falls

Olivia Moultrie scored both goals in the Portland Thorns’ 2-0 victory over Angel City in Los Angeles.

With the win, the Thorns (10-8-7) clinched a league-record ninth consecutive playoff appearance.

Angel City (7-12-6) was already eliminated from playoff contention prior to kickoff at BMO Stadium. ACFC’s last postseason appearance came in 2023.

Moultrie got the Thorns off to the perfect start in the 23rd minute. The 20-year-old switched the ball between her feet to buy a yard of space and then unleashed a shot into the top corner from 21 yards out to make it 1-0.

After Sara Doorsoun fouled Reilyn Turner in the box, Moultrie stepped up from the penalty spot and coolly converted to make it 2-0 in the 60th. It was her eighth goal of the season.

Christen Press came off the bench for Angel City in the 60th, with Ali Riley entering in the 82nd. Both veteran players received a standing ovation from the home fans on their final appearance at home in Los Angeles. The veteran duo are set to retire at the end of season.

Will Hannington plunged 40ft from the balcony at his hotel in Dubrovnik, Croatia, during a holiday with friends – and he “smashed” his femur, fractured his rib and vertebrae

A desperate mother has had to take out a £15,000 loan to get her son home after he plummeted 40ft from a hotel balcony – despite having travel insurance.

Sarah Hannington’s son Will, 23, slipped on the “damp” surface as he attempted to pass something to his mate’s balcony next door during a break with friends in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Will, a furniture delivery worker, plummeted from the fourth floor of the hotel, “smashing” his femur, fractured his rib and vertebrae and damaged his kidneys and spinal cord.

Family say Will’s life was saved by “the fortune of falling on a small bush” but he needed a five-hour operation at a Croatian hospital to have a metal road inserted into his femur. Will, from Basildon, Essex, then woke up in intensive care.

After recovering, Sarah helped arrange Will to return home in a private ambulance – travelling around 1,400 miles across eight countries for 30 hours – and he is now at a London hospital. However, Sarah, 52, had to take out the loan to hire the transport because Will’s insurance company – which the family doesn’t want to name – denied his injury claim and classed it as “self-risk behaviour”.

READ MORE: Mum’s Asda insurance didn’t cover £1,500 bill after son split his head on holidayREAD MORE: Teen fighting for life as split-second decision after ‘few pints’ proves costly

Fortunately, Sarah was able to use her son’s European Health Insurance Card [EHIC] to cover Croatian surgery costs and his stay in intensive care, which cost another 15,000 euros (£13,000).

But the NHS worker remains furious with the insurance provider, insisting the hotel itself ruled out any inappropriate behaviour and supported Will’s case. Sarah, also from Basildon, continued: “It made me angry [that the claim was denied] because I had lost a week to get him home.

“He had his EHIC and insurance and did everything you were meant to do as a sensible person. An accident is an accident and you’d think it would be covered but it wasn’t. It made me wonder what the point of having holiday insurance was.

“When I got in touch with the insurance company, I just thought we’d be able to get Will home but after a week they declined the claim on the basis that they saw it as self-risk behaviour. It had been ruled out by the hotel that he wasn’t being silly and it was an accident and they had sent off their risk report to the insurance company.”

A GoFundMe has been created to help Sarah repay the loan. The mum of two said she had no choice but to take the loan as, since flying was unsafe, there was no alternative for Will to travel home from Croatia last month.

But Sarah, who works for the NHS, is relieved Will survived the horror – describing the situation as “a miracle.” He is set to undergo further surgery and extensive physiotherapy in the UK. He has now movement in his right leg or left foot.

Recalling the ordeal, Sarah said: “Will video called me in the early hours of the morning to tell me what had happened. I didn’t realise the height he had fallen from [at first]. He was in shock, distress and pain and he was putting a brave face on for me.

“It wasn’t just a broken leg. It was an intense fall. I prayed to God that I still had a son. It’s a miracle he’s alive. I’m glad he had his EHIC as this allowed him to be treated as a national in the country. The intensive care and surgery cost ran into 15,000 euros on its own so if we didn’t have the EHIC we would be facing this too.

“We came back to the UK via ambulance across eight countries and it took 30 hours. I went with him and it felt like a never-ending journey and he was in a considerable amount of pain. When we crossed over from the Channel Tunnel I cried as I was so happy to have him back in the UK.”

A family friend set up the GoFundMe page, unbeknown to Sarah. The mum continued: “We are just looking forward now and hoping he’ll be able to walk again and make a full recovery and go back to work. If you’re going to go to a European destination you need to have an EHIC and check the small print in your insurance.”

To donate to the appeal, visit this link.

Oct. 16 (UPI) — U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fell down in a Capitol hallway Thursday on his way to the Senate to vote.

McConnell, 82, announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election when his term ends in 2026.

Two volunteers from an environmental advocacy group were questioning McConnell as he walked and he fell to the floor. He didn’t answer the question. He was quickly helped up by his aides and a security guard. He smiled and waved at the video and continued his walk.

The Senate was staging votes on Thursday related to the government shutdown, which is in its 16th day. McConnell voted after the fall, and he is expected to vote later in the day.

Retired Marine pilot Amy McGrath announced last week that she is running for McConnell’s seat in 2026.

McGrath, a moderate Democrat and former candidate for the House and the Senate from Kentucky, launched her campaign earlier this month.

Already running for the Democrats are former Secret Service Agent Logan Forsythe, former CIA officer and military veteran Joel Willett, and retired Air Force colonel and state Rep. Pam Stevensen.

For the Republicans, three people already are running: Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, businessperson Nate Morris and Rep. Andy Barr, who beat McGrath in 2018 for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives

A TENNIS star fell off stage in agony after losing to his COUSIN in a historic final.

Arthur Rinderknech faced his relative Valentin Vacherot, the world No204, in a shock Shanghai Masters final line-up.

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Vacherot was an alternate for qualifying, getting in when others withdrew, then came through the entire field, beating Novak Djokovic in the semi-final.

And the emotional showdown was set when Frenchman Rinderknech won the second semi, leading to a lovely embrace on the court between the relatives.

Vacherot, 26, had only won one ATP Tour-level match before his extraordinary week, sealing the title with a comeback 4-6 6-3 6-3 victory in the final in front of Roger Federer.

