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RTE star Harrison Gardener and Kin actor Claire Dunne were the two celebrities on yesterday’s High Road, Low Road. .

The hit travel show pairs top celebrities and sends them off to popular holiday destinations.

RTE

Kin actress Claire Dunne and RTE presenter Harrison Gardener were on High Road, Low Road tonight[/caption]

RTE

The pair explored Austria in yesterday’s episode[/caption]

Although both celebrities are headed to the same location, they have very different experiences.

Each star is presented with an envelope: in one, is everything they need for a five-star holiday; inside the other, it’s the holiday from hell.

It’s the luck of the draw who gets what.

So as one is driven off in a limo to their luxurious five-star hotel, the other sets off to find the shuttle bus to their hostel.

They meet up several times on the trip to compare notes, and gloat.

On yesterday’s episode, Kin actor Clare Dunne is paired with RTE Build Your Own Home star Harrison Gardner as they explore Austria.

Setting off from Dublin airport, Clare opted for envelope B, while Harrison took A.

Harrison’s choice of envelope A put him on the high road.

While Claire, with envelope B, will be on the low road.

The disparity in their travel was clear from the beginning as Harrison enjoyed a luxurious business class flight that ranges in cost from €525 to €645.

Meanwhile, Clare was placed on an economy flight to Munich, which range in price, from €305 to €490.

Despite their differing travel arrangements, both of the celebrities arrived in Munich.

Munich is a common route for travellers making their way to the Kaiser region in Austria, as it is just an hour and twenty minutes from the airport.

STUNNING LANDSCAPE

The pair eventually reached the town of Söll at the foothills of the Wild Kaiser region.

Harrison got to check into a luxury chalet, fitted with a sauna, kitchen and breath-taking landscape.

The Hockfilzer Hotel is surrounded by natural beauty and boasts private chalets with an average per-night fee of €516.

Meanwhile, on the low road, Clare checked into Ferienbauernhof Niedermuhlbichler.

CHARMING CHALET

A charming one-room family operated hotel, just outside the city, it has a €60 per-night charge.

Settling into their accommodations, the pair got to enjoy much of the surrounding areas, as Claire embarked on a solo hike.

While Harrison enjoyed a private guided mountain tour on an e-bike, not having to hike on foot, like Claire.

Later on, as Harrison enjoyed the private sauna in his chalet, he admitted: “I’ve found my recipe for getting through this terrible luxury life and it’s setting up in this sauna every night, getting the laptop playing outside the window and watching Kin.”

‘I CANT BELIEVE IT’

“I can’t believe I made Amanda Kinsella go the low road while I’m sitting here in a sauna.”

Meeting up to discuss their opposing trips the pair reflected while over looking the breath taking views of the Austrian mountain range.

Harrison admitted: “It’s been amazing, but I’ve had it easy with Saunas and swimming pools.”

Curious about his low road companion’s experience, he asked Clare: “How has it been for you?”

Clare remarked: “Really surprising, because I know it has got a brilliat Ski season, but just being here during the summer has been so eye-opening.

“I just didn’t expect there to be so much to do.”

The pair left on a high, agreeing they would both come back to the area, albeit separately.

PETROL stations across the UK are crawling with bacteria, including traces of poo, a shocking investigation has revealed.

Tests on fuel pumps, pay machines, and door handles in London, Nottingham, and Manchester found a shocking amount of bacteria lurking on every surface.

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Alarmingly, samples from the Nottingham forecourt showed the highest bacterial levels, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, commonly found on cockroaches[/caption]

The swabs, analysed by industrial hygiene consultancy Sysco, found seven types of dangerous bacteria, including faecal matter.

The study commissioned by National Scrap Car, paints a “grotty picture” of the bacterial contamination at forecourts nationwide.

The tests revealed the presence of faecal streptococci and enterococci, a bacteria commonly found in human and animal intestines at all four petrol stations sampled.

These bacteria are a clear indicator of faecal contamination.

One petrol station in Nottingham had “significantly high” levels of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria often found in cockroach droppings.

This bug can cause skin infections, respiratory issues, and serious problems for people with weakened immune systems.

The Nottingham site recorded a staggering 1,720 CFU (Colony-forming units) of this bacteria, far higher than the levels typically found on a clean toilet seat, which usually sit below 100 CFU/m².

