Jordy Bahl threw a two-hitter and struck out 10, and Oklahoma defeated Florida State 5-0 on Wednesday night to inch closer to a third consecutive national title

Indian equities headed for fresh all-time closing highs as foreign funds piled into the market, lured by the

FBI agents are expected to transfer Joran van der Sloot on Thursday to the US, where he is accused of extorting money from the mother of Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teen who was last seen with the Dutch national and two others 18 years ago in Aruba.

New York City and much of the tri-state area has been blanketed by smoke caused by raging wildfires in Canada. The poor air conditions have continued to spread throughout the northeastern United States. On Wednesday (7 June), New York City was ranked number one for the worst air quality in the world, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 342 and air pollution levels described as “hazardous”. Many officials have since advised people to limit their time outdoors and wear masks to protect themselves from the smoke. Public schools have also cancelled outdoor activities, including recess and gym classes. Follow for live air quality alert updates. Experts estimate that each hour of exposure to wildfire smoke is equivalent to smoking cigarettes continuously for the same amount of time, but that’s just for humans. Imagine how wildfire smoke affects our beloved pets? In fact, poor air quality may pose an even greater risk to animals because of their much smaller size. Here’s how to protect your pets from wildfire smoke as air quality alerts continue throughout New York. The biggest danger to pets comes from the fine particles found in air pollutants, which can get into the lungs and cause a variety of health issues – like eye irritation or respiratory problems. Some of the most vulnerable pets are older animals suffering from heart or lung disease. Certain breeds, such as pugs and bulldogs, may be especially at risk of inhaling too much smoke, according to the American Kennel Club. There are several signs that indicate a pet may be having problems from poor air quality. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), some of the symptoms include coughing or gagging (particularly in cats), red or watery eyes, inflammation of the throat or mouth, trouble breathing, fatigue or weakness, and reduced appetite or thirst. The first thing pet owners should do at the sign of wildfire smoke exposure is to call their veterinarian. In the meantime, saturating a cotton ball with lukewarm water and squeezing it over an animal’s eyes can help with irritation and flush them out. In order to protect pets from wildfire smoke, try to reduce their exposure as much as possible. For outdoor pets like horses or livestock, bring these animals into a room with good ventilation, such as a utility room or garage. The EPA also states that smoke is especially tough on pet birds because of the construction of their respiratory systems. Birds that are exposed to too much smoke may act lethargic or struggle to breathe, and may sit in the bottom of their cages. Keeping the indoor air clean can also help protect animals against wildfire smoke. Pet owners should keep their windows closed and their pets in a room with an air purifier. Activities such as frying foods, burning candles, or using a fireplace can also be bad for pets because it adds air pollutants to your home. If necessary, pet owners take short potty breaks with their dog or cat before returning inside. It’s probably not best to go on a long run with an animal when air quality alerts are in effect, either. Read More Air quality – live: New York hits record pollution as Canada wildfire smoke shuts airports and risks millions From masks to AC units: All the dos and don’ts to keep safe from wildfire smoke New York air pollution spikes to hazardous ratings as wildfire smoke plagues East Coast How to protect pets from wildfire smoke amid air quality alert From masks to AC units: All the dos and don’ts to keep safe from wildfire smoke I tried anti-bloating pills for two weeks, and now I know the gassy truth

