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Arsenal vs Ipswich live stream FREE: How to watch Gunners’ final Premier League match this year
ARSENAL end their year with a tough Premier League test against newly promoted Ipswich – and fans can watch the action for FREE!
The Gunners are starting to build up some momentum after beating London rivals Crystal Palace in successive matches last week.
And Gabriel Jesus‘ rebirth has played a large part in that having scored five goals across both matches.
Gooners will be piling into the Emirates hoping their team can secure another victory when the Tractor Boys come to town.
But for the fans who aren’t able to make it, a huge broadcasting platform is set to have the match available to stream at no cost whatsoever.
How to watch Arsenal vs Ipswich for FREE
- Arsenal’s final match of 2024 against Ipswich will be broadcast live for FREE on Amazon Prime Video through their free-30-day trial
- Kick-off for the huge match is scheduled for 8:15pm GMT.
- The streaming giants will be exclusively airing 20 Premier League fixtures this December.
Which other games are on Amazon Prime Video this December?
Tuesday, December 3
Ipswich 0-1 Crystal Palace
Leicester 3-1 West Ham
Wednesday, December 4
Everton 4-0 Wolves
Man City 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Newcastle 3-3 Liverpool
Southampton 1-5 Chelsea
Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd
Aston Villa 3-1 Brentford
Thursday, December 5
Fulham 3-1 Brighton
Bournemouth 1-0 Tottenham
Thursday, December 26
Man City v Everton: 12.30pm KO
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace: 3pm KO
Chelsea v Fulham: 3pm KO
Newcastle v Aston Villa: 3pm KO
Nottingham Forest v Tottenham: 3pm KO
Southampton v West Ham: 3pm KO
Wolves v Man Utd: 5.30pm KO
Liverpool v Leicester: 8pm KO
Friday, December 27
Brighton v Brentford: 7.30pm KO
Arsenal v Ipswich: 8.15pm KO
I was caught cheating on wife after she paid honeytrapper £1k to snare me – it left ME feeling betrayed & ruined my life
DRUNK on a lads weekend away, Ben* was surprised when a gorgeous girl approached him on the dance floor.
The stranger was exactly his type physically, and appeared to have many of the same interests.
Flattered and egged on by his mates, he started chatting her up.
They laughed and danced together, and towards the end of the night they shared a kiss.
But Ben, in his thirties, had been happily married for six years – or so he thought.
He had fallen prey to the shocking new TikTok honeytrap trend of ensnaring men to test their loyalty.
Suspicious women are paying professionals thousands of pounds to lure their partners into flirty conversation to see if they take the bait.
And when Ben arrived home the following morning, nursing a crippling hangover, his furious wife confronted him with a video of him kissing the woman.
“I made a mistake,” said Ben. “I kissed another woman, even though I was married.
“My wife had spoken to a private investigator, and I was caught in the act.”
Fearing that he might cheat, Charlotte paid a honey trap £1,000 to test her husband’s loyalty – and he fell into her trap.
She had become suspicious when she discovered messages on her husband’s phone, in a group chat about whether there would be attractive girls at the Reading Festival which they were attending in the summer of 2022.
“There was a bit of laddy banter beforehand,” recalled Ben.
“We had a group chat going, and some of the some of the single lads in the group had been making jokes about whether there would be women there to chat up.
“I was never very private about my phone so my wife saw the chat and it gave her cause for concern.
“She voiced the concerns to me once or twice, and I obviously said, ‘There’s nothing to worry about, you know me – it’s just the guys.’
“But she spoke to a private investigation team.”
‘I slipped up’
Ben’s wife contacted nationwide investigations agency Bond Rees and briefed their team with a description of him, photos and details of the type of women he tends to fancy.
She told them about his interests and what he likes to chat about, so the honeytrap was well prepared when she sought him out.
Ben added: “I did go to the festival and I did slip up.
“I was very, very drunk.
