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IT was perhaps the most famous poster in election history. “Labour Isn’t Working,” proclaimed its simple slogan above a photo of a long, snaking queue outside an unemployment office. 

The image helped Margaret Thatcher’s Tories to win a decisive victory in 1979. 

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That poster could be revived today as the beleaguered Labour Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, seems to be trapped in a kind of doom loop created by his party’s epic mismanagement of the economy. 

Growth is anaemic, the tax burden colossal. Just like in the late 70s, Britain is gripped by rising debt, inflation and unemployment, as well as increasing militancy in the public sector workforce, where recent generous pay settlements have fuelled a mood of greedy irresponsibility. 

Only yesterday the distinguished business leader Lord Stuart Rose, the former head of Marks & Spencer, warned that Starmer and his bumbling Chancellor Rachel Reeves had dragged Britain “to the edge of crisis.” 

In a bleak analysis, Lord Rose argued that because “there is no growth in the economy,” neither wealth nor jobs are being created. 

The parallel with the 1970s is at its most stark in the hostility to hard work. Fifty years ago Britain became known as “the sick man of Europe” because of its addiction to strikes, with an astonishing 29million working days lost in 1979 alone. 

Modern Britain has yet to plumb those depths, though the pig-headed unions are trying to go in that direction, as shown by the current miserable strike on the London Underground, which has paralysed the capital this week. 

What makes this strike so ridiculous is that the Tube drivers are extremely well-paid, typically earning around £72,000-a-year, and enjoy excellent job security, pensions, hours and holidays. Yet they act like they are oppressed members of the proletariat. 

The same is true of the resident doctors who went on strike last month in support of an outrageous 35 per cent pay claim. 

These grotesque demands are part of a wider culture of self-serving entitlement that is destroying Britain’s work ethic, reducing productivity and weakening the dynamism of business. 

That destructive spirit can be seen in the recent surge of sick leave in the national workforce, a phenomenon caused not by harsher conditions but by more indulgent management, and the fashion for treating normal emotions as mental health problems. 

Mental-health crisis 

Yesterday a study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development revealed that employees are now taking an average of nearly two weeks off sick every year. 

Only two years ago absenteeism stood at an average of 7.8 days a year. Now that figure has risen to 9.4 days a year, with the mental-health crisis the key driving force. 

All too predictably, the record of the public sector is much worse than the private sector. That is not because work on the state payroll is tougher. Just the opposite is true. 

The heavily unionised culture of public employment, with its emphasis on workplace rights and victimhood, promotes weak management and a lack of accountability. 

The rise in absenteeism is mirrored by the growth in welfare dependency where ever increasing numbers of people think that the state owes them a living. Social security is no longer just a temporary safety net but has become a comfortable lifestyle choice. 

There are now 6.5million adults of working age who are claiming out-of-work benefits, while some forms of incapacity payments have become a sort of subsidy for early retirement. 

As Lord Rose puts it, “We have arrived in a situation in Britain today where there is effectively no obligation to work, absolutely none.” 

In a recent newspaper interview, one claimant called Clare Russell gave an insight into the mentality of some of the worst freeloaders. 

Labour likes to boast that it is the party of ‘working people’. Now it should live up to that description. 

Ten years ago she gave up work at the age of 46 and since then has lived off the disability benefits she receives for a bad back, as well as a substantial rental income from some property, plus a carer’s allowance to look after her mother who lives 30 miles away. 

In her sickening interview, she said that she has “a lovely life, thanks to the great British taxpayer.” 

Just to heighten the outrage she added, “when I am at the gym, I watch young people scuttle past the window on the treadmill of work and I must admit to feeling smug.” 

The disappearance of the work ethic is neither morally defensible nor financially affordable. 

The disability benefits bill is expected to reach £100billion by 2030 while the overall cost of welfare is forecast to go up from £210billion a decade ago to £380billion by 2030. 

The welfare leviathan is tracking us ever deeper into debt and towards national bankruptcy. 

In the depths of its current political crisis, France — which has an even more lavish benefits system than Britain — shows what can happen when the cost of welfare spirals out of control. 

We were the nation of the industrial revolution. We must revive that kind of drive and determination. This should be an absolute priority for the new Labour cabinet. 

Reform of welfare and the workplace is not an option, it is a necessity. 

Labour likes to boast that it is the party of “working people”. Now it should live up to that description. 

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SHOPPERS are rushing to buy a nifty gadget that costs just 1p to run – and they say it will stop them having to turn the heating on this winter.

The handy product will help keep you warm at home as the colder months approach, and it doesn’t cost a fortune.

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Amazon is selling the neck and shoulder heatpad for £39.99.

It normally retails at £59.99 – representing a saving of 30%.

The Dreamland heatpad is designed to be worn around the neck and can keep your shoulders feeling toasty in winter.

It has also been praised by buyers for easing symptoms associated with arthritis and injuries.

Others have described it as “excellent”.

One satisfied customer hailed it as “lovely” as it stays warm for hours and doesn’t cost anything extra to reheat.

Easy to use

The product’s manufacturer said it delivers “precise temperature control for a full three-hour treatment”.

It added: “It is so easy to use, and has a choice of five continuous use temperate setting, with a three-hour auto shut off timer.

“It costs from as little as 1p to run per treatment for three hours.” 

The cover is machine washable and can be easily stored away when the weather warms back up.

It’s even landed dozens of five-star reviews online.

One buyer said: “Bought for my arthritic mother. She loves it and it helps her a lot.”

Another described it as a “lovely item”.

A third person wrote: “Excellent for a stiff neck, or trapped nerve.”

More money-saving gadgets

Savvy shoppers are always quick to share tips and tricks to keep warm for cheap this winter.

Some recently shared Lidl was selling £18 gadgets that save them turning the heating on.

One woman also recently shared her new hack – which is said to be like “hugging a sheep”.

Dunelm shoppers have also recently been rushing to buy a “life-saver” winter gadget.

The discounter is selling the device that costs just 1p an hour to run.

Aldi also recently shared one of its winter gadgets that costs just 6p to run.

Don’t forget about your hands …

Here are some handy tips to ease the effects of cold weather on your hands …

A pair of mitts can really help your hands through the winter months.

Wear gloves outside so that the cold air doesn’t zap the moisture out of your skin.

For washing up, protect your hands with rubber gloves. Apply hand cream before putting on the gloves and the warm water will help the cream soothe your hands.

Dry, brittle and split nails are a real pain in winter, when our hands are craving moisture. The answer may lie in your food cupboard.

Rubbing olive oil into your nails and cuticles each day can strengthen and soothe them, reducing the risk of splits.

Nursem is a handcare brand started by former children’s intensive care nurse Antonia Philp, whose hands were left cracked and sore from constant handwashing.

Or, to soothe winter hands, try this. Blitz 100g oats in a food mixer until it becomes a powder.

Add to a bowl of warm water with 50ml of olive oil. Soak hands for 10 minutes before drying and apply hand cream.

In a couple of months, California voters will have the opportunity to reshape our state’s political map and, perhaps, tilt the balance of power nationally from red to blue.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who gained recent national attention for his CAPS LOCK social media posturing, spearheaded a bold overhaul of California’s congressional map in response to Texas Republicans’ efforts to add five GOP seats to the House of Representatives.

