China’s Top Carriers Trim Losses on Domestic Travel Rebound
China’s three largest airline companies reported significantly narrower losses for the first half of 2023 as Beijing’s lifting
2023-08-31 12:47
Travelers hoping to enjoy one last summer fling over Labor Day weekend should expect lots of company
If you're squeezing in one last summer trip over the Labor Day weekend, expects lots of company
2023-08-31 12:20
Images of 'wonder and woe' in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition
A home-making mason bee, a motherly possum's midnight munchies and a macaque lying on a deer's back are just some of highly commended images from this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
2023-08-31 07:27
Trader Joe’s issues sixth recall in less than six weeks
Trader Joe’s has recalled its sixth food item in five weeks. The latest food to make the list is the grocery store’s Texas Tamale Company gourmet black bean tamales, which were recalled on 22 August. According to Trader Joe’s website, the company was alerted by its supplier that tamales with a “best before date of 19 June 2025 and Lot code 17023 - sold only in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas stores - may contain undeclared milk”. This means that the presumed vegan items sold in those specific states may contain milk. “No illnesses have been reported to date, and all potentially affected products have been removed from sale,” Trader Joe’s announcement read. The recall warned consumers who did purchase the tamales not to eat them. Trader Joe’s “urged” buyers to either throw the tamales away or return them to the store where they will receive a full refund. Just a few days before this recall announcement from Trader Joe’s, another item was recalled. On 17 August, Trader Joe’s announced a recall of its multigrain crackers with sunflower and flax seeds. According to the announcement on its website, “products with Best If Used By dates between 1 March and 5 March 2024 may contain metal”. Similar to the tamales, no injuries were reported and all product that may have been affected was removed from sale and destroyed. Other recalled items include: Fully Cooked Falafel, Almond Windmill Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chunk, Almond Cookies, and Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup. The falafel was recalled because it may have contained rocks, and the broccoli cheddar soup was pulled because it may have contained insects. The cookies were also recalled because they may have contained rocks. Customers with questions are encouraged to contact the store’s customer relations department or email Trader Joe’s via the product feedback section of its website. Some frequent Trader Joe’s shoppers have taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to talk about their concerns with the increase in recalls. “I was gonna go to Trader Joe’s today and then I heard about all the recalls,” one tweet read. “The news media is just catching on to this, due to recent Trader Joe’s incidents that rose to the level of mass recalls. But it’s been an issue I’ve been noticing since the pandemic... Trader Joe’s has never been great at consistent quality control, it’s just noticeably worse,” another person pointed out on the platform. According to Trader Joe’s website, it doesn’t “take any chances when it comes to product safety and quality”. “We err on the side of caution and are proactive in addressing issues. We voluntarily take action quickly, aggressively investigating potential problems and removing the product from sale if there is any doubt about its safety or quality,” the grocery store chain said. It continued: “We value information and clear communication. Should a recall become necessary, we waste no time in providing our customers details. Our recall-related communications go well beyond regulatory requirements: we share news through in-store signs, on our website, and through email alerts.” The Independent has contacted Trader Joe’s for comment. Read More Trader Joe’s recalls two types of cookies over concerns they may contain rocks Nestlé recalls Toll House cookie dough Jennifer Aniston’s ‘go-to’ collagen supplement recalled Woman explains why she excluded her maid-of-honour from the bachelorette party Woman named Barbie Oppenheimer encounters difficulties amid Barbenheimer craze The Golden Bachelor: Who are the 22 senior women competing for Gerry Turner’s heart?
2023-08-31 06:22
13 Facts About L. Frank Baum’s ‘Wonderful Wizard of Oz’
‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ was the Harry Potter of its day: There was merchandising, a Broadway musical, a silent film, and a whopping 13 sequels.
