The road into Tyre is lined with the yellow and green flags of Hezbollah. Billboards are filled with the faces of fighters who lost their lives in the many battles with Israel over the years.

We’re in the evacuation zone, the area of south Lebanon that Israel has told everyone to leave. And it’s not long before we see the mounting human cost of the latest conflict this community is engulfed in.

Middle East crisis: Follow live updates

A group of mourners is gathered by the side of the road at a temporary cemetery. Huddled around makeshift memorials, some weep, some hug, others stare blankly ahead. They’re here to bury four men that they say were medics and social workers. They were not, they say, fighters.

Ehsan Dbouk, a cleric for the group, says they’ve had to use this site because the men’s hometowns are no longer safe.

“We can’t bury our martyrs in their villages on the frontline,” he says. “We are dealing with an enemy that doesn’t distinguish between killing fighters and killing civilians.”

That enemy, they claim, represents an existential threat. Israel frames the Iran-backed group, proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK, in exactly the same way. Neither side is showing any sign of backing down.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has rapidly expanded the evacuation zone here. Until three days ago, it stretched from the border in the south with Israel to the Latani River. That has now been extended further north to the Zahrani River, about 25 miles from the border, raising fears of a ground invasion.

More than 800 people have been killed so far in the country and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.

But Ehsan dismisses allegations that Hezbollah is dragging the rest of the country into a war it doesn’t want and cannot win.

“The displaced are part of the resistance,” he says. “Hezbollah was born from their homes. They are the fathers and mothers of those fighting on the frontlines.”

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Iran war day 15: Videos from the ground

You can see how battle-hardened those who stayed behind are. The IDF is fighting more than a force in Hezbollah – it’s battling a mindset. And after months of Israeli strikes in the middle of a ceasefire, supporters of Hezbollah believe they are fighting a just war now more than ever.

Nada Harb, a mother and Hezbollah supporter, tells me: “I won’t leave, I didn’t in the previous wars. I was born in war. But there was no resistance then like Hezbollah. The Israelis used to come at night, break down the door, they kidnapped my brother, my father, my sister, my uncle, and no one was allowed to say anything.”

Read more from Sky News:
‘The fighting feels like we’re going to finish it – once and for all’
Why Kharg island is so important for Iran

At her home, she takes us to her balcony to show us three buildings hit by airstrikes. She is exposed, vulnerable, but determined. The IDF insists it’s targeting Hezbollah’s infrastructure and leadership here.

But the civilian impact is already huge. The bridges, they say, that Hezbollah is using are also critical to civilians. And hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee this war already – many with no power, no shelter and no say in what happens next.

It was a busy Friday night for officers as they made several arrests while on patrol

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PSNI’s auto crime team made several arrests across Belfast last night, (Friday) for a number of offences.

Police announced they attempted to pull over one vehicle which failed to stop when signalled.

A spokesman for PSNI said: “The driver was wanted to be recalled to prison and when signalled to stop by the team he made off creating a pursuit in which he drove dangerously from the vicinity of the Grosvenor Road to the Whiterock area.

READ MORE: One person taken to hospital following city centre incidentREAD MORE: Map shows the 29 women killed in Northern Ireland since 2020

“The Auto Crime Team were assisted in containing the vehicle by Roads Policing Interceptor officers all whilst he was driving at the officers in a bid to escape. They arrested the driver for his return to prison, and various motoring offences. Searches of the male recovered a quantity of Class A drugs and Class C drugs for which he has been further arrested.

“While the team were conveying the first driver to custody, other members stopped and arrested a drink driver in the Lower Falls Area who provided a breath sample over double the drink driving limit.

“Shortly after returning to patrol, another vehicle was reported as having been stolen in the Ballysillan area. The car made it’s way to the Castlereagh Road area where the team located it and the suspect.

“This male has been arrested for the theft of the vehicle which has been recovered to be returned to it’s rightful owner.

“The actions taken by the team this evening have assisted in bringing offenders to justice to prevent further offending and most importantly have prevented harm being caused to the public.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The New Moon in Pisces this week is an eye-opener; specifically a third eye opener.

Expect to experience psychic phenomena, messages and events. It’s a week of woo!

Tune into your intuition, expand your mind, write down your dreams, scry, moon bathe, read your cards, ask for spirit messages and guidance, gaze into flame or incense smoke and see what feelings and ideas emerge from your heartspace.

