An anti-Covid drug widely used across the world may have caused mutations in the virus, researchers said on Monday, but there was no evidence that the changes...

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More than four in five primary school teachers believe the attention span of children is shorter than it was pre-pandemic, a survey has found. More than two in three (70%) primary school teachers say that children’s classroom behaviour has worsened post-Covid, according to a poll commissioned by online subject resource Kapow Primary. The survey, of 504 primary and early years teachers in schools in England, found 84% agree that primary children’s attention span is “shorter than ever” post-Covid, while 69% say that they have seen an increase in inattention and daydreaming since their young pupils returned to school after the pandemic. One in five teachers report that they spend less than 10 minutes on average on any single activity to maintain their children’s attention, the survey found. The majority of teachers say pupils are more likely to move around the room post-Covid (57%), are quicker to complain about being bored (57%), and are more likely to annoy and provoke others in the classroom (55%). Some have lost the ability to sit as part of a large audience and focus on a message being shared with the whole school A teacher working at an East London primary school More than four in five (85%) teachers agree that the “ever-swiping nature of social media” has negatively affected pupils’ attention span. One Year 5 and 6 teacher working at a Derbyshire primary school, who asked not to be named, said: “Behaviour in class is very different post-Covid. We had to teach the children through a screen during the pandemic, but taking the screen away now has had a massive impact. “Daydreaming is a big issue for us, as is helping children re-learn some of their social skills. Little things like turn-taking got lost during Covid. We also have to do a lot more movement breaks to avoid the children from tuning out.” Another teacher, working at an east London primary school, said: “The conduct of many children in assemblies has been particularly symptomatic. Some have lost the ability to sit as part of a large audience and focus on a message being shared with the whole school.” The government must also do much more to understand the problems around behaviour and provide more investment and support to schools and families Tiffnie Harris, Association of School and College Leaders Vicky Cottrill-Gray, education content director at Kapow Primary, said: “Children lost so much in-school time during the pandemic. When they went back, they brought new behavioural challenges with them that teachers are still having to deal with.” Tiffnie Harris, primary and data specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “The findings of this survey chime with what we are hearing from school leaders. “It appears that behaviour has become more challenging among some pupils and that this is caused by a number of factors. There seems to be a long-term impact of the disruption of the pandemic to normal routines and expectations. “On top of this is the rising incidence of mental health and wellbeing problems among children which is exacerbated by the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on families and the pressures created by social media.” She added: “The Government must also do much more to understand the problems around behaviour and provide more investment and support to schools and families.” A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our approach to tackling behaviour in schools has been to support schools to develop a behaviour culture that works for them, their pupils, and their communities. “We have updated our Behaviour in Schools guidance to provide clear advice on how to create and maintain high standards and our £10 million Behaviour Hubs programme is supporting up to 700 schools to improve behaviour.” The survey of primary school and early years teachers was carried out between April and May this year by Gerard Kelly & Partners.