The redistricting effort, presented at the ballot as Proposition 50, has been blasted by Republicans, but its ultimate fate will be decided by voters on Nov. 4

Times reporters and colleagues Hailey Wang, Vanessa Martínez and Sandhya Kambhampati dissected what the changes could mean.

Here’s some of their analysis.

Methodology behind the analysis

To get a sense of how the proposed maps might alter the balance of power in Congress, The Times used results from the 2024 presidential election to calculate the margin of victory between Democrats and Republicans in the redrawn districts.

In some cases, districts were split apart and stitched together with more liberal areas. In one area, lines have been redrawn with no overlap at all with their current boundary.

As a result, four formerly Republican-leaning swing districts would tilt slightly Democratic, and two others would shift more heavily toward the left. Four out of the five remaining Republican strongholds would become even darker red under the proposed map.

All told, the new maps could help Democrats earn six seats.

We’ll examine two Southern California districts from their list.

41st District: Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona)

Rep. Ken Calvert’s 41st District, long centered in the competitive western Inland Empire, would be eliminated and completely redrawn in Los Angeles County. The district would transform from a swinging GOP-leaning seat into one where Democrats would hold a 14-point advantage.

Parts of the new 41st would be carved out of the current 38th District, represented by Democrat Linda Sánchez. That change shifts some of Sánchez’s Democratic base into the new 41st district, making it more favorable to Democrats while leaving the 38th slightly less blue.

At the same time, the Latino share of the population would rise, further bolstering the Democrat‘s strength in the proposed district. The new 41st seat would become a majority-minority district. The redistricting proposal includes 16 majority-minority districts; the same number as the current map.

A section of the current 41st district would be added to Anaheim Hills’ Republican Young Kim’s 40th District. The reshaped 40th District would move 9.7 points to the right — the biggest rightward shift among Republican-held districts.

48th District: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall)

In 2024, voters in the 48th District reelected Republican representative Darrel Issa by 19 points, while his district swung to Trump by 15 points.

But the proposed lines would shift Republican voters into a neighboring district in favor of bluer voters from the Coachella Valley, giving Democrats a new edge.

The district’s demographics would also change, with a larger share of Latino voters. As a result, a safe Republican seat would become a swing district, where Democrats would hold a narrow 3-point advantage.

The proposed 48th District includes Palm Springs, a liberal patch that was previously in the 41st District.

What the changes could mean

The analysis found the redistricting effort, which will go to voters on Nov. 4, could turn 41 Democratic-leaning congressional districts into 47.

Democrats currently hold 215 seats in the House, and Republicans have 220. The shift could be enough to threaten the GOP’s narrow majority.

For more on the analysis, check out the full article.

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McDonald’s (MCD -0.85%) is one of history’s most successful restaurant chains. What started as a hamburger restaurant in Southern California has grown into a global chain with over 44,000 locations in more than 100 countries.

While such growth bodes well for long-term investors, it could bring uncertainty to future growth plans. That complicates the prospects for turning $10,000 in McDonald’s stock into $50,000 over the next five years. Here’s why.

Image source: Getty Images.

Achieving fivefold growth

Unfortunately for McDonald’s stock bulls, its recent history does not point to fivefold gains over five years. If one had invested $10,000 five years ago, that position would be worth less than $14,600 today. If including dividend income, which has risen every year since 1976, that grows to less than $16,400.

MCD data by YCharts.

This is not to say McDonald’s is a poor choice. Its business model revolves around 95% of its locations operating as franchises. After paying a franchising fee, franchisees must rent the properties from McDonald’s and pay a royalty fee amounting to 4% or 5% of sales. Since the fixed expenses define most of this arrangement, it makes the company’s business model highly recession resistant.

Nonetheless, its financial growth may not inspire fivefold gains over the next five-year period. In the first six months of 2025, revenue of $12.8 billion grew by only 1% yearly. While it kept cost and expense increases in check, the $4.1 billion in net income in the first half of the year was only a 4% yearly gain.

Moreover, its 27 P/E ratio is slightly under the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.32%) average of 30. That gives its stock an average valuation, decreasing the likelihood that an expanding earnings multiple would drive it dramatically higher.

As a company, McDonald’s should continue to benefit from revenue from its franchisees and rising dividends. Although that should bring positive returns to the company, its financial growth will likely not turn a $10,000 investment into $50,000 over the next five years.

Published on
02/09/2025 – 13:52 GMT+2

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Gold jumped to a record $3,508.50 (€3,015.08) an ounce on Tuesday, fuelled by expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut and mounting uncertainty for investors.

The precious metal is seen as a haven for investors, with demand for it surging when trust in the stability of paper currencies or financial markets dips.

Earlier this year, gold prices surged when US President Donald Trump announced a raft of controversial tariffs against other countries.

Gold’s record-high value underscores deep unease over the global outlook and questions about the Fed’s independence as US President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on policymakers.

Dollar is no longer the ‘gold standard’

The rise in gold prices has come as part of a multiyear rally for precious metals.

Central banks from Asia to the Middle East have been accelerating their purchases for the fourth year in a row, adding a powerful tailwind to prices, with predictions being that at least 1,000 metric tonnes of gold will be purchased by governments for their gold reserves.

The move reveals a decreasing reliance on the US dollar at a time when Washington’s fiscal trajectory and political battles are clouding its standing as the world’s reserve currency.

A survey of 73 central banks conducted by the World Gold Council revealed that 95% of them are expected to increase their gold holdings over the next 12 months, while nearly three-quarters of them are anticipated to shrink their dollar reserves.

China, who is still locked in negotiations with the US over a more favourable trade deal, has been accumulating gold on a monthly basis, recording its ninth straight month of purchases in July.

De-dollarisation will hurt the world’s most reliable currency

For much of modern history, most national currencies were tied directly to gold — namely, governments guaranteed that paper money could be exchanged for a fixed weight of gold they had stored in their reserves.

Everyday transactions were carried out with paper money because it was far simpler than calculating gold values or carrying bullion, while governments backed those notes with gold held securely in their vaults.

After World War II, dozens of Allied nations gathered in Bretton Woods in New Hampshire to host the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference.

They decided to create the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and established a system where the US dollar was pegged to gold at $35 an ounce.

In other words, one dollar represented 1/35th of an ounce. At the time, this peg gave the dollar unmatched credibility because the US then held most of the world’s gold reserves.

It provided stability for global trade and investment for about 27 years, until the US abandoned the gold peg in 1971, collapsing the Bretton Woods system.

Ghosts of Bretton Woods

Bretton Woods collapsed in 1971 when the US deficit and inflation drained gold reserves, making the $35 peg unsustainable.

President Richard Nixon ended dollar convertibility at the time, forcing currencies to float freely.

Once currencies began floating after Bretton Woods, foreign exchange or Forex markets became the arena where their values were set.

Instead of governments guaranteeing fixed rates, traders, banks and central banks now buy and sell currencies against one another, with prices at times shifting by the second.

Now, US policies are once again influencing the gold-buying habits of central banks, and it is particularly symbolic that gold has surged past $3,500 an ounce — an increase of more than 10,000% from the $35 peg set under Bretton Woods after World War II.

