COSMETICS retail giant Lush has closed all of its UK stores in protest at Israel’s actions in Palestine.

Lush, which operates more than 100 stores across the UK, has also closed down its factories and website for the day. Visitors are instead greeted with a page in the colours of the Palestinian flag which reads: “Stop starving Gaza. We are closed in solidarity.”

Lush said it hopes to push the UK Government into greater action by depriving it of a day's worth of tax revenue from its business.

Retail giant Lush closes all UK stores in Gaza tax protest

Cosmetics retail giant Lush has closed all of its UK stores in protest at Israel’s actions in Palestine ...

^{Xander Elliards (The National)}

COSMETICS retail giant Lush has closed all of its UK stores in protest at Israel’s actions in Palestine.

Lush, which operates more than 100 stores across the UK, has also closed down its factories and website for the day. Visitors are instead greeted with a page in the colours of the Palestinian flag which reads: “Stop starving Gaza. We are closed in solidarity.”

Lush said it hopes to push the UK Government into greater action by depriving it of a day's worth of tax revenue from its business.

Retail giant Lush closes all UK stores in Gaza tax protest

Cosmetics retail giant Lush has closed all of its UK stores in protest at Israel’s actions in Palestine ...

^{Xander Elliards (The National)}

Wildfire veterans say it’s nearly unprecedented for federal agents to conduct immigration enforcement near the front lines of an active wildfire. Some fear the raid could reverberate throughout the wildland fire community, making it more difficult to fully staff the crews putting out blazes at the peak of fire season in the West.

“There’s a lot of brown bodies out there on the fire line,” said Bobbie Scopa, who had a 45-year career as a firefighter and now serves as executive secretary with Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of wildfire professionals.

“They were told they were going to cut firewood,” said Scott Polhamus, secretary of the Organization of Fire Contractors and Affiliates, a nonprofit industry group. “The people that were supposed to meet them never showed up, and eventually immigration showed up instead.”

Many contract crews rely heavily on immigrant labor.

“[Immigrants] make up a huge portion of forestry and fire, they’re an integral part of this industry,” Polhamus said.

Now, wildland fire veterans fear that the immigrants who have been protecting communities from fires could make fire camps a target for immigration officials who are trying to meet deportation quotas. And more high-profile raids on fire crews could cause many in the workforce to reconsider their profession.

https://stateline.org/2025/08/28/immigration-raid-at-washington-blaze-stokes-fear-in-wildfire-crews-nationwide/

The peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL described the Tuesday morning incident as “one of the most serious attacks on UNIFIL personnel and assets” since the cessation of hostilities in November that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

UNIFIL said Israeli drones dropped four grenades close to the peacekeepers, who were working to clear roadblocks that hindered access to a U.N. position along the border line. One grenade hit within 20 meters (yards) and three others within approximately 100 meters of U.N. personnel and vehicles, it said, adding the drones were observed returning toward Israel. No one was hurt in the attack.

UNIFIL said the Israeli military had been informed in advance of the peacekeeping force’s road clearance work in the area, southeast of the village of Marwahin less than a kilometer (mile) from the border line.

https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-peacekeepers-unifil-drones-drop-grenades-marwahin-79c44856265907a0a6f869f4d5e5fccc

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso’s parliament has passed a law banning homosexuality with offenders facing two to five years in prison, the state broadcaster reported late Monday.

The amended family code was approved by the parliament on Monday in an unanimous vote that puts the code into effect more than a year after it was approved by the military government of Capt. Ibrahim Traore.

Burkina Faso joins the list of more than half of Africa’s 54 countries that have laws banning homosexuality with the penalties ranging from several years in prison to the death penalty. The laws, though criticized abroad, enjoy popularity in the countries where locals and officials have criticized homosexuality as behavior imported from abroad and not a sexual orientation.

The new law goes into effect immediately with individuals in same-sex relationships risking prison sentences as well as fines, Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said during a briefing broadcast by the state TV. He described homosexual acts as “bizarre behavior.”

Officials touted the new law as a recognition of “marriage and family values” in Burkina Faso.

https://apnews.com/article/burkina-faso-homosexuality-ban-traore-africa-dc5887e2cfb8a6da832521c404dbd607

The 33,000 pages included years-old court filings related to Epstein and his former girlfriend and associate Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as what appears to be bodycam footage from police searches and police interviews.

The files appear to contain information that is already public knowledge.

US House committee releases more than 33,000 pages of Jeffrey Epstein files

Files appear to contain information already in public domain as calls grow for release of all pertinent documents

^{Dani Anguiano (The Guardian)}

Turn your passion for photography into a business with essential tips on equipment, branding, marketing, and managing your services effectively.

Nowadays, professional photographers are needed in multiple industries like journalism, real estate marketing, and travel. If you have a passion for photography and are interested in starting your own business, its valuable to look into integrating both.

If you are looking to start your photography business, first be prepared for the equipment of your studio with certain things like high-quality cameras and other accessories. After preparing this, you will also do marketing for your photography skills, which requires a website, accounting software, a logo, and other things.

Start your own photography business within your ability. Prepared with a detailed business plan, ready to manage your startup expenses and start sharing your innovative photography services with the world. Here are some tips for getting started with your own photography business.

Starting a Photography Business Without Experience: What You Need to Know

Photography Startup Plan
A great business plan helps to clarify your business strategy, recognise possible challenges, find necessary resources, and assess the market potential of your idea. First, take priority in launching your business, then plan to manage customers in appointment scheduling, the type of services you are providing and handling your invoice and payment process.

Next stage, you need to identify your business's targeted audience through research and plan to set up the price list for your services. Then buy quality cameras and accessories from brands that will ensure high picture quality, which will satisfy your customers.

**Choose a Business Name **
Every business needs a business name, and it is important to choose a unique one. While selecting a business, keep this in mind: it should be catchy, easy to remember, may reflect your niche, and relate to your business. Also, choose a name that not only reflects your speciality but also needs to leave a good, long-lasting impression with your clients.

Before finalising your business name, you need to check the domain availability for that name. For that, you need to verify with the business registry that no one else used this same name. After choosing the correct business name, you can create a logo and free business cards making using online software like Invoice Temple, etc.

Registration and Getting Licences
After finalizing your business name, you need to register your business as a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation. You can also register with a less formal structure known as a sole proprietorship, which does not offer many protections. Also, having some specific rules for registering businesses, obtaining a business license, collecting and sending sales taxes and periodically reporting business information.

Getting a business license not only allows you to run your photography business legally but also you need to build trust with your clients, which leads to improving your business. To secure your business license, you need to get in touch with the license authorities and submit the required documents.

**Creating Website and Establishing **
With your business name, buy a domain and create a website for your business using online platforms like WordPress, Wix, GoDaddy, etc. Design and add posts, photos, videos, and blogs to your website. With this information, add a clear call to action and contact forms to convert the visitors into clients. In this crowded market, you need to create an individual name for you to run your business. Effective marketing strategies help you to promote your business in the business marketplace.

Create engaging contents that reveal your best works and offer valuable tips in the form of blogs. Use relevant hashtags, run targeted ads, and regularly engage with your followers to build relationships. Collaborating with other creatives or influencers may help you expand your business growth.

For photography, your business must be well equipped with essential features like a high-quality camera, editing software, a business licence, and marketing tools such as business cards, a website, flyer designs, and a unique logo.