Positive signs of schizophrenia

For nearly two decades, women in Afghanistan have played an active part in social and political life by holding political office, working in professions and running businesses. Advances for women have extended from the country's elite in the cities all the way to the less-privileged communities in the provinces. However, Afghan women now fear their place in society will again be marginalized as the Islamist militant Taliban consolidate their power under a peace deal with the US. There are big questions about how the social landscape in Afghanistan will shift under Taliban influence, and what conditions will be forced upon women. Fawzia Koofi, a member of the Afghan government delegation negotiating with the Taliban, said it is difficult to determine how the Taliban have changed nearly 20 years after being removed from political power. Afghanistan, however, has turned into a different country. "When they [the Taliban] get to know the new Afghanistan and see the media, the … [Read more...] about Afghan women risk losing their rights in a new political setup

W as this the coming of age for Kai Havertz at Chelsea? The 21-year-old forced an own goal and won a penalty as they moved back into the Champions League places. But even more than that the forward finally looked the part; he looked like what he was when he signed last summer - one of the most coveted players in European football. Once again there was a touch of alchemy from Thomas Tuchel – albeit a £62million signing and an expensively-assembled squad can hardly be described as base metal – as he tinkered with his line-up, d eployed Havertz as a ‘false nine’ and defeated Everton, one of the main challengers for a top four spot. Chelsea have momentum and are only four points off second place. For Tuchel it is 11 matches without defeat, eight wins and a fifth home game without conceding – a new Premier League record for a new manager – and by any measure he has made a hugely impressive, transformative start to life at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have let in just two goals in those … [Read more...] about Chelsea go 11 games unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel as Kai Havertz impresses in win over Everton

ShoeZone has announced a new boss after permanently closing 40 stores across the UK as a result of Covid restrictions. The discounter said new finance boss Terry Boot will today replace Peter Boot, who walked away unexpectedly last month after just seven months in the role. The footwear retailer said that Boot will join the company with immediate effect. He will take on the position after four years working with The Company of Master Jewellers, following roles at Brantano and Jones Bootmaker. Anthony Smith, chief executive of ShoeZone, said: "We are delighted that Terry has agreed to join Shoe Zone and are confident that his considerable experience will strengthen the board." It came as the retailer today announced it will pay no dividends to shareholders until it is able to pay off its £12million debt, which is not expected to be until 2025 at the earliest. ShoeZone also confirmed that it reduced its store estate by 40 in 2020 as a result of Covid restrictions and sales … [Read more...] about Terry Boot to fill Peter Foot’s boots as new ShoeZone boss after axing 40 stores

Virgin Atlantic is paying tribute to Sir Richard Branson 's late mother Eve Branson, by naming one of its new A350 planes after her. Mrs Branson sadly passed away in January aged 96, after a battle with coronavirus. The airline announced that it would be marking International Women's Day by naming two new aircraft after inspirational women; one honouring Eve, the other paying tribute to Emmeline Pankhurst. The A350 paying homage to Eve Branson will be named 'Fearless Lady' and be registered as G-VEVE. When announcing the news of his mother's passing earlier this year, Richard Branson wrote a touching post in which he said that "rather than mourn her loss, I want to celebrate her wonderful life, her tremendous spirit". Describing his mother as a "force of nature" he wrote: "She lived many remarkable lives. She took glider lessons disguised as a boy, enlisted in the WRENS during World War II, toured Germany as a ballet dancer after the war, acted on the West End … [Read more...] about Virgin Atlantic’s new plane pays tribute to Richard Branson’s mum who died of Covid

TO MARK International Women’s Day, we asked readers how the pandemic has impacted you – and the results make for sobering reading. It’s been a year like no other. While the pandemic has been tough for everyone, multiple studies suggest that women have been disproportionately impacted by it, both at home and at work. Globally, women are 1.8 times more likely to have lost their jobs in the last year, while the Women And Equalities Committee has warned that the government risks turning back the clock on gender equality unless it takes proactive steps to support women through the pandemic. So this International Women’s Day , a year since coronavirus swept the country , we spoke to almost 3,000 readers to find out how the toughest year on record has really impacted them. The results make clear that the pandemic has hit women’s mental and physical health hard. One In Ten readers lost their job during the pandemic Nearly half have felt more … [Read more...] about We asked four readers why it has been the toughest year ever for women