A celebrity chef who banned vegans from his restaurants has been forced to implement a booking fee after being trolled online. It all started when John Mountain, owner of Fyre in Australia, announced the new policy on Facebook following a customer complaint. "Sadly all vegans are now banned from Fyre (for mental health reasons). We thank you for your understanding," he wrote. In a direct message, the customer reportedly wrote: "My only option was the vegetable dish… it was okay but not that filling… and I was shocked to see it was $32 (£17). "If you don’t get with the times, I don’t hold out faith that your restaurant will be the one that does. I think it’s incredibly important nowadays that restaurants can accommodate everyone and to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The chef didn't take the feedback lightly, telling 7News: "F**k vegans - I’m done with them." "I once wrote and sold a book called Pig which had pork recipes. People know what they’re getting from me." Now, the chef claims he's been bombarded with fake bookings from vegans, prompting him to introduce a $30 (£16) booking fee. On his website, he wrote: "Due to the frequency of non-genuine vegan bookings, we have been forced to request a $30 per person booking fee. "This fee is wholly deductible from your bill after dining at Fyre." 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.

Five members of Jehovah's Witnesses congregations were charged with child sexual abuse by the Pennsylvania's attorney general on Friday, following a yearslong investigation into allegations of sexual abuse in the church.

Mets slugger Pete Alonso left Wednesday night’s game against the Braves in the first inning after getting hit near his left wrist by a pitch from Atlanta’s Charlie Morton

Google is looking to make passwords obsolete by prompting users to create passkeys to unlock accounts and devices with a fingerprint, face scan or pin number.

Despite being an elite athlete, Olivia Dunne still takes the time to engage with her fans on various social media platforms

I do a lot of activities alone. Not because I don’t have any friends or family who love me and share similar interests, but I’ve grown to enjoy my own company and stepping outside of my comfort zone. The first time I took the plunge was when I went to the Apollo Theatre in Victoria, London, to watch the iconic Wicked The Musical alone for my 21st birthday. I hated it and silently cried throughout the interval, watching people converse with their loved ones. But it taught me several lessons and I have since stopped thinking twice about going anywhere alone. Now, you’d happily find me at the cinema, gig, concert, restaurant, on a solo travel trip and yes, even the theatre, alone. For those thinking about it, but still need convincing, here are some of the reasons why you should try doing activities alone this summer. Increased independence and confidence Apart from learning to appreciate the peace that comes from silence, you could also start learning a new skill or invest in a talent, such as playing an instrument or knitting. “Trying out activities alone can boost your independence and confidence,” said Natalie Viglione, a life, business and spiritual coach who runs Team Gu and the Disrupt Now Program, which helps people and their businesses. “It’s an opportunity to rely on your own judgment and decision-making skills, which can make you feel empowered and more self-assured.” You learn more about yourself It may be easier to coast through life, but taking the time to be self-reflective to learn more about who you are – your likes, dislikes, values and how you are in uncomfortable situations – will provide you with great insight, direction and depth. You might discover new things and experience personal growth along the way too. “The lessons are endless, because the opportunities are too,” said Radha Vyas, CEO and co-founder of group adventure travel company Flash Pack. “Outside of the safety net of your friends and family, you are more open to meeting others, making new friends and creating new connections. The fear of loneliness dissipates almost immediately. Taking on new adventures and experiencing new things [like] solo travelling is life-affirming, and also brings with it a triumphant sense of achievement.” Making new friends Making new friends as an adult isn’t straightforward. But doing activities alone will provide you with countless opportunities to meet people who have similar interests as you. Using solo travelling as an example, Vyas said: “People often feel nervous to travel alone for fear they will be lonely or feel isolated. I’ve travelled solo a lot and have met others at every stage of my journey. “In fact, it’s often hard to have time alone. I think that’s the beauty of travelling solo – you are more open to meeting others and, as a result, wonderful and interesting new friendships form.” Reduced stress and improved mental health There’s a difference between doing activities alone and being lonely. For Lowri-Dowthwaite Walsh, a senior lecturer in psychological interventions at University of Central Lancashire, some people may be more reluctant to spend time alone, because we are often told that we should be with other people. “We are social creatures and tend to crave companionship. We are also aware of negative messages and stereotypes around solitude,” said Walsh. “Some people feel a sense of loneliness when they are alone and may not spend a great deal of time in their own company. Introverted individuals may be more used to being alone than extroverts.” But Walsh goes on to explain that throughout the centuries many philosophers, artists, poets and spiritual leaders have advocated for solitude. “Spending time alone enables you to get to know yourself better. Being alone with one’s thoughts and feelings deepens the relationship with oneself. It also allows for more spiritual and philosophical reflection. Being alone in nature has also been shown to improve wellbeing.” Walsh recommends journaling as a good reflective activity that can be done alone with plenty of time and space. Going for a walk in nature, doing some crafting or painting are also valuable ways to spend time by yourself. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How to make your summer tan last longer Why do I get sick when I go on holiday? As Katie Boulter takes Wimbledon by storm, we look at her best on-court fashion so far