Let’s use the tarot cards to see what message is ready for you to receive from beyond the veil. What will this New Moon awaken for you?

Aries

March 21 to April 20

Tarot card for Aries for this week: The Empress

Meaning: This is a loving, maternal, feminine and nurturing energy who is surrounding you with love from beyond, from the other side, from your ancestors and passed over loved ones. Can you feel them?

Their message is to say how loved you are, on this side of the veil as well as the other. Don’t doubt yourself, be hard on yourself, or second guess yourself. Act like a person who is supported, cheered on, encouraged and admired. Lean on the support of others, they are all here to help.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

Tarot card for Taurus for this week: King of Swords

Meaning: This is a masculine, older, sharp-minded, clever and worldly energy who is surrounding you with much-needed lessons, wisdom, insights and cunning ideas of how to overcome your issues. Do you feel super clear-eyed and minded right now? This is your King of Swords guide helping you to see what needs doing, and why, and how.

Their message is to ask you to plan ahead, lay down a strategy that gets you where you want to go, and walk the walk single-mindedly, even ruthlessly. Make this about you. Do what needs to be done.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

Tarot card for Gemini for this week: Eight of Wands

Meaning: This is a chorus of voices, maybe a collective of spirits or ancestors or a tribal kind of force or energy which is sending you many, many omens and signs right now. Maybe you keep on seeing angel numbers or repeat words or symbols?

Their message is to remind you that your Gemini superpower is communication. No one can weave words like you, and this is a gift. Use it. Make moves that no one can because no one else can manipulate a message or network in the skilful and persuasive way that you can. Talk yourself in or out of something. The power of words is yours.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

Tarot card for Cancer for this week: Ace of Wands

Meaning: This is a single-minded force or energy that is fiery, sparkling, exciting and motivating, and it serves to provoke a new beginning for you.

The message is to make a bold leap into the unknown this week, one inspired by excitement and optimism, that might not feel sensible or even feasible. But you must do it anyway. You may not land where you think, but you will land someplace new and interesting.

Travel, education, lifestyle change, new purpose, creative skill and career change are all on the table – see where your attention is drawn…

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

Tarot card for Leo for this week: The Moon

Meaning: This is a mysterious, feminine and lunar energy surrounding you with intrigue and illusion, challenging you to see and find your way through the mist to the truth you are seeking. You may feel there is more to something that what is shown. It’s a quest. A quest for truth and transparency.

Let the New Moon be a time to reflect, question, and validate the facts as they stand, and then ask for the answers they beg. The message for you now is to probe, dig, investigate and establish the whole truth. Powerful change will come from this mission.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

Tarot card for Virgo for this week: The Star

Meaning: This is a pure-hearted, truthful, authentic and stirring energy who is surrounding you with good fortune, luck, opportunity and possibility to help you manifest a dream come true. What do you wish for? Imagine this week you meet a genie with a lamp and are granted a wish. What would it be?

All the genie asks of you is to make your own overt, bold steps in your dream’s direction, and it will activate the help you need. Is that a good deal? If so, then take it, act on it, and manifest your most heartfelt desire – this kind of help doesn’t come around that often.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

Tarot card for Libra for this week: Knight of Wands

Meaning: This is a swashbuckling, fun-loving, adventurous energy who is surrounding you with the urge and desire to head out into the world on a fresh adventure or quest. Can you feel the call of the wild?

Their message is to say it’s time to explore, experiment, expand and escape your comfort zones and patterns and routines. Throw caution to the wind and do something bold and fresh this week, then follow it up with something else. The spirit of adventure is visiting with you and won’t leave until you’ve had a good time!

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

Tarot card for Scorpio for this week: Eight of Coins

Meaning: This is from someone who was incredibly hardworking, never had it easy, but kept going. Their resilience, courage and humble strength was an inspiration and example. This might be a passed loved one or an ancestor, or just a spirit guide drawn to you.

Their message is to say you are doing great, doing your best, and it’s working! It might not always feel that way but you mustn’t give up or quit. Keep putting one foot in front of the other this week because a piece of good fortune, a breakthrough, lies ahead for you — even though you might doubt it. Keep going. You’ve got this, Scorpio. Your guide is backing you.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

Tarot card for Sagittarius for this week: Six of Swords

Meaning: This is a masculine, sharp-minded and clear-eyed spirit or energy who is reasoning with you to make the bold leap, exit or departure you’ve been mulling over for at least the last six months.