That made him the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in tennis history, 52 places lower than the previous record, and the first man from Monaco to win an ATP crown in the Open Era.

The cousins hugged at the net and Vacherot wrote on the TV camera lens: “Grandpa and Grandma would be proud.”

They both then paid tearful tributes to one another during the presentation speeches.

But as Vacherot – whose ranking will soar a whopping 164 places to 40th – spoke on the microphone, crouching Rinderknech, 30, took a tumble off the back of the stage.

He had been struggling physically during the match and there was a dramatic thud.

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Commentators thought he may have cramped up – but laughing Vacherot saw the funny side of his cousin’s discomfort.

He joked: “I think we need some help please!”

Tennis stars following in parents’ footsteps

TALK about pressure…

These rising stars are all making their way in tennis.

But they have got something in common – they’ve got a famous parent who also made their name in the sport.

So who are the players hoping to follow in the footsteps of their tennis mums and dads?

And a physio quickly arrived on the scene with a seat and started massaging Rinderknech’s leg.

A stunned Vacherot – cheered on by his girlfriend Emily Snyder in the crowd – said: “I mean, just all like crying, it’s just unreal.

“What just happened? I have no idea what’s happening right now.

“I’m not in a dream, it’s just crazy.

“I’m just so happy with my performance these last two weeks i just want to thank everyone that has put a brick in my career since the beginning.

“Sharing this final was really tough, there has to be one, but I think there’s just two winners today, one family that won and I think for the sport of tennis, this story is just unreal.

“I wish there could be two winners but unfortunately there’s only one and, for myself, I’m happy it could be me.”

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WASHINGTON — President Trump was passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday despite jockeying from his fellow Republicans, various world leaders and — most vocally — himself.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it was honoring Machado “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

Machado, however, said she wanted to dedicate the win to Trump, along with the people of her country, as she praised the president for support of her cause.

The White House responded bitterly to the news of the award Friday, with communications director Steven Cheung saying members of “the Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace” because they didn’t recognize Trump, especially after the Gaza ceasefire deal his administration helped strike this week.

“He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will,” Cheung wrote on social media.

The White House did not comment on Machado’s recognition, but Trump on social media shared Machado’s post praising him.

Her opposition to President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela aligns with the Trump administration’s own stance on Venezuela, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously praised her as “the personification of resilience, tenacity, and patriotism.”

Trump, who has long coveted the prestigious prize, has been outspoken about his desire for the honor during both of his presidential terms, particularly lately as he takes credit for ending conflicts around the world. The Republican president had expressed doubts that the Nobel committee would ever grant him the award.

“They’ll have to do what they do. Whatever they do is fine. I know this: I didn’t do it for that. I did it because I saved a lot of lives,” Trump said Thursday.

Although Trump received nominations for the prize, many of them occurred after the Feb. 1 deadline for the 2025 award, which fell just a week and a half into his second term. His name was, however, put forward in December by Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York, her office said in a statement, for his brokering of the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states in 2020.

A long history of lobbying for the prize

Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the committee has seen various campaigns in its long history of awarding the peace prize.

“We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year of people wanting to say what for them leads to peace,” he said. “This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates, and that room is filled with both courage and integrity. So we base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”

The peace prize, first awarded in 1901, was created partly to encourage ongoing peace efforts. Alfred Nobel stipulated in his will that the prize should go to someone “who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

Three sitting U.S. presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize: Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, Woodrow Wilson in 1919 and Barack Obama in 2009. Jimmy Carter won the prize in 2002, a full two decades after leaving office. Former Vice President Al Gore received the prize in 2007.

Obama, a Democrat who was a focus of Trump’s attacks well before the Republican was elected, won the prize early in his tenure as president.

“They gave it to Obama for doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country,” Trump said Thursday.

Wars in Gaza and elsewhere

As one of his reasons for deserving the award, Trump often says he has ended seven wars, though some of the conflicts the president claims to have resolved were merely tensions and his role in easing them is disputed.

But while there is hope for the end to Israel and Hamas’ war, with Israel saying a ceasefire agreement with Hamas came into effect Friday, much remains uncertain about the aspects of the broader plan, including whether and how Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza. And little progress seems to have been made in the Russia-Ukraine war, a conflict Trump claimed during the 2024 campaign that he could end in one day.

As Trump pushes for peaceful resolutions to conflicts abroad, the country he governs remains deeply divided and politically fraught. Trump has kicked off what he hopes to be the largest deportation program in American history to remove immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. He is using the levers of government, including the Justice Department, to go after his perceived political enemies. He has sent the military into U.S. cities over local opposition to stop crime and crack down on immigration enforcement.

He withdrew the United States from the landmark Paris climate agreement, dealing a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming. He touched off global trade wars with his on-again, off-again tariffs, which he wields as a threat to bend other countries and companies to his will. He asserted presidential war powers by declaring cartels to be unlawful combatants and launching lethal strikes on boats in the Caribbean that he alleged were carrying drugs.

The full list of people nominated is secret, but anyone who submits a nomination is free to talk about it. Trump’s detractors say supporters, foreign leaders and others are submitting Trump’s name for nomination for the prize — and announcing it publicly — not because he deserves it but because they see it as a way to manipulate him and stay in his good graces.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who this summer said he was nominating Trump for the prize, on Friday reposted Cheung’s response with the comment: “The Nobel Committee talks about peace. President @realDonaldTrump makes it happen.”

“The facts speak for themselves,” Netanyahu’s office said on X. “President #Trump deserves it.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sent troops to Ukraine in 2022 and has sought to show alignment with Trump, told reporters in Taijikistan on Friday that it’s not up to him to judge whether Trump should have received the prize, but he praised the ceasefire deal for Gaza.

He also criticized the Nobel Committee’s prior decisions, saying it has in the past awarded the prize to those who have done little to advance global peace.

Putin’s remarks nearly echoed the comments Trump made about Obama, and the U.S. leader responded to his Russian counterpart’s praise by posting on social media: “Thank you to President Putin!”

Others who formally submitted a nomination for Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize — but after this year’s deadline — include Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Pakistan’s government, all citing his work in helping end conflicts in their regions.

