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Airstrike in Rafah Kills Nine, Including Six Children, Amid Ongoing Siege

Airstrike in Rafah Kills Nine, Including Six Children, Amid Ongoing Siege

As the conflict continues, Rafah becomes a focal point of devastation in Gaza’s southern region.

An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory. Israel’s war against the Islamic militant group Hamas has led to a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East, notably between Israel and Iran in recent weeks. Now attention is returning to Rafah, which hosts more than half of Gaza’s population of about 2.3 million, most of them displaced by fighting elsewhere.

The strike late Friday hit Rafah’s western Tel Sultan neighborhood, according to Gaza’s civil defense. At al-Najjar hospital, site of the main morgue, relatives sobbed and hugged white-shrouded children’s bodies. “Hamza my beloved. Your hair looks so pretty,” a mourning grandmother said.

The fatalities included Abdel-Fattah Sobhi Radwan, his wife Najlaa Ahmed Aweidah and their three children, his brother-in-law Ahmed Barhoum said. Barhoum lost his wife, Rawan Radwan, and their five-year-old daughter, Alaa. “This is a world devoid of all human values and morals,” Barhoum told The Associated Press, crying as he gently rocked Alaa’s body. “They bombed a house full of displaced people, women, and children. The only martyrs were women and children.”

Israel has insisted for months that it plans a ground offensive into Rafah, where it says many remaining Hamas militants are holed up, despite calls for restraint from the international community including Israel’s staunchest ally, the United States. Some Palestinians left an area of Rafah near the border with Egypt on Saturday after receiving an evacuation alert from the Israeli army. “Guys, they will strike at 3.40. It is happening. What time is it now?” one said. Minutes later, a strike hit. It was not immediately known whether anyone was killed.

SpaceX Starship: The Most Ambitious Rocket Launch in History

SpaceX Starship: The Most Ambitious Rocket Launch in History

Everything You Need to Know About SpaceX’s Game-Changing Starship Test Flight

SpaceX is gearing up for one of the most daring space missions ever attempted with its Starship rocket, designed to be the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. This mammoth spacecraft, which aims to carry humans to the Moon and Mars in the future, will first undergo an ambitious orbital test flight. While SpaceX’s founder Elon Musk remains optimistic, he has also acknowledged that the mission has a 50% chance of success.

Set for launch on Thursday morning local time, this will be the first time both sections of the Starship — the Super Heavy booster and the spacecraft — will be launched together. The test will not involve any landings; the rocket and spacecraft are expected to crash into the sea after completing their flight.

The Starship, constructed from stainless steel, boasts 33 main engines, capable of generating 16.7 million pounds of thrust. With a potential to carry 100 people and lift 250 tons of cargo, it surpasses all previous space rockets, including NASA’s Saturn V and the Space Launch System.

The test flight will span around 90 minutes but will not complete a full orbit. The rocket will separate after three minutes, and the spacecraft will continue its flight over the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, ultimately splashing down near Hawaii. This test will not involve reusability, but SpaceX envisions Starship as a fully reusable vehicle in the future.

While Musk admits that the chances of reaching orbit on the first attempt are slim, he remains optimistic that the technology will improve, with an 80% chance of a successful orbital launch within the year. SpaceX’s goal for Starship is not only for interplanetary missions but also for upcoming NASA lunar landings, set to begin as early as 2025.

Starship is expected to revolutionize space travel, but it faces competition from other companies like Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance, each developing their own heavy-lift rockets. Despite this, SpaceX’s commitment to Starship’s success could redefine the future of human space exploration.

Ghosts of Lost Orchards Persist in Place Names, Study Reveals

Ghosts of Lost Orchards Persist in Place Names, Study Reveals

Study reveals that despite the loss of orchards, the memory of blossoming trees is preserved in place and street names.

A study by the National Trust has found that despite the dramatic loss of orchards and flowering trees across England and Wales, the memory of these once-abundant landscapes is preserved in place names. The research, part of the charity’s “blossom week” celebrations, reveals that the proportion of place names related to blossom has doubled in the past century, even though over half of traditional orchards have disappeared.

