Han Kuang: Taiwan practices to repel a Chinese invasion
Taiwan has learned from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is moving to fortify vulnerable points.
1970-01-01 08:00
Wildfire on Spain's Gran Canaria island 'stabilised' - emergency services
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Spain Firefighters have "stabilised" a wildfire that ravaged 400 hectares of woodland in the
1970-01-01 08:00
Europe Gas Prices Steady as Shell Sees Healthy Winter Stockpiles
European natural gas prices steadied following the biggest drop in more than a month, as Shell Plc sees
1970-01-01 08:00
Shell Pledges Extra Buybacks, Hikes Dividend as Profit Drops
Shell Plc’s second-quarter profit fell from the highs seen last year but the company pledged extra share buybacks
1970-01-01 08:00
Shell, TotalEnergies profits slump as oil, gas prices cool after bumper 2022
By Shadia Nasralla, Ron Bousso and America Hernandez LONDON/PARIS Shell and TotalEnergies reported sharp falls in second-quarter profit
1970-01-01 08:00
'We are being pushed out of the industry we love': Hugh Grant's Wonka role slammed by actor with dwarfism
Hugh Grant's role in 'Wonka' has been criticised by an actor with dwarfism, who believes the Oompa-Loompas should be portrayed by those with the condition.
1970-01-01 08:00
British Gas Owner Boosts Shareholder Returns: The London Rush
Centrica is boosting shareholder returns after profit at its British Gas business increased almost 10-fold compared to last
1970-01-01 08:00
Elon Musk’s Twitter rebrand ‘blocked’ in Indonesia over alleged links to porn sites
Billionaire Elon Musk's Twitter rebranded 'X' has been reportedly blocked in Indonesia because of the country's laws on online pornography and gambling. Mr Musk announced on Sunday that Twitter has been rebranded to X as part of his plan to create an “everything app”. The Tesla CEO, who took over the platform in October 2022, replaced the famous blue bird with the new logo on Monday after crowdsourcing ideas from users over the weekend. The domain X.com which he previously used for PayPal will redirect to Twitter.com, Mr Musk said. Subsequently, millions of Indonesians were unable to access the social media platform, Al Jazeera reported. Indonesia’s ministry of communication and informatics said the site was restricted as the domain was previously used by sites that did not adhere to the country’s laws against "negative" content. The Indonesian government has been in contact with X to clarify the nature of the site, according to Usman Kansong, the director-general of information and public communication at the ministry. “Earlier today, we spoke with representatives from Twitter and they will send a letter to us to say that X.com will be used by Twitter,” Mr Kansong said. Twitter users trying to access the social media platform allegedly received a message on the screen saying that the website had been blocked by the ministry for violating local laws and regulations. Gatria Priyandita, a cyber policy analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told Al Jazeera, that Indonesia tends to block websites that are considered to be “offensive, criminal, or dangerous to social harmony". “These may include pornographic materials, sites that violate intellectual property laws, those that incite hate or are filled with false information.” “Given that Twitter can be freely used in Indonesia, I doubt removing X.com from the list of banned sites would be a great challenge, so long as Twitter can demonstrate that the domain name truly does direct to Twitter." Indonesia in 2022 threatened to block popular sites including Netflix, Google, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter if they did not make a submission to the ministry “detailing the content that appears on their platforms”. Read More Elon Musk takes control of @X account from user who had held it for 16 years Elon Musk’s ‘X’ already trademarked by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta for ‘social networking services’ Elon Musk wants to turn tweets into 'X's'. But changing language is not quite so simple Typhoon Doksuri heads towards China after causing destruction in Philippines Singapore prepares to execute first woman in 20 years Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi ‘moved to house arrest’ after more than a year in jail
1970-01-01 08:00
Xi Protege’s Sudden Removal Adds to Rough Start for Third Term
The sudden ouster of Xi Jinping’s handpicked foreign minister is the latest example of how the Chinese president’s
1970-01-01 08:00
Shell Q2 profits drop to $5 billion after energy prices cool
LONDON Shell reported on Thursday profits of $5 billion in the second quarter, dropping by 56% from a
1970-01-01 08:00
US fights back to draw with Netherlands at Women's World Cup
In a closely-fought battle and rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, the United States Women's National Team (USWNT) and the Netherlands -- two of the world's top teams -- came to a 1-1 draw on Thursday at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
