hits

US Central Command says new strikes on Iran are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to choke the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States military said Sunday that it launched new strikes on Iran to “swiftly punish” the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for an attack that killed two American service members and left one missing and four requiring hospitalisation.

An area near Sirik in Iran’s Hormozgan province and Qeshm Island have been hit on the eighth consecutive night of US air strikes on Iran, according to Iran’s semi-official  Mehr and Tasnim news agencies.

The attacks happened early on Sunday, hitting Sirik at 1:30am local time (22:00 GMT, Saturday), and Qeshm Island at about 3:38am (00:08 GMT, Sunday) and again at 6:10am local time (0240 GMT) according to Iranian reports.

Tasnim also said the US military targeted a location near Shadegan in Iran’s Khuzestan province at 5:55am (02:25GMT Sunday).

The reports said there were no casualties and that residential and commercial infrastructure was not damaged in the attacks.

In a post on X, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the US military launched new strikes “designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”.

The post added that strikes were also in retaliation for Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on a US base in Jordan that killed the two US service members on Friday.

US Central Command later said its strikes targeted “Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites.”

Since the war began in February, 16 US service members have been killed and more than 430 wounded.

The Tasnim news agency said there were reports of explosions in Qom, Arak and Behbahan that were later denied by local authorities.

The governor of Arak said that “the situation is completely normal and so far we have not had any reports of attack or explosion”.

Iranian retaliatory strikes

Tasnim news agency said the Iranian army targeted US military assets in two bases in Kuwait.

A statement from Iran’s military said, “In response to the repeated aggressions of the enemy”, the army targeted a US “ammunition depot at Al-Adiri camp and the Patriot radar and air radar” at the Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait.

“Unforgettable lessons”

Before the latest US strikes began, Iran’s supreme leader warned of “unforgettable lessons” if the US continued its attacks on Iran.

Initially, the battle focused on control of the Strait of Hormuz. But US strikes have now widened to include civilian infrastructure, including bridges and desalination plants for drinking water.

State-run news agency IRNA said the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to about 10,000 people, and a desalination plant on strategic Qeshm Island inside the strait was damaged.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television the US is violating terms of the interim deal and “no longer implementing them”.

Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in US strikes in the past three weeks.

Late Saturday, the Iranian embassy in India named two girls – Sogand Dardmand and Fatemeh Zahra Akbari – who were among seven killed in a US strike on Bandar Khamir in southern Iran, which took place on Thursday.

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said that the last eight nights of US strikes on Iran have caused “anger” and “frustration” among the populace.

“People don’t really know whether they are going to see the continuation of this confrontation, or how long it’s going to take, and also if there is a possibility for a diplomatic settlement to resolve all these complexities and find a long-lasting solution”, he said.

July 18 (UPI) — Ukrainian drones hit two Russian warehouses, one near Moscow, and killed at least 8 people Saturday.

President Volodymyr Zelinsky said on X that, “two major logistics facilities were hit — in the Moscow and Tambov regions, more than [311 miles] and nearly [435 miles] from the front line. The aggressor used them to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment. An oil facility was also struck. In addition, Ukrainian mid-range strikes engaged targets in the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, and in our temporarily occupied Crimea.”

Of those killed, seven were working at a distribution center at Kotovsk in the Tambov region and another was at a similar facility in Elektrostal in the Moscow region, CNN reported. Both facilities were owned by Russian retail company Wildberries. But Ukraine alleges that the warehouses were used in the manufacturing of drones.

Wildberries has been described as the Russian version of Amazon, the BBC reported.

There were 25 people injured, and seven of them were in critical condition in Tambov, said Yevgeniy Pervyshov, governor of the region. He said 28 of the drones were shot down. At Elektrostal, 37 people were injured with eight suffering serious injuries, said Andrey Vorbiev, governor of the Moscow region.

A Ukrainian drone also hit an oil depot in the city of Noginsk, just north of Elektrostal in the Moscow region, setting a fire and wounding two people.

A nearby maternity hospital and residential building were forced to evacuate, Vorobiev said. Drone debris also hit a kindergarten building. The building caught fire, but it has been extinguished, he said.

A drone hit a residential building, which caught fire, in the city of Vladimir, about 110 miles east of Moscow, Vladimir Gov. Alexander Avdeyev said. There were no casualties.

Serhii Kuzan, chair of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, told the BBC that Wildberries is a “vital component” of Russian logistics. He said Russian volunteers use the site to buy military equipment such as walkie-talkies, body armor and drone parts.

“The primary rationale for striking Wildberries’ warehouses is to disrupt Russian logistics and the supply of dual-use goods, critical electronics, sanctioned goods and the like to the Russian army and Russian arms manufacturers,” he said.

“The collateral damage from such strikes could also have a serious impact on the Russian economy, as well as a psychological effect on Russian society and, likely, on continued support for the war,” Kuzan said.

PETE Tong has hit back at a rival DJ as they are embroiled in a row over a music collaboration gone wrong.

American DJ John Summit took to X in a rant where he claimed that the Radio 1 star had ‘promised’ to release his music together, but then decided to work with Dutch DJ Franky Rizardo instead and “jacked” John’s remix.

Fans of Pete and Franky were excited when the DJs revealed they were releasing a new remix of Everything But The Girl’s Missing earlier this year, but ran into controversy when John made the public claims that he was meant to be involved too.

John wrote online: “hey @petetong thanks for promising to release my missing remix with u (while doing nothing in terms of production)

“Then jacking my remix to release with franky rizardo release class act you are. to think i actually looked up to u too.”

John then went on to claim that there was ‘proof’ and said: “Also i ended up doing the whole orchestral version myself which im premiering this weekend, thanks for the zero help”.

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Pete hit back in a video, as he claimed discussions of working with John were simply that and never came to fruition, and that the project with Franky was an ‘independent’ one.

In a video, Pete said: “I’m disappointed. I don’t like being accused of things that aren’t true. If you’ve got a problem, pick up the phone – that’s certainly what I would preach.”

Going on to say that he had tried to call and text John with no avail, Pete claimed: “I think we acted correctly, we laid out the scenario to his team, for one reason or another, it wasn’t to be.

“They never got back to us, we carried on making the other version with Franky. And that’s it.”

Pete later explained: “We had positive conversations on text about doing a new version of his remix and at the same time I was talking to Franky.

“It’s quite normal when releasing a song to have different versions of the same song.