The pretty village is home to a magical tree garden where you can explore 2,500 different types of trees and shrubs from all over the world

Picture an enchanting woodland sanctuary where you can discover and wander amongst 2,500 distinct varieties of trees and shrubs from across the globe, all within Britain’s borders.

Roughly 15,000 trees call this place home, and there’s no finer moment to witness them than during autumn, when their foliage erupts in a spectacular display of colour, from rich crimson to blazing orange and golden yellow.

You can even lose yourself amongst the forest canopy via the Tree Top Walkway. Stretching 300 metres in length, it gently ascends on easy slopes to reach 13 metres high, providing breathtaking vistas across the gorgeous English countryside. The arboretum is hailed as “truly one of the most beautiful tree gardens to be found anywhere in the world.”

READ MORE: Towels stay ‘fluffy and soft’ if you wash them with 1 household stapleREAD MORE: ‘Super simple AI trick helps me sell clothes on Vinted – my sales have skyrocketed’

Renowned globally for its magnificent autumn colour spectacle, it provides a memorable day out throughout the year, from glorious blossoming trees in spring, to striking and colourful-stemmed varieties in winter…though autumn truly reveals it at its finest, reports the Express.

One guest remarked: “It is so spectacular, the best place in the world to watch the Autumn leaves change colour.” This breathtaking autumnal haven sits in Westonbirt, location of the National Arboretum, merely a few miles south west of Tetbury in Gloucestershire.

Established by Victorian businessman Robert Holford, its 240 hectares (600 acres) were cultivated during a thrilling era of botanical exploration, when trees and shrubs from around the world were brought to Britain. Westonbirt Arboretum, unlike other arboretums, is laid out for aesthetic appeal rather than botanical order, making it a particularly stunning sight.

The medieval village of Westonbirt was originally situated to the southwest of St Catherine’s Church. In 1840, it comprised ten cottages, a rectory, and a farmhouse, straddling the road to Easton Grey.

However, when Robert Holford inherited the Westonbirt estate in 1839, he found the village’s location obstructed his plans to expand his gardens westward. So, in the early 1850s, he relocated the village half a mile further away. This move allowed him to create an informal garden featuring numerous specimen trees, a lake, and a rockery.

Today, the arboretum is managed by Forestry England and is arguably the most significant and well-known arboretum in the UK. As part of the Westonbirt House estate, the arboretum is listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest.

It boasts approximately 15,000 trees and shrubs, with 17 miles (27 km) of marked paths providing access to a wide variety of rare plants. The Old Arboretum is a carefully designed landscape dating back to the 1850s, featuring several avenues and a number of rare and exotic trees from around the world.

Silk Wood, on the other hand, is a more traditional working woodland, dating back to the 13th century. Throughout the arboretum, every individual tree bears a label, either attached to its trunk or a low-hanging branch. Blue markers denote Westonbirt’s “champion trees”, the tallest or largest specimens of their species in Britain.

The website advises visitors to “Pop into the Welcome Building at the start of your visit – you’ll find lots of interesting information to help you make the most of your visit as well as stories about Westonbirt’s trees and how they are cared for. There are seasonal trail leaflets, which will guide you around some of the most amazing trees in our tree collection – hand-picked by us!”

Take a walk on the STIHL Treetop Walkway, 300 metres long it gradually rises on gentle inclines to a height of 13 metres offering spectacular views across the arboretum landscape. It is accessible to visitors on foot, using mobility scooters, wheelchairs and pushchairs and to those with dogs on leads.

It leads visitors from near the Welcome Building into the treetops of the beautiful Silk Wood. For families, our play trail is a great way to fire children’s imaginations and, in such stunning surroundings, it’s an enjoyable adventure for the whole family. “.

For more information visit www.forestryengland.uk/westonbirt-the-national-arboretum.

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Leading European stock markets reflected a cautiously positive sentiment on Friday as investors watched for progress on Ukraine peace talks and awaited a speech from US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. He will speak on Friday at Jackson Hole, where central bankers gather for their annual meeting. 

Markets also digested details of an EU-US trade truce and better-than-expected business activity data, announced on Thursday.

Despite the news that the German economy shrank more than initially estimated in the second quarter, the German DAX changed direction and made up its earlier losses, gaining around 0.1% after 11.00 CEST.

The FTSE 100, though trading in negative territory all morning, also followed suit and changed course, gaining a few points by late morning.

The Paris CAC 40 was up 0.2%, the Madrid IBEX 35 rose by 0.4%, and the European benchmark STOXX 600 increased by 0.2%. 

As for the London blue chip index, the early morning slight dip appeared to be just a small correction. “The FTSE 100 saw a subdued start on Friday after achieving a record close above 9,300 yesterday,” said AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth in his note.

Investors are focusing on the message Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell might deliver at the Jackson Hole summit in Wyoming.

“Investors had been expecting a rate cut from the Fed next month so if Powell were to say anything suggesting rates might be kept on hold, it could see stocks come under greater pressure,” said Coatsworth. He added that robust PMI data from the US on Thursday pointed to a strong economy, potentially reducing the chances of the Fed lowering borrowing costs.

A cut in interest rates would be the first of the year and it would give asset prices and the economy a boost — but it could also risk worsening inflation.

The Fed has been hesitant to cut interest rates this year out of fear that President Donald Trump’s tariffs could push inflation higher, but a surprisingly weak report on employment growth earlier this month suddenly shifted focus towards the job market. Trump, meanwhile, has forcefully pushed for cuts to interest rates, directing fierce criticism towards Powell.

US markets closed in a gloomy mood

On Wall Street on Thursday, the S&P 500 slipped 0.4% to 6,370.17, continuing a gradual decline since a record on 14 August. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3% to 44,875.50, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3% to 21,100.31.

In other dealings early on Friday, the US dollar rose to 148.48 Japanese yen, from 148.37 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1590 from $1.1606.

Meanwhile, oil prices fell by midday in Europe; the US benchmark crude lost 0.2% and was traded at $63.38 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, also was down by 0.2% at $67.52 per barrel.

Oil prices moved higher yesterday, “as the initial enthusiasm over progress towards a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine continues to fade”, said ING in a note. Expectations of increased global uncertainty are driven by the difficulties of setting up a Putin-Zelensky summit and securing potential security guarantees for Ukraine.

Asian markets were also mixed on Friday

Asian shares were also mixed on Friday. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose less than 0.1% to 42,633.29 after Japan’s core inflation rate slowed to 3.1% in July, from 3.3% in June.

ING Economics said in a note that price pressures were broadly in line with market consensus. Inflation staying above 3% raises the likelihood of a rate hike as soon as October, it said.

In Chinese markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.9% to 25,339.14. The Shanghai composite index climbed 1.5% to 3,825.76.

South Korea’s Kospi added 0.9% to 3,168.73. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.6% to 8,967.40 as traders sold to lock in gains after the benchmark surged to record highs in recent trading sessions.

Brent Hinds, who sang and played guitar in the Grammy-winning metal band Mastodon until he left the group this year, died Wednesday night in a motorcycle crash in Atlanta. He was 51.

