Politics
Andy Burnham Likely To Win Makerfield Seat
First, we’ll start of with good news for Andy Burnham. It looks as though he is all-but certain to win the Makerfield by-election.
With less than a fortnight to go until polling day on June 18, opinion polls – and the increasingly-confident Labour campaign team – suggest he holds a comfortable lead over Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon.
The most recent survey of voter opinion in the constituency puts Burnham on 49%, fully 10 points ahead of Kenyon on 39%.
Barring an unforeseen crisis, and in politics that can never be ruled out entirely, the Greater Manchester mayor will soon return to Westminster after a nine-year hiatus.
We now know, as Burnham himself confirmed on Question Time on Thursday night, that he will then move quickly to replace Keir Starmer and become Britain’s next prime minister.
It would be the culmination of a lifetime’s ambition for the former cabinet minister, who has twice tried and failed to become Labour leader before.
Burnham, the so-called “King of the North”, has vowed to change both the Labour Party and the way politics is done at Westminster, with a greater emphasis on public control of essential services and an end to 40 years of Thatcherite neoliberal economic theory.
With just three years to go until the next general election – he has already ruled out going to the country early – he is clearly a man in a hurry.
But his eagerness to depose Starmer and seize the crown has not gone down well with many of the Labour MPs he will rely on to get his agenda through the Commons – and is storing up trouble for the future.
“He’s an arsehole,” one backbencher told HuffPost UK. “All Andy cares about is himself. Loyal, hardworking MPs don’t want to support a coup and will now not go campaigning for him in the by-election.”
Another MP said: “Those who had already decided not to go and campaign for him now have the perfect excuse.”
Burnham’s admission that he plans to challenge Starmer has “gone down like a lead balloon” in the Labour ranks, an MP said.
“I don’t understand why he’s in such a rush,” the MP said. “It would have been plausible for him to come back and be offered a role by Keir, but he’s obviously decided he doesn’t want to do that and instead wants to move against the PM as soon as he gets back.
“It’s typical of Andy to act without thinking it through. People are furious with him.”
A minister said: “Plausible deniability that he was after the leadership was at least making it feel like what he is doing was within the rules.
“Now every door we knock in Makerfield is contributing to the instability of the government.”
But a Burnham ally told HuffPost UK: “Its hardly news that Andy would want to enter a leadership contest should one arise.
“I don’t think many colleagues believed he’d be sitting on the backbenches if he wins this by election, so refusing to support this existential fight against Reform is pretty disingenuous.”
Burnham has insisted he is sticking by his pledge to end parliament’s whipping system, whereby party managers tell MPs which way to vote and discipline those who rebel.
Instead, he has said he will rely on the “collective wisdom” of Labour MPs, effectively allowing them to vote with their consciences rather than necessarily take the government line.
If he doesn’t want his agenda to be upended, therefore, he needs to get his own backbenchers onside from the start.
But one said: “If you are simultaneously saying you’ll ease off whipping and also angering your colleagues, that does not bode well for the future of a putative Burnham administration.”
Another backbencher said they expected any boost Labour receives from a new PM to be short-lived.
“We’ll get the briefest of bounces before people realise that Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Iran and Vladimir Putin have not changed,” he said.
No.10 were quick to respond to Burnham’s Question Time announcement, insisting the PM will not “walk away” from the job he was elected to do in July, 2024.
“The country expects us to focus on governing and to deliver change for hardworking people, not get distracted by Westminster debates,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
“The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and it has not been triggered.”
Former health secretary Wes Streeting, who quit the cabinet in the wake of Labour’s disastrous performance in the May 7 elections, has already said he will stand in any leadership contest.
Burnham appeared to use that as cover for his own leadership ambitions, telling the Question Time audience: “I think Wes Streeting seems to have launched a leadership contest, so if that is running, I would seek to join it.
“But I’d have to persuade members of the Parliamentary Labour Party to do the same. So that’s the only question.”
But an MP accused Burnham of “insulting our intelligence”.
“Wes doesn’t have the numbers and Andy has been planning this since the general election,” the MP said.
