More than a million displaced as China's Hebei region reels from record rains
More than a million people have been relocated from their homes in China's Hebei province following deadly flooding earlier this week, according to state media, as officials warned it could take a month for the waters to recede in some areas.
1970-01-01 08:00
The Chinese town engulfed by a flood to save Beijing
Floodwaters were diverted from Beijing, but the water had to go somewhere - So Zhuozhou took the brunt.
1970-01-01 08:00
World’s Largest Pension Fund GPIF Has Record Gain
Japan’s state pension fund, the world’s largest, posted a record gain of ¥18.98 trillion ($133 billion) during the
1970-01-01 08:00
Bond Traders Eye 5 Basis Points as BOJ Intervention Trigger
Bond traders are on guard for a further five-basis-points increase in benchmark Japanese bond yields amid speculation that
1970-01-01 08:00
Texas A&M reaches $1 million settlement with journalism professor over hiring controversy
Texas A&M University reached a $1 million settlement with a Black journalism professor who said her tenured position offer fell apart after backlash to her work on diversity and equity efforts, the university announced Thursday.
1970-01-01 08:00
Saudi Budget Slips Deeper Into Deficit With Jump in Spending
Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit widened in the second quarter as the government raised spending on social benefits and
1970-01-01 08:00
Why TikTok is going wild for lip oil
According to beauty buffs on TikTok, it’s time to ditch the heavy lipstick and swap your gooey gloss for a slick lip oil. Make-up influencers have been posting videos raving about their favourite shades (and fruity scents), comparing brands and hunting for designer dupes, with clips racking up millions of views. “I think the texture is new to a lot of people who are fed up with sticky balms and glosses, and want something more low-key but still with a great colour and finish,” says Ciara O’Shea, celebrity make-up artist and founder of Proshine. “They are also great for people that would have traditionally stayed away from lip colour or were too scared of it.” Unlike the highly pigmented glosses that have been popular with Gen Z over the past couple of years, lip oils tend to offer a more subtle ‘your lips but better’ colour pay-off – or no pigment at all, in the case of clear oils. “They are an elevated alternative to the Y2K-inspired lip glosses and provide a nourishing treatment,” says Jamie Genevieve, make-up artist and founder of VIEVE. “Lip oils also offer a beautiful, natural wash of colour, which complements the ‘clean make-up’ aesthetic that has been trending for a while on TikTok.” Jamie Coombes, Dior UK pro make-up artist, says that rave reviews are a big driver of cosmetic sales: “The power of social media is mighty and when a product’s formula, packaging and results fit the expectations, it makes it a winner!” What’s the difference between lip oil and gloss? “Lip oils offer the effects and results of both lip gloss and lip balm,” says Coombes. “It is a richer texture that penetrates quicker and deeper for instantly nourished lips.” If you love the shiny, plump-pout look but struggle with gloopy glosses, try a lip oil, Genevieve says: “Unlike a balm or gloss, a lip oil is lightweight and non-sticky.” What’s the best way to wear lip oil? “Lip oils are very versatile,” says Genevieve. “They can be worn on their own for an everyday, ‘off-duty’ look or layered over liner and lipstick to add a high-shine finish to elevate a dramatic lip.” She recommends the best-selling VIEVE Lip Dew in the Original shade: “Clear with a golden multi-dimensional finish, it’s incredibly flattering when worn on its own and looks beautiful layered with your go-to lipstick shade.” Lip oils can also double up as an eye gloss, O’Shea says: “I like to use it liberally on my lips and then pop a little on my eyelids and cheeks to have a uniform colour and texture in my make-up look.” She’s a big fan of one of the OG ranges: “Clarins has been top of the lip-oil game forever. I’ve been using them for years. They come in a variety of the best colours that suit everyone.” While shimmery gold and silver oils are on the rise this summer, the best-selling shades of the TikTok-famous Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil are all punchy pinks. “The most popular and my personal ‘go-to’ colours are Pink, Rosewood and Cherry, which are gorgeous and suit all skin tones,” Coombes says. “Lip oil is not just a trend – it’s a beauty must-have and can suit every make-up preference.” Get the gloss: 9 of the best lip oils to try Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil 001 Pink, £32 MERIT Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil Sangria, £26 VIEVE Lip Dew Original, £17 Lottie London Oil Slick Peachy Cheeks, £5.95 Fenty Skin Cherry Treat Lip Conditioning Oil, £20, Boots Clarins Lip Comfort Oil 04 Pitaya, £22 Ciate Watermelon Burst Hydrating Lip Oil, £14 Hourglass No28 Lip Treatment Oil, £50 Stila Heaven’s Dew Gel Lip Oil Moondust, £22 Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 5 late summer blooms to plant now Why have the birds disappeared from my garden? I’m a 26-year-old who still spends hundreds of pounds to play with dolls
