BEIJING (AFP) – Six people died after a car lost control and slammed into bikes and other vehicles on a bridge in central China’s Hunan province early yesterday morning, police said.
Police said the car was rear-ended, sending it into incoming traffic travelling in the opposite direction.
Another seven people were injured, police said.
Footage on Chinese social media yesterday showed a large white van rushing into oncoming traffic and barrelling through vehicles on Lusong Bridge in the city of Zhuzhou.
The footage showed debris scattered across the road as at least four ambulances were at the scene, blocking traffic.
The cause of the accident is being investigated, according to state media Xinhua News Agency.
Deadly traffic accidents occur frequently in China, due to lax safety standards and widespread disorderly driving.
This month in a separate incident, a school bus ploughed into a crowd of people outside a middle school in eastern China, killing 11 parents and students.
State broadcaster CCTV said the driver “lost control” of the vehicle as it approached the school in Shandong province’s Tai’an city.
A file photo of one-horned rhinos grazing at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in India's Assam state. PHOTO: AFP
NEW DELHI (AFP) – India’s one-horned Asian rhino population has almost tripled in the past four decades thanks to conservation and anti-poaching efforts, according to government figures.
Data released on Sunday – World Rhino Day – said the number of the animals, known for their single horn and thick, armour-like skin, had surged from 1,500 four decades ago to more than 4,000 now.
There were just 600 left in India in the 1960s.
“This conservation success story is the result of relentless efforts by the forest department and local communities,” a government statement said.
An adult Indian rhino, the largest of the three Asian species, can weigh up to 2,800 kilogrammes and live for about 50 years.
They are found in grasslands, swamps and riverine forests in India’s east and neighbouring Nepal.
A file photo of one-horned rhinos grazing at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in India’s Assam state. PHOTO: AFP
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam in Marjeyoun. PHOTO: AFP
MARJEYOUN (AP) – Israeli strikes yesterday killed more than 270 Lebanese in the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war as the Israeli military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate their homes ahead of a widening air campaign against Hezbollah.
Thousands of Lebanese fled the south, and the main highway out of the southern port city of Sidon was jammed with cars heading toward Beirut in the biggest exodus since the 2006 fighting.
More than 1,000 other people were wounded in the strikes – a staggering one-day toll for a country still reeling from a deadly attack on communication devices last week.
The government ordered schools and universities to close today across most of the country and began preparing shelters for people displaced from the south.
The Israeli military announced that it hit some 800 targets yesterday, saying it was going after Hezbollah weapons sites. Some strikes hit in residential areas of towns in the south and the eastern Bekaa Valley.
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam in Marjeyoun. PHOTO: AFP
One strike hit a wooded area as far away as Byblos in central Lebanon, about 130 kilometres (km) from the border north of Beirut.
The military said it was expanding the airstrikes to include areas of the valley along Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said in a statement that it fired dozens of rockets at an Israeli military post in Galilee.
It also targeted for a second day the facilities of the Rafael defence firm, headquartered in Haifa.
There was no sign of an immediate exodus from the villages of southern Lebanon, and the warning left open the possibility that some residents could live in or near targeted structures without knowing that they are at risk.
The increasing strikes and counterstrikes have raised fears of an all-out war.
Associated Press journalists in southern Lebanon reported heavy airstrikes targeting many areas yesterday morning, including some far from the border.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the strikes hit a forested area in the central province of Byblos, about 130km north of the Lebanese border, for the first time since the exchanges began in October.
No injuries were reported there.
Israel also bombed targets in the northeastern Baalbek and Hermel regions, where a shepherd was killed and two family members were wounded, according to the news agency. It said a total of 30 people were wounded in strikes.
The Lebanese Health Ministry put the death toll at 274. It asked hospitals in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley to postpone surgeries that could be done later.