“We can all see as plain as day what’s happened and trying to imply it’s a response to what Wes has said is disgraceful.”
Another minister, however, said Labour MPs should park any reservations they have about Burnham and do everything they can to get him elected.
“The alternative is Reform winning the seat, and if that happens, we are totally fucked,” he said.
“Andy’s got a strong personal vote and a strong campaign message, that places like Makerfield have been forgotten about and he’s the man to change that.
“We need to get behind him, and whatever happens after that will take care of itself.”
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On 1 June, the official start of summer, the Met Office released its three-month outlook for the UK.
The meteorological service explained on its site that this outlook is not an exact prediction or a guarantee of what will happen in the season. Instead, they say, it’s about broader trends; you can’t say for sure whether something like a heatwave will happen based on this information.
Nonetheless, they added, the most “notable” part of their most recent outlook is the expected hotter-than-usual UK summer temperatures.
“It follows that there is an increased chance of heatwave conditions developing at times,” they said.
We have already had an unusually hot start to the year, with temperatures reaching a record-breaking 35.1°C in Kew Gardens this May.
The Met Office has previously said that hotter summers are becoming more likely in the UK in general.
When will the next heatwaves be?
This outlook doesn’t aim to calculate exact dates, nor does it say there definitely will be heatwaves.
But it did mention that higher pressure, linked to hotter weather, is expected in the middle of June after a rainy start to the month.
“Towards the end of June, low pressure may begin to have more of an influence, especially across the south, where heavy showers and thunderstorms become more probable. It may also become hot in parts of the south,” the Met Office shared.
Why has this year been so hot?
Even for the UK, 2026′s weather has been especially volatile. We went from record-breaking heatwaves to floods in a matter of days.
The Met Office’s Dr Emily Carlisle previously said this is part of a broader warming trend.
“This spring highlights both the natural variability of the UK’s weather and the longer-term warming we are observing. While conditions varied through the season, all three months of meteorological spring recorded mean temperatures within the UK’s top ten warmest on record,” she stated.
“While we expect fluctuations from year to year, this spring shows some of the changes we’re seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions becoming more frequent. The fact that nine of the ten warmest springs in England have occurred since 2007 illustrates this ongoing shift in the UK’s climate.”
The Met Office added that factors like the predicted 2026 El Niño can inform their three-month outlooks.
Though Ryanair recently cut flights across 19 airports, including those in the UK, Ireland, France, and Spain, they’ve also launched some brand-new routes for 2026.
But while Simple Flying reports the airline’s busiest bases include London Stansted, Dublin, Milan Bergamo, Brussels Charleroi, and Barcelona, none of the new routes are in those airports.
Instead, the 15 new routes, which were launched on 1 and 2 June respectively, include destinations like Poland’s Gdańsk and Albania’s Tirana.
The UK’s Manchester airport will get a brand-new Ryanair link to Spain’s Castellón, too.
Full list of 15 new Ryanair routes for summer 2026
Per The Daily Express, these include:
- Bologna – Castellón
- Forli – Cagliari
- Parma – Reggio Calabria
- Rimini – Cologne/Bonn
- Rimini – Catania
- Manchester – Castellón
- Gdańsk – Bucharest
- Gdańsk – Palermo
- Katowice – Aarhus
- Katowice – Lamezia Terme
- Tirana – Alghero
- Tirana – Genoa
- Tirana – Parma
- Tirana – Wroclaw
- Zadar – Cork.
Manchester fliers have a new route to an underrated Spanish destination
These changes mean passengers from Manchester Airport now have a direct Ryanair flight to Spain’s Castellón.
Lonely Planet wrote that while “you don’t hear a great deal about the province of Castellón, to the north of the Valencia region,” the region’s airport, which saw its first commercial flight in 2015, years after officially opening, made it more viable for visitors.
Ryanair was the first airline to fly to what was then dubbed a “ghost” airport, The Guardian reported in 2015.
Over a decade on, the carrier has added Manchester and Bologna connections to its existing routes at the Valencian base. They added an Essex route to the destination in April, too.