1970-01-01 08:00
Germany Factory Orders Unexpectedly Jump Most in Three Years
German factory orders unexpectedly jumped the most in three years in June, a sign that Europe’s largest economy
1970-01-01 08:00
Buffett’s Favored Japan Trading Firms Post Solid Earnings
Japanese trading houses — a darling of Warren Buffett’s — posted strong earnings last quarter, despite a drop
1970-01-01 08:00
Egypt Surprises With Rate Hike Even as Devaluation Delayed
Egypt unexpectedly resumed its cycle of monetary tightening, seeking to tame inflation that’s running at an all-time high.
1970-01-01 08:00
A feud between a patriarch and a militia leader adds to the woes of Iraqi Christians
Iraqi Christians have struggled since the Nineveh plains, their historic homeland of rolling hills dotted with wheat and barley fields, were wrested back from Islamic State extremists six years ago. Although the threat from IS has receded, some towns are still mostly rubble. There are few inhabited homes or basic services, including water. Many Christians have given up and left for Europe, Australia or the United States. Others are trying to follow. Now the shrinking religious minority that was also violently targeted by al-Qaida before the rise of IS has been rocked by yet another crisis in the form of a political showdown between two influential Christian figures — a Vatican-appointed cardinal and a militia leader, with land and influence at the core of the drama. The dispute adds to the woes of Iraqi Christians, who have often felt sidelined in the political order. A 2021 visit by Pope Francis provided a glimmer of hope that quickly faded. Meanwhile, the Christian population has plummeted. The number of Christians in Iraq today is estimated at 150,000, compared to 1.5 million in 2003. Iraq’s total population is more than 40 million. The political tension rose last month when Cardinal Louis Sako withdrew from his headquarters in Baghdad to northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region after Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid revoked a decree recognizing his position as patriarch of the Chaldeans, Iraq’s largest Christian denomination and one of the Catholic Church’s eastern rites. Sako said he will not return to Baghdad until his recognition is reinstated. His departure added to the feeling of helplessness among many Christians. “Of course, this affects us psychologically,” said Sura Salem, a Christian social activist in Baghdad. “You feel like a family without a father.” Christians staged a small protest in Baghdad over Sako’s departure, but Salem said “listening to the voice of the Christians is the last concern” of Iraqi leaders. Sako blames a campaign against him by Rayan al-Kildani, a fellow Chaldean Christian who formed a militia called the Babylon Brigades that fought against IS and still patrols much of the Nineveh plains. The group is affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, a collection of primarily Shiite, Iran-backed militias. Its associated political party, the Babylon Movement, won four of five Christian-designated seats in Iraq’s 2021 parliamentary elections. Sako believes al-Kildani is angling to take over Christian endowments and properties. Al-Kildani has made similar allegations about Sako. “I have stood up to this militia and others who wanted to take over what rightfully belongs to the Christians,” Sako told The Associated Press, days after arriving in Irbil to a warm welcome from Kurdish officials. “Of course, no one defends Christians other than the church.” In Baghdad's upscale Mansour neighborhood, al-Kildani was busy building political alliances. On a recent afternoon, several couches in the palatial lobby of his party headquarters were occupied by well-dressed women wearing hijabs, beneath a painting of the Last Supper and a portrait of al-Kildani. One by one, the women entered the inner office, each one emerging with a gift bag. One of the visitors explained that they were