The Earth will be torn apart by a nuclear disaster before the year is out, according to a legendary mystic credited with predicting many of the biggest events in history. Baba Vanga, a blind Bulgarian woman is said to have foreseen 9/11, the Covid pandemic and the death of Princess Diana, among other era-defining moments. And despite the fact she’s been dead for some 27 years, her loyal disciples still follow her prophesies with great devotion. They claim that many of her predictions came true long after her death, and there are still more to come. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Indeed, the rest of 2023 is set to be busy on the catastrophe front, according to Vanga’s followers as reported by The New York Post. Not only will a major nuclear power plant explosion take place at some point over the coming months – causing toxic clouds to settle over Asia – by the Earth will be hit by a devastating solar storm and suffer a potentially apocalyptic shift in its orbit around the sun. Other forecasts for the year allegedly include a bioweapons attack launched by an unnamed superpower, the emergence of a new religion based on artificial intelligence, and the end of natural pregnancies. According to her fans, she foretold that all babies would be grown in laboratories and parents would be able to select their physical traits. To be fair, that sounds eerily plausible when you consider one biotechnologist has already begun planning a “human factory” – though, admittedly, not before the end of the year. The issue with all of this is that Vanga’s predictions are cryptic and impossible to verify, as Sky History notes. And yet, there is a reason why a poor, blind woman from rural Bulgaria has been branded the “Nostradamus of the Balkans” and become a global icon. Legend has it that she was blinded in a dust storm at the age of 12 after which she announced that she had been endowed with the gifts of prophesy and healing. Her reputation soon spread beyond the local area and soon everyone from tsars to peasants would make the pilgrimage to her home in the Kozhuh mountains to seek her counsel. She was unable to write, however, so everything she said was documented by those around her, meaning there are no first-hand accounts of her visions on paper. Still, she is understood to have proclaimed in 1989 that “American brethren will fall after being attacked by steel birds […] innocent blood will be gushing” – which many people have taken to be an omen for the September 11 attacks. She also said that America’s 44th President would be Black, which was fulfilled by Barack Obama in 2009. And whilst her claim that Europe would “cease to exist” by 2017 hasn’t come to pass geographically, some have read this as a reference to the 2016 Brexit vote. She also predicted that the US’s 45th president would be faced with a crisis which would “bring the country down.” Given that the 45th president was Donald Trump, we’ll let you be the judge of whether or not there’s any truth to that one. Countless Bulgarian and Soviet scientists studied and tested Vanga throughout her life, ultimately concluding that she had an 85 per cent success rate with her predictions, Sky History reports. She even allegedly foresaw her own death on 11 August 1996 at the age of 85. All we can do now is hope that her doomsday visions for the rest of this year fall into that 15 per cent margin of error... Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A "conversation has commenced" with North Korea over US Army Pvt. Travis King, who crossed the border between North and South Korea last week in the demilitarized zone separating the two nations, the deputy commander of the United Nations Command (UNC) said Monday.

This month marks the start of the autumn/winter fashion season and it’s also Second Hand September, Oxfam’s annual event encouraging consumers to avoid buying new items for 30 days. You don’t have to go rummaging through charity shops or car boot sales if you want to refresh your wardrobe for autumn or stock up on basics – there’s now a swathe of amazing sites that let you shop for pre-loved clothes from the comfort of your own home. By saying no to new, you can help prevent good quality garments from going to landfill and save money when you bag a bargain for a fraction of what it would have cost originally – and you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to pre-owned clothes shopping online. From resale platforms where users list their unwanted or unworn garments to vintage and designer-focused e-commerce retailers, here’s our pick of the best secondhand fashion sites… Vinted A peer-to-peer marketplace with a community of 75 million across the world, Vinted lets you buy direct from other users. The site has become so popular you might find the sheer array of products overwhelming at first. The key is to filter as much as possible. Try narrowing search results down by ticking the brands you usually buy on the high street (and avoiding the ones you don’t like), then sorting by price to find the cheapest options. Depop Hugely popular with Gen Z fashion obsessives, Depop is the go-to site for current trends, upcycled pieces and the latest vintage finds. Listings show how long ago an item was uploaded, so if it’s been on the site for a while you can try offering a lower price to the seller. Facebook Marketplace Connecting buyers and sellers in the same area, Facebook Marketplace is often the go-to site for people looking to clear out an overstuffed wardrobe or get rid of clothes when moving house. You just need a Facebook account to log in. Payment is completed via Messenger and you can arrange local pick-up or delivery (if the user offers that option). As well as individual items, look out for sellers offloading bundles of clothing in one size. eBay Having partnered with Love Island and appointed two former islanders as pre-loved ambassadors, online shopping behemoth eBay wants to be known as a leader in sustainable fashion. To simplify secondhand clothes shopping, the site now has a dedicated pre-loved fashion hub, where you can find items grouped by brand, trend, season, occasion, and more. ASOS Marketplace Focusing on the latest looks, ASOS Marketplace hosts independent brands and vintage boutiques – so make sure to tick the ‘vintage’ option under ‘condition’ when browsing for secondhand items. Charity shop sites While it’s great to support your local charity shops, you can also find some brilliant bargains and hand-picked premium pieces on charities’ online stores. Oxfam and Shelter have dedicated sites, while British Heart Foundation and British Red Cross have eBay shops. Vintage retailers If you’re lacking any decent vintage boutiques near you, don’t worry, because some of the biggest names in the game have online stores packed with gems from days gone by. Check out well-known brands like Beyond Retro and Rokit for retro threads dating as far back as the 1940s. Designer resale sites In the last few years, a crop of slick websites has popped up to serve shoppers hunting for secondhand luxury fashion. Head to sites such as Vestiaire Collective, Sellier, Lampoo and The Cirkel for designer clothes and accessories from brands like Burberry, Chanel, Gucci, Fendi and many more. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live What are gynaecological cancers and how can you prevent them? Alzheimer’s: How and when to talk to someone about their memory loss As Simon Cowell shares positive therapy experience, how can it help even if you aren’t in crisis?

'If I were walking down the street and 10 men were to pull knives on me, I'd be intimidated, but 20% of me would go,' Andrew Tate claimed

By Leika Kihara TOKYO The Bank of Japan will scrutinise the effects and side-effects of its unconventional monetary

Sales of previously owned US homes fell in April, restrained by limited inventory and high mortgage rates, while

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is planning on a tactical shakeup to accommodate Jude Bellingham into his starting lineup next season.

By Andrew Goudsward Evan Corcoran, a lawyer hired by Donald Trump to fend off a federal investigation into

Logan Paul is signing a prenup witn Nina Agdal to protect his beverage company, PRIME

Netflix's 'Too Hot to Handle' Season 5 star Dre cannot risk losing any of the $200,000 cash prize amount

Mangled debris recovered from the small submersible that was destroyed when it imploded during a recent dive to the Titanic wreck was offloaded Wednesday in eastern Canada, bringing to...

Anthony Elanga has come off the bench to score the only goal as Nottingham Forest stuns big-spending Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the English Premier League