. Members will be balloted on their “willingness to take industrial action” if ministers do not “commit to a significant and fully funded” increase beyond what has already been proposed. This comes after the Department for Education told the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) a 2.8 per cent pay award “would be appropriate” for 2025-26 last month, but that most schools would have to find efficiencies to fund it. NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “The current proposal of 2.8 per cent is not sufficient to even start to address the crisis in recruitment and retention.   “The suggestion that an unfunded pay award can be paid for by making ‘efficiencies’ is an insult to a profession who have already endured 14 years …

Apple to Hold Q1 2025 Earnings Call on January 30

Apple to Hold Q1 2025 Earnings Call on January 30

Published by skeptic

Apple plans to hold its first earnings call of 2025 on Thursday, January 30, according to the company’s Investor Relations website. During the call, Apple CEO Tim Cook and new chief financial officer Kevan Parekh will provide insight into Apple’s performance during the 2024 holiday quarter spanning from October to December. Apple’s Q4 2024 earnings call was the last for former Apple CFO Luca Maestri, who has now transitioned to a new role as vice president of corporate services. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Apple released new iPad mini, Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac models, so we will get our first look at how these devices performed, as well as some insight into Apple device sales during the holiday period. Apple in Q1 2024 posted revenue of $119.6 billion and net quarterly profit of $33.9 billion. Apple said last quarter that revenue is expected to grow low to mid single digits year-over-year. Apple’s earnings call will take place at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the 30th, just after the company’s Q1 2025 earnings …

Can’t hold a plank? A personal trainer recommends these modifications to build your deep core

Can’t hold a plank? A personal trainer recommends these modifications to build your deep core

Published by skeptic

I’m a certified trainer and one of the first things I address with all my new clients is strengthening their deep core. These muscles provide central support for the body, so they need to be properly conditioned if we want to move well. The deep core is made up of a few muscles: the transverse abdominis, the deepest layer of your core attached to your pelvis and lower ribs; the diaphragm, a muscle located below the lungs; the multifidus, a thin muscle attached to your spine; and the pelvic floor, a group of muscles attached to the pubic bone, tail bone, and sit bones in the pelvis. These muscles are responsible for important functions like stabilizing your hips and spine, facilitating your breathing, and maintaining your posture. Planks are an excellent way to target the deep core muscles, but they can be too advanced for those just starting a fitness routine. If planks often leave your shoulders and back sore, try these three modifications instead. You won’t need any equipment besides a yoga mat for …

Welsh Parliament to hold assisted dying debate

Welsh Parliament to hold assisted dying debate

Published by skeptic

Notes For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Assisted Dying Campaigner Nathan Stilwell at [email protected] or phone 07456 200033. If you have been affected by the current assisted dying legislation, and want to use your story to support a change in the law, please email [email protected]. Read six reasons we need an assisted dying law. Read more about our analysis of the assisted dying inquiry. Read more about our work to legalise assisted dying in the UK. Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 120,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all. Cymraeg: Dydd Mercher, 23 Hydref, cynhelir dadl a phleidlais Busnes Aelodau yn ySenedd Cymreig, ar gymorth i farw ar gyfer pobl sydd naill ai yn derfynol …

‘Hold on to your seats’: how much will AI affect the art of film-making? | Film

‘Hold on to your seats’: how much will AI affect the art of film-making? | Film

Published by skeptic

Last year, Rachel Antell, an archival producer for documentary films, started noticing AI-generated images mixed in with authentic photos. There are always holes or limitations in an archive; in one case, film-makers got around a shortage of images for a barely photographed 19th-century woman by using AI to generate what looked like old photos. Which brought up the question: should they? And if they did, what sort of transparency is required? The capability and availability of generative AI – the type that can produce text, images and video – have changed so rapidly, and the conversations around it have been so fraught, that film-makers’ ability to use it far outpaces any consensus on how. “We realized it was kind of the wild west, and film-makers without any mal-intent were getting themselves into situations where they could be misleading to an audience,” said Antell. “And we thought, what’s needed here is some real guidance.” So Antell and several colleagues formed the Archival Producers Alliance (APA), a volunteer group of about 300 documentary producers and researchers dedicated …

Does a cave beneath Pembroke Castle hold key to fate of early Britons? | Archaeology

Does a cave beneath Pembroke Castle hold key to fate of early Britons? | Archaeology

Published by skeptic

Pembroke Castle has been a seat of power for centuries. It was the birthplace of Henry Tudor, father of Henry VIII, and is one of the country’s best preserved medieval strongholds, containing a maze of passages, tunnels and stairways, as well as a vast gatehouse tower. Scientists have discovered that the fortress has also been concealing a startling secret. A cave, known as Wogan Cavern, which lies directly underneath Pembroke Castle, has been found to contain a treasure trove of prehistoric material, including ancient bones and stone tools left behind by early Homo sapiens and possibly by Neanderthals. These remains will provide key information about the settling of Britain in prehistoric times, say scientists, who last week began their first major excavation of the year at Wogan. Work on the site over coming years should provide answers to major puzzles about prehistoric Britain, including the end of the Neanderthals’ occupation about 40,000 years ago. Early finds at Wogan include a wide range of fossils including mammoth, reindeer, and woolly rhino, as well as the remains of …

Brazil is reeling from catastrophic floods. What went wrong – and what does the future hold? | Brazil

Brazil is reeling from catastrophic floods. What went wrong – and what does the future hold? | Brazil

Published by skeptic

When the torrential rain began to swallow her city block, Cristiane Batista, 34, grabbed her three children, a couple of backpacks and her smartphone and waited at the door, hoping to be picked up by the municipal trucks preparing to evacuate the population of Muçum, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. “I was terrified. The house was about to flood. We had to get out of there,” she says. Batista, her husband, Jeferson, 34, and their children – who range in age from one to eight – had already been victims of the extreme weather of Brazil’s southernmost state twice last year. In September 2023, Muçum and its nearly 5,000 inhabitants were at the centre of the devastation caused by floods, which left scores of people – including 15 people in a single Muçum house. “We lost everything,” she says. Two months later, the city was hit by another fierce bout of rain. The storm destroyed furniture and appliances and left walls stained with mud. After losing everything for the third time, …