Their message is to say it’s time to make that move now. This is the window of opportunity. And it’s been such a long time coming that it won’t feel sad or hard, the grieving has already been done, the penny dropped long ago that your heart wasn’t in this. Just bring clarity to the situation now and follow through on what your heart is telling you.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

Tarot card for Capricorn for this week: Eight of Cups

Meaning: This is a nagging feeling in your heart that you’ve not fulfilled something, made a mistake, let an opportunity slip through your fingers. And you need to turn face and acknowledge whatever it is. Some unseen force keeps bringing it up for your attention.

Their message is to you should just say how it is, what you regret, let that be a part of your past story, and turn to the future feeling unburdened. You’re going to get a second chance, but you need to purge this old regret first. Once you do, the new shining glowing sparkling opportunity will show itself, and all will be forgotten!

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

Tarot card for Aquarius for this week: Nine of Wands

Meaning: This is a masculine, strong, reassuring energy, a parental or nurturing force in your life or realm who would always encourage you — their spirit is walking with you now.

Their message is to tell you they are standing shoulder to shoulder with you, giving you all of their power and wisdom and resilience, so that you can tackle whatever it is that you’re dreading or worrying about. Now is the time to face it and unpick it and address it. You will be given all you need, good fortune will speed things along, the results will be positive, and it will be easier than you think. They’ve got your back, so stride forth with confidence.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

Tarot card for Pisces for this week: The Tower

Meaning: This is a powerful unseen force that will move in and out of your life abruptly this week, likely taking away something painful, fading or false with it. This energy moves fast and with precision and force, almost like ripping off a plaster, provoking a moment of ouch! And then lasting relief and healing.

Their message is to say get ready for an unexpected event or revelation that collapses something you knew, deep down, was wrong. Your intuition is correct. Forces are at work to prove that to you, so don’t deny or suppress it. This is a good thing!

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Kerry King has been reading, teaching and creating tarot for 30 years. Join her magical, exclusive Tarot Club for forecasts, predictions, lessons and readings straight to your inbox. Enjoy one month free for all Metro readers (no lock-in or commitment) over on Patreon.

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

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Over 100,000 requests have been made to the DWP’s digital Proof of Benefit service which allows people to download or request a letter confirming their benefits to access discounts on broadband and council tax

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released a fresh update regarding an online service designed to assist individuals in saving money.

Since its inception in September 2025, the digital Proof of Benefit service has received over 100,000 requests.

This service enables users to download or request a letter confirming their benefits without the need to make a phone call or visit a Jobcentre.

Such a letter can facilitate savings from social tariffs on broadband to council tax reductions, as many organisations require proof of benefits before discounts can be accessed.

The service encompasses eight benefits: Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), State Pension, Pension Credit, and Attendance Allowance, reports the Mirror.

Minister for Transformation, Andrew Western stated: “We are modernising DWP services, so they work better for everyone.

“This new 24/7 digital service is a great example of this, putting people firmly at the centre, giving them instant access to vital support when they need it.

“This is just the start of how we’re transforming DWP for the better – modernising DWP services to work around people’s lives – not the other way round.”

Future enhancements will enable customers to view payment information, report certain changes online and receive tailored support.

This comes as the DWP is transitioning from some older legacy benefits to Universal Credit.

Universal Credit has taken the place of most Tax Credits, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and Housing Benefit claims. However, you can still claim Housing Benefit if you reside in supported or temporary accommodation.

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is also being phased out in favour of Universal Credit, with the DWP aiming to have all claimants transferred by March 31, 2026.

If you’re an income-related ESA claimant, you should have received your “migration notice” detailing the transition process in the final months of last year.

This “migration notice” provides a three-month deadline for transitioning to Universal Credit – beyond this point, your existing benefits will cease.

According to the DWP, 55 percent of individuals will be financially better off on Universal Credit, whilst 35 percent will be worse off. The remaining claimants will see no change.

If you’re set to be worse off under Universal Credit, you’ll receive monthly transition payments to cover any shortfall.

This transitional protection remains in place until there’s no difference between your new Universal Credit award and what you previously received under legacy benefits.

However, these transitional payments are only available if you wait to be transferred through the “managed migration” process.