His death was reported by Atlanta’s WANF, which cited a police report that said Hinds was riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he was struck by an SUV whose driver had failed to yield while making a turn. Hinds was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

In an Instagram post, Hinds’ former bandmates said they were “in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief” and that they were “still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many.”

Known for its complicated riffs and its high-concept storytelling, Mastodon built a large and devoted audience with intricately plotted albums about illness, suicide and “Moby-Dick.” The band’s music drew clear inspiration from Black Sabbath and Slayer and influenced subsequent metal acts like Baroness and Pallbearer.

Yet Bill Kelliher, Mastodon’s other guitarist, said, “We’re not really a metal band,” during an interview with The Times in 2017. “I feel we’re more like a really heavy, groovy rock band with some prog elements and some pretty deep emotional lyrics. They’re loosely based on tragedy and things that really shake up human beings in real life.”

Mastodon formed in 2000 and made two albums for the respected indie label Relapse Records — including 2004’s “Moby-Dick”-steeped “Leviathan,” which Hinds told the New York Times allegorized “the struggle between man and music” — before signing to the Warner Music imprint Reprise for 2006’s “Blood Mountain,” which earned a Grammy nomination for best metal performance.

The band — in which Hinds, bassist Troy Sanders and drummer Brann Dailor took turns as lead singer — made five more LPs for Reprise; “Sultan’s Curse,” from 2017’s “Emperor of Sand,” won a Grammy for best metal performance. Mastodon’s most recent album, “Hushed and Grim,” came out in 2021.

Hinds grew up in Birmingham, Ala., where he learned to play the banjo before turning to guitar. In a 2009 interview with the Guardian, he described his younger self as “a total hellion” and said he was “very dysfunctional at school.” He added that he would “take LSD and come to class still tripping. I was too creative, never doing my homework, just filling my notepad up with drawings of skulls.”

He met Sanders when the latter came to Birmingham to play with an earlier band; Hinds soon moved to Atlanta to make music with Sanders, then the two formed Mastodon with Kelliher and Dailor. In 2009, Mastodon played the Coachella festival and toured with Metallica; six years later, Hinds appeared as an extra in an episode of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

In March, Mastodon announced that Hinds had left the band in a statement that said they’d “mutually decided to part ways.” Yet Hinds later wrote on Instagram that his former bandmates, whom he called “horrible humans,” had fired him “for embarrassing them for being who I am.” He went on to accuse them of using Auto-Tune in the studio and said he had “never met three people that were so full of themselves.”

Information on Hinds’ survivors wasn’t immediately available.

US special envoy Tom Barrack has asked Israel to withdraw from the Lebanese territory after Beirut approved a plan to disarm the Hezbollah group by the end of the year, in exchange for an end to Israeli military attacks on its territory.

“There’s always a step-by-step approach, but I think the Lebanese government has done their part. They’ve taken the first step. Now what we need is Israel to comply with that equal handshake,” Barrack told reporters on Monday, in Lebanon’s capital of Beirut, after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

The US-backed plan sets out a four-phase roadmap for the Hezbollah group to hand in their arsenal as Israel’s military halts ground, air and sea operations and withdraws troops from Lebanon’s south.

Lebanon’s cabinet approved the plan on August 7 despite Hezbollah’s outright refusal to disarm, raising fears that Israel could intensify attacks on Lebanon, even while it carries out near-daily violations of the November truce it signed with Hezbollah to end its war.

Israel has continued these attacks against Lebanon even in the weeks since the cabinet approved the plan.

Barrack described the cabinet’s decision as a “Lebanese decision that requires Israel’s cooperation” and said the US was “in the process of now discussing with Israel what their position is” but provided no further details.

Asked by reporters about whether he expected to see Israel fully withdraw from Lebanese territory, the US envoy said “that’s exactly the next step” needed.

“There is cooperation from all sides. We are not here to intimidate anyone. The positive outcomes will benefit Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Israel alike,” he said.

‘An economic proposal’

The US envoy also said Washington would seek an economic proposal for post-war reconstruction in the country, after months of shuttle diplomacy between the US and Lebanon.

Barrack voiced optimism after Monday’s meeting, stating: “A return to prosperity and peace is within reach. I believe we will witness progress in several areas in the coming weeks.”

“This is the first visit of the American envoy to Lebanon after the Lebanese cabinet mandated the Lebanese army to assess how to disarm Hezbollah,” said Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Beirut.

“However, there are a lot of concerns with respect to how this process is going to happen, given the fact that Hezbollah refused.”

On Friday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem raised the spectre of civil war, warning there would be “no life” in Lebanon should the state attempt to confront or eliminate the group.

In a written statement after his meeting with Barrack, Aoun said “other parties” now needed to commit to the roadmap’s contents.

Barrack is also set to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri, who often negotiates on behalf of Hezbollah with Washington.

A ‘return to prosperity and peace’?

Under phase one of the US-backed plan, the Lebanese government is to issue a decision committing to Hezbollah’s full disarmament by the end of the year – which it now has – and Israel will cease military operations in Lebanese territory.

In phase two, Lebanon would begin implementing the disarmament plan within 60 days, and the government would approve troop deployments to the south. Then, Israel would begin withdrawing from the south and releasing Lebanese prisoners.

In phase three, which should happen within 90 days of that, Israel is to withdraw from the last two of the five disputed border positions, and money would be secured for Lebanon’s reconstruction.

In phase four, Hezbollah’s remaining heavy weapons are to be dismantled, and Lebanon’s allies will organise a conference to support the country’s economic recovery.

Hezbollah emerged badly weakened from last year’s 14-month war with Israel, during which longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in a huge Israeli strike on Beirut. Before the war, Hezbollah was believed to be better armed than the Lebanese military.

The group has long maintained it needs to keep its arsenal to defend Lebanon from attacks, but critics accused it of using its weapons for political leverage.

Hezbollah has said it refuses to discuss its arsenal until Israel ends its attacks and withdraws troops from southern Lebanon. Aoun and Salam both want to disarm Hezbollah and have also demanded Israel halt its attacks and withdraw from the country.

Just on Monday, Israeli attacks blew up a house in the town of Meiss el-Jabal, a sound bomb went off in the border town of Dahra, and drones could be overheard in the towns of Wadi Zefta, al-Numairiyeh and Wadi Kafra, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.

Aoun said he wants to increase funding for Lebanon’s military and raise money from international donors for post-war reconstruction. The World Bank estimates that the war caused $11bn in damage and economic losses. The country has also faced a crippling economic crisis since 2019.

Brits heading on Ibiza holidays to enjoy the island’s world-famous clubs, bars and boat parties are being warned of a simple scam that’s leaving them out of pocket

Brits heading to Ibiza this summer to make the most of its epic boat parties are being warned of a common scam that could leave them out of pocket, staring at an empty dock.

Ibiza Town is famous for its epic nightlife from the packed clubs and bars to boat parties where revellers can soak up the views and sunshine while listening to live music and DJ sets. However, one insider has warned that Brits planning Spain holidays should stay vigilant when trying to make the most of the atmosphere.

James Smith, founder of Learn Spanish with James, has spent years living on the White Isle and witnessed countless tourists fall victim to elaborate cons. His warnings come after Spanish islands fear Brits won’t return as tourists are dealt another blow.

Have you been caught out by one of these Ibiza scams? Email us at [email protected].

