There is “no end in sight to the rain”, forecasters have warned, despite downpours having lashed Britain every day in 2026.

A yellow rain warning is in force for the West Midlands, and parts of the south of England and Wales, running until 9pm on Friday.

Homes and businesses could flood, power supplies could be affected, and some surface water flooding is likely because of the widely saturated ground, the Met Office said.

South West England and South Wales have faced 50% more rainfall than is usual for January, with rain every day of the year so far.

Overall, England received 150% of its long-term average rainfall last month, according to the Environment Agency (EA), with the South West region seeing 184% of the long term average rainfall in January.

In just the first three days of this month, the South East had received 32% of the long-term average rainfall for February, the EA said.

Rainfall totals varied from 13mm in England’s east to 43mm in the South West for the week from 28 January to 3 February, the agency added.

And forecasters predict that the rain will still be falling daily in those areas by Sunday.

“Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight,” said Dan Stroud, operational meteorologist with the Met Office.

Another band of rain in the South West will travel northwards on Friday with heavy bursts, he added.

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Kitesurfers use storm water in Somerset

And it is more of the same on Saturday, with heavy showers lashing the south in the morning, before gradually pushing up into Wales and the Midlands.

The southern and western parts of the UK will see yet another band of rain arrive on Sunday, it is predicted, though it should be slightly drier elsewhere.

Check the forecast for your area

Northern Ireland is also subject to a yellow rain warning until midnight on Friday.

While in Scotland, persistent cloud and rain will continue to affect the east of the country, including Aberdeen.

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The city has seen no sunshine for two weeks – a record-setting period of gloom unrivalled in the area since records began in 1957.

Yet parts of East Anglia, the South East and perhaps west Scotland could see some brightness breaking through on Saturday.

Mr Stroud said: “Very little in the way of change, and the reason for it really is that we’ve got a big area of high pressure way out to the far north and east of the country, and that’s stopping areas of low pressure from moving through.

“Until that area of high pressure sort of shifts out of the way, we’re not really going to see much of a change in the forecast.

“At the same time, we’ve got the jet stream way to the south, bringing exceptional wet weather to Spain and Portugal.”

According to the yellow warning covering South West England and parts of Wales, up to 50mm of rain is predicted in higher places, with downpours of 30mm being widespread.

Higher places in Northern Ireland could face up to 80mm of rain, but 20mm is expected in the majority of places.

The new dietary guidelines released this year target ultra-processed foods while promoting protein and easing up on saturated fats.

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz told Fox News Digital the guidelines should have happened a long time ago.

“We’ve gotten America to realize what we’ve all, in medicine, known for quite a while — [that if] you eat healthy fats, the right amount of carbohydrates and focus on protein, you’re much better off,” said Oz in a recent on-camera interview.

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He said he’s already seen a push from the food industry to promote simple carbohydrates.

“All the white foods, white flour, white rice, white sugar — all these tend to create obesity,” said Oz.

“All the white foods, white flour, white rice, white sugar, all these tend to create obesity.” (iStock)

“Paradoxically, it’s not eating fat that makes you fat. It’s sugar that makes you fat, because your body processes it and stores it for future use,” he added.

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Fox News Digital caught up with him recently in Washington, D.C., during the premiere of the new documentary, “MELANIA.” 

Nearly 15 million youths are obese, according to the CDC.

Over 40% of Americans over the age of 20 battle obesity, according to data shared by the CDC for the period Aug. 2021 to Aug. 2023.

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Nearly 15 million youths are obese, according to the CDC.

The new guidelines advise Americans to “significantly reduce” the consumption of highly processed and refined carbohydrates such as white bread, flour tortillas and crackers. (iStock)

The new guidelines advise Americans to “significantly reduce” the consumption of highly processed and refined carbohydrates such as white bread, flour tortillas and crackers.

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Board-certified and licensed dietitian nutritionist Kendall Mackintosh, based in Bethesda, Maryland, told Fox News Digital that refined “white foods” and highly processed grains are “among the most damaging components of the standard American diet from a metabolic standpoint.”

