Latest news with #Momen
Glasgow Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow pupils 'so proud' after school's 'wonderful' inspection report
Primary seven children Anna, Momen and Ben joined teachers, parents and families in their delight at the news. Momen said: 'We did really well and we are proud of our school.' Ben added: 'I'm glad we did so well.' Anna said: 'It's not too surprising because for the last seven years it's always been very good.' Staff and children from Scotstoun Primary (Image: Scotstoun Primary) The Education Scotland team praised the school's 'highly effective leadership of change at all levels' and added: 'Senior leaders, teachers and support staff use their professional knowledge and skills very well to ensure positive outcomes for all children and drive forward improvements. 'Children articulate well the positive difference they are making in their school and beyond.' Scotstoun Primary has featured in the Glasgow Times because of its brilliant community initiatives. Its Café Culture project, which brings parents from different cultures and backgrounds together to cook, share recipes and chat, won the Best School Award at our Community Champion Awards in 2023. (Image: Mark Gibson/Newsquest) The inspectors said the school benefitted from 'very well-established and high-quality community and partnership working' and added: 'Everyone recognises and honours the cultural diversity within the school and local community which ensures a strong sense of belonging.' The report also praised 'teachers' highly-effective use of digital technologies which are fully integrated within teaching, learning and assessment', and it continued: 'Staff also plan and provide high-quality play, STEM and inquiry-based experiences. This is enhancing children's learning and skills.' READ NEXT: 14 pictures which tell story of Glasgow school and its famous ex-pupils 'Gran's report card' discovery reveals story of 'lost' Glasgow school 'We're so lucky to have the Citz': Free drama lessons as Glasgow theatre re-opens Other key strengths highlighted by the inspectors included 'well-designed, nurturing approaches and events" which "help children to feel safe, secure and confident', and 'very successful approaches to raise children's attainment and accelerate their progress, including closing any gaps in learning.' As an area for improvement, the inspectors said the school should 'continue to develop and deliver high-quality, enriching learning experiences for children across a range of contexts, including outdoors.' Headteacher Emma McGill said: 'We are delighted and proud that the hard work and support of our staff team, children, families and wider community has been recognised through our very good inspection report. 'Our staff are dedicated to ensuring all children are supported and made to feel part of our school family and we are so pleased that this was recognised.' She added: 'Our partnership working with our families and wider community is a key factor in our success and we really appreciate their ongoing support.' Councillor Christina Cannon, Glasgow City Council's education convener said: 'What a wonderful report card for the school community. 'Inspectors illustrate many highlights throughout the publication… and the cultural diversity of the school community gets a special mention, a couple of years after the school's successful launch of their Café Culture recipe book which saw a host of different dishes chosen from the many cultures that make up Scotstoun Primary school. 'Congratulations to all.' The full report is available on the Education Scotland website.
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Mishka Rushdie Momen review – the poignancy and power of Schubert unleashed
Two Schubert sonatas were the main works framing Mishka Rushdie Momen's programme in the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama's Steinway series. Given that both were in the minor mode – the A minor, D784 and the C minor, D958 – together they constituted quite a serious, heavyweight affair for a Sunday morning recital. A pianist of graceful poise and sensitivity, Momen has a highly fluent technique that allowed everything to carry well in this acoustic. And, despite seeming a slight slip of a thing, to use an old-fashioned phrase, in these sonatas she showed that she could unleash considerable power in Schubert's outbursts of high-volume dramatic tension, sometimes shocking in their immediacy. At the other extreme, her pianissimo was often pianississimo, so that lyrical lines, rather than quietly singing out, sounded understated and as a result curiously underwhelming. It was in the mercurial finale of the A minor sonata and the lilting, dance-like F major theme with its chromatic edge, poignant and piquant at every appearance, that Momen captured most expressively the happy/sad ambivalence of this composer's musical makeup. That same tendency to play on vast dynamic contrasts was present in the C minor sonata too, the first of Schubert's final three almost symphonic sonatas in which trauma and foreboding coexist with the consoling beauty of music. Again, it was the Allegro finale – febrile, fast and furious – that communicated best. Three pieces from Janáček's On an Overgrown Path, No 1 Naše večery (Our Evenings), No 9 V pláči (In Tears) and No 10, Sýček neodletěl! (The Barn Owl Has Not Flown Away!) formed a neat tripartite sequence. In these Moravian-inflected melodies, Momen negotiated the balance of serenity and volatility in a way which resonated with Schubert. Momen has written about her affinity for the keyboard music of William Byrd and this was manifest in her playing of his Prelude and Fantasia in A minor, MB 12 and 13. Here was fine rhythmic clarity and conviction, but with an element of playful fantasy too. It felt refreshing for being a foil for the big sonatas and, heard in this context was also, for many, an illuminating introduction to the Renaissance master. In recital at Wesley Centre, Harrogate, 2 June ; at Wigmore Hall, London, 8 June