“We had just watched the headline act and we went back to one of the after party tents that they have there.
“And a very attractive girl, she’s smiling at me and making eyes, and what was looking turned to dancing.
“Dancing turned to a kiss. I was recorded kissing another girl.
“The girl that I kissed, she looked so similar to my wife – dark hair, nice pretty eyes.
“I didn’t know at the time, but someone had videoed us and sent it to my wife.”
‘I felt betrayed’
Ben took the coach home from Reading to Bournemouth the next day, and found his furious wife waiting for him at the bus station.
“I’m very, very hungover. I get off the coach, and she’s there waiting – very, very angry, understandably.
“Then ensued a lot of arguing, and a bit of slapping. Completely deserved.
“Hand on heart, I did something very, very stupid. She was incredibly cross.”
Although Ben and Charlotte separated straight away, they are not yet divorced and Ben is still hoping to repair their relationship.
He said: “I’m trying to regain something similar to what we had once.
“I’ve asked how much she spent on the honeytrap, I don’t think she ever really wants to tell me the proper number, but I believe it was in the vicinity of a thousand pounds.
Instead of being mad at myself, I was mad at the person I thought had dobbed me in
“I didn’t even realise that being a honeytrap was a thing.
“When I was back in college, maybe someone would send a message to someone on a girl’s behalf to see if they would get a response, but I didn’t know it was a job.
“I don’t know how far the girl was prepared to go, she didn’t offer sex, and I can’t imagine she had a very good time if I’m honest.
“She went to an extreme length, obviously, but that’s not an excuse. I brought it on myself.
“At the time I was very, very angry. But who am I angry at?
“Because there’s only one person to really blame.
Four red flags your partner is cheating
Private Investigator Aaron Bond from BondRees revealed four warning signs your partner might be cheating.
They start to take their phone everywhere with them
In close relationships, it’s normal to know each other’s passwords and use each other’s phones, if their phone habits change then they may be hiding something.
Aaron says: “If your partner starts changing their passwords, starts taking their phone everywhere with them, even around the house or they become defensive when you ask to use their phone it could be a sign of them not being faithful.”
“You should also look at how they place their phone down when not in use. If they face the phone with the screen facing down, then they could be hiding something.”
They start telling you less about their day
When partners cheat they can start to avoid you, this could be down to them feeling guilty or because it makes it easier for them to lie to you.
“If you feel like your partner has suddenly begun to avoid you and they don’t want to do things with you any more or they stop telling you about their day then this is another red flag.”
“Partners often avoid their spouses or tell them less about their day because cheating can be tough, remembering all of your lies is impossible and it’s an easy way to get caught out,” says Aaron.
Their libido changes
Your partner’s libido can change for a range of reasons so it may not be a sure sign of cheating but it can be a red flag according to Aaron.
Aaron says: “Cheaters often have less sex at home because they are cheating, but on occasions, they may also have more sex at home, this is because they feel guilty and use this increase in sex to hide their cheating. You may also find that your partner will start to introduce new things into your sex life that weren’t there before.”
They become negative towards you
Cheaters know that cheating is wrong and to them, it will feel good, this can cause tension and anxiety within themselves which they will need to justify.
“To get rid of the tension they feel inside they will try to convince themselves that you are the problem and they will become critical of you out of nowhere. Maybe you haven’t walked the dog that day, put the dishes away or read a book to your children before bedtime. A small problem like this can now feel like a big deal and if you experience this your partner could be cheating,” warns Aaron.
“My first thought was it must have been one of my friends who filmed me, and I felt extremely betrayed.
“It’s such a mixed bag of emotions because you’ve done something wrong, but equally you don’t expect it to just be shoved straight into your face.
“I fell out with friends over this.
“There were many words. A very close friend of mine, I don’t see him anymore and it’s on me, it’s my fault.
“Instead of being mad at myself, I was mad at the person I thought had dobbed me in.