The study discovered that 6% of the 912,000 place and street names surveyed in England and Wales are linked to blossom, such as terms like “orchard,” “apple,” “bloom,” and “grove.” This is double the 3% recorded in 1900. However, the same period has seen a significant decline in orchards, with 56% of them lost since 1900, leaving only about 4,000 hectares (9,926 acres) of orchards in existence today.

Interestingly, the study revealed that more than half of today’s orchard-related place names are located near former orchards that have been lost since 1900, rather than near existing ones. This phenomenon, dubbed “fossil blossom,” suggests that these names serve as cultural imprints, preserving memories of lost orchards and potentially guiding efforts to restore blossom-rich landscapes.

Professor Matthew Heard from the National Trust noted that while blossom has largely disappeared from the countryside, our connection to it remains strong. The study also observed a trend toward more generic orchard-related terms in place names today, reflecting both the historic significance of these sites and the loss of local varieties of fruit trees.

In Wales, the study highlighted a decline in the use of Welsh language terms for blossom-related places. In 1900, 74% of blossom-related names in Wales were in Welsh, but by 2023 this had fallen to 31%. The National Trust aims to bring back blossoming trees through various initiatives, including the planting of four million trees as part of a broader ambition to establish 20 million trees by 2030 across the UK.

Rachel Woolford Wins 2024’s The Apprentice and Becomes Lord Sugar’s New Business Partner

Rachel Woolford Wins 2024’s The Apprentice and Becomes Lord Sugar’s New Business Partner

Fitness studio owner Rachel Woolford secures a £250,000 investment to scale her gym business.

Rachel Woolford has emerged as the winner of The Apprentice 2024, earning a £250,000 investment from Lord Alan Sugar to further develop her fitness business, North Studio. The 51-year-old gym owner, who launched her boutique fitness studio during the COVID-19 pandemic, triumphed over fellow finalist Phil Turner, a pie company owner, in the season finale.

Woolford’s victory marks a significant milestone in her entrepreneurial journey. “I was just a girl from Leeds,” she said after learning of her win. “Now I cannot believe it, I’m going into business with Lord Sugar, and he’s investing in me.”

The final saw both finalists pitch their business plans to Lord Sugar, alongside industry experts. Woolford’s business expertise and her ability to secure a record £38.7 million in sponsorship earlier in the season were key highlights. However, despite her success, Lord Sugar raised concerns about the high costs involved in opening gyms, although he ultimately chose Woolford as his new business partner.

During the finale, Lord Sugar acknowledged the tough decision, noting the appeal of Turner’s pie business, but ultimately followed his instincts and chose Woolford, citing her potential to grow her fitness brand.

Woolford will now receive the £250,000 investment to scale North Studio, while Lord Sugar will act as a mentor without being involved in day-to-day operations. Reflecting on the win, Woolford expressed her disbelief and excitement: “I can’t quite believe it, especially after watching the process for all the years and now I’m sat as the winner. It’s all just very strange but the most amazing feeling.”

UK Ministers Urged to Use AI for Screening Migrants at Border for Threats

UK Ministers Urged to Use AI for Screening Migrants at Border for Threats

Technology would help to identify potential terrorists among migrants, says UK anti-terrorism adviser.

Ministers in the UK are set to be advised to use live AI facial recognition technology to screen migrants arriving at the UK’s borders for potential security threats, according to Jonathan Hall KC, the UK’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation. In his upcoming annual report, Hall will recommend that the Government implement this technology at migrant processing centers in Kent, including the Western Jet Foil and Manston facilities.

Hall explained that the use of AI could help border officers compare migrants against a database of known terror suspects as they disembark from boats. This move aims to address concerns over security checks at a time when migrant facilities are increasingly overwhelmed by large numbers of arrivals.

