Jay Blades is 'taking a break' from filming The Repair Shop following his shock marriage split from wife Lisa-Marie Zbozen.

MailOnline looks at the previous UK winners of the he Eurovision Song Contest and where they are now, ahead of the 2024 live final on Saturday.

Israel bombarded Rafah on Wednesday as the military said ground troops conducted «targeted raids» in the southern Gaza city's east, with negotiations to halt the seven-month war underway in Cairo. Israel has defied international objections and sent tanks into Rafah, which is crowded with Palestinian civilians sheltering near the Egyptian border, seizing early Tuesday a crossing that is the main conduit for aid into the besieged territory. The White House condemned the interruption to humanitarian deliveries, with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin later confirming reports that Washington had paused a shipment of bombs last week after Israel failed to address concerns over its long-threatened Rafah operation. The Israeli military said Wednesday it was reopening another major aid crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom, as well as the Erez crossing. But the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said the Kerem Shalom crossing -- which Israel shut after a rocket attack killed four soldiers on Sunday -- remained closed. Late Wednesday, the army said a soldier was lightly wounded when Kerem Shalom was again targeted by rockets. It came after a night of heavy Israeli strikes and shelling across Gaza. AFPTV footage showed Palestinians scrambling in the dark to pull survivors, bloodied and caked in dust, out from under the rubble of a Rafah building. «We are living in Rafah in extreme fear and endless anxiety,» said Muhanad Ahmad Qishta, 29. «Places the Israeli army claims to be safe are also being bombed,» he told AFP. Displaced Gazan Marwan al-Masri, 35, said «the streets are empty» in Rafah's western areas, and «life has completely ceased». In devastated northern Gaza, Al-Ahli hospital said it received the bodies of seven family members killed in a strike on an apartment in Gaza City. The Israeli military said in a statement that its «troops are conducting targeted raids on the Gazan side of Rafah crossing in the eastern part of Rafah». A later statement said that Hamas naval commander Mohammed Ahmed Ali was killed in an air strike «in the past day». Hamas did not immediately comment. - 'Catastrophic' - An emergency doctor working in Rafah and nearby Khan Yunis said that with humanitarian access compromised, the health situation was «catastrophic». «The smell of sewage is rife everywhere,» said the doctor, James Smith. «It's been getting worse over the course of the last couple of days.» World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that hospitals in southern Gaza had only «three days of fuel left» because of the border closures. «Without fuel all humanitarian operations will stop.» Meanwhile the Hamas-run government media office said health workers had uncovered at least 49 bodies from Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital, the territory's largest which was devastated by two weeks of fighting in March. The bodies were in «a third mass grave», where some 30 corpses were found last month, said Motassem Salah, head of the hospital's emergency department. There was no immediate comment from Israel, which accuses Hamas militants of operating out of hospitals -- a charge denied by the Palestinian group. The war was sparked by Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel in response vowed to crush Hamas and launched a military offensive that has killed at least 34,844 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Militants also took about 250 hostages. Israel estimates 128 of them remain in Gaza including 36 who officials say are dead. Talks involving Qatari, US and Hamas delegations aimed at agreeing a ceasefire were ongoing Wednesday in Cairo, said Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian intelligence. It note that there were «points of contention» during the discussions, but also reported some «convergence» without elaborating. A senior Hamas official said the latest round of negotiations would be «decisive». Hamas «insists on the rightful demands of its people» said the official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the negotiations. In Jerusalem, CIA director Bill Burns met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the «possibility of Israel pausing the operation in Rafah in exchange for hostage releases», an Israeli official said also on condition of anonymity. The Hamas official had previously warned the talks would be Israel's «last chance» to free the hostages still in militants' hands. - Incursion condemned - Qatar, which hosts Hamas leaders and has been mediating between the two sides, appealed «for urgent international action to prevent Rafah from being invaded and a crime of genocide being committed». Palestinian analyst Mkhaimar Abusada said Israel's seizure of the Rafah crossing could be an attempt to create new facts on the ground, or a bid to «sabotage the truce talks». Israel's seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing came after Hamas said it had accepted a truce proposal -- one Israel said was «far» from what its own negotiators had previously agreed to. Netanyahu has described the Rafah operation as «a very important step» in denying Hamas «a passage that was essential for establishing its reign of terror». Washington's decision to hold back last week a shipment of more than 3,500 heavy-duty bombs, according to a senior US official, was the first time the Biden administration acted on a warning to Israel that US policy on Gaza would depend on how Israel treats civilians. «We paused one shipment of high-payload munitions» for Israel but have not «made a final determination on how to proceed with that shipment,» Austin told US lawmakers on Wednesday. © Agence France-Presse

Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the annual Victory Day parade in Moscow on Thursday, an event he hopes will rally patriotism as his forces advance in Ukraine. The May 9 parade marks the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II and has become one of Russia's most important public holidays under Putin. The Russian president has repeatedly framed the current fight against Ukraine as an existential battle against «Nazism». The Kremlin leader typically uses his May 9 speech to shower his troops and army veterans with praise, as well as show off Russia's military hardware to audiences he hopes will be watching from around the world. The parade takes place on Red Square, featuring columns of Russian military equipment, including advanced missiles and air defence systems, as well as thousands of military personnel dressed in ceremonial attire. Russia often invites representatives from countries it deems «friendly» to the event, though attendance had dwindled even before it sent troops into Ukraine amid a stand-off with the West. Eight world leaders will attend Thursday's parade, Russian state-media reported this week, citing a Kremlin aide. They are the heads of five ex-Soviet countries -- Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan -- as well as the leaders of Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau. In a high-profile snub, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signalled he will not attend amid a spat between the two allies, even though he was in Moscow on Wednesday evening for a regional summit. The Kremlin scheduled a summit of leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union -- a regional bloc of some ex-Soviet states -- the day before the parade. Putin will deliver this year's address buoyed by his troops' advances in Ukraine and a fresh six-year mandate in office after winning elections in March devoid of opposition. Russia's army held off a much-hyped Ukrainian counter-offensive last year, and it has since made gains on the front lines as Kyiv struggles with ammunition and manpower shortages. - 'Victory' - Authorities in the capital have heightened security ahead of this year's parade, which comes amid a spate of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory. The parade, which starts at 10:00am (0700 GMT) in Moscow, is one of the largest events of the year in the Russian capital. Night-time rehearsals take place weeks in advance, swathes of central Moscow are closed off for the military traffic, and huge scaffolding and banners are erected along the walls of the Kremlin on Red Square Other parts of Russia, including the western Kursk and Pskov regions, have cancelled their parades due to security concerns. The festivities come two days after Putin vowed at a lavish inauguration on Tuesday to deliver «victory» to Russians, embarking on a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever. Putin's 87-percent landslide victory in the presidential election was panned by most international observers and dismissed as rigged by opposition and rights groups. Putin has also upped his nuclear rhetoric, earlier this week ordering the Russian military to hold nuclear weapons drills involving the navy and troops based near Ukraine. Last year Russia ditched its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and pulled out of a key arms reduction agreement with the United States. © Agence France-Presse

The top priority for the Seychelles Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD)  is to establish a disaster information management system, a tool designed to support agencies and organisations in preparing for and responding to disasters, said a top official on Wednesday. Robert Ernesta, the director general of DRMD spoke to reporters at the second regional workshop of a Regional Cooperation Mechanism on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for the Indian Ocean region that took place in Seychelles from May 7 to May 8. «Our priority area in Seychelles at the moment is having a detection mechanism that not only alerts people of possible disasters and floods but also the extent of the damage such a disaster is expected to cause when it is happening,» said Ernesta. The workshop was organised by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), in collaboration with its partners, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the European Union and the Indian Ocean Regional Response Platform (PIROI). The meeting was to discuss ways to mitigate and manage disasters in the IOC countries. Building resilience and reducing disaster risk is one of the main thrusts of the IOC's new Strategic Development Plan 2023-2033, given the region's growing vulnerability to climate change. The participating countries were Mauritius, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. During the second meeting, following one held in Mauritius last year, it was determined that there was a need to create a mechanism and a community under the aegis of the IOC that would enable ongoing exchanges between member states on DRR. The participants including Seychelles had the chance to present their top priorities in the field as well as discuss the manner through which they may assist one another. Ernesta said, «All the work we do where risk and disaster management is concerned in Seychelles is done with the assistance of our partner countries.»   He added, «Here in Seychelles the main disaster we deal with is flooding, as has been the case recently.» At the end of the meeting, the IOC countries are expected to be well on the path of establishing regional and sub-regional cooperation initiatives in DRR to better identify possible synergies with the IOC DRR platform initiative as well as determine concrete work plans for 2024. The delegates also had the chance to conduct a site visit.