Airports aside, Castellón has often been lauded as a quieter Spanish location with fewer tourists but tonnes of local charm.
Stansted Airport described the area, located on the country’s East coast, as a hidden gem.
“Castellon de la Plana’s sleepy city streets hide many treasures for the discerning tourist. If you’re hunting for a holiday off the beaten track, away from the hustle and bustle of Barcelona or Madrid but still bursting with unique Spanish charm, there is nowhere better than Castellon de la Plana,” they wrote.
“It’s great for families too with loads of local attractions including nearby beaches, escape rooms and hot springs.”
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This is it… one of the best times of year is finally here. We love a sale, so aside from Black Friday and Boxing Day, we’re always eagerly waiting for the next Amazon Prime Day to roll around so we can stock up on our favourite essentials at a discount.
In 2026, Amazon is deciding to do things a little differently, and it’s moved its annual Prime Day Sale forward a few weeks – so it really is like Christmas has come early.
Although the sale doesn’t officially launch until 23rd June, some of the best brands out there have graced us by launching some early deals to get your hands on now.
That’s right, from today you can nab savings across beauty, tech, fashion, homes, and toys. Plus, some of our favourite brands are in on the fun, including Shark, Dyson, Samsung, Nothing, Russell Hobbs, adidas, Levi’s, LEGO, Garmin, and OATLY.
To make sure you’re prepared when the sale rolls around, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know to make the most of Amazon Prime Day, and some of the best early deals to shop now.
What is Amazon Prime Day?
Prime Day is Amazon’s annual sale, which sees deals across hundreds of brands and a whopping 35 product categories.
Spread over four days, the sales are intended for Amazon Prime members only, so you’ll need to make sure you sign up here if you haven’t already to take part.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2026?
Funny you should ask, because Amazon Prime Day has just been announced for 23rd to 26th June. Although the sale usually runs in July, Amazon clearly felt our desperation and moved it forward to the end of June as a treat to our wallets (oh, and to celebrate its 20th birthday).
Expect sales to launch early on 23rd June, and end late on 26th June, with huge savings across on thousands of products.
How do I take part in Amazon Prime Day?
Just like in previous years, you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member to participate in the Prime Day sale.
You can create an account, and then you’ll be able to save early deals and keep and eye on them as they drop up to 40% off in savings when the sale launches on 23rd June.
This year, Amazon will be offering curated lists exclusively for Prime members, meaning you’ll get daily recommendations based on your previous purchases and you won’t miss if there are discounts on some of your favourite essentials. Thanks, Amazon.
Best early Amazon Prime Day deals to shop now
We can’t speak for you, but we simply can’t wait for the sales to begin. So to help you get your baskets prepared, we’ve rounded up some of the best early deals to shop now, or to keep an eye on ahead of the sale.
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Want to ensure security for your home? You’ll no doubt know about Ring doorbells by now, but this one comes with whopping savings on not only the bell itself but a wifi extender, chime box, and nightlight, which all work to make sure you can keep an eye on your front door no matter where you are in the world.
Allergy season is deadly enough without worrying about pet hair all over your house. To make sure your house is completely pollen, dust, and hair-free, this cordless hoover from Shark has a HEPA filter that removes even the smallest particles of dust from the air. The charge lasts for 50 minutes, which is enough to do your whole house in one go, and it even has a handy floor light so you can see the spots you’ve missed, even of a late night manic clean (we’ve all been there). Don’t believe us? Our audience editor, Hannah, sings its praises for saving her from allergy season.
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It’s smoothie season! So if you prefer to drink your greens, it’s time to upgrade to a blender that won’t leave you with clumps. Whether you’re making a gazpacho, frozen marg, or your favourite juice, this blender can handle up to two litres of liquid, and it’ll work with hot food come soup season, too. And, so you don’t risk nicking your fingers while you clean it, it comes with dishwasher-safe parts, too.
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If you’re anything like me, being expected to choose between filter coffee and espresso is an impossible feat. To save you having to agonise, this Ninja machine allows you to do both: brew a whole pot at the start of the day or simply pop in a coffee pod for espresso in an instant. It has its own steam wand, too, so you can perfect your latte art in no time.