“I started the conversation with both of them, I got into it with John because he was particularly interested in the orchestra because he wanted to perform the song with an orchestra himself.”

Pete then said his management took over communication and told John they were also working on a version with Franky.

He claimed how his team then failed to hear back from John and chased him “multiple times” but never heard back.

Pete did hear back from Franky, he says, and they continued to work on their planned track.

Following John’s very public claims, Franky announced he was withdrawing from the release – saying it “no longer feels right”.

The US military has continued strikes against Iran, hitting targets further to the country’s north as well as close to capital Tehran for the first time in the latest round of violence.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said early on Thursday it struck several military sites and assets in a bid to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent mariners” in the Strait of Hormuz. The unit also said it disabled an oil tanker in the passageway.

At least 35 people have died, and more than 300 have been wounded in the latest wave of attacks that began last Wednesday after CENTCOM launched strikes on Iranian port cities close to the Strait of Hormuz. The US says the attacks are in retaliation for Iran hitting three commercial ships in the Strait.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted US military assets in neighbouring Gulf countries.

Here’s what has happened in Iran and the US on Wednesday and Thursday and what both sides are saying:

Where did the US hit?

CENTCOM said in a statement early on Thursday that US air strikes targeted Iranian command centres, air defence sites, missile and drone capabilities as well as coastal surveillance facilities.

Multiple locations were hit, CENTCOM said, including Bandar Abbas on Thursday.

An earlier wave of strikes late on Wednesday hit coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island in a 90-minute bombing wave, CENTCOM added. The small, strategically located island sits near the Strait of Hormuz and is believed to hold a naval base, although details are not publicly available. It is also believed to be a point from which the Iranian military has disrupted shipping routes.

Meanwhile, Iranian media reported attacks in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Sirik, Chabahar, Konarak, Rask, Khondab, Khorramabad and Semnan.

A hospital in Ahvaz was forced to evacuate 211 patients after reportedly being hit in the strikes.

Air defences were activated in Tehran and neighbouring Pakdasht and Parchin on Thursday.  The Iranian military said an MQ-9 drone was downed over the city of Andimeshk.

CENTCOM, in a separate statement on Thursday, said it was enforcing a naval blockade reimposed on Tuesday by disabling a “non-compliant” oil tanker that was attempting to sail towards Iran’s Kharg Island using Hellfire missiles.

How has Iran responded?

Iran’s army claimed retaliatory attacks on US military assets in Kuwait and Bahrain on Thursday.

Kuwait: The Iranian army said in a statement it targeted radar systems, the Patriot defence system and fuel tanks belonging to US forces at the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait. In an earlier statement, it said it hit a radar and gathering point for US soldiers in Kuwait, as well as US communications systems and fuel depots in Jordan’s al-Azraq airbase.

Bahrain: Drones also targeted US Super Hawk radars and Patriot defence systems at the Sheikh Isa airbase in Bahrain, the army added.

Jordan: Meanwhile, Jordan said it intercepted eight Iranian missiles on Thursday.

Iraq: Iraqi authorities said five drones attacked the city of Erbil, with two crashing near a US base and one shot down near the US consulate. Iran’s army has not claimed the attacks.

What are both sides saying?

Iran’s parliament speaker and lead negotiator, Mohammad Ghalibaf, said on Wednesday Iran is prepared for a fuller military confrontation if the US does not live up to the terms of the interim deal. The country is fighting an “existential” battle, he added.

The IRGC has, meanwhile, threatened to halt all energy exports from the Middle East over the US’s naval blockade, which was reimposed on Tuesday.

“The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one,” it said in a statement.

Speaking at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, President Donald Trump reiterated his claims that Iran was pushing to strike a peace deal behind the scenes but did not provide details.

“They don’t like what we’re doing, and they do want to settle. We’ll find out whether or not we settle with them, or we just finish it off,” he said.

However, in a rare show of gratitude on Wednesday, Trump thanked Iran via his Truth Social platform for the release of Dena Karari, an American citizen the US says was “wrongfully” jailed in the country since 2024.

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance, in an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan released on Wednesday, defended the war on Iran but added that an agreement was needed between the two sides to end the conflict.

TENNESSEE Thresher has hit back at a mum-shamer who demanded she ‘take action’ after her daughter was ‘screaming’ on a flight.

The influencer, 25, shares a 16-month-old daughter with YouTube star Danny Aarons.

And after travelling abroad last week, Tenessee received a message from a fellow passenger on the same flight about her daughter’s behaviour.

The passenger wrote: “Hi, I was on your flight today in seat 20c the man in a psg top and foyer brown 6ft male. I just wanted to say ur child disturbed my sleep a lot and wanted to bring it to your attention. Hopefully the appropriate actions take place to prevent this next time.” [sic]

In another message days later, the passenger dubbed Tennessee and Aaron’s daughter “completely out of order” and said they were expecting an apology video from both the couple and their toddler.

They ended the message by telling Tennessee they would be unfollowing her on Instagram.

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Sharing the messages, which she didn’t reply to, to her Instagram Stories, Tennessee publicly hit back.

“The world is full of freaks, I wish she screamed a bit louder for you,” she wrote over the screenshot.

Tennessee is best known for being a model and influencer, boasting 1.2 million followers on Instagram.

While Danny is a YouTuber and Twitch streamer.

The couple started dating after appearing on Locked In – the YouTube version of Big Brother – in 2023.

The couple revealed their engagement in January last year, just months after announcing their pregnancy.

Social media star Danny got down on one knee in the Maldives during an incredibly romantic meal on the beach.

They have kept family life since welcoming their little girl fairly private and don’t show her face online.

July 12 (UPI) — The U.S. military said late Sunday ithad completed a new wave of attacks against Iran, as world leaders raised fears that a fragile cease-fire would collapse and the conflict could widen beyond the region.

The Sunday attack was the second consecutive night that the United States had attacked Iran and was the fourth round in a week, prompting retaliatory strikes from Tehran against regional U.S. military assets following each operation, as the two sides battle over the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

U.S. Central Command said its forces had completed the wave of strikes, claiming to have hit dozens of targets with precision munitions with the intent to “degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iranian air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities and small boats were among the targets attacked by U.S. fighter jets, naval assets and aerial and sea drones on Sunday, CENTCOM said.

“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

“Iran does not control it.”

The announcement of the operation’s conclusion came hours after CENTCOM said it had begun and after the U.S. military refuted Iran’s claims that it had closed the vital waterway in response to what it characterized as violations of the 25-day-old U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding that established the shaky cease-fire.

