Politics
Filmmaker Adderley says will sue Steve Reed, others, as Greens capitulate again
Filmmaker, anti-genocide campaigner and Green Party candidate Mark Adderley has reacted with fury to smears from Israel fanatic Labour front-bencher Steve Reed. He has also blasted the Green Party administration for (again) capitulating to fake antisemitism smears from Reed and the Israel lobby media.
The Greens have again fallen for Labour’s and the Israel lobby’s desperate and arrogant attempts to dictate who can stand against Labour. Adderley was the Green candidate for Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood in London’s Croydon — a hotbed of Labour corruption unfortunate enough to have Reed as its MP.
But now the party has caved to a blatantly political — and libellous — smear by Reed and others and has suspended Adderley. His ‘crime’, apparently, was to criticise wanted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. And, allegedly, he wondered, on the YouTube channel he runs with his wife Nadia Sawalha — like millions of others — whether Israel was involved in the assassination of US right-winger Charlie Kirk.
Kirk had said he was going to end his support for the genocidal colony and feared Israel would kill him.
Israel lobby worried
It seems Adderley’s candidacy seriously worried the Israel lobby. It has targeted him with a clearly-coordinated series of smears and hit-pieces, including one in the Times. Its author, Israel advocate Fintan Hogan, helped Israel deny murdering 500 Palestinian civilians in a missile attack on the Al-Ahli hospital in 2023. The attack was subsequently forensically proven to have been perpetrated by Israel, one of hundreds of Israeli war crimes against hospitals, medics and ambulances.
For the Times, Hogan attacked Adderley for daring to compare Benjamin Netanyahu’s racist ‘Greater Israel’ project with Hitler’s ‘Lebensraum’ (‘room to live’) plans. Also cited were other views Adderley mentioned that are now entirely mainstream — except in the pro-Israel ‘mainstream’ media and lobby groups, of course. Like the idea that the Israel lobby’s constant conflation of Jewish people with the terrorist colony puts Jews in danger.
The same attacks were amplified by the ‘usual suspects’ in the pro-Israel smear industry. Libel-factory and “dauphin of phone-hacking” Lee Harpin had to get in on the act, of course, after years of spouting a “litany of lies” against left-wingers that cost his previous rag huge libel payouts. Harpin posited that Adderley is part of a Green “antisemitism problem” — familiar language, eh? — that is even “worse than feared”.
And pro-Israel Labour horror Reed — of course — chipped in. Reed, with typical arrogance, demanded that the Greens bow to his ‘Labour’ call to withdraw Adderley and another local candidate for daring to oppose Israel’s crimes:
View on Threads
Adderley hits back
But it seems that Harpin, his new rag, and a number of others — including the odious Reed — may be about to add to the heap of cash paid out to wronged and smeared left-wingers. In a withering post on his Instagram feed he poured scorn on the despicable Reed — and he said he will be suing those who have libelled him:
I am disgusted. Truly, deeply, viscerally disgusted.
Labour Cabinet Minister Steve Reed MP has had the audacity to level accusations of antisemitism and racism against me.
Let me be CRYSTAL clear: I have spent my entire life fighting racism in all its forms. I have stood shoulder to shoulder with Jewish friends, comrades, and communities against genuine hatred. But Steve Reed’s pathetic, blood-soaked government has and continues to directly assist in the genocide of the Palestinian people, the slaughter of Lebanese civilians, and the indiscriminate killing of Iranian men, women & children.
He is a “politician” knee deep in atrocity who spends more time smearing humanitarians than he does calling out the behaviour of Netanyahu’s government. And now, to add insult to injury, I learn that, having only recently joined the Green Party with hope in my heart, I have been suspended. Suspended because the Green Party has seemingly folded to the same false allegations, weaponised smears and cowardly lies that The Labour Party has thrown at me.
The complaint against me (like recent articles in the legacy media) conflates anti-Zionism with a hatred of Jewish people. It takes issue with my opposition to Netanyahu, a wanted war criminal leading a far-right Zionist government that is overseeing a genocide. It even twists my statements on NATO expansion and warmongering into so-called “conspiracy theories”. I have never supported Putin. I have never supported war. But by simply pointing out that decades of NATO aggression has helped create the conditions for conflict is not conspiracy. It is history and I refuse to apologise for speaking truth to power.