2023-08-31 05:26
Resurfaced Karl Lagerfeld quote sparks backlash after Chanel unveils food-less diner
A Chanel pop-up “diner” without any food has raised eyebrows, as many people have called attention to designer Karl Lagerfeld’s controversial comments about diet culture. This week, it was announced that the French fashion label would be opening an old-school diner in Brooklyn, New York, to celebrate the launch of its Chance Eau Fraîche perfume. What was once the Wythe Diner, located at 225 Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, will be renamed the Lucky Chance Diner from 8 to 10 September. But don’t expect any diner food staples to be served at the pop-up restaurant. Instead, the immersive experience will include small, Chanel-branded treats and refreshments. As news surfaced that Chanel’s Lucky Chance Diner will not be serving classic American diner cuisine, like burgers and fries, many people were quick to note that the food-less menu would most likely receive a stamp of approval from Chanel’s late creative director, who had his own controversial opinions about food. In an Instagram post shared by popular fashion watchdog Diet Prada, the account resurfaced an infamous quote once uttered by Lagerfeld himself. “I never touch sugar, cheese, bread,” the German designer said. “I only like what I’m allowed to like. I’m beyond temptation. There is no weakness.” “When I see tons of food in the studio, for us and for everybody, for me it’s as if this stuff was made out of plastic,” he said. “The idea doesn’t even enter my mind that a human being could put that into their mouth. I’m like the animals in the forest. They don’t touch what they cannot eat.” Unsurprisingly, many people took issue with Lagerfeld’s past comments, and found it very fitting that Chanel would open a pop-up diner without actual diner food. “No sugar, bread or cheese? What a sad existence,” commented one Instagram user under Diet Prada’s post. “That quote is berserk,” another person said. “Thinking about the menu and all of a sudden I’m not hungry,” a third user wrote. This isn’t the first time Lagerfeld has been deemed problematic, notably for his fatphobic and body-shaming comments and controversial opinions about the MeToo Movement, migrants and LGBTQ rights. For example, when he was asked in 2012 whether he had a responsibility to hire size-inclusive models, the German designer said: “There are less than one per cent of anorexic girls. But there are zero in France, I don’t know in England - over 30 per cent of girls [are] big, big, overweight. And that is much more dangerous and very bad for the health. So I think today, with the junk food in front of TV, it’s something dangerous for the health of the girl. The models are skinny, but they’re not that skinny. All the new girls are not that skinny.” Although Lagerfeld claimed that he would “never touch sugar,” many people pointed to the 2001 “Karl Lagerfeld Diet” - which saw the designer lose more than 90 pounds as a result of a personalised diet plan created by Dr Jean-Claude Houdret. In his diet, Lagerfeld reportedly drank 10 cans of Diet Coke a day. “I drink Diet Coke from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed,” Lagerfeld said, according to Women’s Wear Daily. “I can even drink it in the middle of the night and I can sleep. I don’t drink coffee, I don’t drink tea, I drink nothing else.” Despite his controversial opinions about food, Lagerfeld famously transformed the Grand Palais in Paris, France, into a supermarket for Chanel’s 2014 autumn/winter Paris Fashion Week runway show. The shelves were stocked with faux Chanel-branded products, with everything from “Jambon Cambon” ham to camellia-festooned rubber gloves. At Chanel’s Lucky Chance Diner, patrons can go on a “personalised scent discovery” to explore the brand’s new fragrance free of charge. The pink-and-green themed space will feature Chanel’s recognisable round perfume bottles on every surface, along with matching dining booths, countertop seating, napkin holders, clocks and other paraphernalia bearing its signature logo. Customers will also be able to participate in interactive activities, such as selfies with a life-sized bottle of Chance perfume and a fragrance window to purchase Chanel perfumes. The Lucky Chance Diner is open to the public for three days, from 11am to 7pm, beginning 8 September. Chanel is offering limited 30-minute reservations here, but walk-ins are also welcome. Read More Chanel is opening a beauty-themed pop-up ‘diner’ with no burgers or French fries Karl Lagerfeld’s most memorable quotes about fashion, celebrities and body diversity Should I give up Diet Coke? With aspartame under suspicion, an addict speaks
2023-08-31 03:57
77 Delightful Victorian Slang Terms You Should Be Using
We don’t know how these Victorian slang terms ever fell out of fashion, but we propose bringing them back, as soon as possible.
