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NewsBeat

Norse Code Hel Below from Coffee Spirit Co wins top award

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Norse Code Hel Below from Coffee Spirit Co wins top award

The accolade is believed to be the first time a Yorkshire-produced coffee liqueur has received the title at a major international spirits competition.

Norse Code Hel Below, produced by Coffee Spirit Co, was awarded the Country Winner title for England in the Coffee Liqueur category, competing against established national and international brands.

The product is crafted in Yorkshire using the company’s Cold-Filter Brew process, developed to extract the flavour and complexity of speciality coffee. Unlike many products in the category, which often focus on sweetness and flavourings, Norse Code says it was created to showcase the coffee itself.

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Norse Code was founded in 2024 by coffee specialist Gordon Howell — a former UK Brewers Cup Champion and UK Coffee in Good Spirits Championship Champion — and drinks professional Yan. Together, they bring more than 35 years of combined experience across speciality coffee, hospitality and the drinks industry.

Bottles of Hel Below are available at Harlequin Coffee & Tea House in King’s Square, where the founders are pictured in the accompanying photograph overlooking the historic square.

The location is closely connected to York’s Norse heritage. Known during the Viking period as Konungsgarthr (“King’s Court”), King’s Square is widely identified as the probable site of the royal complex of the Viking Kings of York — the heritage from which the Norse Code brand takes its inspiration.

Bottles of the prize winning brews (Image: Robert Harrison Photography)

Gordon Howell, Co-Founder, said: “Every decision — from coffee selection and roast profile through to brewing and blending — was made to showcase the coffee itself. We wanted to create a coffee liqueur that coffee professionals would genuinely enjoy drinking while still being versatile enough for cocktails.”

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Yan, Co-Founder, said: “To receive this level of recognition is a huge moment for a small independent producer. It’s something we’re incredibly proud of — not just for us, but for York and Yorkshire’s wider food and drink community.

“This award reflects years of work refining both the ingredients and the process. We wanted to create a product that genuinely celebrated coffee, and most importantly, something that York could be proud of.”

The company also produces Hel Above, a higher-strength coffee liqueur developed for Espresso Martinis, alongside limited-edition releases exploring the relationship between speciality coffee and premium spirits.

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BBC Radio 1 star Gemma Cairney gives birth! DJ welcomes her second child with partner Cameron McAllister and shares sweet snaps of newborn

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BBC Radio 1 star Gemma Cairney revealed she has given birth to her second child as she shared sweet photos to Instagram on Sunday

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BBC Radio 1 star Gemma Cairney revealed she has given birth to her second child as she shared sweet photos to Instagram on Sunday. 

The presenter, 41, and her partner Cameron McAllister – who first became parents in August 2024 – welcomed the newest addition to their family last week.

Gemma beamed as she cuddled her newborn – whose identity has not been publicly revealed – and a funny picture of Cameron dressed in scrubs in the hospital.

She wrote: ‘Had another baby this week with the most beautiful goober of a man that I ever was to meet after travelling the world to find him. LOVE YOU @cameronmac815 and this miracle family.

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‘*Posted from a sofa of in the haze of restful ecstasy and a multitude of painkillers* (sic)’

Gemma’s celebrity pals including Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton and Paloma Faith showed the couple with congratulatory messages.     

BBC Radio 1 star Gemma Cairney revealed she has given birth to her second child as she shared sweet photos to Instagram on Sunday

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Gemma beamed as she cuddled her newborn - whose identity has not been publicly revealed - and a funny picture of Cameron dressed in scrubs in the hospital

Gemma beamed as she cuddled her newborn – whose identity has not been publicly revealed – and a funny picture of Cameron dressed in scrubs in the hospital

In April, Gemma announced she was pregnant with her second child by posting a sweet shot of the blossoming bump to her Instagram account.

Gemma’s photo showed her sunbathing with her blouse lifted to show off the bump, with the caption: ‘Together we sunbathe ‘n dream (sic)’.

