Rescued Ukrainian lions touch grass for first time
'We are so relieved'
Yuna was traumatised when debris from a missile attack landed 300m (985ft) from her small enclosure in Ukraine, said the sanctuary. The lions were confined to concrete enclosures, used for illegal breeding, or kept as family pets. Some were suffering shellshock or could not stand, due to the heavy shelling in Ukraine. "We are so relieved to have these lions safe and settled in their forever home," said Cam Whitnall, managing director of The Big Cat Sanctuary.
Mr Whitnall said seeing their feet touch grass for the first time was an "emotional moment". "Nervous at first, all five cats are now starting to relax, play and explore their new habitat," he added. The sanctuary said its new enclosures had been specifically design to provide the big cats with an ideal environment to recuperate, while their carers would ensure they receive the physical and psychological care need to recover from their ordeal.The public will be able to visit and see the lions during the sanctuary's open days in July.
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The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘Astonishingly good value' – the best supermarket tofu, tasted and rated
This test helped me realise just how much I truly love tofu, even cold. Like all deceptively simple products, such as wine, coffee and chocolate, tofu's character is rooted in its terroir: the soil, biodiversity, climate, plant species and production process. Most tofu is made by curdling soy milk with nigari, a coagulant made from magnesium chloride, which is naturally derived from seawater. It's an ancient method still used across Japan and south-east Asia. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. To keep things fair, I tasted each tofu cold, straight from the packet, then boiled and fried (without pressing or seasoning) each one to observe its flavour, structure and performance. Boiling showed that all the tofus held their shape, while frying brought out major differences in colouring, crust and bite: some crisped up beautifully, others stayed soft and chewy, so if you mainly fry your tofu, that's worth bearing in mind. It's also worth noting that organic tofus are GMO-free by definition. 89p for 180g at Aldi (49p/100g)★★★★★ A small, beige block with rounded edges and a sweet, familiar soya aroma. It's a super-firm tofu with a dense, satisfying bite that holds up brilliantly to cooking, especially frying. Made with 57% EU-grown organic soya, it's very high in protein (14g a serving) and astonishingly good value. A real standout. £1.34 for 300g at Sainsbury's (45p/100g)★★★★☆ A great blank canvas with a subtle aroma and gentle, sweet taste. Firm but moist, and transformed by frying to a golden-crusted, deep flavour. Made from organic, non-EU soya (34%), it's high in protein and excellent value. Though a little lower in soya content, it delivers fantastic performance in the pan and at an incredible price. £2.90 for 396g at Ocado (73p/100g)£3 for 396g at Waitrose (76p/100g)★★★★★ Distinctively marbled and off-white/grey, this has a subtle aroma and a clean, complex flavour. Very firm and reacts well to frying, forming a satisfyingly thick crust. Made with 35.8% organic soya, using a mix of EU and non-EU beans, it's high in protein and has strong sustainability credentials. A well-rounded option that's a very close runner-up to the best overall. £2.30 for 280g at Sainsbury's (82p/100g)£2.30 for 280g at Tesco (82p/100g)★★★★☆ An irregularly marbled block with a deep umami, almost smoky aroma and a lovely firm bounce. One of the densest, less traditional tofus tested, with a chewy bite. When fried, it forms a good golden crust with loads of flavour. Made in Yorkshire using organic soya from EU and non-EU farms. Great Taste Award-winning, very high in protein (16.5g per 100g) and a bold, characterful choice. £2.50 for 300g at Ocado (83p/100g)★★★★☆ A uniform block with a sweet, subtle aroma, a soft bite and a gentle soya flavour. Holding its shape and forming a delicate, uniform golden crust when fried, this has one of the best textures in the whole test group. Made from organic, non-EU soya, it has 34% soya content and a respectable protein level. Strikes a solid balance between taste and texture. Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion £2 for 300g at Morrisons (67p/100g)£2.55 for 300g at Ocado (85p/100g)★★★★☆ A uniform block with a sweet, neutral aroma, a soft bite and a creamy mouthfeel. Flavourful and pleasantly sweet, it's perfectly crunchy and delicious when fried, with a consistent golden crust – perhaps the best overall for frying. Certified organic with non-EU soya, it's been handmade in Devon since 1984 and holds a Taste of the West Gold award. £1.95 for 399g at Tesco (49p/100g)★★★☆☆ A uniform, cream block with a sweet, clean smell and a gentle flavour. Its soft texture makes it satisfying to eat raw, though it doesn't crisp up easily when fried, hence the lower score (instead, it develops a chewy, caramelised edge with a spongy interior). Made from organic, non-EU soya (34%), it's a good source of protein and exceptional value for organic tofu. £1.95 for 300g at Waitrose (65p/100g)★★★☆☆ A gentle, savoury aroma and a soft bite with a slight sweetness. The texture is on the delicate side, especially when boiled, and it doesn't fry especially well (pressing first will help). Made with 34% organic, non-EU-grown soya, it's certified organic, but lacks firmness. Decent value, but there are more versatile options at a lower price point. £3 for 400g at Ocado (75p/100g)★★★☆☆ A white block with a soft bite, this has a sweet, subtle aroma and a clean soya taste. Despite being one of the softest in the test, it crisps up surprisingly well when fried, forming a light but satisfying crust. However, it's the only non-organic product tested, and made with just 16% soya – far lower than the others. Limited provenance or sustainability information, so with such strong competition, it offers less value for money. £5 for 500g at Ocado (£1/100g)£29.94 for 6 x 500g at Amazon (£1/100g)★★★☆☆ An irregular, mottled, off-white block that looks hand-shaped, and that's full of bubbles. One of the firmest to bite with a complex, soya-forward flavour. Fries very well, forming a great crust. Certified organic with non-EU soya, it's the only product tested with a fully reusable and recyclable container. Owned by Windmill Organics, a great company committed to organic farming, which earns it a bonus point.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Stop weeds from taking over garden using 2 ingredients that 'actually work'