2023-08-31 01:53
Fashion icon Iris Apfel celebrates 102nd birthday in style: ‘As beautiful as ever’
Style icon Iris Apfel has celebrated turning 102 years old in true “Barbiecore” fashion. Apfel reached the milestone age on Wednesday 29 August. In honour of her birthday, the fashion designer shared a pink-filled photo of herself to Instagram, with Kool & The Gang’s "Celebration” playing in the background. “102 today… who would’ve thought!!” she captioned the post, which featured animated pink balloons flying over her head. In the image, Apfel posed in her eccentric New York City apartment, complete with a white porcelain dog statue and a gold accent table. She was dressed in head-to-toe pink, along with her signature oversized, black round eyeglasses. Apfel wore a large, baby pink cape à la fellow icon André Leon Talley, and layered, chunky necklaces and bangles. She finished the look with salmon-coloured trousers, floral socks, and hot pink ballet flats with a bow. In the comments, many fans and famous friends rushed to wish the 102-year-old interior designer a happy birthday. “HBD, Iris!!!” wrote none other than the official Instagram account for Barbie. “You make 102 look fabulous!” said one fan. Another follower commented: “As beautiful as ever!” “Forever an icon,” a third person said, while someone else wrote: “What an achievement!” On Tuesday, Apfel also celebrated her birthday with an intimate dinner at Tutto il Giorno in the Hamptons, New York, where she was joined by designer Donna Karan, model Christie Brinkley, and Brinkley’s daughter, Alexa Ray Joel. The model shared a series of photos and videos with the fashion legend to Instagram in honour of her birthday. “Happy Birthday to Iris! She’s 102 and she’s got more style than me and you!” Brinkley captioned her poem-like birthday tribute. “She’s the queen of fashion who gets better every year, and today’s her birthday, did you hear? She’s got her trademark glasses and a wardrobe of fun and we wish her every happiness under the sun. “She’s smart and savvy and extremely witty and she wants everyone to know that individuality is always pretty, that we should all be ourselves, one of a kind,” Brinkley wrote. “Good advice like that’s hard to find. So thank you Iris for all you do, to say to people, ‘You do you!’ (Like you do so well!). Happy Birthday Iris! We LOVE YOU!” Apfel was born in 1921 in Queens, New York, to a father whose family owned a glass and mirror business, and a mother who owned a fashion boutique. Along with her late husband, Carl Apfel, she launched the textile firm Old World Weavers in 1950, which ran until they retired in 1992. Throughout her career, she took on restoration projects in the White House for nine US presidents. In 2005, she showcased her large collection of clothing and accessories in an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, titled “Rara Avis (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel”. Her decades-long career in fashion and design became the subject of a 2015 documentary, simply called Iris. In 2019, she signed a modelling contract with global agency IMG at age 97. In an interview with Today following her 100th birthday, Apfel spoke candidly about her age and revealed why she’ll never retire. “Oh, I love to work. It’s fun because I enjoy it,” she said. “And then I can help people. I can give employment. People tell me I inspire them. So many good things come out of it.” “I think retiring at any age is a fate worse than death,” she continued. “Just because a number comes up doesn’t mean you have to stop.” Despite turning 100 at the time, Apfel explained that she didn’t see her age as a reason to “change” her lifestyle or career “overnight”. “I didn’t change overnight because the number changed,” she said. “I want to keep on working and doing different projects.” Instead, her motto at work is to “just do what [she]” feels and to do what she feels in her heart, rather than “verbalising” it. “I just feel it. If it feels right here,” she said, pointing at her heart. Read More 100-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel reveals why she’ll never retire: ‘A fate worse than death’ Style icon Iris Apfel signs modelling contract with IMG, aged 97 Social media's 70-up 'grandfluencers' debunking aging myths Staggering environmental advantages of buying second-hand clothes revealed Why do we crave brand new clothes and how can we resist the urge to buy them? Chanel is opening a beauty-themed pop-up ‘diner’ with no burgers or French fries
2023-08-31 01:15
Hurricane Idalia Strikes Florida With Powerful Category 3 Winds
Hurricane Idalia came ashore on Florida’s west coast with destructive Category 3 winds, triggering blackouts and unleashing flooding
2023-08-30 20:54
Man explains why he swapped veganism for raw meat diet: ‘I feel great’