This complaint is not only disgusting in its cynical weaponisation of racism accusations, but (like Steve Reed and the Labour Party’s accusations) they are also defamatory & libellous and I will be seeking legal advice. It mocks every genuine victim of antisemitism. It cheapens their struggle. And it insults every antiracist who has ever risked everything or anything for justice.
His words for the Green Party machine were scarcely less furious:
I genuinely thought The Green Party was supposed to be different, and was promising a beacon of hope in the dark, ugly world of British Party Politics. Instead, they have fallen at what feels like the first hurdle in Labour’s attempts to recreate the Corbyn antisemitism psychodrama of some years ago. If we are to change politics for the good, we must do things differently. We must be unafraid to say what establishment politics has disallowed: that Zionism is racism, that opposing a fascistic, apartheid state is not racism, it is not antisemitic, it is not conflating all Jewish People with the Netanyahu Regime — and that standing with the oppressed should NEVER be something to suspend someone for.
Adderley made clear that he has no intention of being cowed by the cynical smears of the friends of genocide — even if the Greens’ administrators don’t find a spine:
So let me be CRYSTAL clear … I will NOT STOP
I will not stop campaigning for a free Palestine. I will not stop demanding a liberated Arab World from Gaza to the West Bank, from Lebanon to Iran and beyond. I will NOT stop calling out this Labour Government’s complicity and I will NOT be bullied by Govt Ministers who say nothing other than they are “DEEPLY CONCERNED”,
I would have preferred to do this inside the Green Party (a party I believed would have understood the nuance in these sorts of attacks that have been levelled at me) but I will pursue these goals outside the party if necessary.
This is just the beginning. The fightback carries on.
But there was room for just a touch of humour at the end. In a post-script, Adderley admitted that one complaint against him had been upheld — but this one he seemed quite proud of: a few choice words for the Labour “fuck-wads” ruining the country and collaborating in genocide and a war of aggression:
p.s. whilst l’m here … one of the other complaints lodged against me (and being upheld) is me describing the Labour Cabinet as being populated with “FUCKWADS in TIES” … well … as the last 24 hours have proven … there is definitely one “fuck-wad in a tie” who really doesn’t know when to shut up.
Peace & Love … Free Palestine
Mark Adderley
The Greens must get their act together — or go the way of Corbyn’s Labour. There is even less excuse for capitulation to the Israel lobby’s smear campaign when two and a half years of genocide in Gaza have exposed that racist, murderous ideology for what it is.
Follow Mark Adderley and Nadia Sawalha on YouTube here and Instagram here. Also, read about Israel’s long history of false-flag attacks and its ‘Hannibal’ mass slaughter of its own citizens in October 2023.
Featured image via HelloMagazine
By Skwawkbox
Politics
There in black and white: The US admits it is bombing Iran at Israel’s request
The US government has just admitted it is bombing Iran at the request of Israel. The Trump administration previously strenuously denied it had been dragged into this defeat by its genocidal Middle East ally.
The statement appeared on the State Department website on 21 April 2026. We’re sorry we didn’t get to it earlier… but we weren’t exactly looking for an admission on that scale.
An equally surprised US-based ex-military commentator and Iran War critic named Jack Murphy posted the quote on X:
I had to check to make sure this was legit, it is. America is being governed by a small foreign country far abroad, while we stagger around in a zombie like state, dabbling in an economy held together by Netflix subscriptions and gamified internet gamblinghttps://t.co/gsaZwWTiVS pic.twitter.com/p3H5Wr0Cch
— Jack Murphy (@JackMurphyRGR) April 24, 2026
The full statement can be accessed here. The relevant passage reads:
the United States is engaged in this conflict at the request of and in the collective self-defense of its Israeli ally.
as well as in the exercise of the United States’ own inherent right of self-defense.
