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Kazakh Tulips to Bloom in Paris

Bulbs of native Kazakh tulips from the steppes near Shymkent have made their way to Paris as part of a broader program of botanical cooperation between Kazakhstan and France. These tulips, originally native to the territory of modern-day Kazakhstan, have long been admired in Europe, especially since the “tulip mania” of the 17th century. Today, Paris officials are eager to add these new specimens from the Kazakh steppe to the city’s botanical heritage.

The initiative was spearheaded by the Association of Kazakh Women in France, “QazElles,” with support from the Embassy of Kazakhstan in France and in close collaboration with the mayor’s office of Paris’s 17th arrondissement. A flower bed dedicated to Kazakh tulips will be established on Place de Wagram, with Shymkent’s city administration selecting and donating the finest local varieties for the project.

@Aliya Syzdykova

The symbolic planting ceremony was attended by Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to France, Gulsara Arystankulova; the mayor of the 17th arrondissement, Geoffroy Boulard; and QazElles president Madina Kulmanova.

“I have good impressions from participating in the symbolic planting of Kazakh tulips in our district, where 160,000 people live. This is a sign of friendship with Kazakhstan. In addition, tulips are an environmentally sustainable plant, which is important to us. Together with the mayor of Shymkent, we are pleased to participate at our level in strengthening ties between France and Kazakhstan,” said Mayor Boulard.

@Aliya Syzdykova

The ceremonial handover of the tulip bulbs was conducted in the presence of Paris’s landscaping services, which will be responsible for planting and maintaining the flower bed. A total of 300 tulips are scheduled to bloom on the square by April next year.

“And now there will be a little piece of Kazakhstan in this place, and we will admire it every spring. This is a great joy for us Kazakhs living here, but our tulips will also make one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Paris, even more beautiful,” said Meruert Tazhenova, a QazElles member and one of the event’s organizers.

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A United flight from Paris to DC had to U-turn to avoid flying across the Atlantic without enough working bathrooms

A United Airlines Boeing 767 is at London Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom, on June 10, 2023.
A United Airlines Boeing 767.

  • A United Airlines flight from Paris to Washington, DC, turned back to the French capital.
  • An airline spokesperson said there was “an issue with the lavatories.”
  • The plane took off again 25 hours later.

United Airlines passengers faced a flight to nowhere after a plumbing malfunction on their transatlantic journey.

Sunday’s Flight 331 took off from Paris around 5 p.m. local time and was scheduled to land in Washington, DC, eight hours later.

However, just over an hour into the journey, the Boeing 767 turned around, per data from Flightradar24.

The plane changed direction while flying over the sea between Scotland and Ireland, and headed back toward France.

It landed back at Charles de Gaulle Airport two and a half hours after taking off.

In a statement shared with Business Insider, a United spokesperson said the plane had to divert to “address an issue with the lavatories.”

“The flight landed safely, and customers were rebooked onto the next available flight to their destination,” they added.

Data from Flightradar24 shows the same Boeing 767 departed Paris again 25 hours later.

It touched down at Washington Dulles International Airport shortly before 9 p.m. ET on Monday.

This isn’t the first time that a flight has been forced to turn around due to a plumbing issue.

In March, Air India passengers faced a nine-hour flight to nowhere as their Delhi-bound plane returned to Chicago after most of the plane’s bathrooms stopped working.

The airline said its investigation found “polythene bags, rags, and clothes that had been flushed down and stuck in the plumbing.”

In April 2024, another United Airlines transatlantic flight ended up back where it started when the toilets overflowed. The plane had left Frankfurt for San Francisco before circling over the North Sea.

And a month before that, eight of the nine bathrooms on a KLM Boeing 787 stopped working, too.

Overall, such incidents are fairly rare, but they can force diversions due to the minimum requirements for passengers’ bathroom facilities.

Returning to where the plane took off can make it easier for an airline to reroute passengers and repair any issues, as it is likely to have more facilities at an airport it commonly flies to.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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I ranked every high-protein drink I could find at the grocery store. Some had as much protein as a chicken breast.

protein drinks ranking
I compared 14 high-protein chocolate drinks, including Core Power, Muscle Milk, and Boost.

  • High-protein drink options have been expanding, from shakes to water and even beer.
  • Some grab-and-go protein drinks use dairy while others rely on plant-based proteins.
  • I ranked 14 high-protein drinks and thought Fairlife’s Core Power, OWYN, and Nesquik were the best.

Just checking in — yup, it seems like everyone is still obsessed with protein.

