A landslide on the outskirts of the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing has killed at least eight people and left 34 missing. 10 residential buildings have been buried, forcing more than a thousand residents to evacuate.
The Hairdresser Mysteries seems to have won over TV viewers as it launched to favourable reviews on BBC One
The Hairdresser Mysteries had a great response from viewers(Image: BBC/Mill Bay Media/Khuram Mirza)
A new BBC detective series has left fans “obsessed” as it launches with positive reviews.
The Hairdresser Mysteries made its debut on Friday, 17 July at 2pm. Written by playwright Jim Cartwright, the series centres on Lily Petal, a talented hairdresser whose obsession with all things 1970s is matched only by her flair for styling.
After leaving the fast-paced world of an upmarket London salon, she relocates to a small hairdressing shop in a quiet northern market town in search of a slower pace of life. However, that plan quickly unravels when a string of suspicious deaths begins unfolding around her new home.
Before long, Lily finds herself solving crimes instead of simply cutting hair, with sharp-minded assistant Clary Coombs by her side. Their unlikely detective team is completed by the town’s resident busybody, Wincey, and enthusiastic Police Constable Adam, who all become caught up in a series of investigations.
Leading the cast is Sally Phillips as Lily, the fashionable salon owner whose knack for uncovering clues proves just as useful as her skills with a pair of scissors. The 56-year-old actress is widely recognised for playing Shazza throughout the Bridget Jones film series.
Taking on the role of Clary is Charlotte Jordan, whose character’s intelligence and eye for detail make her an invaluable partner in Lily’s amateur sleuthing. The 32-year-old actress is best known to television audiences for portraying Daisy Midgeley in Coronation Street, a role she held between 2020 and 2025.
Promoting the show on Instagram, actress Charlotte penned: “The Hairdresser Mysteries’ drops on @bbcone and @bbciplayer today with the schamazinggg @sallysmack @isunetra and @bencastlegibb.
“Welcome to Blosson Vale. Where everyone’s a little bit odd…and someone usually ends up dead. New episodes every Friday for the next six weeks.”
After seeing her post, fans couldn’t get enough and headed straight to the comment section to share their thoughts. One social media user wrote: “So obsessed, already need another series!!”
Another wrote: “LOVING IT SO FAR!! Lily and Clary are already an ICONIC duo!!”
Fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, also shared similar sentiments, with one writing: “I guess a lot of us were just watching because it was Charlie Jordan’s first job after Corrie and she was brilliant.”
The Hairdresser Mysteries airs Fridays at 2pm on BBC One.
Former “The Ring” and “Lilo & Stitch” child star Daveigh Chase, who died while homeless in June after years of battling drug addiction, leaves an estate worth nearly half a million dollars.
Probate documents filed July 8 in Los Angeles County Superior Court say Chase — legal name Daveigh Elizabeth Schwallier — left behind about $400,000 in personal property. The late actor’s mother, Cathy Chase, submitted the documents and filed a petition to become the administrator of her daughter’s estate.
The court filings also note that Daveigh Chase died without a will, is only survived by her parents, and confirm that she was homeless at the time of her death. The last known address for Chase appears to be a home in Chatsworth.
Chase died June 16 in a hospital at age 35. In initial reports, her father, John David Schwallier, and her boyfriend said the actor died of complications from bacterial meningitis and a blood infection. But the medical examiner’s report disclosed that Chase died of AIDS, which is caused by HIV, as the primary cause of death. The report also listed chronic polysubstance use — using more than one drug or substance at the same time or within a short period — as a “significant condition.”
Chase started her acting career in the late 1990s with minor roles in popular TV series, including “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Charmed” and “ER,” and starred in multiple beloved movies at the turn of the century. In 2001 cult classic “Donnie Darko,” she was Samantha, the younger sister of Jake Gyllenhaal’s troubled Donnie Darko. She would reprise the role eight years later for the sequel, “S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale.”
In the same year as “Donnie Darko,” Chase lent her voice to the American dub of Hayao Miyazaki’s tender “Spirited Away,” voicing its protagonist Chihiro. The film won the animated feature prize at the 2003 Academy Awards.
Chase was known for her versatility, demonstrated by her roles in “Lilo & Stitch” and “The Ring” in the same year. In the latter, she played ghost girl Samara Morgan.
In the aughts, Chase also appeared in more than 20 episodes of the Fox sitcom “Oliver Beene” and more than 30 episodes of HBO’s Emmy-nominated Mormon family drama “Big Love” as cunning teenager Rhonda Volmer. After the hit series, Chase’s career slowed and she appeared in lower-profile projects. Her final credit was a voice-acting role in the 2016 video game “Let It Die.”
A hearing for Chase’s probate case is set for Aug. 12.
Times editorial library director Cary Schneider and staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.
Typhoon Bavi brought heavy rain and powerful winds to Japan’s southern islands while skirting Taiwan, where rough seas, fallen trees and localized damage were reported.
Despite the storm, residents in Keelung ventured out to markets as Bavi weakened while tracking toward China’s east coast, where landfall is expected on Sunday.
After Strictly Come Dancing announced Love Island winner and dancer Cach Mercer as the fifth contestant for 2026’s line-up, several fans of the BBC show were angered to discover he already has dance experience
Cach, who won Love Island last year, was the fifth contestant announced for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. But, according to charity Young Minds, of which Cach is an ambassador, the star is a “professional dancer from East London”.