READ MORE: Travel experts warn Brits to stay vigilant amidst rise of ‘fake visa websites’READ MORE: Brit abroad in Benidorm warns tourists to ‘never rent car’ during August

“Living in Ibiza opened my eyes to how sophisticated these scams have become.” He said. “The operators know exactly what buttons to push with British tourists, so they’ll promise VIP treatment, exclusive access, or once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But there are always telltale signs if you know what to look for.”

He adds that boat party scams “have exploded in recent years”. Fraudsters set up websites and social media pages to promote incredible events complete with celebrity DJs, unlimited drinks and VIP packages. Only, these events are completely made up; when people turn up to the docks or venues, there’s nothing there.

James warned: “These scammers are getting smarter with their online presence. They’ll steal photos from legitimate boat parties and create convincing websites. But when you turn up at the supposed departure point, there’s no boat – and no refund.”

He urged Brits to keep an eye out for red flags such as vague meeting locations, requests for full payment upfront via bank transfer, and reluctance to provide official booking confirmations or company registration details.

It’s also worth noting that in recent years, Ibiza officials have introduced strict rules around boat parties in a bid to crackdown on unruly tourists. This includes a ban on party boats sailing within one nautical mile of a number of towns on the island, with captains also prevented from picking up and disembarking passengers in the regions.

Other common scams according to James include approaching tourists with ‘discounted’ tickets to clubs such as Pacha or Amnesia.

“They’ll show you what looks like a genuine ticket and claim they can’t use it,” he explained. “The story is always the same: they’re leaving the island early, their friend cancelled, or they double-booked. But these tickets are either completely fake or already used.”

If they won’t let you check the ticket or refuse to provide contact details, be wary. They may also use high pressure tactics such as telling you someone else is interested.

Meanwhile if you’re promised unlimited drinks and queue skips, proceed with caution, especially if you’re being approached in the street. “The legitimate venues don’t work this way,” James pointed out. “Real clubs sell their own packages through official channels. These street sellers are either selling fake vouchers or massively overcharging for basic entry.”

You can find out more on learnspanishwithjames.com.

DID you know there are rainforests in Britain? Nope – me neither.

But you may well have visited one without realising if you’ve holidayed in Cornwall, Wales or along the Atlantic Coastline.

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Especially if you remember walking through green woodland packed with ferns, moss and lichen – with a really memorable earthy, damp scent.

They once covered more than 20 per cent of the UK – but history devoured them – and now there’s less than one per cent.

So the Wildlife Trust, sponsored by Aviva, has just launched an epic 100-year restoration project to bring them back.

The temperate rainforest restoration programme will restore approximately 1,755 hectares of temperate rainforest across the British Isles. 

Some of the new sites created through this programme include Bowden Pillars in Devon, Bryn Ifan in North Wales, Creg y Cowin and Glion Darragh on the Isle of Man, Trellwyn Fach in Pembrokeshire, and – most recently – Skiddaw in Cumbria.

Garden Designer Zoe Claymore, won a silver gilt medal at RHS Chelsea for her British Rainforest Garden.

She told me: “I didn’t know it at the time – but I played in a British rainforest as a child. The end of my grandparents garden in Devon went into Lidford Gorge which is one of the last existing rainforests.

“In the UK they’re found in the Goldilocks zone – not too hot, not too cold – and by rivers, gullies and gorges, because you also need the moisture from the river creating that ecosystem.”

But there are ways of recreating one in your own garden, she said.

“Even if  you don’t live in an area suited to creating a rainforest there’s other plants that will create the same vibes.

“Create shade with Hazels – they’re a great small tree which gives a real native-feel and perfect for small gardens. Or include hollies, birch or willows.

“Create a water feature – from a little stream with a few rocks or simply as an old-school rock water bowl – to  create that sense of humidity.

“But even if you just did a pond in a pot surrounded by some fun little logs, that will create habitat, that will bring wildlife, and it will create that kind of feeling of rainforest-y wetness.”

It’s easy to make a home made pond – using old washing up bowls. Tesco’s are currently selling one for just £2.75.

First choose a spot that’s sunny but not in direct sunlight all day – otherwise the water will evaporate.

Then all you have to do is put some logs around it, and a few stones, so wildlife can climb in and out easily – almost like a ramp.

Ideally fill it with rain water rather than tap.

And then put in about three water plants – like mini water lillies or water forget-me-not and sit back waiting for the wildlife.

Zoe added: “Then use British classic woodland plants and really focus on ferns – the unsung beautiful heroes of shade gardening – as well as bluebells, foxgloves, primulars, ivy, bananas and – if you’ve got a wet area – moss – which is the jewel in the crown – so your garden will be green all year round.”

For a ‘how to’ guide adapted to all UK gardens – as well as a rainforest-inspired pot combination  – head to www.zoeclaymore.com – and a share of the proceeds will go the Wildlife Trust.

Also in Veronica’s Column this week…

Gardening tips, news, plant of the week and a competition to win a garden border worth £195

PLANT OF THE WEEK! Dierama Wind Nymph Pink – pictured above – clump forming perennial with slender arching stems with soft pink blooms and evergreen foliage. Bees love it. Plant in direct sunlight, likes well drained soil but might need protection in Winter.

NEWS! A dad’s 60-year-old lawnmower has taken its place in gardening history as the UK’s oldest Flymo – after he read a plea in Sun Gardening. 

Pete Goddard’s monumental mower was inducted into the British Lawnmower Museum in Southport, Merseyside, last week after Flymo sent out a request for old mowers. 

The rare blue Flymo was unveiled last month – taking its place in the museum alongside King Charles, Brian May, and Nicholas Parsons’ former mowers.

It came after a nationwide search for the UK’s oldest Flymo to celebrate 60 years since the iconic hover mower was invented.

The 79-year-old retired Highway Maintenance Operative’s Flymo was originally bought in the 1960s by his father-in-law and lovingly maintained across three generations – and still works today.

NEWS! Great Comp Gardens will show off some salvias not released to the general public before – at it’s  annual Summer Show next weekend. 

The seven acre garden in Platt, near Sevenoaks will be at it’s best – with the hot and cool border in bloom, salvias bringing swathes of colour to the perennial borders and the Italian Garden in full flower in time for their annual two-day flagship event. 

The weekend event features a group of talented artists, craftspeople, award-winning nurseries and garden ornamental suppliers plus live jazz bands on the lawn.

Curator William Dyson says: “We can’t wait to share the garden with our Summer Show visitors – it looks particularly splendid in August with the salvias in full flow.

“We’ve also introduced lots of new and interesting plants to the garden this year including a collection of new world salvias that we’ve inherited from Lindsay Pink (a collector in Portsmouth) that people won’t have seen before. 

“We urge people to come along and see our revamped planting schemes which help to showcase new salvias that we have been keeping under wraps until now. There are salvias that I’ve only seen once before and can’t wait to show people. We are mixing in drifts of South American annuals like Cosmos for interest and colour and Tagetes erecta (Mexican marigolds) plus lots of varieties of dahlias.”

