Smoke billowed from buildings in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre following fresh Israeli strikes
Israel’s military chief has told troops that extensive air strikes in Lebanon targeting the armed group Hezbollah could pave the way for them to “enter enemy territory”.
“You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day. This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah,” Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said.
Lebanon’s health minister said more than 50 people were killed in strikes on Wednesday, which the Israeli military said hit Hezbollah’s intelligence directorate, as well as launchers and weapons stores.
Diplomatic efforts are gathering pace to de-escalate the hostilities, with France and the United States proposing a 21-day ceasefire.
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The remarks by Lt Gen Halevi are the plainest indication yet from a senior figure that a ground invasion into Lebanon may be imminent.
“We keep striking and hitting them everywhere,” he told soldiers from the 7th Brigade taking part in an exercise on Israel’s northern border on Wednesday – in a statement quoted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
“The goal is very clear – to safely return the residents of the north. To achieve that, we are preparing the process of a manoeuvre, which means your military boots… will enter enemy territory.”
Lt Gen Halevi said troops would “destroy the enemy” and its infrastructure.
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There was no immediate sign that Israel was poised to enter Lebanon and the US Pentagon said on Wednesday it did not appear “imminent”.
But the IDF chief of staff’s remarks were published shortly after the IDF called up two reserve brigades for “operational missions in the northern arena”.
When a BBC team visited an Israeli border town on Wednesday, the army said that Hezbollah fighters must move well back from the border, to positions north of the Litani River, as demanded by a UN resolution passed in 2006.
Israel’s allies, including the US, have said they are working to avoid all-out war in the region.
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Several media reports on Wednesday said senior US officials were attempting to broker a short-term pause in fighting between the two sides.
French President Emmanuel Macron met with US President Joe Biden at the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss efforts to secure a ceasefire.
Shortly after the talks, France said the two countries were proposing a “temporary ceasefire” of 21 days “to allow for negotiations”.
“There cannot be a war in Lebanon. This is why we urge Israel to cease this escalation in Lebanon and to Hezbollah to cease this missile launch to Israel,” Mr Macron told the UN.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged an immediate ceasefire, and said “hell is breaking loose”.
Israel’s envoy to the UN, Danny Danon, said it was grateful for diplomatic efforts to avoid escalation but would use “all use all means at our disposal, in accordance with international law, to achieve our aims”.
Reuters
Israel’s David’s Sling air defence system reportedly intercepted the missile north of the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv
Cross-border fighting continued on Wednesday, with Hezbollah saying it had targeted the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad spy agency with a missile fired towards Tel Aviv – the first time Hezbollah has targeted the heavily populated area.
It was intercepted by air defences and there were no reports of damage or casualties. The launcher was subsequently destroyed in an air strike, the IDF said.
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IDF spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said the missile was heading “towards civilian areas in Tel Aviv”, noting that “the Mossad headquarters is not in that area”.
Hezbollah also fired dozens more rockets into northern Israel, injuring two.
Meanwhile, the IDF said Israeli fighter jets had hit more than 280 “Hezbollah terror targets” in the latest wave of air strikes on Lebanon.
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad told reporters that the strikes had killed at least 51 people and injured 223, without saying how many were civilians or combatants.
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The health ministry reported deadly Israeli attacks in southern areas including Joun, in the Chouf mountains near the southern city of Sidon, as well as Maaysrah, in another mountainous area north of Beirut, and in the north of the Bekaa Valley.
IDF
Lt Gen Herzi Halevi told Israeli troops on the border with Lebanon to prepare to “go in [and] destroy the enemy”
More than 600 people have been reported killed across Lebanon since Monday, when Israel began an intense air campaign to destroy what it said was infrastructure built up by Hezbollah since they last fought a war in 2006.
Another 90,000 people in Lebanon have been newly displaced, adding to the 110,000 who had fled their homes before the escalation, according to the UN. Almost 40,000 are living in shelters across the country.
Nearly a year of deadly cross-border fighting sparked by the war in Gaza has also displaced around 70,000 people in northern Israel, whose safe return the Israeli government and military say they want to ensure.
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Hezbollah says it is attacking Israel in support of its Palestinian ally, Hamas, and will not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Both groups are backed by Iran and proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK and other countries.
BBC visits Lebanese tourist city deserted after Israeli attacks
It comes after an unprecedented wave of attacks on Hezbollah.
