Developing countries on Monday urged a shake-up in the global order to help the world's poorest, at a United Nations summit on ambitious anti-poverty promises...

From the personalized compassion shown in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street, to the direct-to-camera

Pakistani Gulzar Khan and his wife want to stay together after he married her illegally in India.

A woman so allergic to the scent of Christmas that even “smelling a mince pie could kill [her]” almost died after a festive trip to a garden centre sparked an asthma attack. Anne Murray, 61, an engineer who lives alone in Lanark, Scotland, was diagnosed with severe asthma as a baby and has been allergic to traditional festive staples such as citrus and cinnamon since she was a child. According to the NHS, severe asthma means the condition is uncontrolled even when sufferers are taking their medication. When they are exposed to an allergen that irritates the airways, it can trigger asthma symptoms. Murray realised the seriousness of her condition at the age of 11 when her mother, Mary, collapsed and died from an asthma attack at the age of 34. Seven years later, Murray’s childhood best friend, Julia, also died from an asthma attack. Both deaths made her “live life to the full” and she has since done a bungee jump and travelled the globe. Murray had a near-death experience herself in November 2016 when she smelt “pine cones impregnated with citrus” in a garden centre. “I had difficulty breathing,” she recalled. “I grabbed my inhaler and ran quickly out of the garden centre.” On the drive home, her condition worsened. “It felt like someone was sitting on my chest.” Once home, she used her nebuliser – a device that enables her to breathe by giving her medicine as a mist – but could not get to sleep that night as she kept coughing, and whenever she laid down, it felt like she was “choking”. Two days later, and still struggling to breathe, she visited her GP and was barely able to stand up. An ambulance was called straight away, and Murray was given oxygen and strong nebulisers, before returning home with seven days’ worth of steroids. “They all told me it was a close call so it was lucky I had my nebuliser on me.” Since that incident, Murray has finished her Christmas shopping by September to avoid being near festive smells in shopping centres, and often turns down invites to Christmas parties. “It can be quite isolating,” she says. “If friends want to go out around Christmas, I have to ask them to go to different places where I know are safe. I can’t eat or be anywhere near things that smell like Christmas, or eat anything Christmassy like mince pies and stollen cake – I don’t touch them with a 10-foot barge pole. Just smelling a mince pie could kill me. So many things have Christmassy spices that you wouldn’t normally think of, too.” Following the dual losses of her mother and best friend, Murray learnt that she would have to make day-to-day adjustments to her life in order to maintain her own safety. When travelling, she often has to call the airline in advance to request that passengers only eat or peel oranges once they get off the plane. She also has to inform all her work colleagues not to wear festive perfume in the office. “I wish shops would put up signs saying they have festive scents in store,” she adds. “It would be so helpful for me, and stop them getting complaints too.” Today, she makes sure to keep her own Christmas planning low-key. “I don’t go anywhere near supermarkets and that sort of thing – it’s not worth the risk,” she says. “It can be embarrassing a lot of the time – if I go to a restaurant and tell them about my allergies, I get turned away and we have to find somewhere else to go. Or, I get loads of staff around me and I just don’t want the attention.” This year, Murray is looking forward to spending Christmas Day alone and visiting her dad, Archie, and stepmum, Alice, in Scotland. She says: “I still like Christmas, and I’m excited to be on my own this year – I can put my feet up and watch the telly, and eat whatever I want.” Read More Beauty advent calendars 2021: Our guide to this year’s top treats 13 best tech gifts to spoil a gadget geek this Christmas 10 best luxury Christmas crackers for dressing up your dining table Revealed: Healthy mental health patients trapped in hospitals for years Major study focuses on key lifestyle change that can add decade to life expectancy Paris Hilton opens up about welcoming ‘angel’ baby London: ‘I’m loving my mom era’

Venture capital funding for video games slumped to a three-year low last quarter, reflecting investors’ growing distaste for

Working in the sweltering heat of the Brazilian Amazon, Jose Diogo scales a tree and harvests a cluster of black berries: acai, the trendy "superfood" reshaping the world's biggest...