“The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway,” CENTCOM declared. “U.S. forces are positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations. Iran does not control the strait.

“Traffic is flowing.”

Late Sunday, Iranian media reported explosions near Sirik and west of Bandar Abbas in the country’s south during the second night of U.S. strikes, which came shortly after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted what it called American military assets in Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

As CENTCOM announced the completion of its strikes, state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was targeting U.S. bases in Jordan.

Those attacks drew condemnation from the Gulf states and warnings from world leaders that events were spiraling quickly.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said it is “following with deep concern the recent incidents that are further escalating the regional tensions.”

Islamabad, which mediated the memorandum of understanding, “reiterates its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all brotherly countries in the region, and urges all sides to exercise restraint, take immediate steps towards de-escalation, and uphold respective commitments under the [MOU].”

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday similarly expressed “deep concerns” over what he called a “serious escalation & renewed military confrontations in the Gulf, including the Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the attacks by the U.S. on Iran, and the attacks by Iran on targets in the neighboring countries.

“These attacks must all stop,” he said, warning that “a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences — for the peoples of the region, for international peace & security & for the global economy.

“I urge Iran & the U.S. to urgently resume negotiations & to address outstanding issues through diplomacy,” Guterres said.

The fighting comes as the two sides were negotiating the implementation of the MOU, with the Strait of Hormuz appearing to be a sticking point.

The United States resumed striking Iran on Wednesday after Iran attacked three commercial ships in the vital chokepoint. The Trump administration is seeking to regain freedom of navigation through the strait, while Iran seeks to maintain control over ships transiting it.

July 11 (UPI) — Deforestation of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has fallen to its lowest levels in more than a decade, officials said this week.

Satellite surveys show a 37% decrease in the number of trees felled in the world’s largest rainforest in the past year compared to the previous one, according to the National Space Research Institute (INPE).

This is the lowest level of Amazon deforestation since 2014, data published on Friday shows.

“It’s a solid result, stemming from government actions to protect the forest and combat environmental crime,” said executive secretary Márcio Astrini, of the Brazilian environmental collective Observatório do Clima.

“The figures are excellent and deserve to be celebrated,” Astrini told G1.

The Amazon rainforest is one of the world’s most important climate regulators, scientists and experts have said.

Deforestation of the Amazon in Brazil reached a 15-year high in 2021 under former President Jair Bolsonaro, whose government cut environmental protections and enforcement of conservation laws.

Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has vowed to eradicate illegal deforestation by 2030.

“It is a commitment — otherwise, I will have failed,” Lula told reporters during an event in Belém do Pará, a city known as the metropolis of the Amazon.

WASHINGTON — The Senate is often a stuffy and self-serving institution enlivened mainly by the unintended gaffe, but senior Republicans Bob Dole of Kansas and Alan K. Simpson of Wyoming are standout exceptions.

As Gerald R. Ford’s vice presidential candidate in 1976, Dole delivered tart one-liners and showed a slashing political style that was partly blamed for the defeat of the ticket. After the campaign, Dole reflected on his image and admitted that he had been “going after the jugular–my own.”

“Many people come in and say, ‘I hated you in ‘76,’ ” Dole reflected. “These are generally Democrats. But that was my job; go out and feed them the raw meat. Now they say, ‘Boy, you’ve really changed.’ ”

As the Senate Republican leader and a likely presidential candidate, Dole restrains himself.

“I don’t say you soften, but you understand that certain things work, certain things don’t work,” he said. “I think sometimes you have to say, ‘Don’t say it, let it pass.’ I’ve probably missed some great lines that way.”

His forte is one-liners. He has the delivery of an expert fly-caster and a poker player’s deadpan.

“You don’t hurt people,” Dole said. “Even though people might laugh, and hurt, they think, ‘That was kind of mean.’ And I haven’t done many roasts; they get pretty tough.”

Dole’s material is topical, drawing from events around him.

“I was speaking at the Outlaw Inn at a Republican meeting in Kalispell, Mont.,” Dole said. “I thought, ‘There’s got to be a joke there somewhere.’

“My question (to a Republican audience) was: ‘Why are we having this meeting in Democratic headquarters?”

Simpson’s mere appearance inspires jokes–he is 6-foot-7, nearly bald and rail-thin–and he first developed his humor as a shield against pain.

“Humor for me came from the fact I weighed 185 pounds in the seventh grade and was 5-7 or so,” he said. “I had knock-knees and . . . I couldn’t outrun anybody or outfight anybody or outdo anybody.

“That’s where you’ve got two choices–go and suck your thumb, or learn humor.”

He still debunks his physique. His shiny pate is “the solar panel for a sex machine.”

“Humor is very good for me,” he said. “Especially when you begin to think you are the great potentate of powers and prowess, the high this, the chairman of that. It’s good to look at yourself in the mirror in the morning and say, ‘Al, you are full of it.’ ”

He is frequently ribald in private, but careful not to hurt.

“There’s a fine line between good humor and smart-ass, and I sometimes cross it,” he said. “You know when you’re doing something unseemly. There is a misuse of humor around town, like roasts.

“There’s nothing funny about how close you can get to sticking it in some guy. I’ve watched those roasts. The guy goes home and he’s in pain.

“I don’t like ethnic humor. Somebody will come up, say with some story about some minority and I don’t laugh.

“I know that if I laugh . . . or use that kind of humor, that means I have a seed of that stuff cooking in me.”

Satirist Mark Russell has used political humor for years, and the wit of Rep. Morris K. Udall (D-Ariz.) has entertained the nation for a generation. They admire the two senators.

“At his height in ‘76, when he had the hatchet man label, a reporter asked him what he thought of his image of a gut fighter,” Russell joked. “Dole smiled and kicked him in the gut.

“But he’s mellowed. It isn’t as damaging now; he is reflective.

‘Healthy Cynicism’

“Simpson epitomizes the Western disdain for ‘inside-the-beltway’ (Washington know-it-alls),” Russell said. “As did (former Interior Secretary James G.) Watt. But Watt was mean-spirited. Simpson has a healthy cynicism.”

Udall has watched Dole grow as a person and a humorist.

“People like a presidential candidate or majority leader to have a sense of humor and resent it if he is too cruel. He’s taken that to heart.”

Udall compares Simpson to “an old Abe Lincoln around a cracker barrel, always, ‘Let me tell you a story.’