Our bellies have always been the target of derision and ire. Long have they been poked and prodded. Sighed at and sucked in. Reprimanded and insulted. But ever since social media became the new WebMD for chronic self-diagnosers, it’s been open season on every little bodily function. Every involuntary twitch, skin bump and mood shift has been analysed to death – but none more so than the dreaded bloat. Stomach bloating can happen for all sorts of reasons. Often the main culprit is a big meal. It’s that feeling of being uncomfortably full and needing to undo the top button of your jeans, as if you’ve just had a particularly heavy Sunday roast. Unless you have real food intolerances or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or the symptom is caused by hormonal changes, bloating is the body’s normal reaction to eating a little too much. It usually subsides after a few hours. But this is 2023. A bit of bloating is no longer something you can just wait a few hours to get rid of – social media dictates that it needs to be gone immediately, and if it doesn’t then there must be something wrong with you. And not to stop there, either. You should also be cutting 10 different types of foods out of your life, doing five simple exercises 200 times a day and taking an assortment of supplements and pills because God forbid your stomach be round for the next two hours. According to Dr Tamara Alireza, a functional medicine specialist at Skinfluencer London, bloating should be taken seriously if it doesn’t come and go with food. If it becomes a chronic problem, or is accompanied by other symptoms such as persistent stomach and pelvic pain, changes to bowel habits, unexpected weight loss, fatigue and fever, vomiting, or bleeding, it may be something different entirely. “Excess bloating can be linked to IBS, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and coeliac disease, but also to more serious conditions,” she says. But we are a society obsessed with quick fixes, and anti-bloating pills have become a popular “cure” for the woes of a distended belly. Last month, fitness influencer Sam Cutler took it to new heights when she provided the pills for her wedding guests during the meal. Some viewers of her TikTok video – which sparked so much horror that it rapidly went viral – claimed that the pills were essentially “laxatives”. The glut of brands that have emerged in recent years would disagree, though. Many claim to use all-natural ingredients to “speed up digestion” and reduce gas without a laxative effect. Admittedly, curiosity got the better of me. I am lucky enough not to suffer from any particularly gut-churning conditions, but I do have eyes bigger than my stomach. It means I regularly end up regretting wearing trousers to a meal, cursing myself as my belly strains against the waistband. Could these pills really make me feel more comfortable after a big dinner, or would they just lead to some unfortunate toilet habits? I am kindly sent a couple of packs by Wild Dose, which lists extracts of ginger, liquorice, fennel seed, turmeric, peppermint leaf and dandelion root alongside a “proprietary enzyme complex” and a probiotic blend in each brown pill. They smell very herbal and are a rather unappealing greenish-brown colour – it initially makes me wonder if it’s an omen for what my guts are about to experience. After two weeks of taking them daily, I found that they did make a slight difference in my post-meal stupor and I feel comfortable quicker than before. However, the change has been marginal and, if anything, they made me more gassy, to the chagrin of my significant other. The medical community is reluctant to support the efficacy of similar supplements, as there remains little clinical research to back up their claims. Dr Alireza describes anti-bloat pills as a “Band-Aid on a fire hydrant” for people who have genuine problems with their gut. “I generally would not recommend taking any pills to counteract the bloating,” she says, “rather I would be keen to first determine the source of the issue.” She points to her practice, which aims to determine the root cause of symptoms and treat it – instead of providing temporary fixes. But I think the real reason behind social media’s obsession with bloating has nothing to do with #guthealth. Instead, it is our inherent fatphobia and fear of fatness that fuel this battle against the bloat. Are we so afraid of looking fat for even a couple of hours that we flock to pills and exercises with such abandon? Given the way people have fallen over themselves to get their hands on Ozempic, a drug intended to help diabetes patients but which has made a name for itself as a weight-loss miracle, it appears the answer is yes. It’s no mistake, either, that women are the primary targets for anti-bloating content online. Studies show that women are twice as likely to experience it as men, particularly during menstruation and menopause because of hormonal fluctuations. But the expectation for women to maintain at least the illusion of thinness at all times is also much higher. Many of us learned at an early age how to suck in our stomachs and – even as adults – keep them sucked in pretty much all day. As I write this, I realise that I’ve been subconsciously engaging my core muscles despite sitting behind a desk. No wonder the promise of no more bloating is so appealing, if it makes looking mildly smaller less of a chore. Joanna Dase, fitness expert and operations director of female-focused health clubs Curves, says that any medical conditions should be diagnosed by qualified professionals rather than social media. She acknowledges that while bloating can affect body image, no one should worry about your normal, natural responses to digestion. “If you have a professional opinion and there is no health problem related to it, then you just need to have an actual understanding of your body and its natural functions, and being OK with yourself. It’s just how your body breaks down food.” Read More Wellness gurus claim your hormones are out to get you – but is it just another scam? ‘Thanks Pfizer’: The weird world of shakes, health anxiety and illness online A One Direction fan claimed she had a brain tumour. Five years after her death, we still need answers How to protect pets from wildfire smoke amid air quality alert Gamer finds indent in head from prolonged headset use after shaving his hair From masks to AC units: All the dos and don’ts to keep safe from wildfire smoke

Football's world governing body Fifa made false and misleading statements about the reduced environmental impact of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a Swiss regulator said on Wednesday. The Swiss Fairness Commission, the self-regulatory body of the advertising and communications industry, made its determination after investigating five claims that Zurich-based Fifa marketed the tournament as being carbon neutral. The commission, which issues recommendations, but no state-enforceable judgements, advised Fifa from making unsubstantiated claims in future. It said complainants usually implement its recommendations voluntarily. Fifa did not respond to a request for comment. Complainants from Switzerland, France, Belgium, the UK and the Netherlands said Fifa made false statements in its communications about carbon neutrality at the World Cup, the commission said. "The Second Chamber of the Commission has now upheld all five complaints following a complex process," it added. Fifa had promoted the Qatar World Cup as the first completely climate-neutral tournament, saying it was committed to reducing and offsetting carbon emissions it generated. But the Climate Alliance, a network of groups which launched the complaint last year, was concerned about the environmental impact from the construction of air-conditioned stadiums and the thousands of fans who flew to the tournament. In its decision, the commission said it should not be claimed that sustainability goals have been achieved if there are no definitive and generally accepted methods for measuring them, or ensuring measures have been implemented. "Fifa was not able to provide proof that the claims were accurate during the proceedings as required by the commission," it said. Raphael Mahaim, from the group Lawyers for the Climate, said he was delighted with the ruling which he said exposed Fifa's greenwashing. "Fifa said it was taking the climate change seriously, and taking the credit for this, and this wasn’t true," he said. Fifa's claims were damaging because it meant companies and individuals scaling back their own action to reduce their carbon emissions because they thought Fifa had offset them. "Ultimately, false claims like this damage the campaign for carbon neutrality," said Mahaim, who is also a Swiss MP for the Green Party. Reuters Read More Everything wrong with the Qatar World Cup This is the side of the World Cup that Qatar would prefer you ignore The man who was jailed after working on Qatar’s World Cup Newcastle owners take majority stakes in four Saudi clubs including Al Nassr Sarina Wiegman frustrated over timing of players being released for World Cup Women’s World Cup faces ‘betrayal’ of European TV blackout

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GRENOBLE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 8, 2023--

Major factories in northern Vietnam, where Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc. suppliers operate plants, will be given