He described the situation at Manston, the main migrant processing center, where processing had become so overwhelmed that some migrants were released before full security checks could be completed. “If lots of people arrive on the same day, counterterrorism officers struggle to screen them all effectively,” Hall said in an interview with LBC.

The AI-based facial recognition system would enable officers to instantly flag anyone who appears on watch lists of suspected terrorists. Hall’s report will suggest that this system be used at the Western Jet Foil facility, which processes migrants before they are sent to larger camps. He emphasized that this would enhance security while helping maintain humane conditions for those arriving.

Hall also pointed out that the sheer number of crossings, more than 6,200 people since the beginning of the year, has stretched resources. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats” has become a central issue in his leadership, though the Government’s proposed plan to deport some migrants to Rwanda is facing delays in Parliament.

Jimmy Carr says childhood meningitis battle left him ‘close to death’

Jimmy Carr says childhood meningitis battle left him ‘close to death’

The comedian reveals how his battle with meningitis left him ‘close to death’.

Jimmy Carr has revealed that he was “close to death” after being diagnosed with meningitis as a child. The 51-year-old comedian, speaking on the Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake podcast with Kathy Burke, recalled being treated in a hospital in Limerick, Ireland, when he was just a toddler.

Carr shared that he was three years old when he contracted the disease, and doctors told his family that he “nearly didn’t make it.” His first memory, according to him, was undergoing a lumbar puncture in the hospital, where he humorously used the phrase “you’ve got to be cruel to be kind” in a child’s voice, a line his mother later found funny.

Reflecting on his experience, Carr said, “I always appreciated that thing of life,” as he was often told how close he had come to death. He also shared that meningitis, an infection of the brain’s protective membranes, is a particularly serious condition, which, if left untreated, can lead to life-threatening sepsis and permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

In a more light-hearted discussion, Carr talked about his ideal way to die, saying he would like his passing to be a funny story. He joked about wanting to die while swimming with sharks in South Africa after forgoing a shark cage. He described a near-miss encounter with a reef shark during a trip to Key West, where he humorously outswam his friend to escape the shark, only to later learn it was harmless. Carr concluded that being “torn apart by sharks” would make for a great story.

The Streets with the Most Expensive Property Price Tags Revealed for 2024

The Streets with the Most Expensive Property Price Tags Revealed for 2024

The list includes both London and regions outside the capital, highlighting luxury locations.

Buckingham Gate in central London has topped a list of the streets with the most expensive property price tags this year so far.

Nestled near Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Gate in Westminster was found by Rightmove to have the highest average price being asked by home-sellers so far this year, at £9,633,333.

Outside London, Old Avenue in Weybridge, Surrey, had the highest average asking price for properties in 2024 so far, at £2,633,333, the property website found.

After Buckingham Gate, the next highest average asking price was found in Vicarage Gate in Holland Park in west London, at £6,332,000.

Rightmove said sales searches for London boroughs including Mayfair, St John’s Wood, and Holland Park have increased this year compared with a year ago.

Looking at homes to rent, the highest typical asking rents were found in Albion Street in Bayswater, central London, at £20,857 per month. This was followed by Pavilion Road in Knightsbridge, central London, where renters will need an average of £15,251 per month for a new let.

Outside London, Rightmove found the highest average asking rent was in London Road in Ascot, Berkshire, at £6,831 per month. Manor Road in Chigwell, Essex, had average asking rents of £4,311.

Meanwhile, renters looking for properties in Manchester’s vibrant city centre face average monthly rents of £3,766 in Deansgate, the research indicates.

Tim Bannister, a property expert at Rightmove, said: “London’s status as the hub of luxury property in the UK remains unchallenged, with Buckingham Gate in Westminster commanding the highest average asking price. Although the possibility of buying one of these homes is limited to a very lucky few, there’s clearly a fascination with these prestigious homes as we find they’re often among our most viewed properties on Rightmove.”

Rightmove’s research was based on streets where there have been at least five properties for sale and rent this year, and so not all streets have been included.

