Author: FRF Magazine

Cases of measles continue to rise in north London – with Enfield and Haringey accounting for almost half of all cases nationally. Data released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on Thursday shows 12 more infections in Enfield from the final week of February, taking the total number of measles cases in the north London borough this year to 71. There have also been two more confirmed cases of the disease in Haringey, taking the total over the past two months to 13. The rise in cases is mainly affecting children in schools and nurseries. The most severe cases requiring…

New York — For months, investors and analysts have kept a close eye on the shadowy corner of finance known as private credit, where alarm bells have stoked fears of a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis. Whether those alarms amount to a handful of isolated bad bets or a more menacing systemic weakness in the $1.8 trillion sector is far from clear. But if the latter is even a remote possibility, it’s worth understanding what the heck is going on. A quick primer on ‘private credit’ Very simply, the term refers to investors lending money directly to private businesses, bypassing…

For the past week, Israel has unleashed a furious assault across Lebanon, targeting the militant group Hezbollah from Tripoli in the far north to the villages along the country’s southern border. The Israeli military says it has targeted Hezbollah sites with hundreds of strikes. The attacks have killed at least 217 people, wounded nearly 700 more, Lebanese authorities say, with hundreds of thousands displaced. At least 12 Israeli soldiers have been injured in the renewed fighting, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. That strikes will likely only increase in the coming days with evacuation warnings issued for vast swaths of the country,…

Many parts of the world are experiencing a housing crisis, with demand in urban areas often outpacing supply, leading to soaring prices. In countries including the UK and the US, an aging population of builders combined with a drive to fill the housing shortage means there is a need for more construction workers. The UK’s Construction Industry Training Board found that the country will need 250,000 more workers by 2028 to meet building targets but in 2023, more people left the industry than joined. UK technology company Automated Architecture, or AUAR (pronounced “our”) believes it has a solution. It makes portable micro-factories that can produce…

Six immigration officers have been charged following an investigation into thefts from migrants and money laundering. Five of the officers are facing charges including conspiracy to steal and misconduct in public office, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. All six, who are from Surrey, Kent, Berkshire and London, have been charged with money laundering offences. Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said: “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.” The charges follow a Home Office…

The show formerly known as the SAG Awards took place on Sunday. Now, it’s a nonstop rush to the Academy Awards on March 15. “Sinners,” which had five nods going into the evening, walked away with two top trophies. One was for Michael B. Jordan, who pulled double duty playing twins, winning the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role. The acclaimed vampire-period hybrid film, from director Ryan Coogler, also won for its ensemble as a whole, with an impassioned speech from supporting actor nominee Delroy Lindo. Rogen accepted the award for best female actor in a comedy series…

Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to California Highway Patrol. Booking information available online shows that the pop superstar was stopped by CHP officers around 9:30 p.m. and booked shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday. She was later released. CHP public information officer Ryan Ayers confirmed via phone on Thursday morning that Spears was arrested on suspicion of DUI. A press release by CHP later on Thursday stated that a black BMW was reported “for driving erratically at a high rate of speed” at approximately 8:48 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The car, which…

Is the world getting hotter, faster? It’s a big question which has been puzzling and dividing scientists for years. A new paper says it has the answer, and it’s not good news. Global warming has accelerated “significantly” over the past 10 years, meaning the world may barrel through crucial global warming limits faster than expected, according to the study published Friday in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. As parts of the Northern Hemisphere recover from very cold blasts, it can be hard to remember just how warm the planet has been over the past few years, but it’s been on an exceptionally…

Russia is providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of American troops, ships and aircraft, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue, the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war. Much of the intelligence Russia has shared with Iran has been imagery from Moscow’s sophisticated constellation of overhead satellites, one of the people said. It is not clear what Russia is getting in return for the assistance. Some New Agencies has asked the Kremlin and the Russian embassy in Washington for comment. It is also not clear whether any…

Trinidad and Tobago-born rapper Nicki Minaj declared herself to be Donald Trump’s “number one fan” on Wednesday, while also showing off her Trump “gold card” visa, which offers applicants residency and a path to US citizenship. The US President called the star up on stage in Washington DC after she announced her support for the so-called “Trump Accounts”, which provide trust funds for children. Previously a critic of Trump’s hardline immigation policies, Minaj, who came to the US with her parents as a child, has praised his leadership in recent years. It comes at a time of protests after Immigration and Customs Enforcement…