Whether it’s thanks to social-media gym bros or Ozempic, more people are reaching for ultra-high-protein products, and if you remember the 1990s’ meal-replacement milkshake craze, this might feel a bit familiar.

Nutritional shakes — whether they’re used by athletes seeking nutrients on the go, parents to supplement their growing children’s diets, or adults with dietary needs seeking to pack in as many nutrients in a compact, easily digestible form — aren’t new to everyone’s diets.

As high-protein products, from protein pasta to protein beer, continue to take over grocery stores, the list of high-protein drinks continues to grow, and it can be easy to get lost with all the options.

Some prioritize having as much protein as possible, such as the Fairlife Core Power Elite shake, which packs 42 grams of protein — equivalent to a 5-ounce chicken breast and nearly 85% of the recommended daily value for protein on a 2,000-calorie diet — in a 14-ounce bottle.

Others, like the Remedy Organics Cacao Essentials Protein Shake, combine high-protein contents with more new-age ingredients like adaptogens that are advertised to help with stress.

To better understand the high-protein drinks on sale today, I visited two New York City grocery stores and picked up every drink that advertised its protein content, with the lowest having 12 grams of protein, which is as much as two eggs.

I tried every brand’s chocolate flavor to best compare their taste and ranked all 14 based on flavor, as well as taking into consideration their nutritional content.

In general, I looked for drinks that tasted chocolatey, were sweet enough to serve as a sweet treat without going overboard, and were overall enjoyable to drink on their own.

Here’s how I ranked them, from lowest to highest.

14. Remedy Organics Cacao Essentials Protein Shake
remedy protein taste test

Cost: $4.99 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 210 calories

Protein: 16 grams

Added sugar: 7 grams

The taste of the Remedy Organics Cacao Essentials Protein Shake was what I could best describe as healthy.

The date-sweetened drink is packed with plant-based ingredients, including adaptogens like ashwagandha and maca root powders as well as tapioca prebiotic powder.

But taste-wise, they weren’t as sweet-treat-like as some of the other shakes. It tasted strongly of cacao, but it felt a little chalky, and seemed saltier than it did sweet.

While I liked the drink’s ingredients, I really disliked the taste. If you’re looking for a plant-based, adaptogen-full drink that will also help you reach protein goals, this could be an option for you — but don’t go into it expecting a sweet chocolate milk type of drink.

Flavor rating: 1/10

Overall rating: 6/10

13. Muscle Milk Zero Sugar Chocolate Protein Shake
muscle milk zero sugar taste test

Cost: $3.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 170 calories

Protein: 25 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

When I first poured the Muscle Milk Zero Sugar shake, I noticed just how dark and thick it was. Tasting it, I found that it was way too sweet for my taste. This, combined with the thick texture, made for a pretty interesting drinking experience — I had to wash down the shake with some water to follow up the sweet taste left in my mouth.

Although I couldn’t finish drinking the small taste I’d poured myself, it also had the fewest calories and grams of sugar in the ranking, the highest fiber, and I felt like the protein payoff was great, which made the overly sweet taste feel more like a trade-off.

If you’re trying to get half of your daily protein in as few calories as possible while also watching out for sugar content, this drink might be good to have on your radar … but you’ll have to remind yourself of the nutrients in every sip.

Do it for the protein, bro.

Flavor rating: 3/10

Overall rating: 6/10

12. Koia Cacao Bean Protein Shake
koia protein drink taste test

Cost: $4.99 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 190 calories

Protein: 18 grams

Added sugar: 4 grams

Compared to some of the other protein drinks, I found Koia’s Cacao Bean protein shake to be very thin and light in color when I first poured it.

Its flavor, as the name would indicate, is very cacao-bean forward. To me, it tasted exactly like cacao nibs, which can lean more nutty and earthy than chocolate-y.

In a statement to Business Insider, Koia said the Cacao Bean protein shake is “crafted to highlight cacao’s naturally bold, slightly bitter profile rather than masking it with excessive sweetness or artificial flavoring,” resulting in a flavor that “may be less sweet than traditional protein shakes.”

The almond-based, monk-fruit-sweetened drink, which isn’t too sweet and packs in plant-based ingredients like rice, pea, and chickpea protein and a prebiotic blend, wasn’t one of my favorites for taste, although it was fairly competitive with the other options in terms of nutrients.

