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Work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms said the move aims to drive “real improvements” for disabled people, whom the ministers will be encouraged to engage with on a regular basis. He told the Commons: “I am very pleased to be able to announce today the appointment of new lead ministers for disability in each Government department, they will represent the interests of disabled people, champion disability inclusion and accessibility within their departments. “I’m going to chair regular meetings with them and will encourage them to engage directly with disabled people and their representative organisations, as they take forward their departmental priorities. “And I look forward to this new group of lead ministers for disability together driving real improvements across Government for disabled people.” This came during an adjournment debate on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling raised concerns about “floating bus stops”, which have a cycle lane between the stop and the pavement. Intervening, the MP for Torbay, who is registered blind, said: “The Government needs to ban floating bus stops.” Sir Stephen said: “I do think this issue about floating bus stops is an important issue which we need to work across Government to reflect on.” Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, who led the debate, had earlier criticised the lack of accessibility for disabled people on trains. The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP said: “Our train network does not have level access, and we heard Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson from the other place make this plea back in the summer, absolutely outrageous what she was put through. “But I was absolutely shocked to find, when I had a presentation of the TransPennine route upgrade, that the rolling stock yet to be commissioned is not going to provide that level access. “It’s absolute nonsense, it’s not even in the design of that procurement, so we must do better than this.”LOS ANGELES — OpenAI’s controversial text-to-video artificial intelligence tool Sora sent shock waves through the entertainment industry when the company unveiled it earlier this year. The technology promised to revolutionize filmmaking by automatically creating short movies based on written commands. For example, users could type in descriptions, such as “a stylish woman walks down a Tokyo street,” and Sora would provide up to 60-second videos based on that information. Workers feared that it was a prelude to a future in which AI displaced jobs throughout Hollywood. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest local entertainment news, dining reviews, and more delivered right to your inbox every Thursday.

US indictment accuses two Syrian officials of torture at notorious prisonKhalil Rountree Jr. experienced a spine-tingling moment during his UFC 307 defeat to light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira. Khalil Rountree Jr.’s first bid at hoisting UFC gold got off to a great start against Alex Pereira at UFC 307. He landed heavy blows in the opening rounds, and at one point had the forward-focused Pereira fighting off his backfoot in the Octagon. After putting Pereira in significant danger in the opening minutes, Pereira poured it on as the fight progressed. He turned Rountree’s face into a horror-film-like appearance as he finished the title challenger in Round 4. Despite the vast pre-fight criticism surrounding the matchup, Rountree made himself into a household name with his performance at UFC 307. While Rountree’s timeline for a return is uncertain, he wants a former titleholder for his next fight in an attempt to get back into the title mix. The scars that Rountree suffered at UFC 307 will stick with him forever. Some question whether or not he’ll be able to return the same fighter in his next bookings after sustaining such severe damage against Pereira in the cage. As Pereira ramped up pressure on Rountree at UFC 307, the title challenger experienced a frightening moment as the light heavyweight champion pressed forward. READ MORE: ‘Khamzat would destroy you’... Darren Till takes aim at Bo Nickal over historic comments about Khamzat Chimaev Alex Pereira’s power caused Khalil Rountree Jr. blindness in UFC 307 scrap In a recent appearance on the JAXXON Podcast , Rountree revealed Pereira caused him to go blind in their UFC 307 instant classic. “I got hit, and boom — I knew I had gotten hit hard because I started to see my vision kind of blur a little bit,” Rountree shared. “But the second one that landed, the one that actually split my eye, in that moment I went blind. But f*** it, I’m going to keep going. “I didn’t see anything after that, just light,” Rountree continued. “I didn’t see shadows, I didn’t see anything. It was like if someone put up a frosted film. So I can’t see, I’m f***ing blind. But whatever, I’m not going to give up. The sensation, I didn’t feel anything, the adrenaline was too high, but I realized it was there. My eye was f***ed up, but I’ll deal with it later.” ( h/t MMA Mania ) Rountree didn’t go