A 20-year-old has swapped veganism for raw meat, eating uncooked items including beef, chicken, heart and liver on a daily basis for the past four years, and claims he has “never gotten sick”. Jones Hussain, from Stockholm, Sweden, has eaten raw chicken as well as raw cuts of beef, minced meat and fish, without batting an eyelid – even if they are brown or smell slightly. He says he would happily eat any kind of meat provided it is good quality, from “wild boar to camel” but that he prefers minced beef because it is cheap, accessible and does not smell compared with chicken. Jones took the decision to eat raw meat just a few months after quitting veganism in 2019 “in the name of health” after he watched a YouTube video with the late American alternative food nutritionist, Aajonus Vonderplanitz, whose “Primal Diet” has inspired people worldwide. Health has always been important for Jones, who supplements his raw meat diet with fruit and juiced vegetables. He said he would not eat cake for £10,000 because of the sugar and claims to have not had a slice since the age of 13. “If any food safety expert looked at the food I eat, I think they would have a heart attack because the beef is sometimes brown, the liver looks green, the chicken stinks,” Jones told PA Real Life. “But I eat that and then nothing happens. “I did the experiments on myself to see whether what we have been led to believe is actually true and surprise, surprise, it wasn’t.” Jones, who said he has always been driven by “health”, came across the raw meat diet plan in 2019 a few months after quitting veganism. “My starting point has always been health,” he said. “So I’ve experimented with a bunch of things in the name of health.” The diet was designed by Vonderplanitz, who touted the benefits of eating raw foods, in particular meat and dairy. “I found one of his lectures on YouTube and started listening,” he said. “At first, I was just as shocked as anyone would be to see someone eat such a diet.” But Jones said he found Vonderplanitz’s arguments to be “honest and convincing” and so decided to give it a try. “I ate raw meat for the first time in November 2019 and I felt great,” he said. “It was just a straight cut of raw beef.” Having not fallen ill, Jones then decided to try raw ground beef. “That was the scary part because that’s when you enter into uncharted territory,” he said. “I was like, if I get sick then I won’t do this anymore. “Lo and behold, again, I didn’t get sick, so I started eating raw ground beef because it’s much cheaper than straight cuts.” To start with, Jones would flavour the raw meat with spices and garlic. “But then I felt that I didn’t need them, even from a taste perspective,” he said. “So I just started consuming it by itself and ever since then I’ve eaten raw ground beef almost every day.” By the summer of 2020, Jones had become accustomed to eating all types of meat. “I had no problems eating raw chicken because I had found a fairly good source in the supermarket so I ate it like KFC,” he said. “I also started buying raw liver here and there, and eating a small amount every day.” The raw meat Jones kept in his fridge soon started to turn “green”, but this did not stop him from eating it. “Since I was so convinced about what Aajonus was saying, I was not worried and just consumed it,” he said. “But if there was any white mould, then I got rid of the batch, although this did not happen very often.” Jones has continued eating raw meat ever since, although his family prefers ground beef to chicken because of the smell. “Nowadays I don’t so much eat raw chicken because it stinks up the house,” he said. In a single sitting, Jones said he is capable of consuming around 400g of raw liver. He said he believes dumping veganism for raw meat has improved his gut health and helped get rid of his acne. “The thing with raw meat is that the nutrients are more easily absorbed and unaltered,” he claimed. “It’s not that raw meat has some kind of special super power, it’s just that by not cooking it, I get more nutrients and no byproducts.” NHS guidelines, however, state that “cooking meat properly” kills harmful bacteria which can cause food poisoning. Jones had been a vegan for two years, from 2017 to 2019, before eventually converting to the primal diet. “It’s not that I was struggling to get enough nutrients,” he said. “It’s that a human being cannot survive on a vegan diet successfully. “Of course you can take supplements but it’s not the same thing, because they are processed. “There is no other way of getting these nutrients naturally other than by eating animal products. “So veganism on that basis, falls on its face.” Jones also eats raw fish such as salmon and tuna and said he is happy to eat any type of meat provided he can find a reliable supplier. The Primal Diet also includes fruit and vegetables, all of which are consumed raw. “I eat cucumbers and tomatoes, as well as oranges and apples when they are available to me,” he said. “The philosophy is don’t cook the food, but there is a variety.” Jones’ unusual diet often shocks people, including his parents who are concerned for his wellbeing. He explained: “Usually people have the same reaction, at first they think what the hell is