Pesoli and Price write for the Associated Press. AP writers Chris Megerian in Washington, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

China’s new target for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions has been branded “disappointing” and “underwhelming” by climate experts, who warn the pledge falls far short of the action needed to avert climate catastrophe.

But the goal also raised hopes that China, which until now has only promised to stop emissions from rising, may be underpromising the level of cuts it can deliver amid a massive expansion in the country’s renewable energy capacity.

In a video address to the United Nations on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China would lower its emissions by 7-10 percent from their peak by 2035.

It was the first time that China, the world’s biggest polluter, outlined a goal for cutting emissions outright.

Xi, who called the shift away from carbon “the trend of our time”, also pledged to raise the share of non-fossil fuel sources in energy consumption to more than 30 percent, and increase wind and solar capacity sixfold compared with 2020.

While a significant moment in the global fight against climate change at a time when the United States is abandoning efforts to cut emissions, China’s target fails by some distance to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement, said some analysts.

“It’s unfortunately very disappointing: This target will not drive down emissions – it is below what China is likely to achieve already under its current climate policies,” Bill Hare, CEO of Berlin-based policy institute Climate Analytics, told Al Jazeera.

“China can do a lot better than this, and it hardly reflects its highest possible ambition.”

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has estimated that China would need to cut emissions by about 30 percent to be consistent with the Paris accord.

The agreement, adopted by 195 countries in 2015, calls for the rise in the average global temperature to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

China’s actions on climate are viewed as especially critical following the US’s exit from the Paris accord under President Donald Trump, who used his UN speech this week to call the scientific consensus on climate change the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”.

“China’s underwhelming headline target misses a chance to deliver real leadership,” Li Shuo, director of China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told Al Jazeera.

“Beijing is choosing to tiptoe forward when science calls for a full sprint. The pledge would, unfortunately, still put the world on a pathway to catastrophic climate impacts.”

Xi’s announcement left key questions about the emissions target unanswered, including how Beijing would define peak emissions.

Many climate experts believe that China’s emissions have already peaked or will do so this year, though some observers caution that the trend has been driven as much by the decline in business activity during the COVID-19 pandemic as the rollout of renewable energy.

China has had a paradoxical influence on global efforts to address climate change.

While responsible for roughly one-third of global emissions, the country is also a leader in green energy.

China produces about 80 percent of the world’s solar panels and 70 percent of its electric cars, according to the International Energy Agency.

The country also manufactures about 60 percent of wind turbines worldwide, according to London-based energy think tank Ember.

At the same time, China has continued to invest heavily in coal.

Last year, construction began on nearly 100 gigawatts (GW) of new or suspended coal power projects, the most in a decade, according to the CREA.

“China’s new pledge clearly falls short of expectations. Despite President Xi’s earlier promise to strictly control new coal power, the country has just approved more projects than at any point in nearly a decade,” Andreas Sieber, the associate director of policy and campaigns at 350.org, told Al Jazeera.

“The targets announced today, which are vague on the base year and conservative on renewables, leave ample room for continued emissions growth from coal-heavy sectors.”

Still, climate experts expressed hope that China’s target could be a signal of more transformative change to come.

While China’s announcement fell short of expectations, Beijing has a tendency to set targets that it can “confidently deliver”, said Yao Zhe, a Beijing-based policy adviser to Greenpeace East Asia.

“What’s hopeful is that the actual decarbonisation of China’s economy is likely to exceed its target on paper,” Yao said in a statement responding to the target, adding that her organisation’s latest analysis showed that emissions from China’s power sector could peak this year.

In a world “increasingly driven by self-interest”, China is in a stronger position than most to spur climate action, the Asia Society’s Li said.

“The country has emerged as a global clean tech superpower, and its dominant role in this sector could enable it to surpass current targets,” he said.

“Over time, this could push China toward a more proactive role on the international stage.”

A MAN has died following an incident at a scrapyard.

Several emergency vehicles attended the scene in the Broadheath area of Altrincham, Manchester, yesterday afternoon.

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Police, paramedics and fire crews all responded to the local firm of J Davidson Scrap.

Craven Road was closed off.

Rent the Runway(RENT 29.56%) reported Q2 2025 results on July 11, 2025, with revenue rose 2.5% year-over-year to $80.9 million and ending active subscribers up 13.4% year-over-year. A transformative recapitalization will reduce debt from over $340 million to approximately $120 million, as announced on Aug. 21, 2025, strong acceleration in inventory investment, and substantial gains in customer engagement metrics. Below, key insights unpack the earnings call’s implications for long-term investors.

Rent the Runway slashes debt in recapitalization

The balance sheet overhaul, announced Aug. 21, 2025, involves Aranda Principal Strategies, Story 3 Capital Partners, and Nexus Capital Management as stakeholders, combining debt conversion to equity, new capital injection, and extension of maturity to 2029. This move follows years of capital structure constraints that limited strategic flexibility post-COVID.

“Our long-time existing lender, Aranda Principal Strategies, or APS, is partnering with two highly respected private equity firms with deep experience in the consumer retail space: Story 3 Capital Partners and Nexus Capital Management on a plan that will reduce our total debt from over $340 million to approximately $120 million. APS will convert a substantial portion of its original debt into common equity ownership, and APS, Story 3, and Nexus will contribute new capital to further support the business and its growth initiatives. The maturity on the debt will also be extended to 2029, giving us years of additional runway.”
— Jennifer Y. Hyman, CEO

The recapitalization plan marks a significant step forward and positions the company for greater financial flexibility and a stronger balance sheet.

Active subscriber growth accelerates as inventory doubles

Ending active subscribers jumped to 146,373, up from negative growth (-4.9% year-over-year in Q4 2024), and coincided with a near doubling of inventory units and a 235%-323% year-over-year increase in monthly posted styles for May, June, and July. Related engagement metrics, including share of views (up 84% year-over-year) and Net Promoter Score (up 77% versus the prior year), reached three-year highs amid ongoing investments in assortment breadth and exclusives.

