Latest news with #Benson
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Vaccination plea after measles cases surge in Scotland
Health chiefs are warning of the risks of measles after more cases were recorded in Scotland in the first five months of the year than the whole of 2024. The latest figures, to be published on Thursday, could show more cases of the highly infectious disease, which is on the rise around the world. Two years ago there was just one case of measles in Scotland but last year that rose to 24 laboratory-confirmed cases. That figure was exceeded by 14 May this year and, although the numbers remain small, health experts are concerned that low vaccination rates in some areas could lead to many more cases. Measles is a highly contagious disease which is spread by coughs and sneezes. The virus can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling and death. The World Health Organization said children under the age of five accounted for more than 40% of the cases reported in Europe and central Asia. In March, it reported that the number of measles cases in Europe was at its highest level for 25 years. WHO regional director Henri Kluge called it a "wake-up call". "Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security," he said. Helen Benson, consultant in public Health for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said there had been an increase in cases across Scotland. "We have already seen more this year than the whole of last year," she said. "In Glasgow we have seen several cases since the start of the year and in recent weeks we have seen a small number within the Govanhill area. "We are potentially aware that there may be some transmission in the local community so our efforts now are to minimise the number of further cases." She said the health board was focusing its campaign on increasing levels of the MMR vaccine in the area. The vaccine is generally given in two doses: the first between 12 and 15 months and the second at four to six years. Health experts says the vaccine - which immunises people against measles, mumps and rubella - is 97% effective in fighting off the dangerous virus. Uptake in Scotland remains high, with 90% of children having two doses by the age of six. However, WHO recommends at least 95% of children are vaccinated. Across Scotland vaccination rates have fallen slightly in recent years with public health officials believing vaccine fatigue or misinformation plays a role. Govanhill, one of the most diverse areas of Scotland, is one of several areas in Glasgow that has lower MMR vaccination rates. Ms Benson said: "We've got a population that speaks many languages. For many English is not the first language. "So sometimes that has meant they may have had difficulty engaging with the NHS." She said the health board had launched a communication campaign across several languages and was using community peer workers to encourage people to take up the opportunity of any MMR vaccinations they may have missed. "Measles can be a very serious infection," Ms Benson said. "Approximately one in five cases end up in hospital. "Many of those may require intensive care, and it can lead to lifelong complications, for example, hearing loss, sight loss and inflammation of the brain." She said some people were more susceptible to complications from measles than others, including small babies under the age of one, pregnant women and people with immunosuppression. "It is important to get the vaccine not just for yourself but for the people around you," she said. Yvonne McAuley is one of the staff nurses who run the immunisation team which has set up a pop-up vaccine clinic in Govanhill. She said it can be difficult to get clients to come to an appointment because of barriers such as language, fear or misinformation. "We are very passionate about our job because we know what the outcome could be if the kids don't get immunised," she added. Ms McAuley said the team was doing everything it could to boost numbers, from providing interpreters and drop-in clinics to giving people who were afraid more time for their appointment. Maryan Chaudhry and her husband Arfan Ali spoke to BBC Scotland News as they brought their one-year-old baby Liya for her MMR jab at the clinic. "If it can benefit my child and her wellbeing, I will get it done," Maryan said. "It is to protect her." Measles highest in 25 years in Europe, WHO says
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Poll: Benson and James emerge as early favorites in race for Michigan governor