Last week, 39 people were killed and thousands were wounded when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members to communicate exploded in two waves across Lebanon. Israel is widely believed to be responsible for the attacks.
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Then, an Israeli air strike on Friday on the group’s stronghold of Dahieh, in southern Beirut, essentially wiped out the chain of command of its main fighting unit, the Radwan Force. The group confirmed that one of its top military leaders, Ibrahim Aqil, was among 55 people killed.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has pleaded not guilty to five counts of criminal offences, including bribery, wire fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations.
Wearing a dark blue suit, Adams arrived in federal court in New York for a brief hearing to enter his plea.
“I am not guilty, your honour,” he told Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker with a straight-faced expression, according to reporters in court.
The 64-year-old was indicted earlier this week on allegations that he accepted illegal campaign funds and thousands of dollars in luxury travel benefits from Turkish businessmen and an official in exchange for his influence as mayor.
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Adams has denied any wrongdoing and said the public should withhold judgement until he makes his defence.
“I follow the rules, I follow the federal law, I do not do anything that’s going to participate in illegal campaign activity,” he said at a news conference.
Adams gave a thumbs-up to reporters as he entered court on Friday morning.
He was released on bail. Judge Parker ruled that Adams cannot talk to witnesses about the facts concerning the case, though he can discuss business or private family matters with them, according to US media.
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His lawyer, Alex Spiro, told reporters outside court that he would be filing a motion to dismiss the case next week.
“The entire body of evidence is one staffer,” he told reporters. “What you have not heard, is that that staffer has lied, and the government is in possession of that lie.”
If convicted, Adams could face up to 45 years in prison.
He has rejected growing calls from members of his own party to resign.
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The former police officer was elected to lead the most populous US city nearly three years ago with a promise to be harsh on crime.
Prosecutors say Adams’s misconduct began in 2014, during his time as Brooklyn Borough president, and carried on during his election campaign for mayor and while in office.
In the 57-page indictment, Adams was accused of pressuring New York City Fire Department officials to approve a Turkish consulate building without a safety inspection in exchange for benefits such as discounted flights, luxury hotels and meals.
Prosecutors say he also misused $10m (£7.4m) in public funds.
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He is accused of using straw donors – a scheme that a person or entity uses to evade campaign finance limits – to take in illegal foreign donations and matching them with city funds that were supposed to be for small-dollar contributions from residents.
The mayor is due back in court on 2 October.
Adams has insisted he will stay in office while the case plays out, despite calls from Democrats at the state and federal level to resign.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams. She has said she needs time to review the indictment to “see what’s embedded with this”.
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Adams can also be ousted from the mayor’s office by a so-called “inability committee”, which would likely include at least a few city officials who oppose him.
Adams’s arraignment comes as the federal government carries out a number of probes into his administration, which has seen a wave of resignations in recent weeks.
The police commissioner, the health commissioner and the mayor’s chief counsel have all left office as well as the schools chancellor, David Banks, who had his phone seized.
I read with some surprise the piece by Amy Kazmin and Susannah Savage about coffee price hikes (“Italians in a froth over cappuccino bill after coffee bean prices hit record high”, Report, FT Weekend, September 14) and would like to highlight a few points.
When it is stated that Italians drink “some of western Europe’s least expensive coffee”, it should also be emphasised that in bars, Italians — or at least the majority of us — consume very low-quality blends from untraceable lots, often prepared with dirty, poorly maintained machines, leaving only a burnt aftertaste on the palate.
It’s worth noting that every year there are numerous police interventions imposing fines and sanctions on the owners of these “convivial coffee bars” for irregularities in coffee management.
This is to say that paying €1.20 for a cup of this type may certainly be a fun way to start the day, but it represents a price that is completely out of line with the intrinsic value of the product being consumed.
A MAJOR high street discounter has apologised for closing a branch after it was open for just one year.
The store in Maidenhead, Berkshire will close permanently next month due to issues surrounding the lease of the building.
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Poundland’s store in Maidenhead is set to close next monthCredit: Alamy
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It had taken over the store from Wilko just over a year agoCredit: Alamy
Poundland’s store on Maidenhead High Street had already closed temporarily earlier this week after water damage caused part of the ceiling to collapse.
Despite this being fixed, the budget retailer has confirmed that the store will shut its doors forever in mid October.
A spokesperson for the company said: “I’m afraid we’ve been unable to secure an agreement with our landlord that would enable us to keep the store trading in Maidenhead.