this guy doing? He’s going to die in a few days. “Then they speak to me and find out that I’ve been doing it for three and half years, that I’ve never gotten sick, that my arguments are logical and that I look healthy. “They are like all right, that’s a new perspective that I had not heard before.” People behave differently on social media, however, said Jones, who has his own YouTube channel, Excellent Health. He also works part time at an elderly day care centre and has written a book titled The 6 Health Commandments. “The only time I ever got food poisoning was from a frozen bag of raspberries before I started eating meat,” he said. “I decided not to act out of fear, but to see what is true and what isn’t true.” To find out more about food safety, visit www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/cooking-your-food. Read More Eating a raw vegan diet almost killed me Study reveals one thing to focus on if you want to live to 100 Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-08-30 19:19
Why do we crave brand new clothes and how can we resist the urge to buy them?
Switching half our clothes in each of our wardrobes to pre-loved could prevent carbon emissions equivalent to those produced by 261,000 flights from London to Greece, Oxfam have suggested. So what is the allure of buying brand new clothes, when we know it’s worse for the environment? Well, there’s a reason we refer to shopping as ‘retail therapy’. Whether it’s a going-out top grabbed on your lunch break or a designer bag you’ve had your eye on for months, fashion acquisitions in particular have the power to lift your mood, thanks to the chemical dopamine. “Dopamine is known as the reward agent,” said cognitive psychologist and business consultant Dr Carolyn Mair, author of The Psychology of Fashion. “We produce more dopamine when we’re on the hunt for something that’s going to give us a positive outcome or make the situation we’re in at the moment more easy to bear. “It can become an addiction, certainly, because the same neurotransmitters and same behaviours are involved.” And buying an on-trend outfit provides more of a thrill than loading up a supermarket trolley because it satisfies our desire to fit in. “It’s a fundamental psychological drive that we want to belong to communities – part of the way we do that is through the way we dress,” said Mair – who is working with Oxfam for the launch of its Second Hand September campaign – but it’s a double-edged sword. “Fashion can do wonders for us in terms of highlighting or concealing parts of our bodies that we love or don’t love so much,” Mair continued. “But it can also be quite damaging when we feel that we have to join in with other people’s ideas about what’s fashionable.” Peer pressure can have a powerful effect, as can the boredom. “We get bored with what we’ve got, and we’re also very much influenced by fashion trends, celebrities, social media and so on,” said Mair. “There’s quite often a temptation to join in with those trends and be part of that… It can be quite difficult for people to resist that.” Even, that is, when we know that the fashion industry is hugely detrimental to the enviroment in terms of carbon emissions and unwanted garments going to landfill. “I think the huge majority of people already know [the environmental impact],” said Mair, and yet fast fashion brands continue to churn out millions of items a year and consumers lap them up. Instead of telling people to quit clothes shopping altogether, she said to ask ourselves: “How can we get the pleasure from fashion by not buying brand new, but by buying something else?” That’s why she encourages fashion fans to make more sustainable choices, starting with ‘shopping your wardrobe’. “You can make something you’ve already got feel new by upcycling it or changing it a little bit, if you’re creative. We can swap with friends, because then it’s ‘new to me’.” Hunting on sites like Vinted, eBay or Depop is a great way of “finding treasures so that’s giving us the dopamine hit and we’re saving money”, she added. If the proceeds are going to a good cause you’ll get an extra altruistic boost as welll. “We know from positive psychology that one of the best ways to feel good about ourselves is to do good for someone else,” said Mair. “Whenever we buy secondhand from a charity shop we know that our money is going towards doing good.” She’s also a big fan of rental sites like HURR Collective, Hire Street and By Rotation that offer premium pieces to hire for a fraction of their retail price. “Rental sites are great, particularly for special occasions when we think ‘I need to buy something new,’ because that’s the social norm,” she said. “Rental is a great way to keep an item of clothing in use for longer so it’s worn by more people and looked after.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How can I improve my teenager’s low mood? Drinking alcohol does not make people look more attractive, study suggests Maya Jama and Stormzy: Can you make it work with an ex?
