45 m. ago NGOs call for end to Israel’s ‘weaponisation’ of aid – Middle East crisis live

More than 100 international NGOs sign letter saying more than 60 requests to bring in food, water and items for shelter were denied by authorities in July aloneThe UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has just issued a warning on X, saying that soaring temperatures in Gaza are now above 40°C, making an already dire humanitarian situation “far worse”.“With very limited water available, dehydration is increasing,” the agency said in a post on X. It added that bombardments and forced displacement continue, while limited electricity and fuel mean there is “no relief from the extreme heat”.Approval of construction plans in E1 buries the idea of a Palestinian state and continues the many steps we are taking on the ground as part of the de facto sovereignty plan that we began implementing with the establishment of the government.After decades of international pressure and freezes, we are breaking conventions and connecting Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem. This is Zionism at its best – bui...

Events

55 m. ago Zara McDermott created ‘the best leggings of all time’ and they’re only £30

Zara McDermott’s most recent Rise collection included a pair of £30 leggings that she hailed ‘the best leggings of all time’ – and they’re still available to shop at New Look

Economics

72 m. ago ‘I always loved a camera’: Maud Muir on life through a lens in England women’s rugby team

Red Roses prop on her creative endeavours and England expectations before the Rugby World Cup on home soil“I like capturing people’s laughs; I think being able to hear it through the picture is so cool,” Maud Muir says as she discusses her favourite photographs from hundreds she has taken behind the scenes in the England women’s camp over the past five years.Muir, the 24-year-old prop, and her teammates are preparing for a home Rugby World Cup, starting with the opener against USA in Sunderland next Friday. Continue reading...

Politics

72 m. ago You be the judge: should my girlfriend stop leaving so many lamps on and use the big light instead?

Mona likes her mood lighting and keeps at least two lamps on in every room; Monty feels it’s a waste of electricity. You decide whose argument is a turn-off?• Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a jurorIt seems illogical to have so many lights on in a small room. She turns them on, then leavesI know it’s not energy-conscious to have all these lamps on, but I just love cosy mood lighting Continue reading...

Events

72 m. ago Truck drivers, doctors and bakers: ordinary Yemenis turn to veteran journalist when justice fails

Fatehi Bin Lazreq has used social media, newspapers and radio to expose corruption and everyday injustices since the country’s civil war started a decade agoWhen dozens of gas tankers near Yemen’s southern city of Aden were held up at a checkpoint by soldiers demanding heavy bribes, the frustrated drivers and traders turned to a man they trusted: Fatehi Bin Lazreq, a prominent Yemeni journalist.Known for using his media outlets and social media platforms to demand accountability, Bin Lazreq posted about the drivers’ ordeal on Facebook. It quickly went viral, generating thousands of likes and comments. Within hours, the post prompted a phone call from the prime minister and another senior official, both pledging to resolve the issue. Soon, the tankers were able to move on. Continue reading...

Society

73 m. ago ‘I wish that I had discovered this side of me earlier’: Spencer Matthews on resilience, addiction and his new Project 7 endurance challenge

“If you consistently show up and behave in a way that you admire and you want to be, one day you're going to wake up as that person” Spencer Matthews tells Emilie Lavinia ahead of his latest impossible-sounding endurance challenge

Politics

81 m. ago Veteran, 100, witnessed official ceremony marking Japan’s surrender

Reg Draper was a stores assistant on Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York, which was sailing off the coast of Japan in August 1945 when the country surrendered.

Politics

1 hour ago Hailey Bieber enjoys a rare girls' night out with her famous gal pals after husband Justin's cryptic post

He appeared to address their relationship woes on his new album, but the couple retained a united front at events promoting the new project.

Politics

2 h. ago 'Comrade Princess': Which 'appallingly behaved' Royal won over a Communist dictator with her drunken antics?

While Margaret's dry wit and well documented love of alcohol could prove too much for some hosts, she also possessed a remarkable ability to charm the most powerful figures of her era.

Politics

2 h. ago Inside Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's designer wardrobes as their style evolution continues

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have shown an increasing love for designer labels in recent years, as they have both showcased impressive style transformations.

Politics

2 h. ago Katabasis by RF Kuang review – a descent into the hellscape of academia

The bestselling author’s sixth novel is far from perfect, but this journey into the underworld is delivered with heretical gleeThe more academia has broken your heart, the more you’ll love RF Kuang’s new novel. Katabasis knows the slow grind of postgrad precarity: the endless grant grubbing and essay marking; the thesis chapters drafted, redrafted and quietly ignored by a supervisor who can’t be bothered to read – let alone reply to – an email. Living semester to semester, pay shrinking, workload metastasising, cannon fodder in a departmental forever war. Katabasis knows how it feels to spend your best thinking years doing grunt work to further someone else’s ideas, clinging to the bottom rung of a ladder you will never be allowed to climb: less an ivory tower than a pyramid scheme.Academia is a hellscape; Katabasis just makes it literal. The American author’s sixth novel is an infernal twist on the campus farce: David Lodge with demons. Kuang’s previous book, 2023’s Yello...

Politics

2 h. ago Paramount Plus adds gory horror also perfect for romantic comedy fans

The film was released in cinemas earlier this year but is now streaming

Events

2 h. ago Dark secrets adult Disney addicts are hiding: Sex, betrayal and bankruptcy... told by woman who escaped

Grown adults fight over limited-edition merch, push past children, and plunge into debt for their addiction. And that's just the start of it...

Politics

3 h. ago ‘No country is safe’: deadly Nordic heatwave supercharged by climate crisis, scientists say

Historically cool nations saw hospitals overheating and surge in drownings, wildfires and toxic algal bloomsThe prolonged Nordic heatwave in July was supercharged by the climate crisis and shows “no country is safe from climate change”, scientists say.Norway, Sweden and Finland have historically cool climates but were hit by soaring temperatures, including a record run of 22 days above 30C (86C) in Finland. Sweden endured 10 straight days of “tropical nights”, when temperatures did not fall below 20C (68F). Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Why you might want to think twice before using a period tracking app

Millions of women are using digital platforms to make sense of their menstrual cycles, without necessarily thinking about the implications for their personal data. Katie Rosseinsky speaks to the experts about the risks, and hears from women who’ve quit the apps

Politics

3 h. ago How to make a classic Battenberg cake with almond, jam and marzipan

This retro teatime favourite is easier to bake than it looks. Food writer Jane Dunn shares her step-by-step guide to mastering the iconic pink-and-yellow sponge, sandwiched with apricot jam and wrapped in marzipan

Politics

3 h. ago Voices: I’m obsessed with a celebrity and I know he’d like me too if he met me

The Independent’s agony aunt Victoria Richards is here to help. Email dearvix@independent.co.uk for advice on love, work, family and relationships

Politics

3 h. ago Kerry Katona breaks down as she reveals heartbreaking words that caused Ryan Mahoney split

Kerry Katona broke down in tears on E4's Celebs Go Dating: The Relationship Expert as she recalled the moment her ex-fiancé Ryan Mahoney told her he didn't think he loved her anymore

Politics

3 h. ago This Morning's Lisa Snowdon loves hair serum for thinning hair that's a 'staple'

NIOXIN's Anti-Hair Loss Serum for Thinning Hair has been designed to minimise the risk of breakage and hair fall out - and it's garnered a celebrity fan

Politics

3 h. ago New Look's 'elevated' cardigan in eight colours looks a 'lot more expensive' than its £30 price tag

"Lovely, elevated, classic cardigan for winter. This feels lovely quality and looks great- I’m really pleased with it for the price"

Economics