China Denies Using Chile Peppers as Weapons in Indonesia

In response to a group of Chinese citizens being arrested on charges of planting diseased chile pepper seeds in Indonesia, the Chinese embassy in Indonesia issued a statement this week denying that China was using chile pepper seeds as biological weapons. According to Shanghaiist, four Chinese citizens had planted chile seeds imported from China on a farm south of Jakarta, and those seeds were infected with bacteria that could have spread to other plants and caused crop failures. After the disease was discovered, the seeds were burned and the plants that contained the bacteria were destroyed.

News soon hit social media and people started theorizing that the seeds had been planted deliberately as part of a Chinese plot to ruin Indonesian crops and destroy the country’s economy. The Chinese embassy issued an official statement denying the allegations and asserting that China was in no way using infected seeds as biological weapons to hurt Indonesia’s economy.



FSA

Paint Thinner Chemicals Found in Gravy Mix Right Before Christmas

The holiday season is the prime time for making and eating gravy, so it’s terrible timing for Lidl UK stores, which have just announced a recall of two varieties of just-add-water gravy after they were found to contain harmful chemicals. According to The Independent, Kania Gravy Granules for Meat and Kania Gravy Granules for Chicken had dangerous levels of a chemical called xylene, which is found in paint thinner but also occurs naturally in petroleum and crude oil. Exposure to xylene can irritate the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs; in very high levels it can even cause severe health problems.



Instagram / shikishi_chihiro

KFC Japan Gives Out Finger Sleeves for Holding Fried Chicken

Eating fried chicken is always a little messy, but now KFC Japan has made it a slightly cleaner experience by distributing plastic finger sleeves for people to wear while eating. According to Rocket News 24, the “Finger Nup,” or “Finger Napkin,” is a little plastic glove that just goes over the thumb and index finger, so eaters can hold a piece of fried chicken without running the risk of greasy fingers. The company noticed customers were wrapping their chicken in napkins to keep their fingers from getting greasy, but napkins absorb grease and are not entirely effective at keeping hands clean. These little gloves are, though, and now they’ll be available upon request at KFC locations in Japan.



Labiotte

This Lipstick Collection Is Made With Red Wine

A glass of red wine can leave a deep stain on the drinker’s lips, just like makeup, and now one Korean makeup company has decided to capitalize on that fact. According to Allure, The Chateau Labiotte wine lipstick collection is a series of lip products made with actual wine extract as one of the ingredients. The lipsticks come in tubes that look like tiny wine bottles, and are available in several wine-inspired shades like “Cabernet Red,” “Malbec Burgundy,” and “Shiraz Red.” In addition to the matte lipsticks, Labiotte also makes a line of wine lip tints for that “I just drank a glass of really good red” look — but without the buzz.



Twitter / @Muslim_Aid

London Mosque Donates 10 Tons of Food to Homeless

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After Friday prayers last week, the East London Mosque held a food drive to help homeless people in London over the holidays. According to The Independent, an estimated 7,500 people showed up to help donate and manage donations, which came from individuals as well as businesses and schools. The Muslim Aid UK charity says the food drive collected 10 tons, or more than 22,000 pounds, of non-perishable food. “Muslims are inspired by their faith towards helping others in need. It is a religious duty for Muslims to try to help others, irrespective of a person's faith or background,” East London Mosque Chief Imam Shaykh Abdul Qayum told The London Standard.