Israel’s ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), has announced it is quitting the country’s fractious right-wing coalition due to a long-running dispute over mandatory military service, threatening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hold on power.
Six of the remaining seven members of UTJ, which is comprised of the Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael factions, wrote letters of resignation, Israeli media reported late on Monday.
UTJ chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf had resigned a month ago. A spokesperson for Goldknopf confirmed that, in all, seven UTJ Knesset members are leaving the government.
Degel HaTorah was quoted by news reports as saying the decision was made “in accordance with the directive” of the group’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Dov Lando.
Degel Hatorah said in a statement that after conferring with its head rabbis, “and following repeated violations by the government of its commitments to ensure the status of holy yeshiva students who diligently engage in their studies … [its MKs] have announced their resignation from the coalition and the government”.
The decision would leave Netanyahu with a razor-thin majority of 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament.
It was not clear whether Shas, another ultra-Orthodox party, would follow suit.
Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers have long threatened to leave the coalition over the conscription bill. They argue that a bill to exempt “yeshiva” or seminary students from conscription was a key promise in their agreement to join Netanyahu’s coalition in late 2022.
In June, on the eve of Israel’s war with Iran, the coalition barely survived after governing lawmakers reached a deal with ultra-Orthodox parties regarding exemptions to the mandatory military service.
The ultra-Orthodox have long been exempt from military service, which applies to most other young Israelis. But last year, the Supreme Court ordered the Ministry of Defense to end that practice and start conscripting seminary students.
Netanyahu had been pushing hard to resolve the deadlock over the new military conscription bill, which has led to the present crisis.
He is under pressure from his own Likud party to draft more ultra-Orthodox men and impose penalties on dodgers, a red line for the Shas party, which demands a law guaranteeing its members’ permanent exemption from military service.
England have booked their spot in the Euro 2025 quarter-finals, with two impressive displays rounding off their group-stage campaign and bringing back memories of their Euro 2022 campaign.
After defeat by France in their opening game, the Lionesses have enjoyed big wins against the Netherlands and Wales.
Now that Sarina Wiegman’s side are beginning to look more like their usual selves, the prospect of them successfully defending their title looks a distinct possibility.
England are still scoring – just not as well as in 2022
England may not have been as impactful in front of goal as they were in 2022, but that definitely doesn’t mean they have performed badly in that department.
It took until the second game for the goals to start flowing for the Lionesses, but, once they did, they have had more players get involved.
Six players scored their 14 group stage goals at Euro 2022, while eight have netted their 11 this time around.
Beth Mead was the key player three years ago, claiming five in the group stage – including a hat-trick in the 8-0 thrashing of Norway. This time, though, the most any England player has scored is two.
Lauren James has also made a clear impact for Wiegman’s side this summer and even altered the overall focus of the attack.
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Lucy Bronze has always been an important presence on the right flank, offering attacking support from full-back, but she has had 87 touches in the final third, compared to her 102 at Euro 2022.
Interestingly, England have performed better in front of goal than would be expected given the chances they have created. They produced 13 expected goals (xG) in 2022 and scored one more (14), while their tally of 11 this year is 1.5 more than their xG of 9.5.
Defence has dipped, but it’s improving
England have already shipped more goals than they did in the entirety of Euro 2022.
They have conceded three times in the group stage in Switzerland – twice against France and once against Wales. They only conceded two in 2022 – to Spain in the quarter-final and then Germany in the final.
They didn’t let in any goals in the group stage last time, with only 0.8 expected goals against being registered, while that figure is 3.2 at this tournament.
The game against France is what plays the biggest part in that, with England’s back line improving considerably for their final two games. France managed 2.34 xG as they beat England 2-1 in their opening game.
The 14 shots they faced in that match was only one fewer than the whole of the group stage in 2022.
They have, though, won more duels than they did in 2022 – 56.1% v 47.1%. The Lionesses won just 41.6% against France, so the other two group-stage games have played a significant role in boosting their stats.
How Wiegman is using her players
Substitutes were a key aspect of England’s journey to winning Euro 2022, with Ella Toone and Alessia Russo often proving to be a trusty duo off the bench.
Wiegman has opted to make more changes this year, with 15 substitutions made compared to 13 in the opening round of 2022.