The Love Island star appears to have training in Hip Hop and Afrobeats and regularly posts videos of himself dancing online. In many of these videos, he has choreographed his own dance moves. He has also taught a dance classes for places such as dance event Move It and Platinum Performing Arts.
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After discovering that the latest Strictly celeb had dance experience several fans were upset. One wrote on Instagram: “Had to google who he was, and the first thing that came up was ‘professional dancer’!!!”
Another added: “A professional dancer? How is he getting on as a celeb then?” A third said it gave “such an advantage when they’re already dancers” and that it was “extremely unfair to the other contestants”.
A fourth hilariously thought Strictly’s post about Cach joining the show was intended to announce a new pro dancer. “Oooh he’s a professional dancer!” they wrote. “So we are get getting some new pros this year!” The fan quickly added: “Oh wait no, this says celebrity reveal. He’s a Love Islander and professional dancer. I might just delete all this.”
But, other fans defended Cach, pointing out that many celebs who have competed on the show had dance experience and that Cach’s training was not in ballroom or latin.
“He’s trained in hip-hop and afrobeats. He’s never done ballroom or latin, never been to a stage school and never danced with a partner,” one said. “So he’s well within the rules of the show.”
Another continued: “When so many contestants have been to stage school and done musical theatre etc, it is well past time that we stopped calling people out for having previous dance experience.”
Every year there seems to be at least one celeb contestant who fans say should not be on the show due to their prior dance experience and/or training. Last year, both Emmerdale star Lewis Cope and Love Island winner Amber Davies came under fire for doing the show whilst having dance training.
Amber, who dances in musical theatre shows, responded to the backlash with: “We see the same thing over and over again and I feel like it doesn’t matter what I say or how I feel, if I’m struggling, people will of course have things to say because I do musical theatre.
“I have worked my a**e off to be taken seriously in the musical theatre world, and I feel like I have been working so hard. The musical theatre world is actually quite small so once you work hard, you are committed, consistent in your job and are a good company member, you can build your reputation quite quickly within the industry.”
Meanwhile, Lewis, who danced as a child and got to three dance world championships, said to Metro: “I don’t really know where all that came from, to be honest. I trained as an actor, I danced a bit when I was a teen, but haven’t since. It’s only ever really been acting for me for a long, long time – so I don’t really know where that came from. I don’t really take notice of it, though – everyone’s so strong, and anyone can pull out a brilliant performance at any point.
“To call me professionally trained or a professional dancer seems a bit bizarre, especially now that I’m working with these pros on the show. It’s kind of an insult to them, really, to suggest I’m on their level when they’ve dedicated their lives to becoming as brilliant as they are.”
Under Fifa’s disciplinary code, Ronaldo should have received a three-match ban for elbowing Dara O’Shea during Portugal’s 2-0 qualifying defeat by the Republic of Ireland in November.
He served one match in the final qualifier against Armenia – but the remaining two games of the ban were suspended.
Ronaldo’s red card, though, was received in qualifying. It was not a red card at a World Cup.
There have been many cases of players being shown some leniency before a tournament, not just Ronaldo.
See France’s Laurent Koscielny in 2014, or Ecuador’s Moises Caicedo and Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi before this World Cup.
At least with Ronaldo, we were given some justification, with Fifa saying it had taking into account that “he had no red cards in his other 225 international appearances”.
With Balogun, we did not even get that.
It has left a vacuum of information which can only lead to speculation.
Why was this a special case? What factors were taken into account? Who made the decision?
BBC Sport has been told there are no suggestions that the referee asked for the suspension to be removed, or that video assistant referee protocol was not respected.
In England, the Football Association would publish the full written reasons.
The United States have the right to ask Fifa to publish them, Belgium do not.
BBC Sport pundit Micah Richards, a former England defender, said it was a farce.
“To have it suspended for a year makes a mockery of the whole tournament,” he said.
“It is to keep the big stars in the competition. How can that happen? Fifa needs to do better.
“It has left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths.”
Belgium are, of course, furious. They issued a statement on Sunday saying they were “astonished” that Balogun had been cleared to play.
The Belgian FA referenced several regulations, workshop presentations and pre-tournament co-ordination meetings.
They are adamant that the decision contradicts the tournament regulations which state that a player “will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match”.
In effect, they say Fifa used its disciplinary code to override the competition regulations.
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia, speaking at a news conference, went further. He said: “I didn’t know that [at] the Fifa World Cup 5 July is now 1 April, and that is April Fool’s.
“We are not defending the national team or the federation, we’re defending football.”
What must the other players sent off at this tournament be thinking?
Take Qatar’s Assim Madibo, involved in an unfortunate incident which led to a broken leg for Canada’s midfielder Ismael Kone.
There is a clear case here that Madibo did not even make a challenge, that the injury happened by chance and not because of the nature of the tackle.
Yet Fifa handed Madibo a five-game ban – an extra three on top of the standard punishment for serious foul play.
Netflix viewers are binge watching the four part series, which has already found itself in the top 10
Worst Neighbor Ever can be streamed on Netflix(Image: Netflix)
A “disturbing” true crime series that gives viewers nightmares is available to stream in full.
Earlier this week (July 1), streaming giant Netflix released four part series Worst Neighbor Ever, which comes from the same creators of shows Worst Ex Ever and Worst Roommate Ever.
Spanning across four episodes, it plunges viewers into real life neighbour disputes that often escalate to violence, and even murder. Through chilling body cam and CCTV footage as well as heartbreaking interviews with victims, the series also offers a unique approach by using animated re-enactments.