The full statement is a lengthy, Trump-style screed. It’s just the foremost military power on earth trying to justify the war — which it started — as some sort of act of existential self-preservation.
Just to reiterate…
US-Israel attacked Iran first on 28 February without provocation. Iran was offering unprecedented concessions in negotiations at the time. The Pentagon has since stated there was no imminent threat from Iran. And the UN’s atomic watchdog, the IAEA, has said there is no evidence Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.
The US has achieved none of its original war aims. Iran predictably closed the Straits of Hormuz, a vital oil channel, once attacked — creating a global energy crisis. Far from being defeated, Iran has said the war will continue until “the enemy’s inevitable and permanent humiliation, disgrace, regret, and surrender”. Trump came to power on an anti-war ‘America First’ ticket. He now faces worldwide humiliation.
A temporary ceasefire is currently in place amid attempts by Pakistan to broker a deal.
Trump — strenuous denials
Donald Trump has repeatedly denied Israel dragged the US into the war since the bombing began. He did so again on 20 April:
Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, did.
And here he is quoted by the Guardian on 4 March, just days after the attack began. He has been asked if Israel forced the US hand:
No. I might have forced their hand.
Trump continued:
We were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack. If we didn’t do it, they were going to attack first. I felt strongly about that.
If you are struggling with the logic of the US president’s line of argument there… welcome to the club.
Nevertheless, the US State Department website now says the US is fighting Iran:
- at the request of Israel
- as a matter of national defence
In that order.
As ever, it is hard to know what an American leadership clique — as erratic as this one — is thinking. But that particular point is there in black and white.
Featured image via the Canary
By Joe Glenton
Politics
Trump Threatens Big Tariff On UK Over Tech Tax
Donald Trump has threatened to slap extra tariffs on UK goods unless the government drops its plans for a digital services tax on tech giants.
The US president accused the government of “targeting American companies” and said they “better be careful” or face the consequences.
Ministers hope to raise around £5 billion over the next five years from the digital services tax, which imposes a 2% levy on the revenues of search engines, social media services and online marketplaces operating in the UK.
The White House has previously lobbied the government to reduce or abolish the tax as part of trade discussions between America and Britain.
Asked about the tax on Thursday, Trump accused the UK of trying to “make an easy buck” from American tech firms.
He said: “We don’t like it when they target American companies, because basically you’re talking about our great American companies.
“Whether we like those companies or don’t like them, they’re American companies. They’re top companies in the world.
“We’ve been looking at it. The UK did it, a couple of other people did it. They think they’re gonna make an easy buck, that’s why they’ve all taken advantage of our country.
“We can meet that very easily by just putting a big tariff on the UK, so they better be careful. If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK.
“They shouldn’t be doing that. It’s really targeting great companies, but they’re our companies. It’s like us targeting their companies, which we could do very easily.
“But you don’t have great companies like that. It’s not fair. I have an obligation to protect our companies – that’s how they became great.”
A spokesman for Keir Starmer hit back at the president and insisted the government’s policy would not change.
He said: “It is a hugely important tax in making sure that those businesses continue to pay their fair share. It is a fair and proportionate approach to taxing business activities in the UK.”
Trump’s comments, which come ahead of a state visit to America next week by King Charles, are further evidence of the decline in relations between the two governments in Washington and London.
The president is furious at the prime minister’s refusal to support the war in Iran, and has repeatedly criticised the prime minister since the conflict began nearly two months ago.
Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
Politics
Grapes: Health Benefits For Your Brain, Bones, Heart And Gut
A recent article in the Journal of Agriculture and Chemistry said that the term “superfood” is tossed about too readily.
“There is no regulation; the main source of information is the Internet,” they wrote.
Nonetheless, they add, there is a food that they believe qualifies: “Based on actual scientific data, grapes have earned what should be a prominent position in the superfood family.”
That includes benefits for our bones, heart, brain, and gut, they added.
Here’s what research says about those, though most say more studies are needed to prove the links are causal:
1) Grapes might make our bones stronger
A 2015 rat study found that rats who’d been fed grapes showed slower bone turnover and improved calcium utilisation, resulting in better overall bone quality.