Malawi has made tremendous improvements in the promotion and safeguarding of media freedom, according to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders. The index shows the country has moved from position 82 to position 63 on the global ranking. Speaking earlier during this year’s World Press Freedom Day commemorations, Minister of […] The post Malawi improves on World Press Freedom Index ranking appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Officials from Escom are now over the moon after Kanengo Power Substation has doubled its power supply to 158 megawatts from 85 megawatts. This means more customers will now connected to the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) power grid. Bernard Nkhulawe, ESCOM’s Senior Engineer (Transformer Workshop Switchgear) confirmed this as the Japanese Government and […] The post Lilongwe moves towards no blackouts again as Kanengo Power Substation doubles power supply appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Zenius Milward and his fellow learners were happily enjoying an English lesson at Msenjere Full Primary School in Nkhotakota when an unexpected visitor forced its way into their classroom on that Wednesday morning of February 28, 2024. “As we took the lesson, we saw a mountain of water entering our classroom. We’re surprised to see […] The post Returning children to school as an impetus to recover from effects of natural disasters in Nkhota Kota appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

In a quest of transparency and accountability, a grouping of CSOs in the country have demanded the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should, within 14 days from 8th May, update Malawians on its position regarding the discontinued cases and disclose the amount of money spent on investigating and prosecuting these matters. Some of the discontinued include: such […] The post ACB given 14 days to disclose money spent on investigating, prosecuting discontinued case appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Vendors plying their trade in Limbe Central Business Area have expressed concern over the inadequate space, which they say is hindering the growth of their businesses. According to Hestings Samwa, Chairperson for Limbe street vendors, “The number of vendors keeps on growing every day, which has now outgrown the capacity of the free market built […] The post Vendors in Limbe decry inadequate space, Pacific Tower offers solution appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Growing up in a Marine Parade HDB estate with a school teacher mother and sales manager father, Lawrence Wong went to neighbourhood schools. This «much more typical upbringing» of the deputy prime minister was brought up in an interview with The Economist on Monday (May 6).  The 51-year-old, who will become Singapore's fourth prime minister on May 15, said: «My background is what it is. If it is helpful that it makes it more relatable to Singaporeans, so much the better.» Wong attended Haig Boys' Primary School, Tanjong Katong Secondary Technical  School and Victoria Junior College. He then headed to the United States for further studies on a government scholarship. He had previously explained why he chose Tanjong Katong after his Primary School Leaving Examination, instead of the «elite» schools that many other government scholars go to.

A man was trapped for over an hour after the lift he was in suddenly plunged from the 17th storey and got stuck between the ninth and 10th floor. His friend, surnamed Sun, told Shin Min Daily News that the man was leaving his workplace at Oxley Tower in Robinson Road at around 7pm on Monday (May 6) when the lift malfunctioned. «My friend said he felt what seemed like the lift wire rope breaking, and then the lift plummeted quickly. At the same time, the alarm was triggered,» said Sun, who is in her 30s. She added that her friend was stuck inside with no mobile signal. About 45 minutes later, he managed to send a voice message to their mobile group chat for help. «I quickly called 995 after hearing his message. He was panicked and said he was almost out of oxygen,» Sun recounted. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne they received a call for assistance at around 7.50pm that day.

Their home, their rules — but when this couple began cluttering up the common corridor, their neighbours weren't too happy. A couple living in a Bukit Batok HDB block earned the ire of their neighbours after they allegedly began using the corridor outside their flat as their personal storage space, Shin Min Daily News reported on Tuesday (May 7). Items outside their flat and in the common areas include fish tanks, pails, strollers, bicycles and more. Speaking to Shin Min, a 59-year-old resident surnamed Zheng (transliteration) who has lived at Block 289C along Bukit Batok Street 25 for 26 years recalled how there had never been issues with the neighbours on his floor. In March last year, however, a young couple whom Zheng described to be in their 30s moved in, leaving items piled outside their flat. Thinking that the clutter was because the couple — and their four children — were still settling in, Zheng didn't have any concerns at the time. A month later, however, he found the mess still around. «Seeing no changes a few months later, I contacted the Town Council,» Zheng said.

