Author: Liam Porter

At least 24 people have died and up to 25 people from a girls’ summer camp remain missing after flash floods hit the US state of Texas on Friday.US President Donald Trump called the tragedy, which happened on Independence Day, “shocking” and “terrible”. Federal officials have pledged assistance, said Texas Governor Greg Abbott.An overnight search and rescue operation was under way, Abbott said, though Texas officials could not confirm the number of people missing.Water levels rose quickly before the river was flooded. “Within 45 minutes, the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet and it was a destructive flood, taking property and…

Rachel Reeves said she had had ‘a tough day’ in her first interview since teary PMQs.

Well, British politics has served up another week of compellingly packaged action. Like Drive to Survive, but for clown cars. Leave it to “no-drama Starmer” to come up with the only thing weirder and more awful than watching the chancellor of the exchequer sob on the frontbench – wheeling her out a mere 22-and-a-half hours later for an unscheduled appearance at a wellbeing centre(!), where Rachel Reeves had to get her happy face on and pose for selfies.The whole thing gave Keir Starmer the feel of one of those remorseless boyband managers who reacts to one of their young charges…

Other Heat Protectants We TriedPhotograph: Kat MerckR+Co Bleu Hypersonic Heat Styling Mist for $36: This high-tech-looking aerosol in a recycled aluminum bottle was a favorite during the early weeks of testing—I liked its protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and its frizz-fighting properties. However, it does use a polymer and resin complex to smooth hair, and over time I noticed it was leaving a sticky residue on my hands and heat tools.Sutra Heat Guard Blowout Cream for $24: I love Sutra’s IR2 hair straightener, so I had high hopes. This thick and almost fragrance-free cream is meant to protect up…

Fans are on cloud nine after Oasis kicked off their reunion tour in Cardiff after a 16 years hiatus. The highly anticipated 41-date world tour commenced in the Welsh capital on Friday, and the energy was electric. Our reporter Terel Edmunds spoke to fans as they rolled out of the Principality Stadium, with some travelling from Half The World Away – from places such as Chile, Colombia and across the US.The rock band’s last gig in Cardiff was in June 2009 – just months before Noel quit the Manchester rock group, saying he “simply could not go on working with…

Many think that a medium-length haircut is a safe option for anybody who isn’t interested in taking a beauty risk. But just because something is “mid” doesn’t mean it is boring.Mid-length hairstyles are as versatile as they come, presenting an appealing middle ground between more high-maintenance chin-grazing bobs (hello, constant hair trim appointments) or ultra-long lengths. It’s also a stop along the way in a long and winding road if you’re growing out the year’s most popular haircut—the bob. As celebrity hairstylist David von Cannon explains, a medium-length just means that hair will typically fall from the shoulders to mid-back.…

As Britain’s population ages and dementia rates climb, scientists may have found an unexpected ally in the fight against cognitive decline.Cats and dogs may be exercising more than just your patience: they could be keeping parts of your brain ticking over too. In a potential breakthrough for preventive health, researchers have found that owning a four-pawed friend is linked to slower cognitive decline by potentially preserving specific brain functions as we grow older.Interestingly, the associations differ depending on the animal: dog owners were found to retain sharper memory, both immediate and delayed, while cat owners showed slower decline in verbal…

Their place in the last four of the Club World Cup in the bag and the prospect of a £97m windfall still up for grabs, Chelsea found themselves in an unusual position: relieved to have survived a taxing second half, hailing Malo Gusto’s unlikely role as matchwinner and able to delight in the opposition’s goalscorer being named superior player of the match.For a while the story of this entertaining quarter-final looked like it was going to be about Enzo Maresca finding it within himself to forgive Estêvão Willian. Everything had changed when the Brazilian sensation, who joins Chelsea after this…

Hamas on Friday said it had given a positive response to a proposal for a ceasefire with Israel mediated by Egypt and Qatar and that it was ready to start talks “immediately”. Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed to the terms of a 60-day truce proposal and urged Hamas to accept the deal. 

Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he is in discussions about creating a new leftwing political party, hours after the MP Zarah Sultana announced she was quitting Labour to co-lead the project.Sultana, the MP for Coventry South who had the Labour whip suspended last year for voting against the government over the two-child limit on benefits, said on Thursday night she was quitting Labour and would “co-lead the founding of a new party” with Corbyn.Her announcement took some on the left of Labour by surprise and was seen as premature and potentially counterproductive.While Corbyn has long hinted at plans to establish a…