Chestnuts—those familiar brown fruits often collected by children in autumn—have a surprising range of uses beyond crafting.

Packed with natural soap-like substances called saponins, chestnuts can serve as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional cleaning products, offering sustainable solutions for cleaning, laundry, and even pest control in your garden.

Chestnuts as a Natural Cleaner

You can easily transform chestnuts into an effective, chemical-free cleaner. According to myHOMEBOOK, here’s a simple method to make your own chestnut cleaning solution:

Ingredients: About ten chestnuts

Instructions:

• Chop the chestnuts thoroughly.

• Pour one to two liters of hot water over them.

• Let the mixture sit for about 24 hours.

• After resting, strain the liquid and bottle it.

This natural cleaning product works wonders on smooth surfaces and dishes and can last up to a month. Plus, it’s cost-effective and free from any chemical additives, making it a fantastic alternative to commercial cleaners.

Cyber experts are warning of potentially grave consequences for public safety

October 11, 2024 8:33 pm(Updated 9:43 pm)

It sounds like the plot of a Sunday night TV drama. Instead it’s real life – as today’s iweekend cover story reveals.

A Russian hacking group that receives protection from the Kremlin has successfully targeted one of the systems underpinning Britain’s ambulance services.

Security sources concede that the attack is a real threat to our emergency services. Cyber experts warn of potentially grave consequences for public safety.

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This is a new campaign of electronic warfare launched by Vladimir Putin’s government against the UK. Intelligence sources call it “Cyber Wagner” – a reference to the mercenary army deployed by the Kremlin – and it is intended as punishment for Britain daring to take a stand with Ukraine.

In the UK, our critical infrastructure remains vulnerable to such assaults from state-sheltered cyber armies. In the past 12 months, targets include the British military, Nato, the Ministry of Defence and other Whitehall departments.

The MI5 chief has been outspoken in warning government departments that they must dramatically improve security, now that so many services are dependent on tech that’s vulnerable to attack.

At i, we are very careful about the facts we report, necessarily withholding some names that would damage national security if they were revealed.

But the investigation inside today by Richard Holmes is packed with extraordinary detail, very carefully sourced, and it is certain to be read in Westminster and Whitehall as well as the homes of iweekend readers.
X: @olyduff

LAS VEGAS (AP) — One of three suspects jailed in Las Vegas following a deadly two-state shooting rampage on Thanksgiving 2020, including the killing of a man at a convenience store in southern Nevada and a shootout with authorities in northwestern Arizona, has pleaded guilty.

Christopher McDonnell, 32, entered his pleas Thursday to 23 felonies, including murder, attempted murder, murder conspiracy, weapon charges and being a felon illegally in possession of a firearm, according to Clark County District Court records.

He had been indicted on 55 counts, and his trial had been scheduled for next month. A felony charge of committing an act of terrorism was among counts dropped as part of his plea agreement.

“Christopher decided taking responsibility for his actions was in his best interest,” his attorney, Ryan Bashor, said Friday. McDonnell remains jailed without bail in Las Vegas. His plea was first reported by KLAS-TV.

McDonnell will face life in prison with a broad range of parole eligibility — a minimum of 21 years and a maximum 164 years, prosecutor Michael Schwartzer told The Associated Press, adding that he will seek a sentence “beyond (McDonnell’s) natural life term.”

Sentencing is scheduled Dec. 13. Bashor said he hopes to win a more lenient sentence.

The plea agreement does not require Christopher McDonnell to testify at a jury trial set to begin Nov. 4 for his former wife, Kayleigh Lewis, 29, and his older brother, Shawn McDonnell, Schwartzer said.

Shawn McDonnell, 34, faces 54 felony charges including committing an act of terror and could face the death penalty if convicted.

Lewis, 29, faces 53 felony charges also including an act of terror, but will not face a possible a death sentence.

Both remain jailed without bail. Their defense attorneys did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Police and prosecutors say the 11-hour rampage began Nov. 26, 2020, and included apparently random shootings that killed Kevin Mendiola Jr. at a convenience store in Henderson, near Las Vegas, and drive-by gunfire that wounded several other people.

It ended near the Colorado River town of Parker, Arizona, after a chase involving officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the crash of a car with a Texas license plate and the wounding of Shawn McDonnell by troopers wielding assault-style rifles.

The three defendants, originally from Tyler, Texas, were returned in custody to Las Vegas, where a grand jury indicted them in March 2021.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said at the time that the crimes amounted to “heinous and random” terrorist acts and an attempt to cause widespread fear in the public.

BRITISH Airways has axed flights around the world cancelling hundreds of trips after it was hit by engine issues.

The flag-carrier grounded aircraft after finding maintenance issues with some of its Rolls-Royce jet engines.

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New routes to Malaysia have been canned, while the frequency of flights to Qatar has been halved.

Some services have also been suspended between Gatwick and JFK in New York.

Thousands of flyers will have been affected by the changes and hundreds of craft halted.

The airline has already scrapped 11 routes because of the issue, the Telegraph reports.

BA said the issue is with the Trent 1000 engines used on its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets.

There is excessive wear and tear on them and Rolls-Royce has been unable to supply enough replacement engines and parts.

BA has grounded five planes or 15 per cent of the fleet.

Boeing 777s have been used to pick up the slack, but those too also need to be repaired every so often.

The launch of a Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur route will now be delayed from November to April 2025.

One of the two daily trips to Doha has been canned, while flights between Gatwick and JFK will be suspended for winter from December.

A BA spokesperson said: “We’ve taken this action because we do not believe the issue will be solved quickly, and we want to offer our customers the certainty they deserve

“We’ve apologised to those affected and are able to offer the vast majority a flight the same day with British Airways or one of our partner airlines.

“We continue to work closely with Rolls-Royce to ensure the company is aware of the impact its issues are having on our schedule and customers, and seek reassurance of a prompt and reliable solution.”

BA has contacted customers whose flights have been cancelled and offered alternative travel arrangements.

They said: “Unfortunately, Rolls-Royce, our engine supplier for our fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft, is experiencing challenges,” it said.

“We’re not the only airline experiencing this issue and are doing all we can to work with Rolls-Royce to resolve the situation.”

A Rolls-Royce spokesman said: “We continue to work with British Airways and all of our customers to minimise the impact of the limited availability of spares due to the current supply chain constraints.

“Unfortunately, this is an issue affecting the whole aerospace industry.”

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