For two years of my time as a student at the University of Chicago, my

Britain’s fertility regulator has confirmed the births of the U.K.'s first babies created using an experimental technique combining DNA from three people

A 15th century Chinese box which went unnoticed for decades has sold for £288,000 (about $358,000), smashing its expected price at auction.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 2, 2023--

Parenting is hard enough when you only have one or two children. So imagine how tough it can be when you have six kids – which is the case for comedian and television producer Ashley Blaker. Blaker, who’s worked on shows including Little Britain and starred in the Radio 4 series 6.5 Children about his family, has six children aged between nine and 19, two of whom have autism and ADHD, and one, who’s adopted, with Down’s Syndrome. But despite the busy load, he’s keeping a smile on his face – although he wholeheartedly admits that family life for him and his wife Gemma, a headteacher, can be challenging, particularly in relation to caring for their 15-year-old daughter Zoe, who has the mental age of a four-year-old. “We’ve really worked hard to support each other, and to make our family work,” he says. “There have been many, many times that things go a bit wrong. We have so much to worry about, it’s actually often the small stuff that gets us. “Being a parent can put you in a vulnerable place, and it can be the very littlest thing that throws everything awry. When a child has a meltdown or the support you were expecting didn’t arrive or whatever, then it can throw a massive spanner in the works.” Blaker, 48, explains that his eldest son Adam, now 19, was diagnosed with autism and ADHD when he was three – he had speech delay and was completely non-verbal until age six, ate a very restricted diet, and “he was very hard to control, very wild – he had a lot of behaviour issues”, his dad shares. His third son Dylan, now 16, was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at age six, and Blaker says both boys’ diagnoses benefitted the whole family. “It’s been a very, very helpful thing,” he explains. “My third son in particular has a very positive attitude towards his diagnosis – he loves having autism, and his diagnosis has allowed him to navigate his life in a more serene way.” The diagnoses have also helped the boys get extra support at school, and medication, and have definitely been a positive for Blaker and his wife as parents. “From our point of view as parents, it’s allowed us to go – ok, we’re not just inadequate parents,” says Blaker. “It would have been very easy to view ourselves as very bad parents, so getting that diagnosis was a very important and positive step towards being kinder to ourselves.” Despite the undeniable challenges of raising the four children they had at the time, the Blakers decided to adopt Zoe when she was two, when many couples may have shied away from adopting a child with Down’s syndrome. Why did they decide it was the right choice for them? It’s a question Blaker can’t really answer, admitting that he and his wife weren’t even considering adoption – but saw a local council advert about Zoe and answered it. It turned out to a life-changing decision both for her and for them, that they have absolutely no regrets. “She brings us unbelievable joy – she’s the greatest blessing in our life,” he says. “She’s in many ways the most impressive member of our family – probably because she’s the only one who shares none of my genes,” he jokes. “There are many challenges, but there’s such a wonderful innocence about her that sets her apart from most 15-year-old girls. She’s not on Snapchat, she’s not on the phone all night, she’s never made me take her to see Harry Styles in concert. She’s an absolute joy to be with – you can make her laugh incredibly easily, she’s the easiest audience in the world.” But despite the absolute joy Zoe and her brothers and younger sister bring to their parents, there’s no denying the Blakers’ family life is a long way from ‘normal’ – which is one of the reasons Blaker has just written a book about his unusual family, Normal Schmormal (HarperCollins, £16.99). “I really wanted to write the book that I wish I’d read 16 years ago, when my eldest son was diagnosed,” he says. “I read a lot around the subject at the time, and it was very depressing and worrying. I wanted to change the conversation a little bit on the subject of children with special needs, from being something depressing and worrying to something that’s positive, and makes our family who we are. Who wants to be normal anyway?” After Blaker finished writing the book, he was himself diagnosed as autistic with ADHD, at age 48. “Especially now I have my own diagnosis, I feel even more that it’s like: who wants to be normal anyway?” he says. “I’d lived with autistic sons over 18 years, but it was somehow only on writing about them and their hyper-fixations and sensory needs and social awkwardness that I thought I could have been writing about myself. “So I thought I’d like to at least find out – I think everyone, children included, has a desire to understand themselves, to know who they are, and explain certain aspects of their life.” So, how did his two autistic sons react when they learned their dad shared their conditions? “My eldest son was completely disinterested,” he says, “but my third son found it kind of funny. His exact words were, ‘I always knew there was something wrong with your semen’. But I do think that for both of them, it’s deepened our bond.” It’s impossible not to admire Blaker and his wife for their dedication to their family and the decisions they’ve made. Blaker concedes that he’s proud of himself – but “even prouder of my children”. He says being incredibly organised and having set routines – which he points out that kids, particularly those with special educational needs, love – has really helped the family over the years. But have he and Gemma ever had time for a break? In the past they’ve taken holidays without each other, leaving the other parent with the kids, just to get time away, he says. But he thinks taking a break is vital for carers, be they parents or otherwise, which is why he’s supporting Sense, the charity for people who are deafblind or have complex disabilities, with a new campaign highlighting the issue. The charity found 65% of carers are burnt-out or exhausted. “It’s really important to get a break, and it’s another reason why diagnoses can be crucial, because it opens up a wealth of help, like respite care,” says Blaker. “There’s a lot of help out there, but those things often need diagnoses. It’s like the magic key that opens everything up.” Ashley Blaker is supporting Sense’s new Give Carers a Break campaign. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Moschino celebrates 40 years of fashion with spectacular catwalk show From tailoring to florals: 5 key fashion trends to know for autumn/winter Cue the damson decor trend to snug up your space

