Latest news with #Malin
NBC News
2 days ago
- General
- NBC News
Keep cool with these air conditioners from Amazon
If the temperature spikes and you're without an air conditioner, there's a good chance you'll want to install one as soon as humanely possible. And that means you'll want to find one you can get delivered quickly. Luckily, Amazon has a ton of highly rated options that you can get delivered straight to your door in a matter of days. Below, I've rounded up highly rated air conditioners from Amazon. In compiling our list, I sought out models that will accommodate different room sizes, window types and budgets. Check them out. How I picked the best air conditioners from Amazon When compiling a list of the best air conditioners on Amazon, I kept the following criteria in mind: Size: Air conditioners are not one-size-fits-all. You'll need to consider your room size when shopping. To ensure there is an option for almost everyone, I included models that are 8,000, 10,000 and 12,000 Btus —which cool rooms that are 350, 450 and 550 square feet respectively. Functionality: Because an air conditioner is an appliance you'll use regularly, I prioritized options that have features that make life easier — like eco-mode, apps that you can control them with and easy installation kits. Price: Because people have different budgets, we looked for air conditioners at varying prices. Our list contains units that start at just over $200 and go upward. NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin uses this small window unit to keep her kitchen cool. The 8,000 BTU unit has two fan and cooling speeds and comes with a wireless remote. One thing to note: It's not super quiet. Malin says she thinks of it as a white noise machine. If you want to be able to move your air conditioner around the house, a portable unit is the way to go. This one from Black+Decker is one of our favorite portable air conditioners. It is able to cool rooms up to 350 square feet and has four built-in caster wheels to make it easy to move from room to room. To set it up, you simply need to attach the included tubing to a window. This air conditioner operates at sound levels of 44dB when in sleep mode and has Energy Star certification for being energy efficient, according to the brand. It has four fan and cooling speeds and can accommodate a room that is up to 450 square feet. It comes with a washable filter, a remote control and insulation to help you get a tight fit in your window. My husband and I recently renovated our attic, turning it into a massive primary suite. The only problem? It gets really hot up there. We installed this 12,000 Btu air conditioner from GE and it felt like the entire space got 10 degrees cooler as soon as we turned it on. I like that it is relatively sleek looking and is quiet when it runs. You can control it on the unit itself or through the accompanying GE app — a feature I like because it means I can turn it on before I get home. You can also set it to switch to eco mode once the room hits a decided upon temperature. This air conditioner has Wi-Fi connectivity, can be controlled via an app control and uses an inverter technology to be more energy efficient, according to the brand. This unit can cool rooms up to 450 square feet, but the brand also offers an 8,000 Btu model and a 12,000 Btu model, to cool rooms that are 350 and 550 square feet. Why trust NBC Select? I'm a writer at NBC Select who covers a variety of topics, including home, tech and beauty. I have been covering major shopping events like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday for over a decade.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Love Island star Malin Andersson calls for ITV dating show to be axed as she brands it 'toxic' and claims it made her feel 'disposable, like rubbish tossed aside'
Malin Andersson has called for Love Island to be axed and branded it 'toxic', claiming the ITV show made her feel 'disposable'. The star, 32, shot to fame after appearing on the popular dating show all the way back in the second series in 2016. But since her appearance, Malin has been outspoken on how she struggled with her mental health in the years after leaving the villa. Now, the reality star is calling for the show to be cancelled as she revealed she hasn't watched any of the recent series. 'I haven't watched any of them, it should be axed,' she told The Mirror on Sunday. 'I felt disposable, like a piece of rubbish tossed aside,' she said, adding: 'The whole thing is toxic and should go in the bin.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Malin and Love Island for comment. Last year, Malin gave some important advice to anyone hoping to go on a reality TV show, warning that they need to be sure they can handle it ahead of time. She was 24 years old when she entered the villa, during the time widely seen as the beginning of Love Island's peak popularity. As a result Malin and her fellow Islanders like Olivia and Alex Bowen, Cara De La Hoyde, and Kady McDermott, were among the first to experience the sudden overnight fame that comes with being on the ITV2 show. She issued a stark warning to those who want to follow in her footsteps, admitting she had been a 'very dark place' after leaving the villa. Love Island has been hit with backlash in recent years following the tragic suicides of former contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon, as well as host Caroline Flack. Speaking to MailOnline about the debate surrounding the effect of reality shows on stars' mental health, Malin said she felt people should only go on if they knew they deal with the difficult parts as well. She said: 'From coming from a reality TV background - who I was when I came out of Love Island, it's a very dark place to be. And that happens with a lot of these shows. 'If you know can stand on your own two feet and say you're cool with all of the stuff that comes with it, I say do it. 