Flavor rating: 4/10

Overall rating: 5/10

11. Chocolate Sport Shake
sports shake protein drink taste test

Cost: $2.00 for 11 fluid ounces

Calories: 350 calories

Protein: 12 grams

Added sugar: 39 grams

I found the flavor of the chocolate Sport Shake to be one of the most enjoyable in the ranking, and it reminded me a lot of plain chocolate milk — it was very, very sweet. I also liked that it didn’t taste too much like dairy, something that bothered me with other drinks in the lineup.

However, the drink’s sweet and tasty flavor was overshadowed by its ultra-high added sugar content of 39 grams, or more than 9 teaspoons.

While the drink has some fiber in it, coming in with 3 grams, and it was the cheapest of the ranking, I couldn’t justify that much sugar. I will probably not reach for this again.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 1/10

10. Nesquik Chocolate Low Fat Milk
nesquik drink taste test

Cost: $2.50 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 250 calories

Protein: 14 grams

Added sugar: 18 grams

I was shocked when I learned that Nesquik’s classic chocolate milk could be considered a nutritional drink.

At 14 grams of protein, as advertised on the bottle, the drink has more grams of protein per serving than other drinks labeled as protein drinks.

Tasting it was just as nostalgic as expected. Compared to some of the other drinks, however, I noticed it had a stronger dairy taste and was very sweet, with a total of 18 grams of added sugar.

I also noticed that the bottle recommended a portion of half a bottle, probably due to the drink’s high sugar content, which would also result in half the protein intake overall.

I probably wouldn’t have reached for this in adulthood if not to compare it here, and I probably won’t really reach for it again.

Flavor rating: 6/10

Overall rating: 4/10

9. Muscle Milk Pro Knockout Chocolate Protein Shake
msucle milk protein taste test

Cost: $5.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 220 calories

Protein: 40 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

Like its low-sugar version, the Muscle Milk Pro looked dark and thick. Taste-wise, the drink was sweeter than chocolate-y, and I didn’t love the flavor.

Although the drink packs an impressive 40 grams of protein in 14 ounces and 220 calories, has the highest ratio of protein to fluid ounces, and also has the highest fiber content in the list, the taste was one of my least favorites, and I had to wash it down with some water after tasting, as it had such a lingering flavor on the tongue.

When considering the nutritional aspects of the drink, however, I felt like the taste was a solid trade-off for one of the most protein-efficient drinks in the ranking, having the second-highest amount of grams of protein in a single bottle.

But if you’re strictly going for the ultra-high-protein option, the Fairlife Core Power Elite — which comes later in this ranking — might be a better bet for flavor.

Flavor rating: 4/10

Overall rating: 7/10

8. OWYN Pro Elite Chocolate Protein Shake
owyn protein taste test

Cost: $4.49 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 200 calories

Protein: 32 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

When I first poured the OWYN — which stands for Only What You Need — Pro Elite Protein Shake, it looked much thicker than some of the other drinks in the ranking.

It tasted vastly different from the others, too. The ingredients gave some clues as to why: The main ingredients — water, pea protein, pumpkin protein, and flaxseed oil — were completely different from the other shakes.

The plant-based, dairy-, soy-, and wheat-free drink, which contains 3 grams of prebiotics, uses monk fruit extract to sweeten its cocoa-heavy flavor, and also has a greens blend that includes spinach, kale, and broccoli.

I figured that the odd flavor I experienced was perhaps due to some of its most health-forward ingredients, like the greens blend.

In a statement to Business Insider, OWYN said that the exclusion of artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols in the formula “sometimes means a more natural, earthy taste profile,” when compared to their regular shake, which uses a blend of organic cane sugar and monk fruit.

Ultimately, I wasn’t a fan of the taste and probably wouldn’t reach for this drink again, although nutrition-wise, it was a solid ultra-high-protein plant-based option.

Flavor rating: 5/10

Overall rating: 6/10

7. Fairlife Core Power Elite Chocolate High Protein Milk Shake
corepower elite shake taste test

Cost: $5.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 230 calories

Protein: 42 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

One of three protein shakes in Fairlife’s line, the Core Power Elite shake was a bit thinner than many of the other drinks I tried.

It was less sweet than Fairlife’s regular chocolate milk, which I didn’t mind. However, it had a much stronger dairy taste — I don’t love the taste of dairy milk, so this worked against the drink for me.

Still, its insane amount of protein — as much as a whole chicken breast — earned it extra points in my ranking.

This drink was something I didn’t mind drinking, even if I wouldn’t usually go for it. Even as a non-gym-bro, I would probably reach for this drink if I were trying to get well over half of my needed protein for the day in a single serving.