1970-01-01 08:00
The most unhygienic things in your kitchen revealed – and how to get them clean
It’s likely there are countless things in your kitchen which look clean, but actually, they’re filthy. Could your dishcloths be making you sick? When was the last time you washed your tea towels? And do we really need to bleach the sink more than once a month? We asked an expert to find out. Knobs, door handles, and buttons The buttons and dials on your kitchen appliances could be a germ-fest. “People often neglect to clean these areas of the kitchen,” says Danielle Mason, a cleaning content creator – or ‘cleanfluencer’ – who creates tutorials and videos on TikTok and Instagram. “Most of the time, they don’t think it is important, but as you’re commonly handling raw meat and food, it’s extremely important to keep these areas clean, due to cross-contamination. “Always sanitise with a cloth – I like to do this with Zoflora, as it leaves a great smell afterwards, and kills bacteria from dirty fingers.” Cloths If what you clean with isn’t clean, chances are, your kitchen isn’t either. “I always leave my cloth to soak in bleach before going to bed every night,” says Mason. “This enables a new start in the morning with no bacteria. Also, make sure you’re replacing the cloths – I would suggest a new one every two weeks, whilst still bleaching every night. And make sure you’re not using this cloth on anything other than the kitchen, as you do not want to cross-contaminate.” Sponges Mason stresses sponges are unhygienic, as they’re constantly damp and can carry E. coli. “People tend not to use sponges, as they carry so many more germs, and even putting them in the microwave will not kill all of them. Avoid a sponge where possible.” Dish towels Dish towels and tea towels may not be changed anywhere near often enough. “You should have one for every day of the week, as they carry so many bacteria and germs, which get spread across the kitchen. If you’re drying pots and pans, and then wiping down your surfaces, it’s not good,” she says. Chopping boards Chopping boards – particularly wooden ones – could be a haven for bacteria. “You should have a different colour for different types of food, one for meat, fruit, and other foods,” advises Mason. “The best way to clean them is in a dishwasher, as it’s good to get rid of all the germs due to the very high heat. If you don’t like the dishwasher, then boil the kettle water and leave the chopping boards to soak in it. I use a steam cleaner on mine, as it kills 99.9% bacteria and there are no chemicals.” It is best to avoid wooden chopping boards altogether, as these cleaning methods may damage them. Kitchen sink “This is a massive breeder of bacteria and grime; a distinct microbiome is found in sinks. “The plumbing area found beneath sinks revealed microbial communities dominated by a group of bacteria called Proteobacteria. This phylum includes pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli, which can cause serious disease,” Mason shares. “I’ve always been taught never to wash my hands in the sink, and to never throw dirty water down the sink. You wash your cups and plates in the sink and prepare food, so it should always be kept clean, and nothing from outside the kitchen should cross-contaminate that. For example, never wash your floors and put dirty water in your kitchen sink, always throw it down the toilet.” How do you possibly clean the inside of your sink and drains? “Baking soda and vinegar is the best way to clean your sink out, or bleach, but you must be careful with bleach, as it can stay in the bottom of your sink, depending on the material it’s made of. I clean my sink out every day.” Pipes and cupboards around your sink could be leading you to have a rodent problem. “You can prevent mice and rodents from entering the kitchen by covering any small crevices or cracks. It is also important to repair leaks as soon as they happen, as they can come through the pipes,” she says. Fridges “Deep clean [your fridge] every two months. A normal cleaning – the wiping of shelves – should be done every other day with soapy water. For any bad smells, use baking soda, which will absorb the smell from the fridge,” Mason continues. “The fridge is a breeding ground for salmonella, E. Coli and other bacteria.” Bins Where you throw your waste away could be a breeding ground for germs. “Make sure you keep [outdoor] rubbish bins away from your house, and make sure you empty your bin as soon as it’s full,” advises Mason. “I personally do not keep a bin in the kitchen, I use a bag and I take that out by the end of the day, but if you are using a bin, make sure you bleach it with hot kettle water, to keep it smelling fresh.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Laura Whitmore: I feel unsafe as a woman Meet the professional cuddler charging £70-an-hour to hug ‘the big spoons in life’ New warnings about ‘concerning’ rise in at-home cosmetic dentistry
1970-01-01 08:00