A woman shared an emotional story about a stranger’s kind words at the gym which brought her to tears. In her TikTok video, a gym-goer named Steph (@callmeindythanks) said that after working out for almost “over two years” she has been “struggling” lately with her progress, especially after an incident a few weeks previously in which two men made some cruel remarks about her weight. She told viewers that one of them “coughed into his hand and said ogre,” which she admitted hurt her feelings. Ever since that interaction, Steph has been grappling with “deep-rooted insecurities” about her weight, which has been impacted by ongoing medical issues. To treat her ailments, she explained that she takes “steroids” which have caused “blood clots” among other problems. As she has tried to deal with her medical issues, Steph said that she was, in turn, “neglecting” herself. When a man with “tattoos all over” approached her as she left the gym, she told viewers that she was bracing herself for what she thought was another bully. As a self-proclaimed overthinker, Steph remarked, “There are a lot of thoughts going through your head being a bigger woman in the gym because there’s all sorts of ages there, different body types, like super fit, not fit, and it kind of messes with your head.” What he ended up saying to her was not at all what she expected. She recounted: “He goes, ‘I’ve seen you in here every week, almost every day. I see you in here every week and I’m proud of you.’” His words of encouragement hit Steph hard, motivating her to make a video about the kindness of this stranger. “You have no idea how much people that are going through something appreciate the kindness,” she said through tears. “He didn’t have to say it, he doesn’t even know what I’m going through.” She continued to say that nobody besides the management at the gym knew about her medical condition. “I’m just grateful for people like you guys that encourage us, people like me. Even if you’re not like bigger but you’re still, like, insecure about something.” “I was having a hard day today but you know what?” Steph told viewers. “That made my day.” @steph5468 #gymprogress #workputjourney #keepgoing #healingjourney ♬ original sound - X There was an outpour of support for Steph and the stranger’s act of kindness online, with one fitness coach commenting on the video: “Just having someone say they are proud of you can move mountains for so many of us.” “To be seen as we are is such a human need in each of us,” someone else remarked. Another wrote, “Little happiness snowballs. We all gotta throw them sometime.” Many have taken to writing encouraging comments on Steph’s personal account where she frequently posts about her ongoing fitness journey. Including comedian Paul Kim, who commented on a recent video of Steph’s, saying: “Crush them with your consistency and progress. You got this!!! We believe in you.” The Independent has contacted Steph for comment. Read More Influencer sparks debate after admitting she asks to see man’s bank account info on first date Fitness influencer Larissa Borges dies aged 33 after double cardiac arrest Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that Mercedes’ upgrade is “definitely not the step forward” he was hoping for ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion said after May’s Miami Grand Prix he was “counting down the days” for the upgrade he hoped would propel him back to the front, and he was given his first taste of Mercedes’ revamped machine at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. Hamilton qualified sixth in Monte Carlo before making up two places in the rain-hit race. Team-mate George Russell finished one spot behind Hamilton in fifth, while Max Verstappen raced to his fourth win of the season. The Monte Carlo layout has been among Mercedes’ worst tracks and Sunday’s race here at the Circuit de Catalunya on the outskirts of Barcelona is set to represent a truer reflection of the team’s outright speed. But addressing Mercedes’ upgrade on the eve of the seventh round, Hamilton said: “It is definitely not the step forward that we were hoping for. “The true step forward we were hoping for was to [overturn] a one-second delta [to Red Bull] in race trim, and we have not covered that with this step. “When you bring upgrades, naturally you should be progressing forwards, and the fact is that it is an improvement, but it just not the improvement we had dreamed of. “It is one step at a time. I don’t feel negative towards it, I am grateful we have it, and I understand how much work has gone into making these parts, the rush that has gone on, and the amount of flat-out work by the team. “We are hugely hungry to move in the right direction so I would say that I am just hopeful that it puts us on a better track. “We have taken account of where we are, where we have gone wrong, and now we are slowly chipping away and navigating our way back to the front but unfortunately it is just a long process.” Hamilton finished 39 seconds behind Verstappen on Sunday as the Dutchman extended his championship lead over team-mate Sergio Perez to 39 points. Red Bull have won 16 of the last 17 grands prix, with Verstappen firmly on course to secure his third world title in as many years. And Verstappen said his team – which has dominated the sport since a major overhaul of the regulations at the beginning of last season – has the speed to win all 22 races. “I would say at the moment, that we can,” said Verstappen. “But that’s very unlikely to happen. “There are always things that go wrong, a retirement or whatever. But purely on pace at the moment we can. “We have always seen dominant periods in Formula One and this is nothing new. If we look back at the 80s, the 90s, the 2000s, early 2010s to all the way until 2020, it’s pure dominance of certain teams. “The longer you leave the regulations the same, the closer people will get. So maybe this is something we need to look at.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin ‘will not give up’ in push for F1 triumph Concerns Monaco GP could be ‘left behind’ as Max Verstappen wins ‘boring race’ Fernando Alonso ready to pounce if Max Verstappen makes a slow start in Monaco

