The high-altitude rice variety in South East Asia is threatened by a major plant disease.

Montana Brown has revealed that she chose to have a home birth when welcoming her son Jude last month because she felt that hospitals are not “the safest place” for non-white people. The former Love Island star, 27, shared a YouTube vlog about her pregnancy and birth plan recently to answer questions from followers about her experience. She opened up about her decision to have a home birth, adding that she hired a doula, a trained professional who supports women through labour and birth, as well as through post-partum. Brown, who is mixed race and has Japanese and Jamaican heritage, said she “can’t wait” for her home birth. She filmed her vlog before giving birth to Jude in June. “I feel like hospital isn’t the safest place to give birth and I know people are gonna be like, ‘What the f***, you’re an idiot’ but I just think it’s personal preference,” she told her followers. “Also, I just think as a non-white person, it’s not the safest place to be in hospital in childbirth. All these things I’ve thought about for a long time. We’re also having a doula, which I’m really excited about.” In the UK, Black women are nearly four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than white women, according to a report published by MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK) in 2022. The study found that there was a slight drop in the maternal mortality rate for Black women between 2018 and 2020. It also found that Asian women are around twice as likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than white women. In a 2021 response, the government said it was “committed to reducing disparities in health outcomes and experience of care”. Brown, who is engaged to fiancé Mark O’Connor, said she asked for advice on a home birth from The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) star Sam Faiers, who she called the “queen of home birthing”. “It’s just fantastic… She’s helping me feel really set in my decision,” she said. Replying to a fan who asked if she felt afraid of giving birth, Brown said had the “most positive mindset ever”, and would continue to do so even if she had to have a “C-section, an epidural, or wound up in hospital”. The reality star and her fiancé welcomed baby Jude on 23 June. Last week, she opened up about the struggle to get pregnant despite being in her twenties and said she was surprised it took her so long to conceive. Speaking on the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, Brown told host Giovanna Fletcher that she thought “something was wrong” with her when she and O’Connor first started trying for a baby. “I thought, ‘We’re young, this is going to be really easy’… For the first four months, we’d used ovulation sticks, and then I’d do a pregnancy test and it’d be negative,” she recalled. After both she and her partner went to check their fertility, they discovered she had “no oestrogen and no testosterone”, which made her realise that people “can be young, fit and healthy, and still really, really struggle to conceive”. Announcing her son’s birth, Brown shared a black-and-white photograph of the newborn being cradled against her chest on Instagram and wrote: “Welcome to the world Jude Isaiah O’Connor. We’re so smitten with you little man.” The couple announced their engagement in April, after O’Connor proposed to her in Bermuda. They first met in 2020. Brown featured in series three of Love Island and was coupled up with Alex Beattie at the end. They broke up shortly after leaving the villa. Read More Ruth Handler: The Barbie inventor who revolutionalised prosthetic breasts and narrowly avoided prison Woman praised for response to airline employee who asked her to swap first class seat with child Fans defend Prince Harry and Meghan Markle amid breakup rumours 8 healthy habits to help you live longer – according to a new study The bowel cancer symptom George Alagiah wished he’d caught earlier George Alagiah: What are the signs of bowel cancer?

Today' meteorologist Al Roker warmed hearts on Instagram as he flaunted his culinary skills, treating his son Nick to a wholesome breakfast

Julia Fox has shared a candid response to the criticism over her latest look at New York Fashion Week. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, published on 7 September, Fox, 33, addressed the backlash she faced over the outfit, which consisted of a chain bra with metal pasties and chain bottoms that she was wearing underneath a black trench coat. As she described some of the remarks that people made about her look, she also questioned why the outfit was an issue in the first place. “I got in trouble for that one,” she said. “There were a lot of haters, being like: ‘This is unacceptable. This is setting such a bad example.’ But, it’s like: ‘Why?’ It’s just my body.’” The Uncut Gems star continued to make quips about why online trolls were criticising her body. “Is my body, like, ugly? Is my body a crime?” she joked. “Did my body slap your grandma? The way that they were acting, it was like, What the heck!” She also spoke candidly about why she chooses the memorable outfits she wears when attending major events. “If people could see what I dress like in my day to day, it’s literally like boxers, stained, dirty T-shirts, Adidas slides. It’s not this,” she said. “That’s kind of why when I do get dressed up, I want to go all out because my real life is so unglamorous.” This isn’t the first time that Fox has made headlines with one of her outfits. In May 2022, she went viral when she was seen wearing a black and white bra-and-underwear set from Alexander Wang while at a supermarket. Although she didn’t have a top over the bra, she was wearing an oversized denim jacket, and a pair of calf-length denim boots. Amid the confusion over why she wore the outfit, Fox took to Instagram Stories to make some clarifications. Sharing a meme of herself, which read “when it’s laundry day but you have errands to run,” Fox said: “I just think that if it’s socially acceptable at the beach it should be the same everywhere lol.” Earlier this year, Fox also hit back at criticism over her appearance, with the actor shutting down rumours that she’s taking Ozempic, a Type 2 diabetes medication that has been used for weight loss. “All these people are coming for me saying that I take the weight loss things...people are saying that I’m taking Ozempic or whatever it’s called,” she told ET in March. “I’m not and I never have...I would never do that. There are diabetics that need it.” During her recent interview with ET, which took place at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, Fox quipped that the semi-sheer dress and pair of black wings she was wearing was “pretty tame” look. However, she still poked fun at how she styled her long, black hair, adding: “We’re rocking a mullet today because I think Fashion Week is a mullet — it’s business in the front, party in the back.” She also expressed her excitement about walking the runway for Victoria Secret’s 2023 fashion show. “I’m really happy about it. I grew up wearing Victoria’s Secret and stealing the underwear and bras, but that’s the old me,” Fox said. “Now I get it for free! Still not paying, take notes.” Read More FASHION PHOTOS: Naomi Campbell struts the runway in shimmery silver in new fast fashion collab Julia Fox blasts celebrity use of Ozempic for weight loss: ‘There are diabetics that need it’ Irvine Welsh and Bernardine Evaristo on book festival line-up Pamela Anderson reveals why she plans to sell ‘all’ her old clothes Tabi Swiper: How a woman’s Tinder date committed a ‘sinister’ fashion crime 4 viral TikTok make-up trends you’ll actually want to try

