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natural disaster · natural disaster

Fewer than one in 10 recovered bodies of people killed in deadly floods has been formally identified.

social demographic · culture

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London Even though Beyoncé rumours prove unfounded, there are plenty of guests, from Idris Elba to Lauryn Hill – but this show doesn’t need cameos to lift it Jay-Z’s first solo tour in nine years bills itself as a celebration: it marks the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt. But it feels less concerned with nostalgic reverie than a show of strength in the present day. Hip-hop is a genre predicated on constant forward motion, in which careers tend to burn brightly, then dim as the music moves on. Jay-Z may not be the only fiftysomething rapper out on a career retrospective tour in 2026, but he is, unequivocally, the only one who’s capable of doing it at this level: packing out the biggest stadiums in the world nearly a decade after he last released an album , his standing impressively undiminished by a retreat into semi-retirement. Moreover, he’s doing it in considerable style. The show’s musical approach can clearly trace its origins back to 2001, the year Jay-Z solved the problem of how on earth a rapper was supposed to appear on MTV Unplugged by eschewing hip-hop’s standard DJ-and-backing-tapes approach and employing a live band: the Roots were apparently astonished to be asked, but the end result was pretty jaw-dropping. Back in May, his first solo gig in five years essentially recreated it – he headlined the Roots’ annual Picnic festival with Questlove and co in tow once more – but the Jay-Z 30 tour supersizes it, featuring not just a 10-piece band, but an 18-piece string section. The resulting sound can, very occasionally, feel a little de trop – the squealing metal guitar solo appended to Can I Live definitely seems surplus to requirements – but for the most part, it works extraordinarily well, amping up the cinematic sweep of Empire State of Mind and the lush 70s-soul inflections of Izzo (H.O.V.A), adding a thunderous heft to Public Service Announcement and 99 Problems. It also serves to underline Jay-Z’s technical skill: a lesser rapper would be swallowed up by the density of the sound, but the precision of his delivery consistently cuts through. Continue reading...

economic · economic

UK tax agency threatened with legal action over Israeli settlement trade, says report Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 09/05/2026 - 14:57 US-based Global Echo Litigation Center says HMRC has failed to stop illegal settlement goods from entering the country Palestinian women look on as Israeli bulldozers demolish an apartment building near the Israeli settlement of Hagai, south of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, 18 February 2026 (AFP) Off A US -based non-profit legal group has threatened litigation against Britain's HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), alleging it has allowed goods from Israeli settlements to enter the UK tariff-free, Sky News reported . According to a letter sent in July by law firm Leigh Day, representing the Global Echo Litigation Center, agricultural products from Israeli settlements, including those in the occupied West Bank, have been entering the UK in breach of trade rules. Some goods labelled as Israeli were produced in occupied Palestine , contravening UK guidelines requiring such products to be clearly labelled as originating from settlements to avoid misleading consumers. Although the UK has a free trade agreement with Israel, Israeli settlement goods do not qualify for preferential tariff treatment. Citing a four-year investigation by Global Echo, the letter, seen by Sky News, accused HMRC of failing to determine the real source of UK imports, describing the system used to verify the origin of Israeli products as “flawed”. The letter concluded that goods produced in settlements have "unlawfully benefitted" from reduced import duties. There has been mounting pressure on the British government to adopt stronger measures on Israel amid rising settler violence and Israeli plans to expand illegal settlements. Polling of Labour members earlier this year showed that a staggering 87 percent support a ban on trade with Israeli settlements, with only six percent opposing it. Exclusive: UK to announce raft of new policies on Israel including settlement goods ban Read More » Last month, Middle East Eye reported that Andy Burnham's government is poised to announce a raft of new policies on Israel in September, including a ban on Israeli settlement goods. The investigation by Global Echo, published in July, examined more than 30,000 export documents for thousands of Israeli shipments to the UK and EU over a period of eight years. The report found that one in six shipments contained agricultural produce originating from illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights, with at least 42 percent falsely labelled as Israeli-grown. Based on an analysis of 357 invoice declarations, Global Echo identified five companies that routinely source agricultural products from settlements while declaring Israel as their country of origin, according to the letter. The non-profit said this was done by mixing settlement produce with Israeli goods, listing a settlement postcode but declaring Israel as the country of origin, or using a “sham” proxy address inside Israel. One way of evading detection, according to the letter, was for a company to list its corporate headquarters as the origin of its goods, rather than the specific agricultural site required under trade rules. Global Echo called on HMRC to classify imports declared as Israeli as high risk and strengthen checks to ensure they comply with trade rules. UK Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

