Should world leaders start talking to the Taliban?
Whether world leaders should engage with the Taliban government is complicated, writes Lyse Doucet.
2023-08-14 15:53
Lionel Richie fans gutted after star postponed NYC gig due to 'severe weather'
Lionel Richie couldn't make his New York City concert due to bad weather.
2023-08-14 15:24
Chelsea agree British record deal with Brighton for Moises Caicedo
Chelsea have agreed a British record deal of £115m with Brighton for midfielder Moises Caicedo, sources have confirmed to 90min.
2023-08-14 15:24
Liam Cunningham's personal link to new Dracula movie
Actor Liam Cunningham has revealed he has a personal link to Dracula after starring in vampire movie The Last Voyage of the Demeter - because he lives down the road from the house where Bram Stoker was born
2023-08-14 15:19
Lucozade addict drinks eight bottles a day and says it’s harder to quit than class-A drugs
A grandfather is addicted to Lucozade despite having three heart attacks, and said it's harder to give up than class-A drugs. Garry Johnson, 65, began drinking coffee aged 12 and loved the caffeine buzz. The now-retired painter and decorator took cocaine and amphetamines in his teens, and after 15 years of on-off drug use went “cold turkey” when his son Sam was born in 1992. Keen to stay energised, he took up drinking 380ml bottle bottles of Lucozade Original, and now gets through eight a day. He's had the habit for 29 YEARS and it currently costs him around £150 a month. And at today's prices, his nearly three decade habit would have cost him more than £42,800. He had three heart attacks between 2012 and 2014 because of a hereditary heart condition, and doctors encouraged him to ditch caffeinated drinks. He gave up dairy and every other form of caffeine - but he still necks more than three litres of Lucozade a day. He said Lucozade is proving harder to give up than class-A drugs - because of the "after effect - like that lovely feeling in your mouth after you eat an expensive bit of chocolate." Garry, from Basildon, Essex, said: "I took cocaine every day but it was a piece of cake to give up - but I'd find it really hard to ever give up Lucozade. "I love it - not just the taste but the affect on my body makes me feel great. If I do go two or three hours without one, I fancy one... God knows how I'd be after two days.” He stopped using cocaine aged 30, when his son Sam, now 31, was born and went cold turkey because being a new dad was "stimulant enough". He started drinking Red Bull but found himself with migraines, and eventually moved onto Lucozade. He initially drank six a day, but has had eight a day for the last seven years. Now he goes to Tesco every day and buys one or two four-packs - depending how many bottles he already has stacked up in the fridge ready to drink. "I've always needed some kind of stimulant and eventually I realised Lucozade is perfect for me," he said. "After my heart attacks they told me to quit the energy drinks but I recently had new heart tests and my results are better than they've ever been. "I guess I've just found one that suits my body." But Garry said he doesn't even want to give up because it's a "part of his identity" - like a person's favourite shirt or their daily breakfast. He justifies the cost because he doesn't drink alcohol or smoke. He said: "£5 a day - that's less than a pint of beer today in some places." If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you. If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here. SWNS Read More What I gained (and lost) by walking 10,000 steps each day for 5 months Husband ‘ruins’ dinner because of his wife’s typo: ‘The worst kind of control freak’ John Whaite says he ‘spent time apart’ from fiancé after ‘falling in love’ with Strictly pro
2023-08-14 14:59
US Coast Guard is searching for 4 divers who went missing south of Cape Fear
The US Coast Guard is searching for four divers who went missing south of Cape Fear, North Carolina, on Sunday, authorities said.