She’s also opted to change her line-up, something she didn’t do last time but which has paid dividends in Switzerland.
Bringing in Toone in place of Beth Mead helped considerably with their improvements in their final two games, allowing James to move out to the wing.
While she couldn’t find a way to rescue anything against France, changes have worked well in the other two games.
Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones both scored after emerging from the bench in the 6-1 win against Wales.
Chloe Kelly, who also came off the bench in each group-stage game in 2022, has been brought on as a substitute in every match at Euro 2025, as has Niamh Charles.
As was the case in 2022, Wiegman’s first substitutions have always addressed the attacking line, with either Kelly or Mead being among the first players introduced.
A slow start isn’t anything new
Losing to France in their opening game caused much consternation about the Lionesses’ ability to defend their title.
However, an underwhelming display in their first fixture is something the Lionesses are used to.
At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, they scraped to a 1-0 win against Haiti, while they only managed to beat Austria 1-0 in their Euro 2022 opener.
The difference this time is that they played a much higher calibre of opposition as France are ranked 10th in the world.
Arguably, had they been playing the same standard of opponent at previous tournaments then the same could have occurred.
This year’s group includes France, ranked 10th in the world, the Netherlands, who are 11th, and Wales, who are 30th.
In 2022, England had 11th-ranked Norway, 21st-ranked Austria and world number 47 Northern Ireland.
England have won their games against home nations in each of the past two Euros.
Strictly Come Dancing star and former athlete Iwan Thomas has revealed he is now 12 months sober as he celebrated the achievement by sharing a photo of himself passed out drunk
Former Strictly Come Dancing star Iwan Thomas has celebrated 12 months of sobriety and marked the milestone by sharing a harrowing photo at the height of his struggle. The Olympian, 51, revealed he is now a “better father and person” since getting sober.
He admitted he would turn to alcohol to feel “accepted” in social settings and detailed how he would “never drink for pleasure”. Iwan, who competed on the BBC dance show in 2015, decided to share a photo of himself after a night of binge drinking.
In the distressing snap, the father-of-three could be seen laying next to a toilet as he passed out on the bathroom floor. Iwan candidly shared: “So I am a year sober and so proud, let me explain because it’s the most awkward thing when people say ‘Don’t you want you want a drink why do you have an issue?’
Iwan shared a photo of him passed out drunk(Image: Instagram)
“So I didn’t think I did but I never drank for pleasure if I’m honest, I drank for acceptance. That might seem a bit weird to some people because I seem confident but I’d have to have four or five drinks in any social situation just to feel relaxed.”
He continued: “But that wasn’t great because I didn’t have a switch and those four or five drinks led to shots, a crazy night and I’d have a two day hangover.
“The following week then I’d have anxiety, depression, self loathing. So I thought ‘Stop does drinking make me a better dad?’ No. ‘Does not drinking make me a better dad?’ You bet is does.”
Iwan confessed his journey hasn’t been straight forward as he missed drinking and the “short term buzz” it offered. However, he insisted he is much happier now without the negative effects on his life.
The TV star captioned his candid post: “Well today is a big milestone for me. Being sober isn’t for everyone and it might not be for me forever.
“But at the moment it’s how I’m choosing to live and if I’m honest I think it makes me a better person. I’m in no way trying to tell people how to live their lives, all I’m saying is I’m proud of myself.”
Iwan was supported by his celebrity pals who congratulated him on the achievement. Loose Women’s Denise Welch said: “Amazing!!” Harry Potter actor Oliver Phelps added: “Well done dude!”
Barbara Windsor’s widow Scott Mitchell commented: “Just brilliant Iwan!!! Feel proud my friend!” The Chase’s Mark Labbett also wrote: “Well done bud.”
Iwan previously revealed Prince Harry played a vital role in his life during a challenging time. The athlete met the Duke of Sussex in 2016 at a Heads Together event, the mental health initiative set up alongside Prince William and Princess Kate.
He labelled the pivotal moment the “weirdest thing” as he stood alongside Harry flipping burgers. He said on Lorraine: “I was at a BBQ with Prince Harry and we were flipping burgers before I knew it I dropped a burger on the floor.
“We laughed and joked, I said: ‘I’m going to say you did that’. He opened up about his issues and his struggles, I just thought if I can’t be honest to a member of the Royal Family, who can I not be honest to?