This machine autonomously moves throughout the greenhouse scanning and choosing vegetables ready to be picked

'AGT' fans slam NBC as new format eliminates 9 talented acts in one Live show ahead of finale

Queen Bey turns 42 on September 4 and has a little "birthday wish" she would like attendees of her "Renaissance" tour to fulfill.

As the biggest YouTuber out there, MrBeast is known for his eye-catching thumbnails. However, he recently noted one change that is causing even more people to view his videos. The 25-year-old - whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson - has over 181m subscribers and so knows what causes viewers to click on his latest piece of elaborate content. Often, MrBeast - like many other YouTubers - can be seen pulling a shocked face to attract and intrigue viewers to watch in his thumbnail images. But after testing out different versions for his videos, he shared how the classic pose isn't as effective as he thought, explaining that thumbnails with his mouth shut do better. “I closed my mouth on all my thumbnails and the watch time went up on every video lol,” MrBeast said on Twitter/X. “My mouth is now closed in all my thumbnails but the war has just begun. We must not rest until mouths are closed in everyone’s thumbnails." In the tweet, he shared a screenshot of the different combinations where YouTube declared the thumbnails of him flashing a smile were a "winner," compared to the traditional shocked face. "Now all YouTubers will shut their mouths," one user jokingly tweeted, to which the MrBeast replied: "Thank god." When someone asked the YouTuber if the shocked face thumbnail era was over, he answered: "Seems like it, here’s more results. Now that I can actually A/B test thumbnails I don’t have to guess and I just test and see what people want." The YouTuber admitted: "My mouth would have closed years ago if I had this tool." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.

When it comes to inspecting luggage, "there's never a dull moment," customs agents at Washington's Dulles Airport said after opening the bags of two passengers from Vietnam and discovering herbal medicine, snakes and even seahorses.

Jill Biden met France’s first lady Brigitte Macron on Tuesday, 25 July, as she visited Paris to mark the United States’ official re-entry into United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). The US First Lady will attend a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the re-entry into the agency after a five-year hiatus. She is expected to make a speech about the importance of American leadership in preserving cultural heritage. Under Donald Trump’s administration, the US pulled out of Unesco because of an alleged anti-Israel bias and a need for “fundamental reform” in the agency. It was the second time the US returned to Unesco after withdrawing, after previously leaving under Ronald Reagan’s administration in 1984 citing alleged advancement of Soviet interests, mismanagement, and corruption. The nation announced its intention to rejoin the agency in June 2023 before the agency’s 193 member states approved re-entry. Today’s ceremony will feature a speecy by Unesco’s director general Audrey Azoulay. Read More First Lady Jill Biden to mark US reentry into UNESCO with flag-raising ceremony in Paris Oui, oui: Jill Biden heads to Paris to help mark US return to UN educational and scientific agency Jill Biden welcomes proposal for Medicare to pay for navigation services for cancer patients