2023-08-14 14:58
Everything Billy Porter has said about Harry Styles Vogue cover as ‘Pose’ actor re-addresses criticism
Billy Porter has re-addressed the criticism he made about Harry Styles becoming US Vogue’s first-ever solo male cover star in 2019. At the time, the former One Direction singer appeared on the cover of the fashion magazine wearing a Gucci dress. Porter, who is best known for starring in the hit TV series Pose, said in an interview The Sunday Times in 2020 that he had several issues with Vogue’s decision to feature Styles, with the actor claiming that all the singer had to do to break barriers was “be white and straight”. “I was the first one doing it and now everybody is doing it,” he said. “I’m not dragging Harry Styles, but... He doesn’t care, he’s just doing it because it’s the thing to do. This is politics for me. This is my life. “I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars,” Porter added. “All [Styles] has to do is be white and straight.” Porter is known for championing gender-neutral fashion. He wore an iconic tuxedo dress, custom-made by designer Christian Siriano, at the 2019 Oscars. At the Met Gala that same year, he wore a Cleopatra-inspired golden catsuit with wings, and arrived at the event in a golden litter carried by six shirtless men. “Watermelon Sugar” singer Styles frequently performs in gender-neutral clothing, and told US Vogue in his cover story: “Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with. What’s really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away. There’s so much joy to be had in playing with clothes.” “I’ve never really thought too much about what it means – it just becomes this extended part of creating something,” he added. After making his initial comments, Porter issued an apology to Styles live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, telling the camera: “Harry Styles, I apologise to you for having your name in my mouth. “It’s not about you. The conversation is not about you.” Porter went on to explain that the conversation is “deeper,” as it is actually about “the systems of oppression and erasure of people of colour, who contribute to the culture”. After acknowledging that there is a lot to “unpack” regarding the topic, Porter noted that he is willing to do so as long as it is without the interference of “the cancel culture of the internet”. “I’m willing to unpack it, sans the dragging and cancel culture of the internet, because I do not now, nor will ever, adjudicate my life or humanity in sound bites on social media,” he said. “So when you’re ready to have the real conversation, call a b****. OK? I’m ready to have it!” In a new interview with The Telegraph, published on Friday (11 August 2023), Porter explained how he would have better approached Anna Wintour back in 2019. Months before the Harry Styles Vogue cover was revealed, Porter had participated in a Q&A with Anna Wintour in front of Condé Nast staff. “That b**** said to me at the end, ‘How can we do better?’ And I was so taken off guard that I didn’t say what I should have said.” Now, looking back, Porter reflected on what he wished he had said: “Use your power as Vogue to uplift the voices of the leaders of this de-gendering of fashion movement.” However, as Porter reflected: “Six months later, Harry Styles is the first man on the cover.” “It’s not Harry Styles’s fault that he happens to be white and cute and straight and fit into the infrastructure that way … I call out the gatekeepers,” he said. Porter now doesn’t claim to be “the first” to push against gender stereotypes in fashion. “I know David Bowie existed, I know Sylvester existed,” he told the publication. Porter added that Styles is “white and he’s straight”, which explains why “he’s on the cover”. “Non-binary blah blah blah blah. No. It doesn’t feel good to me. You’re using my community – or your people are using my community – to elevate you. You haven’t had to sacrifice anything,” he said. Porter is best known for starring in the hit TV series Pose, for which he was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and won the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He became the first gay Black man to be nominated and win in any lead acting category at the Primetime Emmys. Read More What I gained (and lost) by walking 10,000 steps each day for 5 months Pink fan who went into labour during concert names newborn son after pop star Woman behind viral ‘not real’ plane tirade says her life has been ‘blown up’ Billy Porter ‘didn’t say what he should have’ to Anna Wintour over Vogue cover Billy Porter says he is ‘back on the market’ after filing for divorce Supermodels including Naomi Campbell recreate iconic Vogue cover from 1990
2023-08-14 14:57
Australia regulator allows union to ballot workers for strike at Chevron LNG platform
SYDNEY Australia's labour regulator cleared the way for strike action at Chevron's Wheatstone platform if workers vote in
2023-08-14 14:29
Niger’s coup leaders say they will prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for 'high treason'
Niger’s mutinous soldiers say they will prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for “high treason” and undermining state security, hours after they said they were open to dialogue with West African nations to resolve the mounting regional crisis. The announcement on state television on Sunday night, by spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, said the military regime had “gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute before competent national and international authorities the ousted president and his local and foreign accomplices for high treason and for undermining the internal and external security of Niger.” Bazoum, Niger’s democratically elected president, was ousted by members of his presidential guard on July 26 and has since been under house arrest with his wife and son in the presidential compound in the capital, Niamey. People close to the president as well as those in his ruling party say their electricity and water have been cut off and they’re running out of food. The junta dismissed these reports Sunday night and accused West African politicians and international partners of fueling a disinformation campaign to discredit the junta. International pressure is growing on the junta to release and reinstate Bazoum. Immediately after the coup, the West African regional bloc ECOWAS gave the regime seven days to return him to power or threatened military force, but that deadline came and went with no action from either side. Last week, ECOWAS ordered the deployment of a “standby” force, but it’s still unclear when or if it would enter the country.
2023-08-14 14:22
Heavy rains bring deadly flash flood and landslide to northwest China
At least 21 people are dead and six others missing after a flash flood and landslide following torrential rains in the outskirts of northwestern China's Xi'an city, local authorities said Sunday.
2023-08-14 14:00
Taiwan vice president is 'troublemaker', says Beijing
William Lai's stopovers in New York and San Francisco on his way to Paraguay have riled China.
2023-08-14 13:55
The Ukrainian refugees returning to war-torn homeland
Ukrainians share experiences of visiting families and friends back home, amidst daily danger alerts.
2023-08-14 13:15