'But what I didn't know was that I thought I could deal with it at the time, and when I came out I couldn't. And then I went through so much trauma, that made it worse.' She added: 'I think if you have things in your mental health to work out and know that you can't do it, then don't chase the fame, chase the healing.' Several former Islanders has spoken about how their life changed once leaving the villa, including self-esteem issues and depression. Laura Anderson said she began doubting her appearance, Zara McDermott admitted she struggled not to be 'self-obsessed' due to social media and Samira Mighty admitted that on her worst days she 'hates' her life and struggles to get out of bed. Malin has admitted she was 'vulnerable' on Love Island and wasn't in the state of mind to find the connection she was looking for, leading to further 'trauma'. She revealed that her deep desire to be loved contributed to her getting into abusive relationships, because she didn't know her own worth. She explained: 'When I went through my abusive relationships it was really me screaming I want to be loved. 'I don't love myself, so I'll accept any kind of love - even if it's abuse. And when I realised that and let them go, I could really see I was creating that in my life.' Malin has been very candid about her experiences with domestic violence and has campaigned for abuse survivors. Her former boyfriend Tom Kemp was jailed for 10 months in 2020, after admitting to an assault on her that left her 'black and blue' with a broken hand. He was the father of Malin's baby girl Consy, who tragically died with a heart defect in January 2019, just one month after being delivered at 33 weeks. The couple met in late 2017 and Malin has been open about the abuse and emotional torment she suffered while in the on/off relationship. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, or see for details
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Love Island star fumes show is 'full of toxicity' and calls for it to be 'axed'
EXCLUSIVE: Love Island's Malin Andersson, who starred in the second season of the ITV2 dating show in 2016, has slammed the series as 'toxic' and said it should be taken off air Former Love Island star Malin Andersson, who shot to fame on series two, has radically changed her opinion of the hit dating show, branding it 'full of toxicity' and insisting it should be axed. While other participants, including Amy Hart and Amber Davies, have praised the show for its support and aftercare – with Olivia Attwood saying ' Love Island saved me'– Malin, who took part in the show in 2016, has a very different view. Here, the 32-year-old, who memorably confronted ex Terry Walsh in the villa, tells new why she feels so strongly about her time on Love Island and why she would be dead against her daughter Xaya, three, going on the show when she's older. Hi, Malin! Love Island's back but you're not watching. Why? I haven't watched any of them. It should be axed. When I was on it, we were naive, it felt more organic – still scripted but more authentic. Even then, it wasn't pure, it was full of toxicity. Now millions watch it, especially young people, and their idea of love gets completely skewed. Some contestants spiral completely. Did you ever feel like that on the show? Oh, 100%. I felt disposable, like a piece of rubbish tossed aside. In there, you're fighting to be seen, to be a main character, seeking validation. It's not healthy – it creates unrealistic drama and messes up how viewers see love. The whole thing is toxic and should go in the bin. Let's talk about the time when you came back in to confront Terry. How did that happen? I was already partying in Spain when Emma [Jane Woodhams] went in with the TOWIE lot. They realised I was nearby and asked me to come in too. So I did the next day. Were you watching the show then? No. I was just partying and Tweeting stuff to provoke producers to get me back in – and it worked. How did you feel after confronting Terry? Did it bring clarity? No, it just showed me that I had been attracting terrible men my whole life until I figured out why. How did you heal? It's been a powerful journey but not easy. I had to look at parts of myself I didn't want to see – why I wanted to be seen, why I accepted bad love. It starts with what we're shown as kids. TV shows like Love Island feed the same toxic ideas. They don't care about feelings – just money and drama. I wish there were shows about real healing. Why do you think people love watching the show? People are living through other people's lives because they want escapism. We're all scrolling, looking at everyone else's stories, wanting to be part of it. The format is easy: pretty girls, good-looking guys who can't even talk properly. It's a quick dopamine hit. This year they say they will show sex on screen if it happens, to show 'real relationships'. What are your thoughts? They're struggling for viewers, that's all. It's not real – living in a house with people with no phone or sanity, isn't real. When you were there, did producers suggest you talk to certain people or stir things? All the time. If people were gossiping about me, they'd tell me to go over. They'd nudge conversations or set up who should talk to whom. It's all manipulated for reactions. So why did you decide to go on the show in the first place? I'd been on Take Me Out at 18. The same producer called me a year later, asked if I was single. I said yes, and they fast-tracked me in, I didn't even audition. I was just a young girl wanting fun – clueless, really. This year on Love Island there are older contestants – 30 and 29. The youngest is 22. How does that dynamic work? The older ones get seen as Mummy and Daddy, that's how society is. I'm 32 and people act like that's ancient. The show pushes a narrow look – perfect bodies, the 'ideal' appearance. Anything outside that is labelled abnormal. It tells kids they have to fit that mould. How about diversity? There are more people from different backgrounds on the show… It's sad we even have to call it 'diverse'. We should just be one mix of people – different races, professions, appearances. We're all the same inside. Are you looking for love now? I feel he's around the corner! I want someone with a pure soul and real masculine energy – not ego-driven but someone who makes me feel safe. I'm not really dating right now. Will you tell your daughter about your time on the show? She'll find out eventually. She sees how I live and grow, and that's why I feel so strongly about all this – to protect her too. If she ever wanted to go on Love Island, what would you say? Nah, babes. I'd tell her no way – with no reason given.