I don’t own an ice-cream maker, as I have no space in my kitchen to store one,” admits Maunika Gowardhan, author of Tandoori Home Cooking. “It’s probably the reason why I have always aimed to come up with a no-churn ice-cream recipe that really works. This cheat’s ice cream is made with double cream and condensed milk flavoured by green cardamom, rose water, dried rose petals and pistachios. Easy to mix, freeze and serve, and delicious to eat.” No-churn rose and cardamom ice cream Serves: 4 Ingredients: 8 green cardamom pods (seeds only) 280ml double cream 2 tbsp rose water 1 x 400g can condensed milk 1 tbsp dried rose petals 20g pistachios, roughly chopped Method: 1. Grind the green cardamom seeds in a pestle and mortar to a fine powder. 2. In a bowl, whisk the cream with the rose water and cardamom powder until soft peaks form. Next, lightly fold the condensed milk, dried rose petals and most of the crushed pistachios into the whipped cream. 3. Transfer the ice-cream mixture into a freezerproof, airtight container. Scatter the remaining pistachios over the top of the ice cream and place in the freezer for six to eight hours, or preferably overnight. 4. When ready to serve, let the ice cream stand at room temperature for five to 10 minutes to soften slightly, then scoop into individual bowls. Recipe from ‘Tandoori Home Cooking’ by Maunika Gowardhan (Hardie Grant, £25).

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