Pets are our faithful companions, but the costs to care for them can add up
Pets provide joy and companionship, but costs can add up quickly, especially if you’re a first-time owner and don’t know what to expect
1970-01-01 08:00
'Gossip Girl' star Taylor Momsen recalls 'alienating' experiences as child actor
"Gossip Girl" star Taylor Momsen has opened up about how "alienating" she found being a child actor.
1970-01-01 08:00
MrBeast reveals tiny detail that gets even more views on YouTube
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.
1970-01-01 08:00
Argentina peso at risk of another devaluation after election: Reuters poll
By Gabriel Burin BUENOS AIRES Argentina's troubled peso currency is at risk of suffering another devaluation after October's
1970-01-01 08:00
'We are starving to death:' Residents of Nagorno-Karabakh fear for future under blockade
Ani Kirakosyani found out she was pregnant a month after the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh began. Food, fuel and medical supplies in the disputed territory are running low and officials there say they reported the first death from malnutrition last month.
1970-01-01 08:00
Period and fertility tracking apps scrutinised over data security concerns
The UK’s data protection regulator is to review period and fertility tracking apps over concerns around the data security of such platforms. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said the review was in response to figures it had obtained from its own research, which found that more than half of women using these apps had concerns over how their data was being used. The data protection watchdog’s research showed a third of women have used apps to track their periods or fertility, and more than half of those who have used an app believed they had noticed an increase in baby or fertility-related adverts since signing up, with 17% said they had found this distressing. The ICO said its poll showed concerns around data use and how secure their data was were named as bigger fears among women than the cost of these apps or ease of use. We want to make sure women can use these services with confidence, so we’re calling for people to share their experiences Emily Keaney, ICO The regulator is now urging users to come forward and report their own experiences using tracking apps as part of a call for evidence. It said it had also contacted companies who provide period and fertility tracking apps to find out how they are processing users’ personal information. The ICO said the focus of its work would be to identify if there was the potential for harm and negative impact on users. “These statistics suggest data security is a significant concern for women when it comes to choosing an app to track their periods or plan or prevent pregnancy,” Emily Keaney, ICO deputy commissioner of regulatory policy, said. “That’s not surprising, given the incredibly sensitive and personal information involved. “We want to make sure women can use these services with confidence, so we’re calling for people to share their experiences. “This will help us understand whether there are areas that need improvement – from how easy it is to navigate privacy policies to whether people have experienced upsetting and unexpected targeted advertising. “We also know some users feel these apps bring many benefits and we’d like to hear about these too. “As with all health apps, we would expect organisations to safeguard their users’ privacy and have transparent policies in place. “This review is intended to establish both the good and bad of how the apps are working currently. “Once we have more information, we will explore next steps, but we will not hesitate to take regulatory action to protect the public if necessary.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Russian cyber-attacks ‘relentless’ as threat of WW3 grows, expert warns Warner Music sign first digital character Noonoouri and release debut single Met should thoroughly investigate cyber security practices, say experts
1970-01-01 08:00
World’s largest wind turbine breaks record for power generated in a single day
A wind turbine in China has set a new world record for the most amount of electricity generated in a single day, after operating during typhoon conditions. The Goldwind GWH252-16MW turbine, which was installed at an offshore wind farm in Fujian Province in June, produced 384.1 megawatt hours in a single day – enough to power roughly 170,000 homes. The record was achieved on 1 September, according to state-owned power company China Three Gorges (CTG), surpassing the previous record set by Danish company Vestas in August. The turbine’s rotor has a diameter of 252 metres – more than double the diameter of the London Eye – and at full speed each blade can reach up to 70 per cent of the speed of sound. The record-breaking wind turbine features an innovative design that allows it to adjust its blades in real time when winds reach high speeds. This allowed it to continue operating during Typhoon Haikui last week, during which conventional turbines were forced to shut down. “We are closely monitoring critical components like the main control programme, pitch system and generators to gradually lift power restrictions while ensuring operational safety,” a spokesperson for Goldwind told the South China Morning Post. Figures from the Chinese Wind Energy Association show that China installed more than 11,000 wind turbines last year, 90 per cent of which were at onshore wind farms. Separate figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggest that China added nearly three times as much wind capacity in 2022 compared to the European Union, and accounts for more than a third of all of the world’s installed wind capacity. Projections from the agency indicate that electricity from wind and solar will double over the next five years, providing almost 20 per cent of global power generation by 2027. “China is forecast to install almost half of new global renewable power capacity over 2022-27, as growth accelerates in the next fice years,” a recent IEA report noted. “Very ambitious new renewable energy targets, market reforms and strong provincial government support provide long-term revenue certainty for renewables. In most Chinese provinces, utility-scale renewables are cheaper than regulated coal electricity prices, driving rapid adoption. In the main forecast, China is expected to reach its 2030 target of [renewable] capacity five years in advance.” Read More How tech could turn our homes into renewable energy power stations World’s first solar powered hybrid truck tested on public roads Period and fertility tracking apps scrutinised over data security concerns AI can help generate synthetic viruses and spark pandemics, warns ex-Google executive Google boss says he wants to make people ‘shrug’
1970-01-01 08:00
Amateur makes 'gold find of the century' in Norway
A Norwegian out walking on doctors' advice unearthed rare 6th-century gold jewellery using a newly bought metal detector, a discovery archaeologists said on Thursday was...
