Five Palestinians, including at least three gunmen, have been killed in a major Israeli raid against a militant group in the occupied West Bank.
A sixth Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli troops who were attacked with stones in a protest against the raid, Palestinian medical sources say.
The operation in the northern city of Nablus targeted the recently formed Lion’s Den group.
The group killed an Israeli soldier in a shooting earlier this month.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had locked down Nablus for the past two weeks amid an intensive search for the killer of an Israeli soldier. Staff Sgt Ido Baruch, 21, was shot dead in an ambush near an Israeli settlement about 8km (five miles) away.
There has been an intensification of violence between Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank in recent weeks amid an ongoing Israeli operation to root out militants following a wave of deadly attacks against Israelis earlier this year.
What will worry the watching diplomatic community, the BBC’s Tom Bateman reports from Nablus, is that this raid saw exchanges of fire between Israeli troops and members of the official, internationally backed Palestinian security forces.
On entering the city on Tuesday, our correspondent found the road littered with the debris from the overnight clashes – rocks were strewn on the tarmac and fire crews were pumping water over smouldering tyres.
Nablus is now on strike. Shops and restaurants are shuttered along street after street usually busy with markets and children heading out from school, he says, the quiet broken only by the sound of gunmen returning from the funerals still firing into the air.
The Lion’s Den group was formed following near daily arrest raids by Israeli forces targeting militants, concentrated in the northern West Bank. It is believed to number a few dozen members and has carried out, or attempted, attacks around the Nablus area and as far afield as Tel Aviv, according to the Israeli military. Source: BBC News
Revolutionary Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake has died aged 84, his company has announced.
Known for his innovative styles and perfume, Miyake built a global fashion brand, which included designing Steve Jobs’ famous black turtle neck jumpers.
Miyake was known to work with traditional and modern fashion techniques during his long career.
He died of liver cancer on Friday, and a private funeral has already taken place, Japanese media report.
Born in Hiroshima in 1938, Miyake was just seven years old when the city was devastated by an atomic bomb dropped by the United States. His mother died of radiation exposure three years later. Revolutionary Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake has died aged 84, his company has announced.
Known for his innovative styles and perfume, Miyake built a global fashion brand, which included designing Steve Jobs’ famous black turtle neck jumpers.
Miyake was known to work with traditional and modern fashion techniques during his long career.
He died of liver cancer on Friday, and a private funeral has already taken place, Japanese media report.
Born in Hiroshima in 1938, Miyake was just seven years old when the city was devastated by an atomic bomb dropped by the United States. His mother died of radiation exposure three years later. When I close my eyes, I still see things no one should ever experience,” he wrote in a New York Times opinion piece in 2009 – adding that he prefers to think of things “that can be created, not destroyed, and that bring beauty and joy”.
Miyake reportedly wanted to be a dancer or athlete when he was young – but that changed after he read his sister’s fashion magazines.
He studied graphic design at a Tokyo art university and then moved to Paris in the 1960s, where he worked with lauded fashion designers Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy.
He moved to New York for a short time, before heading back to Tokyo in 1970 to open the Miyake Design Studio.
By the 1980s he was celebrated as one of the world’s most pioneering designers as he worked with materials from plastic to metal – and also traditional Japanese material and paper.
Miyake developed a new way of pleating fabric by wrapping it between layers of paper in a heat press.
It was a phenomenal success – various tests proved the pleats stayed in place and didn’t wrinkle, and it lead to his signature line called Pleats, Please.
Miyake’s distinctive Bao Bao line of bags, recognisable for their small resin triangles, was celebrated for its engineering and was so popular that knock-offs flooded the fake designer market.
He became known for creating a style that was high-tech yet practical and comfortable, and was a household name in not only Japan’s fashion industry – but on the global catwalk.
His fashion house developed highly sought-after clothes for men and women, as well as bags, watches and perfumes – a bottle of L’Eau d’Issey, launched in 1992, was rumoured to sell every 14 seconds.
His A-POC (A Piece of Clothing) line, which can now be seen in museums, used a special weaving machine that made outfits out of one continuous tube of fabric. Miyake was asked by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to design his iconic turtle neck jumpers and reportedly made 100 of them, at $175 each.