into detail on the visual damage he sustained against Pereira at UFC 307, but he’ll likely have to undergo an operation at some point to repair his compromised eye. READ MORE: Nate Diaz teases boxing return in chilling post just days after Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Khalil Rountree Jr. underwent extensive surgery after Alex Pereira fight Before UFC 307, Rountree earned the title shot over top contenders like Magomed Ankalaev and Jamahal Hill by tallying five consecutive wins. He most recently finished former title challenger Anthony Smith last December, and was supposed to face Hill at UFC 303 before being suspended for obtaining a banned substance. Meanwhile, Pereira will likely return against Ankalaev in his next light heavyweight title defense in 2025. Ankalaev most recently finished Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 to earn the presumptive next title shot. Rountree’s line skip at UFC 307 turned into an instant classic fight with Pereira. But, the consequences of the damage he suffered against Pereira could potentially be long-term . Rountree’s admission describes the trials and tribulations fighters undergo when they battle inside the Octagon. As he prepares for his next fight camp, Rountree will remember his clash against Pereira and the momentarily period of blindness he suffered. READ MORE: Chael Sonnen makes stunning prediction about Dana White’s political future

As Trump's Nominees Face Scrutiny Before Senate Confirmation, Kash Patel Vows to Target 'Deep State'

Biden says the US believes journalist Austin Tice is alive after disappearing in Syria in 201249ers QB Brock Purdy resumes throwing but status for this week remains unknown

By KENYA HUNTER, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn’t just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris’ loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women’s concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,”’ she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Video game ends ‘collaboration’ with Conor McGregorAnfield Energy Inc. Announces Shareholder Approval of Plan of ArrangementARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys opened without incident and will stay that way for a Monday night meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. It was to be the first game with the roof open at AT&T Stadium since Oct. 30, 2022, a 49-29 Dallas victory over Chicago. The roof was supposed to be open three weeks ago for Houston's 34-10 victory on another Monday night, but a large piece of metal and other debris fell roughly 300 feet to the field as the retractable roof was opening about three hours before kickoff. The Cowboys decided to close the roof after the incident, and it remained that way for the game. There were no injuries, and the start of the game wasn't delayed. The club said at the time it would investigate the cause with a plan to reopen the roof when it was deemed safe. Wind was cited as a cause for the falling debris. There were gusts of at least 30 mph in the afternoon before the meeting with the Texans. It was sunny with a high in the 70s Monday in the Dallas area, and winds were in the 10 mph range. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

During a sit-down interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump told moderator Kristen Welker, in a startling moment, that she has “such potential” as a journalist. The former president had repeated an unfounded allegation that the House select committee responsible for investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol had “deleted and destroyed” a year and a half’s worth of testimony and evidence. “I think those people committed a major crime,” Trump said at one point during his wide-ranging conversation with Welker. He added that members of the committee, such as former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who served as vice chair, should “go to jail.” When Welker pointed out to Trump that members of the committee have denied that claim , the former president halted the conversation to take a direct shot at the host. “You know, you have such potential,” he said to Welker. “If you could be just nonbiased — you hurt yourself so badly.” (Watch the full interview here .) Trump has a history of insulting prominent Black female journalists . In July, he accused ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, who is Black, of asking a question in a “horrible manner” during a contentious Q&A session at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. Trump has also previously leveled disparaging remarks at Welker, who is also Black. He repeatedly criticized her, calling her “terrible and unfair,” days before she moderated his final presidential debate with Joe Biden in 2020. Welker ― an Emmy-winning veteran journalist who previously served as NBC News’ chief White House correspondent ― is the first Black journalist and the second woman ever to host “Meet the Press.” There were plenty of takeaways from Welker’s sit-down with Trump, his first network TV interview since his reelection last month. But etiquette experts think there’s a lot