Another study found that resveratrol, a compound found in red or purple-skinned grapes, improved bone density in postmenopausal women, who are at increased risk of osteoporosis.
They also contain bone-healthy vitamins and minerals like manganese, potassium, and vitamins B, C, and K.
2) Grapes could help our hearts
Grapes are rich in polyphenols, antioxidants which might reduce your risk of death by heart disease. These include flavonoids, phenolic acids, and resveratrol.
Grapes also contain phytonutrients like catechins, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, leucoanthocyanidin, quercetin, kaempferol, stilbenes, ellagic acid and hydroxycinnamates, which may help to lower your cholesterol.
3) Grapes may help our cognitive health
A 2017 study involving older adults who took grape extract for 12 weeks found that their attention, memory, and language skills all improved after the trial.
Separate research found that grape juice seemed to boost younger adults’ mood and cognitive ability as little as 20 minutes after consumption.
4) Grapes seem to be pretty great for our guts
Some research found that people who ate the equivalent of three servings of grapes a day seemed to increase the presence of certain beneficial gut bacteria.
Speaking to UCLA Health, Dr Zhaoping Li, chief of the university’s division of clinical nutrition, said grapes “also [give] us nutrients that feed our gut bacteria, making the microbiome a much better community of good bacteria while promoting gut health”. That’s thanks in part to their fibre content.
Politics
22 Best Places To Watch The London Marathon 2026
On Sunday, 26 April, the 2026 London Marathon is set to take place.
Over 59,000 runners are expected to take part in the race, which is set to run from Greenwich to the Mall.
Here’s when and where to catch the best views of the event, as well as the least busy points to access it.
When does the London Marathon 2026 start?
The marathon kicks off in waves. For non-elite runners, these run from 9:30 am to 11:30 am.
For elite participants, the times start:
- Elite wheelchair races, men’s and women’s: 9:50 am
- Elite women’s: 9:05 am
- Elite men’s: 9:35 am.
Fun fact: last year, runner Tigst Assefa ran a record-breaking 2:15:50 marathon at the London Marathon. She’s running again and is hoping to beat her record; even if she gets the same time or slightly more, she’ll still have completed an entire marathon before the last wave of non-elite runners even starts.
Which will be the busiest Tube stations during the London Marathon 2026?
Because the course runs from Greenwich up through to the Isle of Dogs and on to The Mall, there will be opportunities to cheer the runners on from both sides of the river.
But with tens of thousands of runners, supporters are expected to be plentiful. The race organisers themselves say that:
- Cutty Sark,
- Bermondsey,
- Canary Wharf,
- Limehouse,
- Tower Hill,
- Westminster, and
- St James’ Park Tube stations will be “extremely busy”.
Westminster station will be exit-only from 7am to 7pm.
Which are the least busy stations to get to the London Marathon 2026?
London Marathon says that if you’re going to popular spots on the route, they expect it’s best to walk from:
- Deptford,
- Greenwich,
- Island Gardens,
- Maze Hill,
- London Overground Rotherhithe,
- London Rotherhide Surrey Quays,
- London Bridge station,
- The Canary Wharf DLR,
- Crossharbour,
- South Quay,
- Shadwell station via Cable Street,
- Westferry station,
- Poplar station,
- Bank,
- St Paul’s,
- Southwark,
- Cannon Street,
- Mansion House,
- Charing Cross,
- Piccadilly Circus,
- Victoria,
- and Waterloo.
Where are the best places to see the London Marathon 2026?
Most accessible London Marathon 2026 viewing spots
There are five accessible viewing points planned for the London Marathon. These are located at:
- Cutty Sark,
- Canary Wharf,
- Rainbow Row,
- Tower Hill,
- Victoria Embankment.
Head to the London Marathon’s site for more details.
Quietest London Marathon 2026 viewing spots
These are expected to include:
- Rotherhide Peninsula,
- The Highway,
- Isle of Dogs,
- Westferry,
- Poplar.