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If you’re not already on board the Clinique train, it’s time to step up. It’s a brand that knows what it’s doing, and the same goes for this eye cream that’s blended with hyaluronic acid to hydrate your under eye circles and reduce puffiness, dark circles, and fine lines.
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Who doesn’t want hair that makes them look like a million bucks? We’re big fans of everything Color Wow does, but this latest launch is designed to leave your hair looking shiny and smooth, like you’ve had a big blow out but without the heat. No matter your hair type, a spritz of this after your shower is enough to leave your hair frizz-free and glossy for days.
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Tired of shaving every time your hair grows back? This at home hair laser will save you from shaving for up to two whole years after using it for just three months, but the good news is you’ll be able to see visible results after just one session. Unlike laser hair removal appointments that are spenny and require you go to back once your hair grows back, this device is a one-off cost, and you’ll have a 100 day money-back guarantee if you don’t like it.
All you need to do for painless hair removal is use the device for 10 minutes (because that’s somehow all it takes for a full-body session!) two times a month for three months to see lasting results. To take any doubts you might have out of the equation, sync the device up with the app, which will track your sessions and make sure you haven’t missed any areas.
Plus, the reviews speak for themselves, with one five-star reviewer saying: “This is a bit of a game changer for me as it’s so straightforward to use, and the app takes the guesswork out of it completely. If you’re a novice like me then you can’t go far wrong with this set up.”
56% off
No one wants cuts all over their face every time they shave. Luckily, Braun has created this razor that works on wet and dry skin, so you can get a precise and knick-free shave every time. With two settings, turbo and standard, you’ll be able to look sharp no matter how much of a time crunch you’re on. It even charges in five minutes so you won’t find yourself having to wait around for hours to make sure you can get your face presentable before a big moment.
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Whether you’re working out at home or on a run in your local park, these headphones have all the noise cancellation you could want. Loaded with 30 hours of battery life, you don’t have to worry that they’ll run out of battery, and they’re sweat and water resistant to take all the heat you can give ’em while you work out. To make sure they sit perfectly in your ear, they come with four extra bud sizes, which means when you switch from transparency to noise cancellation mode, there’s nothing that could distract you from getting your sweat on.
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Time to block the world out – these noise-cancelling headphones are padded with the softest ear-moulding cushioning that makes sure they mould to your ears. Once both pads are firmly in place, Bose uses spacial audio that makes the sound personalised to your ears, and feels like it’s coming from inside your head. Plus, there noise cancellation is elite, and there are no sound leads, meaning you can shut the outside off and lock in to your own world.
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Whether you’re trying to get a jog in or simply attempting to survive the morning commute, no one wants headphones that fall out every few seconds, so Shockz has created these specifically for premium sound and to make sure you don’t lose one of your precious belongings. Unlike other headphone models, these lightweight clip on buds won’t budge even an inch when you’re running or jumping.
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In case you (somehow) missed this, most women can’t orgasm from penetration alone. But if there’s one sure fire way to get you over the finish line (and quick) it’s a rabbit vibrator: blended G-spot and clit stimulation that feels like, well, bliss. This one from Lovehoney is loaded with 10 vibration speeds, and comes with a sweet four inch shaft, making it ideal for beginners.
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We gathered some iconic quotes from Jilly Cooper’s books and the Rivals series so far. Can Alex Hassell, Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, Katherine Parkinson, Danny Dyer, Emily Atack, Rufus Jones and Luke Pasqualino identify the missing word?
This article contains spoilers for the most recent episode of Rivals.
The second season of Rivals has arguably been an even bigger hit than the first.
So far, critics are loving it – and fans are loving it even more thanks to the steamy affairs, swooning romances and dramatic feuds that have unfolded in the new episodes .
However, fans have now been left reeling at the news that Rivals is taking a mid-season break.
It had previously been announced that Disney+ would be splitting season two of the Jilly Cooper adaptation into two separate sex-episode halves, with Friday’s instalment the last to come before the show’s months-long hiatus.