Imagine a perfect world in which lightning-fast Wi-Fi 6 is available to all your devices

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 6, 2023--

I’m a snob about two things in life: sushi and linens. The first one is…self-explanatory, but my penchant for luxurious towels and sheets is rooted in my belief in everyday luxuries: When you spend a non-insignificant portion of your life either asleep or showering, it’s an understatement to say that those small things add up. And then there are the rarer moments in life, like a tropical vacation, where treating yourself is not the exception, but the rule. Fortunately, when it comes to both beach and bedding, Peacock Alley has you covered.

Summer and smalls… it’s the yin and yang of our wash-day world. You’ve got a bit hot and sweaty at lunchtime, but you’ve only worn your favourite lacy bralette once… so it’s OK to put it back in the drawer, right? And then there’s the sports bra in your gym bag – it’s looking a little bit grubby but you can’t remember perspiring in your Pilates class. Here, experts shed some light on how you should be looking after your lingerie, along with some do’s and don’ts… How often should you wash your bra? “Realistically, if your bra hasn’t been worn for sports or on a particularly hot day, then we would advise washing every three to four wears,” says Rachael Burdis, product and marketing assistant at Pretty Polly. “If you leave it too long, then it will allow bacteria to build up and you could get dreaded boob spots; or even worse your bra could start to smell,” warns Burdis. Do you need to hand wash your bra or can you put it in the washing machine? We’ve all read the small print… some labels recommend hand washing but is this really necessary? Fabric plays a huge part in not only how often, but also how you wash your bras, says Burdis. “We all know bras are delicate garments and ideally, we should be hand-washing them each time in warm water – this keeps the bras’ shape and maintains the quality of the materials used. “However, I think we can all say we’re guilty of not doing that all the time – but we should try our best!” With fine fabrics like silk and fragile laces, she says they should always be hand-washed to avoid any additional wear and tear. If you’re pushed for time and your bra is going in the washing machine, Dinara Akhmerova, senior manager UK and Ireland for Simone Pérèle, advocates a detergent made specifically for delicates. “We recommend you don’t add softener as it can stay in the fibres for longer and reduce elasticity. Also, wash on a delicates setting at maximum 30C and no more than 800 RPM spin.” She also suggest using a bra wash bag to protect your underwired bras – and always dry lingerie flat to keep the shape. Does it matter if you wear the same bra for a week, even in summer? “We wouldn’t advise wearing a bra for a week; whether that be summer or winter, just to avoid any bacteria build-up,” says Burdis. “We also know length of time worn plays a huge part when deciding when to wash your bra.” If it’s been for a couple of hours a day, she says you could have a week’s worth of wear. But for a full day’s wear, she wouldn’t advise wearing your bra for a week. For matching sets, should you always wash knickers and bras together, so they don’t become different shades? “We tend to wash our knickers more often than bras – and good-quality lingerie shouldn’t fade so dramatically that you can see a marked difference, simply from not washing them together on a few occasions,” says Akhmerova. However, how well your lingerie maintains its colour depends on many factors, such as how careful you are when washing it, the type of fabric and colour, suggests Akhmerova. “Whether you wash your sets together or not, the number one rule is to always separate colours, especially your whites. Just don’t mix the colours! “Also, don’t use bleach on whites,” she warns. “It’s more likely to turn lingerie yellow than brighten it.” What about sports bras? For sports bras, Burdis sees this a little differently: “With a less intense low-impact workout, we advise every two wears. “But when it comes to a heavy gym session, long run or HIIT class, we advise after each wear to ensure you are always smelling fresh – and the bra isn’t accumulating bacteria.” Should you wash you underwear before wearing it, if it’s brand new? “Underwear should leave factories or packing houses clean as strict hygiene rules are in place,” says Akhmerova. “But it never hurts to give it a rinse out before the first wear.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 5 late summer blooms to plant now This is why you keep waking up at 4am – and what you can do about it The two best exercises for lowering blood pressure, according to study

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Joe Rogan has also been celebrating World Carnivore Month every year since 2020

We’re not exaggerating when we say that portable chargers and power banks are essential accessories.

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