The Mediterranean Gardener recently showed his followers just how easy it is to rustle up a homemade solution to combat pesky weeds in the garden A savvy gardener has revealed a brilliant DIY weed killer recipe that requires just two household staples you're likely to have in your kitchen. Michael, who goes by The Mediterranean Gardener on TikTok, shared with his followers a simple yet effective concoction for tackling those unwelcome garden invaders. This homemade remedy is perfect for those who prefer to steer clear of chemical-laden and commercial products in their green spaces. The original recipe hails from Gardeners World, but Michael vouched for its efficacy, saying the solution "actually works". Here's how to whip it up. You'll need two popular cleaning agents that are often used in DIY cleaning hacks: distilled vinegar and baking soda, reports the Express. How to make homemade weed killer Michael recommends a 2:1 ratio for the mixture – two parts vinegar to one part baking soda – and cautions against adding too much baking soda at once to prevent an overflow reminiscent of a science experiment volcano. The trick is to add the baking soda gradually, stirring continuously, until the solution is transparent and not milky. Michael advises: "This will create a more effective weed destroyer. Make sure it's all mixed together and add it to a spray bottle." Once you've transferred the mixture into a spray bottle, douse the weeds liberally with your homemade potion. According to the gardening guru, this solution shows the best results when used on young weeds. Vinegar is a powerful liquid that can effectively eliminate weeds, making their removal a breeze. Better Homes & Gardens noted that a vinegar-based mixture works most effectively on smaller, annual weeds. Vinegar can serve as an efficient household remedy thanks to its acidic properties. It contains acetic acid, which functions as a natural herbicide. The acetic acid destroys the plant's cell walls, causing the weeds to wither and ultimately perish. Vinegar will harm any plant it comes into contact with, though it leaves no lasting impact on the soil, meaning fresh weeds can still emerge. Several avid gardeners highlighted that combining these two components might cancel out each other's effectiveness. Michael commented: "If you're going to say mixing the two neutralises itself (I know lol) read below- This is a Gardeners world recipe who are saying councils are trailing this as a weed killer - the only reason I can think of is this. The outcome of a 1:1 mix would create a neutralised solution. Becoming sodium acetate, Co2 and water. I imagine a 2:1 mix means you're left with a distilled vinegar, sodium acetate and water mix. "Sodium acetate has a much lower impact on soil than sodium chloride. It has a minimal impact on soil structure and degrades in the soil quickly. So what you have is a salty, acidic mixture that doesn't have long term effects on the soil as if you were using vinegar and sodium chloride (edible salt)."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Captives and Companions by Justin Marozzi: Everywhere had slaves - it wasn't just the West
Captives and Companions: A History of Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Islamic World by Justin Marozzi (Allen Lane £35, 560pp) They were all borne down with loads of fire-wood, and even the poor little children, worn to skeletons by fatigue and hardships, were obliged to bear their burden, while many of their inhuman masters rode on camels, whips in hand.' So wrote British naval officer Captain G. F. Lyon in 1819, a witness to the Islamic slave trade in the Sahara. Even worse, the Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt observed that 'very few female slaves who have passed their tenth year, reach Egypt or Arabia in a state of virginity'. While the West has, quite rightly, hung its head in shame over the transatlantic slave trade, open discussion about the vast Islamic trade in both African and European slaves remains rare. Justin Marozzi has set out to correct this in a new work, mixing appalling accounts of inhumanity with more heartening tales of slaves who overcame adversity. Most notable, perhaps, are the famous concubines of the glittering courts of Baghdad and Istanbul, slave-girls who became the pop stars and pin-ups of their day – though their lives remained risky. 'They could just as easily make life-changing fortunes from a bawdy joke as lose their heads from a slip of the tongue.' One such was the brilliant poet and slave, Inan, a concubine in Abbasid Baghdad, both 'flawlessly beautiful' and skilled in the 'public cut and thrust of poetic jousting, a good deal of it coarse and sexually explicit'. She specialised in mocking her numerous lovers' disappointing, ah, physiques. Much here is grim reading though. For centuries, Islamic slavers preyed brutally upon their neighbours, especially black Africans but also white Europeans. Devon and Cornwall were both subjected to repeated slave raids in the 1620s, the demand for fair-skinned slave girls being high, and in 1627 slavers raided Iceland, taking more than 400 men, women and children into captivity. Witnesses described how one woman 'unable to walk was thrown into the flames with her two-year-old baby'. And slavery is still with us today. In Mali, Marozzi meets a man called Hamey who was beaten by a mob in his native village. No one intervened, many laughed and filmed it. He had tried to resist his own hereditary slave status. Driven from the village, he and his family now live in penury in a shack on the edge of Bamako, Mali's capital. Yet he remains magnificently unbroken. 'Deep down, I'm free. Whatever my financial worries, I'm free. I'll never be a slave again.' While Hamey was enslaved by his own countrymen, most states largely enslave foreign peoples, a 'tradition' dating back a thousand years or more. King Hassan II of Morocco, who only died in 1999, owned around 80 slaves and concubines, none of the latter over 15. Today, the Walk Free human rights organisation estimates there are still some 740,000 slaves in Saudi Arabia alone. Captives And Companions is a scrupulously fair, fearless and detailed history, as well as a tacit demand for the world to finally end this horror which we like to imagine is all in the past.