The presenter announced she had welcomed her first child in August 2024 as she took to Instagram to share a snap of herself and Cameron cradling their new arrival.

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Captioning her sweet post, Gemma revealed that their baby was born two weeks ago before gushing that she’d ‘never felt love like this’.

She penned: ‘TWO WEEKS of the best madness, blessings, bliss, breathes, prayers, tears & momentous delirium.

‘I can’t offer enough thanks to our friends / kin, midwives, soothsayers, staunch support!’

She continued: ‘Never ever felt love like this. We are a fresh fam of 3, yipeeeeeeeee.’

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Gemma has been keeping her followers updated with her pregnancy in recent months on Instagram.

Two months prior, the glowing mother-to-be cradled her bump while posing in a glam black dress.

Speaking about her changing body, she wrote in the caption: ‘Our bodies are outstanding ya know, I’m rollin’ in awe of mine and yours.’

While in May, she shared a snap of her silhouette against a window as she looked down at her growing stomach.

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Geamma's celebrity pals including Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton and Paloma Faith showed the couple with congratulatory messages

Geamma’s celebrity pals including Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton and Paloma Faith showed the couple with congratulatory messages

Gemma announced she is expecting her second child in April

Gemma announced she is expecting her second child in April

Speaking about her changing body, she wrote in the caption: ‘Our bodies are outstanding ya know, I’m rollin’ in awe of mine and yours.’

She penned: ‘What an extraordinary time. Making, growing, connecting.’

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Gemma met partner Cameron in Malawi, where Cameron, who owns an independent coffee project, sources his beans from smallholder farmers.

Gemma kickstarted her career on Kiss FM and Channel 4 Radio before moving over to the BBC, going on to join Radio 1Xtra in 2008.

The broadcaster has also hosted Glastonbury over the years and even had her own weekday afternoon show back in 2011. 

The Birmingham-born presenter, who is now based in Scotland, has also hosted radio documentaries and also launched a successful production company 

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The new Canada-US bridge over the Detroit River is set to open

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The new Canada-US bridge over the Detroit River is set to open

DETROIT (AP) — Traffic is set to start flowing Monday across a new bridge over the Detroit River that will serve as a critical route for trade, jobs and tourism between Canada and the U.S.

Last week, Canada celebrated the Gordie Howe International Bridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Windsor, Ontario, to mark the completion of the multibillion-dollar, multiyear project.

U.S. and Michigan representatives were uninvited from Friday’s gathering after President Donald Trump suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering America.

The bridge is named for Howe, a Canadian icon known as “Mr. Hockey” who wore No. 9 while playing on the other side of the Detroit River for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He died in 2016.

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More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., making America its largest trade partner, and Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck traffic on the U.S.-Canada border, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

For nearly a century, the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge has been the only route for large commercial trucks moving between the U.S. and Canada at Detroit. Businesses say the new six-lane span will be faster and less expensive.

The span is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long and rises 151 feet (46 meters) above the river at its highest point. Pedestrians and bicyclists carrying proper identification will be able to cross it for free in a few weeks.

Construction on the new bridge began in 2018 but took years, partly because of a global slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Canada paid to build the bridge at an estimated cost of $6.4 billion. A recent agreement says Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years.

Trump praised his administration for that deal in a social media post while the Ontario event was in progress. “We changed the terms,” he said.

Michigan will also get a share, but not until Canada’s costs are recovered, likely decades from now.

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Ant McPartlin shows off incredibly buff tattooed body after naked encounter

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Daily Mirror

Ant McPartlin washed all the awkwardness of his massage encounter away as he was spotted enjoying a dip in the sea during a beach day in Portugal

Ant McPartlin is clearly making the most of his trip to Portugal as he unveiled his honed new physique while enjoying a dip in the sea.

The 50-year-old jetted on a much-needed holiday with wife Anne-Marie Corbett and pals before preparations get underway for the upcoming series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here in Australia.