“I’ve never heard of anyone else having this specific problem but apparently it is a trend and there are other men out there in this position.
“The best advice I can give is just don’t do it, it’s never worth it.
“It’s very easy to realise what you had when it’s gone.
“Fingers crossed she might forgive me, I don’t know if you ever forgive, but do you move on?
“I’m not sure but I’m hoping.
“It’s a mistake I certainly won’t make again, absolutely not.”
TikTok trend
Private investigator Aaron Bond, who conducted the sting, has seen a massive increase in demand for loyalty test services since the rise of the TikTok trend.
“We have around 50 inquiries a day from all over the UK and abroad, and they range in age from 18 to over 90 years old,” he explained.
“We have former MI5 agents, former police and counter terrorism experts working for us, as well as data procurement experts who can plant information on the internet so even when background checks are carried out the fake person appears to have a verifiable history.
“The bespoke social media profiles we create are based on their known likes and dislikes.
“Sometimes that information can be really intimate, like their sexual preferences.
“I would say 90 per cent behave in exactly the same way as Ben.
“The simple fact is you never really know anyone.”
*Names have been changed
My dream wedding turned into nightmare
By Nadia Cohen
Scrolling through TikTok as she finalised arrangements for her wedding day, Jane* spotted the online honeytrap trend.
Although she was set to wed her fiance, after watching other women test their partners on TikTok, Jane contacted a private investigator and with the help of her mum she handed over £1,300 – confident that loved up James* would not be willing to cheat.
She was sure he would pass the test with flying colours and their wedding would go ahead as planned.
Jane told us: “I never imagined James would do anything wrong, I assumed he would pass the loyalty test.
“I felt sure he was the one but wanted to see if he was as committed as I was.
“£1,300 is a lot of money, but worth it for peace of mind.”
Within an hour of the honey trap contacting James he was firing back flirty messages.
After just a few days the love rat had sent d*** pics to the fake profile, and was asking for nude photos in return.
Soon he was urging her to meet in real life – while sitting next to his suspicious fiancée who was sent screenshots of all the messages at the end of each day.
“I felt sick and I was embarrassed that he had suggested meeting up with her so quickly,” Jane added.
“She was a random stranger but he would have slept with her behind my back.
“It made me question our entire relationship.
“The whole time he was messaging her, James was acting completely normally with me.”
When she had seen enough, Jane printed out every message and plastered them across the walls of their living room, then waited in tears until he came home.
“He took one of the pages off the wall and read it without saying a word.
“I wanted to make him feel like I had – sick and hurt.
“He was lost for words and just walked out the door,” added Jane who has not heard from James since.
She has no regrets about the sting, and is advising all her friends to follow her example.
“It was money well spent.
“I will definitely have trouble trusting men in the future.
“I genuinely believed that he would pass that test, he always seemed really sweet and truthful.”
B&M New Year’s Day 2024 opening times: What time are stores open?
B&M offer a wide range of incredible products for budget-friendly prices.
The beloved chain, which has thousands of stores across the UK, will be adjusting its opening hours over New Year.
B&M over Christmas
B&M, like many other retailers, closed on December 25, 2024.
The shop also shut early on Christmas Eve and on Boxing Day.
However, unlike other high-street shops, B&M will remain open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The store will operate under reduced hours on December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025, though.
On both of these days, the store will close at 6pm.
Check in-store for more information about your local B&M’s closing time.
Alternatively, check the B&M website.
B&M’s story
B&M was founded by Malcolm Billington and Brian Mayman in 1978.
The pair launched their company in Cleveleys, before it was bought out in 1996.
The company was acquired by Phildrew Investments in 2004 and went on to see significant growth in the succeeding years.
By 2014, the chain had opened its 400th store and, by 2018, it acquired the French discount retailer Babou.
Babou stores were soon replaced by B&M shops.
