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"New Iron Curtain" as 100,000 Ukrainians flee their homes

<p dir="ltr">The highways heading out of Ukraine’s capital have been choked with traffic, with residents fleeing Kyiv as Russian forces invade.</p> <p dir="ltr">Russian president Vladimir Putin <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/ukraine/ukrainians-flee-barbarous-invasion-c-5832107">declared war</a> in a pre-dawn televised address on Thursday, which was followed by an assault on Ukraine by land, sea and air.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-47681d8e-7fff-285a-f182-082999763ef1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Explosions and gunfire could be heard throughout the morning in Kyiv as missiles struck Ukrainian targets and authorities reported columns of troops entering Ukraine from Russia and Belarus.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">VIDEO: Footage of heavy fighting in Sumy in north-eastern Ukraine tonight. - <a href="https://twitter.com/YWNReporter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YWNReporter</a> <a href="https://t.co/lgvxbVe7Y8">pic.twitter.com/lgvxbVe7Y8</a></p> <p>— Conflict News (@Conflicts) <a href="https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/1496953918882041863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The assault comes after weeks of Western leaders making diplomatic efforts to prevent war.</p> <p dir="ltr">After a day of fighting, Putin told business people in Moscow that he had no choice but to act.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Western leaders have condemned Moscow’s actions and promised widespread sanctions.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called on the people to defend their country, and said weapons would be given to anyone prepared to fight.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What we have heard today are not just missile blasts, fighting and the rumble of aircraft,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is the sound of a new Iron Curtain, which has come down and is closing Russia off from the civilised world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After fierce fighting in the regions of Symy and Kharkiv, in Ukraine’s northeast, and Kerson and Odessa in the south, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States said 40 servicemen and dozens of civilians had been reported killed, although the information wasn’t up-to-date.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dbc9f2c7-7fff-59f1-c591-1eca06509a0d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Authorities in Odessa said 18 people were killed in a missile attack, while those in Brovary, a town near Kyiv, said at least six people had died.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Column of destroyed and abandoned tanks, in Kherson region, Ukraine <a href="https://t.co/iTgWV96wiW">pic.twitter.com/iTgWV96wiW</a></p> <p>— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/1496832644990050307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-84b7cca8-7fff-56e1-feed-c6cf4148b2a3">Ukraine’s military said it destroyed four Russian tanks near Kharkiv, killed 50 soldiers in a town near Luhansk, and took down six Russian warplanes.</span></p> <p dir="ltr">Russia has denied that any of its tanks or aircraft had been destroyed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Even with a full-blown invasion underway, Putin’s ultimate motivations remain unclear. The Russian president said he didn’t plan a military occupation, only to disarm Ukraine and rid it of nationalists.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, a senior US defence official said Washington believed the invasion was intended to “decapitate” Zelensky’s government.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a77311e9-7fff-7890-b456-7c53b3e09fe0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">EU leaders are due to meet to agree on further sanctions against Russia that will have “massive and severe” consequences for Moscow, according to a draft of their summit conclusions seen by Reuters.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Naked neighbour refuses to close curtains or cover up

<p>If you live in an urban area, chances are you’ve seen much more of your neighbours than you’d probably like to. Well, one couple has had enough, and are asking the internet for advice after multiple requests for their naked neighbour to close the blinds or get dressed have been ignored.</p> <p>User “Sparklyshoes16” took to the online forum Mumsnet to ask fellow members, “Am I being unreasonable to think she should know better and at least close her curtains when getting dressed?”</p> <p>She explained that her neighbour was in the nude constantly – even during the day – and that other neighbours had also noticed and asked her to stop – but naked Nancy simply refuses.</p> <p><img width="600" height="247" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7264726/neighbour_600x247.jpg" alt="Neighbour"/></p> <p>Perhaps surprisingly, the Mumsnet community mostly sided with the exhibitionist neighbour.</p> <p>“Have you considered not looking?” suggested user BertrandRussell. Another agreed, telling the nosy couple to “stop peeping at her”.</p> <p>Others pointed out that the neighbour wasn’t doing anything illegal – under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, it is not an offence to be naked in public in England and Wales. After all, she wasn’t exactly starkers in the street, right?</p> <p>“If you don’t like it, don’t look,” wrote user Originalfoolgirl. “I doubt the window is so close you can’t look elsewhere. It’s her house, if she wants to be naked in it, that’s her prerogative.”</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, what’s your take? Have you ever accidentally copped an eyeful of one of your neighbours?</p>

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How often you really should wash your sheets, towels and curtains