“Subscriber growth continued. We ended Q2 with 146,400 active subscribers, a 13.4% year-over-year increase, accelerating from negative 4.9% in Q4 2024 and 0.9% in Q1 2025. Q2 2025 year-over-year acquisition growth accelerated, as compared to Q1 2025 and Q4 2024. Retention continued to be higher than the prior year. These results show that we’re adding more subscribers in a significant way and subscribers are more likely to stay with the service for longer periods of time.”
— Jennifer Y. Hyman, CEO

Subscriber and engagement momentum highlight the leverage and resonance of the revamped inventory strategy, though Increased fulfillment and revenue share costs pressured margins.

Gross margin and free cash flow deteriorate as inventory investment surges

Gross margin fell to 30%, down from 41.1% a year earlier as revenue share and fulfillment costs rose, while free cash flow was negative $20.5 million, compared to negative $4.5 million a year ago, reflecting heavier upfront investment in rental products. Adjusted EBITDA margin dropped to 4.4%, down from 17.4% a year earlier.

” Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 ’25 was $3.6 million or 4.4% of revenue versus $13.7 million or 17.4% of revenue in Q2 2024. The decrease in adjusted EBITDA versus the prior year is primarily a result of higher revenue share expenses. Free cash flow for Q2 ’25 was negative $20.5 million versus negative $4.5 million in Q2 2024. Free cash flow decreased versus the prior year primarily due to lower adjusted EBITDA and higher purchases of rental products on account of our inventory strategy for fiscal year 2025.”
— Siddharth B. Thacker, CFO

Heavier investment in inventory and platform upgrades signals management’s commitment to long-term scale but underscores the importance of successfully converting subscriber growth to operating leverage and cash flow improvement.

Looking Ahead

Management expects revenue of $82 million to $84 million for the next quarter and continues to project double-digit growth in ending active subscribers for the full year. Full-year free cash flow guidance is revised lower to below negative $40 million due to recapitalization costs. No additional quantitative outlook or strategic milestones beyond 2025 were provided in the call.

While Zscaler (ZS 2.14%) stock has had a strong run this year, the momentum shifted after the cybersecurity company reported its fiscal 2025 fourth-quarter results following the close of trading Tuesday. Though the period’s numbers were good, and management issued upbeat guidance, the stock sank 4% in Wednesday trading. However, even after the pullback, the stock is still up by about 50% year to date.

Let’s take a closer look at the company’s results and guidance to see if Wednesday’s dip has created a buying opportunity.

An upbeat outlook

While endpoint cybersecurity companies like CrowdStrike (CRWD 1.18%) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW 0.99%) tend to get more attention from investors, Zscaler has carved out an important niche in a fast-growing part of the cybersecurity sector. It’s focused on zero trust security, which is built around the idea that no individual user or device should automatically be trusted, even if it was previously found to be trustworthy. That means that all users’ access to various platforms must be verified, authorized, and then regularly revalidated.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI agents, meanwhile, has only added to the complexity of the cyberthreat landscape. This is leading to growth in newer areas for Zscaler, including AI Security, Zero Trust Everywhere, and Data Security Everywhere, which combined to exceed $1 billion in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in its fiscal Q4, which ended July 31. The company is also working on solutions to secure agent-to-agent and agent-to-application communications.

All of this helped Zscaler achieve robust revenue growth. In the quarter, its revenue climbed 21% year over year to $719.2 million, easily surpassing management’s prior guidance for revenue of between $705 million and $707 million. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) climbed to $0.89 from $0.72 a year earlier. That was also well ahead of the company’s $0.79 to $0.80 forecast.

Zscaler generated operating cash flow of $250.6 million and free cash flow of $171.9 million. It ended the period with $3.6 billion in cash and short-term investments on its balance sheet and $1.7 billion in debt in the form of convertible notes. It also completed the acquisition of managed detection and response specialist Red Canary for an undisclosed sum right after the quarter ended, so that cash position is likely to come down.

Image source: Getty Images

Zscalar’s calculated billings — the amount invoiced to customers, and a potential indicator of future revenue growth — surged by 32% year over year to $1.2 billion. Deferred revenue — money the company has received for services that it has not yet delivered — jumped by 30% to $2.47 billion. Both these metrics are indications that revenue growth could begin to accelerate in the new fiscal year.

Management forecast that fiscal 2026 revenue would be between $3.265 billion and $3.284 billion, which would amount to approximately 22% to 23% growth. Red Canary is projected to add about $90 million in revenue. ARR is projected to be between $3.676 billion and $3.698 billion, also equal to growth of 22% to 23%. The guidance range for adjusted EPS was $3.64 to $3.68.

For its fiscal 2026’s first quarter, Zscaler guided for revenue of between $772 million and $774 million with adjusted EPS of between $0.85 and $0.86.

Data source: Zscaler.

Is it time to buy the dip?

Zscaler turned in a solid quarter, but what is even more promising is that metrics such as calculated billings and deferred revenue suggest that revenue growth should nicely accelerate in fiscal 2026. Moreover, while the company issued an upbeat outlook, historically, it tends to guide very conservatively, so revenue growth in the mid-to-high 20% range is possible.

The company is seeing nice momentum in new growth vectors, and the advent of AI agents could only add to this. Meanwhile, Zscaler has also taken a page out of CrowdStrike’s book by introducing its own flexible payment program, Z-Flex. Such programs let customers pay for and deploy modules only when needed. Zscalar introduced Z-Flex two quarters ago and saw a 50% increase in flex billings in fiscal Q4. This could be another growth driver for Zscaler.

Zscaler trades today at a forward price-to-sales multiple of about 13 based on analysts’ consensus estimates for the current fiscal year. Given that I think its revenue growth is likely to be around 25%, I think that is a fair multiple, but the stock isn’t in the bargain bin. Overall, given its valuation and prospects, I view Zscaler as a solid stock to hold although I’d prefer to be a new buyer after a further dip in price.

NEW YORK — Even at age 45, even after two years away from Grand Slam tennis, Venus Williams displayed some big serves and powerful groundstrokes at the U.S. Open on Monday night in front of a supportive crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, before losing 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to Karolina Muchova.

Williams was the oldest singles player at the hard-court tournament since Renee Richards was 47 in 1981.

“She’s such a legend of our sport,” 2023 French Open runner-up Muchova said about seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams, adding that it was an honor “to share a court with her.”