“We know this will be disappointing to customers and we’re sorry we’ll be closing on 18 October.
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Read More on Shop Closures
“It goes without saying we’ll be doing all we can to look after colleagues that work there.”
Poundland had moved in to the building last year after the company stepped in to take over a number of Wilko shop leases, following the latter’s collapse.
Maidenhead High Street has also seen other casualties in the losses of both its Clarks and Barclays stores.
Clarks shut its doors on the street in June this year while the Barclays branch closed for the final time in May.
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Poundland had undergone an expansion last year when it took over 71 ex-Wilko stores after the retailer fell into administration.
Despite this, earlier this year the retailer pledged to revamp 150 stores by end of August with new signage, flooring, lighting and ranges.
It also aimed to have staff areas made over to make them better places to work.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
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High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
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It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
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“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
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The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
Hezbollah walkie-talkies explode in people’s hands across Lebanon one day after Israel blows up pagers injuring 1000s
The missile was intercepted by the IDF.
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Even before this event, the UK Foreign Office has warned against the threat of exchanged rocket fire between the two countries.
The website currently warns: “Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).”
If your flights are still planned to go ahead, you should get in touch with your airline or tour operator about your options if you want to cancel your flight.
Mohamed Al Fayed has been accused by dozens of women of sexual abuse
Mohamed Al Fayed’s son has said he is “horrified” by allegations of sexual abuse made against his late father, which have “thrown into question the loving memory I had of him”.
Dozens of women have accused the former Harrods owner – who died last year aged 94 – of multiple rapes and sexual assaults.
Omar Al Fayed said his father had been a “wonderful dad”, but added that this “does not blind me from an objective assessment of circumstances”.
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In a public statement, the 36-year-old environmental entrepreneur said: “The extent and explicit nature of the allegations are shocking and has thrown into question the loving memory I had of him.
“How this matter could have been concealed for so long and in so many ways, raises further disturbing questions.”
He continued: “Throughout history, people in positions of power have all too often been shielded from the consequences of their actions, and justice has frequently been delayed or denied to those who have suffered…
“I firmly believe that anyone found guilty of such reprehensible actions, including having had facilitated, enabled or helped cover up such actions, no matter their status, must be held accountable.
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He went on to say: “The alleged victims and public deserve full transparency and accountability.”
Omar Al Fayed expressed support for “any legitimate investigation into these allegations”, adding: “I will continue to support the principles of truth, justice, accountability, and fairness, regardless of where that journey may lead.
“No one is above the law, and all victims deserve their day in court.”
He also criticised the BBC for its extensive reporting on the allegations.
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Omar Al Fayed (left) said the allegations had “thrown into question the loving memory” of his father
Omar Al Fayed was appointed to the Harrods board of directors in 2006 and remained on it until his father sold the business in 2010.
They acknowledged that during the time Harrods was owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, “as a business we failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologise”.
They added: “The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do.”
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Harrods said it has a compensation scheme for ex-employees who say they were attacked by Mohamed Al Fayed, and that it has already reached financial settlements with the majority of people who have approached it since 2023.
Victims and former staff have said that he preyed on young women hired by the company, threatening them against speaking out about his behaviour.
Lawyers representing many of them said the billionaire used surveillance in Harrods and intrusive medical checks to undertake “systematic abuse”.
They have also said that there was “credible evidence” of instances of abuse taking place at other businesses and properties once owned by Al Fayed.
Regarding John Burn-Murdoch’s Data Points column “Young women are starting to leave men behind” (Opinion, FT Weekend, September 21), it’s hard to deliver a narrative about a complex and important issue in less than 900 words, so I realise why it’s told through the singular lens of gender.
The reality is much more nuanced than a straight “girls vs boys” discussion, which is reductive and zero sum in nature.
Educational achievement is also affected by geographic disparities, culture and upbringing, and social class. For example, working-class, white native British boys tend to do worst — male children from other cultures tend to do better — according to a 2021 education committee report entitled “The forgotten: how White working-class pupils have been let down, and how to change it”.
Finally, the education deficit has been going on for decades, particularly in areas where there has been historically low educational attainment and employment opportunities. There is a clear correlation between communities let down for decades by all political parties and educational underperformance.
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The main political parties have chosen to abandon these communities as a matter of tacit policy and I don’t see that changing in the future.
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