The ministry said in a statement that its request aimed to keep hospitals ready to deal with people wounded by “Israel’s expanding aggression on Lebanon”.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. PHOTO: AFP
AFP – Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned on Sunday of the risk of an all-out regional war as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified, saying the escalation “negatively impacted” Gaza truce talks.
The minister spoke ahead of an annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations (UN), with a chorus of international powers calling on Israel and Hezbollah to step back from the brink.
“There is great concern about… the possibility of an escalation in the region leading to an all-out regional war,” he told AFP at UN headquarters, adding that the latest spike in violence “negatively impacted” ceasefire negotiations.
“But Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States (US), has complete determination and commitment to continue” efforts to broker a truce agreement, he said.
Qatar, Egypt and the US have for months tried to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, which diplomats repeatedly said would help calm regional tensions.
“All the components of the deal are ready,” Abdelatty said. “The problem is the lack of political will on the Israeli side,” he added.
Abdelatty also blamed Israel’s “provocative policies” for the intensified fighting with Hezbollah.
“We are talking to our regional and international partners, including the US, about the importance of working to stop the escalation and stop the unilateral and provocative policies that Israel is carrying out,” he said.
A regional conflagration “does not serve the interests of any party,” the top diplomat added.
Abdelatty spoke following meetings in Washington with US officials this week, including White House advisor Amos Hochstein, who is leading efforts to secure a truce between Lebanon and Israel.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. PHOTO: AFP
TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran’s military has built a wall along more than 10 kilometres (km) of its eastern border with Afghanistan, the main entry point for immigrants, local media reported yesterday.
“More than 10 km of walls have been built on the border and another 50 km are ready to be walled off,” ISNA news agency said, citing General Nozar Nemati, deputy commander of army ground forces.
Iran shares a more than 900-kilometre border with Afghanistan and hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world.
This comprises mostly well-integrated Afghans who arrived over the past 40 years after fleeing conflict in their home country.
The flow of Afghan immigrants has increased since the Taleban took over in August 2021 after United States forces withdrew.
Tehran has not given official figures for the number of Afghan immigrants, but Member of Parliament Abolfazl Torabi has estimated their number at “between six and seven million”.
The authorities have recently increased pressure on “illegal” refugees, regularly announcing expulsions through the eastern border.
“By blocking the border, we want to control the country’s entries and exits” and “better increase the security of border areas”, General Nemati said.
In September, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said Iran will employ other methods including barbed wire and water-filled ditches in addition to the wall to block the border.
On September 13, spokesman for the parliamentary National Security Committee Ebrahim Rezaei said police plan to “expel more than two million illegal citizens in the near future”.
According to the official IRNA news agency, Afghanis represent “more than 90 per cent of foreign nationals” in Iran, and “most of them enter the country without identity papers”.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said his government plans to “repatriate illegal nationals to their country in a respectful manner”.
In the year starting in March 2023 Iran hosted more than 2.7 million documented Afghan refugees, according to the Statistics Centre.
That figure represents 97 per cent of legal migrants in the country.
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump dances behind bulletproof glass in Wilmington, North Carolina.
PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Republican Donald Trump has ruled out running again in the United States’ (US) 2028 presidential election if he loses in the upcoming November poll, according to an interview aired on Sunday.
Responding to a question on whether he would run again if he lost, the 78-year-old former president told US news programme Full Measure: “No, I don’t. I think that that will be, that will be it. I don’t see that at all.”
The billionaire did, however, say he hoped to be “successful” at the ballot box on voting day on November 5.
Trump is currently neck-and-neck with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, including in the key battleground states that often decide close US elections.
The Democratic Party has seen a resurgence in support after the withdrawal of President Joe Biden as its candidate in July, following a disastrous debate against Trump.
Trump lost to Biden in 2020 but refused to accept he was defeated, riling supporters by saying the election was “stolen” and fueling conspiracy theories.
On January 6, 2021, fervent Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an attempt, spurred by his allegations, to stop the certification of the election result. The Republican has notably refused several times in recent months to commit to unconditionally recognising the result of the upcoming election.
