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Every now and then, you get an inescapable sign from the universe. Order that takeout. Don’t message your ex.

This drop from Lovehoney is one of those signs. The iconic sexual wellness brand has teamed up with Cosmopolitan to create a box of sex toys to prioritise your pleasure. And, not to mention, at a banging discount – the box costs £99.99 for £216.91 worth of products.

In case you’ve somehow missed me waxing lyrical about orgasms, in short, this is where I stand: there’s nothing better, and vulva owners aren’t having them enough.

Sure, an orgasm doesn’t always have to be the goal, but it doesn’t hurt, either. If you’d like to have more, or at least get yourself on the road on the road to O town more often, this is the way to do it.

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Stuffed with eight products, The O Box is curated to help you heighten your pleasure both with a partner and without.

Seriously – it comes with a We-Vibe Sync Lite, a C-shaped vibrator that can be worn to stimulate the clitoris (one of the most reliable routes to orgasm, FYI) during penetrative sex.

The insertable end is thin and discreet enough that a penis or dildo can fit inside you while you wear it, and I’m a huge fan of the fact it uses rumbly vibrations rather than buzzy ones, so your clit doesn’t feel like it’s about to take off.

It’s even app-controlled, so you can power up through its 10 intensity levels without having to break skin contact with your lover.

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Then, for an option you can reach for either alone or coupled up, the box also has a coveted Rose sex toy.

ICYMI during the pandemic (like, what else were you doing?) this floral-shaped toy uses suction technology to simulate the best oral sex of your life, and is perfectly sized to fit in your hand so you can rub one out during doggy – or on your back if you prefer to be a solo queen.

If both of those (worth £135 on their own!) weren’t enough for you, Lovehoney has stocked the box full of everything you need for a blooming good time.

We’re talking a bullet vibrator, to keep things simple, water-based lube, a silk eye mask and silk wrist restraint, vanilla-scented massage oil, and even a set of 52 Cosmosutra sex position cards, to give you plenty of ideas to spice things up if you (against all odds) manage to get bored.

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Of course, the entire box comes in a stunning red and pink colourway – perfect for an evening of wooing and romancing yourself (and a lover, if you’re feeling generous).

A sign to level up your pleasure? Consider it received.

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Soap fans can look forward to seeing another familiar face in the ballroom when Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens later this year.

On Thursday morning, the BBC announced that actor Lawrence Robb was the 12th star who’s signed up for Strictly this year.

Lawrence is best known for his performance as Mackenzie “Mack” Boyd, one of the newer additions to Emmerdale’s iconic Dingle family, in the long-running ITV soap.

“I don’t know who’s more excited about this, me or my mother,” he joked when the news was confirmed, before admitting: “I can’t quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time!”

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He enthused: “It’s a dream come true, and I can’t wait to bring my all to ballroom. Wish me luck, and any advice is very welcome – trust me I’ll need it!”

Outside of the Dales, Lawrence is known for his work in the dark comedy I Hate Suzie, and the West End shows Legally Blonde and Mojo.

He joins a line-up that already includes EastEnders alum Lacey Turner and Jaime Winstone, alongside a host of stars from the world of music, sport, TV and beyond.

Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

The additional three stars on the line-up will be announced in due course, ahead of Strictly’s launch show in September, which will mark Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe’s debut as hosts.

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Check out our round-up of all the stars on the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 line-up here.

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When it comes to politicians, senior appointments often tell you more than public pronouncements. Andy Burnham has only been Prime Minister for two weeks, but he has just installed one of the most pro-establishment cabinets in Labour Party history.

From Defence Minister to Chancellor

John Healey’s resignation as Defence Minister, prompted by Keir Starmer’s refusal to plough more of the national budget into military spending, directly precipitated the downfall of Burnham’s predecessor.

In August 2024, Healey, a long-time supporter of Labour Friends of Israel, met with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss preserving “intelligence co-operation”.

Burnham just made him Chancellor of the Exchequer, the most senior role in his cabinet.

Miliband’s return

Ed Miliband also received a significant role, and is now in charge of Burnham’s foreign policy. Labour Friends of Israel were one of the first to offer their congratulations.

In 2014, Miliband took an LFI-funded trip to occupied Palestine alongside Jennifer Gerber, a former special adviser to Burnham who is still a director of LFI today.

Miliband met with both Benjamin Netanyahu and Isaac Herzog. Gerber said at the time:

It was a privilege for Labour Friends of Israel to join.

Miliband was joined on the trip by Douglas Alexander, another Burnham cabinet pick. In 2013, speaking alongside then Israeli ambassador Daniel Taub at LFI’s annual lunch, Alexander said that the settler state should be “celebrated” and called for deepened ties.

Dan Jarvis, security minister

Burnham ally Dan Jarvis is another long-time supporter of the LFI. In May, he spoke at an event celebrating the 1948 ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, declaring that the Labour Party:

has long been an advocate of the Jewish state.

