House expected to take up GOP stopgap bill but Congress still on track for a shutdown
The House is expected to take up a GOP stopgap bill to extend government funding on Friday -- but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy appears to lack the votes to pass it and Congress is still on track to trigger a government shutdown.
1970-01-01 08:00
An expert has debunked 'old wives' tale' about what happens when you swallow gum
Myths we are told as children often go unchallenged and disguised as facts later in life, from bread crust making your hair curly to catching a cold if you go outside with wet hair – and chewing gum sitting in the stomach for seven years if swallowed. Sorry to break it to you, but they're all myths. Now, one professor of clinical gastroenterology from the University of Oxford set the record straight, calling the chewing gum claim nothing but an "old wives' tale". "I’ve no idea where the myth came from," Simon Travis told CNN. "I can only imagine that it was suggested because someone wanted to stop their children from chewing gum." The only inkling of truth is that chewing gum is not digestible, as Travis explains: "If you swallow chewing gum, it’ll go through the stomach, and go through into the intestine, and pass out unchanged at the other end." Swallowing three or more pieces a day is understandably considered excessive, however. "There are cases of chewing gum lodging in the intestines of infants and even children if they’ve swallowed a lot, and then it causes an obstruction," Travis continues. "But in over 30 years of specialist gastro practice, I’ve never seen a case." Among other medical myths that simply won't disappear is the idea that you have to wait an hour after eating before swimming, to avoid cramps. The myth is said to date back to around 1908 when it was featured in a a Boy Scout handbook. However, there is no reason to not swim after eating. While exercise after a feast can feel slightly uncomfortable, it is by no means dangerous. 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.
1970-01-01 08:00
Hong Kong Retail Sales Rise in August as Mainland China Tourists Return
Hong Kong’s retail sales rose in August as mainland Chinese tourists returned to the city, providing an encouraging
1970-01-01 08:00
Pakistan: At least 20 killed, dozens injured in Mastung blast
The police suspect it was a suicide attack targeted at a religious gathering.
1970-01-01 08:00
This optical illusion is seriously confusing people
People have been left bewildered after viewing an optical illusion of a spinning lady, as they try to figure out which way she is turning. Optical illusions have long been a favourite of the internet, sparking numerous online debates in the past from the 'Yanny or Laurel' audio, to the black/blue and white/gold dress. The reason we're often so interested in optical illusions is because what we see or hear challenges or disagrees with physical reality. Aude Oliva, a cognitive scientist from MIT, told Popular Mechanics that "the human brain is really tuned to learning new things. Anything that is new and surprising is something we naturally like because it mean we may learn something from it." The 'spinning lady' illusion was first posted to YouTube in 2018, asking viewers, "Which way is the lady spying? Left or right? Or both?" Many left comments sharing what they could see: "I had to watch it multiple times to see both," one user wrote. "My brain naturally sees her turn clockwise. But after watching it enough, if I change my focus it can change her direction." "At first I thought both, but when I focus on the eyes, nose and mouth as she spins, I just see her spinning left (clockwise)", wrote another. One user even said that the lady is "NOT SPINNING at all!" But rather "SWINGS like a pendulum!" Take a look at the spinning lady yourself: NEW Spinning Lady Optical Illusion (Left or Right?) www.youtube.com So, what do you see? Is she spinning left, right, or both? 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
Evergrande: Anxious Chinese home buyers reel from crisis
As China's housing crisis grows, so have fears that dreams of home ownership have been bulldozed.
1970-01-01 08:00
Vietnam sees Q3 GDP growth capped by weak external demand
By Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnam's gross domestic product growth accelerated in the third quarter from the
1970-01-01 08:00
'He is like a tank!' 50 Cent 'so powerful' on Expendables 4 he dislocated stuntman's finger
'Expendables 4' stunt co-ordinator Alan Ng has told how 50 Cent was so "powerful" while filming shooting the action movie accidentally dislocated a stunt performer's finger.
1970-01-01 08:00
Jason Blum 'scared to death' of Taylor Swift
Jason Blum moved the release of 'The Exorcist: Believer' because it was "too risky" to go up against Taylor Swift's 'Eras' film.
1970-01-01 08:00
UK Economy Stronger Than First Thought in Boost for Sunak
The UK economy is larger than previously thought, new figures show in a boost for Prime Minister Rishi
1970-01-01 08:00
Stock market today: Asian shares mixed, with most regional markets closed after Wall St ticks higher
Asian markets are mixed, with only a few open due to public holidays across the region
1970-01-01 08:00
Exclusive: Philippine defense secretary vows to stand up to 'bully' China
China is behaving like a schoolyard bully toward smaller countries, the Philippines defense secretary told CNN Friday during an exclusive interview in which he said his nation had to stand up to Beijing's territorial expansion in the South China Sea.
1970-01-01 08:00