In new pictures, he was seen showing off his collection of tattoos while having a swim – opting for a pair of striped blue trunks and chunky black sunglasses.

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One snap showed the dad-of-one laughing as he stood in the water, while another saw him vaping and chatting to a friend, before leaving the beach with a trolley.

Despite taking some time off, it wasn’t a complete holiday for the ITV host as he found time to record his Belta Box podcast with best pal Declan Donnelly – where he confessed to having a very embarrassing situation during the trip.

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Speaking to his co-host in the latest episode, which was filmed remotely while they were both away, Ant revealed that his masseuse walked in on him completely naked before a relaxing message, making things extremely awkward.

Unpacking the scene, he explained that he went to a “really good” Thai massage parlour with his wife, following a recommendation – but they were given a warning over stripping off.

“A friend of ours said, ‘Be careful, when you go there, they come in really quickly’,” he recalled. “So I go in and I’m getting changed. The middle door slides open. My wife’s in this one, I’m in this one. She quickly whips the dress off, pops the paper knickers on, jumps on the bed.

“I take my clothes off, I struggle to kind of get all the buttons done on my shirt.”

Attempting to speed things up, he pulled his shirt over his head instead of unbuttoning it, and then removed his pants.

“So I’m leaning over the bed to get the paper knickers and inadvertently flick the paper knickers off the bed to the other side of the bed. And I’m naked and everything’s hanging out,” he continued, recalling his struggle with the disposable underwear.

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“They land on the ground. I’m standing like this to put my leg in, my leg’s up. As I’m doing that, the door opens and [the masseuse] comes in. She can see everything and we just stare at each other for a bit too long. I went ‘not yet!’”

While he did eventually return to the parlour, he confessed that the pair “couldn’t look each other in the eye” after the excruciating moment…

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Two people die after being pulled from sea at famous beach

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Wales Online

The families of the two people have been informed and a report is being prepared for the coroner

Two people have died after being pulled from the sea at a beach in Cornwall after a late night emergency on Sunday. A man and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene on Fistral Beach at around 9.45pm on Sunday, July 26.

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Emergency services including the ambulance service and police were called to the scene after the coastguard recovered the two bodies from the sea after being called around 9.30pm. The families of the two people have been informed and a report is being prepared for the coroner.

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Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and an HM Coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.

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“Emergency services attended and a cordon was put in place, which has since been removed.

“Sadly, a man and a woman were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.”

A spokesperson for the coastguard said: “HM Coastguard has been responding to an incident in the South Fistral area, Newquay, overnight.

“First informed at around 9.30pm (26 July), Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and an HM Coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene, alongside other emergency services.”

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I add two ingredients to my avocado every day and it tastes like a restaurant-quality dish

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Wales Online

Avocados are versatile and contain healthy fats, but they can taste pretty bland on their own. Luckily, adding a few simple ingredients can instantly elevate it to something that tastes restaurant-quality

Lunch is my least favourite meal of the day. Deciding what to have for dinner each evening is challenging enough, so when I’m working from home, preparing something fancy is the last thing on my mind.

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To avoid this dilemma, I’ve simply started eating the same thing every day. Avocados are one of my favourite foods — they’re nutritious, satisfying and adaptable, lending themselves to countless different dishes.

But it’s no secret that on their own, they can taste quite bland and uninspiring.

I’ve kept up this avocado habit for several months now, and amazingly, I’ve still not gotten bored. A straightforward avocado smash on toast is just unbeatable, and I think I’ve uncovered the secret to making it taste like something you’d order at a fashionable brunch spot.

It’s not that avocados taste bad — they simply lack that flavour punch so essential when you’re flagging at lunchtime and need a pick-me-up.

After experimenting with various additions, I’ve found two storecupboard essentials that genuinely elevate the dish to another level.

How to make avocado toast taste better

Crispy chilli oil and honey may seem an unusual pairing, but take my word for it — you’ll never eat avocados the same way again.

