All posts tagged: vital

‘Deliberate targeting of vital body parts’: X-rays taken after Iran protests expose extent of catastrophic injuries | Iran

‘Deliberate targeting of vital body parts’: X-rays taken after Iran protests expose extent of catastrophic injuries | Iran

Published by Sam Flores

Across the planes of Anahita’s* face, white dots shine like a constellation. Some gleam from inside the sockets of her eyes, others are scattered over the young woman’s chin, forehead, cheekbones. A few float over the dark expanse of her brain. Each dot represents a metal sphere, about 2-5mm in size, fired from the barrel of a shotgun and revealed by the X-ray camera for a CT scan. Shot from a distance, the projectiles, known as “birdshot”, spray widely, losing some of their momentum. At close range, they can crack bone, blast through the soft tissue of the face, and easily pierce the eyeball’s delicate globe. Anahita, who is in her early 20s, has lost at least one eye, possibly both. The image of Anahita’s head is one of more than 75 sets of medical images – primarily X-rays and CT scans – shared with the Guardian from one hospital in a major city in Iran, taken over the course of a single evening during the regime’s January crackdown on protesters. The plain, grayscale images …

Meghan Markle is bringing skinny jeans back – with one vital 70s twist

Meghan Markle is bringing skinny jeans back – with one vital 70s twist

Published by Daniella Wilson

The Duchess of Sussex marked Valentine’s weekend in the best way, enjoying a sporting date with her adoring husband, Prince Harry. The couple sat courtside at the 75th NBA All-Star Game on 15 February and rocked coordinated navy blue outfits as they sat next to Hollywood actress Queen Latifah. Keeping it simple, Meghan chose to rock an all-navy ensemble, consisting of a simple cashmere sweater by Brochu Walker, a selection of Cartier jewellery, and a pair of high heels. As a fashion editor who has been writing about royal style for over eight years, I was excited to see the 44-year-old don a pair of skinny jeans. © Billboard via Getty ImagesMeghan and Harry were pictured at the NBA All-Star Game Meghan chose to sport a pair of dark denim jeans by Veronica Beard. Known as the ‘Beverly Skinny-Flare Jean’, they are cut close to the body and feature a subtle flare at the hem, nodding to the bohemian, 70s style that is making a comeback in 2026. © Billboard via Getty ImagesMeghan wore a pair …

These 5 Vital Minerals and Vitamins Will Keep Your Heart Functioning and Healthy

These 5 Vital Minerals and Vitamins Will Keep Your Heart Functioning and Healthy

Published by skeptic

It’s American Heart Month, and heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for women, men and people of most racial and ethnic groups, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, cardiovascular disease causes one person to die every 33 seconds. Though heart disease is common, it’s also preventable with healthy habits. Eating healthy foods, exercising and avoiding bad habits like smoking can keep your heart healthy. If heart disease runs in your family and you’re looking for other ways to support your heart health, there are some vitamins and minerals that can help. As always, we recommend discussing it with your general practitioner first before taking supplements. Best vitamins and nutrients for heart health supplements Francesco Carta/Moment/Getty Images There are several supplements you can choose if you think your diet doesn’t already contain enough heart-healthy vitamins and minerals. Omega-3s Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent heart disease and strokes. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health states that people who eat diets …

Spending on speech and language therapy is vital

Spending on speech and language therapy is vital

Published by skeptic

Around two million children struggle with words, and when they don’t get support it wrecks their life chances, says MP Jen Craft I am honoured to serve as an MP, just as I am honoured to be a mother of children with additional needs. This dual public and personal perspective makes one truth impossible to ignore – the current SEND system is forcing families to fight for the most basic expectations for our children. I recently hosted a roundtable in Parliament with the Speech, Language and Communication Alliance and the Disabled Children’s Partnership. It was memorable because it focused on something many people take for granted – the right to be ordinary. Ordinary is the child who can ask to join in a game at breaktime. Ordinary is understanding the teacher’s instructions without panic rising in your chest. Ordinary is being able to explain what’s wrong when you’re hurt, upset or afraid. Yet for far too many children, an ordinary life is out of reach. We can’t close the gap without communication skills I know …

virtue appears to be vital for personal happiness

virtue appears to be vital for personal happiness

Published by José Betancourt

Virtues such as compassion, patience and self-control may be beneficial not only for others but also for oneself, according to new research my team and I published in the Journal of Personality in December 2025. Philosophers from Aristotle to al-Fārābī, a 10th-century scholar in what is now Iraq, have argued that virtue is vital for well-being. Yet others, such as Thomas Hobbes and Friedrich Nietzsche, have argued the opposite: Virtue offers no benefit to oneself and is good only for others. This second theory has inspired lots of research in contemporary psychology, which often sees morality and self-interest as fundamentally opposed. Many studies have found that generosity is associated with happiness, and that encouraging people to practice kindness increases their well-being. But other virtues seem less enjoyable. For example, a compassionate person wants to alleviate suffering or misfortune, but that requires there be suffering or misfortune. Patience is possible only when something irritating or difficult is happening. And self-control involves forgoing one’s desires or persisting with something difficult. Could these kinds of virtues really be …