J-pop pioneer Johnny & Associates Inc. will change its name and split off its talent management operations to

Emily Blunt has explained why her children don’t really think that it’s “exciting” to have a famous mother. During a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the 40-year-old actor shared her candid thoughts about her life in the spotlight while raising two daughters – Hazel, nine, and Violet, seven – with husband John Krasinski. She noted that, as she has looked back on her career thus far, she doesn’t like to think about her celebrity status. “When I see myself up on a billboard, I have this complete dissociation with it...I’m like, who’s that?” Blunt said. “And I can see my children doing the same.” The Edge of Tomorrow star went on to explain why her daughters aren’t too impressed by their mother’s fame. “They might say, ‘Oh, there’s Mama,’ but it’s not exciting for them,” she said. “What’s exciting for them is when I can pick them up from school and take them swimming.” Blunt proceeded to open up about her family and how spending time with her daughters is a huge priority. She also noted that she tries not to be away from them for too long while working. “Because even though they’re hardy, and they’re used to this strange life, it’s still rough on them when I have to go away,” she continued. The actor then pointed out that there are certain points in her children’s daily routine that she doesn’t want to miss out on. “There are cornerstones of the girls’ day that I don’t want to compromise on – like, will you wake me up, take me to school, pick me up and put me to bed?” she said. “And I just want to be able to say, yes, yes, yes. It’s such an exhale for me to be able to do that.” Over the years, Blunt has shared her children’s thoughts about her career. During an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan in 2021, the Quiet Place star said that while her daughters haven’t been interested in watching her movies in the past, there’s one film she’s done that they really enjoyed: Jungle Cruise. “They are usually disinterested in seeing me on screen, but they’re really into Jungle Cruise,” she said. “They love the jaguar. They love DJ [Dwayne Johnson]. They love the dynamic. They love the whole world.” Meanwhile, John Kraskinski – who’s been married to Blunt since 2010 – has also said that their children ended up loving one of his movies: DC League of Super-Pets. “They were laughing very, very hard,” Krasinski explained during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in July 2022. “I think up until now they didn’t actually believe I was in the business, because they’ve never seen anything I’ve done.” Read More Fans gush over Emily Blunt and John Krasinski’s flirty whispers at the SAG Awards: ‘Couple goals’ From their first date to parents of two: A timeline of Emily Blunt and John Krasinski’s relationship John Krasinski reveals he ‘wouldn’t be anywhere’ without wife Emily Blunt Jamie Foxx’s rep addresses conspiracy Covid vaccine left actor ‘paralyzed and blind’ Gamer finds indent in head from prolonged headset use after shaving his hair How to stay safe from wildfire smoke

Burger King's sales have grown as it works to turn around its business. But it still has a problem: Not enough customers.

If you haven’t dipped your toes in the world of steel sex toys, you’re missing out. Steel is nearly indestructible, and unlike silicone, it’s recyclable and, therefore, better for the Earth. Because of its non-porous exterior, the material is easy to clean (no UTIs for us, thank you very much!) and compatible with all kinds of lubes, which is important because steel is an inflexible material — meaning it’s got no give — so lubricant is essential. Steel sex toys are heavier than plastic ones, which might sound scary (okay, maybe it is!), but it’s actually a scientific marvel. The weightier material works with gravity (yes, that gravity!) to put the perfect amount of pressure on your G-spot and clit (both internally and externally). In fact, it’s so perfect that many users say squirting is a given, according to sex toy brand L’Acier.

‘Tis the season to shower our loved ones with gifts (or at least to start thinking about what to buy them). So if you’ve fully immersed yourself in cozy season and are eager to start holiday shopping, we’re here to help. We created a gift guide for Pact, the R29 reader- and editor-favorite brand full of organic cotton fashion and home goods that keeps on giving. And this guide includes all the items that we’re personally buying for the special people on our lists (or are adding to our own). But the best part is that all of our picks are gifts under $100.

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, the world's new biggest cruise ship, has completed its first round of sea trials after construction at a shipyard in Finland. It's set to debut in the Caribbean in January 2024.