As fans contemplate when they will next see David Tennant’s Tony, Danny Dyer’s Freddie and Alex Hassell’s Rupert Campbell-Black again, here’s what we know about the return of Rivals …
Why has Rivals been split into two parts?
Episode six of the second season of Rivals ended on a huge cliffhanger, with a tragic death in the Baddingham family and a reignited affair between Lizzie and Freddie.
As a result, we’re already itching to know exactly what’s going to happen next.
The show’s writer, Laura Wade, hinted to TechRadar that this cliffhanger was exactly why such a frustrating wait between episodes six and seven of Rivals was introduced.
Prepare yourself, as the writer teases that these shockers are just the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come.
“We’ve got some really huge story moments coming up later in the series and it’d be lovely for those bits of story to just have a moment to sink in with viewers, building up some anticipation,” she explained.
Laura added: “There’s a massive plot twist at the end of episode six. I think that’s when we break off for four or five months. But I think that will keep people thinking, talking and arguing about what’s going to happen next… in a very good way.”
The woman behind bringing our favourite characters to life explained that Rivals’ producers wanted to “drag out that enjoyment a little bit” and leave fans wanting more.
But Laura also has a more practical reason for why the show is having such a long hiatus
“Also, we’ve got the Fifa World Cup coming up, so we’re releasing the first half before the football,” she pointed out. “Get that out of the way, and then release the second half.”
When will Rivals season 2 episode 7 be released?
We know season two of Rivals consists of 12 episodes, but Disney+ has yet to release news on when we can watch the remaining six.
However, what we do know is that we can likely expect the remaining episodes to land after the World Cup, which finishes mid-July and in the Autumn period.
Rumours have suggested we could be waiting as long as October, with the writers telling Film Hounds they expect episode 12 to come in December.
Laura explained to Tech Radar that the first part of season two of Rival had “spring like stuff” and that the second half has “autumnal vibes”.
“On screen, it runs into Christmas, which allows us to sort of parcel it out for everybody to savour the story,” she said, hinting at the time period of part two of series two of Rivals.
Rivals is available to stream on Disney+ now.
Iran has launched at least two and as many as five (so far) waves of drones and at least ten ballistic missiles against Israel. The strikes, described by Tehran as a “warning shot”, came in retaliation for Israel attacking Dahiyeh in southern Beirut. Iran had warned Israel that it would strike its north if Netanyahu launched attacks on Dahiyeh. Israel claimed to have shot down all the incoming barrage, but even UK state-corporate media have reported numerous successful strikes. The attack was the first direct Iranian retaliation against Israel in two months. Local footage also appears to show missiles reaching targets:
The diaper force claimed they had intercepted all missiles, but this POV shows impact of an Iranian missile on northern occupied Palestine! pic.twitter.com/1CEIdRcjia
— Marcus d’Osint
(@WarFrontIntel) June 7, 2026
The barrages were watched by Palestinians in Gaza, giving them a rare reprieve from daily Israeli war crimes:
Palestinians in Gaza get some respite from the genocide as Iranian missiles fly high in the sky in response to Israel bombing Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/SMmCnILz6X
— Paddystinian (@Paddystinian) June 7, 2026
Peace-talk killer
The wanted war criminal Netanyahu ordered the attack in an obvious attempt to provoke an Iranian response in the hopes of killing even the limping peace talks between Trump and Iran. Trump’s supposed peace deal was plainly ridiculous. Israel would have a free hand to destroy and murder in southern Lebanon but not bombing Beirut, in return for Lebanese resistance forces ceasing all defence. But even that was too much for the Tel Aviv warmonger and the ethno-supremacist fanatics holding him up.
Iran — More than they can chew
However, as on previous occasions the Israeli regime has almost certainly bitten off more than it can chew. Iran has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to destroy large areas of Israel if provoked. It has also repeatedly shown it can make US bases in the region untenable, destroy Arab vassal-states and keep the Hormuz Straight closed.
The scale of Iran’s response appears so far to be moderate. But it is already draining Israeli and US air defences that the imperialist powers are nowhere near replenishing. Netanyahu shows no sign of ceasing his attempted ‘scorched earth’ land theft until he is battered into doing so. And like any nazis, he and his faction are threatening mass reprisals against civilians for the successes of the regional resistance.