The brand tightened its grip on the high street in 2023 when it acquired 51 Wilko stores from the administrator for £13 million.
2025 bank holidays
There are plenty of bank holidays to come in 2025 – here’s the complete list of what’s to come.
England and Wales
- January 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day
- April 18, 2025 – Good Friday
- April 21, 2025 – Easter Monday
- May 5, 2025 – Early May bank holiday
- May 26, 2025 – Spring bank holiday
- August 25, 2025 – Summer bank holiday
- December 25, 2025 – Christmas Day
- December 26, 2025 – Boxing Day
Scotland
- January 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day
- January 2, 2025 – 2nd January
- April 18, 2025 – Good Friday
- April 21, 2025 – Easter Monday
- May 5, 2025 – Early May bank holiday
- May 26, 2025 – Spring bank holiday
- August 25, 2025 – Summer bank holiday
- December 1, 2025 – St Andrew’s Day
- December 25, 2025 – Christmas Day
- December 26, 2025 – Boxing Day
Northern Ireland
- January 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day
- March 17, 2025 – St Patrick’s Day
- April 18, 2025 – Good Friday
- April 21, 2025 – Easter Monday
- May 5, 2025 – Early May bank holiday
- May 26, 2025 – Spring bank holiday
- July 14, 2025 – Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day)
- August 25, 2025 – Summer bank holiday
- December 1, 2025 – St Andrew’s Day (substitute day)
- December 25, 2025 – Christmas Day
- December 26, 2025 – Boxing Day
Gavin and Stacey fans spot ANOTHER ‘missing’ character in BBC show finale
GAVIN and Stacey fans were quick to spot “missing” character from the show‘s final episode.
12.3 million people across the nation on Christmas Day tuned in for the final chapter of the beloved BBC One comedy.
And loyal followers were rewarded with the perfect ending as James Corden’s Smithy realised he was meant to be with Nessa.
But some eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot an absent face missing from Smithy’s stag do.
His friends gathered to celebrate his last night of being single, including Budgie (Russell Tovey), Dirtbox (Andrew Knott), Chinese Alan (Dominic Gaskell) and Fingers (Samuel Anderson).
However, Smithy’s builder mate Deano (played by Ghosts star Mathew Baynton) was no where to be seen.
Deano was known as the friend who didn’t go bowling because he was “scared of the shoes”, as well as requesting a half and half cup of tea and coffee at Pam and Mick’s and also learning Welsh before the boys’ night out in Cardiff.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan wrote: “It was perfect, but Deano turning up in a Millwall shirt on the stag would been the icing on the cake”.
Another added: “Only question… where on earth was Deano”.
While a third penned: “A sprinkle of Deano and it would have been 11/10”.
A fourth said: “No Deano at Smithy’s stag doesn’t feel right”.
This comes after viewers noticed another character missing from the final episode of the beloved sitcom.
Some will remember Barry’s own Del Boy, Dick Powell, who has popped up throughout the series, flogging random wares.
He’s sold everything from Black Market sat navs to meat he’s stolen from the slaughterhouse.
Dick is also the only resident on the Island who speaks only Welsh.
Despite appearing in two episodes and being mentioned many times throughout the show, the dodgy salesman was not in the finale.
Gavin and Stacey's Best Moments
With the news that the show is set to make an exciting return to screens, let's take a look at some of the comedy programme's biggest and best moments...
- Smithy and Rudi’s American Boy rap – No one will ever forget when James Corden and Sheridan Smith rapped perfectly word for word the Kanye West and Estelle hit American Boy as they walked across the car park on the phone to Gavin.
- Pam’s Vegetarian faux pas – Despite loving a cheesburger, Pam found herself caught up in a web of unexpected lies when she claimed to be Vegetarian. She is forced to keep up the secret throughout the entire show and uses hubby Mick to help her scoff meat. She is later rumbled when Stacey catches her in the act as she scoffs ham in the kitchen. Stacey says to her: “Is that ham, Pam!?… “I’ve seen you, Pam. A scotch egg here, a bit of bacon there, putting those regular sausages into the Linda McCartney box”.
