Latest news with #Kyra
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Parent says fatal water park party was 'nightmare'
A parent has told an inquest the day an 11-year-old girl went missing at a water park was a "nightmare that wouldn't stop". Kelly Edwards was with her daughter at a birthday party at Liquid Leisure, near Datchet, Berkshire, in August 2022, when Kyra Hill went missing and later drowned. She said "it felt like forever" searching for Kyra who was found more than an hour after emergency services were called. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. The hearing at Reading Coroner's Court has previously heard the water in parts of the park was metres deep, but signs only warned it was shallow. Ms Edwards said she was told by the party organiser's husband that Kyra, from Croydon, south London, was missing, while a couple said they saw a child swim under the designated area towards the inflatables. She told the inquest she went into the water, screamed and shouted Kyra's name before diving down to try and find her. "When I was in the water, it dropped massively. It wasn't shallow by any means," she said. She got out of the water and walked towards the inflatables to continue looking. She recalled asking a senior member of staff to stop the music as it was "so loud" and requested they make "an announcement that a child was missing" but they did not, it was heard. She said: "It was like a nightmare that wouldn't stop, the music wasn't stopping, people were carrying on, still in the waters. "They weren't being moved and I was screaming for Kyra, for people to do something." Ms Edwards recalled stopping a member of staff to ask where they had last seen Krya, they said in the water. She said she felt "so stupid" looking for her on land but the information was "conflicting and there was so much confusion". She told the hearing she got back into the water with others in a line to search. 'I can't see in the water, once you've put your head down it's so murky you couldn't see anything," Ms Edwards said. "...it was so deep in that area, I couldn't reach the bottom." She described her daughter as a really strong swimmer but even she was "surprised" by how deep the water got so quickly. "It just seemed that nothing was taken seriously, nothing was deemed as an emergency, and I feel so angry with myself every day that I came out [of the water] and no-one went to the children and asked them where Kyra was," Ms Edwards added. The lifeguard who responded to the scene was a school pupil at the time and Ms Edwards described her as a "little girl" because she looked young. She also said she called on staff to ask members of the public to leave the water, but it was not cleared until emergency services arrived. The hearing continues. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram. No deep water signs at park where girl died - inquest Water park fined £80k after girl, 11, drowned Girl at water park died of drowning - inquest Dad of drowned girl distressed over park reopening Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts warn of health epidemic sparked by Britain's housing crisis
Kyra, 46, had been trying for months to get her landlord to deal with the mould in her Tottenham flat. Living with her 16-year-old daughter and struggling with her own health, the London-born mother is worried about the physical and mental effect her housing issues are having on them. 'I'm always sick,' she says, 'I'm always sick in the house. I'm always sick. 'My blood pressure is rising, my anxiety ... I went to my GP thinking maybe it's the mould – I'm having a constant cough that's not going away. 'Every minute I'm at the doctor, my house is full of medications.' Health inspectors from the council have visited the property every month, and have asked Kyra's landlord to resolve the issue. But last month she says one told her that the council 'can't force him' to do anything. However, the council says that her landlord has made 'several important improvements' following their intervention. Not long after, Kyra received a section 21 'no-fault' eviction notice telling her she had to leave the flat she's lived in for four years. She's now looking for a new place to call home as her daughter tries to study for her upcoming GCSE exams. 'I don't want this to affect her because she has been working so hard and studying and extra classes,' says Kyra, 'I'm just so worried.' And she is far from alone in her challenging experience of being a private renter. A new first-of-its-kind survey of thousands of health workers has revealed that most believe housing issues are worsening health conditions in the UK. Conducted by health justice charity Medact, the survey of over 2,000 health workers including nurses and doctors found that two-thirds believe that making rent more affordable would reduce the strain on NHS. A similar proportion say that they regularly see children with health problems likely caused or worsened by insecure housing, while seven in ten have seen patients' mental health conditions caused or worsened by their housing