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A Canadian man has had limb-lengthening surgery, costing £25,000, to increase his height from 5ft 7in to 5ft 10in as he was so insecure about his height it caused him to have “suicidal thoughts”, and claims he is now “so much happier” and “confident”. Daniel Farbod, 27, a civil engineer, from Toronto, Canada, has been self-conscious of his height “all (his) life” – when he stopped growing, at age 14, he said it felt “tragic” and like his “first stab to the heart.” Daniel always defined “being masculine” as being tall, and was “ashamed” of himself as he “didn’t feel like a man.” Over time, being taller was all Daniel could dream about, and claimed his height “impacted his mental health so badly” that he was having “suicidal thoughts”. After coming across the unique surgery online, he realised he was “willing to sacrifice time and money to get (his) life back.” So, in May 2021, he had his first procedure in a specialist clinic in Turkey, which involved breaking his femurs, hollowing out the bone, and putting a rod inside the bone with external fixators, pieces of steel on the outside of his legs. Daniel had to turn the fixators with an Allen key every day for over four months, and eventually had his second surgery to remove the fixators after his bones had successfully fused together. When Daniel recovered, he could not “put into words how happy (he) was” and “felt so much more confident”, now, he is sharing his journey on social media to inspire others who are insecure about their height. Daniel told PA Real Life: “I’m really proud of myself for having the surgery. “I was insecure all my life about my height, it impacted my mental health so badly. “I was suicidal, and after admitting that I wanted to take the steps to feel better, and have the surgery, I feel so much better. “I think for other people, it is important to know how tough the surgery and recovery is – it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but for me, it changed my life and made me grow not only literally but also metaphorically as a person.” Daniel, who has always been self-conscious about his height, stopped growing at age 14, and became obsessed with finding ways to become taller. He said: “I researched everything from socks and supplements that claimed to increase your height. “I was always insecure and worried about it – I used to go to orthopaedic doctors because I was so scared of not growing. “But when I got to age 14, I stopped and it was so depressing.” When it became clear to Daniel that he was unlikely to grow any more, it took a toll on his mental health and confidence. He explained: “It was so tragic for me, it was like my first stab to the heart. “All my dreams would be about being taller and I had to somehow accept that my height had peaked. “I tried to keep myself busy to manage my thoughts but in 2020 I just couldn’t handle it – I had all of these negative thoughts and suicidal thoughts because I think being masculine, and being a man, means to be tall. “I didn’t feel like a man, I was so ashamed.” Daniel felt as though having limb-lengthening surgery was the only way he was going to feel better, but his parents, who are both “on the shorter side”, did not approve of his decision to have cosmetic surgery. He said: “Everyone was really against the idea because they thought it was not natural and it was changing the way your body is meant to be. “I knew the surgery was going to be tough, but I thought even that pain would be better than having suicidal thoughts. “I was willing to sacrifice time and money to get my life back.” In May 2021, Daniel had his first surgery in a specialist clinic, Live Life Taller, in Turkey, which involved breaking both of his femurs, hollowing out the bone, and putting a rod inside the bone with external fixators – pieces of steel on the outside of his legs. He explained: “I was really scared when I got to the clinic, and the breaking of the bones was the part I was most nervous about in the whole process. “It was crazy to wake up after the surgery – the reality just hit me all at once and I was so happy.” His recovery involved being in a wheelchair and using an Allen key to turn a bolt on the fixators four times a day at 90 degrees to separate the bone segments a little at a time. Daniel continued to do this every day for four and a half months, saying of his painful recovery: “My skin was stretching, my muscles were growing, it was madness. “It took me even longer to recover, they usually say it will take three months, but, my I had nerve issues with my right leg and had to have it broken again. “It was a very tough time.” In September 2021, the external fixators were removed, he explained: “I used a walker and really really slowly I worked up to using crutches. “I couldn’t really tell how tall I was at that point. “It took me at least another three months to be able to stand up.” Mr Farbod went from 5 ft 7 to 5ft 10 and thinks his mental health has dramatically improved as a result. He said: “I couldn’t believe it. I had been dreaming of being a tall man since I was 10 years old, it’s all I’ve ever wanted. “I went through all these sleepless nights, trauma and upset, and I finally achieved my goal. “I can’t even put into words how happy I was, and still am – I felt so much more confident.” When Mr Farbod arrived home, his family were also very happy for him. He said: “They looked after me so much – I could barely get out of bed or bend down for a long time. “They could tell I was so much happier when I recovered.” Now, Daniel shares his journey on Instagram and YouTube to inspire others who are insecure about their height. He said: “I want to show people the reality of the surgery – it’s tough but I want to raise awareness and get men talking about their insecurities.” For support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 10 slick ways to kit out your student digs 4 essential officecore trends to update your work wardrobe Sickle Cell Awareness Month: What is sickle cell disease and how do you know if you have it?