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“I just said: ‘Listen, I’ve really really struggled’ and for him, it really kind of opened the door for me to realise it’s okay not to be okay and before because I came from a world where it was all about being physically and mentally big and strong, I felt I couldn’t ask for help because I saw it was a weakness.”
If you are struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction, advice and support can be found at alcoholchange.org.uk
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The Kardashians stars, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, were a no-show at their brother, Brody Jenner’s wedding to Tia Blanco in California at the weekend
Kylie and Kendall Jenner were a no-show at their half-brother Brody’s wedding(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Kylie Jenner and her sister, Kendall, were nowhere to be seen when their half-bother, Brody, got hitched on the weekend. Brody, 41, whose shares the same dad as the lip kit mogul and model – Caitlyn Jenner – tied the knot in a intimate ceremony under the Malibu sun at his mother Linda Thompson’s home, surrounded by loved ones.
Kris Jenner’s ex, Caitlyn, 75, was at the wedding, as were Brody’s brothers, Brandon and Burt, however, Kylie, 27, and Kendall, 29, decided to swerve the occasion after reports they didn’t RSVP to Brody’s commitment ceremony in Bali with his then girlfriend, Kaitlynn Carter, in 2018.
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Brody Jenner, seen here with father, Caitlyn Jenner, is Kylie and Kendall’s half-brother
Despite skipping the wedding in California, a source talking to TMZ claims there is no bad blood, but “mutual love” between the Jenners sisters and Brody, suggesting Kylie and Kendall may have swerved the event “to keep the spotlight on the bride and groom”.
As two of the world’s most recognisable faces, with millions of followers on social media, they certainly would have made sure all eyes were on them had they rocked up at the nuptials.
However, Brody has admitted that he is not close to his superstar siblings as he insisted it’s “no-one’s fault”. In January, the Hills alum revealed that the Kardashian-Jenner siblings—including his youngest sisters don’t gather all that often. But not because of any bad blood.
“I love ‘em all,” Brody told Nick Viall on the The Viall Files podcast. “Love ‘em all to death. I just don’t see them.”
Brody, who shares daughter Honey, two, with new wife, Tia, explained that he doesn’t live far from his half-siblings, but pointed out that they “lived in two different households growing up”.
He explained: “We all have a tremendous amount of love for each other, even Kendall and Kylie,” he continued. “It’s not their fault, it’s not my fault, it’s not really anybody’s fault. It’s just, yeah, they don’t live that far, but we lived in two different households growing up.”
And although Brody said he and his sisters aren’t “call-each-other-every-day type of close,” he would still show up for them if they needed him.
“If Kylie or Kendall call me right now, I would walk out of this room and pick up the phone,” he said, “and I’d be there for them.”
Kylie quietly confirmed her absence from Brody’s big day on the weekend by sharing holiday snaps from a yacht in Greece, including a video of her larking about in a robe and towel with her daughter, Stormi, seven.
However, she and Kendall did attend Jeff Bezos’ wedding last month in Venice, where they rubbed shoulders with the toast of the tech world and Hollywood.
Their father, Caitlyn did attend Brody’s wedding despite their strained relationship over the years.
The Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test star shared earlier this year that he received a “real, sincere apology” from Caitlyn after feeling neglected amid the Olympian’s growing fame with the Kardashians.
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“It was the first time in my life that I’ve ever gotten an apology,” Brody said on the competition series in January, adding Caitlyn said: “You know, ‘I’m sorry for not being there.’”
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Cape Town, South Africa – When Patricia Blows heard a senior police official’s explosive allegations against South Africa’s political and law enforcement elite last week, her thoughts went straight to the stalled investigation into her son’s killing nine years ago.
Angelo, an apprentice boilermaker, was about to turn 28 when he was shot in an apparent robbery on a Sunday afternoon in March 2016 while walking home from work in Langlaagte, Johannesburg.
To this day, the investigation has gone nowhere despite Blows providing the police with evidence they said they lacked, including witness statements she collected herself.
The lack of progress in the case began to make sense last week when the police commissioner in coastal KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, claimed he had uncovered a crime syndicate involving politicians, senior police officers, correctional services officials, prosecutors, the judiciary and businesspeople in his province.