- THAT fishing trip – It remains one of the biggest mysteries in Gavin and Stacey history as to just exactly what did happen on the ill-fated fishing trip. Bryn appears to be hiding a secret as to an occurance between him and his nephew Jason which has left relations fractures. Ness’ on-off boyfriend, Dave, is the only other person to know the whole truth. Bryn did appear to allude to him and Jason lying together naked to keep warm as he said to Dave: “We’re going to have this out, once and for all, man to man, you may know what happened, David, but you don’t know why it happened! It was freezing cold, it was! And when you are that cold…”
- Islands in the Stream – No one can ever forget the classic Karaoke performance of Islands in the Stream. Nessa and Bryn performed the track in front of all their nearest and dearest. It saw the whole pub burst into some line-dancing as they enjoyed a boozy night out.
- The Xmas special proposal – In 2019, fans were left overjoyed when the show made a comeback but it ended on the ultimate cliffhanger. Nessa asked Smithy if she would marry him as she finally laid bare her feelings for him. Fans were gutted as the show then cut straight to the credits as they never found out just how Smithy answered. Will all be revealed in the brand new episode?
Co-creator Ruth Jones revealed they managed to include Dick in the final script – but it didn’t make the final cut.
“I think in the original script we had Dick Powell. There just wasn’t room for him, God bless him,” she said at the press event.
In an emotional scene on a cargo ship, Smithy dropped to one knee and told his true love, who had proposed in a 2019 festive cliffhanger: “Five years ago on Christmas Day, you asked me a question and I didn’t answer you.
“And I thought about it every day. And I’m sorry I left you hanging.
“I know it’s been messy and not perfect. But that’s because we’re messy and not perfect. But I love you, Nessa. I always have. Will you marry me?”
The saga closed with a moving montage of the gang celebrating at the couple’s low-key pub wedding.
Writer Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa, said simply: “I hope we did you proud.” She added: “I’m not going to lie, I’m feeling a bit drained!”
Meanwhile, James said: “Tears all around. It was probably the most emotional film set I’ve ever been on and it was kind of wonderful.”
The one-off episode, which aired at 9pm on Christmas Day, has been confirmed as the final instalment of Gavin & Stacey, which first screened in May 2007, after three series and three Christmas specials.
However, the creators have revealed they will be releasing a book dishing on the making of the beloved sitcom.
It will be named When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between: A Story of Love and Friendship and is set to hit bookshelves on October 16 next year.
It will share how the pair turned the show into a cultural phenomenon, including the “rejection, obstacles and challenges” along the way.
“We’re so excited to be sharing the story behind the story of Gavin & Stacey,” James and Ruth said.
“The show has played a huge part in our 25-year friendship and we hope this book will give readers a fresh insight into how it all came about.”
Publisher Transworld’s Bill Scott-Kerr added: “We are so excited to be publishing this joyous book. Seeing the creative chemistry between Ruth and James up close is an inspiration in itself and a real insight into the fission which made Gavin & Stacey the cultural phenomenon that it is.
“It’s also inspiring to see how a friendship can translate into something which feels so wonderfully universal and profoundly true.”
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
How brave pilots battled to save Russian missile-blasted jet as crew told terrified passengers ‘everything will be fine’
A BRAVE flight attendant of the doomed missile-blasted jet told terrified passengers that “everything will be fine”.
Crew, including Captain Igor Kshnyakin and co-pilot Aleksandr Kalyaninov, desperately tried to save the plane after it was reportedly fatally struck by a missile over Chechnya, Russia.
The captains bravely managed to then fly the jet 186 miles out of Russian airspace, across the Caspian Sea, and into Kazakhstan before it crashed.