<p class="MsoNormal">When was the last time you cleaned your sheets? Of course, how you answer that has to do with personal choice. If you haven’t changed them in a week, a month, or a year, that’s your prerogative. We’re not here to judge or finger wag, but we can equip you with some facts and guidelines that may influence your linen-laundering behaviour.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Towels (every 3-4 uses)</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You’ll want to launder your towels every three to four uses. We say uses instead of days because some people shower or bathe more than once a day, while others can go days at a time without either. There are other factors to consider, too – such as how damp your home is. Always hang your towel up to dry and don’t share your towel, even among family members. When you no longer enjoy using it or looking at it, it’s time to throw it out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Sheets (every 1-2 weeks)</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sure, there’s nothing worse than struggling with a tightly fitted sheet, but it’s a necessary inconvenience. Just think of your sheets as clothes you wear for eight hours every night. We shed about 500 million skin cells per day, so if you spend a third of your life sleeping (as most of us do), 160 million of these cells will end up in your bed every night. That’s not to mention the bodily oils, sweat and dirt rubbed in – especially if you’re not the only body rolling around in there – plus the millions of bacteria and other micro-organisms that build up. And the longer you leave them, the more they multiply. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Curtains (every 6 months)</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Though they don’t come in contact with your body, curtains are hot spots for dust. Cleaning them every six months ought to keep them in order – but double the frequency if you or someone you live with has allergies. Regular vacuuming will help to remove dirt and particles in between washes. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Hand towels (every 2-3 days)</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hand towels usually hang in a germ-ridden environment (near or above the loo) and are used by multiple people. As such, they ought to be washed every two to three days. Do you really want to dry your hands on your partner’s toothpaste residue?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Bathmats (every week)</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">How often you wash it depends on the texture and quality of the mat. If it never seems dry, wash it at least once a week. To prolong the time between washes, always hang it up to dry after your bath or shower.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Pillowcases (every 3 days or weekly)</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Your face is rubbed against your pillowcase every night, which means a build-up of bodily oils, skin cells, sweat and dribble. (It’s probably your unwashed pillowcase causing you to break out, and not your late-night kebab benders.)  As such, it’s important you clean them even more regularly than your sheets.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Tea towels (after every use)</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">These readily attract and host harmful bacteria, picking up particles and remaining damp due to frequent use. They’re also dangerously close to your dinner. Wash your kitchen rags after every use to avoid spreading those nasties.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Face cloths (every time you use them!)</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Don’t undo your good hygiene work by dabbing your face with a bacteria-laden cloth. Dirt, makeup and oil quickly accumulate, and moisture creates the perfect environment for bacteria and mould to thrive. Don’t leave them to fester – throw yours in the wash after every single use. Your skin will thank you for it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em>Written by Kathleen Lee-Joe. First appeared on <strong><a href="http://www.domain.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Domain.com.au.</span></a></strong></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/things-in-your-kitchen-you-should-clear-out-right-now/">10 things in your kitchen you should clear out right now</a></span></strong></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/why-we-should-keep-up-with-the-washing-up/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Why we should keep up with the washing up</span></a></strong></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/why-you-should-never-make-your-bed/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Why you should never make your bed</span></a></strong></em><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>

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Very proud granny covers cushions, tablecloths, walls, curtains and more in pictures of grandkids

<p>Could this be the world’s proudest grandmother? 66-year-old Carmen Baugh has taken her love of her grandchildren to the next level, wallpapering and decorating her house in their photos and even wearing their pictures.</p> <p>That’s right, this US grandma has her grandchildren’s photos covering her walls, curtains, cushions and tablecloths. While it may seem a bit overboard to us, her family love it. Baugh told <a href="http://press.spoonflower.com/worlds-proudest-grandma/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Spoonflower</span></strong></a> that her husband Bob “thinks it’s great” but that her grandkids, aged 6 and 3, took a bit longer to come around.</p> <p>“My granddaughter exclaimed ‘Oh my!’ But she and her brother then rushed straight to the wallpaper and started picking out their own photos,” she says. “They loved it all, including the pillows.”</p> <p>See her family-filled world in the pictures above and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/05/grandma-photobombs-real-estate-pictures/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Grandma hilariously photobombs her real estate pictures</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/05/90-year-old-nana-love-to-keep-tabs-on-family-through-facebook/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>90-year-old Nana loves to keep tabs on family through Facebook</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/04/girls-gets-spelling-of-grandma-wrong/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Little girl gets spelling of grandma adorably wrong</strong></em></span></a></p>

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