In just the fourth match of a comeback that began last month after more than a year off the tour, Williams didn’t exactly get to ease into things Monday: Muchova, a 29-year-old from the Czech Republic, was seeded 11th in New York and made it to the semifinals there in both 2023 — when she lost to eventual champion Coco Gauff in a match interrupted by a climate protest — and 2024.

Karolina Muchova, left, shakes hands with Venus Williams after their first-round match at the U.S. Open on Monday.

(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)

So perhaps it wasn’t surprising that Williams started slowly, ceding 11 of the initial 13 points and falling behind 2-0. With members of the crowd shouting, “Let’s go, Venus!” and roaring after her winners — and her fiance, Andrea Preti, leaping out of his seat — Williams took three games in a row to go ahead 3-2

Muchova grabbed the next four games to claim that set, which ended with Williams hitting four of her evening’s 10 double-faults to get broken.

But Williams, who smacked serves at up to 114 mph and finished with just one fewer winner than Muchova, broke to begin the second set on her way to tying the match.

In the third set, though, as the contest reached two hours, Muchova was simply too good.

When the match ended, Williams left the court with a wave as fans rose to salute someone whose first U.S. Open title arrived a full quarter of a century ago.

More recently, Williams was off the tennis tour for 16 months until entering a tournament in Washington last month, where she won one match each in singles and doubles. She hadn’t competed anywhere since the Miami Open in March 2024, and had surgery for uterine fibroids later last year.

The U.S. Tennis Association awarded wild cards to Williams for both the mixed doubles event last week and singles.

She hasn’t won a match at the U.S. Open in singles since 2019, when she got to the second round. Since then, Williams exited in the first round in 2020, 2022 and 2023, and missed the tournament in 2021 and 2024.

Venus Williams returns a shot to Karolina Muchova during the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday.

(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)

She won singles championships at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001, and another five at Wimbledon.

Since making her professional debut in 1994, Williams also collected 14 Grand Slam trophies in women’s doubles alongside her younger sister, Serena, plus two in mixed doubles, earned a record five Olympic tennis medals and reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings.

Through the years, both siblings transcended their sport and became much more than successful athletes. Serena, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, played her last match at the 2022 U.S. Open.

“She’s Venus Williams. She’s so iconic in so many different ways,” said Frances Tiafoe, an American player who won his first-round match in Ashe earlier Monday. “She’s won so much. And to see how much she loves game still at her age is amazing. It’s amazing to still see her out here.”

It was at the U.S. Open more than a decade ago that Williams revealed she had been diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, an energy-sapping auto-immune disease that can cause joint pain.

Some thought she might leave her sport because of that, but she remained a leading figure — on and off the court. To her fans — for years, and certainly on Monday night — it never mattered that she now has exited in the first or second round in each of her past 13 appearances at major tournaments.

When she was asked at the Washington tournament in July why she was still competing, she offered a simple reply: “Why not?”

“I want to be my best, and that’s the expectation I have for myself: to get the best out of me. And that’s all any player can ask for,” Williams said Saturday, the day before the start of singles play at the U.S. Open. “I haven’t played as much as the other players, so it’s a different challenge when you’re dealing with that. So I’m just trying to have fun, stay relaxed and be my personal best.”

Fendrich writes for the Associated Press.

“Splitsville” lands at a moment when every comedy released to theaters feels like a battle cry, an attempt to defend audiences’ rights to have a good time at the movies.

Directed by Michael Angelo Covino, who also produces, co-writes and co-stars alongside Kyle Marvin, the film continues the duo’s comic exploration of bad choices, in which men predictably make poor decisions and are depicted as vain, infantile and often motivated by their worst impulses. (It’s funny because it’s true.)

As the movie begins, Carey (Marvin) is married to Ashley (Adria Arjona), who tells him she has been seeing other people and wants a divorce. He seeks solace from his best friend Paul (Covino) and his wife, Julie (Dakota Johnson), who tell Carey they are in an open relationship. Soon Carey sleeps with Julie and all sorts of jealousies and complicated feelings arise among the four of them.

“Splitsville” — the title appears briefly onscreen as the neon sign of a dessert stand — is outwardly a satire of bourgeois aspirations, modern marriage and how no one really understands the dynamics of what goes on with other couples. But the film is actually more concerned with the absurdities of male friendship, to the extent that Covino and Marvin are perennially enamored of themselves and can’t help from centering their own antics.

Their previous movie, “The Climb,” was also about two friends locked into an up-and-down relationship alternating between of moments of betrayal and gestures of support. While they are not playing the same specific characters from “The Climb,” they are very much playing the same type. Covino is seemingly more smooth and together, though riddled with insecurities, while Marvin initially appears hapless and vulnerable, with an emotional intelligence that reveals him to be savvier than he first appears. So they basically meet in the middle.

The entire movie has a disappointing air of smug self-regard about it, with an expectation the audience will adore everything about the characters as much as they do. What at moments feels like a nascent interrogation of contemporary masculinity ultimately suffers from the very impulses it seems to want to parody. (We hear numerous times that one of them is generously endowed.)

Both Arjona and Johnson are asked to play variations on personas they have depicted elsewhere. Arjona has the same earthy warmth she did in “Hit Man,” while Johnson exhibits a placid air of controlled chaos similar to what she showed earlier this year in “Materialists.” They undoubtedly elevate the movie, though too often their characters feel like game pieces manipulated on a board controlled by the film’s male leads.

Johnson and Arjona are movie stars, beguiling and captivating. Covino and Marvin seem like a couple of guys who somehow wandered onscreen. The tension is never reconciled and is constantly throwing the story off balance.

In “The Climb,” there is a moment where Covino and Marvin briefly wrestle, a ludicrous sight of two grown men tussling on the ground. Here that beat expands into a full-blown fight scene that goes on for more than six minutes, as Paul attacks Carey after learning he slept with Julie. Smashing furniture, breaking drywall, destroying a fish tank (while saving the fish) and somehow singeing off Carey’s eyebrows, the fight scene is the movie’s centerpiece, one of its major selling points and indicative of everything that both works and doesn’t. It is funny, escalating ridiculously, but it is also too outlandish for the characters and the story and only really exists as something that Covino and Marvin simply wanted to do for themselves.