Most popular 2026 London Marathon viewing spots
These are expected to include:
- Cutty Sark,
- Greenwich,
- Canada Water,
- Bermondsey,
- Rotherhide,
- Tower Bridge,
- Tower Hill,
- Canary Wharf,
- Limehouse,
- Westminster,
- Rainbow Row, and
- Victoria Embankment.
“These routes will be clearly signposted and diversions will be in place to assist with crowd flow so please listen to marshals’ instructions,” said the London Marathon’s site.
Politics
Michael Jackson Biopic Cast Weigh In On Absence Of Abuse Allegations
Much of the criticism is levelled at the fact that Michael – which was financially backed by the late musician’s estate – ends in 1988, meaning it does not include the multiple allegations of child sexual abuse made against the singer in his lifetime.
While promoting the movie, which is now in cinemas, the cast of Michael have been questioned about the decision not to include any of these abuse allegations.
Colman Domingo, who plays Jackson family patriarch Joseph in the biopic, pointed out the film’s timeline during an interview with the Today show, when questioned about claims that the project “whitewashes” the Billie Jean singer’s history.
“The film takes place from the ’60s to 1988, so it does not go into the first allegations,” the Oscar nominee responded. “So, basically, we centred it on the makings of Michael.”
He continued: “So, it’s an intimate portrait of who Michael is… through his eyes. So, that’s what it is, that’s what this film is.”
Domingo also addressed speculation about a potential follow-up to Michael, which could explore the allegations, explaining: “There’s a possibility of there being a part two that may deal with some other things that happened afterwards.
“This is about the making of Michael, how he was raised, and then how he was trying to find his voice as an artist and be a solo artist. That’s what I have to say about that.”
In the same interview, Nia Long – who plays Jackson’s mother Katherine – didn’t directly address the film’s avoidance of abuse allegations, but chipped in on the possibility of a sequel about the Grammy winner’s later years “if the price is right”.

While other cast members – including Jackson’s nephew Jaafar, who plays the star in the film – have yet to comment on the matter, Michael director Antoine Fuqua has raised questions about the allegations themselves.
In a piece published in the New Yorker, the US outlet claims that “Fuqua is not convinced that Jackson did what he is accused of doing, despite the number of accusers (five) and the fact that Jackson publicly talked about sharing his bed with boys”.
The article goes on to say that Fuqua hadn’t planned to downplay the controversy of Jackson’s later years, but “envisioned a film that might have read as a provocative defence of its subject”.
Fuqua himself said: “When I hear things about us – Black people in particular, especially in a certain position – there’s always pause.”
Variety previously reported that Michael was originally supposed to include a scene in which police arrived at Jackson’s Neverland ranch in 1993 to look for evidence.
However this was apparently scrapped, along with the biopic’s initial ending, which featured a depiction of one of the star’s accusers, for legal reasons.
Lawyers for the Jackson estate reportedly realised after filming was complete that a legal clause in one settlement barred the depiction or mention of the accuser in any movie, triggering an expensive 22-day re-shoot and talks of a follow-up or sequel to the biopic including these subjects in a different way.
Despite the controversy over the film’s lack of controversy itself, Michael has had a strong start at the box office, pulling in $18.5 million (around £13.7 million) on its opening day.
Politics
Wings Over Scotland | Push The Button
We’ve been thinking about this all morning, readers.
To the point where we’d vote for any party pledging to implement it at once.
It’s the best such moral-dilemma question we’ve ever seen, and the absolute key to the state of humankind as a species. It’s a near-perfect practical illustration of the concept of “suicidal empathy”, and suicidal empathy is the root of some of the world’s worst problems, including the debates around both gender ideology and immigration.
Because what it does is encode the idea that feelings, ego and virtue-signalling are more important than sanity or material reality.
Rationally, there is no reason for anyone to press the blue button. If you press red, you definitely live no matter what. You only risk your life by pressing blue, and you get nothing for it. And in the same way that there’s no reward for pressing blue, there’s no cost to pressing red. There aren’t a limited number of survival places. Everyone can press red and everyone will live. Nobody gets killed against their will.