Promising to show cases that are “more shocking than ever”, an official synopsis teased: “You think you know your neighbors? Think again.
“This new series features first-hand accounts of violence, intimidation, and harassment that are more shocking than ever. Through compelling testimonials, startling body cam footage, and animated re-enactments, Worst Neighbor Ever proves the people next door aren’t just a nuisance – they’re lethal.”
The cases included a huge insurance scam explosion that had a catastrophic impact on one community, as well as a suspect’s chilling moves before a brutal shooting that left one dad dead.
Already, Worst Neighbor Ever has found itself in the top 10, surpassing other new releases taking the top spot.
Viewers cannot stop binge watching the four part anthology series, with some having “nightmares” from the harrowing cases shown.
Taking to X, one person wrote: “Episode 3 of #WorstNeighborEver has in my tearssssss. J**** man.” Another said: “#worstneighborever is crazy.”
A third fumed: “this #WorstNeighborEver series is ridiculous. there’s really some evil people out here.”
A fourth added: “These #WorstNeighborEver cases get worse and worse omg.” A fifth commented: “Episode 3 of worst neighbor ever just ruined my mf dayyyyyy!!!!!”
Another stated: “Every single episode of #WorstNeighborEver has made me cry, episode 3 especially.”
Over on TikTok, one true crime fan said the show was “unbelievably shocking” as they said in a video: “It did not disappoint, it was absolutely fantastic and I am shocked beyond belief.” They added it made then “so sad and so angry”.
One person replied: “just watched it the first episode was gut wrenching”, as another echoed: “OMG just finished watching it, I was bawling my eyes out he didn’t deserve that.”
A third added: “Thought it was so good, and so disturbing.” In another video, one reviewer stated the ‘Worst Ever’ collection has them “locked in every time”, as another said they were “not prepared” when watching the heartbreaking episode. A third penned: “It gave me nightmares.”
At least 6 people were killed and 22 injured after an explosive device detonated in a café in Damascus’ Al-Hijaz area. Emergency crews, civil defence teams and security forces rushed to the site, imposed a security cordon and began investigating the deadly blast.
In need of three-point shooting, the Lakers lost the league’s best sharpshooter on the first day of free agency.
Guard Luke Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13-million deal with the Phoenix Suns, The Times confirmed Tuesday.
Kennard was an unrestricted free agent after he was traded to the Lakers last February from the Atlanta Hawks. His arrival coincided with a dramatic offensive uptick for the Lakers, who went from 34.9% shooting from three in games before Kennard and 37.7% in games after. Kennard was on a one-year, $11-million contract last season, his ninth year in the NBA.
The former Duke star averaged nine points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Lakers while shooting 44.8% from three-point range. He showed his influence beyond just shooting when he took on more ballhandling duties late in the season to fill in during injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. In a starting role during the last six games of the regular season, Kennard averaged 6.4 assists.
The Lakers already lost LeBron James on the first day of free agency after the 22-time All-Star informed the team he intended to sign somewhere else for his NBA-record 24th season. Kennard could have provided a critical floor-spacing piece around Doncic, who thrives when surrounded by lob-catching centers, athletic wings and knockdown shooters.
EASTENDERS legend Natalie Cassidy has revealed her young daughter had to be rushed to hospital after smashing her arm in a terrifying accident.
The actress, 43, said she felt like she had a “nervous breakdown” when she was told Joanie, nine, had slipped over at school — just weeks after having metal plates surgically removed from the same arm following a previous injury.
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Natalie Cassidy has revealed daughter Joanie needed surgery after hurting her armCredit: tiktok/@whatsmyageagain_podThe A&E dash came just weeks after another nasty injury and op on the same armCredit: instagram/@natcass1
“Joanie’s broken her arm again. Same arm — smashed to pieces. General anaesthetic, same operation,” she said today.
Natalie shares Joanie with her fiancé Marc Humphreys, a cameraman she met on the set of EastEnders in 2014. She is also mum to Eliza, 15, from her previous relationship with Adam Cottrell.
The actress, who left the BBC One soap last year after playing Sonia Fowler on and off since 1993, said the accident happened just as the family were settling in for what they had hoped would be a relaxing few days at home in Hertfordshire.
“I’d done a little bit of work in the morning at home,” she explained. “[Marc] went outside, put the paddling pool up, cut all the grass — thinking we’re going to have a few days, like a mini holiday, at home.
“And then the phone rang. She slipped over in the hall, before doing PE. I’m speechless. It’s so traumatic.”
Speaking on her podcast, Life With Nat, which she hosts with Marc, Natalie said this was not the first time Joanie had been through surgery on her left arm.
“A few years ago she broke her arm, and it was a clean break,” she said.
“She then broke it again, they put all the metal work in. And then eight weeks ago, she went under general anaesthetic, had it all out – and has done it again.”
She added: “I felt I was going to have a nervous breakdown, actually. I’m being really honest here. I really fell to pieces. I was not in a good place. Just her little body – and the medication and the trauma of it all.”
The repeated injuries have led the family to ask whether something more might be behind them.
Natalie said they believed “some sort of deficiency” was causing Joanie’s frequent fractures.
She said: “But she’s had full blood tests, and everything is in range. It’s absolutely perfect. The consultant actually said, ‘I do think it’s just really bad luck.’”
