Canada's most populous city elected a new mayor after a race that focused on affordability and public safety.

Bella Poarch's empowering new song 'Bad Boy' has all the makings of a hit record

At first, Kai Cenat recalled making cookies but as soon as he sniffed the smelling salts, his facial expression changed

(Reuters) -Illumina Inc has commenced job cuts, the genetic sequencing equipment maker said on Monday, as it looks to cushion

Jack Paul stated that he would readily step in to support his brother Logan if needed

Festival season is upon us, with Glastonbury taking place near the end of June. While we’re well versed in how to take care of our physical health at a festival (yes, you really should take a hat in case the sun comes out), what about the mental health side of things? Mike McAdam, 38, co-founded Blink Mental Health, which provides mental health support at festivals. After his mental health deteriorated in 2017, McAdam found his condition was too serious for primary care, but not extreme enough for secondary care. He accepts there are lots of brilliant charities and campaigns encouraging people – particularly men – to talk about their mental health and reach out if they need it, but “it’s incredibly difficult to get help”, he suggests. This is where the idea for Blink came from – the ultimate aim is to set up a ‘Blink Bank’ providing money for private therapy for those who are stuck on waiting lists. McAdam accepts that is “really ambitious and would cost millions”, so as a starting point, Blink provides wellbeing at festivals. Blink is going to six festivals this summer – including Boomtown and Wilderness – where it will set up dedicated tents which McAdam calls “a place to relax, get away from things [and] take your mind off the festival”, with bean bags and mindful activities such as colouring and jigsaw puzzles. Blink also offers between 12 and 18 hours a day of free talking therapy with fully qualified and accredited psychologists or psychotherapists. “It’s not just about diagnosed mental health conditions, everyone should look after [their] mental health,” McAdam says. He suggests festivals are a great place to open up conversations around mental health. “At festivals, people tend to explore new experiences – whether that’s food, music, dance or activities – so one reason we go to festivals is because people want to explore new experiences, [and] we find them more open-minded to talk and access therapy,” he says. Plus, he accepts festivals can be “full-on”, and don’t always have “that space where you can chill out”. While McAdam suggests early intervention is key when dealing with mental health, there are some things you can do to do yourself if you’re going to a festival this summer… Be prepared Before heading off to the festival, McAdam recommends being as prepared as possible. This could include “taking earplugs, a decent sleeping bag, making sure we have clothes for all weathers if we can”, he says. “Because if you can’t get a decent night’s sleep, if you’re absolutely freezing, that will affect your physical and mental health.” Lowri Dowthwaite-Walsh, senior lecturer in psychological interventions at UCLan, agrees with the importance of planning ahead. “If you have any vulnerabilities, such as pre-existing mental health difficulties or known triggers, plan ahead for how you can manage these,” she says. “By having a plan of what to do in the event of feeling low or anxious, you’ll be able to enjoy your time more and be more relaxed.” Stay well-fed and watered McAdam recommends taking a water bottle you can refill throughout the festival, and adds: “Try and eat regularly.” He suggests it can be “very, very easy to forget about eating or drinking [water]” at a festival, or you might not want to buy much food as it can be expensive on-site. However, taking your own snacks and bottle could go a long way to helping you be as comfortable as possible. Dowthwaite-Walsh adds: “Long days, warm weather and alcohol consumption can dehydrate you and this can lead to headaches, feeling fatigued and struggling to concentrate and make good decisions” – which means drinking plenty of water is crucial. Camp wisely “Try and camp with people you feel safe with,” is McAdam’s advice. And if you’re going to a festival with different options for camping – for example, Wilderness has a quiet camping area – choose the place that suits you best. If you’re going solo, McAdam says: “Try and find the area that may suit your needs.” Be drink and drug-aware “Alcohol and drugs have a direct impact on your mental health, so it’s important to discuss your choices with friends and people you trust. You can also get support from first responders at the festival if you have issues with any substances,” says Dowthwaite-Walsh. Take the pressure off “There’s a huge, huge thing about fear of missing out”, McAdam says. “They’re extremely exciting places, [with] so much going on. “There won’t be an opportunity to explore and see everything that you may want to, so as hard as it is, please do not try and put too much pressure on yourself trying to get around everything you want to see.” This could “burn you out and add additional stress”, he says, so McAdam recommends being “realistic about what you can see”. Stay connected If you are with friends, Dowthwaite-Walsh recommends staying connected. “Being able to enjoy yourself with friends helps to deepen the experience of a festival but also keeps you safe physically and psychologically,” she suggests. She also recommends living in the moment as much as you can. “Have fun, enjoy the moment and savour it. Taking pictures to share with family and friends is a great way to create memories, but also remember to live in the moment and soak up the full experience” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 5 of the best lawnmowers How should we be talking to our daughters about money? STI cases at record highs: 6 things everyone needs to know about sexually transmitted infections

The global economy has been hit by two huge shocks in three years. It might be about to suffer a third in the shape of a US debt crisis.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ fund to support homeless families announced $117 million in new grants on Tuesday to organizations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico

Newcastle United were handed a brutally tough draw on their return to the Champions League after being dropped in group F with European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. The group draw for the final season of the competition in its current format, which took place in Monaco, also saw Manchester United drawn against Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich in group A as well as Turkish champions Galatasaray, and new striker Rasmus Hojlund will also face his old side Copenhagen. Arsenal will play Europa League champions Sevilla as well as PSV Eindhoven and Lens, while holders Manchester City will take on RB Leizpig, Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade in a relatively friendly-looking group. Like Newcastle, Scottish champions Celtic were in pot four but had a potentially softer landing than the Magpies, with games against Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Lazio. Relive the Champions League group stage draw and get all the latest football betting sites offers or sign up to bet365 using The Independent’s unique bonus code by clicking here: Read More Champions League 2023/24 draw: Groups, fixtures and full schedule Uefa calls added time rules ‘absurd’ and refuses to follow suit Rangers fail to qualify for Champions League after thrashing by PSV Eindhoven

Taylor Swift has reportedly expressed her gratitude to the truck drivers working on her Eras Tour by giving each of them a $100,000 bonus. The 33-year-old singer is currently on her record-breaking tour which has earned an estimated $300 million in gross revenue, as per Pollstar. Last year, Billboard estimated that Swift's tour would gross $590 million over the course of 52 tour dates. With this huge financial success, Swift has used the fortune to reward her truckers who are responsible for transporting her equipment and staging around the country. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Each of the 50 truck drivers were given $100,000 each ahead of Swift's show in Santa Clara on Saturday, which adds up to $5 million in total for the "end-of-the-tour" bonuses, both TMZ and Entertainment Tonight reported. Plus, bonuses were also handed out to other people on her tour crew such as her band members, dancers, lighting and sound technicians, caterers and others. Though the amount paid to the other members remains unclear, TMZ reported that it was a "very generous amount." Altogether it is thought that The Eras tour could be the highest-grossing tour of all time, earning a massive $1 billion in sales. It's been a record-breaking year for Swift who also became the first woman to have four albums in the top 10 of the Billboard charts. She also became the first female artist in history to surpass 93 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Elsewhere, tickets for Swift's Eras Tour LA shows are on sale for $11,000, while the singer also sparked a meme frenzy with an August post. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Ex-Giants running back Brandon Jacobs gave his take on the Saquon Barkley contract drama and proposed a shocking solution to the problem.New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley's public contract dispute has been the headline of the offseason, coming to a climax with Barkley and the Gian...

Record-breaking wildfires in Canada are heading toward key population centers in the country’s west, prompting the province of