The findings were released as separate research indicated that one in five (20%) aspiring first-time buyers do not think they will be in a position to make a purchase until they are at least in their 40s.

The survey, from Nationwide Building Society, found that nearly half (48%) of people looking to get on the property ladder believe their prospects of owning a home are further away than ever due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Bras are a ‘basic necessity’ and should not be subject to VAT – radiographers

Bras are a ‘basic necessity’ and should not be subject to VAT – radiographers

The tax disproportionately affects women and could be considered discriminatory, delegates at the Society of Radiographers conference will hear.

Bras are a basic necessity and should not be subject to VAT, according to radiographers.

The tax disproportionately affects women and could be considered discriminatory under the Equality Act, delegates at the Society of Radiographers will hear at their annual conference on Tuesday.

Diagnostic radiographers carry out X-rays, MRI, and CT scans, which can be used to identify musculoskeletal problems caused by poorly-fitted bras.

While there may not be any health conditions directly related to wearing a bra, there could be some musculoskeletal issues, particularly if you wear a larger cup size.

Proposing the motion during the three-day conference in Leeds, delegates will argue: “The imposition of VAT on bras disproportionately affects women. Taxing bras could be considered discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010.

“While there may not be any health conditions related to wearing a bra, there could be some musculoskeletal ones, particularly if you wear a larger cup size. Those wearing a bra size D or above often experience backaches, aching shoulders, and neck pain because of the weight of their breasts. Wearing a good-quality, well-fitted bra could alleviate some of these issues, and reduce time off sick due to musculoskeletal problems.”

Delegates will liken bras to menstrual products, which are a necessity and should therefore not be subject to VAT.

In January, VAT on period pants was removed following a two-year campaign by brands, retailers, women’s groups, and environmentalists, which began in 2021 when the so-called “tampon tax” was eliminated on other period products such as pads, tampons, and menstrual cups.

A 20% tax on period pants, designed as an alternative to tampons and sanitary towels, had remained because they were classified as garments.

Women who have had breast cancer surgery – whether a mastectomy, partial mastectomy, or lumpectomy – are exempt from VAT when buying certain bras.

Sydney knife attacker shot dead by police after killing six at shopping centre

Sydney knife attacker shot dead by police after killing six at shopping centre

The lone knifeman attacked shoppers on Saturday at the Westfield shopping centre in the suburb of Bondi Junction in eastern Sydney

A knife attacker killed six people and injured several others in a stabbing spree at a Sydney shopping centre before being shot dead by police.

The lone knifeman attacked shoppers on Saturday afternoon at the Westfield shopping centre in the suburb of Bondi Junction in eastern Sydney.

A female New South Wales Police inspector has been hailed as a hero after she confronted the attacker on her own and shot him dead as he raised a knife and lunged at her.

Police said they had identified the attacker as a 40-year-old man who was known to them, but added that they do not think he was motivated by terrorism.

Four women and a man died in the shopping centre, and another woman later died in hospital, police said.

A nine-month-old infant has undergone surgery, and eight people, including the child, are in hospitals around Sydney receiving treatment for “different injuries”.

Reports have suggested the woman who died in hospital is the infant’s mother.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb told a press conference that her officers believe the attacker “is a 40-year-old man”.

She added: “If in fact it is the person that we believe it is, then we don’t have fears for that person holding an ideation – in other words, that it’s not a terrorism incident. He is known to law enforcement but we are waiting to identify him formally.”

The King has said he and the Queen were “utterly shocked and horrified” by the “senseless attack” in Sydney and their “hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who have been so brutally killed”.

Emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction at 3.30pm (6.30am UK time) following reports that multiple people had been stabbed, police said.

Anthony Cooke, assistant commissioner of New South Wales Police, said the police officer “confronted the offender”.

At a press conference, he said: “As she continued to walk quickly behind to catch up with him, he turned to face her, raised a knife, she discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased.”

He added: “This all happened very, very quickly – the officer that was in the vicinity attended on her own, was guided to the location of the offender by people who were in the centre. She took the actions that she did saving a range of people’s lives; (she was) an inspector, a senior police officer – she was on her own.”