military · geopolitical

The US military says it has struck three Iranian oil tankers after Navy warships were targeted with missiles. The military’s statement on Saturday said an aircraft carrier and a destroyer evaded “multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks” and no US personnel were hurt. It said two Iranian oil carriers were “permanently disabled” and the third, unladen one, was destroyed. The US statement said the tankers were part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). “Let the...

military · geopolitical

US military says it destroyed three Iranian oil tankers The US military said it had struck and destroyed three oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after American warships came under Iranian fire. "Following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask," Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on X. "American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo... in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship," it continued. Video released by Centcom showed huge fireballs and thick plumes of flames erupting as projectiles struck the vessels. The three ships targeted were "part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies", it said. "Iran has no means by which to defend them," it added.

military · geopolitical

A Ukrainian military official has revealed that Colonel Oleksandr Dmukhovskyi has recently been appointed commander of Ukraine's Close Air Defence, the branch responsible for protecting troops and critical facilities against aerial threats at short range.

geopolitical · geopolitical

Bloomberg This Weekend has breaking news that US forces struck three Iranian crude carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships, according to US Central Command. The renewed fighting around the Strait of Hormuz adds pressure to shipping and energy markets as President Donald Trump continues to downplay the conflict as something short of war. (Source: Bloomberg)

geopolitical · geopolitical

US Central Command says the attacks came after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two of its Navy warships.

military · geopolitical

Russian strikes targeted only dry cargo ships "used to transport dual-use goods, as well as fuel storage tanks intended for military purposes."

social demographic · sports

During Naomi Osaka's match against Anastasia Zakharova at this year's US Open earlier this week, a gaggle of ring light-wielding influencers who were packed in a luxury suite became enough of a distraction that the umpire paused the match and repeatedly asked them to quiet down. Elsewhere in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis […]

geopolitical · geopolitical

The Ukrainian army would observe a ceasefire from midnight on September 5 through September 8

geopolitical · geopolitical

The attack on a crowded road comes amid fierce clashes across Taiz and Hodeidah and rapid civilian displacement.

natural disaster · natural disaster

Rescuers in Nepal pulled alive on Saturday a Chinese national from a tunnel and a local woman from her partially submerged home, as emergency response teams searched with renewed vigour for thousands missing since catastrophic flooding 10 days ago. Our correspondent Shahzaib Wahlah tells us more.

geopolitical · geopolitical

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says that Putin has ordered a three-day pause in strikes on Kyiv ahead of a planned visit by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, although Russian forces earlier prevented Ukraine's own proposed ceasefire from taking effect.

geopolitical · geopolitical

A major Houthi offensive towards Bab al-Mandeb has triggered some of Yemen’s worst fighting in years.

geopolitical · geopolitical

In eastern DR Congo, Ebola burial teams are racing against time as the outbreak continues to spread. They face a dangerous mission: safely burying victims while dealing with distrust and threats from local communities. The response is further complicated by the ongoing rebel conflict in the region.

social demographic · sports

Updates from today’s games in the Premier League, EFL and beyond Live scores | Newcastle v Bournemouth latest EFL latest Plenty of early kick-offs across the Championship, League One and League Two. You can see all the details on our live scores page . The most eyecatching scoreline is in Staffordshire, where Stoke lead Charlton 4-0. Justin Devenny, who signed from Crystal Palace in the week, is on a debut hat-trick. Continue reading...