Literally the ONLY thing you get out of pressing blue is the ability to tell people you pressed blue. It’s a chance to trumpet your empathy. And even then it makes no sense, because the question notes that it’s a private vote. You could press red and still TELL people you pressed blue, and nobody would know.
Press blue and you’re literally risking your actual life in order to virtue-signal, even though you could virtue-signal just as well WITHOUT the risk. That’s the “suicidal” part of “suicidal empathy”. Although the word “empathy” in that sentence would of course be better replaced with “stupidity”.
(NB Let us reasonably assume, or specify, that as with all other voting scenarios we don’t let children or the mentally incapable vote, and that only those who pressed the blue button actually get killed. Any children orphaned by their parent’s idiocy will have to be brought up by red-button people, which will probably be for the best anyway.)
Wings has actually already proposed something along related lines as a method of resolving the debate about capital punishment. And we’ve often quoted a pertinent clip from one of the greatest TV series ever recorded.
Because humanity really can’t afford to keep being stupid. This isn’t even a case like in movies where the villains in No Time To Die or Kingsman: The Secret Service are baddies because they want to massively cull the human population (ostensibly for its greater good) without consent. Here, no-one’s saying “sorry but we need to do this for the environment”. The rational outcome of this experiment is that NOBODY dies.
But in the event that the planet’s dumbest (and most harmful and annoying) tossers want to VOLUNTEER, well, if we’ve already explained why they shouldn’t and they’re determined to proceed anyway, who are we to intervene with their personal autonomy?
Earth thanks you for your sacrifice, dumdums. More food and oxygen for the rest of us, and maybe we can go back to telling the truth as well.
.
(Choose your soundtrack to taste.)
Politics
Starmer’s FCDO closes Israel war-crime monitoring unit, ‘loses’ massive evidence
The Starmer government’s Foreign Office (FCDO) has closed down its unit that tracked Israeli atrocities and breaches of humanitarian law in Gaza and Lebanon. The closure also shuts down the Conflict and Security Monitoring Project run by the Centre for Information Resilience. This is — now was — the FCDO-funded project that reviews the legality of arms exports to the genocidal colony.
The cuts flow from orders by Olly Robbins, the FCDO’s senior civil servant until he was sacked as the fall-guy for Starmer’s latest Mandelson scandal. Before taking the FCDO post, Robbins worked for a “secretive corporate intelligence firm” founded by former MI6 spies.
The closure also means the government is losing access to a database of at least 26,000 verified incidents involving Israel and its military in occupied Palestine and Lebanon, committed since the start of Israel’s Gaza genocide in October 2023. The ‘lost’ evidence includes videos, photographs, satellite imagery and other media — all mapped to the locations in which the atrocities were perpetrated.
‘Losing’, of course, may not be the correct word. The Starmer government has shown less than zero interest in holding Israel to account for its crimes. Starmer’s previous gig as head of the Crown Prosecution Service was also marked by conveniently disappearing evidence relating to notorious crimes and his involvement in decisions not to prosecute.
Certainly this ‘loss’ is very convenient for a UK police state all too eager to continue collaborating in Israel’s genocide, crimes against humanity, land theft and illegal wars of aggression. Human Rights Watch director Yasmine Ahmed described the decision to throw away evidence of Israel’s crimes as “damning”.
Damned right.
Featured image via the Canary
By Skwawkbox
Politics
How To Talk To Teens About Periods, And The Best Teenage Period Products In 2026
We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
We can all remember our first period. No matter how much prep you have, it always comes as a bit of a shock to see blood coming out of a body part for the first time.
On top of the overall weirdness of your body changing, the way periods are spoken about at school barely scratches the surface of the issue.
Then there’s the embarrassment of going to school, the comparison of when you got it in relation to your friends, and knowing what period products to buy and wear.
While you might assume things have moved on considerably from when we were at school, for a lot of teens, the unknown of periods is still awkward and scary. In fact, Plan UK found that 48% of girls in the UK feel embarrassed by their period, while 49% have missed an entire day of school as a result.
But early periods don’t have to be a stressful experience, especially not now that we have more options of what to wear during our period than we did even a decade ago.