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump dances behind bulletproof glass in Wilmington, North Carolina. PHOTO: AFP
A man combats the fire on burned vegetation during a forest fire in Bojaca, Colombia. PHOTO: AFP
BOGOTÁ (AFP) – Colombian authorities said on Sunday they were fighting forest fires across seven departments, as a scorching drought fanned blazes across Latin America.
From Ecuador to Brazil, many Latin American nations are gripped by their worst drought in decades, fueling a blistering fire season that has set residents and governments on edge.
Colombia’s National Unit for Risk and Disaster Management said in its latest report published on X that almost 11,000 hectares had been consumed by fires.
Some of the affected departments border Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, which are also battling flames.
Authorities deployed eight airplanes to fight a fire in the village of Nagataima in the Andean Tolima department, where two people were injured as a result of the blaze.
Meanwhile Ecuador was experiencing power outages in 12 provinces on Sunday to ration electricity as the hydroelectric power-dependent country faces its worst drought in 61 years.
Nightly blackouts are planned until Thursday, as a way of “safeguarding the water resources” available after 71 days of no rain, the presidency said in a statement.
The Peruvian government this week declared a 60-day state of emergency in the three departments worst affected by fires, jungle regions bordering Brazil and Ecuador.
The drought has reduced the flow of the Amazon River where Colombia borders Peru and Brazil, choking food supplies and threatening residents’ health.
Another major waterway, the Madeira River in the Brazilian Amazon, has dried up so much that residents are forced to ditch their canoes and walk across its baking sands to buy food and water, get healthcare and send their children to school.
Brazil, South America’s biggest nation, has seen some of the most dramatic impacts of the drought which experts attribute to climate change.
Thick plumes of smoke have clouded major cities such as Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, from fires that have consumed millions of hectares of forest and farmland from the Amazon rainforest to the Pantanal wetlands.
A man combats the fire on burned vegetation during a forest fire in Bojaca, Colombia. PHOTO: AFP
ANN/THE DAILY STAR – The skin is the body’s largest organ, and keeping it healthy and clear requires consistent care. Whether your skin is oily, dry, or prone to breakouts, using a quality moisturiser should be an essential part of your skincare routine.
As the end of the year approaches and the air becomes drier, moisturising regularly becomes even more crucial. It’s not just about enhancing beauty; it’s a vital step in maintaining skin that’s healthy and glowing.
Let’s explore why this simple step should be at the forefront of your skincare routine.
The cold season can also worsen skin conditions like eczema and dry patches. Moisturising products, especially those containing soothing ingredients like aloe vera, shea butter, or oatmeal can help alleviate these concerns. They provide relief by reducing itchiness and redness while promoting healing and regeneration.
Low humidity levels can strip your skin of its natural moisture. As the cold winds bite at your exposed skin, you may notice it becoming tight, rough, and prone to flakiness.
Moisturising helps lock in much-needed hydration, preventing your skin from feeling parched and uncomfortable.
The cold can be harsh on your skin, subjecting it to extreme temperatures, wind, and indoor heating. These factors can compromise your skin’s protective barrier, making it more susceptible to irritation and redness. A good moisturiser acts as a shield, creating a barrier between your skin and the elements, preventing moisture loss and maintaining your skin’s resilience.
Then again, not all moisturisers are created equal, and it’s essential to choose one that suits your skin type. Whether you have oily, dry, or sensitive skin, there should be a moisturiser designed to meet your specific needs. Choose products that are formulated for winter or have added hydrating ingredients to provide your skin with extra care during this season.
That said, you should consider a few tips – drinking plenty of water and maintaining a healthy diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants can also help you to keep the skin hydrated.
More importantly, pay attention to hands and lips. The skin on your hands and lips is thinner and often more exposed, making them more susceptible to dryness. Use a nourishing hand cream and a hydrating lip balm regularly.