National Geographic
20-06-2025
- National Geographic
What it's like to celebrate midsummer in Sweden
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). As my Swedish army bike rattles down the last hill, I place a hand on the basket to secure my Midsummer contributions: two king-size sausage rolls and a green bean and orange salad. The wide-open fields of southern Sweden's fertile Söderslätt plain, yellow with rapeseed flowers, stretch out to my right, while to my left, the Baltic Sea has just slipped out of sight, having been there for most of my 20-minute ride from the station. When I turn into the gravel drive, Malin and Christian's century-old brick villa, Källbacken, meaning 'hill with a spring', is already clattering with preparations. Malin and her seven-year-old daughter Edith have been out picking the flowers and greenery that will decorate the midsommarstång, or maypole, which they've laid out neatly on a table. I place my sausage rolls alongside and am immediately marshalled into scrubbing potatoes. For Malin and Christian, new potatoes, dug up only days before from the patch at the bottom of their garden, are central to the feast. 'Unlike Easter and Christmas, you don't normally have hot food at Midsummer: it's about potatoes, and herring,' Malin says. The preparations began months ago. 'We actually start preparing for Midsummer in February," she explains, describing the family's annual trip to buy early-maturing Swift potatoes, which then stand, packed in egg cartons, in the barn for three months before being planted in early May. It feels a fitting ritual ahead of this festival, which originated back when Sweden was an agrarian society. Midsummer celebrations not only marked the longest day of the year but welcomed in a new season of fertility. Many Swedes still head to the countryside to celebrate. Although this is my tenth Midsummer in Sweden, the celebrations I've been to have been low-key affairs eschewing tradition: a barbecue, games, but no maypole. Malin and Christian, however, go all in. As well as the potatoes, the couple provide home-grown chives, pickled herring, Christian's home-brewed IPA, and a bottle or two of snaps or akvavit, the Swedish spirit used for toasts and to accompany singing. This celebration is unusual, though, for the lack of heavy drinking – because there are many babies and small children present. Midsummer, more than Christmas or New Year's Eve, is when Swedes really let loose, taking full advantage of daylight that lasts until close to midnight, and singing and dancing until sunrise. Midsummer is when Swedes let loose, taking advantage of daylight that lasts until close to midnight, singing and dancing until sunrise. Photograph by Getty, Fredrik Nyman In previous years, Malin made her own pickled herring, but this year there are five varieties supplied by Abba (the fish-canning giant, rather than the sequin-clad Seventies four-piece), and she's also made gubbröra, meaning 'old bloke's mix'. It's a salty spread combining chopped, soused and spiced sprats, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise and dill. As I'm scrubbing potatoes, more people start to arrive and, as with every Midsummer I've ever been to, it's a mix of Swedes and internationals, the language bouncing between English and Swedish. By the time I come outside, the table is crammed with dishes. Magnus, a childhood friend of Christian's, has brought a silltårta, a traditional cake made of herring and creme fraiche thickened with gelatine and served on a butter and breadcrumb base. Someone else has brought the obligatory västerbottenpaj, a quiche flavoured with a pungent hard cheese from the far north, and there's another quiche with salmon and spinach. Then there are two enormous sourdough loaves, with dark, decorated crusts and some fröknäcke, a heavily seeded crispbread. The only classic dish missing is gravlax – salmon cured with salt, sugar and dill. Once the potatoes are fully cleaned, Malin throws a handful of dill into the pan and begins the boiling. Swedes take potatoes seriously. All will own a potato-tester, a metal spike the thickness of a needle, with a blunt end and a plastic handle, which is pushed into potatoes to judge their firmness. My wife, I tell Malin as we chitchat, is adamant that you must leave part of the spuds poking above the water, cook them at no more than a simmer, and steam them dry in a pan afterwards. But Malin has no time for such fussiness. 'I know people who, after half the boiling time, pour out some of the water and add new water, and things like that,' she says. 