“In the South and West, before television and radio, you had to be an entertainer. You had to go into town and exhort, to inspire folks, but do it in an interesting way and get a few laughs. He’s in this political tradition.

The Wit and Wisdom of Dole and Simpson

Sen. Bob Dole

“On election night in 1976, even at the point where we were 80 electoral votes behind, I went to bed and slept like a baby. Every two hours, I woke up and cried.”

After a congressional battle over banking legislation: “Not that I am unpopular with bankers, but just before I left home tonight, mine came by and picked up his toaster and set of dishes.”

“I was seated next to (Secretary of State) George Shultz and asked him what he thought about the Caribbean Basin. He said, ‘It’s OK, but personally, I like a shower better.’ ”

Of former Interior Secretary James G. Watt: “What can you say about a man whose dream is to have a parking lot named in his honor?”

Sen. Alan K. Simpson

Of former Sen. Howard Baker: “He dresses so loosely, he has to stay inside on trash pickup day.”

On a dubious nominee for appointive office: “He filled out an application form and in the blank where it said, church preference, he wrote, ‘red brick.’ ”

“They were doing a movie on Congress and when they got to the part where the congressman refused the bribe, they had to use a stunt man.”

“The rich are indeed different. Among the Republicans in Beverly Hills, the Internal Revenue Service is known as a terrorist organization.”

“I have come to know the difference between a horse race and a political race. In a horse race, the entire horse runs.”

BONNIE Tyler fans have some incredible songs to remember her by after the sad news of her passing in Portugal on Wednesday night.

On Thursday it was confirmed that the singer had died aged 75, weeks after undergoing emergency surgery and being put in an induced coma.

The star was put into a coma back in April at Faro Hospital, later suffered complications, but woke up from the coma in June.

Her heartbroken family shared a statement that she had passed away from an illness last night.

Bonnie, who was born in Gaynor Hopkins in Mumbles, South Wales, shot to fame in the 70s and has had an amazing singing career.

Over the years, according to Official Charts, Bonnie has had one UK No.1, five UK top 10s, seven UK top 40s, and 12 UK top 75s.

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Her single Total Eclipse Of The Heart, which was released in 1983, peaked at No.1 and was there for a total of two weeks.

Meanwhile the 1984 tune, Holding Out For A Hero, peaked at number 96 in the charts.

It’s A Heartache, which was released in 1977, got to number 4 and was in the charts for 12 weeks.

And the 1976 tune Lost In France hit number nine and was there for a total of 10 weeks.

Married Men, which was released in 1979, peaked at 35 and was in the charts for 42 days.

The 1983 song Fasted The The Speed Of Night was in the charts for 35 days and managed to get to number 47.

And Have You Ever Seen The Rain?, released in 1983, hit number 47 and was in the charts for three weeks.

She’s also had a number of other chart-topping songs including A Rockin’ Good Way, Getting So Excited, Holding Out For A Hero, and Believe In Me.

Over the years she also released over 15 studio albums.

Her album, Faster Than The Speed Of Light, peaked at No.1 in 1983 and was there for one week.

It stayed in the charts for an amazing 45 weeks.

The Greatest Hits peaked at number 18 in 1986 and was in the charts for 21 weeks.

Her other albums include The World Starts Tonight (1977), Natural Force (1978), Diamond Cut (1979), Goodbye to the Island (1981), Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire (1986).

Some of her others are Hide Your Heart (1988),Bitterblue (1991), Angel Heart (1992), Silhouette in Red (1993), Free Spirit (1995), All in One Voice (1998), Heart Strings (2003), Simply Believe (2004), Wings (2005), Rocks and Honey (2013) and Between the Earth and the Stars (2019).

And most recently, The Best Is Yet to Come, which was released five years ago.

It comes after a statement published on the singer’s website today (9 July 2026) confirmed the legendary singer passed away last night following an illness.

It read: “Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for.

“We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy.”

In April, she began to feel intense abdominal pain shortly after arriving in Portugal, where she has a second home, following tests in London.

It was announced in May that Bonnie had been rushed to hospital with a serious tear in her bowel and had to have emergency surgery.

But complications from the operation meant doctors had to place the singer in an induced coma.

Portuguese media claimed Bonnie went into cardiac arrest when doctors first tried to bring her out of her induced coma several weeks ago.

She was due to perform at the Sunshine Festival in Worcester this summer, along with a number of European dates.

Bonnie had also been booked to perform at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on December 17.

The singer who was married to property developer Robert Sullivan since 1973.

She competed at the Eurovision Song Contest for UK in 2013 and finished the competition in 19th place with her song Believe In Me.

In Shohei Ohtani, who on Tuesday became the first Japanese player to hit 300 home runs in MLB, the Dodgers had the first National League All-Star voted in this year.

They still have a chance for a late addition.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been lobbying for two members of his pitching staff to be named replacement players: left-handed starter Justin Wrobleski and left-handed reliever Tanner Scott.

“There’s going to be some changes and some talks here,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. “There’s continual talks about both guys.”

Earlier Tuesday, MLB announced replacements for three NL pitchers who won’t be eligible to appear in the All-Star Game. Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft, Philadelphia’s Jesús Luzardo and St. Louis’ Riley O’Brien claimed spots as Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and Miami’s Max Meyer bowed out.

“Obviously it’s disappointing,” Wrobleski said after holding the Rockies to one run through seven innings. “You want to be an All-Star. It’s something that, regardless of the year, whenever, it’s always a big deal. It’s something I wanted to do. It’s frustrating to not get that nod. But like I said before, it’s just more reason to try and keep getting better. Hopefully I can gain the respect of players and everybody else and maybe be in there next year.”

There should continue to be movement on the All-Star roster, especially on the pitching side, with rotation schedules limiting which starters can participate. Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for example, is lined up to start Saturday, which may take him off the table for the All-Star Game next Tuesday.

That could open the door for Wrobleski and Scott.

Asked to make his pitch for Wrobleski, Roberts pointed to his ERA (2.69, No. 8 among qualified NL pitchers), average of more than six innings per start and 10 wins.

“We run a six-man rotation, and I just don’t want him to get dinged for not making a couple more starts that he potentially could have had,” Roberts said. “I just think that he’s performed enough to earn that opportunity.

“And also, Tanner had a rough one [Monday], but I still think that … he’s one of the elite relievers in the National League.”

Scott, after notching just his second blown save Monday, compared to his 12 saves and 2.70 ERA, didn’t have an opening to improve on his All-Star campaign Tuesday.