Tomas Gabor, director at Sysco, said: “A count of 1,720 CFU is significantly higher than typical levels expected.”

Traces of E. coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Faecal streptococci, indicating the presence of fecal matter, were detected on Manchester’s petrol pumps.

However, all counts were below 20 CFUs.

Petrol pump handles are touched by hundreds of people daily but are rarely disinfected.

Experts recommend using hand sanitiser or washing hands after refuelling to minimise the risk of exposure to harmful bacteria.

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The study, conducted at four petrol stations across England, detected traces of faecal streptococci and enterococci at every location[/caption]

Таллула Вілліс відзначає 31-річчя Усі фото з Instagram Голлівудська акторка Демі Мур привітала з днем народження свою молодшу доньку Таллулу Вілліс. У своєму Instagram зіркаопублікувалаархівні фото, на яких зображена маленька Таллула, та поділилася теплими словами на честь її 31-річчя. «Моїй дівчинці сьогодні 31! З днем народження, мій милий чарівний ангел.Люблю тебе аж до неба»,—написала Мур […]

Профільні фахівці назвали продукти, які можуть викликати головний біль. Список виявився дуже значним, його підготували співробітники Дослідницького фонду з вивчення мігрені. Як виявилося, головний біль здатні спровокувати різні кофеїновмісні напої, в тому числі кола, чай і кава. В одному з експериментів, учасниками якого стали 33 добровольці, головний біль зник у 92% пацієнтів відразу після відмови […]

Українцям, які мають паперове ламіноване посвідчення водія або документ, виданий до 2013 року, що не відображається у Дії, варто його обміняти. Для цього потрібно зареєструватися онлайн та звернутися до будь-якого сервісного центру МВС (Міністерство внутрішніх справ), де нове посвідчення видадуть у день звернення. Про це пише Уряд online. Перед відвідуванням сервісного центру потрібно здійснити попередній […]

Без вершкового масла складно уявити смачні сніданки та приготування гарнірів. Розповідаємо, як обрати якісний продукт і не потрапити на підробку. Вибір якісного вершкового масла – це не так складно, як може здатися на перший погляд, якщо звернути увагу на кілька важливих деталей. Не треба бути професіоналом чи володіти великим обсягом знань. Перш за все, важливо […]

У Мережі з’явилося відео з лосем із казахстанського міста Сімей, яке точно знає відповідь на запитання: як пройти в бібліотеку? Він зірвав заняття в одному з коледжів, пробравшись до будівлі через вікно. Усі прибігли подивитися на гостя з телефонами у руках. Спочатку люди трохи злякалися, але дуже швидко зрозуміли: цей величезний лось не здатний завдати […]

JAKE PAUL’S next fight could be even BIGGER than his bout against Mike Tyson.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer brought heavyweight great Tyson out of retirement in November for a showdown streamed on Netflix.

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Jake Paul’s next fight has been teased as bigger than Mike Tyson[/caption]

Controversy surrounded the clash due to the age difference but still over 100MILLION people tuned in to watch Paul’s points win.

The American is now back in training and teasing his next fight.

And during an episode of older brother Logan’s podcast, Paul phoned in and revealed his boxing return will be announced soon.

Logan’s co-host Mike Majlak then added: “We can’t say. It’s the craziest thing of all time, insane. Bigger than Tyson.”

Paul, 28, banked himself £30MILLION for his fight with Tyson, 58, and improved his record to 11-1.

He kept fans guessing with by teasing details over his next fight online by posting: “It’s time. Sat July 5th. New York, New York.”

But soon after, Mexican journalist Julianis Julius claimed that Paul and Canelo Alvarez are close to agreeing a shock fight in May.

He reported online: “There is already an agreement for Jake Paul to be Canelo Álvarez’s rival in May of this year, a source very close to the operation informs me.

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“The event will be co-promoted by Canelo Promotions & MVP & PBC.”

Paul has long called out Canelo – who has also refused to rule out the fight in the past.

But Canelo currently reigns as champion of the 168lb super-middleweight division at 12 stone.

Paul’s last fight was his heavyweight debut – bulking up to 16st 2lb – having been campaigning at the 14st 4lb cruiserweight limit of 200lb.

That means there is a FOUR STONE difference between the two.