political candidates interested in running on al-Kildani’s list in Mosul in December’s provincial elections. After the visitors departed, a smiling and courtly al-Kildani made his entrance. He insisted that he had no role in the withdrawal of the patriarch's decree and dismissed allegations that he was seeking to seize church lands. “I am the son of this church, and it is my duty to respect it, but it is unfortunate when a clergyman accuses someone without proof,” he said. Al-Kildani has accused Sako of selling off church properties, allegations the patriarch denies, and he has filed a lawsuit against Sako alleging slander. But al-Kildani said he is ready to meet with Sako to reconcile. Sako rejected the suggestion. Al-Kildani ”has a militia, and his loyalty is not to the church,” the patriarch said. “He is not a respectable person." The Iraqi president has downplayed his revocation of Sako's recognition as bureaucratic housekeeping, claiming it did not diminish the patriarch’s legal or religious status. The Vatican has remained largely silent. Its embassy in Baghdad said in a statement that the Iraqi Constitution guarantees that the heads of churches can administer church properties. A senior Vatican official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment to the media, said the decree was unnecessary given the constitutional guarantees. He said the Holy See did not want to get involved in the dispute but had invited Sako to tamp down tensions with the Iraqi authorities for the sake of Iraqi Christians. The United States sided with Sako. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last month that the U.S. is concerned that Sako’s position "is under attack” by a militia leader who in 2019 was slapped with U.S. sanctions for his alleged involvement in human rights abuses, including cutting off a captive’s ear. Al-Kildani denied the allegations and accused the international community of being ungrateful after his group’s role in the fight against IS. He accused the Kurdish Democratic Party — the ruling party in the Kurdish region and a rival of the Iraqi president's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Party — and the United States of engineering Sako’s withdrawal from Baghdad for political reasons. For some Christians, the drama is overshadowed by more pressing problems. As Baghdad resident Anan al-Dawi left a sparsely attended Mass on Sunday, her main concern was a recent power outage in the scorching summer heat. She struck a diplomatic tone regarding the feud between Sako and al-Kildani. Although physically absent, she said, Sako “lives in all of our hearts.” As for al-Kildani's group, she said: “I serve the country in my way. You serve it in yours, and they are also serving their country." Back in the Nineveh plains, in the town of Batnaya, patrolled by members of Kildani's militia, Lawrence Sabah owns a small factory where he makes mop handles out of wood imported from Russia. Sabah did not share his opinion on Sako or al-Kildani, but he had other complaints. “There are no services, even the water sometimes doesn’t come, and 70 or 80 percent of the houses were destroyed,” he said. He is hoping to join his parents and siblings, who have resettled in California. Some 8 kilometers (5 miles) to the north, in Kurdish-controlled territory, Raad Ekram owns an electrical supply store in the sparsely populated town of Telskof. When his family was displaced from the village to the city of Dohuk, Ekram believes he got short shrift from both the Iraqi government and the church. “We never saw the patriarch,” he said. “Of course, I don’t accept what happened to him ... and I don’t accept for him to be harmed.” But the patriarch "didn’t do everything he should have done for us.” He is encouraging his children to seek their fortunes abroad. “There’s nothing left in Iraq," he said, "especially for the Christians.” ___ Associated Press writers Nicole Winfield in Rome and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Biden's inaction on death penalty may be a top campaign issue as Trump and DeSantis laud executions On 3rd anniversary, Beirut port blast probe blocked by intrigue and even the death toll is disputed Mega Millions players will have another chance on Friday night to win a $1.25 billion jackpot
1970-01-01 08:00
WNBA star Diana Taurasi becomes first in league history to score 10,000 career points
Diana Taurasi, the Phoenix Mercury star who stands atop the WNBA's all-time leading scorer list, reached another milestone in her highly decorated career by becoming the first player to score 10,000 points in league history.
1970-01-01 08:00
