Following a family of four, I shuffle into the Anaheim Convention Center for The Takeover, an annual car show displaying and celebrating the sickest lowriders in California. Like me, hundreds of people gather around more than 1,000 souped-up and tricked-out vehicles. We all marvel at the street opulence.

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 25, 2023--

Diplomatic efforts continue Thursday to contain the impact of the Israel-Hamas war and speed the access of vital

Messages encouraging smokers to quit could be added to cigarette packs. A draft proposal with the suggestion is being considered by the Government. According to the Department of Health, these inserts will highlight the financial and health benefits of giving up smoking and the support available to those trying to quit. The Department of Health hopes the inserts – which have already been used in other countries including Canada and Israel, with Australia also planning to introduce them – could lead to an additional 30,000 smokers giving up, saving up to £1.6 billion in health costs. Smoking is still one of the most preventable causes of illness and death in the UK, with around 76,000 people dying from it every year, according to NHS figures. The consultation launched on Monday and will be running until October. In the meantime, it’s always a good time to try and stop smoking, and focusing on the positive outcomes can help you stay on track too. Here are some of the financial and health benefits of quitting smoking… More disposable income Smoking costs around £17.3 billion a year across England overall, according to the latest 2023 economic data analysis commissioned by public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). This includes a significant cost to the NHS and social care, with smoking-related admissions and primary treatments reportedly costing £1.9 billion yearly. However, quitting smoking could make a significant difference to people’s individual pockets too – a major incentive to beat the habit. Especially right now, with the cost of living so high. According to Everyone Health, if you get through 20 cigarettes a day, with a packet of cigarettes costing £13.30, that’s a spend of £93.10 per week, or £4,841.20 per year. The average smoker may smoke a bit less than that per day, but this could still add up to serious money. “The average smoker can save around £38 a week by quitting smoking, that’s £2,000 a year, according to the NHS,” said Abbas Kanani, a pharmacist at Chemist Click. What could you do for yourself and your family with that extra money? Better mental and physical healthThe good news is, evidence suggests quitting at any point in life leads to big improvements in your health, including increased life expectancy and lower disease risk. “Stopping smoking is one of the best things you will ever do for your health,” said Kanani. “Quitting smoking improves your physical health, and boosts your mental health and wellbeing after as little as six weeks of being smoke-free. Every time you smoke a cigarette, your body is flooded with thousands of chemicals, many of which are poisonous. “The day you stop, your body starts clearing itself of all those nasty toxins and the repair process begins. People who have quit also have increased positive mood compared with people who continue to smoke,” Kanani added: “Longer-term risks of cancer, lung disease, heart disease and stroke will be significantly reduced too. You will also be less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, bone disease including osteoporosis, eye disease and dementia.” Improved blood circulation “The blood circulation to your heart and muscles can improve, which will make physical activity easier and improve lung function, which leads to reductions in any cough, wheezing or other breathing problems,” continued Kanani. All of this will have a knock-on effect on how energised you feel day-to-day, as well as contributing to better general health in the short and long term. Improved sense of taste and smell Being able to taste and smell food better is another huge bonus to quitting smoking. George Sandhu, deputy superintendent pharmacist at Well Pharmacy, said: “There are a number of almost immediate benefits to stopping smoking, including healthier teeth and gums, fresher breath, and improved sense of taste and smell. In the longer term, you’ll probably find your breathing will improve, and ultimately you’ll probably end up living a longer, healthier life.” Protecting your loved ones from second-hand smoke Second-hand smoking or ‘passive smoking’ is dangerous too. According to the NHS, most of the smoke from a cigarette goes into the air around you and not your lungs – therefore it’s those around you or nearby that will breath it in. And as the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlights, tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, including 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke. “Quitting means you’ll protect your loved ones from the potential health harms of second-hand smoke too,” said Kanani. If you would like support to help you quit smoking, talk to your GP or local pharmacist. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Is it ever safe to sunbathe? A beginner’s guide to pickling your homegrown fruit and veg Mother tried to cure son of disease by putting him in a hole as a child