Their latest NHS hospital stay took place during last week’s record-breaking heatwave, when the Met Office issued a rare red extreme heat warning and temperatures climbed close to 40C across parts of England.
“The hospital was quite warm for the few days we were in there,” Natalie admitted. “The staff… they’re not moaning, they’re laughing, they’re joking. Just wonderful, wonderful people. We were so well looked after again. It’s like a little trip, now. It’s like being in a hotel!”
The injury also means the family now face a string of complications around their upcoming holiday. Natalie said Joanie will need a waterproof cover to swim, and that she will have to arrange medical clearance for her to fly with a cast on.
Their trips to hospital have become so frequent that staff now recognise Joanie.
Marc said: “The anaesthetist actually knew her.” Natalie added: “I went down to the theatre. I said, ‘hello, Barbara.’ I mean, who, in their right mind, knows the people in the hospital?”
Failure in Group A brought fan anger to boiling point.
It started with a promising 2-1 win over the Czech Republic but then a team containing Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in of Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae lost 1-0 to Mexico. It left the Taeguk Warriors needing a point against South Africa to secure second.
Hong, who also led the team to a group-stage exit at the 2014 World Cup, left captain and talisman Son on the bench and the team slumped to defeat, with former Tottenham Hotspur defender Lee Young-pyo describing it on television as “the worst match by a Korean football team in the 21st century”.
After the game, a reporter asked Hong if there had been an outbreak of food poisoning in the camp or something similar, as there could be no explanation for such a performance. To make matters worse, South Korea had to wait more than three days in their training camp to discover whether they would squeeze through into the last 32 as one of the best third-placed finishers or go home.
The camp had not been an especially happy place as earlier in June, media personnel were overheard on camera mocking Son’s military record. The former Tottenham star won exemption from the country’s 21-month mandatory military service by being part of the team that took gold at the 2018 Asian Games. In return, the players boycotted domestic media duties for a number of days.
Son turns 34 in July and it would not be a surprise if he soon calls time on his international career. There will be no public return to South Korea as the welcome ceremony planned at Incheon International Airport was cancelled. The captain and the players have, however, escaped most of the public ire with the focus on how the sport is governed in the country.
From early on, we were looking at the game, yes, but also working out the mad significance of it all. We turned elsewhere to see what all of this meant in the grand scheme of things.
Before the games began on Wednesday, Scotland were sitting relatively pretty as second of the best third-placed teams in the tournament.
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s win over Qatar dropped Scotland to third. Brazil’s dominance dropped them further. Down and down they went, their buffer all but removed, their obsession about results elsewhere in the coming days multiplying as they went.
Back to Charlotte, North Carolina they’ll go on Thursday; battered and dazed, uncertain of their future in this tournament, if they have one.
As it stands, the predictor has them playing Mexico on Tuesday – a shot at redemption or another trip to a torture chamber?
That might turn on its head, of course. Other teams in the coming days will have plenty to say about this yet.
Scotland are sweating on a place in the last 32. That’s the no-man’s land they’re living in now, frantically looking at the respective fates of Senegal and Ecuador, Curacao and Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and others.
There was a certain inevitably about it. Until Bolivia earlier this month, Scotland have never beaten South American opposition, never beaten Brazil in 10 attempts going back 50 years. They rallied and created moments but it was too little, too late.
The Iran soccer team left a note in its SoFi Stadium locker room thanking Los Angeles area fans for their hospitality.
The Iranians made history with two draws in Inglewood, marking the first time the team has avoided a loss through its first two World Cup games. While the matches drew protests against the Iranian regime, including some booing both times the national anthem was played before kickoffs, the crowds heavily favored and cheered loudly for the Iranian team.
Iran will close group play against Egypt at Seattle’s Lumen Field on Friday night.
“Thank you, Los Angeles, for your hospitality,” the note read. “And thank you to every Iranian who gave their heart, voice, and soul for Iran throughout these 180 minutes.
“May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations.”
Special message from the national team in the locker room to Iranians and people around the world
Message from the national team on the locker room board:
💬From ancient Iran, thousands of years old, to today’s civilized Iran, the spirit of Iran has remained alive and strong.… pic.twitter.com/mvW8au8cg1
Iran has complained about U.S. government restrictions that forced them to spend limited time in the Los Angeles area before and after its matches, quickly returning to its base camp in Tijuana. But the complaints don’t extend to those who they crossed paths with while practicing briefly in Carson, spending two nights in a Manhattan Beach hotel and playing two big games at SoFi Stadium.
“From ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilized Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast,” the note read. “We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honor, and leave with dignity.”
Blast at Ras Laffan Industrial City caused by ‘technical malfunction’, Ministry of Interior says.
Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026
An explosion at Qatar’s main liquefied natural gas processing facility has injured 54 people and left 18 others missing, authorities have said.
The Qatari International Search and Rescue Group were deployed to conduct search operations for those missing following the “internal explosion” at Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior said on Monday.
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The ministry did not provide information on the conditions of those injured in the incident, which it blamed on a “technical malfunction”.
Officials had said earlier that civil defence teams responding to the scene had not recorded any injuries.
The ministry said there was no leakage from the facility that would pose a danger to public safety.
QatarEnergy, which administers the industrial hub, said emergency response teams were immediately deployed after the explosion at the Barzan factory and brought a fire at the facility under control.
Ras Laffan Industrial City, located about 80km (50 miles) north of Doha, is home to the world’s largest LNG export facility, producing about one-fifth of global supply.