Wrobleski, however, strengthened his.

He stayed true to his identity, pounding the strike zone and inducing weak contact to go with nine strikeouts. The only run he gave up came on a groundout in the sixth inning with runners on the corners.

In a nod to Wrobleski’s new nickname, “The Shark,” coined by Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martínez, Dodger Stadium organist Dieter Ruehle played a snippet of the “Jaws” theme to punctuate Wrobleski’s punchouts, and as he walked off the mound for the last time.

Justin Wrobleski was great for seven innings Tuesday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Once Wrobleski’s job was done, he paced in the dugout, interrupted once in a while by a hug or handshakes from a teammate. Catcher Dalton Rushing held his hand up to his forehead like a shark fin.

The name and attacking reputation had stuck. Would it be enough for an All-Star nod?

“If it happens, great,” Wrobleski said. “If it doesn’t happen, some time off and just chill for a couple days. Either way, I’m all good.”

On the offensive side, Ohtani’s leadoff homer made him the first player to notch 300 home runs and 100-plus stolen bases in his first nine MLB seasons, according to ESPN Insights. Tuesday was his 1,101st game with at least one plate appearance. By that measure, he was the fifth-fastest to 300 home runs, according to mlb.com and Elias Sports Bureau, behind only Aaron Judge (953), Ralph Kiner (1,086), Ryan Howard (1,091) and Juan González (1,093).

“It was quite the homer,” Roberts said. “I mean, it was [112 mph] off the bat, low launch angle. It was squared up, got out in a hurry. And 300 — he got there pretty quickly for us. I just marvel at him every day.”

Defense unravels late

The Dodgers widened their lead to two runs but gave it up in the eighth on a pair of errors, including one on a sacrifice bunt.

Shortstop Miguel Rojas, who botched a grounder to his left earlier in the inning that enabled a run to score, was late breaking to cover third, leaving the bag wide open. Second baseman Alex Freeland tried to hit Rojas in stride with his throw and was charged with an error when it got away and the go-ahead run scored.

“Physical errors happen, and I’m OK with that,” Rojas said. “I’m not perfect, and I’m going to make errors, and physical errors are OK. But mental errors are the ones that are disappointing. I should have been on third base, I shouldn’t be putting Alex Freeland in the situation of throwing the ball with me on the run there. That’s the one that I kick myself for.”

Said Roberts: “This guy’s as dependable as they come. So that it happens, we don’t like it, doesn’t feel good, but you know that player. I give him a lot of grace, because he is very dependable.”

Right-hander Evan Phillips made his first major-league appearance in 14 months, after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, and had two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning. But the Dodgers offense didn’t muster a comeback, as the top of the batting order went down in order with two runners on.

Ohtani on track

Ohtani is still in line to pitch Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Roberts said.

The right biceps issue that flared in Ohtani’s final at-bat last Friday, and sidelined him Saturday, raised the question of whether he should skip his last start before the All-Star break. But Roberts said Ohtani’s catch play has been normal and he hasn’t reported any concerns with his biceps.

“As he goes through the next couple days, if he doesn’t feel great, we’ll pivot, and we’re prepared to pivot,” Roberts said. “But as we sit here, I don’t see that changing.”

Roberts said he doesn’t think Ohtani will pitch in the All-Star Game or participate in the home run derby. But he does expect him to take an at-bat or two as the NL’s starting designated hitter.

“He understands the responsibility he has,” Roberts said. “So I do think that there’s a middle for what’s best for him, what potentially could be downside, but also what’s best for the game.”

July 3 (Asia Today) — South Korea will provide 14.9 trillion won ($9.7 billion) in emergency financing and expand tax and trade-insurance support for small and midsize companies struggling with higher import costs caused by the weak won.

The government announced the measures Friday during an emergency economic meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun Cheol at Government Complex Sejong.

The package is intended to improve liquidity for companies facing rising raw-material costs and financing pressures as the won remains weak against the U.S. dollar.

The government will redirect 13.8 trillion won ($9 billion) in unused capacity from a 23.7 trillion won ($15.5 billion) policy-financing program previously established in response to the Middle East crisis.

An additional 1.1 trillion won ($719 million) in new financing will also be provided. The government said the total could be increased depending on demand and the pace at which available funding is used.

The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency will establish a special emergency stabilization fund for companies affected by the exchange rate.

Small companies that import raw materials or components worth at least 20% of annual sales will be allowed to apply without meeting an existing requirement that sales or operating profit must have fallen by at least 10%.

The Export-Import Bank of Korea will increase its special crisis-response program from 7 trillion won ($4.6 billion) to 8 trillion won ($5.2 billion).

The bank will also increase its maximum interest-rate reduction from 2 percentage points to 2.2 percentage points.

A new ultralow-interest loan program will provide financing at rates close to the state-run bank’s own funding costs for companies affected by the high won-dollar exchange rate.

The Korea Technology Finance Corp. will raise the coverage ratio for its emergency business stabilization guarantees from 95% to 100%. The reduction in guarantee fees will increase from 0.3 percentage points to 0.4 percentage points.

Companies already using government policy loans may also receive repayment deferrals and loan-maturity extensions.

The government will expand import insurance and currency fluctuation insurance to help businesses manage exchange-rate risks.

Small and midsize companies without an export record will be allowed to purchase import insurance, which was previously more difficult for companies focused primarily on the domestic market to obtain.

Import insurance premiums will be discounted by 50% through April 2027.

Companies facing higher costs for essential imported raw materials may also receive up to twice the normal loan-guarantee limit from the state-run Korea Trade Insurance Corp.

The amount available under the government’s currency fluctuation insurance program will increase from 1.2 trillion won ($785 million) to 1.3 trillion won ($850 million).

Premium discounts for small companies will double from 15% to 30%.

Eligibility for the insurance will also expand from selected raw-material importers to companies importing nearly all categories of goods, excluding luxury products.

The government will establish a separate 10 billion won ($6.5 million) export-voucher program for companies affected by the exchange rate.

The maximum trade-insurance premium support available through the voucher system will temporarily double from 10 million won ($6,500) to 20 million won ($13,100).

The government also plans to allow insurance support to be paid in advance rather than reimbursed after the insurance contract ends.

Small companies borrowing from the Export-Import Bank of Korea will be offered a free option to convert loans between the won and foreign currencies or between two foreign currencies.

Tax relief will be provided alongside the financing programs.

Payment deadlines for corporate income tax, value-added tax, individual income tax and customs duties may be extended for companies experiencing exchange-rate-related financial difficulties.

