The plight of a young Chinese couple, whose struggles to secure home ownership reflect the economic downturn in the country, has captured the attention of the nation. Zhang Yiliang and Dong Lijun, both in their 30s, have chronicled the past two years of their lives on their Douyin account, "Liangliang Lijun couple," amassing over 400,000 followers. The initial joy of purchasing a flat turned into turmoil, including disputes with the property developer and allegations of assault and video censorship. Their experiences resonated with many ordinary Chinese citizens, mirroring the challenges faced amid a property crisis and sluggish economy.
Eleven hikers were discovered lifeless in the vicinity of Indonesia's Mount Marapi volcano following a weekend eruption, according to rescuers. Twelve others remain unaccounted for, and the search was halted on Monday due to a subsequent smaller eruption. Despite the main eruption on Sunday affecting 75 hikers in the area, most were successfully evacuated. Mount Marapi emitted a 3km (9,800ft) ash cloud, casting a shadow over the sky and covering nearby villages in ash. As one of Indonesia's 127 active volcanoes, Mount Marapi is popular among hikers; however, the deadliest eruption occurred in 1979, claiming 60 lives.
Approximately half of the buildings in northern Gaza were damaged or destroyed during Israel's offensive in response to the October 7 Hamas attack. Yasmine Abu Rujileh, 23, and Khalil Al Najjar, 26, who got married just a month before the conflict began, found their home in ruins, symbolizing the impact on many families. A data analysis reveals that around 50% of buildings in Gaza City and the north suffered damage or destruction, while in the south, particularly Khan Younis, the damage ranged from 10% to 15%. The analysis, based on imagery from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite, highlights the extensive devastation.
Japanese officials stated that they formally requested the U.S. military to ground its planes for investigation, expressing concern over the continued operation of Osprey military aircraft in the country. This request follows a recent incident where a U.S. Air Force Osprey crashed into Japanese waters, resulting in at least one crew member's death and seven others missing. Despite Japan grounding its own Ospreys and requesting U.S. forces to suspend non-emergency flights, the Pentagon claimed it had not received any official request.
U2, Paul Weller, and Pete Doherty are among the notable figures expressing tributes to Shane MacGowan, the iconic frontman of The Pogues, who passed away at the age of 65 after a recent hospital stay. Renowned for hits like "Fairytale of New York" and "A Pair of Brown Eyes," MacGowan's influence on the music industry and his lyrical brilliance were widely acknowledged.
Taylor Swift's publicist, Tree Paine, has strongly criticized rumors circulated by the celebrity gossip account Deuxmoi, suggesting that the pop star secretly married her ex-partner Joe Alywn. Deuxmoi, via an Instagram Story, alleged that Swift and Alywn had a non-legal ceremony in 2020 or 2021. Paine took to Twitter and Instagram to denounce these claims, stating, "Enough is enough with these fabricated lies about Taylor from Deuxmoi. There was NEVER a marriage or ceremony of ANY kind."
Sir James Dyson's libel claim against the Daily Mirror's publisher, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), has been dismissed by Mr. Justice Jay. The legal action stemmed from an article published in January 2022, which Dyson deemed a personal attack on his lifetime achievements. In the two-day trial, Justin Rushbrooke KC, representing Sir James, argued that the article constituted an unjustified slur on his reputation, both personally and professionally. The piece, written by Brian Reade, referred to Dyson as the "vacuum-cleaner tycoon" who championed Vote Leave and later relocated his global head office to Singapore. The court, however, sided with MGN, asserting that Sir James failed to demonstrate financial loss or harm to his philanthropic work.
Intense gunfire erupted in Guinea-Bissau's capital on Friday morning following an attempt by National Guard soldiers to liberate a detained minister and a senior state official. After taking the officials into custody, the soldiers sought refuge in barracks south of the capital. Subsequent efforts at negotiation failed, prompting special forces to intervene, leading to an exchange of gunfire. Eventually, calm was restored.
The author at the center of a controversy regarding allegations of racism within the Royal Family, Omid Scobie, has denied that the inclusion of names in a Dutch translation of his book was a deliberate publicity stunt. Scobie, who wrote "Endgame," claims not to know how the names of King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were included in the Dutch version, where they are said to have discussed the skin color of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's unborn child.
The UN has characterized the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas as the dreaded nightmare that had been anticipated by all. The temporary ceasefire, which lapsed on Friday, witnessed a blame game between the conflicting parties as they held each other responsible for the renewal of fighting.