In June, it was reported that Jarvis had:

made himself available to deliver speeches at functions put on by the Board of Deputies and other communal organisations in the Westminister [sic].

After Healey resigned, Starmer had promoted Jarvis to Defence Secretary. Now, Burnham has moved him back to Security Minister.

Diana Johnson, health minister

Diana Johnson is a current Labour Friends of Israel vice-chair. In 2021, she praised Starmer’s speech at the LFI annual lunch and claimed that:

support for Israel…[is not] the preserve of any one wing or faction in the party.

Burnham just appointed her as a Minister in the Department of Health.

Wes Streeting, defence minister

In 2022, Wes Streeting was the first member of Starmer’s shadow cabinet to accept an LFI-funded trip. On July 13th, he registered yet another £14,500 worth of “donations” from veteran pro-Israeli lobbyist Trevor Chinn.

Burnham has made him Defence Minister.

Dan Tomlinson, cabinet secretary

In 2024, Dan Tomlinson received £6250 from Chinn, and ex-LFI director Jonathan Mendelsohn gave another £2000 through his Red Capital Ltd. firm.

Burnham just made him a cabinet secretary.

Jo White, Home Office minister

Jo White is another vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel, who last week published a new paper suggesting that a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements is:

practically and politically impossible.

In 2024, White received “donations” from a string of lobbyists: £8350 from Chinn, £5000 from Stuart Roden, and £2000 from Trevor Pears.

Burnham just made her a Home Office minister.

John Mann, antisemitism advisor

White is married to John Mann, the ex-Labour MP for her Bassetlaw seat.

In 2017, Mann accepted £5000 from then Labour Together director Chinn. In 2013, he was hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Now, he is Burnham’s Antisemitism Adviser.

Israeli lobby has nothing to worry about

Starmer’s Justice Minister, David Lammy, has been replaced by Alex Norris, another supporter of Labour Friends of Israel. LFI stalwart Pat McFadden and gambling advocate Fiona Twycross have also joined the cabinet.

Burnham has wasted no time in reversing the stale image of Starmer’s failed administration. Behind the social media gloss, however, his appointments tell a truer tale: the lobby has nothing to worry about.

Featured image via the Canary

By Jody McIntyre

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HIDALGO, Texas — Bobby Pulido is learning that the bright lights of politics can be even harsher than music superstardom.

For the past several months, the Latin Grammy-winning singer and local megacelebrity has been the subject of a steady stream of national headlines scrutinizing his former professional relationship with a one-time bandmate who was imprisoned on child sex molestation charges. He’s also faced criticism for past social media posts that included racial, sexist and homophobic slurs and comments.

During a recent interview with POLITICO — after a weeknight meet-and-greet with voters in the same stadium where he performed his final concert in November 2025 — Pulido struck a defensive tone about the scandals that have plagued his campaign.

“I apologize right now,” Pulido said, referring to the social media posts. “I’ll tell you right now, that way you’ll never ask me again. I apologize for everything that I’ve ever joked about that offended anybody. But I can’t continue to revisit every single one.”

Pulido also insisted he did nothing wrong in his working relationship with Frankie Caballero, maintaining he did not know about his former accordionist’s child molestation charges. He expects opponents to “keep dripping, dripping, dripping, dripping” new social media posts.

“I’ve been an open book for 30 years,” he said. “I was on Twitter way before I thought about running for office. They’re gonna keep going to old tweets, and there’s a lot of tweets in there that I’m embarrassed of. There’s jokes that I’ve told that I apologize for, and I’ve owned up to them. I’m like, man, that makes me cringe, and I’ve publicly apologized.”

Pulido is one of House Democrats’ prized battleground recruits and a key part of their plan to flip control of the lower chamber. The first-time candidate is widely known in Texas’ 15th District for his singing career, and he hopes to capitalize on voters’ anti-incumbency angst in his bid against GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz in a newly redrawn district that President Donald Trump won by 18 points in 2024.

Recent polling shows the race within the margin of error or Pulido leading, thanks in large part to his near-universal name ID. But while voters have shown a strong interest in political outsiders, those outsiders are also untested — and new revelations can swamp news cycles and potentially their chances.

The New York Post first reported in April on Pulido’s past relationship to Caballero, a registered sex offender who was imprisoned for indecent contact with an eight-year-old girl. Pulido told POLITICO he first learned that Caballero was incarcerated on sex charges from the Post report, and Pulido’s campaign says the singer’s management company cut ties with Caballero after learning about a domestic abuse charge in 2021.

Pulido said he’d asked Caballero why he was in prison. “Transferring illegal aliens. That’s what he told me,” he told POLITICO. “And I knew he had a lot of substance abuse issues, and he violated a lot of his paroles. Those were the things that he told me.” (Pulido’s campaign told the Texas Tribune in July that Pulido only knew Caballero struggled with addiction.)

