By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's bid to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) hinges on a month-long trial

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More than 50 MPs, retailers and charities have written to the government urging it to remove the 20% VAT on period pants, the reusable underwear designed to be worn as an alternative to using tampons and sanitary towels. Other period products such as pads, tampons and menstrual cups are exempt from VAT, but consumers currently pay a 20% tax on period pants as they are classified as garments. The letter, signed by 35 MPs and peers, the chief executives of Marks & Spencer and Ocado, the publisher of Hello! magazine and several charities and non-profit organisations, including Breast Cancer Now, the Marine Conservation Society and Forum for the Future, calls on Financial Secretary to the Treasury Victoria Atkins to reclassify the pants as period products in the Chancellor’s autumn statement later this year. The government made a brilliant start by removing VAT from disposable period products but we need them to finish the job and level the playing field so that whatever period product someone chooses to use, it is VAT free Victoria McKenzie-Gould, M&S M&S has also launched the new Say Pants to the Tax campaign with the period underwear brand Wuka, promising to pass on 100% of any cost savings to shoppers if it is successful. A five-pack bundle of period pants at M&S costs £35, but would be £28 without VAT, while a pack of three – currently £20 – would drop to £16. M&S, which said it sells more than 6,000 packs of the pants each week, and Wuka calculated that their customers combined had paid more than £3 million in VAT on period pants. A survey of 268 women aged 18 to 54, conducted last month, found that 23% of respondents cited cost as a reason for not using period pants, with 83% in favour of dropping VAT from the products. Period pants can be washed and worn again for months, which means they can save consumers money and help reduce plastic waste. Wuka estimates that one pair of period pants can save 200 single-use plastic disposables from going to landfill. Victoria McKenzie-Gould, corporate affairs director at M&S, said: “The government made a brilliant start by removing VAT from disposable period products but we need them to finish the job and level the playing field so that whatever period product someone chooses to use, it is VAT free. “Nearly 25% of women cite cost as a barrier to using period pants. If they were classified as they should be – as a period product – the government can make this brilliant alternative to disposable products a more cost-effective option for UK consumers.” In May, the Treasury said it would analyse whether the removal of the “tampon tax” has helped lower prices. Responding to a written question from the Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, the government said a tax reduction was able to “contribute to the conditions for price reductions” and it was “looking into whether this important zero rating is being passed on by retailers to women as intended”. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How to lower your blood sugar levels, as new research reveals heart disease link Remove VAT from period pants, government urged ‘Long Covid has taken away my ability to eat food or urinate in three years’

A bride has gone viral after sharing a TikTok showing what she ate at her wedding, and it left viewers shocked. Sam Cutler, a fitness influencer with over 100,000 followers on TikTok, got married last week. To share the moment with her followers, she posted a ‘what I eat in a day’ video, in line with her regular content, but this time it was ‘what I ate on my wedding day’. However, viewers were shocked to see how much restriction and ‘clean eating’ habits were at the forefront of the wedding. The video, which now has over 4 million views, starts off with Cutler having a protein smoothie and some salad whilst getting her hair and makeup done, nothing too out of the ordinary. She also showed a veggie platter that was in the bridal suite for herself and her bridesmaids to snack on whilst getting ready. Whilst it’s quite unlike a lot of other TikToks that show the food at weddings, often with bridal suites having brunches and an array of snacks, viewers weren’t upset yet. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter However, viewers took issue when Cutler revealed that she had placed ‘bloat pills’ on every table, and shows herself taking one during the main course. The wedding cake was also gluten, dairy, and sugar free, and the bride only drank Cote de Rose because she knew ‘it’s less than 2g/L of sugar.’ People were quick to question the bride’s choice of food and drink for the day, with some saying ‘girl it’s one day you can have sugar’, ‘my jaw dropped’, ‘I would have been starving afterwards’, ‘I thought it wasn’t that bad and then I got to bloat pills part’, ‘diet culture is crazy’. Cutler responded to the backlash she faced, by saying "as women, we should be empowering each other to make the choice that works for our own individual body, without judgement." But many were still critical of Cutler, saying that when you’re giving your guests bloat pills, it’s no longer about individual choice, it’s about you’re making others feel, and the perpetuating of diet culture. Others came from a place of concern, with one user commenting: "not understanding one day of “bad” eating is not going to undo all the work you’ve put in is where things get scary." The video also gained a lot of attention on Twitter with people sharing similar views: Cutler reiterated that she enjoyed her wedding and no one was forced to take the bloat pills, but they were simply there for people who wanted them, or were interested in knowing more. 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.

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While we love snuggling up in a chunky knit cardigan or frolicking through the leaves in a beautiful fall frock, we're also fans of throw-on-and-go jumpsuits. There's an effortlessness that comes with pulling on a onesie, and it's a feeling we welcome with the coming of colder weather. It not only takes the guesswork out of an outfit, but the pants actually enable you to stride around without packing on layers on layers on layers. Hay rides, apple picking, sprawling on your couch or bed at home, impromptu dance moves, running through the airport — you can do it all with this singular garment. Plus, it's an easy look for the office, casual events, travel, or upcoming fall weddings.