Sky News
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Sudan: Waiting and praying for news of victory after two years of civil war
From the crowded northwestern market spilling over with returnees, vendors and soldiers, to the barren stalls of central Omdurman still devastated by brutal battles, people here are praying for news of a military victory after almost two years of war. Omdurman, along with Khartoum and Khartoum North (Bahri), are jointly called the tri-capital and constitute the national capital of the republic of Sudan. The Sudanese army has now reclaimed Khartoum North and is moving quickly to liberate Khartoum - the heart of the capital - from all directions. Its grass-roots support here is born out of sheer necessity - a need to release Sudan's cities from a deadly occupation by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - the militia that was once trained and armed by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) is fighting it for absolute control. RSF siege conditions, SAF airstrikes and shelling have killed tens of thousands of civilians in the capital alone, and now the final battles for its liberation are proving to be the most brutal. "We have seen heads cut off bodies," emergency response room (ERR) volunteer Momen Wad Zeinab tells us in the backyard of one of the few functioning hospitals, Al Nao hospital in Omdurman. "We see a lot of things. We aren't good, all of us. One of our fellow volunteers has gone mute for over a month now. We have tried to give him relaxants to help him but now we have had to keep him away from the hospital." Momen adds: "Nowadays, we are with the military because we see the RSF as the big enemy. First, we will finish with the RSF by attack or negotiation. Then, after the war, we will try to rebuild." The ERRs have been hailed for their life-saving work and nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. But their revolutionary roots as the neighbourhood resistance committees that planned pro-democracy demonstrations and treated injured protesters in Sudan's 2019 revolution have left them vulnerable to arrests by the Sudanese authorities. Under his breath, Momen tells us the intelligence officer escorting our team through the hospital has arrested him before. When I called to speak to him a day later, he'd just been released from detention after showing up to provide assistance at another health facility in Omdurman failing to keep patients alive. "Our revolution has become another kind of revolution. It is not always about marches and fighting and saying no - sometimes it is by helping people here," he says. "After the war finishes, we will go back to the street and fight against the military and say to them we need civilians to rule this country." One of his fellow volunteers was killed in the recent RSF shelling of Al Nao hospital. Four other members of this ERR have died from sickness or combat injuries. And after risking their lives since the start of the war in April 2023, their capacity has now been compromised by Donald Trump's freezing of USAID funding. Past the dwindling ERR pharmacy giving out free medicine and the bustling blood bank, there is an outdoor waiting room where we find 13-year-old Mohamed. He was caught in the latest RSF shelling of one of the largest surviving markets in SAF territory, Sabreen. Shrapnel broke Mohamed's leg as he sold biscuits at a stall to help his family. The strike was one of the deadliest single attacks in the capital since the start of the war, killing close to 60 people and injuring 200. "I saw dead people and bodies torn apart. It was not a pretty sight," Mohamed tells me with wide eyes. "When I remember it, I feel shock." The bricks and cement that made up a two-storey building in Sabreen market are still crumbling at the site of the attack. "People are just trying to eat. They have nothing to do with the military, nothing to do with this war," the area commander tells us, pointing at the rubble. "The RSF knows where the military sites are but they want to terrorise civilians." Two weeks later, the streets of Sabreen market are heaving with people who have to make a living despite the risk, civilians and soldiers merging into a river of people. As we approach the car to leave the market, a security officer yells in our direction: "No civilian rule, no nothing! Only dictatorship from now on!" There is a tense silence of embarrassment and glares from the soldiers around him. For the first time, it is hard to tell who is a career officer and who could be a protester turned recruit. "Revolutionaries have become military recruits, community volunteers have become military recruits, and Islamists have become military recruits," a revolutionary turned soldier, Tewa, tells me after another day on the frontline.