In March, the Qatari government announced that the industrial hub had sustained “significant damage” after being targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks.
QatarEnergy invoked the force majeure clause in some of its contracts to free itself from its supply obligations following the attacks, affecting customers in Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China.
Granted the Makerfield parliamentary seat has elected Labour MPs for yonks, but just a matter of weeks ago, at the local elections, Reform UK were dominant in this collection of towns broadly to the south of Wigan – places like Abram, Hindley, Orrell and Winstanley.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the press during her meeting with Italian Premier Meloni at Villa Pamphilij in Rome, Italy, 15 June 2026. Photo by Riccardo Antimiani / EPA
June 18 (Asia Today) — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has left open the possibility of deploying the Self-Defense Forces to the Strait of Hormuz following an agreement between the United States and Iran to end hostilities.
“Nothing has been decided at this point,” Takaichi said Wednesday when asked about a possible deployment during a news conference marking the end of the Group of Seven summit near Évian-les-Bains, France, Japanese media reported Thursday.
Takaichi said Japan must closely examine the U.S.-Iran agreement and conditions in the region before making a decision.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical shipping route for crude oil from the Middle East. Instability in the waterway could directly affect shipping, energy prices and Japanese industry because the country relies heavily on imported energy.
The U.S.-Iran agreement has shifted Japan’s immediate focus from preventing further fighting to securing freedom of navigation and considering its role in post-conflict efforts.
Even after fighting ends, naval mines and other threats to commercial vessels could remain. Japan would then have to determine whether its involvement should be limited to diplomatic support or include operations by the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Security in the Strait of Hormuz and other major shipping routes was among the issues discussed at the G7 summit.
Japan faces the challenge of coordinating with its allies and partners while keeping any military involvement within the limits imposed by its pacifist Constitution.
“We will continue every possible diplomatic effort, including those related to reconstruction,” Takaichi said of the situation in the Middle East.
She said Japan would consider necessary measures to secure freedom of navigation through the strait and “steadily carry out what we are capable of doing,” including diplomatic efforts.
Britain, France and other countries have called for the unconditional reopening of the waterway and indicated that mine-clearing operations could be required. Japan has signaled its willingness to participate in a related joint statement.
Takaichi said Japan’s participation in such a statement would remain within constitutional limits.
The central issue is how extensively the Self-Defense Forces could participate.
Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution prohibits the use of force except in circumstances involving the country’s right to self-defense. Mine-clearing operations conducted while fighting continues could therefore be viewed as the use of force against the country that placed the mines.
Clearing mines left behind after a cease-fire, however, may be permitted under Japan’s Self-Defense Forces Act.
Japan deployed Maritime Self-Defense Force minesweepers to the Persian Gulf after the 1991 Gulf War cease-fire. The mission marked the Self-Defense Forces’ first operational deployment overseas and became a turning point in Japan’s debate over its international security role.
Takaichi’s remarks did not amount to an immediate deployment decision. They indicated, however, that Japan could consider participating in maritime security operations depending on implementation of the U.S.-Iran agreement and conditions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan’s possible role in the post-conflict Middle East – whether limited to diplomatic and reconstruction support or expanded to include Maritime Self-Defense Force operations – is expected to remain a major foreign and security policy issue.
The farmer was visibly upset, breaking into tears, when Jeremy Clarkson announced his cancer diagnosis in the latest episodes of the TV show Clarkson’s Farm
04:56, 17 Jun 2026Updated 04:58, 17 Jun 2026
Kaleb breaks down in tears as Clarkson breaks the news (Image: Prime)
Jeremy Clarkson’s devastating cancer diagnosis left farm manager Kaleb Cooper in tears.
“I’ve got cancer,” Clarkson said during a conversation about the farm’s harvest.
Kaleb replied, “No, you haven’t. Where?”
The former Top Gear host has continued: “Where it is, is of no concern of anybody. I’ve known since May.”
“I had a medical, you remember back in May? I disappeared off the other week and I had a biopsy and it is cancer and it’s aggressive, but it’s really early so the treatment will be, you know…
“I was praying we could get the harvest done and then I could go and get some treatment but it’s going to be slap bang in the middle.”
Kaleb, wiping away tears, then said, “Look after yourself, you go and do… if you need anything just ring.”
Later in the show, Clarkson spoke about how the year had been challenging while talking to Kaleb, his girlfriend Lisa, and his two other employees.
“We started the year and I had coronary heart disease and ended it with me with cancer,” he explained.
“We can dwell as much as we like on all the bad things that have happened on the farm, but I think it’s better now, at the end of the year, to focus on things that have happened that are good.”
Kaleb asked, “When will we know the treatments worked?”
In response to Kaleb’s tears, the Who Wants to be a Millionaire host jests at him to “cheer up”.
“Not for another few weeks. Come on cheer up, it probably did work.”
The emotional episode has now been added to Prime Video.
Ahead of the episodes the TV star warned fans that they may be “a difficult watch”.
He posted on Instagram: “Ordinarily we try to keep the show bucolic and charming and cheerful. But the final two episodes which drop in the middle of the night tonight are none of those things really.”
In the clip, he took a deep breath and added: “They’re a difficult watch. They’re really, really difficult.”
After he announces the news to the farmers, Clarkson is later seen in a hospital bed set to undergo surgery.
However, Clarkson appears to maintain a positive attitude as he says he hopes to be back for a sixth season, before joking that if the treatment isn’t successful ‘take care everyone’.