The government will also provide consulting to help companies reflect currency movements in agreements that link subcontracting payments to changes in raw-material costs.

Companies that effectively operate the system may receive incentives, including exemptions from certain government-initiated investigations into subcontracting practices.

Financial institutions will receive credit under a government evaluation index for providing assistance to small companies affected by the weak won.

Regional export support centers will serve as one-stop contact points for companies seeking information on financing, insurance, tax relief and other assistance.

The government said it would continue reviewing the difficulties faced by businesses and consider additional measures if needed.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260703010001157

India’s 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi wastes no time in his ODI debut against England as he smashes Hofra Archer and Josh Tongue for two sixes early on in India’s innings at Old Trafford.

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Ukraine has struck a major oil terminal in Russia’s second city of St Petersburg and other targets in the country’s north-west.

In a post on social media, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote: “Ukraine’s defence forces struck port oil infrastructure that generates revenue for Russia’s war.” He also said an “important military target” was hit overnight in Kronstadt, a nearby naval base.

St Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov said the city was under a “massive” drone attack, admitting the oil terminal was hit. He reported no casualties.

Ukraine has in recent months intensified its long-range drone attacks on Russia’s critical energy infrastructure, causing fuel shortages in a number of regions.

In his post on Saturday morning, Zelensky said the targets hit in St Petersburg and the surrounding region were about 850km (528 miles) from Ukraine’s border.

The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, but a video posted by the Ukrainian president showed a drone flying towards a target and a huge column of black smoke billowing from the area after the strike.

The BBC later verified that St Petersburg’s oil terminal was hit.

Ukraine’s military described the terminal as “one of the largest” in Russia, capable of producing 12.5 million tonnes of petroleum products per year.

The military also said a key naval base of the Russian Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt was hit.

Russia has not publicly commented on the claim.

Writing on Telegram, Governor Beglov said that 72 Ukrainian drones were shot down over St Petersburg and the wider Leningrad region.

He urged city residents to stay indoors until the drone threat was lifted. Mobile internet services may also be disrupted, he warned.

More than five million people live in St Petersburg.

In a separate development on Saturday, Ukraine’s military denied that the key eastern Ukrainian town of Kostyantynivka was now under full Russian control.

Military spokesman Maj Andriy Kovalyov told the BBC that “Kostyantynivka remains under the control of the Defence Forces of Ukraine”.

He admitted that there were “cases of infiltration by small infantry groups deep into the combat formations of our forces”, but added that those groups were being identified and destroyed.

His comments came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russian control had been established over the town of Kostyantynivka in June.

Putin provided no evidence to back his claim.

Later on Saturday, Zelensky wrote on Telegram: “If Kostyantynivka is now under Russian control, then Putin will probably have no problem meeting me there and finding diplomatic solutions to finally end the war. But still, he will not cross the front line: the truth is very different from Putin’s words.”

Kostyantynivka is one of several heavily-fortified towns that make up Ukraine’s “fortress belt” in the Donetsk region, most of which is occupied by Russia.

President Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Toronto, Canada – The year was 2009, and a sculpted, spiky-haired, 24-year-old Ronaldo was greeted by hundreds of adoring fans in Toronto dying to catch a glimpse of the newly signed Real Madrid superstar as he graced the city with his presence for the first time.

Fast forward 17 years, and the visuals are almost identical, give or take a few differences.

Hundreds of Toronto residents took to the streets on Wednesday, lining highways, thronging downtown intersections, climbing onto each other’s shoulders and peeking out of high-rise buildings, all to get a 10-second glimpse of Ronaldo passing by, as Portugal arrived in the city ahead of their World Cup round of 32 clash with Croatia.

The last time the football icon was in Toronto was August 2009 when Real Madrid played a friendly against Toronto FC, coincidentally at the same stadium where Portugal will take on Croatia on Thursday evening.

Wednesday being a public holiday increased the chances of fans catching a glimpse of the 41-year-old football legend at what is likely to be his last ever World Cup, and potentially last World Cup match if Portugal are knocked out of the tournament.

The city was buzzing with Ronaldo fever right from the minute Portugal landed at Pearson airport early Wednesday afternoon.

Biker groups lined Gardiner Expressway to escort the Portuguese team bus to the Delta Hotel, where hundreds of fans gathered to get a glimpse of Ronaldo as he exited the bus, and then again when the team headed to Centennial Park for their training session.

Even at the grounds in Etobicoke, dozens of starstruck fans sporting red #7 jerseys stood outside the field as Ronaldo and the Portugal team warmed up on what was supposedly the hottest day of the year in Canada.

The fan frenzy was valid; for most Portugal fans in the city, this was the closest they would get to seeing the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo in person.

Sky-high ticket prices for the match, some as ludicrous as $30,000 Canadian dollars ($21,000), were unaffordable to the average football fan.

Tickets to the sold-out game have averaged $2,500-3,500 Canadian dollars over the past week on resale platforms, even though Ontario laws forbid third-party sales above face value.

“I’m a dad and a husband, and I couldn’t justify spending that kind of money on a ticket no matter how much I want to see Portugal play in Toronto,” Joey, 33, told Al Jazeera, as he closed out his shift at Bairrada Churrasqueira on the fringe of Little Portugal in Toronto.

“But it still feels surreal that Portugal is playing here in Toronto, who would have ever thought that,” the restaurant worker beamed, as he flipped chairs onto the tables before mopping the floor.

Worlds collide

Joey, who declined to share his surname, was one of tens of thousands of Portuguese-Canadians who have called Toronto home for several decades now.

The first wave of immigrants arrived in the 1950s seeking better opportunities for themselves and their families. Just last year, the city inaugurated the Azores Parkette in the heart of Little Portugal to honour the 18 “pioneering men” who departed Sao Miguel, Azores, and landed on the shores of Halifax to build a new life.

So when Portugal take the field in Toronto Stadium on Thursday, it’ll be more than just a game for generations of hyphenated Canadians in the city; for them, it’s two worlds colliding in a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

For Shannon Medeiros, 46, the match holds even more significance. The football fanatic fell in love with the sport aged six, inspired by her father, who attended every game and coached her as she delved into the sport.

The game has been a crucial part of her life, and her family’s, since her father and his family arrived in Canada when he was 16 years old, in the 1950s.

Like many immigrants at the time, schooling had to be abandoned in favour of a job to help make ends meet for the family, which, in his case, arrived in Montreal with a single suitcase and lived in another family’s basement until they could afford a place of their own.