The Independent
05-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
How your workout routine affects your skin
If you're sticking to a New Years resolution of becoming more active, there are several things to consider beyond the workout. Scheduling exercise around work, increased clothes washes and not to mention how it interferes with your hair wash routine – introducing more physical activity can be bit of an admin nightmare. But the benefits certainly outweigh the negatives – from better cardio health to rosy, radiant skin. But balancing a good skincare routine alongside your workout is imperative for getting that healthy looking glow. So, dermatologists and skincare experts explain how working out actually affects your skin, and their top tips for maintaining a fresh-faced complexion. How does regular exercise impact your skin? Depending on the nature of your workout, regular exercise has both positive and negative impacts on this skin. 'Regular exercise promotes healthy skin by increasing blood circulation, which delivers oxygen and essential nutrients to skin cells,' explains dermatologist Dr Sophie Momen at the Cadogan Clinic. 'This enhanced circulation supports cell regeneration and collagen production, contributing to a more youthful appearance. Exercise also helps regulate stress hormones such as cortisol, which can reduce inflammation and breakouts.' Physical activity can also stimulate lymphatic drainage, reducing puffiness and fluid retention. However, over-exercising without proper skincare can potentially have negative effects, such as increased oxidative stress, premature sagging or skin irritation from sweat. How sweat affects the skin Getting on a good sweat during a workout can feel great, as sweat contains toxins that you're pumping out of your system. However, sweating itself does not detoxify the skin. 'The primary detoxification organs are the liver and kidneys, however sweating can help clear out impurities from the pores by flushing out dirt, oil and bacteria, which may contribute to a clearer complexion,' says Momen. Despite containing toxins, sweating can be good for your skin. 'Sweat however does help to regulate body temperature which prevents overheating, which can reduce inflammation and puffiness,' says cellular biochemist and SEABODY founder, Dr Helena McMahon. When it comes to sweat and breakouts, it's important to understand how acne is actually caused. 'Sweating itself doesn't cause acne, but leaving sweat on your skin for too long can create an environment where bacteria can thrive, leading to breakouts,' explains skin expert and founder of RE Skin Clinic, Rebecca Elsdon. 'Friction from tight workout clothing can also trigger acne mechanica. To prevent this, always cleanse your skin post-workout with a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser.' How exercise affects ageing skin and collagen production While excessive, high intensity exercise can cause skin to sag, exercise largely slows down the signs of ageing. 'Exercise can slow skin ageing by improving circulation and oxygenation, which support collagen production and cell renewal,' says Momen. 'Collagen is essential for maintaining skin's elasticity and firmness, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 'Regular physical activity also helps regulate cortisol levels, which can otherwise contribute to collagen breakdown and premature ageing.' However, if you're exercising outside, you should be wary about environmental factors. 'Prolonged exposure to UV rays during outdoor exercise can accelerate ageing, making it essential to wear sunscreen and maintain a suitable skincare routine,' says Momen. The ideal skincare routine for workouts While you may want to keep your skin as clean as possible, over-cleansing the skin or using harsh ingredients followed by a sweaty workout can irritate and cause damage to your skin barrier. While removing any make-up before your workout is essential, 'the ideal skin routine for exercise starts during the workout itself,' explains Harley Street skin expert and aesthetics doctor, Dr Ed Robinson. 'Avoid touching your face throughout where dirty gym equipment and bacteria are transferred to your face.' Post-workout, the experts suggest a gentle cleanser. 'Post-workout skincare should include gentle, hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and aloe vera to soothe the skin and prevent irritation,' says Momen. 'Fragrance-free, non-comedogenic formulations are ideal to maintain a healthy post-exercise skincare routine.' Supergoop! Play Everyday Lotion SPF50, £11.50, Cult Beauty SEABODY Hydrogel Mask Cleanser, £44 Absolute Collagen Deep Lift Collagen Boosting Day Cream, £45 Specific ingredients to look for (and avoid) in post-workout skincare When curating the perfect skincare bundle for your gym bag, there are certain ingredients to incorporate as well as some to avoid. 'Avoid anti-ageing products, like vitamin C, retinol, AHA acids and certainly do not exfoliate directly after, as this will just irritate their skin,' says medical director of Cosmedics Skin Clinics, Dr Ross Perry. You should look out for moisturisers that are high in occlusives, as these help seal in moisture. 'Moisturisers have three categories of ingredients,' explains dermal therapist Joanna Fleming. 'These are humectants, emollients and occlusives. 'Humectants, such as hyaluronic acid, draw moisture into the skin. Emollients, like ceramides, help keep the skin smooth and prevent moisture loss. Then occlusives, like shea butter, help seal in moisture,' says Fleming. 'Use a decent moisturiser that helps lock in moisture, which you'll be low on after exercising, as we lose a lot of water through our skin,' says Robinson.