For more info visit www.greatcompgarden.co.uk

WIN! Garden on a Roll – which provide ready-made garden border paper templates, and the plants to put them in – are offering three £195 borders at 3m x 60cm of any style – including the  ‘Wildlife border’ for bees and butterflies. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/GardenBorders, or write to Garden on a Roll competition,  PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. August 16, 2025. T&Cs apply

JOB OF THE WEEK! Stake your dahlias, trim your lavenders, take fuchsia cuttings, prune climbing and rambling roses, add tomato food to corn and peppers.

For more gardening content follow me @biros_and_bloom

SEOUL, July 28 (UPI) — Major South Korean companies Hyundai Steel and LG Energy Solution turned a profit during the second quarter of this year.

Hyundai Steel, the country’s No. 2 iron maker, announced last week that it posted $4.3 billion in sales during the April-June period, with an operating profit of $74 million. The company suffered a loss over the previous two quarters.

“During the second half of this year, Chinese steel exports are expected to decline further due to supply restrictions in the country,” NH Investment & Securities analyst Lee Jae-kwang noted in a market report.

“The anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese heavy plate steel are also projected to have a positive effect on Hyundai Steel,” he said. In April, South Korea levied tariffs of up to 38% on Chinese heavy plate steel for four months.

LG Energy Solution, a rechargeable battery maker, said Friday that the Seoul-based corporation recorded revenue of $4 billion in the second quarter, with an operating profit of $356 million. The company was profitable for the first time in six quarters.

“We succeeded in turning a profit even excluding the [U.S.] Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, thanks to an increased share of high-margin products and projects manufactured in North America,” LG Energy Solution CFO Lee Chang-sil told a conference call.

He said that the company would try to improve profits later this year by boosting the production of batteries for energy storage systems.

LG Energy Solution has received tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act for running and building battery plants in the United States.

Also included in other turnaround companies in the second quarter were Hotel Shilla, an operator of luxury hotels and duty-free shops, and brokerage house Woori Investment Securities.

Southern Californians, we have not been betrayed. In-N-Out Burger is not moving its headquarters to another state, despite all the panic and performative outrage over recent comments by the fast food chain’s owner and chief executive, Lynsi Snyder.

Last week, on the “Relatable” podcast, Snyder told conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey that she’s leaving the Golden State for Tennessee. “There’s a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here,” said Snyder, who became president of the family-run chain in 2010 at age 27, making her one of the country’s youngest billionaires.

It must be rough.

Her comments set off a disinformation blitz, launching the Double-Double into the middle of a red-state/blue-state culture war where, clearly, nothing is sacred. Anti-Cali factions incorrectly posted, podcast and crowed about yet another business fleeing the West Coast. More proof that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “failing” state sucks! It appeared that In-N-Out was following Tesla and Charles Schwab, companies that cited regulatory challenges and operational costs among their reasons for relocating. Chevron also fled. Perhaps it was the high gas prices.

Many Californians, particularly those in SoCal, felt abandoned and disrespected. They, after all, propped up the chain for 76 years, only to be told by its owner that the place that made her family’s business — their home — is no longer to her liking. On X, Oracle Park Seagull posted “‘Not easy for In N Out to do business in California…’ Said the person who became a billionaire doing business almost exclusively in California. So much so, it was a point of pride for the chain. Gotcha.”

Snyder’s grandparents opened their first In-N-Out in Baldwin Park in 1948, and for decades, the chain was renowned for serving a magical burger that could only be found in Southern California. Locals felt, and still feel, a sense of pride and ownership in the successful, homegrown business. It’s a symbol of West Coast entrepreneurship, its cups and packaging decorated with images of palm trees. And if we’re honest, the mere suggestion of In-N-Out leaving the state triggered a primal fear among Angelenos. Where else were we going to sit in a milelong drive-thru line at midnight waiting for a delicious burger and debatable fries?

Newsom even chimed in, starting his X post with, “For those interested in the facts, rather than fiction, In-N-Out is expanding East — creating a second HQ in Tennessee.” In SoCal, the company is shutting down its office in Irvine, consolidating its corporate operations to Baldwin Park. Today, In-N-Out operates in more than 400 locations across eight states.

Snyder responded Monday to the kerfuffle in an Instagram post: “Where I raise my family has nothing to do with my love and appreciation for our customers in California.”

It’s not the first time In-N-Out has made its stance clear on polarizing issues and politics. The company made news in 2021 when it pushed back against Newsom and California’s COVID-era proof-of-vaccination mandates.

In-N-Out’s packaging also includes Bible verses, a practice started in the late ’80s by Snyder’s uncle, co-founder Rich Snyder. John 3:16 can be found on the bottom of the In-N-Out soda cup. The milkshake cup features Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” On your next visit, you can check for a verse in your fries container. That is, if there is a next time. Instead of the memory of a tasty burger, many lifetime In-N-Out loyalists have been left with a bitter taste in their mouths.

EastEnders legend Danny Dyer has revealed he’s planning on following in his ‘hero” Harold Pinter’s footsteps by turning down a knighthood if he’s ever offered the accolade

Former EastEnders star Danny Dyer has shared why he’d turn down a knighthood.

The 47-year-old actor says that he was too “anti-establishment” for the title which are given to individuals by the monarch for a significant contribution to society.

He told Radio Times that he’d follow in the footsteps of his “hero” Harold Pinter, who turned down a knighthood back in 1996.

Nobel-winning playwright Pinter declined the honour of a knighthood offered to him on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II by former prime minister John Major, but later accepted the award of Companion of Honour in 2002.

When asked if he’d ever been approached about appearing on the New Year’s Honours list, Danny explained: “Have I f! Harold was my hero and turned down a knighthood.

“He was anti-establishment as well, so I don’t think it’s for me.”

Danny became a household name acting in EastEnders from 2013 to 2022 as fan favourite Mick Carter and has since gone on to star in Disney’s hit series Rivals, Sky comedy show Mr. Bigstuff, and an upcoming Irish film Three Quick Breaths.

It comes after Danny left his daughter Dani Dyer horrified with his honeymoon confession.

During a recent episode of their podcast Live And Let Dyers, the Love Island winner opened up about her romantic getaway with new husband and West Ham star Jarrod Bowen, while proud dad Danny managed to overshare in true Dyer fashion.

Back from her sun-soaked trip to Lake Como, Dani revealed the newlyweds were hit with gloomy weather but still made the most of their honeymoon bubble.

“The weather was terrible, it rained for three days but we were very lucky, because it always stopped raining when we went for lunch and for dinners and stuff,” Dani told her dad on the pod.

While the couple had hoped for some sunbathing time, Dani admitted they swapped tanning for telly, champagne and baths.

She added: “We just could never sunbathe, and there’s not really much to do there so, we just binged the whole series of MobLand. We ate and I’d just drink champagne and have loads of baths.”

However, it wasn’t long before Danny spun the convo onto his honeymoon and things got very a little too honest.

He said: “To be fair, you shouldn’t really be getting out of bed a lot in your honeymoon because me and your mother ended up in Florence, and you know, we was appalling!

“I mean, honestly, I look back on it and I think, ‘f****** hell! How on Earth did I manage to get in those sorts of positions!.”

A shocked Dani responded saying: “Oh, you’re disgusting!” before he hit back with: “What do you mean disgusting? There was two people sharing their love. Them days are long gone now!”