to be said in particular about his choice to discuss Welker’s “potential.” Was Trump’s remark about Welker’s ‘potential’ a tactic? Jackie Vernon-Thompson , founder and CEO of the From the Inside-Out School of Etiquette, said that she believes Trump’s comment was a “blatant tactic” meant to “devalue” Welker in order to gain control and power in the interview. “Over the years, many have witnessed Mr. Trump’s strategies of power play,” she told HuffPost. “This was indeed a tactic.” Vernon-Thompson also noted that Trump has a history of speaking to women in a way that “may seem misogynistic,” and that this exchange with Welker was no different. Welker, 48, is “a seasoned journalist, well-established, and very talented in the industry,” Vernon-Thompson said, adding that people may sometimes try to instill doubt in others in order to “control the conversation and environment.” “That was Mr. Trump’s attempt,” she said. “Clearly, it did not work because he was indeed speaking with someone who holds her own.” Jodi Smith , an etiquette consultant who specializes in social and professional conduct, said that Trump’s comment to Welker was strategic in two ways: It was an attempt to regain power, and an attempt to cause a distraction. “It was a backhanded ‘compliment’ designed to distract from the real topic and divert the conversational focus away to an irrelevant dialogue undermining the journalist’s credentials,” Smith, the president and owner of Mannersmith, told HuffPost. She also said it’s important to analyze power dynamics in any exchange, and that Trump’s remark to Welker ― given that he is a white, cisgendered Christian male in America, where all of those identifiers carry systemic privilege ― could be seen as a “dog-whistle telling the target, and anyone listening, that they are not conforming to their designated role.” Is it ever appropriate to tell a woman in a professional setting that she has ‘potential’? Smith explained that one’s tone of voice, and the context in which the comment is said, is key. A mentor speaking to a mentee in a feedback situation can be very “positive,” she said ― while pointing out that Trump’s comment to Welker, a “seasoned, award-winning professional,” decidedly did not occur in such a context. Vernon-Thompson thinks people should be “very cautious” when using the word “potential” in that manner in professional environments. To tell a woman she has “potential” in the workplace could be “patronizing” or potentially show a “lack of respect,” she said. “There is a time and place for that,” Vernon-Thompson said. “Publicly is definitely not the place. In the midst of a debate or an aggressive discussion is most certainly not appropriate.” She pointed out that speaking of a person’s “potential” may be appropriate in conversations between a superior and their subordinate, when it’s made “in kindness with the intent to motivate and show them that their superior sees and believes in their potential and ability.” What should you do if you’re the target of a similar remark about your ‘potential’? For starters, Smith said, you should realize that the person who made the comment has “shown you their cards.” “They feel threatened by you in some way. It is a ‘tell,’” she said, recommending that you document your exchanges with that person. “Include others when meeting with this person,” she said. “If it is not your manager, loop your manager into the situation. If it is your manager, speak with human resources.” Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone. Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Vernon-Thompson recommends that you maintain your “composure, confidence and self-respect.” (Not unlike Welker herself, who continued talking with Trump about the Jan. 6 committee without missing a beat after his remark about her “potential.”) “Maintain your posture. Keep [your] head up. Maintain eye contact,” Vernon-Thompson said. “Immediately identify the attempt mentally and move forward with strength and certainty.” “Start strong, end strong,” she added. “Because you are good enough.” Related From Our PartnerSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Just in time for the holiday season, Mercury Rising a rock group, will perform at the Bay Street Tavern over the Thanksgiving weekend. Their performance is set for Friday, Nov. 29 at 9 p.m. at the tavern, located at 1384 Bay Street in Fort Wadsworth. Then on Saturday, Nov. 30 Mercury Rising will perform in the Bravo Pizza Sports Bar at 413 New Dorp Lane at 8 p.m. RECOMMENDED • silive .com It’s all in the family: Longevity is in the genes for this new centenarian: Her mom was Staten Island’s oldes Nov. 19, 2024, 8:49 p.m. Prince’s Bay resident aims to make a difference via technology & public health initiatives | Inside Out Nov. 25, 2024, 10:56 a.m. The group is comprised of Bert Kramer on bass, Michael McMahon lead guitar and vocals, Nat Seeley on drums and vocals, and Elissa Montanti lead vocals. They play a mix of classic rock, a little blues and soft country, and originals as well. Their home base is the Bay Street Tavern, where they appear once each month. They call it the new ground zero of the music scene, since the closing of Larry Liedy’s Shore Inn in New Brighton. For Montanti, who is founder and director of the Global Medical Relief Fund, her music and her writing is her refuge and what she notes keeps a good equilibrium.LiveDeal stock plunges to 52-week low, touches $9.77