He was awarded the prestigious Kyoto Prize for his dedication to the arts in 2006, and received the Order of Culture in 2010 for “remarkable accomplishments” in Japan’s culture and arts. Source: BBC
Olivia Newton-John, best known for playing Sandy in smash-hit musical Grease, has died aged 73, her family says.
The star died from cancer, her manager told the BBC.
Her husband John Easterling said she “passed away peacefully” at her ranch in California on Monday morning.
An actress and musician, Newton-John achieved commercial success as a country singer and sold millions of records globally.
But it was her role as Sandy in the film adaption of Grease that catapulted her to worldwide fame. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 1990s, Newton-John became a leading advocate for cancer research and her charity, the Olivia Newton John Foundation, has raised millions of pounds to support research.
Her efforts in the field were recognised by Queen Elizabeth, who honoured her with a Dame in 2020 New Year’s Honours list.
In a statement posted to her social media channels, Newton-John’s husband hailed her as “a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer”.
“Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.”
John Travolta, who starred opposite Newton-John in Grease, wrote on Instagram that she “made all of our lives so much better”.
“Your impact was incredible. I love you so much,” he wrote.
“We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!” Source: BBC
The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa says the suspect in the murder of Mr. Ogochukwu Alika has been arrested by the Italian police and is expected to be charged to court .
A statement by Mr Gabriel Odu of the media, public relations and protocol unit ,NiDCOM reports the NiDCOM Boss said the Italian police were working and cooperating with the Nigerian mission in Italy to ensure justice is done and the culprit face the consequences he deserves.
According to Odu, the Nigerian mission is requesting that the Italian government provides Mrs. Alika, the widow, a good job to cater for the rest of the family, being the family’s bread winner, now.
He said Dabiri-Erewa seized the chance to thank the Nigerian community in Italy, various organizations and individuals in Italy who have rallied round to support and raise funds for the late Alika’s family since his death.
The late Mr. Ogochukwu Alika was a physically-challenged Nigerian street vendor, allegedly beaten to death by an Italian man, using the clutches of Mr. Alika in Italy.
Odu further stated that Hon. Dabiri-Erewa, also gave an update on the gruesome murder of two young Nigerians, Tosin Amos Arowoshegbe, and Chibueze Momoh, who were shot dead at a Canadian nightclub, while working as guards.
The NiDCOM Chairman said that Canadian authorities have identified a suspect and are working to get to the cause of the unfortunate incident
Fire fighters put out house fire in Wennington Village
The UK has recorded temperatures of over 40C (104F) for the first time.
Thermometers hit 40.3C at Coningsby in Lincolnshire, while 33 other locations went past the UK’s previous highest temperature of 38.7C, set in 2019.
Several fire services declared major incidents after a surge in fires. A major blaze in Wennington, in east London, left homes gutted.
Some rail services were cancelled after tracks overheated or buckled and overhead cables failed.
Hundreds of firefighters tackled fires across London, including in Wennington, where a grass fire spread to properties.
Residents, who had to be evacuated, told the BBC about eight homes and possibly a local church had been destroyed in the fire, while one firefighter at the scene described it as “absolute hell”.
Tim Stark, who alerted the fire brigade and whose own house was destroyed in the blaze, told BBC 5 Live he and his son had spotted the fire in his neighbour’s garden but despite their best efforts with a hose and watering can, had been unable to stop it spreading amid the dry conditions.
“I reckon about 15-20 houses might be gone, or uninhabitable,” he said.
“My house is completely gone, as is the next door neighbour’s and three or four other houses along that bit.”
There have also been fires elsewhere in the country with major incidents declared in Leicestershire, East, North and South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Norfolk.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said she had been updated on the “dangerous fires” and urged the public to follow safety advice from their local fire service.
In the capital, people were urged not to have barbecues or bonfires and to be careful when disposing of cigarettes.
Two people were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in Dagenham, east London, while further north a nursery was caught in a blaze in Milton Keynes.