Sadly, the carrier confirmed the pilots and the chief flight attendant were among the 38 of the 67 on board who have died.
Chief flight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva’s voice could be heard over the tannoy during the flight as she tried to calm the passengers.
In one chilling video, she could be heard saying: “Everything will be fine.”
The family of Aliyeva have now paid tribute to the “cheerful person” saying “she always told us to be proud of her”.
Her family told news agency APA: “She had visited many countries and always told us to be proud of her.
“Once, after returning from a trip, she said their plane almost crashed… This time, the crash happened, and my daughter couldn’t survive.”
Azerbaijan Airlines published the name of its five crew members after recovering the bodies of the three who died.
Kshnyakin’s distraught wife Yana Vilkova, 46, said: “I don’t know, I don’t know anything yet. He’s a pilot.”
After a training course in Turkey he was praised for having “the ability to cope with eve the most difficult of circumstances”.
Deputy Head of the Flight Safety Department of Azerbaijan Airlines Farhad Nasirov said: “I met with both pilots in the briefing room in the morning, before the flight.
“They were in a good mood. It’s a pity that such a tragedy happened.”
Captain Kshnyakin reportedly had 15,000 hours worth of flying time, of which 11,200 hours were as a captain, euronews reported.
Flowers have now been laid outside the apartment building in Baku he lived in by children of a nearby school.
The Azerbaijani government said the cause of the crash was “external physical and technical interference”.
Analysts and Russian military bloggers say they believe the plane was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile.
One passenger told Reuters there was at least one loud bang as the flight approached its original destination of Grozny.
Subhonkul Rakhimov said: “I thought the plane was going to fall apart.
“It was as if it was drunk – not the same plane anymore.”
Following the strike, the desperate pilot pleaded to be diverted to nearby airports, he was refused permission and so had to flee across the Caspian to Kazakhstan.
The block on flying to nearby Russian airports was accompanied by high-tech jamming of the damaged plane’s guidance systems.
The hero pilots also flew up and down as they tried to control the plane, transponder data shows, likely without stabilisers and hydraulic systems.
The other two, flight attendants Zulfugar Asadov and Aydan Rahimli, are reportedly in a stable condition in hospital.
Ukraine’s top spy, Kyrylo Budanov, said the plane was shot down by a Russian Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile.
The head of the country’s military intelligence told The War Zone it was the short range air defence system which brought the aircraft down.
But Russia would not comment on Friday when Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked about it.
On Thursday, Peskov said: “It would be wrong to put forward any hypotheses before the investigation’s conclusions.”
A Russian military blogger claims the plane was hit by the air defence missile while inside Russia.
And just one minute after the plane was hit, panicked Russia shut down air space, according to blogger VChK-OGPU.
The post claimed two drones were flying over the same part of Chechnya at the time – just after 8am.
Anti-air Pantsir missiles had been installed in the area of Grozny airport just a fortnight before, the blogger claimed.
MIRACLE SURVIVORS
Dozens of passengers, including children, miraculously survived the horror crash.
Around 150 emergency responders rushed to the scene, battling towering flames and thick plumes of black smoke rising ominously into the sky.
Meanwhile, an investigative team led by the deputy prosecutor general of Azerbaijan is working at the crash site.
They found the black box of the doomed flight which revealed the haunting final words the pilot said just moments before the plane crashed on the ground.
Struggling to control the plane, one of the pilots said: “I can’t execute, control is lost!”
The pilots tried to take the plane to three different airports but failed to land.
They lost communication with the ground crew before vanishing off the radar for 37 minutes.
Footage emerged showing terrified passengers making final video calls and leaving messages as the aircraft began to plunge.
Distressed people on board can be seen jumping out of their seats as they try to make sense of the situation.
As the oxygen masks dangled in the air, some passengers started to scream in horror, while others called their loved ones and began praying.
