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Smoke billows from a site targeted by Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese border village of Tayr Harfa. Photo: Kawnat HAJU / AFP A deadly rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights has added to concerns that Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah could be sucked into a full-scale war - something they have both previously indicated they want to avoid but for which they have also said they are ready. Israel said on Sunday it would strike hard at Hezbollah after accusing the group of killing 12 children and teenagers in a rocket attack on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Hezbollah denied any responsibility for the attack on Majdal Shams, the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Hamas' 7 October assault sparked the war in ...

Janet Andrewartha, who played Lyn Scully in Neighbours, has died at the age of 72. Photo: Freemantle By Charlotte Gallagher of BBC Janet Andrewartha, who played Lyn Scully in Neighbours, has died at the age of 72. The actress joined the long-running Australian soap in 1999 as the Scully family matriarch. She left the show in 2006 but returned multiple times, last appearing in Erinsborough in 2019. The soap's official Instagram account paid tribute to the star, with a post reading: "Everyone at Neighbours is deeply saddened by the passing of Janet Andrewartha. "Beloved by viewers for her role as Ramsay Street's Lyn Scully, Janet will be remembered for her wide body of work, which includes her memorable turn as Reb Keane in Prisoner." Jackie Woodburne who played Susan Kennedy on the soap ...

Druze elders and mourners surround the coffins of 10 of the 12 people killed in a rocket strike from Lebanon. Photo: Jalaa MAREY / AFP By Mallory Moench of BBC Thousands of people gathered on Sunday for the funerals of children and young people killed in a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, as world leaders scrambled to contain the attack's political fallout. Members of the Druze community wept as they carried caskets through the streets of Majdal Shams, while some yelled in anger at government ministers who attended the funeral, Israeli media reported. Israel blamed Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah for the strike, which killed 12. Hezbollah strongly denied carrying it out. On Sunday, global leaders condemned the attack and moved to de-escalate tensions amid fears ...

By Paul Adams, Barbara Plett Usher and Ido Vock, BBC A damaged gate and debris at a football pitch after a reported strike fell in Majdal Shams village in the Israeli-annexed Golan area on 28 July, 2024. Photo: AFP/ Menahem Kahana Israel's air force says it has hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, after 12 children and young adults were killed in a rocket attack while playing football in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel has blamed the Lebanese militant group for Saturday's attack on the Druze town of Majdal Shams, but Hezbollah has strongly denied any involvement. Early on Sunday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had conducted air strikes against seven Hezbollah targets "deep inside Lebanese territory". It is unclear whether there were any casualties. The rising tension...

By Charlotte Gallagher, BBC Culture reporter Actress Nicole Rieko Setsuko is en garde and lost at sea in Something in the Water, one of several recent shark films. Photo: AFP/ StudioCanal From the Steven Spielberg classic Jaws, to predators stalking the Seine in Under Paris, there is no shortage of shark films. Hollywood and audiences love them, seemingly never tiring of the suspense, gore and terror. There are prehistoric giant sharks in The Meg, genetically engineered ones in Deep Blue Sea and sharks high on cocaine in the ingeniously named Cocaine Shark. Even Donald Trump is a fan - he was reportedly due to play the US president in a Sharknado film, before becoming the actual US president. I became hooked on them after watching the James Bond film, Thunderball, where the villain k...

By Philippa Roxby, BBC News Ultra-processed foods. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly They are the bête noire of many nutritionists - mass-produced yet moreish foods like chicken nuggets, packaged snacks, fizzy drinks, ice cream or even sliced brown bread. So-called ultra-processed foods (UPF) account for 56 percent of calories consumed across the UK, and that figure is higher for children and people who live in poorer areas. UPFs are defined by how many industrial processes they have been through and the number of ingredients - often unpronounceable - on their packaging. Most are high in fat, sugar or salt; many you'd call fast food. What unites them is their synthetic look and taste, which has made them a target for some clean-living advocates. There is a growing body of evidence t...