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Thanksgiving is only a day away and most Americans have solidified their family plans for the holiday. Whether you’re hosting the big meal or heading to a relative’s house, the holidays are often a chance to reconnect with loved ones. However, Thanksgiving Day isn’t always a family-oriented occasion. Over the years, several studies have found that the seemingly joyous holiday season isn’t always easy for everyone. In a survey conducted by the AARP Foundation in 2017, 31 per cent of respondents said they felt lonely during the holidays throughout the last five years. Meanwhile, 41 per cent of participants were concerned about a family member or friend feeling lonely around the holidays. In 2020, a survey conducted by ValuePenguin also found that 70 per cent of respondents struggled with different types of loneliness before Thanksgiving and Christmas, partly due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. While socially-distanced holiday parties have mostly become a thing of the past since then, there’s still many reasons why some people spend the season by themselves. Some Americans have family members living on the opposite side of the country, or world, while others may not have a close relationship with their relatives at all. There’s no one concrete way to spend the holidays, and everyone has their own reasons why they choose not to see certain people on Thanksgiving. Speaking to The Independent, Emma Mahony, a therapist at Better Life Therapy based in Pennsylvania, acknowledged that, when we spend the holidays alone, our feelings of loneliness can be heightened. While everyone experiences loneliness in a different way, Mahony believes that the feeling could be tied to how Thanksgiving has been portrayed over the years. “I think a lot of the anxieties and concerns that come up have to do with unmet expectations of what you think a holiday is supposed to look like, and what you think your relationship with your family or your friends is supposed to look like,” she said. “I think that’s where a lot of people themselves feel a little bit of a stressful state. Just maybe feeling a little let down by the expectations they have for themselves, after watching other people experience the holidays differently than them.” The holidays are often referred to as the most wonderful time of the year, but that doesn’t ring true for everyone. In some cases, the winter months can be quite a triggering time, and potentially a reminder to people of how they’ve been hurt by those closest to them. According to Mahony, the best way to manage those feelings of animosity is by creating your own perspective about the holidays and new ways to celebrate. “I think you should allow yourself to reframe it as: ‘Okay, how do I want the holidays to look for me? Who are the people that I do want in my life? Who are the people that I don’t want in my life?’” she advised. “Don’t try to make something that shouldn’t happen happen. Instead, recreate your own memories and your own traditions, and give yourself space and permission to do so. But also, if you know that it’s going to be a hard time for you, create that support system, from reaching out to a therapist or to a close friend.” For those who do have a close support system, it can make skipping out on Thanksgiving dinner a little easier. On the other hand, your cousins may miss sitting next to you at the dinner table. Still, Mahony believes we shouldn’t try to convince our family members to attend an event in which they’ve already opted out. “If someone decides they don’t want to be with you over the holidays, respect that choice for them,” she explained. “Don’t make them feel bad for prioritising themselves and their needs. [It] will potentially, you know, make things worse long term. I just honour that everyone needs to do what’s best for them, whether that be financially, emotionally, or physically.” Even if you decide to celebrate Thanksgiving this year without your family, it doesn’t mean that you’re entirely on your own. Mahony suggested setting up a Zoom call or FaceTime with some friends, or planning a fun meal if you’re worried about eating solo. “You could really do whatever you want, so I would set up things for yourself to look forward to,” she said. For those who are spending the holiday alone, but still want to take part in Thanksgiving-related activities, spend the morning or afternoon at a local homeless centre. You can continue the day by hosting a Friendsgiving dinner or movie night with your pals who are still in town. When it comes to food, you can cook a mini turkey for one or ditch Thanksgiving dinner altogether and order take-out at a local restaurant. Then, close out the night with some early Black Friday shopping online or in person. Although this Thursday is indeed a federal holiday, who says the day can’t feel like any other? Ultimately, how you spend Thanksgiving is entirely up to you and there’s no right or wrong way to celebrate the holidays. Remember that you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself for avoiding family during the holiday season. “If Thanksgiving looks different for you year after year, that’s okay. There’s not a specific way to spend the holidays and no family looks the same,” Mahoney said. “If you’re coming to terms with the fact that being with your family for the holidays isn’t what’s best for you, give yourself a little bit of compassion there. “It will get easier over the years, as you figure out how to take care of yourself better.” Read More Viral Thanksgiving guest mix-up continues tradition for eighth year How to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023 I made an air fryer Thanksgiving dinner so you don’t have to When do stores open and close on Thanksgiving and Black Friday this year? Why do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving? How to transport everything from turkey to cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving

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Hulk Hogan has spoken candidly about the lifestyle changes he made after his body “shut down” on him, with the former wrestler revealing that he’s given up alcohol completely and lost 40 pounds. The WWE Hall of Famer, 69, opened up about implementing healthier habits during a “Gym & Fridge” video for Men’s Health, where he reflected on his former routines and the impact they ultimately had on his body. In the clip, Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, revealed that his “pre-match meal” used to consist of “three Miller Lites and two Tylenols,” while his post-match meal consisted of “probably 12 Miller Lites”. However, according to Hogan, he decided to give up alcohol entirely six months ago, after he realised he had been using it as a way to “numb” himself. “I don’t drink alcohol at all. I just don’t drink, don’t take Tylenols. I don’t do anything except drink really good water,” Hogan said, before noting that he gave up alcohol “completely” six months ago. “I just got tired of it. It got to be a way to kind of numb me a little bit because I had a bunch of crazy business problems and personal stuff going on at the time.” Hogan also revealed that he chose to stop drinking after realising that he was “getting too aggressive” with alcohol. “I caught myself after I would train, getting too aggressive with alcohol. So I just had to stop it,” he explained. The former professional wrestler, who lost 40 pounds over the last two years, also credited an experience 15 years ago for his decision to change his lifestyle, as Hogan recalled how his body had “shut down” on him after 40 years of wrestling. “About 15 years ago my body kinda shut down on me. I had several knee surgeries … and then after wrestling 40 years almost, my body shut down on me,” he told the outlet. “I went in for one back surgery and it turned into 10 back surgeries. Both knees needed to be replaced. Both hips were replaced. A couple surgeries on my face from getting my orbital socket broken a couple times. “And it ended up being 25 or 26 surgeries, or a couple more, over a 10- or 12-year period.” According to Hogan, the experience “changed the game” for him and encouraged him to change his “whole lifestyle”. “I changed my whole lifestyle because, at the time, being in so much pain and getting older and older, I couldn’t carry that much weight,” he said. “And when you’re sedentary and you’re not moving and wrestling every night, it’s easy to put weight on.” The world renowned wrestling star said he ultimately decided to strive for a weight of 265 pounds, an amount he’d last weighed when he was in “ninth grade”. To reach his goal, and to overhaul his lifestyle, Hogan changed his eating habits, with the 69 year old revealing that he has a cup of yoghurt, a banana and organic coffee for breakfast each morning, while his lunch usually consists of proteins such as chicken, steak or raw tuna. The same is true for Hogan’s dinners, as the wrestler revealed dinner “usually consists of either steak or chicken or tuna”. “It’s pretty much the same,” he admitted, before adding that he also likes to indulge in “organic cookies”. According to Hogan, he also began omitting sugar from his diet after realising it was causing inflammation in his joints. “Sugar had to be eliminated immediately,” he recalled, as he explained that making his body “healthy” became much more important to him than making it “numb”. As for how he feels now, Hogan said he feels “great” and “alive”. “I feel great. Without all the other extra stuff, you actually feel alive, because a little bit of pain makes you know you are alive,” he said. This is not the first time Hogan has opened up about the lifestyle changes he’s made since retiring from wrestling in 2012. In May 2023, the Hogan Knows Best star told Men’s Health that he decided to stop taking pain medicine and drinking alcohol after becoming “sick of the brain fog, the trouble sleeping, feeling tired all the time, and not being myself”. According to Hogan, he was able to get “consistent” with his training “as soon as [he] cut back on the alcohol and straightened out [his] diet”. At the time, Hogan also expressed his gratitude for the lifestyle changes, which he said benefitted him both mentally and physically, as he admitted he “didn’t think this kind of transformation was possible at this stage” in his life. “My whole lifestyle has changed,” he said. Read More Hulk Hogan baffles fans with ‘bizarre’ divorce announcement, says ‘I thought everyone already knew’ Jennifer Lopez defends alcohol brand amid criticism: ‘I drink to be social’ How to go sober if your partner still drinks Father issues warning about mermaid tail swimsuits after daughter almost drowns Daniel Radcliffe says seeing Erin Darke become a mother is ‘most incredible thing’ Fiona Phillips target of telephone scam following Alzheimer’s diagnosis

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