The combination of the fiery, crunchy topping with the sweet drizzle of honey is so addictive, instantly transforming your ordinary avocado smash.

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When it comes to chilli crisp, the Lao Gan Ma brand is second to none, and is readily available at most Asian supermarkets or the world foods aisle of your local store.

A single jar goes a surprisingly long way, lasting a couple of months, as only a small amount is needed to deliver that wonderfully rich flavour.

Because there’s so much flavour in the chilli oil and the honey, I don’t bother seasoning the smashed avocado with anything. It’s just a case of mashing it up with a fork, spreading on toast, then adding the chilli oil and a drizzle of honey before digging in.

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Lao Gan Ma also be found at Sainsbury’s for £2.75, while a pack of three from Amazon will set you back £7.99. One word of caution before purchasing — once you begin adding it to your meals, it’s hard to stop.

This pairing works equally well with eggs, which, as it happens, make for another great accompaniment to avocado.

No doubt the day will eventually come when the appeal wears off and I need a new lunchtime recipe to try. For now, though, this daily staple shows no signs of losing its charm – and it’s been nearly a year – and any avocado fans out there have to give it a go.

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Two people die after large emergency response on Newquay beach

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A woman with short brown hair looks directly into the camera with a slight smiling expression. She is wearing a pink top and a silver necklace with a heart charm.

A man and a woman have died after getting into trouble in the sea off a popular beach.

The two people were pulled from the water off Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, at about 21:45 BST on Sunday, about 15 minutes after HM Coastguard said rescue personnel were called.

Devon and Cornwall Police said both were confirmed dead at the scene.

Search and rescue teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes took part in the operation, along with lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and a coastguard helicopter.

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Call for review into Chinook crash involving Major Hornby from Bolton

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Call for review into Chinook crash involving Major Hornby from Bolton

A Bolton army major was killed in the Chinook incident.

Major Anthony Robert Hornby, aged 38, was killed, along with 28 other people, when the Chinook in which he was a passenger crashed in thick fog on the Mull of Kintyre in June 1994.

Major Hornby, from Over Hulton, served with the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment and was based in Portadown.

Handout photo issued by Chinook Justice Campaign of Jennifer Balmer-Hornby (right), whose father Major Anthony Robert Hornby MBE, died in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash. Twenty-five intelligence experts and four special forces crew were killed when their helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, en route from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness, on June 2 1994. Issue date: Saturday May 30, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Chinook Justice Campaign/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. (Image: Chinook Justice Campaign)

Jenni Balmer-Hornby, his daughter said last month: “For 32 years, families have fought for the truth about why our loved ones were allowed to board an aircraft that was not fit to fly.

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“This has never been about revisiting the technical cause of the crash. It is about accountability, airworthiness and the decisions that put our loved ones on a positively dangerous helicopter that even the MoD’s elite test pilots and engineers were not allowed to fly.”

A High Court judge ruled this month that the families of several victims of the crash could not bring a legal claim against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over the incident.

Twenty-nine serving military personnel died when the Chinook HC-2 helicopter crashed into the Mull of Kintyre in south-west Scotland on June 2, 1994, during a flight from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland.

While the 2011 Mull of Kintyre inquiry overturned an initial decision to blame the pilots, it did not determine the cause of the crash.

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The Chinook Justice Campaign (CJC), which is made up of more than 55 family members of 25 of the victims, sought to challenge the MoD’s “ongoing failure” to set up an “independent and effective investigation” into the crash.

However, a High Court judge’s ruling threw out the case as the claim had been brought too late.

The CJC legal team has said it will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights, but Matt Tobias, son of Lieutenant Colonel John Tobias who was killed in the crash, said the families “do not want years of further litigation”.

CRASH SCENE: The remains of the Chinook helicopter which crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994

Mr Tobias said the Prime Minister “has the power to prevent that” by ordering a fresh independent review.