London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Jonathan Smith said some of the fires in the city were the result of “tinderbox” conditions and said Tuesday evening would be “critical” in ensuring the fires were kept under control.
“It would be premature to say we are out the other end of this incident,” he added. Heathrow Airport was the first place to break the 40C mark, hitting 40.2C at 12:50 BST but several other places also passed 40C during the afternoon, including Gringley on the Hill in Nottinghamshire and St James’s Park, Kew Gardens and Northolt – all in London.
A large swathe of eastern England, from Surrey to South Yorkshire, saw temperatures between 39C and 40C, and at least 34 weather stations exceeded the previous UK temperature record.
Scotland also saw a new record, according to provisional Met Office figures, with 34.8C recorded at Charterhall, in the Scottish borders – beating the previous record of 32.9C recorded in 2003.
In Wales, Hawarden in Flintshire registered 36.2C, provisionally the second highest temperature on record in Wales, but below Monday’s 37.1C.
Met Office chief of science and technology Prof Stephen Belcher said exceeding 40C was “virtually impossible” in an undisrupted climate, but due to climate change “driven by greenhouse gasses” such extreme temperatures had become a reality.
He said if there continued to be high emissions “we could see temperatures like this every three years”. The two days of extreme temperatures prompted the Met Office to issue a red extreme heat warning for the first time, which expires at midnight on Tuesday.
The hot weather has begun to give way, with rain beginning to fall in several parts of the country and cooler temperatures expected on Wednesday.
Warnings were also issued for people to be careful around water after at least five people died in and around water over the past two days.
The body of a teenage boy who went missing on Monday was recovered from the River Thames in Richmond, west London, on Tuesday afternoon, the Metropolitan Police said.
Amid the extreme heat Network Rail had warned against travel, road surfaces have warped, and a number of power cuts were reported.
Rail services on Wednesday morning could continue to face some disruption as problems are fixed, and several rail companies have warned of a knock-on impact on services.
US President Joe Biden will meet Palestinian leaders in the occupied West Bank on Friday before he flies to a controversial summit in Saudi Arabia.
His meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is likely to be strained, analysts say, after ties hit a low under the Trump administration.
Later, Mr Biden will travel to Saudi Arabia to meet its de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Mr Biden will meet both the prince and his father, King Salman.
Two years ago, Mr Biden had pledged to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the 2018 murder of writer Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest oil producer, and the attempted reset of relations follows a spike in oil prices driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The US is expected to push Saudi officials to commit to increasing production.
Late on Thursday, Saudi Arabia announced it would open its airspace to commercial Israeli flights – a decision welcomed by the US.
The move will see the kingdom’s airspace open to all carriers that meet its requirements for overflights, and paves the way for more flights to and from Israel.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said it “paves the way for a more integrated, stable, and secure Middle East region”.
Mr Biden will become the first US president to fly directly to Saudi Arabia from Tel Aviv, which is seen as a small but significant sign of Riyadh’s growing acceptance of Israel after decades of boycott in solidarity with the Palestinians.
On Friday evening, Mr Biden will arrive in the Saudi city of Jeddah, where he will meet Prince Mohammed for the first time since taking office.
Up to now, the 79-year-old has insisted on speaking with King Salman, who US officials say is Mr Biden’s direct counterpart.
White House officials have refused to say whether Mr Biden will raise the murder of Mr Khashoggi, who was a Washington Post columnist and lived in the US.
They also declined to say if the pair would shake hands.
The meeting has infuriated some of the US president’s own Democratic Party, who want him to use the summit to challenge Saudi Arabia on its human rights record.
Last week, Adam Schiff, a senior House Democrat, said he wouldn’t have visited the country or met Prince Mohammed if he were in Mr Biden’s position.
“This is someone who butchered an American resident, cut him up into pieces and in the most terrible and premeditated way,” Mr Schiff said. “Until Saudi Arabia makes a radical change in terms of (its) human rights, I wouldn’t want anything to do with him.”
Mr Biden has defended his decision, telling reporters earlier this week in Jerusalem that his “position on Khashoggi has been so clear, if anyone doesn’t understand it in Saudi Arabia or otherwise, they haven’t been around me for a while”.