The officer conducted CPR on the attacker until the arrival of paramedics, who also worked on the man; however, he could not be revived.

Video footage shared online appears to show a shopper confronting the attacker on an escalator in the shopping centre by holding a bollard towards him.

“They just said run, run, run — someone’s been stabbed,” one witness told ABC TV in Australia.

They added: “(The attacker) was walking really calmly like he was having an ice cream in a park. And then he went up the escalators… and probably within about a minute we heard three gunshots.”

A supervisor of a luggage store in the centre said he witnessed the attacker stab a woman and saw the bodies of four people on the ground, including two security guards.

Yohan Francois Philip, 29, told the PA news agency that a woman fleeing the attacker ran to his shop, “banged on the door and said let me in”.

He added: “As I was letting her in, the perpetrator fell behind her with a knife and I saw him and so did the other customers in the store locked in with us and so we quickly pulled her in, locked the door, he got up and we realised he just stabbed two security guards. Then he ran across to the corner part of the luggage store, to the premium section, and he stabbed a woman which I saw happen right in front of me.”

Another shopper, who was not named, told ABC News of the moment the attacker was shot: “He just started floating towards us and all I heard was ‘put it down’ and then she shot him. But we were in no doubt, if she didn’t shoot him, he would have kept going. He was on the rampage. Then she walked over and gave him CPR. He had a big blade on him – she chucked the knife away. He looked like he was on a killing spree.”

In a statement, the King said: “My wife and I were utterly shocked and horrified to hear of the tragic stabbing incident in Bondi. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who have been so brutally killed during such a senseless attack. While details of these shocking circumstances are still emerging, our thoughts are also with those who were involved in the response, and we give thanks for the bravery of the first responders and emergency services.”

In a personal social media post, the Prince and Princess of Wales said they were “shocked and saddened” by the stabbings, adding that their thoughts are with those affected and the “heroic emergency responders who risked their own lives to save others.”

England thrash Scotland in Women’s Six Nations despite Amy Cokayne red card

England thrash Scotland in Women’s Six Nations despite Amy Cokayne red card

The Red Roses run riot again to take their Six Nations winning streak to 27 consecutive matches

England’s bid for a sixth successive Women’s Six Nations title remains firmly on track after a ruthless demolition of Scotland in round three, despite the dismissal of Amy Cokayne.

The Red Roses, winners of their last 27 matches in the competition, ran in eight tries in total and pitched a defensive shutout in a typically dominant 46-0 bonus-point thrashing in Edinburgh on Saturday, with a brace each for Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach.

Cokayne, Abby Dow, Sadia Kabeya, and skipper Marlie Packer also crossed the whitewash at a sold-out Hive Stadium as John Mitchell’s side built a six-point lead over nearest challengers France, who host Italy in Paris on Sunday.

Hooker Cokayne opened the scoring after six minutes when she took a pass from scrum half Mo Hunt to step inside and break clear. Kabeya then provided the final pass to unleash Dow into the corner, before Scotland saw a try from Maud Muir chalked off on review because of a dangerous ruck clear-out from Cokayne, who was shown a yellow card and sent to the sin bin.

England scored again before the break after centre Meg Jones kicked infield for Kildunne to scoop the ball over the line, with Holly Aitchison adding the conversion to see England into half-time with a healthy 17-0 lead.

Kabeya dived over to add a bonus-point try three minutes into the second half before Breach took a pass from Dow to canter off into the corner to further press home England’s advantage.

In the 54th minute, Cokayne was shown her second yellow card of the match following a high tackle on Scotland hooker Lana Skeldon and was sent off.

Despite the player disadvantage, England continued their momentum as Breach touched down again before Kildunne added her second after 65 minutes, going over in the corner for her sixth try of the tournament.

Squad captain Packer came off the bench to power over and claim England’s eighth try, which Zoe Harrison converted to round off another comprehensive victory for the defending champions.