Don’t let the cold, dry air take a toll on your skin’s well-being. Welcome the season with a diligent skincare routine that includes a high-quality moisturiser. Your skin will thank you with a radiant, hydrated, and comfortable glow all season long.
A plastic bag sits along a roadside in Sacramento, California. PHOTO: AP
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sunday that expands the most populous United States (US) state’s ban on plastic grocery bags.
The state – which has the fifth largest economy in the world – had banned plastic bags in 2014, but allowed stores to offer consumers thicker bags that were said to be reusable.
However advocates said consumers were not reusing or recycling them, and the ban enacted on Sunday did away with plastic bags entirely, The Los Angeles Times reported.
The new law, which goes into effect in January 2026, focuses only on checkout bags, rather than plastic used to package food, the newspaper said.
The ban “solidifies California as a leader in tackling the global plastic pollution crisis”, Oceana’s Plastics Campaign Director Christy Leavitt said, praising lawmakers for “safeguarding California’s coastline, marine life, and communities from single-use plastic grocery bags”.
A plastic bag sits along a roadside in Sacramento, California. PHOTO: AP
AFP – There’s a growing body of research on the impact of beauty filters on mental health across the world and the findings seem to align: the public dislikes them and fears their harmful effects on self-esteem.
A recent poll conducted in the United States (US) reveals that a significant proportion of the population would like to impose an age limit on their use, or even ban them outright.
Should beauty filters be banned from social media? It’s a question on the minds of many parents, but they aren’t the only ones, as a survey conducted by StyleSeat revealed.
The beauty and wellness booking platform asked 700 Americans to test the “bold glamour” filter, which guarantees a flawless face, and then asked them about their perception of the beauty filters popular on social networks.
And the results were clear: three out of five respondents thought they were bad for their mental health, and 70 per cent feared they would have a negative impact on self-esteem.
Contrary to popular belief, younger people are not more inclined to turn to beauty filters when posting photos or videos on social networks, or at the very least they fear their effects as much or more than other demographics.
Nearly three quarters of Generation Z respondents (72 per cent) think that these filters have a negative impact on mental health.
PHOTO: ENVATO
And with good reason: these applications, which modify users’ appearance, often to meet certain unrealistic beauty standards, could be linked to low self-esteem or even body dysmorphic disorder, which is characterised by an obsession with non-existent or imperceptible physical defects.
The survey reveals that one in three Americans would like to look the same in real life as they do when they look at themselves through a beauty filter.
IMPLEMENT AGE RESTRICTIONS
In this regard, Americans are even more concerned about the impact of beauty filters on the mental health of younger people.
Many social platforms have rules and restrictions in place for younger users, especially teenagers and children under the age of 16 (the age required to register depends on the country of origin).
But this does not apply to beauty filters.
For this reason, one in three Americans now believe that beauty filters should be subject to an age requirement, and one in five believe they should be banned outright.
It’s important to keep in mind that beauty filters totally modify appearance according to very specific stereotypes: a flawless complexion, a slimmed-down nose, a perfectly sculpted chin and cheekbones, luminous eyes.
A perception of beauty far removed from reality, particularly when taking the diversity of the world’s population into account.
So it’s hardly surprising to learn that, after viewing their faces through the “bold glamour” filter, around 20 per cent of those surveyed said they felt less sure of themselves.
And an overwhelming majority (80 per cent) already believe that this type of filter has transformed beauty standards.
The impact of social media on mental health and self-esteem is a concern not only in the US, as shown by a survey conducted by Edelman DXI for Dove, in collaboration with Mental Health Europe, and the e-Enfance association, published last spring.
Carried out among the general population, as well as parents, teenagers and experts in youth mental health, it highlighted the growing concern of healthcare professionals about the use of filters in France.
More than half of them (52 per cent) felt that content encouraging the intensive use of filters could be the cause of feelings of anxiety, as could content showing perfect bodies or bodies far removed from reality (44 per cent).