Tiny ‘hidden’ button on car doors baffles drivers… but it makes parking up quickly to pop into shops MUCH easier
DRIVERS have been left baffled by a “hidden” car door button that makes it much easier to park up and quickly pop into the shops.
The handy switch is a major help for parents and pet owners and can save you from an embarrassing issue.
The debate over the button’s function was sparked when a driver posted a picture of it on Reddit in the hope of discovering its purpose.
They wrote: “I just got myself a 2014 Peugeot 308 and have found a button on the dash and I have no idea as to what it does.
“It’s to the right of the steering wheel.
“To me it looks maybe like some kind of radar detection maybe, so mobile speed camera or something.
“Can anyone shed some light on what it does as I was hoping if I pressed it, it would come up on the centre console screen what it does but nothing happens?”
The button was set into the cabin’s central console and was marked with an outline of the car containing what appeared to be a WiFi symbol and the word “off” below it.
Several mystified motorists came up with some humorous explanations.
One joked: “[It] microwaves all the occupants in an emergency.”
Another chuckled: “Ejector seat.”
And a third even quipped that it was the button to detonate the car’s in-built nuclear warhead.
However, there is a much simpler, and more convenient, explanation.
One savvy driver commented: “I think you press that to turn off the volumetric alarm when locking the car.
“You press it just before getting out and locking the car.”
When you press the button, it disables the movement sensor that triggers the alarm.
This is ideal if you are nipping out of the vehicle quickly and leaving a child or a pet inside the car as it stops them from accidentally setting the alarm off.
All you have to do is turn the ignition off, hold the button until the LED light beneath it turns on and then get out and lock the car as normal.
It should automatically reset to turn on the next time you leave the vehicle unattended.
Urgent warning that drinking TEA could be releasing microplastics into the body
A SOOTHING cup of tea might not be doing wonders for your health, scientists warn.
Sipping on your staple brew could release billions of microplastics into your body, research from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona suggests.
The culprit? Teabags.
According to the researchers, the tea-leaves filled pouches are steeped in microplastics, which are released into our bodies as we drink.
How these tiny fragments of plastic may affect our health is not yet clear.
But previous research has identified them in penile tissue and human breast milk.
Other studies have shown that food packaging – such as plastic bottles, cups and Tupperware – is a major source of microplastics.
“The potential health implications of environmental micro/nanoplastics (MNPLs) are increasingly concerning,” the Spanish researchers said.
“Beyond environmental exposure, other sources such as food packaging, including herbal teabags, may also be significant.”
The team tested three popular teabags – easily purchased online or in supermarkets – to try and gage how many microplastics we may be ingesting from each after brewing a cup in the “standard” way.
The study – published in the journal Chemosphere – found that most of these microplastics are sucked up by mucus-producing intestinal cells.
But researchers found that some can even enter the cell nucleus, which is the part of the cell that houses genetic material.
The first teabag tested was one made of nylon, which researchers ordered from Amazon.
The second was a polypropylene teabag ordered from AliExpress and the third was bought from a supermarket and had an unknown filter polymer.
While the teabags ordered online came empty, those containing tea were emptied and rinsed with water.
Researchers then steeped 300 of each teabag type in 600ml of water heated to 95°C.
All three teabags released huge amounts of tiny plastic particles into the water, the team observed.
The polypropylene teabags were the worst offenders, releasing approximately 1.2 billion particles per milliliter, with an average size of 136.7 nanometres.
Nylon teabags released 8.18 million particles per milliliter, with an average size of 13.8.4 nanometres.
Next, the researchers stained the microplastics before exposing them to different types of human intestinal cells.
Mucus-producing intestinal cells seemed to suck up most of the microplastics and some particles were even able to enter the cell nucleus.
What are microplastics and why are they a worry?
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than five millimetres in diameter.
They come from a variety of sources in our everyday life, from larger pieces of plastic debris, such as from the degradation of bottles, to the tiny beads in personal care products like toothpaste and exfoliants, and synthetic fibres from textiles like polyester and nylon.