'But I just boil them – not for too long, since they're new potatoes – but I don't understand why it should be so difficult.' Once done, the potatoes are placed in a bowl outside to be served with butter and chopped dill and chives, and sliced hard-boiled eggs laid alongside. A Swedish Midsummer meal is often formal, with places neatly laid on a long table outside, folded napkins and garnished dishes. But this year, thanks to all the young guests, it's a come-and-go affair, with guests sitting down with different neighbours every time they refill their plates. The conversation touches on the shortage of another Midsummer essential: strawberries, which a bad harvest has pushed above 80 kronor (£6) a litre, if you can get hold of any at all. I pile three sorts of herring onto some crispbread, its saltiness setting off the sweet-and-sour bite of the pickle, and also indulge in some gubbröra, enjoying the cinnamon, allspice and sandalwood spicing of the sprats. The potatoes are firm, sweet and a little nutty, the perfect partner to the stronger flavours of the other dishes. I also take some västerbottenpaj, which is so rich with Västerbotten cheese — somewhere between a mature cheddar and a parmesan in strength — that I have to stop at a single helping. The silltårta, an old-fashioned addition even to this very traditional celebration, has a jelly-ish consistency that doesn't quite appeal to me, but goes down well with the other guests. After the meal is over, I join the children and some of the adults walking it off in the surrounding fields and picking flowers for the midsommarkransar, Midsummer crowns made of birch twigs woven together. When we return, we get to work erecting the maypole, about three metres tall, with a crossbar. While it's commonly believed to be a pagan fertility symbol, representing male genitalia, experts insist each year in Swedish newspapers that there's no evidence to back it up – but looking at it, I find it hard to see what else it might be. Soon, adults and children alike are holding hands, circling around the pole, pretending alternately to be a musician playing a violin, someone washing clothes, and, in the most raucous of the dances, jumping like a frog. The celebrations segue into a house party, and then, later in the evening, a barbecue. Christian pulls a pile of waste wood from the barn and lights a fire, which we sit around as the mothers and daughters go out once again to pick flowers. 'You have to jump seven fences and pick one flower in each field, and you're not allowed to speak to one another. You have to be quiet the whole time,' Malin explains of this last ritual. 'And then you have this small bouquet; you put it underneath your pillow and you're supposed to dream about who you're going to marry.' This is one part of the celebrations I can't partake in, but as I bed down on a mattress upstairs, I feel satisfied that I've truly welcomed the summer. Midsummer feasts to visit While most Swedes will celebrate Midsummer in friends' country or island homes, there are organised celebrations for visitors. In 2025, Midsummer falls on 21 June. Tällberg, Dalarna Dalarna county is renowned for traditional Midsummers, with folk costumes, folk music and dancing. Åkerblads Hotel, in Tällberg on Lake Siljan, serves a traditional Midsummer smörgåsbord, with herring, new potatoes and västerbottenpaj, after which you can go into town and take part in the celebrations. Alternatively, at Våmhus Gammelgård, an old farm maintained by Sweden's main conservation organisation, you'll be served kolbulle, a thick pancake with diced, salted or smoked pork. Ringsjön, Skåne Bosjökloster, a country house and former nunnery on the shores of Lake Ringsjön in Skåne, Sweden's southernmost county, puts on a lavish Midsummer spread. Expect all the classics, plus specialities containing ingredients foraged in nearby forests, and plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Once the buffet's over, join the dancing around a maypole erected on lawns leading down to the lakeshore – one of the most popular celebrations in Skåne. Småland Getnö Gård, a resort on Lake Åsnan in Småland, offers a traditional Midsummer buffet – served, untraditionally, after the maypole dances – including a strawberry cake prepared to a recipe handed down by the owner's grandmother. Most visitors stay over in the campsite or cabins. Fjäderholm In Stockholm, the archipelago is the place to celebrate, and Fjäderholm is the closest island, 30 minutes by ferry from the centre. Rökeriet Fjärderholmarna, a smokery, serves a traditional Midsummer buffet, with all the essentials and more. There's also live music and dancing around the maypole on the island. Väderö Storö The Väderöarnasor 'weather islands', a 35-minute ferry ride from Fjällbacka on the west coast, are the most far-flung islands off the Bohuslan coast. Väderöarnas Värdshus restaurant on Väderö Storö, the biggest island, lays on a Midsummer buffet, picking guests up from nearby Hamburgsund. Published in Issue 26 (winter 2024) of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK). 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Time of India