Canelo, 34, is also in line to fight unbeaten American Terence Crawford, 37, in a September blockbuster.

But he is without an opponent for his usual Cinco de Mayo weekend opponent in May.

Paul was probed on his callouts of Canelo on the All The Smoke Fight podcast and he replied: “He’s not a monster in my eyes.

“This is the thing, everyone’s going to tune in to want to see me f***ing die, basically.”

And Canelo said on the Full Send Podcast in 2023: “When I’m done with boxing, why not? Yeah, maybe.

“I think it’s good cause what happens is other people who never watch boxing, they don’t know anything about boxing, they want to watch Jake Paul because he brings fans from another world.”

Reuters

Canelo Alvarez is linked with a May fight against Jake Paul[/caption]

NISSAN has reportedly called off merger talks with rival Honda.

The Japanese car makers were in discussions to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales.

AFP

Nissan has reportedly called off merger talks with rival Honda[/caption]

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Honda had sounded out Nissan about becoming a subsidiary[/caption]

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The production line at Nissan’s Sunderland plant[/caption]

But the talks have been complicated by growing differences on both sides, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Both of whom declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak to the media, the Nikkei newspaper said.

As of late afternoon, its board was still meeting to decide on the course of action, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

Honda had sounded out Nissan about becoming a subsidiary, one of the people said, adding that such an arrangement was a departure from the spirit of discussions originally framed as a merger of equals.

A Nissan spokesperson said the Nikkei report was not based on information announced by the company and that it aimed to finalise its future direction by mid-February and would announce it at that time.

A Honda spokesperson said it had not heard anything from Nissan about a decision to withdraw from their memorandum of understanding to work on a merger.

The development raises fresh questions about how hard-hit Nissan could ride out its latest crisis without external help.

Nissan is in the middle of a turnaround plan aiming to cut 9,000 employees and 20 per cent of global capacity.

Honda, with a market value nearly five times bigger than Nissan, was increasingly worried about its smaller rival’s progress on the turnaround plan, said the other person.

The tie-up talks have coincided with the disruption posed by potential tariffs from newly-elected US President Donald Trump.

Tariffs against Mexico would be more painful for Nissan than for Honda or Toyota, according to analysts.

“Investors may get concerned about Nissan’s future (and) turnaround,” said Morningstar analyst Vincent Sun.

“Nissan also has a larger risk exposure to US-Mexico tariffs than Honda and Toyota.”

Shares in Nissan slid more than 4 per cent before trade was suspended by the Tokyo Stock Exchange following the report.

Shares of Honda continued to trade and finished the day up more than 8 per cent, in a sign of apparent investor relief that the deal had been scrapped.

Shift to EVs

Nissan has been hit harder than some other carmakers by the shift to EVs having never fully recovered after years of crisis sparked by the arrest and removal of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn in 2018.

“The news saying that Nissan did not want to be a Honda subsidiary appears to highlight that control was a contentious issue,” said Christopher Richter, Japan autos analyst at brokerage CLSA.

“Without being able to have control, Honda appears to be walking away.”

Nissan’s long-term alliance partner Renault had said it would be open in principle to the merger with Honda.

The French automaker owns 36 per cent of Nissan, including 18.7 per cent through a French trust.

Nissan and Honda had initially said they planned to decide the direction of the integration by the end of January, but that was later pushed back to mid-February.

Last month Nissan’s smaller alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors, which had considered joining the merger, might not do so.

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Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi previously unveiled plans to merge together to create a car-making behemoth[/caption]

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The Nissan Car Plant factory at Washington near Sunderland, UK[/caption]

THE aftershocks of extremely distressing or frightening events can sometimes linger on in the body, in what’s known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Pop icon Ariana Grande, 31, recently confessed she’d suffered from the mental health condition, which can manifest as nightmares and flashbacks, intrusive thoughts or feeling emotionally numb.

 

The singer credited her hit album ‘Thank U, Next’ for getting her through a “dark” time in her

Appearing on the The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Ariana revealed that she’d started writing and recording the album just a couple weeks after the previous one, ‘Sweeter’, as she was in a bad place and “needed” the healing power of music.

“I was doing so much therapy, and I was dealing with PTSD and all different kinds of grief and depression and anxiety,” she shared.