We can either ingest them, for example in food and water contaminated with them, or inhale them from the air.
There is growing concern about the potential health impacts of microplastics on both the environment and human health.
When ingested or inhaled, microplastics can cause physical and chemical damage to living organisms.
Studies have shown that they may be involved in inflammation in the body by leading to the release of proteins called inflammatory cytokines.
While these studies are typically small and in animals or cells, inflammation is linked to a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and cancer.
Cellular damage has been a key focus of studies on microplastics.
The tiny pieces of plastic have been shown to cause cell death, cause damage via oxidative stress, and interfere with hormone function.
There is also evidence to suggest that microplastics can cause genotoxic effects, meaning they can damage genetic material within cells – raising fears they can contribute to cancer.
The evidence is still evolving for these tiny particles that are barely visible to the naked eye.
The study team said their results highlight the need for further research on how chronic microplastic exposure can affect human health.
“It is critical to develop standardised test methods to assess micro/nanoplastics (MNPLs) contamination released from plastic food contact materials and to formulate regulatory policies to effectively mitigate and minimise this contamination,” researchers said.
“As the use of plastic in food packaging continues to increase, it is vital to address MNPLs contamination to ensure food safety and protect public health.
“Overall, our findings contribute to a growing body of evidence on the pervasive nature of plastic pollution and its potential implications for human health.”
It comes after a review of 3,000 studies found that microplastics could be to blame for respiratory issues and additional health problems, like cancer and infertility.
Experts also revealed that the microparticles could also be a trigger for chronic pulmonary inflammation, which can heighten lung cancer risk.
Previous research has suggested that cancer cells in the gut spread at an accelerated rate after contact with microplastics.
Thousands of parents have just DAYS left to apply for free childcare – or risk missing out on £2,000 of help
THOUSANDS of parents have just days left to apply for free childcare or risk missing out on £2,000 worth of help.
Parents of young children can access up to 30 free hours a week but anyone eligible from next term needs to apply by December 31.
The Department for Education has a new tool on its website where you can check what your entitlement might be.
You can then apply for a code via gov.uk and give it to your childcare provider to get the free hours.
You have to reconfirm your availability for free childcare hours every three months.
How many hours free childcare you’ll get depends on your specific circumstances but it could be worth up to £2,000 a year.
How much you receive depends on your income and the types of benefits you receive.
For example, working parents of children aged nine months up to three years can get 15 hours per week for 38 weeks a year, and those aged three and four can get 30 hours.
Some parents receiving support like Universal Credit or whose child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan can also access 15 hours for their two-year-old.
CHANGES TO FREE CHILDCARE
From September 2025, children aged nine months to two years old will get 30 hours per week of free childcare.
To qualify, the vast majority of parents will need to earn more than £9,518 but less than £100,000 a year.
Your two-year-old can also get free childcare if you live in England and get any of the following benefits:
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
- Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
- The guaranteed element of pension credit
- Child tax credit, working tax credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
Parents on Universal Credit and in a paid job can also have up to 85% of their childcare costs covered, up to £1,014.63 a month for one child and £1,739.37 a month for two or more children.
It doesn’t matter how many hours you work.
OTHER SUPPORT FOR PARENTS
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four, you may be able to get help buying food and milk through the Healthy Start scheme.
Families on Universal Credit can apply online if their take-home pay is £408 or less from employment.
If you get Child Tax Credit, you may be eligible for Healthy Start if:
- your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less
- you do not get Working Tax Credit
You can check out the full list of support by clicking the link here.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
A-League Men: Perth Glory fall to yet another defeat as Macarthur FC ease to 3-0 win
It was the same old story for Perth Glory, as two goals in quick succession saw them crumple and fall to a 3-0 loss to Macarthur at HBF Park — their seventh A-League Men’s loss in 10 games this season.
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