Is Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughingAfter weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey , U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is urging the federal government to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify and ultimately stop the airborne pests. The New York Democrat is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special technology that identifies and tracks drones back to their landing spots, according to briefings from his office. Schumer’s calls come amid growing public concern that the federal government hasn’t offered clear explanations as to who is operating the drones, and has not stopped them. National security officials have said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference. “There’s a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Fox News Sunday. “The answer ‘We don’t know’ is not a good enough answer.” President-elect Donald Trump posted on social media last week: “Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so. Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down.” Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to “incapacitate” drones, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “But we need those authorities expanded,” he said, without saying exactly how. The drones don’t appear to be linked to foreign governments, Mayorkas said. “We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter,” Mayorkas said. Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their identities. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is operating the drones swarming locations in New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas’ office didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability. Schumer is calling for recently declassified radar technology to be used to help determine whether an object is a drone or a bird, identify its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday said federal officials were sending a drone detection system to the state. “This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,” Hochul said in a statement. The governor did not immediately provide additional details, including where the system will be deployed. Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility and over Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.

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“I’VE ordered champagne” were the first words Barbara Taylor Bradford said to me when I interviewed her in 2015. We met at The Dorchester, her home from home whenever she visited London , where she was holding court in a quiet corner of the swanky hotel. Dressed to the nines, with a perfectly made up face and coiffed hair that hinted at her twice-weekly visits to the stylist, she looked nothing like the 81 years old she was at the time. Barbara, who died on Sunday, aged 91 , following a short illness at her home in New York City , was every inch the best-selling author honoured by Queen Elizabeth with an OBE for her contribution to women’s literature. Clearly beloved by the hotel staff, they fussed around her, making sure she had everything she needed. And she was kind and courteous in return — as she was to all who met her. READ MORE ON CELEBS Although we had chatted on many occasions on the phone, this was the first time we had spoken face to face. You would imagine someone who had sold 90 million books — making a rumoured £160million from sales — might be bored by the interview pro­cess and give standard, predictable answers. But she was a wonderful, generous hostess and although we were there to chat about her latest release, she asked me questions and genuinely wanted to know about my life. The interview lasted well over two hours — and remains one of my favourite encounters. Most read in Celebrity Known for writing incredible sweep­ing sagas, her first novel A Woman Of Substance was published in 1979, when she was 46. It was an immediate hit. Legions of fans A rags to riches story, it told how Emma Harte, a servant in rural Yorkshire , went on to head up a huge business empire. It sold more than 30million copies and was adapted into a 1984 TV miniseries, starring Jenny Sea­grove as young Emma, Deborah Kerr as her in later life and Liam Neeson as her friend Shane “Blackie” O’Neill. It was the beginning of a career spanning more than 40 years and 40 novels — each received rapturously by her legions of adoring fans. Our latest meeting was in 2019, to talk about her book, In The Lion’s Den, but it was a very different encounter. Her beloved husband, Robert — who she met when she was 28 — had recently died from a stroke aged 92. Again, we met for tea at The Dorchester, and although she tried to put on her game face, it was clear that Barbara was utterly broken. Tears weren’t far away, as she held my hand and told me his last words to her had been, “I