Flavor rating: 5/10

Overall rating: 8/10

6. Chocolate Nutrament
nutrament protein drink taste test

Cost: $2.50 for 11 fluid ounces

Calories: 330 calories

Protein: 15 grams

Added sugar: 29 grams

When I poured the chocolate Nutrament, I noticed its consistency was among the runniest in the ranking.

The drink, the second-cheapest drink in the lineup, tasted just like chocolate milk, although it was still a bit too sweet for me.

I also noticed it had a long ingredients list with many unfamiliar terms, but on closer inspection, some seemed to be added vitamins and minerals. The drink also had the second-highest added sugar content at 29 grams.

The high sugar and comparatively low protein knocked this drink down a few points for me, and although I enjoyed it, I probably wouldn’t reach for this.

Flavor Rating: 9/10

Overall Rating: 5/10

5. Fairlife Chocolate Ultra-filtered Milk
fairlife protein drink taste test

Cost: $3.29 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 250 calories

Protein: 23 grams

The second in Fairlife’s line, its chocolate ultra-filtered milk, was another nostalgic offering.

It was very sweet, but if I were craving chocolate milk, this is definitely the option I would choose.

While it’s not marketed as a protein drink, it contains 23 grams in a 14-ounce bottle and has the second-lowest cost per gram of protein.

Flavor rating: 7/10

Overall rating: 7/10

4. Rich Chocolate Boost Plus Nutritional Drink
boost protein drink taste test

Cost: $18.99 for a six-pack of 8-ounce bottles (or $3.17 for 8 fluid ounces)

Calories: 360 calories

Protein: 14 grams

Added sugar: 18 grams

While some of the drinks in this lineup are aimed at the ultra-protein-efficient crowd and others are more directed at children, the Boost nutritional drink line is marketed toward adults with specific nutritional needs. The Boost Plus product, specifically, is aimed at adults hoping to gain or maintain weight.

Taste-wise, this was one of my favorites. The sweet and rich drink was very chocolatey, and it felt like a nice sweet treat.

With the product’s purpose in mind, the drink’s higher calories didn’t bother me, and I was pleased to see its nutrition label flooded with vitamins and minerals.

Out of many of the options, this is one I could see myself reaching for solely based on its taste, even though I wish it had a higher protein content.

Flavor rating: 9/10

Overall rating: 7/10

3. Nesquik Protein Power Chocolate Milk Beverage
nesquik protein taste test

Cost: $3.00 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 290 calories

Protein: 23 grams

Added sugar: 18 grams

When I poured this drink, I was surprised by how runny it was compared to some of the other options. I really enjoyed the taste, even if it wasn’t exactly the same as the nostalgic chocolate-milk flavor of Nesquik’s classic option.

In fact, I actually liked this one more, even before factoring in the added nutritional value. It was adequately sweet, not too dairy-tasting, and it didn’t have the aftertaste that had put me off the classic option.

With 23 grams of protein, this drink could compete with some of its more nutrition-leaning counterparts. At $3 for a bottle, it was also one of the cheapest options with the highest protein content.

I could totally see myself reaching for this.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 8/10

2. OWYN Dark Chocolate Protein Shake
owyn taste test protein

Cost: $4.29 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 180 calories

Protein: 20 grams

Added sugar: 4 grams

Compared to the higher-protein drink on OWYN’s line, the regular protein shake wasn’t as dark or as thick when I poured it.

While the OWYN Pro Elite had a taste I didn’t like, the OWYN Dark Chocolate Protein Shake had a simpler flavor that reminded me of chocolate milk.

It was very tasty and chocolatey, and I liked that it also had 3 grams of fiber.

Overall, this felt like a very solid option that I could see myself reaching for. It was also my favorite plant-based drink.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 10/10

1. Fairlife Core Power Chocolate High Protein Milk Shake
core power protein taste test

Cost: $4.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 170 calories

Protein: 26 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

While this drink didn’t exactly feel like a dessert or chocolate milk since it leaned more chocolatey and cocoa-tasting than sweet — and it did have somewhat of a dairy taste — I still found it very enjoyable and a very nice pick for both taste and protein.

Tied with the Muscle Milk Zero Sugar for the lowest calories in the ranking, I found the Fairlife Core Power shake much more enjoyable and even winning by a gram in the protein category.

Overall, this drink had the best balance between flavor and nutrition, and I can see myself reaching for it whenever I need a quick post-workout pick-me-up or just want to get a significant portion of my daily protein on the go.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 10/10

Read the original article on Business Insider
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