Football was the only non-negotiable, axiomatic staple in the Portuguese community that grew from a few hundred to more than 300,000 people.

“It’s something we do as a family now; that’s how much the game means to us,” said Medeiros, who now coaches her two sons in the sport the way her father did for her.

The storyline is almost identical to that of Stephen Eustaquio, Canada’s wonder boy who scored against South Africa to send his team to the World Cup round of 16 for the first time in history.

The Ontario-born, partially Portuguese-raised football star was guided into the sport by his father and his Portuguese background for a love of football. The sport was a way for the community to come together and enjoy a shared sense of identity, as Canada welcomed dozens of ethnicities decade after decade.

“The one thing you’ll see in the Portuguese community is how proud we are – of our heritage, our culture, to wear the jersey, put a flag up,” Medeiros told Al Jazeera.

A walk through Little Portugal during the World Cup would show you just that; flags split diagonally with Canada and Portugal in each half, fluttering on porches or glued to bedroom windows, an omnipresent CN Tower needle peeking above the neighbourhood anywhere you stand.

Match predictions

Medeiros admitted that while the team has not been playing to their full potential at the tournament, they have a strong chance of winning against Croatia. She’ll see whether her prediction comes true or not as she watches the game with her father at his house.

Elsewhere in the city, fans without match tickets are heading to sports bars, match screenings and fan festivals to see whether Ronaldo will score his first knockout-round goal at a World Cup that saw an unimpressive start for the Portuguese captain.

“I think Portugal will win 2-1, or maybe 3-1. But don’t tell my girlfriend I said that,” Josh Madeiros grinned, as he waited for his drink at Garrafeira. The Portuguese-Canadian 35-year-old will be supporting his side away from his girlfriend, who is Croatian.

He thought long and hard before admitting that Portugal’s team has had a shaky run so far, and that there’s only so much Ronaldo can do as a player in his forties.

“But he’s still my guy, and he’s still the GOAT [greatest of all time].”

KATIE Price has furiously hit back after Meg Matthews branded her “utterly irresponsible” for buying a £2,000 dog with husband Lee Andrews in Dubai. 

The 48-year-old announced yesterday how she and Lee, 43, had dropped the huge sum of cash on a male pomsky, which is a mix between a Siberian Husky and a Pomeranian.

Following the news, Meg, 60, took to Instagram to slam Katie, writing: “Why buy a puppy when you don’t live in Dubai?

“This is utterly ridiculous, irresponsible… a husky mix in Dubai, heat training takes time [and] commitment.

“Do they have a house and garden/yard? Just heartbreaking, sends the wrong message.”

Katie wasted no time in responding to Meg’s words, commenting on her post:  “Am I missing something Meg?

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“Go back through your messages to me, how nice you have always been, asking me for help and now this?

“You don’t know me personally so calm down. And Lee lives in Dubai, my husband.”

Katie and Lee excited announced their newest addition yesterday, with her telling fans: “Just like we signed for our marriage, we’ve signed for our baby.

Lee added: “We’re new owners of this baby boy.”

Katie jumped in, explaining: “We’ve got no kids but this is our baby boy.”

“He’s our first baby together,” she later added as she introduced the puppy to fans.

The couple have chosen to call the blue-eyed dog Dubaii – with an extra ‘i’ – as a nod to where he’s from.

It comes days after the death of one of Katie’s Sphynx cats and disappearance of two others – Eilleen and Doris.

Announcing the sad news on Cameo, Lee told a fan: “I love dogs, I love cats, I love animals. So does Kate, so we share that empathy. She’s got five Sphynxes actually. One has just passed away.

“Sorry, eight Sphynxes, five dogs. Eight Sphynxes, now seven, one passed away.”

SACRAMENTO — Teoscar Hernández was back from a hamstring injury, and a little bit humble. He was about to play his first game in a month for the Dodgers.

“I don’t think they really need me in the lineup,” he said, with a hint of a smile.

Hernández hit 58 home runs over his first two seasons with the Dodgers, each of which ended in a World Series championship, so of course they need him. But, in his absence, the Dodgers had more than doubled their National League West lead.

Hernández is back, but Will Smith and Kiké Hernández still are out. So are Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Edwin Díaz.

No matter: The Dodgers boosted their division lead to 11 games Monday, with a 9-4 victory over the Athletics. Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy and Andy Pages homered to highlight a 17-hit attack.

The Dodgers are on pace to win the NL West by 21 games. They boast the best record in the major leagues at 55-30, and Ohtani and the Traveling All-Stars remain baseball’s best road show.

Before the game, a guy setting up one of the merchandise stands here pointed to all the Dodgers gear for sale. He wore a Dodgers cap. He said he wished he had more Dodgers stuff to sell, because the crowd would be overwhelmingly in favor of the Dodgers.

And so it was, one day after San Diego fans complained of all the Dodgers partisans at Petco Park. In Sacramento, where the wandering home team wears a Sacramento patch on one jersey sleeve and a Las Vegas patch on the other sleeve, there were loud cheers for Ohtani and Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, and loud chants of “Let’s go, Dodgers!”

Every Dodger in the starting lineup had two hits except for Betts, who had one.

Eric Lauer, imported to fortify a starting rotation without Glasnow and Snell, worked six innings to record the victory. He gave up three runs and four hits in the second inning, no runs and four hits over the other five.

Dodgers starting pitcher Eric Lauer worked six innings to record the victory. He gave up three runs and four hits in the second inning, no runs and four hits over the other five.

(Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

He is 3-0 with 2.88 earned-run average in six starts for the Dodgers, the last three of them classified as quality starts.

Glasnow and Snell are weeks away from returning, and maybe more, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said they would not lose their job because of injury.

“Eric coming over here knew that this was the deal, right?” said Roberts, who posted his 999th career win. “Until they get back. We just don’t know when. He’s just got to stay focused on doing his job. Then when that time comes we’ll see what happens.”

In the top of the second, the Dodgers bunched four hits, all singles — the first by Hernández, beating out an infield single in his first at-bat since the hamstring injury — to take a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the A’s also bunched four hits, including a Colby Thomas home run, to take a 3-2 lead.

The rest of the Dodgers’ scoring: a solo homer by Muncy and a two-run homer by Pages in the fourth, a three-run homer by Ohtani in the sixth, and an RBI single by Freeman in the eighth. The A’s scored the final run on a wild pitch in the ninth.

