There's no right or wrong way to do a wedding . As long as you and your partner are happy, there's no minimum budget that needs to be met or specific requirements when it comes to food, colour schemes, or venues. And one woman on TikTok named Laura truly believes that sentiment, as she decided to make her wedding day as sentimental as possible by having a homemade wedding cake that she baked in her own kitchen just two days before the ceremony. The woman, from the US, used Betty Crocker rainbow cake mix to make six sponges - three 10-inch ones and three eight-inch ones - which she then stacked on top of one another with icing in between each layer to make a two-tier cake. The bride made her cake to save cash ( Image: TIKTOK/@DARLINGGOOSE) Laura was thrilled with her finished result ( Image: TIKTOK/@DARLINGGOOSE) Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here. In her video, which was posted to her … [Read more...] about ‘I baked my own wedding cake to save money – some say I must be joking but I love it’
Let the church say amen
New Zelensky biography reveals first meeting with Putin: ‘bundle of nerves’
When Russia's Vladimir Putin began a military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, it was widely assumed that Ukraine would surrender quickly. Instead, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky—an actor-turned-politician famous for playing an actor-turned-politician in Servant of the People —refused to budge, withstood multiple assassination attempts and rallied his people to fight. He pleaded with the international community to implement sanctions on the Russians and to provide weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainians. How did Zelensky accomplish this transformation? Where did he first take Putin's measure? Read about it in this exclusive advance look from Ukrainian journalist and political commentator Serheii Rudenko's upcoming Zelensky: A Biography (Polity Books, July 18), in which he explores Zelensky's life and governing style, from his childhood through the beginnings of the war. In the beginning was the word. Or rather, several words. And, more precisely, the name of … [Read more...] about New Zelensky biography reveals first meeting with Putin: ‘bundle of nerves’
Black women are underserved when it comes to birth control access. The Roe decision could make that worse.
The Supreme Court’s ruling to gut nationwide rights to abortion last week has highlighted the importance of access to birth control, which already proves difficult for many women of color due to discrimination, stigma and systemic barriers in the health care system. While the decision does not directly impact access to contraception, legal experts say that states and municipalities that are aiming to ban abortion at the point of conception may also challenge contraceptives like Plan B and intrauterine devices. Some state legislators have already taken steps to restrict birth control, such as in Tennessee, when earlier this year Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, denounced Griswold v. Connecticut, the 1965 case that ensured birth control access to individuals who were unmarried. “The hardest burden is going to largely fall on Black women who already have insurmountable challenges just getting health care in this country,” Jennifer Driver, senior director of reproductive … [Read more...] about Black women are underserved when it comes to birth control access. The Roe decision could make that worse.
Football coach wins right to pray on field | Opinion
It's hard to imagine, but until Monday a high school coach could be fired for taking a knee to pray at a football game in America. A coach was well within his constitutional rights to take a knee to protest the national anthem, but petitioning the Almighty was forbidden. All that changed thanks to a man named Joe Kennedy of Bremerton, Washington—a Marine Corps veteran, a high school football coach and a devout Christian. In 2015 Coach Joe was fired from his job as an assistant coach at the local high school after he disobeyed a school directive banning him from saying post-game prayers on the 50-yard line. Coach Joe had been offering those prayers for eight years without incident—inspired by the faith-based football film Facing the Giants . The coach was moved by the film's message to praise God regardless of what happened on the field. But the school district determined that the coach's brief prayers constituted a violation of the law—separation of God and gridiron. … [Read more...] about Football coach wins right to pray on field | Opinion
‘My wedding stuff was mistakenly delivered to neighbour – he took it to charity shop’
A woman was left devastated after "sentimental" items from her wedding fell into the hands of her neighbour and were mistakenly donated to charity. TikTok user @dannirushby took to the social media platform in a desperate plea to seek her missing items from her special day. In the video - which has surpassed over 114,000 views to date - Danni explained that her items were delivered accidentally delivered to her neighbour who's "not all well". The young woman - who now moved from the UK to New Zealand - told viewers that items included her wedding guest book and her wedding bag. "I'm hoping TikTok can come to my rescue because I've tried everything else and nothing's worked," she said. "To cut a long story short - I shipped over lots of my own items from the UK to New Zealand where I live, but I went back to the UK to visit family. Danni Rushby lost her wedding items ( Image: @dannirushby/TikTok) She pleaded for her items back ( Image: … [Read more...] about ‘My wedding stuff was mistakenly delivered to neighbour – he took it to charity shop’