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He said: “We would urge Mr Burnham to meet us within his first 100 days in office so we can present the evidence that has emerged over recent years and explain why we believe a fresh review, independent of the Ministry of Defence, is now essential.

“Mr Burnham’s speech in the House of Commons, in which he spoke about ending Britain’s cover-up culture and strengthening the duty of candour, gave our families real hope.

“We ask that he and his ministers give the Chinook families more respect than we received from his predecessor, who denied us a meeting and an inquiry – believing MoD lies instead.

“After 32 years, we are not asking for special treatment.

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“We are simply asking for the truth.”

The CJC group has said it wants Mr Burnham to establish a fresh review, independent of the Ministry of Defence, with full access to all relevant documents relating to the airworthiness of the Chinook Mk2 helicopter and the circumstances leading up to the crash.

In the letter delivered to Mr Burnham, the Chinook families said: “Throughout your career you have argued that the State should never use its power to frustrate families seeking the truth.

“We respectfully suggest that the Chinook case now presents the first opportunity for your Government to demonstrate those principles in practice and should be the test case for Hillsborough Law.”

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Hillsborough Law was unanimously backed by MPs in the House of Commons this month.

It would create a legally enforceable duty of candour which compels public officials and authorities to act transparently when investigations and inquiries take place.

The families have requested that victims minister Alex Davies-Jones, re-appointed last week, take up their case as one of the test cases for Hillsborough Law.

Their appeal is backed by former Conservative defence secretary, Sir Liam Fox, who has also written personally to Mr Burnham urging him to resolve the case.

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The Chinook Justice Campaign has also written to new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting urging him to “begin correcting the mistakes of your predecessors.”

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Two people dead after being pulled from sea at Newquay beach

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Daily Record

A man and a woman have died after being pulled from the water at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall. Emergency services including police, the RNLI, ambulance and coastguard attended the scene on Sunday evening.

A man and woman have tragically lost their lives following an incident at a beach in England. Emergency services rushed to Fistral Beach in Newquay at approximately 9.30pm last night (July 26).

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Police, ambulance crews, and coastguard teams all responded to the scene. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has confirmed that two lifeboats were dispatched to the incident.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing as many as nine emergency vehicles present at the location, while a rescue helicopter was observed circling overhead for an extended period, reports Cornwall Live.

In a statement issued on Monday, July 27, police confirmed that both individuals were declared dead at the scene after being recovered from the water, according to Cornwall Live.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson stated: “Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.

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“Emergency services attended and a cordon was put in place, which has since been removed.Sadly, a man and a woman were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.A file will be prepared for HM Coroner.”

A spokesperson for the coastguard added: “HM Coastguard has been responding to an incident in the South Fistral area, Newquay, overnight. First informed at around 9.30pm (26 July), Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and an HM Coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene, alongside other emergency services.”

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Why We Shouldn’t Befriend Foxes, And How To Help Instead

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Why We Shouldn't Befriend Foxes, And How To Help Instead

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about why you should probably be on your best behaviour around crows – they remember faces really well, and can even tell their friends and family about humans they don’t like.

Being kind and even befriending them (while maintaining a safe distance) could get you some serious corvid kudos.

But what about foxes, creatures some think might be becoming increasingly domesticated?

You’ve probably seen viral videos of people treating the wild animals as pets, hand-feeding them and even bringing them into their home.

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We asked James Benwell, a Senior Marketing and Communications Officer at the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, for his thoughts.

Treating foxes as pets could seriously endanger them

James stressed that it’s important to “ leave out food and water for wildlife in a responsible manner”. Fox populations dropped 46% between 1995 and 2021, and providing them the sustenance they need to get through, e.g., heatwaves and winter could make a difference.

But “we absolutely do discourage people from hand-feeding, overfeeding or befriending foxes,” he added.

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“Foxes are equally cursed and blessed in being such beautiful, striking animals, and it is no wonder that people are so captivated by them and want to interact with them,” he explained.