According to Mkhwanazi, speaking at a news conference on July 6, the systemic corruption rises all the way to the country’s police minister, Senzo Mchunu, whom he accused of disbanding a task force set up to investigate political killings in KZN to protect his shady associates.
Like millions of South Africans, Blows was outraged by Mkhwanazi’s allegations – but not entirely surprised.
“I immediately thought of our battle for justice. I just couldn’t find an open door. It still hurts like hell,” said Blows, a community activist from Blackheath on the Cape Flats, a part of Cape Town plagued by violent drug-trafficking gangs.
“I had fresh hope in Mchunu. Now this? Then doubt drifted in, and I had an overwhelming fear for [Mkhwanazi’s] safety,” Blows said from her suburb on the outskirts of the Cape Flats, where a police station came under attack about a month ago, presumably in retaliation for the arrest of a local crime boss.
‘Hands off Mkhwanazi’
Mkhwanazi’s revelations triggered an outpouring of support from crime-weary South Africans and politicians alike, who almost universally admire his no-nonsense approach to crime. Last month, after a series of police shootouts with criminals, he was quoted as saying he cared more about impact than strategy.
His popularity reflects a national malaise as well as a regional one that is particular to volatile KZN. The province regularly features among the country’s crime hotspots and is notorious for its history of political violence that dates back to the 1980s when the apartheid regime fomented tensions among the Black supporters of the African National Congress (ANC) and its rival Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in an attempt to undermine the planned transition to democracy.
National quarterly statistics for January to March indicated a decrease in violent crime compared with the same quarter in 2024. Murders decreased by 12.4 percent to 5,727, or an average of 64 per day, according to the Institute for Security Studies.
Still, violent crime is a major problem. According to the World Population Review, South Africa has the fifth highest crime index in the world, following Venezuela, Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan and Haiti.
South Africa also ranks 82nd in the world on the corruption perception index compiled by the NGO Transparency International.
In this context, Mkhwanazi has become a hero to many South Africans who are fed up with the government’s failure to address chronic social ills.
Not even an investigation into his conduct in March could dampen the support for Mkhwanazi. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate dropped the case after a “Hands off Mkhwanazi” campaign, which was revived on social media after his July 6 news conference.
Dressed in special operations fatigues and surrounded by armed guards, Mkhwanazi told journalists: “I am combat ready. I will die for this badge. I will not back down.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa [Reuters]
Ramaphosa’s legacy at risk
Much to the frustration of many South Africans, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s response to the unfolding crisis has been in sharp contrast to Mkhwanazi’s gung-ho attitude.
In a brief and carefully crafted televised address on Sunday, Ramaphosa announced that Mchunu had been placed on special leave and he would establish a judicial commission of inquiry to look into the allegations raised by Mkhwanazi.
Kagiso Pooe, a senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Governance in Johannesburg, was hoping for Mchunu to be suspended or fired and the country’s seemingly compromised security structure to be overhauled, especially after the recent arrest of a senior crime intelligence official and several officers for fraud.
Pooe believes Ramaphosa played it safe to preserve himself and his ANC party, which was forced to form a coalition government with rivals after it failed to secure an outright majority in last year’s general election. It was a historic defeat for Nelson Mandela’s party, which has dominated domestic politics since the democratic era began in 1994.
Before local government elections next year, Pooe believes the last thing Ramaphosa wants is to alienate an ally like Mchunu, who has a strong support base in the highly contested KZN and helped secure Ramaphosa’s presidency in 2017.
“He doesn’t rock the boat. It’s not in his nature,” Pooe said, pointing out that Ramaphosa is determined to accomplish what no president has managed to do since 1994 – complete a second term in office.
“I give the president 33 percent, which is the average score for everything he does,” he said.
Pooe bemoaned the idea of yet another commission of inquiry under Ramaphosa. In May, the president even appointed a commission to investigate the by-product of a previous commission set up in 1996 that failed to deal with apartheid-era crimes. Decades on, more than 100 cases that arose from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have yet to be prosecuted.
The most high-profile commission under Ramaphosa was established shortly after he took office in 2017. The Zondo Commission was meant to investigate corruption that was so deeply entrenched under Ramaphosa’s predecessor Jacob Zuma that it became known as “state capture”.
