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Emmanuel Macron has been accused of “ toxic masculinity” after downing a bottle of beer in 17 seconds. Footage shows Mr Macron being handed a bottle of Corona in the Toulouse changing room after the rugby union club beat La Rochelle at the Stade de France in Paris over the weekend. The president had watched the match, the French Top 14 final, from the VIP enclosure. Being urged to down the drink in one, Mr Macron drains the bottle to cheering from the players and coaching staff, many with their phones out to capture the moment. The president then slams the empty bottle on the counter. But the act was met with criticism by opposition politicians. "Toxic masculinity in political leadership in one image," tweeted Sandrine Rousseau, an MP for the Green party. Ms Rousseau’s tweet prompted a reply from an MP within Mr Macron's own party, Jean-Rene Cazeneuve, who said: "A president who is sharing in the joy of 23 players and taking part in their traditions. That's all.” Bernard Basset from the charity Association Addictions France told BFMTV that the "president has a responsibility as a role model in terms of setting a healthy example for behaviour". He added: "In this case, he's associating sport, parties and the consumption of alcohol in a context of virile peer-pressure where everyone drinks a bit too much.” Mr Macron has a knack for associating himself with France's sports teams, having given a pep talk to the members of the men's national football team in their dressing room after they lost the World Cup final to Argentina in Qatar late last year. The beer-drinking stunt may be aimed at Mr Macron presenting himself as a man of the people. He could certainly do with a bump in the polls, with his popularity having been hit by the passage of a law increasing the retirement law earlier this year – a move that sparked mass protests across a number of cities. The president is a staunch supporter of the French wine industry, having once claimed that he regularly drank a glass of wine and lunch and also had another in the evening. He has also previously blocked attempts by public health authorities to promote "dry January" – which sees people starting the year alcohol-free. The Liberation newspaper sought to remind Mr Macron of some of his previous thoughts on drinking, from a visit to an agricultural fair in 2018. "There is a public health scourge which is young people binge-drinking on spirits or beer, but it's not with wine," it reported him as saying. Read More Europe defense ministers are holding talks in Paris on how to better defend the continent's airspace Only seven Tories back Boris Johnson as Commons votes that he lied to parliament Privileges chair shames Rees-Mogg after revealing Rishi backed her for Partygate inquiry Europe defense ministers are holding talks in Paris on how to better defend the continent's airspace New Chinese premier starts 1st trip abroad to Germany and France UN steps up criticism of IMF and World Bank, the other pillars of the post-World War II global order

A woman who felt she was “trapped in this really dark world” due to her anxiety, causing her to have panic attacks, cancel her hen do, and feel she was “constantly on the verge of having a heart attack”, has said “therapy has allowed (her) to feel like (herself)” again and she has since gone on to marry her best friend who she met at school. Kirsty McKillop, 34, a strategist who lives in Walthamstow, London, said she had experienced anxiety “on and off” throughout her life, but it became all-consuming during the Covid pandemic – particularly after going through a redundancy process at her previous job in PR, which knocked her confidence and made her question her self-worth. She said she felt trapped in this “prison” that she had created in her mind and started “catastrophising” – she thought she would “lose everything in (her) life that she cared about”. “I felt like I was basically being crushed by the dark and being suffocated by it and I couldn’t get out,” she said. Kirsty decided to quit her job to look after her mental health, but then “everything went from bad to worse” as she started to experience debilitating physical symptoms. She would cry every day, vomit, experience heart palpitations, have panic attacks, feel agitated and extremely restless, and lie awake in bed until the morning. At her lowest point, Kirsty said she did not believe that she could get better, and she did not engage in “anything that might help her”. However, with the continued support of her now-husband, Liam, 34, family and friends, she began engaging in therapy from December 2021 – and gradually over time she could “physically feel (her anxiety) lifting”. She has since gone on to get married – something she previously did not think was possible – and go on her honeymoon to South Africa, and she now wishes to give the message that “life without anxiety is possible”. “No matter what level of anxiety you’re feeling, it isn’t something that you have to accept as part of life,” she said. “Whilst it is a natural human response, it’s not something you have to live with, and, going through therapy, it has just completely freed me from those feelings and I’m so much happier.” According to the charity Mind, anxiety is a natural human response when we feel that we are under threat; it can be experienced through our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. Kirsty had experienced anxiety at varying stages in her life, but during lockdown, when her job was at risk, her mind was “swamped” with negative and “obsessive” thoughts, with everyday places and situations becoming “bleak and scary and threatening”. While Kirsty did not lose her job, the redundancy process knocked her confidence, and her heightened emotions quickly spiralled into physical symptoms of anxiety. She felt she was in “this constant state of panic” and started “overthinking everything”. “I had really irrational thoughts that I was going to lose everything in my life that I cared about because I was not able to function day to day,” she said. “I think, eventually, it did turn into depression, and then I had quite intrusive thoughts around not wanting to wake up if I did get to sleep. “Not being able to sleep, not being able to eat, being sick, crying, feeling like I was having a heart attack, and feeling terrified of everything was really scary.” Kirsty would lie in bed and try to “disassociate” from her anxiety, but her intrusive thoughts just kept “swirling around in her head”. She then decided to quit her job in September 2021 “to give her the headspace” she felt she needed, but the lack of structure and routine in her life only made her anxiety worse. “It had taken over my head so much that I could not think rationally – everything was like, I’m worried about holding down a job, therefore, I’m not going to be able to pay the mortgage, therefore, I’m going to lose the house, therefore, I’m going to lose my husband and all my friends, and I’m going to end up with nothing,” she explained. “Despite having incredibly supportive friends who would come and just be with me for hours, I still had that fear.” Kirsty remembers a specific conversation where her parents and her then-fiance were discussing the wedding, and she thought: “This is ridiculous, there’s no way I’m going to get married in this state.” By this point, she had started losing consciousness during the day and blacking out, and she had to cancel her hen do. In November 2021, after moving back to her home town in Yorkshire, Kirsty’s family and friends encouraged her to seek professional support, as she was “stuck, trapped, in this completely different place”. Kirsty’s loved ones had looked after her throughout this period and previously suggested she seek help, but she was not willing to engage as she thought “it’s not going to make a difference”. She then started speaking to a therapist who was right for her in December 2021, and Kirsty said she was “pulled out of this horrible world”. Through having sessions once or twice a week, and with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Kirsty said she felt she was “becoming much more rational” as she started to “challenge” her thoughts. The CBT focused on thinking about the facts, rather than “the feelings and the catastrophising” she had been experiencing, to try to “break the cycles of negative thinking”. She said: “When that feeling starts to lift, you think, I can get better, and I want to get better. “It’s not about fighting those thoughts, but accepting them and recognising they’re not facts.” By February 2022, Kirsty started to feel like herself again – she stopped being sick, no longer had panic attacks, and was able to sleep. In April, she started a new job as a strategist, which she now loves, and in July she married Liam and had “an amazing day”. Looking back now, Kirsty said she “dreads to think where she would have been” if she did not start having therapy, and she is beyond grateful for the support she has received from her family and friends. She does not want anyone else to go through the “absolute hell” she has, and wants to encourage more open dialogue and acceptance around mental health and anxiety, as she believes it “shouldn’t define you”. “Anxiety is a natural response, but when it gets to the point where you’re having intrusive thoughts, or it’s affecting you physically, or it’s stopping you from doing things, that’s when it’s not normal and you shouldn’t accept it,” Kirsty explained. “It’s not a state of well or unwell, it’s a state of always making sure you’re looking after yourself because life is always going to throw different challenges at you.” She added: “I enjoy life so much more without letting anxious thoughts spoil my day-to-day life… and therapy has just allowed me to feel like myself and enjoy being myself.” Kirsty is one of many who have offered quotes to inform and create a striking collection of AI art to shine a light on anxiety symptoms. The artwork, from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), has been installed outside London Waterloo – for more information, visit www.bacp.co.uk/anxietyis. Read More I was a child with mental health problems. Nothing excuses the way I was treated Mum suffered panic attacks for 30 years due to unusual phobia ‘I spent too much money on your wedding’: Musician calls out married friend for flirting with other women Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