SAN FRANCISCO — Any of the good vibes the Sparks generated from their three-game win streak were dissipated Monday.
In their 78-58 defeat, the Sparks’ worst weaknesses were exposed: continued struggles on defense and a punchless offensive scheme with Kelsey Plum struggling to score. Their 58 points were the fewest they have scored all season and they shot a second-worst 33.3% from the floor.
It was the fewest points scored by the Sparks since they were held to 57 by the Connecticut Sun on Sept. 9, 2021.
“We weren’t very good,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said.
The Sparks (7-7) were coming off victories against Portland and at Seattle and Phoenix but had no answers for the Valkyries’ smothering defense. They were notably unhappy with their effort.
“They played harder,” Roberts said of the Valkyries.
Golden State’s Kaila Charles and Gabby Williams kept Plum mostly in check, holding her to a season-low nine points after her career-high 43-point game in Phoenix on Saturday. Plum fouled out midway through the fourth quarter after being held to four points in the third quarter.
It was only the second time Plum fouled out of a WNBA game, and her first with the Sparks.
“We were down 12 or 13 and had to roll the dice,” Roberts said of keeping Plum in the game with five fouls in the fourth quarter. “It’s not like time was on our side.”
Plum shot three for 10, tied for her fewest attempts in a game this season. The only other time she was held to single-digit points with the Sparks was in another road game at Golden State last season.
In her last four games against the Valkyries, Plum is 17 for 57 from the field.
“We were throwing her different coverages, different looks, but again, just give credit to Gabby and [Veronica Burton],” said Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase about shutting down Plum. “They were taking that matchup.”
To make matters worse, Cameron Brink, who led the Sparks with 10 points, appeared to roll her left ankle in the waning minutes of the game and needed to be helped to the bench and then the locker room. Roberts said Brink’s injury was still being evaluated.
The Valkyries (9-5) ended the first quarter on a 17-4 run to lead 25-10. The Sparks went the final 3:45 without scoring. They made just three first-quarter baskets.
The Sparks cut the deficit to nine midway through the second quarter after a 16-6 run, powered by eight points from Brink off the bench.
But the Sparks’ defense couldn’t keep up with a Valkyries squad that shot 51.5% in the half. The Sparks trailed 45-26 at halftime after two Plum shots were blocked. Golden State scored the next 12 points and led by as much as 24.
Brink’s third-quarter entry gave the Sparks some life again as they narrowed it to a 13-point game.
The Sparks shot three for 21 from three-point range for their second-worst night from behind the arc this season. They committed 15 turnovers that turned into 22 Golden State points.
Along with Plum’s foul trouble, starting point guard Erica Wheeler finished with five fouls. In her return to Golden State, Sparks development player Kate Martin was the lone player with a positive plus/minus at plus-two in the ninth of her 12 allotted games.
The Sparks actually held the Valkyries to their third fewest points in a game this season, but they simply fell in too big of a hole early to recover.
“That is a hell of a team over there, in terms of offensive ammo,” Nakase said. “So holding them to 58, like that was a pretty good accomplishment.”
The Sparks return home to face the first-place Minnesota Lynx (11-3) on Wednesday before another tough matchup with New York. After what looked like a successful road trip, the Sparks will need to recover from another poor game.
“Defense is a choice, and you know, we came out casual in the first quarter,” Roberts said. “We were down 15, and we were playing catchup the whole time. To me, that’s the story.”
WASHINGTON — The terms of a deal to end President Trump’s war with Iran remained a secret on Monday as both sides claimed victory and the months-long conflict reached a nebulous end.
The memorandum of understanding, providing a rough framework to conclude the war, was signed digitally Sunday, with a ceremony scheduled to take place on Friday in Switzerland, U.S. officials said.
Trump hailed the document as a breakthrough after months of negotiations. Yet its broad contours remained unclear more than a day after the deal was announced, as each side offered conflicting public messaging about what had been agreed.
Iran said it would continue regulating traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic paradigm shift from the prewar status quo that was denied by the White House. The two sides expressed disagreement over whether the status of Iran’s ballistic missile program would be addressed in future negotiations, or whether Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon was a part of the deal.
And Trump administration officials rejected Iranian claims that the United States would provide immediate sanctions relief as misleading “spin.”
Hours later, another U.S. official suggested that Iran, in fact, might receive some relief at the front end.
“We are prepared to release frozen funds, and we are prepared to release sanctions,” a senior U.S. official told reporters on a call. “And we’ll do some small gestures of that in the beginning, if they make some small gestures to us that show they’re willing to meet their commitments as well.
“We’ll know over the next two to three weeks whether those understandings will turn into actual agreement,” the official added.
Trump started the war in February citing Iran’s nuclear program, which had expanded after he withdrew from a prior nuclear agreement negotiated by President Obama. That deal capped more than two years of intensive diplomacy but ultimately failed under the weight of political criticism from Republicans — led by Trump — over its inclusion of sanctions relief for Tehran.
Trump administration officials said the new agreement would include a commitment from Iran not to develop or purchase nuclear weapons — a vow the Islamic Republic has repeatedly made through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Obama-era deal and a religious edict from the late supreme leader. Yet the enforcement mechanisms for policing Iran’s nuclear work were left to negotiate another day.
Iran could get sanctions relief
In an interview with CBS News, Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that Iran could get significant sanctions relief — and up to $300 billion in reconstruction funds — if they abide by U.S. terms, such as the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important commercial waterways.