They’re good at jokes but much weaker on meaning, stumbling when it comes to making it all add up to something. With a background in advertising, Marvin and Covino are strong on short, punchy ideas conveyed through strong visuals. They may eventually be better served by making work they do not appear in — their performances are the weakest thing about their movies so far. Even as they remain a promising duo, “Splitsville” never quite fully comes together.

Five people have died after a tourist bus returning from Niagara Falls crashed on the motorway in western New York.

Witnesses saw the vehicle lose control and turn over approximately 40 miles (64km) from Niagara Falls, a major tourist destination on the US-Canada border.

Most of the 52 people on board are from India, China and the Philippines. Some were thrown from the vehicle, and others were trapped inside the wreckage for several hours, police have said. It is believed most were not wearing seat belts.

The cause of the crash is not known and authorities have urged drivers with dashcam footage to come forward.

Ambulances and medical helicopters were sent to the crash site, near the town of Pembroke, 30 miles (48km) east of the city of Buffalo.

Translators and translation devices were brought to the scene and hospitals to assist in the investigation.

Andre Ray major, New York State Police troop commander, told a news conference: “The cause of the collision is still under investigation. However, mechanical failure as well as operator impairment have been ruled out at this time.

“The operator has been cooperative and with the investigation still underway. No charges have been filed at this point.”

The bus was heading eastbound and lost control, veering into the median and then into a ditch, according police.

The passengers were aged between one and 74. Several children were on board at the time of the crash, police say.

Twenty-four adult patients were admitted to one local hospital, and doctors say they’re expected to make a full recovery. Other area hospitals also received patients, and those under 16 who survived were taken to a children’s hospital.

One witness told The Buffalo News that he saw a bus lying on its side and items strewn on the roadway following the crash.

“There was glass all over the road and people’s stuff all over the road,” said Powell Stephens, who drove past the crash site.

“Windows were all shattered. Everyone seemed conscious and OK, but I only saw the scene for about 15 seconds.”

ConnectLife, an organisation that provides blood to hospitals in the region, has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations.

“Our community is facing a crisis,” said spokeswoman Sarah Diina.

“This is one of those moments when your action can directly save lives,” said Diina.

The Red Cross has opened a family reunification centre to connect children and parents who were transported to different hospitals.

Aug. 18 (UPI) — Argentina’s scientific expedition “Talud Continental IV,” which live-streamed the Mar del Plata submarine canyon using the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian, became a cultural phenomenon.

The recently completed mission averaged 500,000 viewers per broadcast and drew more than 17.5 million views in three weeks.

The mission, led by scientists from Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council (Conicet) in collaboration with the Schmidt Ocean Institute, showcased the potential of Argentine science on the international stage.

However, that success contrasts sharply with the difficult situation facing scientific research in Argentina.

The country’s science and technology budget has dropped to 0.156% of gross domestic product, its lowest level since 2002, according to a July report from the EPC, a group of researchers, analysts and consultants specializing in science, technology and innovation policy.

The sector’s share of GDP fell 48% compared to 2023. Spending in the first half of 2025 was down 19% from the same period in 2024, marking a decline of more than 40% in two years.

This is the lowest level recorded since 2002, when the country was in the midst of one of its worst economic crises.

Although the figure stood at 0.30% of GDP when President Javier Milei took office, severe cuts to science and technology have been made over the past two years as part of broader austerity measures to fund social programs.

The Ministry of Science was downgraded to a secretariat, while major research agencies faced steep reductions. Conicet lost 41% of its funding compared with 2024, the I+D+I Agency saw its budget cut by 67%, the National Institute of Industrial Technology fell 46%, the National Institute of Agricultural Technology lost 39.6%, the National Commission on Space Activities dropped 40%, and the National Genetic Data Bank saw its resources reduced by 50.4%.

The adjustment marks an unprecedented cut in government investment in science. In 2024, the state financed 59.5% of the country’s research and development, while private companies contributed just 20.7% and universities 1.2%.

In research and development specifically, 61% of funding came from public agencies and universities.

The government, however, has prioritized other areas it considers key to development, including agribusiness, energy and mining, the knowledge economy and innovation, and health, while sidelining programs tied to climate change, the environment and social sciences.

The effects are already visible: insufficient resources for research, lack of equipment and supplies, suspended contracts, wage cuts and a growing brain drain of Argentine scientists abroad.

The effect on scientific employment is clear. An estimated 4,148 jobs have been lost in Argentina’s National Science, Technology and Innovation System, a third of them at Conicet, which now has only 11,868 researchers.

For Guillermo Durán, dean of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, the problem goes beyond economics.

“There is a political decision to dismantle Argentina’s science and technology system and the high-quality public university system that has always set us apart as a country,” he said. His faculty lost 13% of its teaching staff in 2024 due to budget cuts and salary reductions.

“These people decided to end a series of very good programs for Argentina. The damage they are causing could take many years to recover from,” Durán warned.

Agustín Campero, president of the Alem Foundation and former secretary of Scientific and Technological Articulation under President Mauricio Macri, agreed on the seriousness of the situation.

“It is dire and will have severe consequences for Argentina’s development,” he said.

The Science System Financing Law, approved by Congress in 2021, set a schedule for the gradual growth of state investment in science and technology to reach 1% of GDP by 2032. That is what the scientific community and universities are now demanding.

US President Donald Trump says he and Russian President Vladimir Putin made progress during three hours of talks in Alaska to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war, but that there’s “no deal.”. Putin said they are “ready to work” on outstanding issues.

Sierra Noelle visited the UK this summer and she had a few things to say about it. You may be surprised to learn that her new favourite place isn’t actually in England

An American tourist’s visit to the UK has left viewers absolutely gobsmacked after her heartfelt reaction proved utterly priceless. Sierra Noelle chronicled her travel escapade online, and she certainly had plenty to share about it following her memorable expedition.

She delivered her verdict to her TikTok audience, and it’s left people completely stunned by her unfiltered honesty, as it appears Wales truly caters to all tastes, and she was bursting to share her impressions, leaving Welsh people utterly charmed by her glowing tribute to their homeland. In her video, Sierra confessed that Wales had been occupying her thoughts constantly since her return stateside.