Whether your kid has just got their period, or is approaching that age, here’s how to talk to them about periods and the best period wear to shop now.
The best period products at a glance
What age should you talk to teens about periods?
Girls can get their periods as young as eight, so it can help to talk to them about menstruation before then, according to Ruby Raut, CEO and founder of WUKA, which recently launched WUKA Talks, an education programme for families.
“Parents should start conversations much earlier than most expect, ideally from the age of five or six, by introducing the idea that bodies change as part of growing up,” she says.
“By the time children are eight to ten, they should have a clearer understanding of what a period is and what it might feel like, especially as many girls are starting their periods earlier than anticipated.”
Talking to children about periods from a younger age can help them become familiar with the topic and avoid confusion or anxiety around the time their period starts, Raut explains.
“Early, age-appropriate conversations help ensure that when a child’s first period arrives, it feels expected rather than frightening,” she adds.
How to talk to kids about periods
We’re so used to the idea of ‘the talk’, whether that’s about periods, sex, or anything body-related.
But these conversations should be ongoing, Raut advises.
“Parents should approach conversations about periods as ongoing, everyday discussions rather than a one-off talk, using simple, calm and matter-of-fact language,” she says.
While these talks should avoid creating unnecessary stress, they should also prepare children for some of the less wanted side-effects of periods.
“It is important to frame periods as a normal biological process that happens to over half the world’s population, avoiding language that creates fear or embarrassment,” Raut explains.
“Being honest about the range of experiences, from feeling completely fine to experiencing cramps or tiredness, helps set realistic expectations without overwhelming teenagers.”
Parents can also normalise periods by keeping their own products visible, Raut advises, and speaking openly about their own personal experiences.
“The essentials are clarity, consistency and creating a safe space where teenagers feel comfortable asking questions without judgment,” she says.
What type of teen period products are available?
Thankfully, we now have a far wider range of period products available than when we were young.
Period products are expensive – 40% of girls in the UK have had to use toilet roll because they can’t afford sanitary products.
But disposable products like pads and tampons are no longer the only options, explains Raut.
“There are several options for teen period care, including pads, tampons, menstrual cups and period underwear, and it is important to introduce these in a practical, non-intimidating way,” she explains.
“For many teenagers, especially those just starting, period underwear can be the easiest option as it feels like regular underwear, requires no insertion and involves minimal learning. At the same time, pads are also accessible but need to be changed regularly.”
While tampons and period cups are also available, they might require more guidance than pads and pants, according to Raut.
No matter what products you choose, it’s important to show kids how to use them, Raut says.
“Parents can support their children by showing them the products, explaining how each one works, and walking through simple real-life scenarios, such as what to do if a period starts at school.
“Preparing a small starter kit with essentials like spare underwear, a discreet bag and wipes can also help build confidence and reduce anxiety.”
The best period products for teens in 2026
Exercise can be a particular source of anxiety when you’re on your period – at any age, but especially when you first start it. This swimsuit from WUKA protects against leaks when your teen is in the water, so they don’t have to worry about the drama of tampon strings.
It’s nature’s greatest joke that the second teenage girls stop wanting to get your advice is when they’re going through their most pivotal moments in life. If your teen has stopped wanting to talk to you and thinks anything you say about periods is ew, gross WUKA has put together a starter kit with pants, wipes, heating patches, and a guide to everything they need to know about their changing body.
Politics
Downing Street Insists Keir Starmer Will Stay Prime Minister
Keir Starmer will remain prime minister for years despite mounting speculation over his future, Downing Street has insisted.
The prime minister’s spokesman said the PM “will continue to lead the government throughout this parliament and beyond”.
His comments came amid claims Starmer could be forced to set out a timetable for his departure after the May 7 elections, when Labour are expected to suffer huge losses.
Cabinet ministers have also publicly distanced themselves from the PM over the scandal surrounding his decision to make Peter Mandelson the UK’s ambassador to Washington.
Asked if the prime minister was preparing to quit, his spokesman said: “He’s very focused on the job. He will continue to lead the government throughout this parliament and beyond.
“He’s got a huge amount of work to do, the governments got a huge amount of work to do.