“Our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term, and that’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations,” Vance said.
In a separate interview, he described the president’s policy as “extending an open hand” to Tehran.
“The hard-liners of the Iranian system will overemphasize the benefits that Iran gets,” he added, “while underemphasizing all the things that they have to concede, and all the things that they have to provide, in order to get these benefits.”
Uncertainty across the region
The news of peace came with a sense of bewilderment and uncertainty in a region that suffered as collateral damage through months of war.
Sunni Arab states that once hoped Iran would emerge weakened from the war issued tepid support for an agreement that could ultimately leave the fate of their oil exports at the whims of an emboldened adversary. And Israeli leaders, across the political aisle, expressed deep concerns over the deal in private, warning they would not be bound by an agreement to which they were not a party.
Israel’s decisions moving forward — particularly in Lebanon— may ultimately decide whether the agreement survives over the next 60 days, when Washington and Tehran plan on ironing out its more technical details.
Hours after word of the signing came out, a stream of cars crowded the highway leading to southern Lebanon, full of displaced families desperate to check on homes and villages they hadn’t seen for more than 100 days.
They did so in defiance of Lebanese officials, who called on people to remain where they were until an official end to war in Lebanon — a secondary front in the larger U.S.-Israel war on Iran that has nevertheless seen staggering levels of destruction.
A woman and her children return to their Lebanese village Monday following the ceasefire announcement.
(Mohammed Zaatari / Ap Photo/mohammed Zaatari)
In the more than three months since the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah attacked Israel, nearly 3,800 people have been killed, and almost a quarter of the country’s 6 million people are displaced. Israeli troops occupy more than 10% of Lebanese territory, leaving a trail of destruction that has seen swaths of the country’s south all but razed.
‘Everything is gone’
None of that discouraged Hassan Shareef from leaving where he was staying in Beirut at 7 a.m. to head to Nabatieh, one of south Lebanon’s largest cities and a frequent target of Israeli strikes in recent weeks, to check on his tailoring business.
“I wasn’t afraid. I had to come. But what I saw would make you cry,” he said. “Everything is gone. My house, I can’t live in it. And the business is destroyed.”
Aqeel Khalaf, an herbalist, hit the road in the early morning with his brother, son and daughter-in-law. They reached Nabatieh in two hours.
Yet it was less of a homecoming than Khalaf hoped: Israeli troops were still stationed near his village, a few miles down the road from where he stood in Nabatieh’s central market. Their house was tantalizingly close, but for the moment it might as well have been on the moon.
“It’s hard for me, but the Lebanese army told us we can’t go yet. We have no choice,” Khalaf said. “Maybe in 24 hours, when things crystallize with the deal.”
He could at least check on his shop here in the central market, though he already knew there would be damage: The family regularly checked satellite images of the area and saw the building was hit about a week ago.
Standing before it, Khalaf saw how the wall of the adjacent building had toppled onto the ground floor, flooding the shop with rubble and coating everything with a film of fine gray dust. A nearby blast had collapsed the roof.
“Nabatieh was hit very hard this time,” he said. Still, he could salvage something, he said, pointing to his son as he fished out boxes of herbal treatments from under the rubble.
Two ceasefires in the last two months, forged during U.S.-led talks between the Lebanese and Israeli governments but without Hezbollah or Iran’s involved, were broken as soon as they were announced. A previous ceasefire from November 2024 saw Hezbollah stop all attacks while Israel continued military operations in south Lebanon.
This iteration of the truce appeared to have more success: On Monday, Hezbollah launched no missiles but announced an attack on an Israeli force to stop its advance; and the Israeli military mostly stayed its fire as well, barring a number of shelling incidents and a drone strike on a car in the village of Kfar Tebnit that injured a journalist and killed one person, according to Lebanese media.
Obstacles to a durable peace
Lebanese army units, meanwhile, deployed in parts of the south, barring motorists from reaching areas near Israeli troops. Lebanon’s army remained on the sidelines during the war, but 30 soldiers, including a general, having been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2. Hezbollah attacks killed at least 30 Israeli soldiers and one civilian contractor.
Obstacles to a more durable peace remain. Israeli officials insist on freedom of action against Hezbollah, and they will create a so-called security zone in Lebanon indefinitely so to protect Israel’s northern border. For its part, Hezbollah says it will respond to any attack and will continue fighting until Israel withdraws.
Though the truce appeared to be holding for now, Khalaf, who had raced to reopen his Nabatieh shop after the 2024 ceasefire, was waiting this time. For now, he would take what stock he could and open a shop in Sidon or Beirut.
“We have to work and feed our families. But the damage is too much this time. I’ll come back when things are better,” he said. “And my home too. When I get to see it, even if it’s a mound of rubble, I’ll pitch a tent on it and rebuild.”
Wilner reported from Washington and Bulos from Nabatieh.
Was Switzerland’s Remo Freuler offside before he was brought down by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada?
It is the question that, for many, remains unanswered despite Fifa finally releasing images four and a half hours after the incident happened.
The move led to a penalty, converted by Breel Embolo, as the teams drew 1-1 in Saturday’s World Cup Group B match in Santa Clara.
Before the tournament Fifa put a lot of stock in its new, enhanced semi-automated offside system.
World football’s governing body scanned every player at the World Cup to create unique, lifelike avatars.
It was supposed to provide the most accurate illustration of offside decisions we have ever seen.
