NEWS ALERTS

  Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran..   Hamas said its political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli strike in the Iranian capital of Tehran, a major development that throws the region into an unpredictable and dangerous new phase. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied being behind Haniyeh’s assassination.   In remarks Wednesday, a defiant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting, saying his country is “ready for any scenario” and has delivered “crushing blows” to its enemies. Haniyeh was the second figure of an Iran-backed group assassinated in the past day, following the killing by Israel of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to avenge Haniyeh’s death.  “You killed our dear guest in our house and now have paved the way for your harsh punishment,” he said, referring to Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ...

  Paris 2024 Olympics: Day six live – full schedule and medal events on August..   Simone Biles’  bid for a second  gymnastics  gold of these  Paris 2024 Olympics  headlines the action on Thursday 1 August. The Team USA phenom was instrumental in leading the US women's gymnastics team to gold on Tuesday, and she will go for individual glory in the  all-around final  on Thursday – a title she won at  Rio 2016 .   Expect Biles to face stiff competition from teammate and reigning champion  Sunisa Lee , while Brazil's  Rebeca Andrade  may have the best chance of denying the Americans. There are  18 gold medals  on offer in total on Thursday, with the  athletics  programme kicking off with the  men’s and women’s 20km race walks  in the morning.   In the  swimming , there are four more finals on Thursday night, and the 200m men’s backstroke looks a race too close ...

  Djokovic and Nadal treat Olympic fans to a scintillating, if short, match in Paris.. Tennis fans don’t always flock to a second-round Olympic match. But when the match features Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. In the latest — and perhaps last — installment of one of the sport’s greatest rivalries, spectators came early to pack the house. That’s what happened Monday when Nadal, 38 , and Djokovic, 37 — respectively the No. 2 and No. 1 all-time grand slam winners in men’s singles — showed why their matches have always been must-see events.   In the 60th matchup of their rivalry, the superstars dug into their wizards’ bags of shots to amaze the crowd in Paris at Court Philippe-Chatrier in the Roland-Garros complex. And while the early momentum was solidly in Djokovic’s favor, Nadal made a late run in the second set, winning consecutive games and putting a charge into a gleeful crowd before ultimately falling 6-1, 6-4. The two tennis greats laced winning shots from far outside ...

The Phenomenon of Narcissism: An In-Depth Exploration ..   ## Understanding Narcissism .. Narcissism, a term derived from the Greek mythological figure Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection, embodies an intricate psychological construct characterized by an inflated self-esteem, a profound need for admiration, and a penchant for lacking empathy. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5 ) delineates Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) as a pattern which could manifest in a variety of maladaptive behaviors. "As a theoretical construct, narcissism encompasses a broad spectrum of traits, from overly grandiose self-perceptions to a fragile self-image," states Dr. John Smith, a clinical psychologist.  Characteristics of Narcissistic Individuals ...   Narcissistic individuals often exhibit a range of distinct behaviors and traits. Predominantly, they carry an air of superiority and entitlement. This sense of self-importance typically m...

  Paris ceremony 'Last Supper' parody sparks controversy..   A parody of Leonardo Da Vinci's famous fresco 'The Last Supper' featuring drag queens in the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris has sparked fury among the Catholic church and far-right politicians, while supporters praised its message of tolerance. The unprecedented ceremony on the Seine River, which drew millions of viewers around the world, included a tableau celebrating the French capital's vibrant nightlife and reputation as a place of tolerance, pleasure and subversiveness.   It recreated the famous biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles sharing a last meal before crucifixion, but with a group of drag queens, a transgender model and a naked singer made up as the Greek god of wine Dionysus. The Catholic church in France criticised the segment. "This ceremony has unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we very deeply deplore," the Confer...

  Céline Dion performs from Eiffel Tower in stunning 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony finale..     The performance was Dion's first since 2020 and the first since her diagnosis for stiff-person's syndrome. Céline Dion's performance from the Eiffel Tower during the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony Friday is proof that the heart will go on. Dion, who had not sang publicly since 2020 amid her battle with stiff-person's syndrome, shocked the world with her triumphant return to music. What song did Céline Dion sing during the Paris Olympics? The "Power of Love" singer performed “Hymne à l’amour” by the French singer Édith Piaf from the base of the Eiffel Tower in what was an instantly iconic moment. 329 medal events. 32 sports. Endless drama. Catch all the action at the Paris Olympics . Sign up for our free Olympics Headlines newsletter.     The  Grammy -winning singer recently detailed her  battle with stiff-person syndrome  in the Amazon ...

  Son of 'El Chapo' and Sinaloa Cartel co-founder 'El Mayo' arrested in Texas.. Three law enforcement officials say that investigators believe one of the men may have fooled the other into getting on a plane to the U.S. In the wake of the surprise arrests of two alleged Mexican drug lords in Texas, three law enforcement officials say that investigators believe one of the men may have fooled the other into getting on a plane to the U.S. The son of jailed Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera and a cartel co-founder who helped lead it for three decades were arrested Thursday in El Paso, Attorney General Merrick Garland said. Joaquín Guzmán López and Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García have both been indicted in the U.S., and they face “multiple charges” in connection with the Mexico-based criminal organization, “including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks,” Garland  said in a statement . The three law enfor...

  Deadpool & Wolverine' is a self-cannibalizing slog.. When Fox Studios released the first Deadpool movie back in 2016, it played like an irreverently funny antidote to our collective comic-book-movie fatigue. Wade Wilson, or Deadpool, was a foul-mouthed mercenary who obliterated his enemies and the fourth wall with the same gonzo energy. Again and again, Deadpool turned to the camera and mocked the clichés of the superhero movie with such deadpan wit, you  almost  forgot you were watching a superhero movie. And Ryan Reynolds, Hollywood’s snarkiest leading man, might have been engineered in a lab to play this vulgar vigilante. I liked the movie well enough, though one was plenty; by the time Deadpool 2 rolled around in 2018, all that self-aware humor had started to seem awfully self-satisfied. Now we have a third movie,  Deadpool & Wolverine,  which   came about through some recent movie-industry machinations. When Dis...