“Paradoxically, it’s not eating fat that makes you fat,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz in an interview with Fox News Digital. “It’s sugar that makes you fat, because your body processes it and stores it for future use.” (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“These foods have been stripped of fiber, minerals and natural nutrients, and they are absorbed quickly — leading to rapid rises in blood sugar and insulin,” said Mackintosh. 

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“Over time, repeated insulin surges can drive increased fat accumulation, persistent cravings, systemic inflammation and a higher risk of insulin resistance.”

Foods that have been “stripped of fiber, minerals and natural nutrients” are very quickly absorbed by the body, said a board-certified and licensed dietitian nutritionist — leading to “rapid rises in blood sugar and insulin.” (iStock)

She added, “Despite decades of low-fat dietary messaging, it is often excess refined carbohydrates and sugar — rather than healthy fats — that strongly promote fat storage in the body.”

Mackintosh said the real issue is not fat from whole foods, but the “chronic overconsumption of processed carbohydrates that disrupts long-term metabolic health.”

In related news, Dr. Oz on Friday spoke with “Fox & Friends” about the new Trump RX website, which promises big savings on medications for Americans. “It’s fair … It will save money, it will save lives,” he said about the new initiative. 

Three men have been charged following the armed robbery of a luxury watch shop in London.

Six men with weapons, including machetes, stormed a Rolex store in Knightsbridge around 10.50am on Tuesday 20 January.

They threatened staff before leaving with several high-value watches, which sell for thousands of pounds, police said.

No injuries were reported.

The Met’s Flying Squad launched an investigation, and three men were arrested in the early hours of Thursday.

Dean Dinan, 29, from Islington, north London, was charged with robbery, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of criminal property.

Elliot Campbell, 31, also from Islington, was charged with robbery, possession of criminal property and possession of drugs.

And Dyllan Gowie, 27, from Tower Hamlets, was charged with robbery and possession of drugs.

At the time of the robbery, Detective Chief Inspector Scott Mather said: “This robbery was carried out in a busy part of London, and we understand the alarm it has caused.”

He added: “Officers were on scene within minutes, and investigators are working at pace to piece together the offenders’ movements. We are determined to find those involved and bring them to justice as swiftly as possible.”

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The trio will appear at Highbury Magistrates’ Court later on Friday.

The investigation continues to hunt for three other men.

31 people died and 169 were injured in a suicide blast during Friday prayers in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad. This massive explosion took place in Khadijatul Kubra Masjid-cum-Imambada located in Tarlai area of ​​Islamabad. The suicide bomber blew himself up after being stopped at the entry gate of the mosque. Eyewitnesses said that the terrorists first opened fire and then detonated the bomb.

When stopped at the gate, he blew himself up – eyewitness

According to the report of Geo News, when the guard stopped the terrorist near the main gate of the mosque, he started firing. Eyewitnesses said that he went towards the place where Namaz was offered and blew himself up. The attacker had used such heavy explosives to blow himself up that the windows of nearby houses were broken. This attack has happened at a time when Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is on a visit to Pakistan. He arrived on a two-day state visit to Pakistan on Thursday.

31 people have died so far in the bomb blast

The district administration spokesperson said in a post on Twitter that at least 31 people were killed and 169 others were injured in the blast. At present no group has taken responsibility for this blast. According to the report of news agency PTI, police sources said that the attacker was a foreign national and had links with ‘Fitna Al Khawarji’. This term is used for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The rescue team and police reached the attack site and started the rescue operation.

Pakistani army surrounded the area

Army soldiers and Rangers have surrounded the area and security operations are being conducted around the blast site. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Allama Raja Nasir Abbas have condemned the attack.

Zardari said, ‘Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity.’ Strongly condemning this attack, Abbas said that targeting religious places is a direct attack on humanity, religion and social values, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.

Emergency after blast in Islamabad

Emergency has been imposed in the capital’s Polyclinic, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and CDA Hospital. On the instructions of the Executive Director (ED) of PIMS, emergency has been imposed in the hospital. A spokesperson said that the main emergency, orthopedic, burn center and neurology departments have been activated. Pakistani media quoted Islamabad district administration as saying that about 15 injured have been shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

Also read: President of Uzbekistan was in Pakistan, big explosion took place in Shia Mosque of Islamabad, 31 dead so far

Divisions are intensifying across the nation, with a recent poll finding that over half of Americans fear the U.S. is on a path toward civil war and two-thirds believe that American democracy is under serious threat. More than ever, both politicians and everyday Americans need a reminder that we are still one country, and that competition without guardrails quickly becomes something else entirely.