From gastropubs with national acclaim to welcoming village locals, here are five of the best across the county, according to reviews online:

The Star Inn, Harome

Main Street, Harome, near Helmsley, YO62 5JE

One of the most celebrated pubs in the region, The Star Inn in Harome has built a national reputation for its ingredient-led cooking served in a 14th-century thatched inn.

Regularly featuring in major food guides, the pub is known for combining “rustic charm” with “refined dishes” that showcase Yorkshire produce.

Diners frequently praise the quality of the seasonal menus, “attentive service” and the “cosy yet elegant atmosphere”.

The Malt Shovel at Brearton (Image: TRIPADVISOR)

Online reviewers often describe it as a “destination for special occasions”, with many highlighting the consistency of both food and hospitality.

Its gardens and traditional interiors only add to its appeal, according to diners.

The Alice Hawthorn

The Green, Nun Monkton, York, YO26 8EW

Overlooking the village green in Nun Monkton, The Alice Hawthorn offers “classic country-pub charm with a modern focus on food”, according to reviews.

Housed in a historic 18th-century building, it has been carefully restored to retain exposed beams and period features while delivering a contemporary dining experience.

Reviewers regularly commend the “warm welcome”, “well-executed British dishes” and “relaxed setting”.

Its combination of “quality food”, local ales and “stylish rooms” has made it a firm favourite with both York residents and visitors exploring the surrounding countryside.

The Wensleydale Heifer, West Witton

Main Street, West Witton, Leyburn DL8 4LS

Set in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, The Wensleydale Heifer has become one of the area’s most talked-about inns.

Holding an impressive 4.8-star rating on TripAdvisor from more than 1,400 reviews, it is particularly well known for its seafood dishes alongside traditional pub favourites.

Visitors frequently highlight the “generous portions”, “friendly service” and “relaxed yet polished atmosphere”.

A traditional coaching inn with boutique-style rooms, it attracts walkers, food lovers and weekend break visitors alike, with many reviewers describing it as a “must-visit” when in the Dales.

The Angel at Hetton, Hetton

Back Lane, Hetton, Skipton, BD23 6LT

Tucked away in a small Dales village near Skipton, The Angel at Hetton blends historic character with ambitious, modern British cooking, according to people online,

The pub has earned widespread praise for its tasting menus and carefully sourced ingredients.

Online reviews often reference the “quality of presentation” and “depth of flavour”, alongside the “attentive service”.

Despite its fine-dining credentials, the setting remains rooted in traditional village pub surroundings, making it popular for celebratory meals as well as relaxed countryside dining.

The Malt Shovel, Brearton

Main Street, Brearton, Knaresborough HG3 3BX

A Yorkshire village pub just outside Knaresborough, The Malt Shovel offers a more traditional take on the county’s pub scene, per reviews online.

With a strong reputation for “hearty British classics”, “well-kept ales” and “welcoming staff”, it consistently earns positive reviews from locals and visitors alike.

Diners often comment on the “friendly atmosphere” and “reliable, well-portioned dishes”.

Its location in the quiet village of Brearton makes it a popular stop for walkers and those seeking a relaxed meal away from busier places.

Earlier this month, former English National Opera artistic director John Berry said opera in the UK needed to “attract good writers and tell better stories” that could tap into the zeitgeist, making the art form more contemporary and accessible. But is this kind of approach enough to capture the attention of new and younger audiences? In the same week, actor Timothée Chalamet caused a furore when he dismissed ballet and opera as art forms that younger people “did not care about”.

Often regarded as an “elite” art form, opera undoubtedly has an image problem in that it is seen as the preserve of rich older white people, which risks alienating those who feel it excludes and is not for them. At the same time – like much of the arts – opera is under attack from funding cuts and needs to attract new and more diverse audiences if it is to survive long term. So what is the position of opera in the UK and what does it need to do to secure its future? We asked four experts in the field.

Embrace a greater range of influences

Jen Harvie, Professor of Contemporary Theatre and Performance, Queen Mary University of London

John Berry’s comment raises crucial questions: more generally, what should the arts do? And for opera: what should a traditionally “elitist” art form do? My answer: publicly subsidised arts have an ethical duty to reach as wide an audience as possible.

This doesn’t mean the arts should dumb down – a horrible, patronising phrase. It means traditionally elite arts like opera must adapt to broaden their appeal. I am not alone in my view. Research commissioned by Arts Council England on opera in 2024 says the same thing: that opera’s audiences are usually white, older and richer than England’s general population.