Featured image via Twitter
By Skwawkbox
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The fashion high street fashion collabs have been dropping thick and fast over the last couple of years – Sandy Liang x GAP last year, Victoria Beckham x Gap and Cecilie Bahnsen x Uniqlo earlier this year.
Now, Mango has dropped the designer collab of the summer, with its Eckhaus Latta collection that dropped everything.
Having already spent an embarrassing amount of money on the collab, it’s safe to say I’m obsessed.
From bright red woven bags, to chunky bangles, foiled jeans, and breezy dresses, there’s something for everyone.
Whether you’re looking for a refresh to your work wardrobe, need new ‘going out’ clothes, or want a new jangly accessory to spice up your summer looks, I’ve rounded up my faves from the collection to shop now. But move quick, it’s selling out…
In the current negotiations over Lebanon’s borders, the United States does not sit at the table as an impartial broker of peace, but as the orchestrator of a calculated financial siege.
The Trump administration is utilising underhanded economic warfare, targeted banking blockades, and weaponising the global dollar system to deliberately starve the Lebanese state into a position of absolute geopolitical capitulation.
Lebanon — Weaponised interdependence
As formal diplomatic delegations gather under the polished chandeliers of international summit rooms to debate lines on a map, an ordinary Lebanese citizen stands in a dim Beirut neighbourhood, calculating whether their remaining cash can cover both a gallon of generator fuel and tomorrow’s bread.
Six years into an unprecedented financial collapse, the average Lebanese family does not experience geopolitics as an abstract chess match of border demilitarisation or sovereign decrees; they experience it as a crushing, daily struggle against acute inflation, a worthless currency, and a state that has systematically evaporated their life savings. It is precisely within this landscape of exhaustion and human despair that the true nature of modern diplomacy reveals itself.
This is not a failure of diplomatic mediation; it is the deliberate application of what political scientists call “weaponised interdependence” — the exploitation of a weaker state’s reliance on global financial networks to force geopolitical compliance.
This financial warfare translates into concrete reality through a dual-track strategy of surgical exclusion and conditional lifeline dependency, transforming the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) into an auxiliary wing of military command.
On the first track, Washington aggressively suffocates domestic liquidity by targeting Lebanon’s highly vulnerable, post-collapse cash-and-carry economy. By blacklisting government-licensed financial entities — such as the recent sanctions levelled against widespread exchange houses like Jood SARL — and threatening to sever the country from the global SWIFT banking network, the U.S. creates a profound chilling effect.
Because the Lebanese banking sector is effectively comatose, this threat of secondary sanctions forces surviving local financial agents into a state of structural hyper-compliance, blockading the nation from the inside out and cutting off access to the global dollar system unless Beirut adheres to American political dictates.
US finances the Lebanese Army
On the second track, the United States exercises direct leverage by financing the daily operations of the bankrupt state apparatus itself, weaponising Lebanon’s institutional paralysis at the negotiating table. Recognising that the severe depreciation of the Lebanese Lira had reduced a soldier’s monthly wage to a fraction of its original value, Washington stepped in with $230 million in massive “livelihood support” programs.
This funding directly bankrolls the salaries and cash stipends of over 70,000 Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and internal security personnel. Far from a gesture of pure “selflessness”, this direct dependency ensures that when the LAF is tasked with securing southern borders, its soldiers fuel their patrols and feed their families using money provided by the very “mediator” demanding their strategic compromise. This multi-million-dollar lifeline is explicitly tied to geopolitical benchmarks, heavily pressuring the Lebanese cabinet into adopting secret disarmament timelines and enforcing UN Resolution 1701 on Western terms.
By simultaneously choking the private financial sector and directly paying the state’s defenders, the United States forces Lebanon to enter high-stakes negotiations not as a sovereign peer, but as a financial dependent unable to separate its national defence doctrine from its immediate fiscal survival.