military · geopolitical

Thousands are expected at Mladić's burial in Belgrade on Monday, which will proceed without serving officials, artillery salutes or ceremonial military presence. Brussels has earlier said any glorification would be "incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built".

natural disaster · natural disaster

Ten days after floods devastated Nepal, one woman and one man were pulled alive on Saturday in separate search and rescue operations. Meanwhile, more than 5,000 people remain missing and at least 1,300 were killed.

social demographic · culture

The Bavarian auteur talks directing Kate and Rooney Mara in Bucking Fastard and his popularity on Instagram In outsider visionaries such as Aguirre, Fitzcarraldo or Timothy Treadwell, renegade German director Werner Herzog has created some of cinema’s most memorable monomaniacs – characters singularly obsessed with finding mythical cities made of gold, with building opera houses in the middle of the rainforest, or with befriending wild grizzly bears. But suggestions that they could be role models for the modern-day neurodiversity movement send this famously fearless film-maker running for the hills. “I don’t like the term neurodivergence and ADHD, or whatever – it sounds like political correctness, which scares me under the table,” Herzog said at the Venice film festival. Continue reading...

natural disaster · natural disaster

Bangladesh's deadliest measles outbreak in decades is nearing the grim milestone of 1,000 child deaths, as a devastating epidemic sweeps through the country and crowded hospital wards fill with struggling babies.

military · geopolitical

Israel bombs and shells areas across Gaza The Israeli army carried out air strikes, artillery shelling and gunfire across the Gaza Strip, targeting areas in the north, centre and south, Palestinian media reported. In eastern Gaza City, Israeli quadcopter drones dropped bombs on homes in Mushtaha Street and Shujaiya Market areas, with no casualties reported. Israeli forces also opened heavy fire from military vehicles stationed to the east of the city. In central Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire east of Deir al-Balah and the Bureij refugee camp, while eastern areas of Gaza City came under further gunfire and artillery fire. In the south, Israeli artillery shelled areas northwest of Rafah, while Israeli military vehicles opened heavy fire towards areas south of Khan Younis. Israeli warships also fired towards the city's coastline.

