Ukrainian refugee to return home from Suffolk to be with family
Maryna Nesterenko says she is going home because "the war goes on and no-one knows when it will end".
1970-01-01 08:00
Zhanna D’Art: Who was the controversial vegan raw food influencer who died from ‘starvation’?
Zhanna Samsonova was just 39 when she died, reportedly from “starvation and exhaustion”, thousands of miles from her birthplace in Moscow, Russia. The Instagram influencer’s tragic story has come under scrutiny due to her promotion of a completely “raw” diet, which reports have suggested was linked to her death. Under the name Zhanna D’Art, Samsonova regularly wrote about how she subsisted exclusively on fruit, vegetables, seeds, smoothies and juices while living in Malaysia. Her mother, Vera, attributed Samsonova’s death to a “cholera-like infection” that was exacerbated by her diet. In recent weeks, Samsonova had been unusually quiet on Instagram, with the exception of a troubling post shared just days before her death on 21 July. “Life is meaningless but worth living provided you recognise it’s meaningly,” she wrote, over a photo of herself wearing sunglasses, with a gasping expression on her face. Vera, 63, told Russian newspaper Novye Izvestia how she had begged her daughter to return home as she feared for her health. “I understood that Zhanna was about to die, but still I could not help her in any way. My daughter's life has turned into a nightmare,” she said, via LBC. She told the publication that she had “fought for years” to save her daughter, once an aspiring model, but she “refused to listen”. Samsonova is believed to have left Russia in 2006, buying a one-way ticket to spend the past 17 years travelling around Asia while blogging and practicing yoga. Photos shared by Vera showed a smiling Samsonova apparently taking part in a modelling contest. The images are in stark contrast to the final photos she shared of herself before her death, where she appeared visibly gaunt and malnourished. Her friends also spoke with local media, confessing they feared she was suffering from anorexia and that her diet was becoming increasingly limited. One of her neighbours, who was not named, said she was “horrified” when they met in Sri Lanka a few months ago, as Samsonova looked “exhausted” and had swollen legs “oozing lymph”. “They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified,” the friend said, according to The Sun. “I lived one floor above her and every day I feared finding her lifeless body in the morning. I convinced her to seek treatment, but she didn’t make it.” Samsonova regularly made claims about the supposed benefits of her raw food diet, including that it offered “natural” protection from Covid-19. She also claimed that her body did not “require” water, writing last year that her fruit-based diet meant she had gone without water for the past six years. In recent months, she appeared to have become a fan of the durian fruit, sharing frequent posts that promoted it. “It’s that fabulous time of year again – Durian Season in Thailand!” she wrote in the caption of one of her final videos. “Wake Up And Smell the Durian! For all you durian lovers out there, isn’t it just the best? And for those who haven’t yet experienced the joy of durian, you’re in for a wild ride!” When she died, Samsonova had around 16,000 followers. At the time of writing, however, that number had increased to 33,000. There have been previous cases where people have starved to death due to their extreme diets, including children whose food intake was controlled by their parents. Last year, a vegan mother was sentenced to life in prison over the death of her 18-month-old son, who was fed a diet of raw fruits and vegetables. Prosecutors said that Sheila O’Leary’s son Ezra was severely malnourished, and weighed just 17 pounds when he died in September 2019. O’Leary was convicted by a Florida jury in June 2022 of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child, child abuse and two counts of child neglect. For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article, eating disorder charity Beat’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040 Read More Vegan raw food influencer ‘dies of starvation and exhaustion’ ‘Love, obsession, extortion and murder’: The dramatic downfall of TikTok influencer who became a killer Royal family silent as Meghan Markle celebrates 42nd birthday Who was controversial vegan raw food influencer Zhanna D’Art: Health expert Dr Michael Mosley shares two tips for avoiding osteoporosis Will Smith says Willow ‘mutiny’ changed his view on family success
1970-01-01 08:00
What to stream this week: Gal Gadot, 'Red, White and Royal Blue' and 'Only Murders in the Building'
This week’s new entertainment releases include Gal Gadot in the international espionage thriller “Heart of Stone,” the return of the comedy “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu and “Painkiller,” a new Netflix limited series detailing the rise of opioid use in the United States from various perspectives
1970-01-01 08:00
China Life mandates banks for up to $2 billion bond offering
By Georgina Lee and Scott Murdoch HONG KONG China Life Insurance (Overseas) Hong Kong has mandated banks for
1970-01-01 08:00
Four soldiers killed in Israeli strike in Damascus, says Syria
Another four soldiers are wounded in the missile attack near the capital Damascus, Syria's state media say.
1970-01-01 08:00
Global Switch Weighs Carving Up $6 Billion Data Center Empire
Global Switch Holdings Ltd.’s Chinese owners are considering carving up the data center group in the hopes of
1970-01-01 08:00
Families in Turkey's quake cities battle dust and rubble six months on
Six months on from the deadly earthquakes, thousands are still living in tents and makeshift camps.
1970-01-01 08:00
Liverpool transfer rumours: Mbappe open to loan move; Salah attracting Saudi Arabia interest
All the latest Liverpool transfer rumours including updates on Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe.
1970-01-01 08:00
Jamaica 0121 Festival: Thousands celebrate independence
A free event to celebrate 61 years of Jamaica's independence takes place in Birmingham.
1970-01-01 08:00
Minibus plunges down Morocco ravine killing 24
It is reported to be one of deadliest accidents in the country, which has a poor road-safety record.
1970-01-01 08:00
Woman runs out of date after spotting major 'red flag' - but not everyone agrees
People often share updates about their dating lives on social media, and one woman who went back to her date's house, couldn't believe what she saw. In fact, the scene in front of her left her warning to "fake a family emergency" as an excuse to leave. Jordan McNally (@missmcnallyyy) posted a TikTok where she looked concerned as she explained to viewers what was going on. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "I just got to his house and I'm in his bathroom, what the f*** is this?!!" she then proceeded to flip the camera around to show a large number of Herbal Essences bottles sitting on a wooden shower stool inside the shower. "SEVENTEEN!!" she exclaimed in text after counting up the bottles. "I'm about to fake a family emergency and dip," she added also using red flag emojis. @missmcnallyyy What does it mean?!?!? #herbalessences #sponsorhim #redflag Since sharing her bizarre discovery, Jordan's video has received a whopping 10m views, 1.3m likes, and over 15,000 comments from people who were just as baffled at why the guy had so many bottles, though some did also provide a possible explanation for the large quantities. One person wrote: "Can we get an update?? Cause I cannot come to a reasonable conclusion and I need answers." "Run, there is no logical explanation, no pro could outweigh this con," another person said. A third person added: "My dad does this and can confirm he went to Costco and got a stellar deal." "Uh uh idky [I don't know why] but that would send CHILLS down my spine like no I’m leaving," a fourth person commented. Someone else replied: "Maybe his mom extreme coupons." 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.
1970-01-01 08:00
What's the Kennection? #74
All five answers to the questions below have something in common. Can you figure it out?
1970-01-01 08:00