Woman fuming as cleaner comes into hotel room at 8am – while she’s not dressed
When you're minding your own business in your hotel room, drinking coffee in bed and in a state of undress, the last thing you'd expect is for someone to walk in. Well, that's what happened to one unsuspecting mum and she was so horrified by the incident, she's now considering putting in a complaint. She took to Mumsnet to express her shock, writing: "Staying in a chain hotel , Western Europe, 8am. I'm up but also naked in bed, having a coffee. "Someone knocks on the door, I ignore it, not sure if it's my door or someone else's. Then the door opens and a man calls out something, "I dive under my sheets and I think I shouted out 'there's someone in here', so the door closes. The woman was horrified when she was walked in on in her hotel room (Stock Image) ( Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here "I throw some clothes on, go in the corridor and say to the guy that … [Read more...] about Woman fuming as cleaner comes into hotel room at 8am – while she’s not dressed
Man Utd risk repeating mistake Rio Ferdinand has slammed as “mind-boggling”
Rio Ferdinand has opened up on the "mind-boggling" decision that Manchester United made back in 2014 when they released him and a handful of other senior players - a move that the club are set to repeat this summer. Ferdinand enjoyed a trophy-laden 12-year spell at Old Trafford but was unexpectedly axed by the club in the twilight years of his career. Patrice Evra and Ryan Giggs also left the club that summer, meaning United lost a lot of experienced pros in one hit. United were in a period of transition in the 2013/14 campaign after Sir Alex Ferguson had stepped down the previous year. His successor, David Moyes , had been sacked just 10 months into a six-year contract, meaning United were set to begin the new domestic campaign under another new manager. The club are currently in a similar position, with incoming boss Erik ten Hag expected to significantly reshape a playing squad that limped to a sixth-placed finish last term; United's worst ever performance … [Read more...] about Man Utd risk repeating mistake Rio Ferdinand has slammed as “mind-boggling”
‘I’m a surrogate but don’t want the baby’s mum in the delivery room – she’s fuming’
A surrogate mum who is eight months pregnant with a couple's first baby has said she doesn't want to have the mum in the delivery room with her when she gives birth. Sharing her story on Reddit , the 26-year-old woman explained that she had initially agreed to let both the mum and dad - named Sarah and Josh - into the room after the baby's head had started coming, as this would mean they would get to witness the moment the baby is born. But throughout the pregnancy , Sarah has made the surrogate so "uncomfortable" that she's now changed her mind, and will allow Josh to be there for the whole event, but doesn't want Sarah involved at all. In her post , she said: "I am a surrogate. I gave one couple a baby three years ago, and both parents were present at birth. I know birth isn't a spectator sport, but my situation is not a typical one. The woman makes the surrogate 'uncomfortable' (stock photo) ( Image: Getty Images/Photononstop RF) Get the news you want … [Read more...] about ‘I’m a surrogate but don’t want the baby’s mum in the delivery room – she’s fuming’
The Great Real Estate Slowdown: 10 Markets Where Homes Linger the Longest—and Buyers Gain an Edge
In the fraught, pressure-packed, scarily unpredictable summer 2022 housing market, home sellers and buyers are compulsively tracking key real estate metrics like baseball obsessives tracking box scores—only with way more on the line than the galling perfection of the New York Yankees . Everyone is desperate to get a grip on where things are going in U.S. real estate. Are prices continuing to rise? Is inventory going to keep falling? And where on Earth are mortgage rates going to top out? But one stat seems to sum up the current market, with all of its twists and turns, better than any other: How long is it taking for homes to sell? And in another sign of a cooldown in the housing market, U.S. homes are remaining on the market just a little longer. According to Realtor.com® data from May, the median number of days on the market for an American home stands at 31. While still a blistering pace, it represents a relief from the turbocharged frenzy we saw late last year … [Read more...] about The Great Real Estate Slowdown: 10 Markets Where Homes Linger the Longest—and Buyers Gain an Edge
New device converting infrared heat to electricity could lead to solar power at night
Scientists have successfully tested a device that is capable of converting infrared heat into electrical power . The device, described last week in the journal ACS Photonics, is based on technology similar to that used in night-vision goggles and may lead to new ways of harnessing the Sun ’s energy in the dark of night. While solar energy warms the Earth during daylight hours, it is lost into the coldness of space when the sun goes down. In the new study, scientists, including those from the University of New South Wales in Australia, have tested a device that can convert infrared heat into electrical power that uses a power-generation tool called a ‘thermo-radiative diode’, which is similar to the technology in night-vision goggles. “In the late 18th and early 19th century it was discovered that the efficiency of steam engines depended on the temperature difference across the engine, and the field of thermodynamics was born,” explains Nicholas Ekins-Daukes, … [Read more...] about New device converting infrared heat to electricity could lead to solar power at night