It seems Wales has a talent for capturing hearts based on her video. It’s not the first time Americans have shared their travel tales from Wales either.

Sierra revealed: “I have one more thing to say. I keep looking back at my photos from my trip to Wales, and it physically pains me that I am so far away it, and I don’t know when I’m going to go back.

“But, guys, Wales is so cool. Everyone is so nice there and it’s so pretty. Castles are really cool. Everyone needs to go, but be respectful and don’t mess it up and be nice to the sheep.”

In an earlier post, Sierra disclosed how she’d become completely smitten with Wales during her inaugural summer visit. She’s now so besotted that she worries it’s transformed into her “entire personality.”

Sierra gushed about the medieval castles, explaining these historical treasures simply don’t exist back in America. She considers them absolutely “amazing” to wander through.

In total, she managed to explore around eight castles, such was her fondness for them. Despite her enjoyable experience, she recommended that prospective visitors seek travel advice from locals for a more enriching Welsh adventure.

Her exploration was evidently a joyous one, and she’s clearly eager to return, even if it might not be possible in the near future. Since sharing her experiences, thousands have tuned into her clips, with many leaving their thoughts in the comments section.

One viewer responded: “As a Welsh person, this is so lush to see someone talking about Wales, which people don’t speak about enough. We have the most castles in any country on earth and also have some of the best beaches.

“Also, Welsh people have been voted the friendliest in the UK. I’m so happy you visited and enjoyed.”

Another chimed in with: “As a Welsh person, I love this. I feel like Wales is so unknown/underrated both in and outside of the UK. Wales is awesome. Glad you enjoyed.”

A third commenter added: “As an Aussie who lived in Wales for seven years, I can’t recommend Wales enough. The landscape is so amazing and beautiful.”

Meanwhile, another viewer shared: “I love hearing people be excited about the so many castles. Taken for granted when you live here. My local castle is Conwy.”

Zak Crawley was dismissed from the penultimate ball of day three after England had started to make steady progress in pursuit of an imposing 374 to win the fifth Test against India at The Oval.

The opener was bowled by Mohammed Siraj for 14 as the hosts reached 50-1 at the close, needing a further 324 runs to win, with Ben Duckett unbeaten on 34 to conclude another gripping day.

Despite Crawley’s departure, England will be boosted by the much-improved batting conditions after they spent most of the day in the field as India racked up 396 under brighter skies.

The pitch flattened and offered far less seam movement, with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sublime 118 the highlight for the tourists.

There was also a surprising maiden Test fifty for Akash Deep, who added 107 for the third wicket with Jaiswal as England started poorly, unable to take the wicket of the nightwatchman until the final 10 minutes before lunch.

Deep was put down on 21, one of six dropped catches in the innings for England as their makeshift bowling line-up – without the injured Chris Woakes – toiled admirably but were again let down in the field.

Gus Atkinson pinned captain Shubman Gill lbw for 12 with the first ball after lunch as England improved, but Ravindra Jadeja continued his fine form with 53 and Washington Sundar, with India nine down, blitzed four sixes in a 39-ball fifty to give India the upper hand.

Josh Tongue claimed the final three wickets, having also dismissed Jaiswal earlier, to finish with 5-125 for his wholehearted efforts.

It feels fitting that England chased 371 to beat India in the opening match at Headingley to ignite a fiery series, though there is rain forecast for Sunday which could impact their aim of comfortably completing the highest Test chase at The Oval, which is currently England’s 263-9 against Australia in 1902.

Global hunger fell in 2024 for a third straight year, but conflict and climate shocks deepened crises in Africa and the Middle East.

Global hunger levels declined for a third consecutive year in 2024, according to a new United Nations report, as better access to food in South America and India offset deepening malnutrition and climate shocks in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

Around 673 million people, or 8.2 percent of the world’s population, experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5 percent in 2023, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, jointly prepared by five UN agencies.

The agencies include the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The agencies said the report focused on chronic, long-term problems and did not fully reflect the impact of acute crises brought on by specific events and wars, including Israel’s war on Gaza.

“Conflict continues to drive hunger from Gaza to Sudan and beyond,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in remarks delivered by video link from a UN food summit in Ethiopia on Monday, adding that “hunger further feeds future instability and undermines peace”.

The WHO has warned that malnutrition in the besieged Palestinian enclave has reached “alarming levels” since Israel imposed a total blockade on March 2.

The blockade was partially lifted in May, but only a trickle of aid has been allowed to enter since then, despite warnings about mass starvation from the UN and aid organisations.

Hunger rate falls in South America, southern Asia

In 2024, the most significant progress was reported in South America and southern Asia, according to the UN report.

In South America, the hunger rate fell to 3.8 percent in 2024 from 4.2 percent in 2023. In southern Asia, it fell to 11 percent from 12.2 percent.

Progress in South America was underpinned by improved agricultural productivity and social programmes, such as school meals, Maximo Torero, the chief economist at the FAO, told news agency Reuters.

In southern Asia, it was mostly due to new data from India showing more people with access to healthy diets.

The overall 2024 hunger numbers were still higher than the 7.5 percent recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hunger more prevalent in Africa

The picture was very different in Africa, where productivity gains were not keeping up with high population growth and the impacts of conflict, extreme weather and inflation.

In 2024, more than one in five people on the continent, or 307 million people, were chronically undernourished, meaning hunger is more prevalent than it was 20 years ago.

According to the current projection, 512 million people in the world may be chronically undernourished in 2030, with nearly 60 percent of them to be found in Africa, the report said.

“We must urgently reverse this trajectory,” said the FAO’s Torero.

A major mark of distress is the number of Africans unable to afford a healthy diet. While the global figure fell from 2.76 billion in 2019 to 2.6 billion in 2024, the number increased in Africa from 864 million to just over one billion during the same period.

That means the vast majority of Africans are unable to eat well on the continent of 1.5 billion people.

Inequalities

The UN report also highlighted “persistent inequalities” with women and rural communities most affected, which widened last year over 2023.

“Despite adequate global food production, millions of people go hungry or are malnourished because safe and nutritious food is not available, not accessible or, more often, not affordable,” it said.