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (left) and U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.) are the early favorites for Michigan governor in 2026 in a poll released Tuesday. Photos by Ken Coleman and Kyle Davidson As the August 2026 primary election inches ever closer and the fields of candidates vying to be Michigan's new governor and its next U.S. Senator continue to take shape, a new poll from the Chicago-based Glengariff group offers some early insights into who could be representing their party in the general election, with a party outsider holding the potential to shake up the field. The poll, commissioned by the Detroit Regional Chamber on the opening day of its annual Mackinac Policy Conference, surveyed 600 registered voters, and examined the name identification for both declared candidates and figures considering jumping into the governor's race or the election for U.S. Senate. With a heavy disclaimer that the survey's population consists of general election voters not primary election voters, with crucial differences between the two groups of voters, the poll asked about the preferred candidate from each party in each race Among Democrats, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was the favorite for governor, with 59.3% support among registered Democratic voters and 65% support from definite voters. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) was the preferred nominee for U.S. Senate with support from 34% of registered Democratic voters and definite voters. U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.) was Republicans' preferred candidate for governor, although he gathered just 42% support from registered voters and 44% among Republicans who said they'd definitely vote in 2026. Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-White Lake) was the preferred Senate nominee, with 61% support from registered Republican voters and 64% for definite voters. When polling on candidates for governor, Republican Tudor Dixon, who unsuccessfully ran against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022, carried the highest name recognition among voters at 70%. While Dixon has not announced another campaign for governor, she previously released a statement to social media where she said she was considering the possibility alongside a potential Senate campaign. Benson, who announced her campaign in January, carried recognition with 66% of voters polled, while James was recognized by 65% of voters. James announced his campaign last month. Breaking down the 70% of voters who recognized Dixon, 18% of voters polled held favorable views towards her, while 24% held an unfavorable view and 28% had no opinion. Benson on the other hand polled favorably with 28% of voters and unfavorably with 16% while 23% had no opinion. James gathered favorable responses from 26% of voters, unfavorable responses from 19% and no opinion from 20%. Among Democrats specifically, Benson carried the highest name ID when compared to Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, with 74% name recognition. Gilchrist, who announced his candidacy in March, was recognized by 51% of voters polled while 28% ID'd Swanson, who joined the race in February. While Dixon had the largest name ID amongst Republicans at 76%, James wasn't far behind at 74%. James also held a larger share of favorable recognition at 50%, while 34% held a favorable view of Dixon. Former attorney general Mike Cox, who launched his campaign in April was recognized by 58% of voters while 29% identified Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township), who was among the first to announce back in January. The poll also examined Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat who opted instead to run as an independent. According to the breakdown of the results, Duggan's polling numbers were deeply unusual for two reasons. First, Duggan's name recognition was deeply split between metro Detroit and out-state Michigan, with 86% of residents in the metro area recognizing Duggan, while only 31% of out-state residents had heard of him. Second, Duggan was the only candidate in the survey to receive a favorable rating from voters of all political persuasions, with 30% of strong Democrats identifying Duggan favorably compared to 7% who view him unfavorably. 28% of independents view Duggan favorably while 8% viewed him unfavorably. 24% of strong Republicans who recognized Duggan view him favorably while 4% were unfavorable. When looking at candidates for U.S. Senate, Rogers was most familiar to Michigan voters, carrying a 75% name ID among those polled having just ran, and narrowly lost, the race for U.S. Senate in 2024, opposing then-U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) who won by a little more than 19,000 votes. Among the voters polled, Rogers carried a favorable ID among 23% of voters and an unfavorable ID among 22% of voters, while 31% had no opinion on him. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens ( D-Birmingham) was the second most familiar candidate to voters, garnering recognition among 41% of voters, with 14% carrying a favorable opinion, 7% carrying an unfavorable opinion and 20% having no opinion. When looking specifically at Democratic voters, former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, who ran for governor in 2018, carried the largest name ID at 44%, with 17% of voters offering a favorable view. While Stevens carried a similar name ID among Democrats, 43%, she received a favorable assessment from a larger share of voters at 25%. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) was identified by 30% of voters with 15% of Democrats offering a favorable opinion. Among Republicans, Rogers by far carried the highest name recognition at 77.3%, with 41% viewing him favorably. Comparatively, U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland), who told reporters at the end of April he was 'leaning towards' a run for Senate, carried a 33% name ID, with 13% of Republican voters carrying a positive opinion of him. Alongside name ID, the Glengariff group also polled voters on several combinations of candidates, testing every Republican candidate against Benson and Duggan, and every Democrat against Duggan and James. While both Gilchrist and Swanson were both shut out by James, Benson beat James by .5% among registered voters and 3.7% among voters who said they would definitely vote in the next election. Benson also beat out Dixon, Cox and Nesbitt. While Dixon gathered more support than Cox and Nesbitt, she still lagged Benson by 4%. The Glengariff group once again called attention to Duggan's polling numbers, noting that he regularly wins the Metro Detroit region, gathering between 35.8% to 40.4% support. However, he only gathers 9% to 13.9% support among out-state voters. The poll also notes that Duggan equally draws votes away from James and Benson, following a similar trend to his favorability rating. When examining the six head-to-head matchups for Senate, Rogers triumphed over El-Sayed with 6% of the vote, and achieved a less-certain victory over McMorrow. While polling among registered voters has Rogers leading by 4%, the numbers among definite voters have McMorrow up 1.4%. Stevens defeats Rogers by 1.4% among registered voters and 6% among definite voters. While Huizenga led El-Sayed by .5% among registered voters, El-Sayed prevailed by 2.5% among definite voters. Both Stevens and McMorrow prevailed in a match up against Huizenga. When examining each Democrat's matchup against Mike Rogers, the Glengariff group notes that Stevens polled better with independents than McMorrow and El-Sayed, winning 33% against Rogers compared to El-Sayed's 21% and McMorrow's 23%. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Cosmopolitan
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
How Did Benson Boone and Tom Holland Become Friends?
Benson Boone, man who refuses to stop doing backflips, and Tom Holland were spotted grabbing dinner in Los Angeles earlier this month—an outing that seemed to confuse everyone who had literally no idea they were buds. And naturally reporters wasted no time asking Benson about their somewhat unexpected friendship at the 2025 American Music Awards. The "Slow It Down" singer only had good things to say, telling E! News that Tom is "a great, great human being." As for how they met, Benson said "Just word of mouth and then it got around." Not sure what that means, but one thing is certain: he's down to play at Tom and Zendaya's upcoming wedding. "Immediate, yes, of course, of course," he said. "I'm not gonna pass that over." As for when their wedding is taking place, a source recently told People that "They will just enjoy things for now and won't rush a wedding. They are both busy with work projects." Another insider sweetly added that Tom has "always been crazy about her" and that "he always knew she was the one. They have something very special. Everyone close to them knew the engagement was happening." Cuuuuuute, but circling back to Benson real fast, he told E! News that it's been a wild year for him, saying "It's hard to try and keep up with everything and feel like I'm on top of it. Just a lot coming and going very quickly, and it's a little overwhelming at times, but at the same time like I'm just trying my best. I'm just trying to trying to do what I love, and trying to do it in a way that makes me happy. I got a lot of people on my team that support me, and I have a family that supports me, and that's all you can really ask for. So I'm just doing my best out here."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Benson Boone Details Surprising Tom Holland Friendship at AMAs 2025