love you”. But despite her obvious distress, she was determined to continue making the most of her remaining years — plus Bob had told her never to stop writing so she was keen to honour his wishes. Although her books sold tens of millions of copies, making her one of the world’s wealthiest writers, and she loved her luxuries, she stayed grounded — with fish and chips her favourite meal, coated in lashings of malt vinegar. Even when she discovered her solidly working-class mum was probably the illegitimate daughter of the Marquess of Ripon, a Yorkshire aristocrat, she never took a DNA test. Yet she was rumoured to have maintained the heating of a lake at her former Connecticut home, which a farmer had installed to keep swans warm in winter. And she sold her 13-room Manhattan apartment for £6.7million in 2013 to actress Uma Thurman. But right until the end, Barbara grafted — and her work ethic was second to none. She followed a strict routine, beginning at 6am where she used a typewriter to bash out her novels. She also read the papers every day and had opinions about everything from the royals to politics and the importance of reading. It was why she was so happy to be an ambassador for charities and not-for-profit organisations including the UK’s National Literacy Trust, Literacy Partners in the US, Women In Journ­alism and Reporters Without Borders. Always a supporter of women, she twice chaired the judges for The Sunday Times Write Stuff competition which encouraged the next generation of female fiction writers. Barbara was born and bred in Leeds and came from a working-class family, who adored literature. During one of our book-related chats she told me she was “force-fed books from a very young age”, and was reading confidently by four years old. At primary school — where she was in the same class as future author and playwright Alan Bennett — she dreamed of being a writer. She had her first story published in a children’s magazine when she was ten. 'Powerhouse of glamour’ Her first job, aged 15, was in the Yorkshire Evening Post’s typing pool. Determined to follow her dream to be a reporter, she surreptitiously slipp­ed her stories into the sub-editor’s tray. When the editors realised, they pro­m­oted her and she became the paper’s only female reporter at the time. By the age of 18, she was its Woman’s Editor. While working at the paper she met a fellow journalist who she said was “lanky and dishevelled with acne”. He kept trying to talk to her, she said, even after she turned him down for a date at the cinema — it was actor Peter O’Toole. Always ambitious, Barbara moved to London aged 20 when Fleet Street called. Her career went from strength to strength and she worked as fashion editor of Woman’s Own magazine. In 1961, when she was 28, Barbara met her husband, Robert, a German- born successful American film producer. They married on Christmas Eve, 1963, and moved to New York. There, Barbara wrote for an interior decoration column that was syndicated to 183 newspapers — even though Robert was wealthy enough that she did not need to work. Her first books were about home design. They included The Complete Encyclopedia Of Homemaking Ideas in 1968. She also wrote a string of entries in the How To Be The Perfect Wife series. When A Woman Of Substance was published, Barbara was over the moon. She had the success she had always dreamed of. She said she wrote books about sexy, scrappy, hard-working women. “What I really wanted to do was to write about a very strong woman, because I’m strong,” she told an interviewer in 1983. “That doesn’t mean I’m tough or hard but I have the strength to meet adversity, not to give in,” she said. Actress Jenny Seagrove, 67, paid tribute to a “dear friend” and “powerhouse of glamour and warmth”. She said: “Success never diluted her warmth and humour or her ability to relate to everyone she met, whether a cleaner or a princess. “She never, ever forgot that she was just a girl from Yorkshire that worked hard and made good.” Charlie Redmayne, chief executive of publisher HarperCollins, said: “She was a natural storyteller, deeply proud of her Yorkshire roots. She would regale us of her time working on the Yorkshire Evening Post with fellow reporter Keith Waterhouse and Peter O’Toole, the dawn of the Soho cafe society, and the many happy years shared with the love of her life, her husband, Bob. Generous and thoughtful Other friends included Sean Connery , Christopher Plummer , Boris Johnson and Joan Rivers . She was also a huge fan of Queen Elizabeth. Maria Boyle, who worked as Barbara’s personal PR for more than 15 years, said: “Book signings were always busy, queues were guaranteed. “Fans would travel from afar, bring­ing old copies of her novels for her to sign while buying the latest release. “One American reader even brought a copy of A Woman Of Substance with a bullet hole in it. Barbara was alarmed, asked what had happened and the lady said her husband shot the book as she was reading it so much. Her books became like Bibles to many.