military · geopolitical

‘Governments continue to fail’: Freedom Flotilla sails again, vowing to challenge Israel’s Gaza blockade Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 09/05/2026 - 10:43 Freedom Flotilla Coalition says previous arrests, beatings and alleged mistreatment of activists have not deterred its campaign to reach Gaza by sea Demonstrators with Palestinian flags gather beside the Freedom Flotilla ship Handala before its departure for Gaza from Sicily, Italy, 13 July 2025 (Giovanni Isolino/AFP) Off The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has announced a new international effort to break Israel 's blockade of Gaza, with ships sailing between European ports before a planned attempt to reach the besieged Palestinian territory in October. The FFC said its latest mission would go ahead despite the violence and torture meted out to flotilla volunteers on previous attempts, including severe beatings, repeated tasering and sexual assault. The coalition also accused Israel of blocking the entry of food, medicine and fuel into Gaza, saying the humanitarian situation required renewed international action. “The Freedom Flotilla sails again because our governments continue to fail to uphold their obligations,” said Zohar Chamberlain Regev, a FFC steering committee member. “At every port, we will carry the demand that Palestinians be free to live with dignity. In October, we intend to carry that demand and the solidarity of people around the world to Gaza’s shores,” Regev said. Two ships have already made the port-to-port trip, the FFC said, adding that Handala II had visited Norway, Sweden and Denmark in June and July. The vessel Kate left Bristol in the UK earlier this month and has since stopped in Ireland, Germany and France, the coalition said. The flotilla is to call at Spain, Portugal and Italy before heading for Gaza. The coalition says the mission includes human rights advocates, trade union activists, elected representatives, journalists, medical professionals and other Palestinian rights supporters. As per the statement, public events and meetings with local communities will be held in each port. Serious risks The coalition has urged governments to halt shipments of weapons and energy to Israel, end diplomatic and military cooperation and impose sanctions while providing safe passage to humanitarian aid. The FFC said governments should insist on safe, unimpeded passage for the flotilla and make it clear that any attack, seizure, diversion or illegal arrest of its vessels would have diplomatic consequences. Israel extends detention of 'tortured' Gaza flotilla activists Read More » The coalition also demanded free access to Gaza and an end to what it called Israel’s blockade of food, water, medicine and other essentials. “We know that sailing toward Gaza carries serious risks,” said Edward Digilio, an engineer from Maryland in the US, who is participating in the mission. “But silence and inaction carry a much greater cost for Palestinians and the world. This mission is an expression of shared humanity and a refusal to accept the destruction of an entire people as normal,” Digilio said. Israeli forces have intercepted previous attempts by international activists to sail to Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition came into being out of the Free Gaza Movement, with ships sailing to Gaza in 2008. In 2010, Israeli forces stormed the Mavi Marmara, killing 10 activists on board the vessel. Humiliation and abuse Activists have also accused Israel of abduction, torture and sexual abuse during recent interceptions. In April, Israeli naval forces raided Gaza-bound aid vessels in international waters hundreds of nautical miles from the besieged enclave. According to the Global Sumud Flotilla aid mission, which launched in 2025 in response to Israel's genocide and aid blockade in Gaza, at least 15 boats were raided, with those on board “abducted” by Israeli forces. 'Piracy': Israel raids Gaza-bound aid flotilla off Greek coast Read More » The Global Sumud Flotilla said various vessels were “systematically disabled” after being raided, leaving activists stranded at sea. In June, British participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla told Middle East Eye that they were detained in international waters and subjected to beatings, sexual humiliation, tasering and other forms of abuse after their boats were intercepted by Israeli forces. The activists said they were transported on what they called “prison ships” to Israel, and accused the UK government of failing to adequately support them while they were in custody. The coalition’s latest mission comes as Gaza continues to bear the strain of a difficult humanitarian situation despite a ceasefire declared in October 2025. The FFC says its October voyage aims to create international pressure for unrestricted access to Gaza and an end to the Israeli blockade. Throughout the voyage, organisers stated that they would continue to call on governments to uphold freedom of navigation and to take action against any attempt to intercept or detain the vessels. Gaza Siege Freedom Flotilla sails again, vowing to challenge Israel’s Gaza blockade News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

geopolitical · geopolitical

A Russian drone attack destroyed an Epitsentr DIY hypermarket in Mykolaiv after six strikes in one day, leaving 520 employees without jobs.

geopolitical · geopolitical

Renewed US-Iran fighting and uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are adding pressure to global energy markets, while the threat of mines continues to deter some traffic. Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries are compounding tight diesel supplies, creating what Bloomberg News Oil Products Reporter Will Kubzansky describes as a distillates crisis heading into peak demand season. Also joining Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss the situation is Bloomberg News Middle East Correspondent Abeer Abu Omar. (Source: Bloomberg)

social demographic · culture

According to the ministry, service members of Russia’s Battlegroup South have liberated the settlement of Kurtovka as part of offensive operations in the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk area

geopolitical · geopolitical

Russian forces attacked nine Ukrainian oblasts overnight, killing at least five people and setting fire to food warehouses in Odesa Oblast for a second time.

geopolitical · geopolitical

According to Acting Governor Alexander Shuvayev, seven strikes involved artillery and multiple rocket launchers, while drones dropped explosives in 13 attacks

economic · economic

Spreads on riskiest junk debt have climbed to their highest level since the market meltdown that followed last year’s ‘liberation day’ tariff blitz

natural disaster · natural disaster

Rescuers pulled out a 64-year-old Nepali woman alive on Saturday from her home, buried under thick mud and debris when the region was struck by massive flooding 10 days ago, killing over 1,300 people and leaving at least 5,500 missing. Emergency personnel said earlier they had rescued a Chinese man, named only as Luhaitao, found alive inside a 225-metre tunnel of the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district. Footage ‌shared by the Nepali army showed him being given...