Miguel Rojas said the Dodgers have flourished in the wake of significant injuries because the organization places a priority on developing players and giving them a fair shot at playing time, citing Pages, infielder Alex Freeland and pitchers Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan, as well as wise trades for supplementary players, including infielder-outfielder Tommy Edman and outfielder Alex Call.

Shohei Ohtani tosses his bat after hitting a three-run home run for the Dodgers in the sixth inning against the Athletics on Monday night.

(Sara Nevis / Associated Press)

“It’s not living with the narrative of ‘We’re buying championships and spending money,’” Rojas said. “Yeah, we’re spending money to get good players. But we’re not really basing our success just on that.

“The front office does quality work on getting the right players and putting the puzzle together. I feel that’s the reason why we can afford losing a couple guys in the middle of the year, because we have a full team that is ready to step up.”

Still, Rojas conceded none of that would matter without Ohtani, Freeman, Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And, yes, Rojas said, the Dodgers do have an irreplaceable player.

“It’s going to be really hard if we lose Shohei,” Rojas said. “It’s going to be a little bit different than losing another player. Having Shohei at the top of the lineup every single day and doing both sides of the ball has been really helpful.”

Ohtani gave the Sacramento crowd what it wanted to see: a majestic 432-foot home run, with a supercharged, 112-mph exit velocity. On Wednesday, the last day of the Dodgers’ only scheduled visit here before the A’s move to Las Vegas in 2028, he’ll take the mound to give the people more of what they want to see.

LILY Allen has defended herself against complaints that the setlist of her West End Girl Tour is “too short”.

The singer, 41, released the album in October of last year and it features 14 songs.

The album in its entirety is only 45 minutes, which has led some to question if the £86 ticket fee is value for money.

Complaining about the show, one X user said: “Lily Allen at the O2. No support act. Arrived on stage at 9:10pm. All wrapped up by 10pm. Not one word to the audience.”

Addressing the backlash over the length of the gigs, Lily responded to the comment directly with a statement.

It reads: “There is a support act.

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“The show has always been advertised as “Lily Allen performs West End Girl.”

“I was a few mins late as my tights were laddered and i had to change them.

“The show is just over an hour as it’s just the album in its entirety. It’s my artistic choice not to talk to the audience, the fourth wall helps with the storytelling.

“Most people find it to be effective. I don’t want anyone to feel ripped off,

“Everyone on this tour is really working very hard to give people the best show we possibly can, and i’m extremely proud of it.”

Fans responding to the post praised Lily for speaking up and supporting her artistic vision with the shorter album.

One user said: “I was there last night and it was incredible, you are incredible!”

A second shared: “You tell them, the girls that get it get it.”

A third added: “The concept of buying tickets to a show called “Lily Allen Performs West End Girl” and being mad that you didn’t hear Not Fair [another track of hers], like let’s use our brains for a moment.”

West End Girl is Lily’s fifth studio album to date.

June 28 (UPI) — Ukrainian long-range weapons struck two major Russian oil refineries on Sunday as President Vladimir Putin promised to ramp up security against Kyiv’s attacks in an address to United Russia party members.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in a social media post that the Slavyansk oil refinery in the Krasnodar region and another facility in the Yaroslavl region were hit, accompanying those claims were video showing buildings ablaze with thick smoke pouring into the sky.

The Slavyansk refinery is about 186 miles from the front lines of the Russian invasion in eastern Ukraine, while the Yaroslavl facility significantly farther away, at approximately at 434 miles.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces celebrated the nation’s Constitution Day with the attacks, which continued Kyiv’s recent ramping up of its strikes on Russian infrastructure located far behind the front lines through the use of sophisticated long-range weaponry.

“We continue our operations that weaken Russia’s ability to wage this war,” Zelensky said. “Each of our long-range sanctions means fewer resources serving Russia’s war machine, and another step toward peace.”

Sunday’s strikes appeared to be a continuation of Zelensky’s newly announced 40-day “influence campaign” of using intermediate- and long-range weapons against Russia’s oil infrastructure in a bid to bring Putin to the negotiating table.

The Russian-installed occupation authorities in the Crimean Peninsula announced a regional state of emergency on Friday amid gas shortages shortly after the initiation of campaign.

In Moscow, meanwhile, Putin on Sunday obliquely admitted Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign was affecting Russians’ lives, but then quickly dismissed those concerns.

In a speech to the 23rd congress of his United Russia Party, Putin vowed to improve security and defenses against Ukrainian attacks.

“The congress of United Russia, our leading political party, is taking place at a difficult time — it would be safe to say that it is a pivotal moment for our country and a period of radical and systemic transformation of the entire world,” the president said, while pointing the finger at “Western elites.”

“Once again, Russia is confidently repelling any attempts to deter our progress. We have sufficient resources, means, and political will, and nobody should doubt that,” he declared.

Putin did not mention the wide-scale gasoline shortages being felt around the country but vowed to ensure the security of Russia.

June 27 (UPI) — The United States attacked Iranian drone sites Saturday morning, and Iran hit Bahrain in response.

In Bahrain, two one-way attack drones hit the country, according to the New York Times. One was shot down by a ground-launched air-defense weapon, a U.S. official told the Times, and the other landed without harm in a remote airfield.

“This constitutes a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, a blatant threat to the safety of citizens and residents,” Bahrain’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The United States used six F35 and F16 Air Force jets to hit four Iranian sites in the strait, an anonymous official told The Times.

Ebrahim Azizi, a conservative Iranian lawmaker, said in a social media post that the U.S. attacks on Friday were a “reckless violation of the cease-fire” and warned that the attacks would lead the United States to “retreat and regret.”

Azizi added that the strikes show that President Donald Trump “has no commitment to the principles of negotiations.”

On Friday afternoon, Trump ordered strikes on Iran after it staged a drone strike on a shipping vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The president had made vague threats on Iran and said that the country had attacked ships in the strait.

Vice President JD Vance, who has been handling the negotiations, posted on X that the United States had honored the MOU.

“If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone,” he posted. “But violence will be met with violence.”

Saturday morning, another ship was hit in the strait by an “unidentified projectile” damaging its bridge but causing no injuries to the crew, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center. The organization didn’t say who launched the attack.

Mohsen Rezaei, a former Iranian military chief who advises Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, accused the United States of “continuing to create tensions” in the strait. “The response to the violation of any article of the memorandum of understanding will be swift and decisive,” he said in a post on social media, The Times reported.