“However, in every interaction with wild animals, we have to keep their best interests at heart rather than our own. Foxes need to retain their wildness in order to survive. Hand-feeding or overfeeding them can lead to a reliance and overconfidence in humans which could spell their downfall.”

It’s not just that the animals need to remember how to forage and hunt on their own – though that’s part of it.

The expert said we also need to remember that not everyone sees foxes in the same way.

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“Foxes have suffered centuries of persecution and vilification at the hands of man,” he reminded us.

And because some people might seek to get a seemingly “aggressive” fox culled, “every interaction which causes them to lose their natural wariness of humans could lead them to having a negative interaction with a person, and ultimately could cost them their lives.”

How can I look after foxes safely?

That’s not to say we shouldn’t have any interaction with the “striking” animals – far from it, James said.

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Particularly in urban environments, where wildlife can be hard to find, having a backyard visitor is “one of the most spellbinding interactions with wildlife you could hope to have, and something which can lead to a lifelong love of nature”.

So, he advised, garden with the creatures in mind.

“Leave out food that can supplement a fox’s natural diet, create areas of shelter, and especially in these hot, dry conditions that we are currently experiencing, leave out plenty of water.”

Some great options include cooked or raw meat, tinned dog or cat food (not bones, though), peanuts, fruit (except grapes and raisins) and even cheese, per Woodland Trust.

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“Whether it be a fox, a hedgehog, a badger or any other fabulous creature which visits your garden, savour every moment of their time with you, but let them live wild and free. They will repay you more than you could ever imagine!”

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Indonesia plan to cut landfill methane alters trash picker livelihoods

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Indonesia plan to cut landfill methane alters trash picker livelihoods

BANTARGEBANG, Indonesia (AP) — Long before dawn breaks over Indonesia ’s largest landfill, Nur Wencih joins thousands of waste pickers climbing mountains of garbage, searching for anything they can sell.

The 35-year-old widow has worked at the site on Jakarta’s eastern edge for two decades, following her parents, who still earn a living there. The Bantargebang landfill has paid for food and rent while helping her two teenage daughters living with a relative in a rural village. She hopes her daughters will never have to follow the same path.

Living alone in a rented room near the landfill, Wencih earns about 200,000 rupiah ($12) on a good day collecting discarded toys, cardboard and plastic bottles before bulldozers bury them beneath fresh waste. Occasionally, she finds gold jewelry.

“It feels like hitting a jackpot,” Wencih said while taking a break from the sweltering July heat.

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But those lucky finds, and perhaps her livelihood, may soon become far rarer.

Beginning Aug. 1, Indonesia plans to start transforming the site from open dumping to a more controlled system as part of a national waste management plan. The government last month announced it will shut down open-dumping operations at 343 of Indonesia’s 550 disposal sites, requiring them to transition to controlled or sanitary landfill systems and gradually accept only garbage that cannot be recycled or composted, such as diapers, dirty paper towels and stickers.

Meanwhile, residents are being asked to set aside organic waste and recyclables for separate processing, a practice many households have never been taught to do on a large scale.

Dudi Gardesi Asikin, head of Jakarta’s Environment Agency, said the policy aims to improve environmental health, reduce pollution and curb emissions of methane generated by decomposing waste.

Methane is responsible for roughly one-third of global warming and traps more heat than carbon dioxide, making it a key focus of worldwide climate efforts. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, for example, is urging governments to sharply reduce methane emissions, calling it one of the fastest ways to slow global warming.

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A landfill at the center of the methane debate

Researchers say Bantargebang emits more methane than nearly any other landfill in the world, placing it at the center of Indonesia’s waste management reforms.

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Asikin said Bantargebang opened in 1989 as a sanitary landfill equipped to collect methane. Unlike open dumps, sanitary landfills also cover waste with soil.

But after a private-sector contract ended in 2016, the facility gradually drifted toward open dumping.