A.G. Cook Is Charli xcx’s Secret Weapon—and Was Vital to ‘The Moment’

A.G. Cook Is Charli xcx’s Secret Weapon—and Was Vital to ‘The Moment’

Published by Sam Flores

It was the first day on set to shoot The Moment, Charli xcx’s autofiction mockumentary about the Brat album rollout and tour that stars the musician as a “hell version” of herself. Charli, director Aidan Zamiri, a full crew, and dozens of extras were filming a nightclub scene in London; through a stroke of scheduling luck, Charli’s longtime musical collaborator, record producer and DJ A.G. Cook, was also on set that first day, filming a cameo. “I don’t know why they ended up planning it like that,” Cook says. “But it was nice being there on day one, when the whole cast was still excited and sheepish.” When Cook arrived to set in the afternoon, however, he quickly identified a problem: The many extras on the dance floor had been dancing for hours to a click track, a ticking audio cue that provides a beat without any music and is often used in filming. While it’s helpful when a film is in postproduction, a click track doesn’t inspire movement in the same way that real …

Trump threatens tariffs over Greenland, calls it vital for security | Donald Trump News

Trump threatens tariffs over Greenland, calls it vital for security | Donald Trump News

Published by Sam Flores

US President Donald Trump says he may impose tariffs on countries that do not back the United States’s claim to control Greenland, a message that came as a bipartisan congressional delegation sought to lower tensions in the Danish capital. Since Trump returned to the White House in January, he has repeatedly insisted that the US control Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and said earlier this week that anything less than the Arctic island being in US hands would be “unacceptable”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list During an unrelated event at the White House about rural healthcare, he recounted on Friday how he had threatened European allies with tariffs on pharmaceuticals. “I may do that for Greenland, too,” Trump said. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that,” he said. Trump has said Greenland is vital to US security because of its strategic location and large supply of minerals, and has not …

‘He was, above all, a treasured spirit, who understood how vital music is for the human soul’: tributes to Andrew Clements | Classical music

‘He was, above all, a treasured spirit, who understood how vital music is for the human soul’: tributes to Andrew Clements | Classical music

Published by Sam Flores

I owe Andrew Clements big time. He wrote so positively about my music early in my career and the last article he wrote was singling out my opera Festen for special praise. He did seem to go off me a bit in mid career but he was such a serious and thoughtful critic that I often agreed with him. I got to know him very well in the late 90s as he was the partner of the librettist and translator Amanda Holden. He had such a broad knowledge of music and a great enthusiasm for new music which he wrote and spoke about with such warmth and humour. We spent many evenings in Highbury talking about Stravinsky, politics and Arsenal football club – he cared about the most important things in life. Mark-Anthony Turnage, composer Andrew was perhaps the most remarkable critical voice of our age, and his writing embodied knowledge, curiosity and integrity. His tastes were open and adventurous, with a rare awareness of – and enthusiasm for – the newest musical developments from …

Why strength training is vital for women in midlife

Why strength training is vital for women in midlife

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Sarah Baldassaro, from Alexandria, Virginia, discovered a new level of strength after embracing resistance training at 50. “Now I would say I’m stronger overall than I ever have been at any age,” said Baldassaro, 52. She attributes her fitness rivalling that of her early thirties to a fitness coach. Medical professionals underscore the vital role of strength training for women navigating midlife. This form of exercise is crucial for maintaining bone and muscle health, particularly after menopause, when declining estrogen levels accelerate bone density reduction and contribute to muscle mass loss. Beyond these benefits, resistance work aids in weight management and supports fitness goals, such as New Year’s resolutions. Dr. Christina DeAngelis, an OB-GYN at Penn State Health, emphasized its impact stating: “People underestimate how powerful it is.” But what should …

High Noon review, Harold Pinter Theatre – A thoughtful Western with vital moments missing

High Noon review, Harold Pinter Theatre – A thoughtful Western with vital moments missing

Published by Daniella Wilson

The 20th century’s great movie Westerns have given us so many enjoyably kitschy tropes: swaggering cowboys, tough sheriffs with shiny badges, ruffle-skirted saloon girls, and quick-draw gun battles. All those elements are technically present in director Thea Sharrock’s thoughtful staging of the 1952 movie High Noon, but they’re painted in muted colours, rather than nostalgic technicolour. This story doesn’t romanticise the old West; instead, it punctures its mythos, acting as a sobering critique of gun-slinging masculinity and the McCarthy-era cowardice that surrounded the original film. Here, Billy Crudup lends a quiet integrity to the role of sheriff Marshall Kane, who finds his town turns its back on him, while an impassioned Denise Gough throws his values into question as his pacifist new wife Amy. The pair’s heartfelt wedding vows are interrupted by some unwelcome news. A bad guy who once menaced the town is out of jail. So Kane’s plan to surrender his star-shaped badge and open a general store is out the window. The bulk of this play focuses on this mild-mannered sheriff’s attempts …