Originally appeared on E! Online For Benson Boone, his budding friendship with Tom Holland is a beautiful thing. The "Slow It Down" singer gave insight into his new ties to the Spider-Man star, who he was seen hanging out with at Soho House Holloway in West Hollywood, Calif., earlier this month. As Benson exclusively told E! News at the 2025 American Music Awards red carpet May 26, "He's a great, great human being." But how did the pair become pals? "Just word of mouth," Benson revealed, "and then it got around." He's such an admirer of Tom, in fact, that he admitted he wouldn't turn down the opportunity to sing at Tom's wedding to Zendaya if asked. "Immediate, yes, of course, of course," he said in the interview, airing May 27 at 11 p.m. "I'm not gonna pass that over." Tom, 28, and Zendaya, 28, debuted their engagement at the 2025 Golden Globes on Jan. 5, when the Euphoria actress arrived with a giant sparkler on that finger. More from E! Online How The Handmaid's Tale Series Finale Ended After 6 Seasons—With One Big Burning Question Duck Dynasty's Sadie Robertson Details Final Moments with Grandfather Phil Robertson American Music Awards 2025: See All the Celebrity Red Carpet Fashion However, the couple—whose offscreen romance was revealed in 2021—won't be heading down the aisle anytime soon, according to Zendaya's stylist Law Roach. 'It's far away,' he told E! News' Erin Lim Rhodes in April. 'They're both doing a bunch of movies this year and there's a lot of premieres next year so you'll see a lot of red carpets.' Law teased, 'I'm resting up for 2026.' And so is Benson. After all, it's been a "crazy year" for the "Beautiful Things" artist. "It's hard to try and keep up with everything and feel like I'm on top of it," he told E! at the AMAs. "Just a lot coming and going very quickly, and it's a little overwhelming at times, but at the same time like I'm just trying my best. I'm just trying to trying to do what I love, and trying to do it in a way that makes me happy." Of course, aside from his new friend Tom, he added, "I got a lot of people on my team that support me, and I have a family that supports me, and that's all you can really ask for. So I'm just doing my best out here." Scroll on for more celebrities who brought their star power to the 2025 American Music Awards. —Reporting by Rachel Smith Renee RappKendra Scott & Zac BrownBenson BooneJon BatisteShaboozeyCiaraMachine Gun KellyWayne Brady & Maile MasakoNora FatehiRod StewartHeidi KlumNikki GlaserTiffany HaddishDan + ShayBecky GDavid Guetta & Jessica LedonJordan ChilesLainey WilsonDylan EfronSpencer Pratt & Heidi MontagAlex WarrenMegan MoroneyMontana TuckerAlix Earle
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
A scoop of competition: Hanwha's Benson challenges Baskin-Robbins' 40-year reign
Kim Dong-sun, vice president of Hanwha Galleria and third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, on Friday launched premium ice cream brand Benson with its first store, Benson Creamery Seoul, in Apgujeong. All eyes are on whether it can challenge market leader Baskin-Robbins. Betterscoop Creamery is a new Hanwha Galleria subsidiary led by Oh Min-woo, who also oversaw the launch of the hamburger chain Five Guys in Seoul in 2023. 'Vice President Kim was deeply involved in the brand's direction and decision-making,' Oh said during a May 19 press briefing. This isn't Hanwha Galleria's first foray into ice cream. In 2018, it launched EBA (Everything But Artificial) Ice Cream, which was discontinued in 2023 due to limited reach and low brand recognition. Learning from that, Hanwha has taken a more strategic approach with Benson, applying for a new trademark and securing a dedicated manufacturing facility in Pocheon. Benson is positioned as a premium offering, using only domestic milk and cream, acacia honey, and single-origin Tanzanian chocolate. A single 100g cup is priced at 5,300 won ($3.73) — about 1,400 won more than a Baskin-Robbins single regular. A pint (320g) costs 15,300 won, 5,500 won more than Baskin-Robbins' 9,800 won. 'The target demographics for Benson and Baskin-Robbins are likely very different,' an industry insider noted. 'Benson's location in Apgujeong signals a deliberate premium strategy.' The company plans to open 10 to 20 directly operated stores this year. While market entry won't be easy, CEO Oh said the goal is not direct competition. 'We're not reacting to any one competitor. We hope to elevate the overall ice cream market and offer more options to consumers.' Meanwhile, SPC's Baskin-Robbins is marking its 40th anniversary in Korea with a renewed brand vision, 'ICET' (Innovation, Collaboration, Environment, Technology). 'We aim to go beyond variety and explore new value,' said Hur Hee-soo, SPC Group vice president and son of Chairman Hur Young-in, credited with bringing Shake Shack to Seoul in 2016. Baskin-Robbins recently launched a Cheongdam flagship store featuring its Deep Collection, made with higher milk fat and Echire milk, alongside lower-calorie, reduced-sugar options and AI-developed flavors. Since its first store opened in Myeong-dong in 1986, the brand has expanded to over 1,500 locations nationwide.