THE number of summer jobs available has fallen to the lowest level for seven years, as cautious firms cut back on hiring.

Figures from job-matching platform adzuna.co.uk show seasonal vacancies down by 13 per cent on 2024, but there are still more than 20,000 roles on offer nationwide.

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The temporary roles can boost your CV, help you learn new skills and even open up a permanent role.

Adzuna’s Andrew Hunter said: “A summer job might not seem like a big deal, but it’s one of the smartest moves a young jobseeker can make right now.

Beyond the extra cash, these roles offer a chance to build up the kind of soft skills that AI can’t replicate — emotional intelligence, communication, interpersonal skills and teamwork.”

Among the roles which are seeing a surge in hiring are lifeguards, festival crew, theme park assistants and hospitality staff.

Here are Sunemployment’s top tips to land a summer job to supercharge your career . . . 

Seek out a summer role which can lead to long-term work: Not all seasonal roles end when the sunny weather does. Big firms will often have year-round opportunities.

For example, start serving drinks in a beach bar, then move on to an apprenticeship or front-of-house role for a pub or restaurant chain.

Try an alternative industry: They may not seem like an obvious choice, but plenty of sectors from trains, airlines, hotels and coaches to gardeners, warehouses and call centres recruit for the summer.

All of these offer permanent contracts to summer staff.

Use a recruiter: Fed up applying for summer roles then getting ghosted? Recruitment consultants can put your CV in front of hiring managers to speed up the whole process.

Zahida Ahmed joined South Western Railway aged 21 as a temporary event supervisor through Adecco.

Although the initial job only lasted a week, she continued to work through the recruiter and is now a contract consultant with the firm.

Zahida, from Sunbury, Surrey, said: “My summer job was transformative and allowed me to step confidently into the working world and discover a career path I hadn’t considered before.”

Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said: “Recruiters can offer people from every background a chance at a job by working at a festival, concert or sporting event this summer, or something calmer in an office, shop or construction site.

“Agency work is a fantastic way to get experience over the summer in ways that suit you — and even kick-start your career.”

HOLIDAY park operator Haven has 1,200 roles on offer. There are positions in areas including food and beverage, activities and leisure, security and accommodation services.

Ed Camp, 28, joined the firm in summer 2019 on a seasonal contract as a commis chef at the Littlesea park’s Mash And Barrel restaurant.

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He was later offered a permanent job and put on the Grow to Team Manager talent programme. He is now the restaurant’s kitchen team leader managing 16 staff. Ed said: “I’m excited to see where my journey takes me next.”

Apply at jobs.haven.com.

SIX TIPS RELATIVE TO WORK

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THIS week saw the Gallagher brothers take to the stage together for the first time in 16 years. While working with family isn’t always so stressful, it may still throw up extra challenges.

Peter Duris, co-founder of Kickresume.com, said: “A family member on your team means having a colleague you can really trust.

“But, as in the case of Oasis, it can also mean spending too much time together or making big, stressful decisions with someone who knows how to push your buttons.”

Here, he shares his advice.

1. Set clear boundaries between your work and personal life: If your co-workers are family, it’s a necessity.

You might choose to use email only for work-related communication, while using your phone’s messaging apps for things like planning your dad’s birthday party.

2. Make sure the fact that you’re family doesn’t shape how you treat each other at work, so you don’t favour family members over others.

3. Keep your professional expectations the same: Never expect more or less because someone is family. Expecting more might make things more stressful and harm your personal relationship.

4. Be mindful of your past: Working with someone who knows you really well can be stressful, especially if there is already some tension between you.

For instance, if you’ve always had a bit of a competitive relationship with your sibling, or maybe grew up feeling like you were compared to each other, working together can be very tricky.

If you find yourself getting wound up, it might help to stop and think, “What am I really annoyed about?” When working on a project together, focus on your shared goals.

5. Consider your policies: Many UK companies have policies relating to family members, such as banning direct relatives being line managers over each other. These help you prevent a conflict of interest when it comes to issues like pay rises or performance reviews.

6. Sort your succession planning: If you work for a family business where multiple generations are involved, take professional advice on succession planning to avoid damage down the line.

MAKE FAST ‘BUCKS

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Starbucks has opened applications for its accelerated leadership programme – a fast track for future store managers.

The course offers a Level 3 management qualification which usually takes three years to achieve – but 20 trainees will be able to get it in 13 months.

Positions are available in major cities including London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow. No previous hospitality or work experience is required.

Alex Rayner, general manager of Starbucks UK, said: “Whether you’re leaving school or exploring a fresh start, Starbucks is a place where you can work with great people.”

Apply by July 21 at corndel.foleon.com/starbucks/starbucks-learner-hub.

July 9 (UPI) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent administrative subpoenas to Harvard University demanding that it turn over data on its Student Visitor and Exchange Program.

“We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release announcing the subpoenas. “Harvard, like other universities, has allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus. If Harvard won’t defend the interests of its students, then we will.”

In a statement to The Hill on Wednesday, Harvard said it plans to follow all “lawful requests” but dismissed the subpoenas as “unwarranted.”

In May, Noem said in a letter to the school, “As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege.”

Noem announced in April that the government would cancel two grants to the school worth more than $2.7 million. She said the school was “unfit to be entrusted with taxpayer dollars.”

Wednesday’s release said the university’s refusal to comply means “these subpoenas are the only option left for the Department.”

“Other universities and academic institutions that are asked to submit similar information should take note of Harvard’s actions, and the repercussions, when considering whether or not to comply with similar requests,” DHS warned.

Questions are mounting about what, if any, actions local officials took to warn campers and residents.

The hope of finding survivors of the catastrophic flooding in the US state of Texas continues to dim a day after the death toll surpassed 100, and crews kept up the search for people missing in the aftermath.

As the storms that had battered the Hill Country for the past four days began to subside, more attention was being paid to the government’s response.

Questions are mounting about what, if any, actions local officials took to warn campers and residents who were spending the July Fourth holiday weekend in the scenic area long known to locals as “flash flood alley”.

At public briefings, officials in hard-hit Kerr County have deflected questions about what preparations and warnings were made as forecasters warned of life-threatening conditions.

“We definitely want to dive in and look at all those things,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said on Monday. “We’re looking forward to doing that once we can get the search and rescue complete.”

Some camps were aware of the dangers and monitoring the weather. At least one moved several hundred campers to higher ground before the floods. But many were caught by surprise.

Debate has also intensified over how state and local officials reacted to weather alerts forecasting the possibility of a flash flood and the lack of an early warning siren system that might have mitigated the disaster.

On Monday, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick promised that the state would “step up” to pay for installing a flash-flood warning system in Kerrville by next summer if local governments “can’t afford it”.

“There should have been sirens,” Patrick said in a Fox News interview on Monday. “Had we had sirens here along this area … it’s possible that we would have saved some lives.”

The Houston Chronicle and New York Times reported that Kerr County officials had considered installing a flood-warning system about eight years ago, but dropped the effort as too costly after failing to secure a $1m grant to fund the project.

In San Antonio and in Washington, Democrats are questioning whether cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS) affected the forecasting agency’s response to catastrophic and deadly flooding in Central Texas.

The White House and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have denied the allegations and accused them of “politicising” the disaster.