But it did not work and Fifa had to revert to drawing lines to the players and on the pitch.
Fifa released a statement saying “a brief technical outage prevented the onside animation graphic from being generated”.
It went on to say the lines drawn by the video assistant referee (VAR) showed no offside and released two images – which remain unconvincing – but not the usual avatar graphics.
Within the move, two Switzerland players could potentially have been offside.
Fifa released an image for both as evidence they were onside. The first was for Embolo in the build-up, the second for Freuler before he was fouled by Abunada.
Fifa’s statement read: “The workflow of the VAR was not affected by this issue and followed the normal procedure in checking the on-field decision.
“The lines used by the VAR to check the position of the relevant players did not show the attacking player to be in an offside position in either of the two situations immediately before the penalty decision.”
The semi-automated technology is not flawless. It can be impacted by many things, such as players being close together or even something as random as ticker tape on the pitch.
When the technology fails in the Premier League there is the option to fall back to the old technology where the VAR draws the lines.
But the offside image is produced straight away, not several hours later.
“We all think [it was offside],” Gary Neville said on ITV before the statement was released.
“Everybody at home thinks it. Fifa are the host broadcaster and they have the semi-automatic decision that they can show us.
“There is a massive question over that because it is offside in my eyes until they prove to me different.”
If there is one thing that is guaranteed to create doubt it is delay. It creates a vacuum that feeds conspiracy theories. It might give the impression Fifa is hiding something.
The household was headed up by single mum Nadine, who had called the property home since her teenage years, sharing it with her own mother.
Having brought up her four daughters there while also caring for her late mum, three generations of the Jamieson women had amassed mountains of DVDs, clothing and fine China for Stacey to work through.
Buried amongst the clutter, she uncovered 106 animal ornaments, 87 board games and over 1,000 pieces of Nadine’s China, reports Kent Live.
Reflecting on the belongings filling her home and how cluttered it had become, Nadine became emotional as she explained: “I’ve lived in this house since 1988 and it’s pretty much still in the condition it was in 1988.”
Her eldest daughter Merle chipped in: “It was a small crowded house but it wasn’t cluttered back then.”
Former NHS nurse Nadine tearfully continued: “Mum was the second parent. She was our rock and she was just our rock and made it so special for the girls.
“She started to need care in the last four years of her life, and I became full time carer. And that’s when I think it started to change.
“I didn’t have the time or energy to focus on the house because I had to focus on so many people.”
She added: “I need to have a home again and start living again.”
She heartbreakingly went on: “It’s a place I don’t want to be in. There’s no joy to come home to because you know what’s surrounding you.”
After the challenge of letting go of 40 years’ worth of possessions and memories, the family were left touched by a special tribute to Nadine’s mum.
Coming back home after Stacey and her team, including guest star Zoe Sugg, worked their magic, they saw a special memory of Nadine’s mum.
Nadine had earlier explained how her mum’s chair held its place of honour in the living room, with her old combs and hairbands still on it.
Instead of having the objects still there, Stacey, having transformed the living room to a brighter, emptier space, decided to embroider Nadine’s mum’s comb and headband and radio onto a little cushion.
She said: “I know how important Nan’s comb and headband and radio were to you, so instead of having them sat precariously on top of the chair, ready to fall at any minute, I thought, we could put it into the pillow, and then you could always look at her favourite things but keep her actual favourite things safe away.”
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” Nadine’s daughter Merle commented. Breaking down into tears as she saw the cushion, she added: “That is too much.”
“It’s making you emotional,” Stacey replied, as Nadine’s daughter Beth also wiped back tears.
After seeing the response the family had to their new home, Stacey shared: “I think that might have been one of my favourite reactions ever.
“Nadine has, for the last 20-something years, just been looking after everyone around her.
“She’s been raising her kids, looking after her mum, putting all of her energy into everybody else.
“And now finally, she can bring some of that energy back to her, and she just deserves this so much.”
Nadine emotionally added: “Dreams come true.”
Sort Your Life Out is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
KATIE Price revealed her son Harvey suffered a painful fall at home this morning.
The 24-year-old, who has Prader-Willi Syndrome, took a tumble after waking up early and heading into the kitchen when it was still a bit dark.
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Harvey Price was left in pain after falling over at homeCredit: BackGridKatie Price recently returned from Dubai where her husband Lee Andrews is in jailCredit: Louis Wood
Katie, 48, could be heard saying Harvey was left limping and in pain.
In a video uploaded to Facebook, Harvey was seen enjoying a sensory session with smellies and took a particular liking to lemongrass.
The post was captioned: “Harvey took a little tumble this morning! So lots of TLC for my baby bear!
“Smelling is amazing for his sensory Needs & Taking his mind off the situation!”
Katie recently returned from Dubai where she tried to find out more about husband Lee Andrew’s detention in Al Awir prison.
Lee, 43, claims he was arrested and detained on suspicion of espionage, but the reality is he is in for a private civil matter.
He needs to raise £140,000 to be released and asked Katie to set up a GoFundMe to help out, but she declined, stating there wouldn’t be enough public support.
The Sun’s Showbiz Editor Clemmie Moodie sat down with Katie during her Dubai trip and grilled her about Lee and the many untruths he has told over recent months.
Among them are the claims he bid to buy a majority stake in Chelsea Football Club and visited Katie’s children in person on secret trips to the UK, despite the fact he has a travel ban and can’t leave Dubai.
The full 56 minute sit down interview is available to watchhere.