Luis Rubiales has sent new video to Fifa appearing to show Jenni Hermoso laughing over his infamous kiss, as the Spanish Football Federation president continues to desperately cling to power. Rubiales was suspended from all football-related activity for 90 days while Fifa investigates the incident, in which he grabbed Spain forward Hermoso and kissed her on the lips during the World Cup final presentation in Sydney. He was also seen handling other players and kissing them on the cheek in the aftermath of the 1-0 victory over England, and footage also showed him grabbing his crotch in an aggressive celebration. Rubiales has received widespread condemnation from across sport and politics, including the prime minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez, but he has denied wrongdoing, insisting the kiss was consensual and refusing to resign in a dramatic press conference. His mother has gone on hunger strike in protest against the “witch-hunt” and is currently being treated in hospital. The Spanish FA initially tried to point to still photos indicating Hermoso had lifted Rubiales off the ground in celebration and thus initiated the kiss. Now footage has emerged of the player laughing with teammates on the team bus after the final while holding up a meme on her phone which poked fun at the incident. The meme compared the Rubiales incident alongside a photo of former Spanish men’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas kissing reporter and then girlfriend Sara Carbonero. In the video, Hermoso can be seen smiling as she shows the image while some of her teammates chant “beso”, meaning kiss, and “presi”, referring to the FA president Rubiales. A member of Rubiales’ camp told the DailyMail that they believed the video to be “gold dust” in his defence against both Fifa’s investigation into his conduct and any potential criminal charge of sexual assault, which the Spanish police authorities are exploring. However, Hermoso has insisted the kiss was not consensual and that both herself and her friends and family were “pressured” to speak out in support of Rubiales. She criticised the “manipulative, hostile and controlling culture” of the Spanish national team. “I have to state that I have been under continuous pressure to come up with a statement that could justify the act of Mr Luis Rubiales,” Hermoso said in a statement on Twitter. “Not only that, but in different ways and through different people, the RFEF has pressured those around me (family, friends, colleagues, etc.) to give testimony that had little or nothing to do with my feelings. “It is not up to me to evaluate communication and integrity practices, but I am sure that as the world champion national team we do not deserve such a manipulative, hostile and controlling culture. This type of incident joins a long list of situations that we players have been denouncing in recent years, so this event, in which I have been involved, is just the straw that breaks the camel’s back and what everyone has been able to see. But attitudes like this have been part of the day-to-day life of our team for years. “For all these reasons, I want to reinforce the position I took from the beginning, considering that I do not have to support the person who has committed this action against my will, without respecting me, at a historic moment for me and for women’s sport.” Meanwhile Uefa, of which Rubiales is a vice-president, has finally broken its silence over the incident. Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin described the behaviour Rubiales as “inappropriate” – but called for Fifa’s investigation to be allowed to run its course. Read More Luis Rubiales is just the latest crisis in Spanish FA’s dark history Luis Rubiales news LIVE: Mother ends hunger strike as new video emerges Uefa boss: Rubiales was ‘inappropriate’ but says Fifa will decide his future

Sea Ltd. is bringing back one of its top mobile games in India a year and a half

The increases, which come into effect from midnight, follow a number of temporary reductions.