Financial blackmail
By withholding structural IMF packages and essential reconstruction funds, the U.S. ensures that every diplomatic demand — be it the surrender of territory or the granting of Israeli operational freedom — is framed as a necessary transaction for a loaf of bread or a pack of medicine. In this environment, the “negotiating table” is merely an ultimatum disguised as a choice: Lebanon must either trade its foundational security for a respite from manufactured poverty, or face total economic liquidation.
This financial extraction reaches its peak in the post-war reconstruction framework, where the U.S. and its Gulf allies have transformed humanitarian recovery into a tool of political blackmail. While basic emergency aid is permitted to trickle in to keep the country on high-stakes life support, the multi-billion-dollar funding required to rebuild shattered towns and vital civil infrastructure is being explicitly withheld behind a wall of geopolitical conditionalities.
Lebanon — the ultimatum
Lebanon is presented with a calculated ultimatum: it will receive no structural economic relief, no international sovereign loans, and no capital to resurrect its obliterated border-region economy unless it capitulates to sweeping security concessions that compromise its territory and disarm its defensive capabilities.
By weaponising the very devastation of the landscape, this strategy ensures that the physical rubble of Southern Lebanon remains a permanent economic monument of punishment, forcing a starved population to choose between the immediate necessity of a roof over their heads and the abstract principle of a compromised national sovereignty.
In conclusion, evaluating these critical diplomatic talks through the lens of traditional conflict resolution is a deliberate act of blindness. When a nation enters negotiations with its financial sector structurally blockaded and its national army dependent on its mediator’s payroll — just to feed its soldiers, the results will more than likely be dire.
By weaponising Lebanon’s engineered poverty and conditioning its post-war reconstruction on sweeping security concessions, the United States and Israel have fundamentally altered the landscape of modern diplomacy. They have demonstrated that a dominant superpower no longer needs to achieve total military victory on the battlefield to rewrite a country’s geography or displace its population; it merely needs to starve its institutions into submission.
If the international community continues to celebrate these predatory agreements as triumphs of peace, it will codify a dangerous global precedent: that true sovereignty is a luxury reserved for the affluent alone, and that for the broken and bankrupt, stability will always come at the price of capitulation.
Featured image via Marwan Tahtah/Getty Images
Not all of our dementia risk is in our control. But The Lancet’s standing commission on dementia previously found that 45% of factors that can increase our likelihood of developing the condition are “potentially modifiable”.
This includes things like not smoking, exercising more often, and controlling high blood pressure.
But these might not be the only ways to lower our risk of cognitive decline, sometimes seen as a precursor to dementia.
According to research published in Psychology and Ageing, being an active grandparent might slow brain ageing.
“Grandparents who provide care for their grandchildren tend to show better cognitive functioning than those who do not”
This paper looked at 2,887 grandparents aged 50+ (their average age was 67) who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
Researchers asked participants to fill in questionnaires and take cognitive tests three times in the period from 2016-2022.
Questions centred on how active grandparents were in their grandchildren’s lives, including by watching them overnight, caring for them while ill, helping them with homework, playing with them, prepping meals for them, and more.
Generally, grandparents who provided childcare for their children’s children had better memory and verbal fluency results than those who didn’t. This association stood regardless of how often they cared for the kids or the type of care.
Grandmothers, but not grandfathers, who took care of their grandchildren saw less cognitive decline according to the study’s tests across the years than those who didn’t.
The paper read, “Grandparents who provide care for their grandchildren tend to show better cognitive functioning than those who do not. For grandmothers, these benefits also result in a slower cognitive decline later on.”
You don’t have to grandparent constantly to see benefits
The study stressed that providing childcare for grandkids at all, regardless of hours spent doing so, was linked to a lower risk of cognitive decline.
“What stood out most to us was that being a caregiving grandparent seemed to matter more for cognitive functioning than how often grandparents provided care or what exactly they did with their grandchildren,” study author and lead researcher Flavia Chereches told the American Psychological Association.
“More research is needed to replicate these findings, yet, if there are benefits associated with caregiving for grandparents, they might not depend on how often care is provided, or on the specific activities done with grandchildren, but rather on the broader experience of being involved with caregiving.”
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