Three Ukrainian aircraft-type UAVs were detected and destroyed in the sky over the Kursk Region

Attempts are currently underway in the West, following the logic of «containing Russia,» to hush up the Soviet Union’s decisive contribution to the 1945 Victory over Nazi Germany

Since April 15, opposition and civil activists have been holding rallies in Tbilisi against the adoption of the law on foreign agents

Sport is a field in which the EU’s responsibilities were acquired with the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in December 2009. The EU is responsible for the development of evidence-based policy and for fostering cooperation and managing initiatives in support of physical activity and sport across Europe. A specific budget line was established for the first time under the first Erasmus+ programme (2014-2020) to support projects and networks relating to sport. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Youth is a national policy area, so EU-level harmonisation is not possible. The EU therefore plays a supporting role, especially when it comes to mobility and opportunities across the EU. For instance, Key Action 1 of the Erasmus+ programme about mobility for individuals encourages exchanges of young people within the EU and with third countries. Over the past few years, the European Union has strengthened its policies towards young people, as illustrated by the European Solidarity Corps programme and the DiscoverEU project. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European Union’s action in the field of budgetary control is based on two principles: on the one hand, ensuring that the EU’s budget is properly spent and, on the other, protecting the Union’s financial interests and combating fraud. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has the power to investigate fraud against the EU budget, corruption and serious misconduct and develops anti-fraud policy. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) investigates, prosecutes and brings to justice crimes against the EU budget. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

«Russia also continues to develop and test novel experimental weapon systems, like the nuclear-armed Poseidon transoceanic weapon and the Burevestnik nuclear-propelled cruise missile,» said General Gregory Guillot, commander of the US Northern Command

According to Roman Kodryan, enemy losses totaled up to 55 servicemen over the past day

«If I were 10 years younger, I’d go right away,» 98-year-old Frank Cohn said

The Chinese president said he is eager to bring relations between Beijing and Budapest to a qualitatively higher level

Three men have been arrested by Greater Manchester Police on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.

Miguel Pérez was fired from his role as professor at the Benemérita Autonomous University of Puebla in Puebla, Mexico for using a hidden camera on his sneaker to record under a woman's skirt.

Elizabeth Hurley was joined by her nearest and dearest for the London screening of her joint film project with son Damian on Wednesday.

Un moment attendu chaque année par le public polynésien : le Fenua Live, c'est aujourd'hui au parc Vairai, pour la première fois. Eono, Puachoux, Aremistic, un festival de musique avec une quinzaine d'artistes locaux qui se succèdent sur scène. Et 4 000 spectateurs annoncés. Retour sur les derniers préparatifs.

À jamais les premiers. Marseille, deuxième ville de France, mais première à accueillir la flamme olympique en provenance d’Athène. Un moment historique. Après une grandiose parade maritime, la flamme a fait son entrée dans le Vieux-Port, à bord du «Belem», le dernier des grands voiliers français. Plus d'un millier de navires l'ont escorté. Parmi eux, des pirogues polynésiennes et une yole martiniquaise.

Russian air defenses have intercepted several Ukrainian drones, with local authorities in Belgorod reporting multiple injuries Read Full Article at RT.com

After 3,000 videos of an Indian MP engaging in rape surfaced, society is ensuring the victims suffer in shame Read Full Article at RT.com

Thousands of Russian troops and dozens of military vehicles will parade through Moscow on May 9 to mark the anniversary of the Nazi defeat Read Full Article at RT.com

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) has commenced phase-one implementation of the ‘IrieFINS’ online licensing and registration system. This will eliminate the need for fishers to come into the authority’s head office, located in Newport East,...

Did you know that excess belly fat, also referred to as visceral fat, poses significant health risks when waist measurements exceed 40 inches for males and 35 inches for females?Visceral fat lurks deep inside your body, wrapping around important...

THE LUPUS Foundation of Jamaica (LFJ) continues its fight in ensuring that Jamaicans ‘Make Lupus Visible’, as the world observes World Lupus Day on Friday, May 10. World Lupus Day is observed annually on May 10, with the aim to raise awareness...

CAMEKA INGRAM knew very early in life that she wanted to be a teacher, and specifically a teacher of mathematics. Her favourite childhood memories are of playing shop with her friends and selling them pretend items. “I would put soil in bags and...