“We’ve set out a significant programme of domestic reform, including bringing down NHS waiting lists, tackling the cost of living and investing in security and defence. That’s where the prime minister is fully focused.”
Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
Politics
Beverley Callard Forced To Miss I’m A Celebrity Live Final On Medical Grounds
Former I’m A Celebrity contestant Beverley Callard has shared her disappointment at having to miss the all-star series’ final.
Beverley was one of 12 ex-campmates invited back for the latest season of I’m A Celebrity: South Africa, which was filmed last year and has been airing on ITV for the last three weeks.
Earlier this week, viewers saw that the Coronation Street legend was forced to leave the series early on medical grounds, which preceded her being diagnosed with cancer back in February.
Following this, she shared with her Instagram followers on Thursday that she would not be able to join her co-stars at the live I’m A Celebrity final on doctors’ advice.
“Yesterday I should have flown over to England to get ready for the I’m A Celeb final,” she explained. “I was so excited and looking forward to it. And on medical advice, I can’t go, so I’m absolutely gutted.
“I was dying to see them all, and it would have been brilliant. But I can’t go… the flights were booked and everything, [but] no, they said basically it’s too long a day, flying there, then a very late night.”
The soap star added that she would still be taking part in the broadcast, chatting to her campmates and presenters Ant and Dec via video-chat, even if she can’t join them in person.
“So, I’ve got to make the best of a bad job,” she added. “But I am resting, I am doing as I am told.”
It had previously been reported that Jimmy Bullard may have also avoided reuniting with the rest of the cast at the final, after his blazing row with campmate Adam Thomas aired.
However, he later assured his social media followers: “My version [of the story] will be told Friday! Can’t wait to see you all – well some of yous!!”
I’m A Celebrity: South Africa concludes at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, where viewers will vote for one of the four finalists to be crowned the next I’m A Celebrity “Legend”.
-
Business6 days agoPowerball Result April 18, 2026: No Jackpot Winner in Powerball Draw: $75 Million Rolls Over
-
Politics6 days agoZack Polanski demands ‘council homes not luxury flats for foreign investors’
-
Fashion19 hours agoWeekend Open Thread – Corporette.com
-
Entertainment6 days ago
NBA Analyst Charles Barkley Chimes in on Ice Spice McDonald’s Fiasco
-
Tech6 days agoAuto Enthusiast Scores Running Tesla Model 3 for Two Grand and Turns It Into Bare-Bones Go-Kart
-
Politics5 days agoGary Stevenson delivers timely reminder to register to vote as deadline TODAY
-
Politics3 days agoMaking troops accountable for war crimes threatens US alliance, ex-SAS colonel warns
-
Business3 days agoRolls-Royce Voted UK’s Most Iconic Trade Mark as IPO Register Hits 150
-
Politics3 days agoDisabled people challenge government SEND proposals over segregation concerns
-
Crypto World5 days agoBank of Hawai’i (BOH) Q1 2026: Net Income Drops to $57.4M as Net Interest Margin Expands
-
Politics3 days agoZack Polanski responds to home secretary’s taser threat
-
Politics3 days ago
Wings Over Scotland | How To Get Away With Crimes
-
Politics3 days agoStarmer handler McSweeney to be dragged from shadows by Foreign Affairs Committee
-
Crypto World6 days agoKelp DAO rsETH Bridge Hack Drains $292M as DeFi Losses Top $600M in Two Weeks
-
Politics3 days ago‘Iran is still a nuclear threat’
-
Crypto World4 days ago
Five Value Stocks with Recovery Potential in 2026: PayPal (PYPL), Nike (NKE), and More
-
Crypto World4 days agoNew York sues Coinbase, Gemini over prediction market offerings
-
Business3 days agoThe Job Benefits Most Men Don’t Know to Negotiate
-
Crypto World1 day agoMichael Saylor says BTC winter is over. Market analyst disagrees, says bitcoin was in a pullback
-
Politics6 days agoReform investigating candidate who ‘hates’ the NHS

















You must be logged in to post a comment Login