“ When I wrote A Woman Of Substance I didn’t think, ‘I’m going to write about a woman warrior who conquers the world and smashes the glass ceiling’. But I did want to write about them in a positive way “Readers would frequently tell her their story and cite how her books changed their lives — ‘It inspired me to set up a business’, ‘It helped me through some dark times’ or ‘It gave me courage to change my career’. Barbara told one paper: “When I wrote A Woman Of Substance I didn’t sit down and think, ‘I’m going to write about a woman warrior who conquers the world and smashes the glass ceiling’. But I did want to write about women in a positive way. “At the time there were a lot of very sexy books out there but the women didn’t come out of them very well.” One of Barbara’s favourite shops in London was Fortnum & Mason and she would visit every time she was in the capital — where she would order gifts for those she worked with. And me. I wasn’t the only one to be touched by her kindness. Maria said: “Barbara gave generously. “She waived royalties, donated fees and contributed work freely. “During the pandemic , she gifted one of her books so it could be adapted for blind readers and wrote a 25,000-word short story for a national newspaper when asked for just 5,000. “In the interview which went alongside it, Barbara quoted her hero Winston Churchill , telling them to “KBO” (Keep Buggering On) — and she did that throughout her own life.” She was frequently described as the “grand dame of blockbusters”, “Queen of the genre”, and she absolutely was. My lasting memories of Barbara were she was kind, generous and thoughtful. She had an incredible work ethic and was one of those rare people who are both interested and interesting. READ MORE SUN STORIES May she rest in peace. For more on Barbara’s books, go to barbarataylorbradford.com.Israel threatened on Tuesday to return to war in Lebanon if its truce with Hezbollah collapses, and said this time its attacks would go deeper and target the Lebanese state itself, after the deadliest day since the ceasefire was agreed last week. In its strongest threat since the truce was agreed to end 14 months of war with Hezbollah, Israel said it would hold Lebanon responsible for failing to disarm militants who violate the ceasefire. "If we return to war we will act strongly, we will go deeper, and the most important thing they need to know: that there will be no longer be an exemption for the state of Lebanon," Defense Minister Israel Katz said. "If until now we separated the state of Lebanon from Hezbollah... it will no longer be [like this]," he said during a visit to the northern border area. Despite last week's truce, Israeli forces have continued strikes against what they say are Hezbollah fighters ignoring the agreement to halt attacks and withdraw beyond the Litani River, about 30 km (18 miles) from the frontier. On Monday, Hezbollah shelled an Israeli military post, while Lebanese authorities said at least 12 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon. Another person was killed on Tuesday by a drone strike, Lebanon said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any infraction of the truce would be punished, however small. "We are enforcing this ceasefire with an iron fist," he said ahead of a cabinet meeting in the northern border city of Nahariya. "We are currently in a ceasefire, I note, a ceasefire, not the end of the war," he added. DIPLOMACY Top Lebanese officials urged Washington and Paris to press Israel to uphold the ceasefire, after dozens of military operations on Lebanese soil that Beirut has deemed violations, two senior Lebanese political sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The sources said caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally who negotiated the deal on behalf of Lebanon, spoke to officials at the White House and French presidency late on Monday. Mikati, quoted by the Lebanese news agency, said that diplomatic communications had intensified since Monday to stop Israeli violations of the ceasefire. He also said a recruitment drive was under way by the Lebanese army to strengthen its presence in the south. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told reporters on Monday that the ceasefire "is holding" and that the U.S. had "anticipated that there might be violations". The truce came into effect on Nov. 27 and prohibits Israel from conducting offensive military operations in Lebanon, while requiring Lebanon to prevent armed groups including Hezbollah from launching attacks on Israel. It gives Israeli troops 60 days to withdraw from south Lebanon. A mission chaired by the United States is tasked with monitoring, verifying and helping enforce the truce, but it has yet to begin work. Lebanon's Mikati met in Beirut on Monday with U.S. General Jasper Jeffers, who will chair the monitoring committee. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that France's representative to the committee, General Guillaume Ponchin, would arrive in Beirut on Wednesday and that the committee would hold its first meeting on Thursday. "There is an urgency to finalize the mechanism, otherwise it will be too late," one of the sources said, referring to Israel's gradual intensification of strikes despite the truce.