1970-01-01 08:00
Athlete who ran over 200km through the desert shares advice for running in a heatwave
We’ve been hit with a September heatwave and, for runners – whether beginner or seasoned – it means added concerns around dehydration, chafing and generally keeping safe in the heat. Ultramarathon runner Leon Bustin, 36, completed a 220km run through the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan in October 2022, so he knows a thing or two about dealing with hot weather while exercising. Here is the athlete’s advice for heatwave running right now. Be sun safe “Covering your skin to avoid too much direct sunlight will really help,” says Bustin, who is also a content creator for Lean Machines and a personal trainer. “I highly recommend using a good zinc stick under the eyes and across the nose as well. “I used a bright purple one in the desert to remind me of my daughter and also to show very clearly if there was a part I’d missed. [Use] a higher factor than you think you need.” Hydration starts before a run “Working on your hydration starts before you take a single step out of the door,” he says. “I even start my day with an electrolyte-rich glass of water as we even become dehydrated in our sleep. “So having a good 500ml of electrolyte-rich water pre-run will really help, then as a good basic guideline take a further 500ml for each hour you are out. “The important thing is adding the electrolytes to the water. If we over-consume [pure water] we may dilute and flush out essential electrolytes and trace minerals as we pee.” Cool bare skin “Try cooling the glabrous – or none hairy- areas, it really helps flush heat out of your body fast,” says Bustin. “Those areas include the palms of your hands, under eyes, ears and soles of your feet. “Every time l arrived at an aid station in the desert l would hand over my water bottles to be refilled and plunge my hands straight into a bucket of coldish water, splash my face then keep the hands there for a good 30 to 40 seconds.” For those of us without air stations, Bustin suggests wetting exposed skin with water from a bottle. Pop a flannel in the freezer before going on a run and run it across your skin afterwards, or midway. “The key to keeping cool on a run is managing your core temperature because if that rises too much, put simply, it will be the end of your race,” he adds. Breath correctly “Breathing right for you is really important to get nailed down regardless of the running conditions, but especially in the heat as we don’t want to put any unnecessary extra stress on our bodies – because it will just cost more energy,” says Bustin. “We all tend to over-breathe through our mouth so simply focusing more of our inward breaths to be through the nose will help more than you think and over time both bring down and regulate your average heart rate greatly.” Be careful of the chafe Chafing can put you off pretty early in your running journey, and in the heat, where shorts can leave thighs rubbing together and slick with sweat, it’s a run-ruiner. “Anti-chafe cream is your best friend in the key areas (between the thighs and under the arms),” says Bustin, “but also if you get lots of toe blisters like me. “I put a generous dose between my toes of a good oil-based anti-chafe or even just some good old Sudocrem to keep those toes gliding. The right cream for you will take trial and error and is also combined with wearing the right run kit for you as well.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Women being invited to help shape the future of reproductive healthcare – from period pain to menopause How to style your home like a professional One in 10 ‘spending beyond their means’ – try these 7 cutbacks guaranteed to save families money
1970-01-01 08:00
Biden's unpopularity could give Trump his shot at reclaiming power
The devastating verdict voters deliver on President Joe Biden in a new CNN poll is especially stark ahead of the most unprecedented election in modern times.
1970-01-01 08:00
Indonesia proposes critical minerals trade deal with US
JAKARTA Indonesia has asked the United States to begin talks on a trade deal for critical minerals so
1970-01-01 08:00
Aldi Opens 1,000th UK Store as Discounter Eyes Expansion
Aldi opened its 1,000th UK store on Thursday and committed to a further 500 outlets in the country
1970-01-01 08:00