People online are stunned to learn a diner was charged 'a**hole tax' on his food bill – but it's not all what it seems. In a popular Reddit thread that racked up over 40,000 upvotes, the man claimed his "dinner receipt had a message" at the Oregan restaurant. A photo of the bill showed a seemingly innocent string of meals, followed by "You're an A**hole" with a $15 "fine". Fellow users were quick to share their shock, with many hospitality workers expressing their interest in implementing the so-called fine into their workplace. "I wish we could charge customers for being a**holes. We would make so much money. People are garbage," one wrote. Fortunately, the poster soon realised the mishap and clarified in the comments: "My wife and I went to a restaurant for her birthday and we both had cocktails. I completely forgot the name of the cocktail by the time the receipt came but its name was 'You’re an A**hole, Mr. Burton' lmao it definitely caught me by surprise". Reddit - Dive into anything from pics Attention soon turned to the "fried chicken tit" listed as one of the couple's orders. "'I'm intrigued by the fried chicken tit," one person wrote, while another reiterated: "I am more interested in seeing a picture of the Fried Chicken Tit." According to the diner, it's simply the name of Westgate Bourbon Bar and Tap House's "fried chicken sandwich." Their menu describes the meal as: "Breaded and fried DD chicken breast, havarti, lettuce, tomato, basil, mustard aioli, on a grilled ciabatta bun. yes. we said tit. ..from a chicken. go ahead. pretend you’re offended. I’m offended you’re offended." Sign up for 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.

Users of X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, will be able to make video and audio

Traders are abandoning the euro at pace as speculation grows the European Central Bank will struggle to tighten

Klarna Bank AB’s losses narrowed in the first half of the year as its growing customer base continued

NILIN, West Bank A Palestinian truck driver killed an Israeli soldier and injured two others in a ramming

The internet is full of weird and wonderful trends and memes, but one of the strangest by far is the Skibidi Toilet meme that has taken over social media platforms. If you’ve heard of Skibidi Toilet recently, chances are it was on TikTok or X/Twitter but many people may not know that the phenomenon started on YouTube. Skibidi Toilet is a meme based on a bizarre animated YouTube series with 59 episodes all about singing and dancing disembodied heads lurking in toilets. The series shows how the Skibidi Toilets have conflict between themselves and the so-called “Cameramen” – other people with CCTV on their heads, who are killed by the Skibidi Toilets. The YouTube show was created by user “DaFuq!?Boom!” and has over 27.2 million YouTube subscribers and some Skibidi Toilet episodes have upwards of 63 million views. The show is animated by Alexey Gerasimov, an animator based in Georgia. Since posting the first episode in February this year, the series has rapidly taken off. Its popularity seems to have got Gen Zers worried that they are getting old, as Gen Alpha is coming up with its own memes that they don’t understand. Gen Alpha, those born between the early 2010s and mid-2020s, are the next generation on from Gen Z (1997 – 2012) and are now becoming tweeners that have their own interests and online identity. Some have compared Skibidi Toilet to Gen Alpha’s Slender Man – a scary character that was popular among online youth in 2009. The emergence of Skibidi Toilet has left some Gen Z-ers realising that soon they will be facing the same mocking and ridicule they dished out to Millennials. On X/Twitter, someone wrote: “I just overheard my sister talking about how Gen Z is old and stupid and how they don't get their jokes, hello I am right here I am only 15 (she was born in 2013) “Then she asked me if I knew what a Skibidi Toilet was please help me what the f**k is a Skibidi Toilet I feel old.” For those who are extreme fans of Skibidi Toilet, a new phrase called Skibidi Toilet Syndrome has been coined as the diagnosis for people who can’t stop watching and consuming content based on the animated show. 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.

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. expects to suspend flights starting Friday afternoon through Saturday morning in Hong Kong as

By Tommy Wilkes and Simon Jessop LONDON More than 30 investors have called on proxy advisor ISS to