problems. The shocking results come as part of Medact's 'Home Sick Home' report, which makes several recommendations to the government to break the link between housing issues and poor health. These include building good-quality social housing and introducing rent controls. Dr Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy is a Medact member and children's doctor. He deals with children's health problems on a daily basis, telling The Independent that the issues he's seeing are 'increasingly to do with the the homes in which they're living.' The pediatrician points to the tragic death of two-year old Awab Ishak in 2020, whose respiratory condition was caused by the mouldy conditions of the flat he was living in. The toddler's death sparked a review of landlord guidance and ultimately 'Awaab's Law' in 2023, which will require social landlords to fix dangerous damp and mould issues within a set time from October this year. In February, Labour pledged to widen the law as part of its landmark Renters' Rights Bill, extending it to private landlords. But damp and mould issues are 'just tip of the iceberg,' says Dr Amaran, adding that another key issue is 'how housing has become so unaffordable to people. 'And the extent to which, how much of the monthly income is going to rent means there's nothing left over for all the material needs that allow for a healthy childhood and for a healthy adolescence. 'So that means that children won't have money left for things like, particularly at the moment, energy bills, but also essentials like the school uniform, sports equipment, the opportunity to participate in social clubs, sports clubs, and so on.' Dr Abi O'Connor, researcher at the New Economics Foundation, said 'Private landlords have been allowed to increase rents to eye-watering levels and now we're seeing the consequences – it's making people and our economy sicker. If the government are interested in improving the economy for ordinary people, it is clear they must address the plague of unaffordable rents. 'In the short term they should introduce rent controls to give people stability, and in the long term they will need to build more social housing which is the only way to provide people with safe, affordable homes." Responding to Kyra's housing situation, Cllr Sarah Williams, Haringey Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning said: 'Our priority is to continue to raise standards in privately rented homes in the borough and make sure that tenants live in healthy, safe and well-managed homes. 'Following a report of poor standards, the landlord has undertaken several important improvements to the property in response to our intervention, including the installation of cavity wall insulation and added air vents to help remedy the damp and mould. 'We don't want to see any private renters evicted and our specialist team can provide additional support.'
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Experts warn of health epidemic sparked by Britain's housing crisis
Kyra*, 46, had been trying for months to get her landlord to deal with the mould in her Tottenham flat. Living with her 16-year-old daughter and struggling with her own health, the London -born mother is worried about the physical and mental effect her housing issues are having on them. 'I'm always sick,' she says, 'I'm always sick in the house. I'm always sick. 'My blood pressure is rising, my anxiety ... I went to my GP thinking maybe it's the mould – I'm having a constant cough that's not going away. 'Every minute I'm at the doctor, my house is full of medications.' Health inspectors from the council have visited the property every month, and have asked Kyra's landlord to resolve the issue. But last month she says one told her that the council 'can't force him' to do anything. However, the council says that her landlord has made 'several important improvements' following their intervention. Not long after, Kyra received a section 21 'no-fault' eviction notice telling her she had to leave the flat she's lived in for four years. She's now looking for a new place to call home as her daughter tries to study for her upcoming GCSE exams. 'I don't want this to affect her because she has been working so hard and studying and extra classes,' says Kyra, 'I'm just so worried.' And she is far from alone in her challenging experience of being a private renter. A new first-of-its-kind survey of thousands of health workers has revealed that most believe housing issues are worsening health conditions in the UK. Conducted by health justice charity Medact, the survey of over 2,000 health workers including nurses and doctors found that two-thirds believe that making rent more affordable would reduce the strain on NHS. A similar proportion say that they regularly see children with health problems likely caused or worsened by insecure housing, while seven in ten have seen patients' mental health conditions caused or worsened by their housing problems. The shocking results come as part of Medact's 'Home Sick Home' report, which makes several recommendations to the government