A heat wave in northern China is the latest threat to agricultural production in the country as the

With Wimbledon underway and Nick Kyrgios already out due to injury, is tennis actually any good for you? Every tournament brings fresh injuries into the public eye, but the sport’s praises are often sung by fitness fans all over the world. So, how does it weigh up health and safety-wise? Is it worth investing some time in the sport if you enjoy Wimbledon? Tennis elbow The most common injury in tennis is tennis elbow, says Lucy Macdonald, physiotherapist at Octopus Clinic, and it’s something which has affected the likes of Andy Murray and Venus Williams. “Tennis elbow is the generic term for pain in the elbow, normally where irritation of the tendon runs over the elbow.,” she says. “It is often caused by a sudden overload on a tendon, in a way it is not used to, and it cannot cope with the forces that are on it. Treating it involves modifying what you are doing. “It can also be caused by other racket sports, and even things like breastfeeding a baby or cutting hedges and gardening,” she explains. But, it isn’t the end of tennis dreams. You can treat it. “Do not completely rest, modify the load going through the elbow, reduce the frequency and longevity of playing tennis, but things like physical support and tape can also help. “Changing your technique to take pressure off the tendon can help,” Macdonald explains. “The long-term treatment is to gradually build up the resilience of the tendon – a top spin stroke adds the most pressure – and alongside that, use static contractions – exercises that are just contracting the muscle, holding it and then relaxing.” Wrist injuries Kyrgios has pulled out of Wimbledon already, due to a wrist injury. “People may get wrist injuries if they fall and fracture the wrist. Or if they get a repetitive strain injury – if you use your wrist a lot in terms of the strokes you use with a lot of topspin – you can get some overuse and cause a flare up,” says Macdonald. Ankles and knees “Being on a slippery court, it can be easy to go over on your ankle,” she continues. “It happens in a lot of sports, if you’re running for a ball or trying to change direction. “You might get some knee problems, as they take such a hit generally with any propulsive sport – you get wear and tear on the knees, and sudden twists could impact your medial meniscus. Strength training is the best thing for that.” The benefits Should you be worried about all these injuries if you want to start playing, though? “The main cause of injuries in tennis is the sporadic nature people play it. If they suddenly go and play once every few months, the body is not used to the movements required in tennis, ” Macdonald notes.“You may suddenly run across the court and strain your calf or rupture your Achilles, because you haven’t run in months. “If you play it regularly and are consistent with the amount you play, it can be really beneficial,” she says.Any exercise is good, but the social aspect of tennis is hugely motivating, if you’re meeting up with three friends to play tennis, you have to show up – it gets you exercising regularly if you do it consistently. Tennis is beneficial for “increasing your heart and breathing rate, which is really good for your cardio and respiratory system. It keeps the range of motion in your shoulders, improves your balance with direction changes, and reduces your risk of falling,” says Macdonald. So, don’t let the risk of injury put you off. “There are so many positives that outweigh the negatives. Exercise, in general, extends your life span, and every illness out there is reduced by doing exercise. Even though it may have some impact on our musculoskeletal system, it is overwhelmingly positive for your mental and physical health.”

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Yet another social media challenge has resulted in the tragic death of a young person, with the company behind by the viral ‘One Chip Challenge’ now confirming it is taking its product off US shelves. Harris Walobah, 14, told a school nurse last week that he had bad stomach ache after eating the chip given to him by a classmate – according to his mother Lois, who shared details of the incident with NBC10 Boston. In a description on its website, manufacturer Paqui states the chip – which comes in a coffin-shaped box – is seasoned with the Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers, with the former holding the Guinness World Record for the hottest pepper at an average of 1.5 million Scoville heat units (SHU) and up to 2.2 million SHU. After going home, Harris reported feeling better, but his brother yelled at 4:30pm that his sibling had passed out, with Harris taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The family of the Massachusetts teenager claim he died from “complications” caused by the viral ‘One Chip Challenge’, though a post-mortem is yet to be carried out. A GoFundMe set up to help the family with funeral expenses stands at more than $34,000 at the time of writing. On the fundraiser, Harris’s cousin Tashia Roberts describes her relative as an “intelligent, quirky and incredibly talented young man” who “loved video games and playing basketball”. Now, Paqui have updated their page on this year’s challenge to stress: “The Paqui One Chip Challenge is intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labelling highlighting the chip is not intended for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or who has food allergies, is pregnant or has underlying health conditions.” They continued: “We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings. “As a result, while the product continues to adhere to food safety standards, out of an abundance of caution, we are actively working with our retailers to remove the product from shelves.” Meanwhile people who have already purchased the single-serve One Chip Challenge product can call a helpline for refunds. 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.

Another week, another Succession episode packed full of WTF moments. Episode 8 of the final