Almost half of people who menstruate experience period pain that is ‘severe’ – and 51% feel their symptoms aren’t taken seriously by healthcare professionals, new research has found. The survey, commissioned by health charity Wellbeing of Women, asked 3,000 women and girls in the UK about their experience. A massive 86% of those surveyed said they have had mental health problems in relation to their period. Many said they had ‘debilitating pain’, bleeding for six weeks and some waited decades for a diagnosis of a health condition, in the survey of 16 to 40-year-olds across all regions, backgrounds and ethnicities. Women and girls have been “dismissed for far too long”, said Professor Dame Lesley Regan, chair of Wellbeing of Women. “It’s simply unacceptable that anyone is expected to suffer with period symptoms that disrupt their lives.” Painful, irregular and heavy periods can be symptomatic of serious gynaecological conditions. Signs of the chronic condition endometriosis – when the endometrial lining grows outside of the uterus – include debilitating period pain. Similarly, adenomyosis – a condition where the uterus lining starts growing into the muscle of the womb wall – is normally identifiable by painful periods and heavy bleeding. Painful periods may also be a sign of fibroids, non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb. Despite around two in three women developing at least one fibroid at some point in their life, according to the NHS, only 38% of those surveyed knew about the condition. Awareness for adenomyosis was even lower, at only 10%. The research found only 14% have tried medication to reduce heavy bleeding, despite treatments, like tranexamic acid which reduces blood loss significantly, being available. Caroline Nokes, Conservative MP and chair of the Women and Equalities Committee which is conducting an inquiry into reproductive and gynaecological health, said: “There is a terrible phrase, ‘Well, it’s just a period, why are you making a fuss about that? Can’t you just get on with it?’ “Yet many women and girls are experiencing horrendous period symptoms and gynaecological conditions. “These are impacting the health of women and girls, and preventing them from taking part in work, school, sport and everyday life. “Endometriosis alone affects 1.5 million women in the UK and costs the economy £8.2 billion – now is the time for change.” Wellbeing of Women have launched a new campaign called ‘Just A Period’ – aiming to address the normalisation of worrying period symptoms. NHS GP Dr Aziza Sesay said: “In my clinic, I see teenagers who are anaemic, who miss several days of school, and they don’t realise that this isn’t normal. They’ll literally use the words, ‘It’s just a period’. “It’s vital that we raise awareness and education on periods. We need to stop the narrative that heavy and painful periods are something we have to live with. “I want women and girls to have the knowledge to advocate for themselves, to push for more investigations, and to push for a diagnosis and treatment so that they don’t have to live with debilitating symptoms.” Clare Nasir, Channel 5 weather broadcaster and host of BBC Under the Weather broadcast, was diagnosed with fibroids and had an myomectomy – an operation to remove them. “With fibroids, there’s the physical pain but also the mental pain, I was struggling to conceive but looked about five months pregnant. People would write into the show asking why I hadn’t declared my pregnancy. It took a toll on my mental health. “When I eventually had my myomectomy, it was life changing. I’m passionate about raising awareness so that other women don’t feel alone and or suffer unnecessarily.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Cats given vegan diets ‘have better health outcomes’, study claims Groundbreaking migraine treatment offers ‘new hope’ for patients Taylor Swift and Shakira lead the charge in slit dresses at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards

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Formula One has long been the established championship at the pinnacle of motorsport racing, but that is now all changing in the eyes those involved in another series. Alejandro Agag is chief of the Formula E championship which is now in its ninth season, running a third generation all-electric racecar. Over the weekend, the famous streetrace of Monaco hosted the ninth race of 2023 - just past the midway point in the campaign - and Agag feels the new vehicle is perfectly suited for such an historic and prestigious track. Moreover, Agag says the championship as a whole has progressed to such an extent over the past couple of years that it can now lay serious claim to being a requirement for the best drivers to conquer, the Independent has learned. “It’s a car made for the streets of Monaco. This Gen 3 really takes Formula E to another level,” Agag said on TalkSport’s On Track show. “It takes it to a level where strategy is key. “I think we’ve put it in a place where if you really want to call yourself the best driver in the world, you really need to win Formula 1 and Formula E.” That is a view which has been echoed by several drivers on the FE grid, who feel the added strategy and control required makes it the real pinnacle of motorsport. Dan Ticktum, a British driver with NIO, told the Independent in March that F1 drivers could be picked up on factors including nationality and financial backing - whereas FE drivers were simply there on talent. “All the drivers are here because we’re good. It’s all merit-based,” Ticktum said. “You very rarely get signed because of a nationality. In Formula 1, a lot of people are being signed now who are not actually good enough in my opinion, it’s just where they are born. Formula E doesn’t pay attention to any of that. “The best drivers rise to the top – merit only. There are very few championships in the world where every driver is paid to do their job; from a fans’ point of view I would like that a lot – it’s the best drivers in the world going head-to-head.” At present, the only past Formula E champion currently involved in F1 is Nyck de Vries, in his debut season with AlphaTauri. Several of those on the FE grid have previously been in F1, but the claim would suggest Max Verstappen, F1’s current champion and leader in this season’s championship, would need to also make the switch to unify the titles, as such. ::The On Track show - the only dedicated weekly motorsport show on UK national radio - airs from on TalkSport at 1pm on Tuesday and repeats at 9pm. Read More FIA face scrutiny after Norris almost drives into official in another near-miss Where are Mercedes and Ferrari? Frankly, you don’t want to hear the answer George Russell takes aim at ‘distracting’ razzmatazz before Miami Grand Prix

For a sport famously associated with quote-unquote counter-culture, skateboarding is hardly applauded for its inclusivity. For decades, cis white men have reigned as our uncontested poster children for the skate scene (think: Tony Hawk & Ryan Sheckler), and even now, female and transgender skaters attract far less flashy, widespread public recognition.

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TEGUCIGALPA Honduran President Xiomara Castro is set to travel this week to China, her foreign minister said on