19-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Landslide & road cave-in hold up traffic as Mahabaleshwar gets triple-digit rainfall; Pune Ghat areas on red alert
Kolhapur/PuneNashik: Heavy rainfall triggered a landslide and road cave-in between Mahabaleshwar and Tapola in Satara district on Thursday, with Mahabaleshwar receiving 153mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending 10.30am. Pune district's Ghat areas also experienced intense showers, with Tamhini and Lonavla recording 230mm and 187mm of rainfall, respectively. The public works department quickly cleared the debris and restored the traffic to Tapola, popularly known as 'Mini Kashmir of Maharashtra'. Satara district disaster management head Devidas Tamhane said, "Satara district is receiving heavy rainfall over the last few days. On Thursday morning, a landslide occurred near the Chikhali Shade area in the ghat section, due to which a major portion of the road between Mahabaleshwar and Tapola caved in. " In Nashik, Godavari river swelled for the first time this monsoon after heavy rainfall lashed the city, with 113.1mm of rain recorded in 24 hours. The river's water level rose to waist-high at the iconic 'Dutondya Maruti' idol, submerging small temples at Ramkund and Godaghat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall for the Ghat section and a yellow alert for Pune city on Friday, coinciding with the annual Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhis' arrival in the city. The palkhi procession to Pandharpur via Pune is a revered annual tradition in Maharashtra, where devotees gather to pay homage to saints like Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj. Kurvande in Pune's Maval taluka recorded 219mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period, followed by Girivan (160mm), Nimgir (116mm), Bhor (109mm), Malin (69mm) and Talegaon (65.5mm). IMD cited two factors for the increased rainfall. "The two factors are a trough extending from northwest Uttar Pradesh to north Gujarat, influenced by a cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan, and an offshore trough at sea level running along the coast from north Konkan to north Kerala," an official said. "As a result, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places is very likely over Konkan and Ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra. Besides, extremely heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places in north Konkan," the official said. Kolhapur/PuneNashik: Heavy rainfall triggered a landslide and road cave-in between Mahabaleshwar and Tapola in Satara district on Thursday, with Mahabaleshwar receiving 153mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending 10.30am. Pune district's Ghat areas also experienced intense showers, with Tamhini and Lonavla recording 230mm and 187mm of rainfall, respectively. The public works department quickly cleared the debris and restored the traffic to Tapola, popularly known as 'Mini Kashmir of Maharashtra'. Satara district disaster management head Devidas Tamhane said, "Satara district is receiving heavy rainfall over the last few days. On Thursday morning, a landslide occurred near the Chikhali Shade area in the ghat section, due to which a major portion of the road between Mahabaleshwar and Tapola caved in. " In Nashik, Godavari river swelled for the first time this monsoon after heavy rainfall lashed the city, with 113.1mm of rain recorded in 24 hours. The river's water level rose to waist-high at the iconic 'Dutondya Maruti' idol, submerging small temples at Ramkund and Godaghat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall for the Ghat section and a yellow alert for Pune city on Friday, coinciding with the annual Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhis' arrival in the city. The palkhi procession to Pandharpur via Pune is a revered annual tradition in Maharashtra, where devotees gather to pay homage to saints like Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj. Kurvande in Pune's Maval taluka recorded 219mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period, followed by Girivan (160mm), Nimgir (116mm), Bhor (109mm), Malin (69mm) and Talegaon (65.5mm). IMD cited two factors for the increased rainfall. "The two factors are a trough extending from northwest Uttar Pradesh to north Gujarat, influenced by a cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan, and an offshore trough at sea level running along the coast from north Konkan to north Kerala," an official said. "As a result, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places is very likely over Konkan and Ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra. Besides, extremely heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places in north Konkan," the official said.