“I was, of course, treating it very seriously, but having music be a part of that remedy was absolutely contributing to saving my life.

“They were dark times, and the music brought so much levity.”

Shortly before diving into ‘Thank U, Next’, Ariana had grappled with the passing of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller and also split with her then-fiancé Pete Davidson.

In May 2017, the singer’s concert at the Manchester Arena was also targeted with a deadly suicide bomb attack.

Ariana later revealed she was suffering from PTSD in the wake of the tragic incident.

“[Thank U, Next] poured out with urgency, and it was made with urgency,” she added on Awards Chatter.

“It was a means of survival. The label understood that, but they were also very hesitant to stop Sweetener dead in its tracks and move onto an album so quickly.

“I just said, ‘I don’t really care about the formula. I don’t want to play by the rules at this moment, because this is what I need for my soul.’

“It felt really healing and freeing.”

Here, we go through what you need to know about PTSD – from symptoms to who may be effected by it and how it’s treated.

What is PTSD?

PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by intensely stressful, frightening or distressing events.

People affected by the condition are often forced to relive a traumatic event from their past, such as through a series of nightmares, reoccurring memories, intrusive thoughts and images or flashbacks.

A flashback involves feeling like a terrifying event is happening right now, bringing on physical symptoms such as a racing heart, sweating trembling and feeling sick.

They may also experience feelings of isolation, guilt, irritability, insomnia, and a lack of concentration.

In many cases, these symptoms have a serious impact on the person’s day-to-day life.

Sufferers may feel like they constantly have to keep themselves busy to shield themselves from symptoms, feel emotionally numb or detached from their body, and may even turn to alcohol or drugs to avoid memories, PTSD UK notes.

It can also affect a person’s ability to drive – so sufferers should inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of their condition.

PTSD was officially recognised as a mental health condition by American psychiatrists in 1980.

The first cases of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were documented during the First World War, between 1914 and 1918.

Soldiers developed ‘shell shock’ due to the harrowing conditions in the trenches, and witnessing the horrors of war.

What are the signs of post traumatic stress disorder?

• Re-experiencing: This is the most common symptom. It often takes the form of flashbacks, nightmares, repetitive and distressing images or sensations, sweating, pain, nausea and trembling.
• Avoidance: Avoiding certain people and places that remind the person of the experience. Many people avoid talking about the trauma – and may distract themselves with work or hobbies. Some people attempt to numb their emotions completely, which can lead to them becoming isolated and withdrawn.
• Hyper-arousal: Leading to angry outbursts, irritability, insomnia and a lack of concentration.
• Other mental health problems: Including depression, anxiety or phobias.
• Self-harming or drug/alcohol misuse.
• Physical symptoms: Headaches, dizziness, chest pains and tummy aches.
• In children: Bed wetting, separation anxiety or re-enacting traumatic events through their play.

PTSD can develop immediately after someone experiences a disturbing event – but sometimes it doesn’t emerge until weeks or years later.

The mental illness affects around a third of people who have had a traumatic experience – and it’s not clear exactly why some people develop the condition and others don’t.

How is it treated?

There are a range of options to tackle someone’s PTSD.

Often it is not a quick fix – it can require hours of careful work to process the trauma.

But eventually patients can hope to see some improvement and get their life back.

• Watchful waiting: Monitoring someone’s symptoms to see if they get better or worse without treatment.
• Psychotherapy: Examples include trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR).
• Group therapy: An opportunity to discuss PTSD with others who have experienced the same trauma. Examples of UK charities and support groups include Combat Stress (for ex-military personnel), Rape Crisis (for females who have experienced abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault), Victim Support (for victims of or witnesses to crime), and CRUSE (for those who have experienced bereavement).
• Antidepressants
• Activities: these can be used alongside approved treatments and include yoga, meditation, music and art therapy, and various forms of exercise. These aren’t quick fixes, but they may offer a source of relief or help redirect negative responses.

How can children be treated PTSD?

Children, teens and other young people battling PTSD will normally be treated using CBT.

A course of eight to 12 sessions, which suit the child’s age, will be organised.

Family members may be invited along, if appropriate.

Treatment with medication will usually be a secondary resource for treating children and teens – but medication may be an option if they’re experiencing depression or panic attacks.