In June, Axios reported Caballero performed with Pulido at a middle school benefit concert in 2018, where children were present, after being released from prison. When asked if he regretted having Caballero play there, Pulido said he did — knowing what he knows now.

“Without me knowing, it’s hard for me to say that,” he said. “Me, that I know now, yes. I wish I wouldn’t have taken him there.”

Caballero could not be reached for comment.

Pulido’s past social media posts have also come back to haunt the singer-turned-politician. In Twitter posts between 2013 and 2018, Pulido used homophobic and sexist Spanish-language slurs which translate to “f-g,” “f—-t” and “p—y.” In several other posts, he used the word “prieto,” a term referring to dark-skinned individuals many view as pejorative. The posts were first reported by NBC News and reviewed by POLITICO. In another 2013 Spanish-language post reviewed by POLITICO, Pulido joked that Mexican actor Mauricio Islas “isn’t a f-g, respect him. His boyfriend is.”

Islas, whose partner is a woman, did not respond to a request for comment.

Pulido told POLITICO some of the remarks were made in jest toward personal friends. “That’s how we joke. I would never tell a stranger that,” he said.

He defended his use of the racial term as a cultural misunderstanding. “In our culture, we call each other that. It’s like Black people calling each other the n-word,” he said. “Would somebody that called another Black person the n-word be accused of racism? But they want to come and translate what I said to this guy, which is how we say it and we’re joking, they wanted to make it seem like I’m telling some complete stranger that. That’s not what it is.”

“I’m not making excuses,” Pulido added. “Would you have to apologize to your friend that you joke like that with, that doesn’t have a problem with anything you say? I don’t feel like I should have to apologize to them because they’re my friends.”

This isn’t the first time he’s flashed irritation when asked about his past posts, saying they distract from issues like affordability and immigration that voters care about. Pulido let loose on the New York Post when the paper reached out for comment about some other controversial social media posts. “We’ve been getting the same recycled tabloid nonsense since last October,” he said in a July video posted to his social media channels.

“And for whatever reporter that wants to keep asking,” he said in Spanish, “que no mamen, Kool-Aids. Now go translate that.” The colloquial phrase translates roughly to “don’t be jerks, assholes” or “don’t be stupid, assholes.”

De La Cruz’s campaign hopes to make hay out of the issues. In a statement, James Shook, the representative’s campaign manager, said Pulido is a “product of the corrupt compadre system that looks out for itself and everybody else is expected to look away.”

In press releases, De La Cruz’s campaign has pointed out apparent inconsistencies in Pulido’s statements. They note that Pulido told The Monitor he fired Caballero in 1996, but Caballero appears on two of Pulido’s albums through 1999. In a 2019 podcast, Pulido suggested he got Caballero out of jail; he told Bloomberg this year that was “hyperbolic” and he “misspoke.”

“Bobby Pulido walked a man convicted of molesting an eight-year-old girl onto a middle school event in this community, and hid his sex offender status from parents,” Shook said. “This is someone he toured with for years and is on tape bragging he personally bailed him out of jail. The only question left is why he thought he would get away with it.”

But there are signs that voters have become increasingly desensitized to scandal. A new POLITICO Poll found a significant share of voters — both Republican and Democrat — say they would stick with their preferred candidate even if they were caught accepting gifts from lobbyists, exploiting tax loopholes or making antisemitic posts. Democrats drew a harsher line when it came to accusations of sexual violence and sexual assault. Voters were not polled on past use of homophobic or gender slurs on social media, or on relationships with sex offenders.

Some of Pulido’s supporters who know his family largely shrug off the headlines.

Esmeralda Knapp, a hairstylist in McAllen, said she will vote for Pulido solely because his uncle, a former county judge, helped secure Knapp’s brother’s release from prison many years ago. Bob Villarreal, a retired teacher in Edinburg, reminisced about the time Pulido’s father, a musician himself, substitute-taught his sixth-grade orchestra class. Maria Dominguez, who runs a wellness club in McAllen, said Pulido is “a good person” because she knows his family: “His family are working people, good people and raised in the valley.”

Villarreal brushed off Pulido’s relationship with Caballero. “It wasn’t Bobby,” he said. “I guess it’s important for some people, but for me, I mean, it’s somebody else.”

“It’s guilt by association,” said Patricia Villarreal, his wife.

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After 136 hours of painstaking search and recovery efforts, Gaza’s Civil Defense recovered the remains of 112 civilians killed in Israeli airstrikes. A mass funeral was held for the victims on 4 August 2026.

The victims were found beneath the rubble of a residential block in Gaza City’s al-Sabra neighbourhood, which was heavily bombarded by Israeli airstrikes. Among those recovered were 40 children, 38 women and seven people with disabilities.