The gap between global food price inflation and overall inflation peaked in January 2023, driving up the cost of diets and hitting low-income nations hardest, the report said.

The report also said that overall adult obesity rose to nearly 16 percent in 2022, from 12 percent in 2012.

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao pushed back against his doubters, the odds and even Father Time on Saturday night — and nearly made some history.

But Pacquiao, in the end, fell just short on the judges’ scorecards as Mario Barrios escaped with a majority draw to retain the WBC welterweight championship. Two judges scored the bout a draw, and judge Max DeLuca awarded Barrios a 115-113 victory.

The Associated Press scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Pacquiao.

“I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said.

Barrios landed more total punches (120-101), according to Compubox, but Pacquiao had the edge in power shots (81-75).

Pacquiao, enshrined into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last month, was trying to break his own record for oldest welterweight champion. He was 40 when he emerged victorious in a 2019 split decision over Keith Thurman. This also was the first appearance in the ring in nearly four years for the 46-year-old Filipino, following a loss by unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugás.

Barrios, a 30-year-old from San Antonio, was a -275 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook. He hoped to bounce back from a split-decision draw on Nov. 15 against Abel Ramos, but didn’t exactly come away with an emphatic victory in improving to 29-2-2. The heavily pro-Pacquiao crowd loudly booed the decision.

“It was an honor to share the ring with him,” Barrios said. “This is by far the biggest event I’ve had to date, and we came in here and left everything in the ring. I have nothing but respect for Manny.

“His stamina is crazy. He’s still strong as hell and his timing is real. He’s still a very awkward fighter to try to figure out.”

Mario Barrios, left, and Manny Pacquiao pose for photos in the ring after fighting to a majority draw in Las Vegas on Saturday.

(John Locher / Associated Press)

Pacman (62-9-2) moved swiftly around the ring from the beginning, often looking more like the younger champion who captured 12 world titles in eight divisions. He began to be take control in the seventh, landing several big left hands to win the following three rounds on two cards and two on the other.

But Barrios was the better fighter at the end, coming out more aggressive knowing he might be in trouble with the judges. All three, in fact, awarded Barrios each of the final three rounds.

“I didn’t think the fight was getting away from me, but I knew I had to step it up to solidify a win,” Barrios said.

Both sides said they would be interested in a rematch.

“I hope this is an inspiration to boxers that if you have discipline and work hard, you can still fight at this age,” Pacquiao said.

Sebastian Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) retained his WBC super welterweight title when Tim Tszyu (25-3) didn’t come out for the eighth round in the co-main event. Fundora floored Tszyu with a left hand in the first round and dominated the action with 118 power punches, according to Compubox, by repeatedly backing down the Australian.

“I’m the bigger guy,” said Fundora, who led 69-63 on all three judges’ cards. “Everyone says I’m a bully in the ring, so I thought I should start really bullying these guys. I just kept working on aggression my whole career and we’ve just been adding.”

It was a big week for Fundora, who was accepted into Harvard and then won the rematch with Tszyu. The first fight on March 30, 2024, was much closer, with Fundora emerging with a split-decision victory.

The Coachella, Calif., resident also had been the WBO champion, but that organization stripped him of his belt for not fighting mandatory challenger Xander Zayas.

Anderson writes for the Associated Press.

Hollie Claire recently went on holiday to Greece, and fell asleep while she was sunbathing. Her tan has left people stunned as they can’t believe what happened to her

A woman who fell asleep sunbathing while on holiday has left people stunned after revealing her tan. Hollie Claire showed what her body looked like in a video as she couldn’t believe what happened to her skin after spending some time relaxing in the sun.

Known as hxllieclaire on TikTok, she said a summer tan is “not worth” spending your holiday looking patchy, so she urged people to wear plenty of factor 50 sun cream. As she spent some time relaxing by the pool in Greece, she admitted her head ended up “swelling” because she fell asleep while sunbathing and woke up looking totally different.

Over a clip, Hollie wrote: “Your reminder to apply sun cream properly and not fall asleep in the sun. Watch to the end to see how my head ended up swelling.”

As she shows off her skin in the video, you can see patches of it are really red, and she has distinct bikini mark lines too. She also has really red patches on her face from where the sun has burnt her skin.

The video has been viewed thousands of times since it’s been shared, and people couldn’t believe what happened to Hollie. Many appeared to worry that she managed to burn so badly in the sun.

One person shared their own horror story, writing: “I feel your pain. [I] used a ‘tanning oil’ along with factor 50 sunscreen, and I thought I would be fine. I’ve now spent three days of my holiday with second-degree sunburn and blisters on my shoulders and chest. Wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Hope you feel better soon.”

Another added: “Girls, don’t forget to use sunscreen on your scalp too, especially if you have fair/thinner hair.” A third replied: “Oh god, stay cool and drink plenty of water. Hope you feel better soon.”

Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “Hope you’re ok. That looks so painful.” Someone else also chimed in with: “Girl, please go to the doctor. Swelling is not good.”

According to Hollie’s other videos, she jetted off to Greece on holidays. She admitted she “learnt her lesson” in the comments, and thanked people for their advice and support.

When it comes to protecting your skin in the sun, the NHS advises: “Sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer. Sunburn does not just happen on holiday. You can burn in the UK, even when it’s cloudy.

“There’s no safe or healthy way to get a tan. A tan does not protect your skin from the sun’s harmful effects. Aim to strike a balance between protecting yourself from the sun and getting enough vitamin D from sunlight.

“Spend time in the shade when the sun is strongest. In the UK, this is between 11am and 3pm from March to October.”

When the weather is really warm, people are advised to spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm, never burn, cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses, take extra care with children and use at least factor 30 sunscreen.

You shouldn’t rely on sunscreen alone to protect your skin from the sun. The NHS says it’s important to wear suitable clothing, and to spend plenty of time in the shade when the sun’s at its hottest.

When buying sunscreen, the label should have:

• A sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 to protect against UVB
• At least 4-star UVA protection

The NHS adds: “UVA protection can also be indicated by the letters ‘UVA’ in a circle, which indicates that it meets the EU standard. Make sure the sunscreen is not past its expiry date. Do not spend any longer in the sun than you would without sunscreen.”