Why can the US election vote count take so long? What to know in 500 words
Israel’s strike on Hezbollah leader is an alarming escalation in conflict
Long-understood rules governing balance of deterrence between militant group and Israel have been blown away
Israel’s apparent attempt to assassinate Hezbollah’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in a massive strike on an underground headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs marks the most alarming escalation in almost a year of war between the Shia militant organisation as Israel.
Immediately after a highly bellicose speech by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN general assembly – where he appeared to directly threaten Iran as well as promise to continue “degrading” Hezbollah – the first reports of a massive strike began to emerge.
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Powerful Israeli bombardment hits Beirut’s densely populated Dahiyeh
Phillip Schofield says he will be ‘forever sorry’ on primetime TV return
Former This Morning presenter says he was ‘so, so close’ to taking his own life after scandal that saw him quit ITV
Phillip Schofield has said he will be “forever sorry” in his first television appearance in more than a year since his shock downfall.
Schofield, now 62, quit ITV and admitted to having lied about an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague at This Morning last May. His agent parted ways with him and he has stayed out of the spotlight since.
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UK weather: strong wind warning issued as England and Wales cope with floods
Transport disrupted and more than 60 flood warnings still in place, with more downpours to come
The Met Office has issued a weather warning for strong winds on Sunday as parts of the country recovered from heavy rain and flooding. Flooding disrupted rail services in England and Wales on Friday morning and led to the closure of the M5 motorway in both directions in Gloucestershire.
The Environment Agency told drivers their cars could be swept away in as little as 30cm (12in) of water as more than 60 flood warnings were issued in England after heavy rain overnight, with further downpours to come.
Continue reading...Lebanese community steps up to help people displaced by the war
Watch: Reporter captures moment air strike hits Beirut
British army to investigate conduct of troops in Kenya amid rape and murder claims
Defence secretary to meet family of woman allegedly killed by soldier, as ITV airs documentary alleging fresh abuses
The army is to launch an inquiry into the behaviour of British troops posted to a military base in Kenya, after multiple allegations of serious abuses committed by soldiers, including rape and murder.
The inquiry is to examine the conduct of military personnel posted to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). It is where the soldier alleged to have murdered a Kenyan woman, Agnes Wanjiru, was posted at the time of her death in 2012.
Continue reading...Poverty in Argentina soars to over 50% as Milei’s austerity measures hit hard
Far-right president has been battling inflation by imposing steep cuts in spending, resulting in widespread poverty
Argentina’s poverty rate has soared to almost 53% in the first six months of Javier Milei’s presidency, offering the first hard evidence of how the far-right libertarian’s tough austerity measures are hitting the population.
The new poverty rate, reported by the government’s statistics agency on Thursday, is the highest level for two decades, when the country reeled from a catastrophic economic crisis, and means 3.4 million Argentinians have been pushed into poverty this year.
Continue reading...Is Israel dragging the US into a Mideast quagmire?
Waves of explosions rock Beirut as Israel says it attacked Hezbollah HQ
Pope says church must be ashamed of Belgium sexual abuse
Alongside Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, hip-hop culture will also be on trial
Azealia Banks likens Bull Ring fish stalls in Birmingham to ‘Wuhan wet market’
US rapper says her visit to indoor market led to her spending two days ‘sweating out’ an illness
The US rapper Azealia Banks has accused Birmingham’s fish market of making her ill, comparing it to a “Wuhan wet market”.
In an unlikely intervention, the American star posted on X that city officials needed to “do something” about the stalls before comparing the market to the site in China identified as the place where the Covid pandemic most likely began.
Continue reading...Events arm of Economist group to stop signing tobacco sponsorship deals
Exclusive: Move signals change of policy that was causing health groups to withdraw from conferences and disquiet within media brand
The division of the Economist’s parent group that has come under fire over its commercial ties with the world’s three biggest tobacco companies is to stop doing any “new work” with tobacco companies.
The decision follows a Guardian investigation which revealed that Economist Impact, a division separate from the newspaper that runs events and includes paid-for and sponsored content on its website, was forced to cancel a high-profile cancer conference due to a backlash from speakers and organisations over its ties with big tobacco.
Continue reading...Promise of ‘glass skin’ drives surge in sales of K-beauty products in UK
South Korean skincare brands expected to follow country’s music, film and TV exports in becoming blockbusters
We’ve had South Korean pop, film, fashion and food, and now the latest trend is K-beauty, with sales of Korean skincare brands taking off in the UK as consumers are seduced by products that promise to conjure a radiant complexion.
Britons are cutting back in other areas, but they are still chasing what the beauty industry describes as the “glass skin” look, with retailers reporting a rise in spending on high-end skincare.
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