Gaza: 112 recovered, 196 still missing

The building was home to members of the extended Abu Sharia and Al-Husayna families before it was targeted in an Israeli airstrike on 23 November 2023. This attack reduced it to rubble.

For those trapped beneath the wreckage, the hours that followed were a desperate wait for help that never came.

The strike was reported to have killed 308 Palestinians. However, Gaza’s Civil Defense has so far recovered only 112 bodies. For 32 months, the fate of the remaining victims has remained buried beneath the debris, beyond the reach of recovery teams.

Throughout the war, Israeli authorities restricted rescue and recovery operations. Meanwhile, the continued lack of access to heavy machinery has made the removal of bodies from beneath the rubble even more difficult. Ongoing military activity by Israeli forces also made attempts to reach survivors and recover the dead extremely dangerous. In many cases, it was impossible.

Beneath the rubble

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, told the Canary:

We estimate that around 8000 people are still missing under collapsed buildings across the Gaza Strip. Recovering them requires an enormous effort from Civil Defense teams.

Basal said the scale of recovery operations is far beyond what Civil Defense teams can manage with the limited equipment. The first recovery project involved 800 hours of work, with a single excavator sourced from Gaza’s local market to recover 500 bodies.

After that operation was completed, recovery efforts were delayed for seven months before a second project was approved.

He explained to the Canary:

We are currently implementing this second phase, which also provides 800 operating hours using only one excavator operating inside Gaza. But there are still a very large number of destroyed homes and locations that require search and recovery operations. It is clear that the current project and the available equipment are far from sufficient.

Basal said recovery efforts are especially difficult in areas within the “yellow line”, where Israeli forces are present. He said they had bulldozed large areas, including locations where bodies remain trapped beneath destroyed homes. This has made it difficult to locate and identify victims.

Limited recovery operations were only permitted following the October 2026 ceasefire agreement, with Civil Defense teams coordinating their work with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Basal said that despite these limited operations, restrictions on equipment and access continue to leave thousands of missing Palestinians beyond the reach of recovery teams.

The unresolved fate of Gaza’s missing

For thousands of families in Gaza, the search is not only about recovering bodies. It is about finding answers for loved ones whose fate remains unknown.

Basal told the Canary:

There are victims whose fate is known — they remain beneath collapsed buildings inside these restricted areas. At the same time, there are other buildings within the yellow line where the fate and whereabouts of those believed to be inside remain completely unknown. This is another painful challenge facing Civil Defense teams. This has made the situation highly complex.

Without urgent international support, Basal warned that many victims may never be recovered or identified.

Civil Defense teams require specialist resources, including additional heavy machinery and forensic laboratory capabilities for DNA testing. With these, recovered remains can be identified and returned to their families. He added that:

Without these capabilities, many victims are likely to remain unidentified, and this humanitarian file could then remain unresolved indefinitely.

The scale of Gaza’s missing persons crisis reflects the wider devastation of the war. Since 7 October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed at least 73,375 Palestinians, including more than 21,600 children — deliberately targeted — while more than 174,000 have been injured. Thousands of families have also been entirely erased from Gaza’s Civil Registry after all known members were killed.

Featured image via the Canary

By Charlie Jaay

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Screen legend Molly Ringwald is opening about one of her least favourite filming experiences.

Molly shot to fame in the 80s thanks to roles in the John Hughes classics The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Pretty In Pink, and continues to act on both the big and small screen.

Earlier this week, the Golden Globe nominee was a guest on the talk show Watch What Happens Live, where host Andy Cohen asked her to rank 10 of her past projects, choosing the teen drama series The Secret Life Of The American Teenager as her “worst” pick.

“That was it. The worst,” she recalled. “It was a hard [shoot]. I mean… OK, I love the cast. I love Shailene [Woodley, who played Molly’s on-screen daughter].

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“[But] there was one person that was really difficult. And I’m not gonna say who that one person is. [But] they brought it down…”

The Secret Life Of The American Teenager ran for five seasons between 2008 and 2013, starring future Bafta and Emmy nominee Shailene Woodley as Amy, a teenage girl who discovers that she is pregnant.

Molly starred as Amy’s mum, Anne, while the cast also included the likes of Mark Derwin, Greg Finley and Steve Schirripa.

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Randy Holmes Disney General Entertainment Con

In recent years, Molly has been seen in action in the Ryan Murphy projects Monster and Feud, and made a guest appearance in The Bear back in 2022.

She’ll next be seen in action in the new rom-com One Night Only, featuring Callum Turner and Oscar nominee Monica Barbaro as two strangers who meet by chance on what happens to be the one night a year single people are allowed to have sex.

One Night Only – which arrives in cinemas worldwide on Friday – also features appearances from stars including Julia Fox, Este Haim, Pete Davidson, Ziwe and Maya Hawke.

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