2023-08-30 17:56
Buying second-hand clothes ‘could prevent carbon emissions equivalent to 260,000 flights to Greece’
Shopping for second-hand fashion could prevent carbon emissions equivalent to those produced by 261,000 flights to Greece, analysis from Oxfam suggests. The charity has launched its annual campaign Second Hand September, which encourages people to shop second-hand and donate what they no longer need or wear for 30 days from Friday. Releasing new research to mark the annual campaign, Oxfam said that only 10 per cent of wardrobe contents are second-hand. The charity cited figures from the Waste and Resources Action Programme, which estimates that the average adult wardrobe consists of 118 items. Oxfam said that if half of those items were bought second-hand, it would prevent 12.5 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide created by manufacturing new clothes from entering the atmosphere – equivalent to that produced by 261,000 flights from London Heathrow to Athens. It also said that if each adult in the UK donated all the clothes they have not worn in the past year to charity shops, it could remove the need for 4.9 billion kilograms of carbon emissions – equivalent to flying a plane around the world more than 6,600 times. The findings come amid increasing awareness of the negative effects of the fashion industry, which accounts for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions, according to the UN, which is more than international aviation and shipping combined. Money raised from Oxfam fashion goes towards Oxfam’s work with partners fighting poverty and the impact of the climate emergency around the world. The charity said an increasing number of shoppers, activists and people within the fashion industry have been shopping second-hand since the first Second Hand September campaign in 2019. Bay Garnett, stylist, sustainable fashion advocate and senior fashion adviser at Oxfam, said second-hand clothes have become an emerging style and agreed it has become “cool to care”. “I’ve seen a huge change. Kids love to do it now and what’s brilliant is that second-hand now has become a trend. It’s a genuine tipping point for it being a style choice,” she told the PA news agency. “I also think the big difference now is that it’s seen as a point of activism and originality. Kids are proud that they’re going to second-hand because it shows independence and a form of activism and strong decisions.” Ms Garnett, who came up with the idea to do visual campaigns for Second Hand September, collaborating with stars such as Sienna Miller and Felicity Jones, added that second-hand shopping is also an “antidote to the culture of newness, of Instagram and disposability”. She added: “When you shop at second-hand shops, the money that you’re spending raises crucial funds for Oxfam’s work fighting poverty and the impact of the climate emergency. That’s a fantastic place to put your money. “That’s pretty powerful in itself – the fact that it’s not going to make people richer but it’s going to help the people who are poor or the most disenfranchised by this whole situation.” Lorna Fallon, Oxfam’s retail director, said: “As a major emitter of greenhouse gas, much of the fashion industry as it stands is a threat to people and planet.” She added: “Shopping this way sends a clear message to the fashion industry that consumers want, and expect, things to change.” Miquita Oliver, Oxfam’s second-hand clothes ambassador, said: “It’s timely that we’re talking about second-hand clothes and living in a more sustainable way, as awareness of the environmental impact of our shopping choices is growing. “Today’s research from Oxfam shows that something as simple as buying clothes second-hand, and donating what we don’t wear any more, can help change the world for the better. It’s as simple as that.” Read More Woman adopts husband’s ex-wife’s son after growing up in foster care herself Florence Pugh says backlash to her nipple-bearing dress shows people are ‘terrified of the human body’ Woman says she started to wear ‘terrible wigs’ after her job banned her pink hair
2023-08-30 17:55