To expand audiences, opera must embrace a greater range of influences, from musicals to concept albums and music videos. It should commission new English-language librettos and mixed spoken/sung operettas. It should commission stories that resonate with audiences across all ages, classes and ethnicities. At the same time, opera’s funders must support both formal innovation and arts education, to facilitate access to opera.

Opera is full of extraordinary performance, music, song, storytelling, stagecraft, costume and design. It faces an ethical responsibility – and an opportunity – to share these riches with more of us.

Transform the operatic ecosystem

Edward Venn, Professor of Music at the University of Leeds

Beneath its attention-grabbing provocations, Berry’s call for the evolution of opera contains a deceptively simple question: how are we going to
encourage writers? Clearly, opera benefits from showcasing authentic creative
voices that speak to a wide audience.

But the answer does not lie in enticing the latest Netflix sensation to pen a libretto. Rather, evolution requires the whole operatic ecosystem to transform so that those performing, directing and creating operatic stories better reflect our society.

This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

The opera industry is working hard within the considerable constraints of arts and education funding cuts and a wider cost-of-living crisis to effect such a transformation. But there is still a long way to go before the demographics of performers replicate those of wider society, and longer still for the creative teams backstage.

The industry tends towards creative reworkings of canonic repertoire rather than financially more risky new commissions. This means opportunities for composers and writers to produce new work that speaks to contemporary issues become vanishingly rare.

Sustainable evolution comes from nurturing a diverse, rich talent pool; such diversity can in turn result in a wealth of authentic, compelling operatic stories. But this requires creative risk-taking at a time when opera companies can ill afford to do so.

Develop new writers, composers and audiences

Jennifer Daniel, Senior Lecturer in Musical Theatre at Edge Hill University

To “own the zeitgeist in the performing arts”, as Berry suggests, opera does need to develop its form, its artists – and crucially, its audiences. Is that really about drawing big names into the writing process? Opera librettists are distinctive – they create musically, often in established partnerships with composers (such as Alasdair Middleton with Jonathan Dove).

They take on dramaturgical responsibility for musical storytelling, often finding ways to write less. Writing an opera can take years, is seldom profitable, and skills most often developed for the love of it rather than acclaim or financial reward. Opera writers really want to write opera. And companies such as Opera North have made the case that the publicly funded opera company has the public responsibility to develop those distinct artists in developing the form.

Just as important, audiences also have to be developed in readiness to receive. In the best cases, companies’ outreach and education work extends our understanding and enhances our reception of opera, including the challenging and the new.

Such initiatives are applied across an incredibly broad social and age spectrum by companies such as Opera North, ENO, Royal Opera and the rest. The balance of cost and popularity means that relatively few full-scale new operas are produced. Small, agile productions can be hugely innovative and accessible if we can tear ourselves away from the grandeur of the mainstage auditorium.

But concurrent and equally important to the development of new work is the development of a wide audience. There must be a commitment to ensuring that each generation anew is culturally primed and able to access an art form – from the 1700s right up to the present moment – that is live, spectacular, unmediated and essentially human. If “opera if wants to own the zeitgeist” in an age of AI, technology and unprecedented mediation, this is, perhaps, where we should place our attention.

Invest in well-conceived outreach programmes

Kiera Vaclavik, Professor of Children’s Literature & Childhood Culture and Director of the Centre for Childhood Cultures at Queen Mary University of London

When I was a teenager my class got on a coach to London to take part in a workshop with Glyndebourne Opera, where I sang and found out about Dvořák and his gripping mermaid story, Rusalka (1901). In the evening, we went to see that story performed. I was not much of a singer and there was no way I would have seen an opera otherwise. Nor would I have been able to make much sense of it without the workshop. The entire trip cost £5 and I’ve never forgotten it.

Opera companies don’t need TV writers as much as they need well-funded and well-conceived outreach programmes. They need to be operating within a culture where, from birth, children have opportunities to experience the sheer wonder of sound that a voice can produce. Fortunately, companies like HurlyBurly in shows like You Are The Sun are already offering this with great skill and care. We need children to be regularly singing, shouting and using their voices.

Young audiences can’t tell what they like or don’t like unless they get to experience it for themselves. Invest in outreach. And as the massive success of an artist like Rosalía suggests, don’t underestimate their eclecticism and openness.