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The FIA has begun a review into Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix after drivers complained of racing in dangerously high temperatures. George Russell branded the race “beyond the limit of what is acceptable” as temperatures in the drivers’ cockpits exceeded 50 degrees for a contest which lasted one hour and 28 minutes. Canadian driver Lance Stroll said he faded in and out of consciousness because of the extreme heat and humidity during the 57-lap race in Lusail and was also seen stumbling towards an ambulance moments after he emerged from his Aston Martin. London-born driver Alex Albon was treated for acute heat exposure at the on-track medical centre, while his rookie Williams team-mate Logan Sargeant was forced to park his car through illness. Alpine’s French driver Esteban Ocon also vomited during the race. This was only the second staging of the Qatar race and the first of a 10-year deal which, in the region of £45million each season, is among the most lucrative for the sport’s American owners Liberty Media. Next year’s edition will be held two months later in December when it is expected to be cooler, but governing body the FIA acknowledged action must be taken now to avoid a repeat of the scenes. It said in a statement: “The FIA notes with concern that the extreme temperature and humidity during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix had an impact on the well-being of the drivers. “While being elite athletes, they should not be expected to compete under conditions that could jeopardise their health or safety. “The safe operation of the cars is, at all times, the responsibility of the competitors, however as with other matters relating to safety such as circuit infrastructure and car safety requirements, the FIA will take all reasonable measures to establish and communicate acceptable parameters in which competitions are held. “As such, the FIA has begun an analysis into the situation in Qatar to provide recommendations for future situations of extreme weather conditions. “It should be noted that while next year’s edition of the Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled later in the year, when temperatures are expected to be lower, the FIA prefers to take material action now to avoid a repeat of this scenario.” The FIA said measures would be discussed at the upcoming medical commission meeting in Paris, which could include guidance for competitors, research into modifications for more efficient airflow in the cockpit and recommendations for changes to the calendar to fit with acceptable climate conditions. Research from cross-country events in extreme climates will also be examined for potential applications to track races. You don’t want to be passing out at the wheel when you are driving at 200mph George Russell Russell, 25, who is director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, revealed he came close to blacking out after driving back from last to fourth following his first-corner crash with Lewis Hamilton. He said: “(Sunday) was beyond the limit of what is acceptable. “Over 50 per cent of the grid said they were feeling sick, couldn’t drive and were close to passing out. “You don’t want to be passing out at the wheel when you are driving at 200mph, and that is how I felt at times. “If it got any hotter I would have retired because my body was ready to give up.” McLaren driver Lando Norris, 23, who finished third, said: “We found the limit (on Sunday) and it is sad we had to find it this way. “It is never a nice situation to be in when people are ending up in the medical centre or passing out. “It is not a point where you can just say, ‘the drivers need to train more’. We are in a closed car and it gets extremely hot. “Clearly, when you have people who end up retiring or in such a bad state it is too much. It is too dangerous. “I know that next year this race is later on in the season, and it will be cooler, but it is still something that needs to be addressed. I am sure we will speak about it because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 17, 2023--

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