Another day, another social media challenge – and this one is no friend to the innocent bottle cap.
The new viral craze doing the rounds on social media is called the #BottlecapChallenge, and it's already attracted a host of A-list participants.
Whereas 2014's Ice Bucket Challenge raised awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (known as ALS), this latest online stunt doesn't appear to have a cause at heart. It does, however, require a certain about of nous when it comes to martial arts.
The challenge calls for participants to knock the cap off a stationary bottle using a spinning kick, unscrewing the (usually loosened) lid from the vessel with the touch of a foot.
Usually filmed in slow motion, to up the cinematic ante, the challenge was apparently kickstarted (excuse the pun) a week ago by Taekwondo champion Farabi Davletchin.
It entered the mainstream after the athlete invited mixed martial artist and boxer Conor McGregor, Jackie Chan and action star Jason Statham to try their hand at the antic.
The challenge quickly spread like wildfire, with celebrities aplenty taking up the call to action.
Here are some of the best so far:
Singer John Mayer
Actor Jason Statham
Director Guy Ritchie
Singer Ellie Goulding
DJ Diplo
Diplo also challenged Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Barack Obama to put their own spin on the stunt though, perhaps unsurprisingly, there's no reverse roundhousing on the Sussex Royal Instagram just yet.
It's not just an activity for pro-athletes or celebrities, however, with many social users also sharing their own takes. Currently, there are more than 19,500 Instagram posts using the hashtag #BottlecapChallenge on Instagram alone.
The craze follows 2018's KiKi Challenge, also known as the In My Feelings challenge, which called on participants to dance to a song by Canadian rapper Drake while walking alongside a moving car.
The stunt was banned in Egypt, while Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution ordered the arrest of three social media influencers in the UAE for "endangering the lives of others" by performing the dance on the road in a dangerous manner.
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Read more:
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Company%20profile
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