The US president said his Middle East tour – where he will also meet Egyptian, Iraqi and Jordanian leaders – offers an opportunity to fix the “mistake” of “walking away from our influence in the Middle East”, an apparent attack on the policies of former President Donald Trump. Source: BBC
Former UK defence secretary Penny Mordaunt on Sunday became the ninth Conservative MP to launch a bid to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as the already fractious race promptly focused on tax.
Mordaunt, 49, an ex-navy reservist who has also held several senior ministerial roles, is not among the frontrunners to succeed Johnson in recent polls of Tory party members ultimately set to choose their new leader.
But such contests are notoriously unpredictable, and with more than a dozen lawmakers from multiple factions of the ruling party potentially set to run, political commentators say few contenders can be discounted.
The early favourite is former finance minister Rishi Sunak, who launched his campaign Friday after helping to kickstart the cabinet revolt that led to Johnson’s forced resignation Thursday. He is now drawing early fire from Johnson loyalists and rival candidates.
Sunak and former health minister Sajid Javid — who has also declared his candidacy — both resigned late Tuesday, prompting dozens of more junior colleagues to follow suit.
That forced Johnson to then quit as Tory leader 36 hours later.
But the 58-year-old leader, whose three-year premiership has been defined by scandal, the country’s departure from the European Union and the Covid pandemic, said he would stay on until his successor is selected.
Crowded field
Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who finished runner-up to Johnson in the last contest in 2019, announced he will stand again late Saturday.
Current finance minister Nadhim Zahawi — only appointed to the post Tuesday — and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps have also launched bids.
They join attorney general and arch-Brexiteer Suella Braverman, the relatively unknown former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, and backbench Tory MP Tom Tugendhat on the growing candidate list.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, a frontrunner in recent surveys, is among those expected to still announce.
But Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who has impressed in the role and been one of Tory members’ favourites, said Saturday he would not stand after a discussion with colleagues and family.
Taxation is already a key dividing line in the race, as Britain faces the toxic combination of high inflation and rampant cost-of-living increases alongside stagnant growth and relatively high tax rates.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suffered a gunshot wound to the right side of his neck, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Tokyo.
He was taken away by ambulance, then transferred to the hospital by medical helicopter, where he is now undergoing emergency treatment, the agency said.
The agency said the local fire department in Nara got an emergency call from the site about 11:31 a.m. local time.
Embattled former deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu ,will remain in custody until his next court date on July 7, 2022. The Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Thursday adjourned the trial of Ekweremadu, on charges of conspiracy and organ harvest.
He is charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person for exploitation under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The embattled senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District appeared in court in London for a second time on Thursday wearing a grey tracksuit and holding a bible, according to a BBC report.
The report stated no bail application was made and Ekweremadu will remain in custody until his next appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ court on July 7.
It further states the consent of the attorney general is required for the case to continue because part of the alleged offence was committed outside of the United Kingdom.
Ekweremadu is charged alongside with h’s wife Beatrice, 55, who is charged with arranging or facilitating the travel of another person for exploitation and will appear in court later due to a delay in her transport from prison.
Troops of 13 Brigade operating under command of 82 Division, Nigerian Army on Tuesday 21 June 2022, intercepted a Toyota Camry car with registration number JAL 492 AA, ladened with assorted munition while enroute Utanga village towards Obudu Mountains in Cross River State.
According to a statement by Brigadier general Onyema Nwachukwu, Director army public relations troops deployed at Forward Operating Base Amana attempted to stop the vehicle at their checkpoint but the driver evaded the checking and zoomed off. The drivers recalcitrance compelled the troops to open fire on the tyres of the vehicle, thereby immobilizing it.
He further said a thorough search conducted on the vehicle revealed it was conveying 72 Improvised Explosive Device chargers, 121 Dynamite Liquid, 200 rounds of 7.62 mm (NATO) and 82 rounds of 7.62 mm (Special) ammunition. Other items recovered in the intercepted vehicle are military uniforms and kits.
Nwachukwu urged members of the public to continue to support our troops with credible information that will lead to stemming the tide of insecurity across the country.
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