“What was never intended to be open dumping became full open dumping,” Asikin said.

Only two of the landfill’s original 12 methane extraction wells remain operational, Asikin said.

Under the new plan, parts of Bantargebang are already being covered with tarps, and officials hope to cover much more. Asikin estimated that covering the rest of the disposal area could cost as much as 200 billion rupiah ($12 million).

Uncertain future for waste pickers

Indonesia faces a dilemma as it attempts one of its biggest waste-management reforms in decades while also protecting the livelihoods of an estimated 600,000 waste pickers.

At Bantargebang alone, officials estimate more than 4,000 registered waste pickers work among trucks, excavators and mountains of garbage each day. The materials they recover are sorted and sold to a network of traders and recycling businesses that have grown around the landfill.

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“What worries me most is how I will feed my family,” Wencih said of the new plan, while excavators behind her pushed fresh waste onto exposed slopes.

Asikin said the government wants to improve conditions for waste pickers, who already receive some workplace protections and healthcare through a national social security program.

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He believes the new policy will eventually create safer formal jobs in recycling and composting.

“Today they are practically racing against our excavators to grab recyclable materials. It is extremely dangerous,” he said.

Bunin, a 53-year-old neighborhood chief who lives nearby, said while the landfill causes pollution, it also creates business opportunities including rental housing and food stalls catering to waste pickers.

“The landfill not only brings negative impacts, there are also economic benefits,” said Bunin, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

A landfill at its limits

Covering roughly 110 hectares (272 acres), Bantargebang has grown into a human-made mountain reaching as high as 60 meters (196 feet), roughly the height of a 20-story building. About 7,500 tons of waste arrive daily from the capital city.

“The waste people produce does not disappear. It is gathered in one place and has become a mountain,” said Agung Pujo Winarko, who heads the facility.

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A collapse triggered by heavy rain in Bantargebang in March killed seven people, underscoring the risks posed by the landfill’s sheer scale.

“This situation is extremely urgent,” Winarko said. “Its carrying capacity is reaching, or even exceeding, its limits.”

Satellite data analyzed by UCLA’s STOP Methane initiative ranked Bantargebang in 2025 as the world’s second-largest landfill methane emitter after a site in Argentina.

Evan George from UCLA’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment said reducing organic waste entering landfills could lower emissions, but that existing landfills will still require decades of monitoring and gas collection.

Changing Jakarta’s throwaway culture

Under the new approach, Jakarta residents are expected to separate food scraps and other organic waste from recyclables and residual trash before collection. New refuse-derived fuel plants are also part of the plan.

“What we are doing is somewhat revolutionary,” Asikin said. “For decades, people were never asked to separate their waste.”

But many households are only beginning to learn the system, raising questions about whether enough public education has taken place.

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“All we know is to throw the trash in the bin, not to sort it,” said Rukasih Wanti, a Central Jakarta resident. “The new rule is confusing us. It’s inconvenient, creates extra work and wastes our time.”

Asikin said multiple government institutions, including education and health ministries, are supporting the efforts.

Environmental advocates say new recycling and composting infrastructure is also needed. The transition is daunting because government data shows only about one-quarter of Indonesia’s daily waste is currently handled by formal systems, with the remainder dumped, burned or otherwise unmanaged.

David Sutasurya, executive director of the environmental organization YPBB, said about half of Jakarta’s waste is compostable and another 30% recyclable, meaning up to 80% could be kept out of landfills.

“We delayed transforming our waste-management system for too long, and only realized the problem when landfills were already close to full,” Sutasurya said.

In a West Jakarta neighborhood, Monica T. Anggriani has spent more than a decade persuading neighbors to separate household waste, building a community waste bank that now processes about one ton of organic waste daily through composting, maggot cultivation and urban farming.

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“Our generation was never taught to separate waste,” Anggriani said. “If we don’t start now, nothing will change in the future.”

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Associated Press writer Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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