After millions of dollars and years of highly publicised testimony, the findings of the commission have yet to deliver a major prosecution.
Toyin Adetiba, a professor at the University of Zululand’s Department of Political and International Studies, said Ramaphosa could pay a dear price for failing to act decisively, especially at a time when he is trying to burnish South Africa’s international reputation and fend off the threat of potentially damaging tariffs from the United States.
“Remember, he will soon be out as the president of the country and that of the ANC. The respect that he commands among political leaders across the continent will suffer a setback, and for him to play the role of elder statesperson after leaving office will be a Herculean task as no one will respect his opinion, no matter how important and genuine it might be,” Adetiba said.
In a strange twist of timing, this crisis comes as the country marks the anniversary of the July 2021 unrest when riots broke out in two of the country’s most populous provinces – KZN and Gauteng – after Zuma’s imprisonment for contempt of court following his refusal to testify before the Zondo Commission.
The leader of the minority party Freedom Front Plus, Pieter Groenewald, blamed the unrest on a failure of the intelligence services. Pooe said Mkhwanazi’s allegations supported the view that the country’s intelligence has been compromised.
“South Africa is literally naked intelligence-wise. Think about it from the perspective of foreign entities and criminals,” Pooe said. “If this [the allegations of corruption] is happening, don’t you think criminals also know that you can take advantage of a country like South Africa?”
As the country processes Ramaphosa’s much-awaited speech in response to Mkhwanazi’s allegations and wonders what is to come, Blows is recovering from the shock of another shooting in her neighbourhood, reported on a community WhatsApp group. This time, it sounded like an automatic weapon was used.
Beauty buffs keen on copying Kate Middleton’s minimal makeup can now pick up her go-to lip-perfecting gloss for a fraction of its full price as it plummets below £15
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Kate Middleton’s favourite lip-perfecting gloss is slashed to under £15 in sale(Image: Getty)
Kate Middleton’s beauty secrets are in high demand, and now, fans looking to replicate her understated yet stunning makeup routine have cause to celebrate. Snapped wearing the sought-after Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector at Wimbledon in 2019, the Duchess often opts for this minimal makeup product, which has just landed on sale.
Over at All Beauty, Kate’s beloved Clarins Lip Perfector is currently slashed from its full price of £25 to £12.95, rivalling Black Friday prices. Back in November last year, Debenhams axed this Clarins lip balm to £18.40, beating the likes of Boots and Clarins’ own discounts.
With its high popularity and royal endorsement, makeup enthusiasts eager to score this bargain will need to act fast. Kate’s beloved lip balm is currently up for grabs on Amazon or Sephora for £20, or at Boots for £25.
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Kate using the Clarins Instant Lip Perfector at a previous Wimbledon(Image: Getty)
Touted as more than just a moisturiser, this Clarins lip perfector delivers a subtle tint for Kate’s effortlessly chic glow. At under £15, it’s a top pick for on-the-go, quick touch-ups, whether on its own or over a lipstick base.
It is worth noting that Kate’s go-to shade is the Rose Shimmer, which is available at Amazon, Boots, Sephora, and All Beauty, but it isn’t the colour that has this delectable discount. It’s the Apricot Shimmer that’s available for the majorly reduced price of £12.95.
Kate’s endorsement surely catapulted this balm to fame, but the product isn’t lacking in glowing reviews either.
This Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector is now £12.95 at All Beauty(Image: All Beauty)
Though it currently doesn’t have any reviews at All Beauty, it does have nearly 800 5-star ratings at Boots. One thrilled buyer beams: “Love this tinted balm – super natural glow and so moisturising. Very subtle hint of colour when you don’t want a strong lip shade. Leaves my lips super soft!”
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Another satisfied customer raves: “Holy Grail for Effortless, Glossy Lips! I’ve tried countless lip products, but the Clarins Lip Perfector stands out as a true staple in my makeup bag. The formula is ultra-smooth, hydrating, and gives my lips the perfect soft, plump look without any stickiness. It has just the right amount of color to enhance your natural lips, making it ideal for everyday wear or layering over lipstick. The applicator feels luxurious and makes it easy to apply on the go. Bonus: it smells like vanilla—subtle but so comforting. If you’re looking for that “your lips but better” finish with a silky, non-greasy texture, this is it. Total game-changer!”