The NWS’s San Antonio office is responsible for forecasting the area’s weather, collecting climate data and warning the public about dangerous conditions. Texas officials criticised the NWS over the weekend, arguing it failed to warn the public about impending danger.

The office issued a stream of flash flood warnings on Thursday and Friday across its digital and radio services, which are used to communicate with public safety professionals, according to alert records.

The messages grew increasingly urgent in the early hours of Friday morning. The team sent an emergency text message to area mobile phones at about 1:14 am, calling it a “dangerous and life-threatening situation”.

Phones must have reception or be near a cell tower to receive that message, said Antwane Johnson, former director of the Public Alert Team for the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Mobile coverage is spotty in areas around the Guadalupe River, according to Federal Communications Commission records last updated in December.

“Even though those messages were issued, it does not mean it got to the people who needed them,” said Erik Nielsen, who studies extreme rain at Texas A&M University.

Here’s a closer look at the timeline of how the floods hit Texas and what warnings were sent when:

July 2

• The Texas Division of Emergency Management announces that the agency “activated state emergency response resources in anticipation of increased threats of flooding in parts of West and Central Texas heading into the holiday weekend”.
• In a statement, the agency urges Texans to “monitor local forecasts and avoid driving or walking into flooded areas”.

July 3

• 9:47am (14:47 GMT) – The Texas Division of Emergency Management posts warnings on social media of “the flood threat in West & Central TX”. These urge drivers to check road conditions before heading out and to turn around upon seeing water.
• 3:35pm (20:35 GMT)- The NWS Austin/San Antonio office issues a flood watch for portions of the western Hill Country.
• 11:14pm (04:14 GMT) – NWS issues a flash flood warning for Bandera County, marking the first official warning to go out.

July 4 

• 1:14am (06:14 GMT) – A flash flood watch is issued for Bandera and Kerr counties. More than a dozen flash flood warnings for counties across the affected areas will be issued by mid-morning. A mobile alert goes out to all mobile phones with reception in the area. Three more warnings are sent in the next few hours, according to the New York Times.
• 3:30am (08:30 GMT) – The level of the Guadalupe River at Hunt in Kerr County has grown from 2.3 to 5.1 metres (7.7 to 16.8 feet), according to the New York Times. With the water so high, the gauge goes offline for an estimated three hours.
• 4:35am (09:35 GMT) – The river level hits 8.8m (29 feet) in Hunt County, according to meteorologists at San Antonio TV station KSAT. The water makes its way rapidly downriver. Ten minutes later, it crests at 7m (23 feet) in Kerrville.
• 5-7am (10-12:00 GMT)- According to CBS, NWS sends out three mobile phone messages in Kerr County reading: “This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!” News reports have noted that mobile service can be patchy in the more rural parts of Kerr County, and that some residents, accustomed to seeing flood warnings, were inclined to ignore them.
• 5:15am (10:15 GMT) – NWS reports “record high” water in Hunt.
• 6:29am (11:29 GMT) – The City of Kerrville Police Department (KPD) urges all residents who live near the Guadalupe to evacuate. “This is a life threatening event,” the KPD writes in a Facebook post. “Do not wait.”
• 7am (12:00 GMT) – The KPD and firefighters begin evacuating residents. Reunification sites and shelters are set up across town, including at a church and Walmart.
• 9:30am (14:30 GMT) – The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office announces fatalities, saying it will not release details until the next of kin have been notified. “This is a catastrophic flooding event,” reads a Facebook post. “The entire county is an extremely active scene. Residents are encouraged to shelter in place and not attempt travel. Those near creeks, streams, and the Guadalupe River should immediately move to higher ground.”
• Throughout the morning and afternoon, news of fatalities trickles out. Officials announce that around 20 children are unaccounted for at Camp Mystic. The camp later confirmed that 27 campers and counsellors died.
• 3:45pm (20:45 GMT) – The river gauge begins recording again, according to the New York Times. By now, the level at Hunt has dipped back to 9 feet. Although rains continue to lash the region, the river reaches extreme heights as it moves further downstream.

Tensions boiled over this past Friday as throngs of mostly peaceful protesters, brandishing placards with messages like “Gringo: Stop stealing our home” and demanding immediate housing regulation, took to tourist hotspots throughout the city

A fierce backlash against gentrification and a surge in mass tourism has unfolded on the streets of Mexico City.

Tensions boiled over this past Friday as throngs of mostly peaceful protesters, brandishing placards with messages like “Gringo: Stop stealing our home” and demanding immediate housing regulation, took to tourist hotspots throughout the city.

The protest took a darker turn as the day went on, with a handful violently lashing out, shattering shop windows and plundering several establishments. At one point, one person was seen aggressively jabbing a butter knife at a restaurant window where punters were sheltering, while another emblazoned “kill a gringo” on a wall in the vicinity.

Years of mass tourism and skyrocketing rent prices have left residents of a bustling city frustrated. The tide of foreigners began to swell in 2020, as Americans sought refuge in Mexico City to work remotely, escape coronavirus restrictions, and enjoy lower living costs.

Have you been impacted by overtourism? Email [email protected]

READ MORE: Brit warns others as he’s slapped with £150 fine after returning from holiday

Desirable areas like Roma and Condesa, known for their lush central locales brimming with cafes and markets, have seen an uptick in foreign tourists and ‘digital nomads’ since then. The number of Airbnbs in the city has rocketed.

Residents are feeling the squeeze, claiming they’ve been ousted from their own communities. This sentiment is partly attributed to a controversial call made by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum back in 2022 when she signed a deal with Airbnb and UNESCO to promote tourism and court remote workers, fully aware of the potential repercussions on local housing.

“The xenophobic displays seen at that protest have to be condemned. No one should be able to say ‘any nationality get out of our country’ even over a legitimate problem like gentrification,” the President said following the protests.

The influx of holidaymakers has driven up rents and living costs, making English an increasingly heard language on the streets of these neighbourhoods. Some critics have labelled this trend as a form of “neo-colonialism.”

The Mexico City Anti-Gentrification Front, one of the groups organising protests, has said it is “completely against” any acts of physical violence and refuted claims that their protests are xenophobic. Instead, they argue that the demonstrations stem from the local government’s longstanding failure to tackle the underlying issues.

“Gentrification isn’t just foreigners’ fault, it’s the fault of the government and these companies that prioritize the money foreigners bring,” the group declared. They highlighted the struggle of “young people and the working class can’t afford to live here.”

The organisation has issued a list of demands, calling for increased rent controls, insisting that locals should have a say in larger development projects in their area, stricter laws making it more difficult for landlords to evict tenants and prioritising Mexican renters over foreigners.

Mexico’s protest follows a series of similar demonstrations across Europe against mass tourism.

At the moment over 26,000 properties in Mexico City are listed on Airbnb, as reported by Inside Airbnb, an advocacy group monitoring the company’s impact on residential communities through data. This compares to 36,000 properties in New York City and 19,000 in Barcelona, where protests have also erupted.

Airbnb claimed to have contributed over a billion dollars to Mexico City’s “economic impact” last year, supporting 46,000 jobs in the city. “What’s needed is regulation based not on prohibitions, but on respect for rights and transparency of obligations,” the company said in a statement.