to break the link between housing issues and poor health. These include building good-quality social housing and introducing rent controls. Dr Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy is a Medact member and children's doctor. He deals with children's health problems on a daily basis, telling The Independent that the issues he's seeing are 'increasingly to do with the the homes in which they're living.' The pediatrician points to the tragic death of two-year old Awab Ishak in 2020, whose respiratory condition was caused by the mouldy conditions of the flat he was living in. The toddler's death sparked a review of landlord guidance and ultimately 'Awaab's Law' in 2023, which will require social landlords to fix dangerous damp and mould issues within a set time from October this year. In February, Labour pledged to widen the law as part of its landmark Renters' Rights Bill, extending it to private landlords. But damp and mould issues are 'just tip of the iceberg,' says Dr Amaran, adding that another key issue is 'how housing has become so unaffordable to people. 'And the extent to which, how much of the monthly income is going to rent means there's nothing left over for all the material needs that allow for a healthy childhood and for a healthy adolescence. 'So that means that children won't have money left for things like, particularly at the moment, energy bills, but also essentials like the school uniform, sports equipment, the opportunity to participate in social clubs, sports clubs, and so on.' Dr Abi O'Connor, researcher at the New Economics Foundation, said 'Private landlords have been allowed to increase rents to eye-watering levels and now we're seeing the consequences – it's making people and our economy sicker. If the government are interested in improving the economy for ordinary people, it is clear they must address the plague of unaffordable rents. 'In the short term they should introduce rent controls to give people stability, and in the long term they will need to build more social housing which is the only way to provide people with safe, affordable homes." Responding to Kyra's housing situation, Cllr Sarah Williams, Haringey Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning said: 'Our priority is to continue to raise standards in privately rented homes in the borough and make sure that tenants live in healthy, safe and well-managed homes. 'Following a report of poor standards, the landlord has undertaken several important improvements to the property in response to our intervention, including the installation of cavity wall insulation and added air vents to help remedy the damp and mould. 'We don't want to see any private renters evicted and our specialist team can provide additional support.'
The Guardian
03-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
This is how we do it: ‘We don't need sex for intimacy – we walk around naked, kiss and flirt'
As it takes Kyra a long time to climax, we usually have sex on the weekend – it takes up a Saturday morning Even though I've had more experience with women than Kyra, she has a higher sex drive than me. I'd happily have sex once a month, whereas Kyra wants it two or three times a week. So we settle on once a fortnight. When we have sex, I'll be living off that buzz for a while, but I think Kyra would like to live in that buzz constantly. The fact that she is four years younger and this is her first lesbian relationship is probably part of it (when we met, I was 26 and she was 22). But it's more than that – Kyra wants joy all the time. She's hedonistic and wants to do everything. Then do it again, and again. She makes life fun. It's what I love about her. If we haven't had sex in two weeks, Kyra will say: 'This is really bad.' But it won't bother me. We don't need to have sex for sexual intimacy. We walk around naked, lie together on the sofa, touch and kiss. Grab each other's bums in bars. Flirt outrageously. But I feel closest to Kyra behind closed doors, when it's just me and her. Talking about boring things, like how the car needs an MOT. I can be my true self when I'm around her. As it takes Kyra a long time to climax, we usually have sex on the weekend – it takes up a Saturday morning. Brunch plans are out of the question. Other times, she might suggest a quickie in a club bathroom, or on the sofa after work, but in reality she doesn't get home until 7pm, and dinner's already in the oven. So it's probably not going to happen in the way she fantasises. If I question whether her needs are being met and discuss opening up our relationship, she'll say, 'I do want more sex, but I only want it with you.' I can be stubborn and think: you can't make me. But then I take a step back and realise my wife's asked something simple of me, and I'm withholding out of stubbornness or laziness. Kyra and I aren't the same people who met nearly 16 years ago. Our intimacy has grown with us and we've made each other who we are. When things like how much we prioritise sex come up, we can be vulnerable and talk about it without worrying about how the other will react. If you're keen to talk to us about your sex lives you can get in touch by filling in the form below. It is very important that both sexual partners are happy to participate. Lucy has big, strong hands that I find so attractive. Sometimes when I masturbate, I just think about her hands Before Lucy, I'd always wanted to have sex with girls, but I hadn't met a hot, butch, cool lesbian like her. That's why it was explosive when we got together. I was living in a shared house, and we'd go into my room on a Friday afternoon and emerge Monday lunchtime. It was like that for more than a year. I wanted to have sex all the time. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Lucy has big, strong hands that I find so attractive. Sometimes when I masturbate, I just think about her hands. I'm an active thinker and can find it frustrating how straightforward and uncomplicated Lucy is. I try to coax fantasies out of her, but she resists and says she doesn't have them like I do. It also takes me a lot longer to orgasm, whereas it's so easy for Lucy. And because I need to orgasm to feel satisfied, the sex we have is indulgent and lasts two or three hours. As Lucy comes first, she is the one who puts in more effort and energy, which is partly why I'm eager to have sex more often. In the back of her mind, she's thinking: 'How long will this take?' But I think Lucy imagines I want to have sex more than I do; once a week is enough. Sometimes I wish she had a higher sex drive, but I don't feel any pressure to initiate sex; Lucy initiates it. If we haven't done it for a week or two, and we're in bed on a Saturday morning, kissing, giggling and gossiping, I'll think, 'here we go'. There are seasons to our sex life – it ebbs and flows, it evolves. It might be romantic and loving for a while, but at the moment it's more kinky. Recently, I've become more interested in the butch-femme dynamic, where Lucy is in control. It plays into what I'm attracted to in women: strength, power and masculinity. And I like to feel feminine, or powerless, in contrast. I hope it will always continue to change, as I find not knowing what the future holds exciting.
CNN
25-03-2025
- Health
- CNN
Which Cooking Oils Should You Be Using? - Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta - Podcast on CNN Audio
Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:00:03 Welcome to Paging Dr Gupta! This is the podcast where I get to answer your health questions, and they drive the conversation. Let's see what's on your mind today. Kyra, one of our producers is here, who do we have first? Kyra Dahring 00:00:17 Hey, Sanjay. So Will from Passaic, New Jersey, asks which cooking oils are the worst for your cholesterol, and increase those levels, and which ones actually help lower your bad cholesterol? Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:00:30 'All right this has been a topic that's been in the news quite a bit lately. Seed oils versus animal fats. A couple things to keep in mind: Saturated fats, and these are typically going to be made of the tropical fats such as coconut and palm tree, but also butter and beef tallow. Lots of saturated fats in there. Saturated fats was something that we used to cook with a lot up until the middle of the last century, when it became clear that they were more likely to elevate your cholesterol and were associated with heart disease. That is when we started to move more and more towards plant based fats and seed oils. Those are things like canola oil and avocado oil and olive oil, but also sesame oil, soybean oil, peanut oil. You get the idea. Those are generally going to be lower in saturated fats. Now, there's no question that seed oils are heavily processed. They can be pro-inflammatory and sometimes when they degrade or decompose, they may give off other chemicals as well. And that's been sort of the concern about those. But again keep in mind they are typically much lower in saturated fat. So Will what decades of research has shown us is that consuming too many saturated fats does increase the risk of heart disease. LDL cholesterol, often referred to as bad cholesterol, that can build up in the blood vessels as well. So replacing those saturated fats with unsaturated fats is going to be better for your heart. In fact, there was this large study following around 220,000 people over 30 years that found about a 15% decrease in mortality overall. If you substituted unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, and actually an increase in about 16% when it comes to mortality, when you're eating more of those saturated fats. Kyra Dahring 00:02:23 Okay, wait, but what about coconut oil? Because I feel like people are always calling it this, you know, healthy alternative and I feel healthy when I'm using it! But if it's packed with saturated fat, should we not be cooking with it? Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:02:39 Yeah look, when it comes to coconut oil, Kyra, keep this in mind, it's a lot of calories and it's a lot of saturated fat. It may have some potential benefits, like actually raising your HDL, that's the good cholesterol. That's because of something known as its lauric acid content. There's also a lot of what are known as MCTs medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil and that can be helpful as well. But you know, when you have a lot of calories and a lot of saturated fat, you have to think about using the coconut oil sparingly. So it's not going to be necessarily the healthiest option when it comes to oils that are higher in unsaturated fats. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:03:19 Okay, now you've probably heard it a thousand times, drink eight glasses of water a day, but is that really the magic number or is that a myth? We'll get into it after the break. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:03:36 And we're on to the next page. Kyra, what's the question? Kyra Dahring 00:03:39 Actually, Sanjay, one of our other producers, Jennifer, had a really great question and was wondering how much water should we actually drink each day? Is the eight glasses a day rule true? A myth? You know, what should we be aiming for? Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:03:55 'Yeah. It's amazing how many people ask this question on a regular basis. The eight glasses a day rule. It's not necessarily a myth, but many of these guidances and recommendations are not set in stone either. The numbers sort of a rough estimate based on average needs. Some people need more. Some people need less. Depends on your size. Depends on what you've been doing that day. But in general, women about 8 to 10 cups a day. That's 64 to 80oz. Men about 10 to 12 cups a day, 80 to 96oz. But again, factors like climate, your activity level if you've been sick, your personal health, all those things play a role. Now the larger question probably is why does hydration matter so much? Think of it like this. About 60% of your body is made of water. It plays a role in keeping all of your body systems working well, everything from blood pressure to kidney function to joint health to your brain health as well. Just a 2% decrease in hydration can affect your cognitive abilities. Think about that the next time you're going into an important meeting or taking a test. Just being 2% dehydrated may affect how well you perform in those areas. Now, I do want to point out when it comes to hydrating yourself, it's not just water that will contribute to that daily intake. Coffee, tea, sparkling water, seltzers, flavored waters those are all really good low calorie choices. Sugary drinks like regular sodas, energy drinks, sweetened water, things like that, they don't have any nutritional value, so they should be avoided. Now, something to note and I think this is really important, dehydration sneaks up on you. And what that means is by the time you're thirsty, you're probably already dehydrated. So you really need to stay ahead of it. It's better to sip throughout the day rather than occasionally gulp down some water. If you struggle with trying to get the recommended water intake. Here are a couple of tips that I incorporate into my own life: Start your day with water. You've just been sleeping, you've probably gone without water for several hours. So keep a glass next to your bed so you can hydrate first thing. Try to attach drinking a full glass of water to other key routines you do. That's called habit stacking. So drink a glass of water while you wait for your coffee, while you walk your dog, while you heat up your food. Also, don't forget to eat water rich fruits and veggies like watermelons, cucumbers, and oranges. That helps as well. And if you struggle to know exactly how much water you're drinking, try filling a large bottle like a 32-ounce bottle in the morning and then sip from that throughout the day, that helps you keep track. But really keeping that water next to your bed, making sure it's the first thing you reach for in the morning. That goes a long way. And at the end of the day, listen to your body. If you're thirsty, if you feel fatigued, if you feel a headache coming on, it's probably a component of dehydration and that means it's time for a water break. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:07:00 'Okay, that's all we got for today's episode, but if you have a health question on your mind, I want to hear it. Record a voice memo, email it to asksanjay@ or give us a call, (470) 396-0832 and leave a message. Thanks for listening. I'll be back next Tuesday. Chasing life is a production of CNN Audio. Our podcast is produced by Eryn Mathewson, Jennifer Lai, Grace Walker, Lori Galaretta, Jesse Remedios, Sofía Sánchez, and Kyra Dahring. Andrea Kane is our medical writer. Our senior producer is Dan Bloom, Amanda Sealey is our showrunner, Dan Dzula is our technical director, and the executive producer of CNN Audio is Steve Lickteig. With support from Jamus Andrest, Jon Dianora, Haley Thomas, Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, Leni Steinhardt, Nichole Pesaru and Lisa Namerow. Special thanks to Ben Tinker and Nadia Kounang of CNN Health and Katie Hinman.