While not erasing complicated geopolitical realities, the upcoming Winter Olympics from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22 in Milan, Italy, can be a reminder of the power of unity. Sports can offer a counterweight to divisions at home and abroad. Rather than a distraction from politics, they can be an example of how to do it better. On the world stage and in our own communities, athletic participation shows us the value in finding common ground.

As we watch the world’s great athletes gather in Milan, we should carry the Olympic spirit beyond our television screens and into our Little League fields, school gyms, community leagues and even our most contentious civic spaces. Our legislators should carry that spirit into the halls of Congress and their state capitols. We should apply its lessons of rivalry without hatred and national pride without resentment to how we live alongside one another at home.

The Olympics began in ancient Greece over 2,000 years ago as an opportunity for the citizens of Greek city-states to come together, display their athletic prowess and trade truly violent conflict — ubiquitous at the time — for rules-based sport. Rulers instituted the “Olympic Truce,” ensuring safe participation for the duration of the games.

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People take photos in front of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics rings, in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

The first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece, mirroring the spirit of unity, cultural exchange and excellence exemplified by their historical predecessor. Beginning in the 1990s, the United Nations General Assembly even revived the tradition of the Olympic Truce, adopting a resolution before each Summer and Winter games that calls on member nations to suspend hostilities during the Olympic period.

The Games do not deny conflict, of course, but they show how it can be bound. And they reveal how sports can be a diplomatic language when politics fail.

A recent example comes from the 2018 Winter Olympics, when North Korean and South Korean athletes competed together on the same women’s ice hockey team and marched under the same Korean Peninsula flag in the opening ceremonies, amidst ongoing political tensions between the two nations.

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Sports serve diplomatic ends by bringing countries together and facilitating conversations. Such meetings don’t resolve disputes head on, but they lower threat perception between rivals and reopen channels of communication. They show us how common ground can be found even with people very different from ourselves.

North Koreans and South Koreans have vast cultural differences, but they also share a history, language and a desire for dignity for their people. Teamwork on the ice briefly brought these shared interests into focus.

Viewers can likewise find common ground with their fellow countrymen from watching athletes of all different backgrounds compete together. It’s natural to feel patriotic watching your country’s great athletes walk together, compete and raise the national flag in victory. Global sporting events show how a shared national pride can flourish and rise above prejudice or divisions.

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Competing fiercely while respecting rules is consistent with American constitutional values. The principles we can learn in sports — discipline, respect for our adversaries, fair play, restraint in victory and defeat — carry over in other elements of our lives. These same habits make elections hard-fought but respectable, with the most rough-and-tumble matches ending in a handshake.

While a sports event with the global scale of the Olympics or World Cup only takes place every few years, what happens among nations during the Games reflects what is already happening — quietly — in American communities every weekend. At Little League baseball and softball fields and Friday night high school football games, church leagues and rec centers, our children learn how to compete without hating their opponents, how to follow rules even when emotions run high and how, by working as teams, we can achieve more than by ourselves.

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The Games do not deny conflict, of course, but they show how it can be bound. And they reveal how sports can be a diplomatic language when politics fail.

Just as the Olympic village is a microcosm of the globe, a 12-and-under girls basketball team is a microcosm of a local community. Different backgrounds, different beliefs, different family stories, all bound together by love of the sport and shared rules and goals.

Sports create civic habits that are so needed in our civility-starved world: restraint, respect, discipline and team-focused cooperation. Whether in our small towns or on the world’s stage, shared athletic rituals sustain our nation and remind us that all Americans play for the same team, under the same flag.

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In times of great division, our leaders need reminders that another way is possible. Polarization is not inevitable. Civility can wane, but it can also flourish.

It’s important that we protect the global institutions that allow us to compete without hostility and participate in the local ones that do the same thing. The next time you watch a global sporting event or participate in a local one, remember that the spirit on display is not reserved for the world’s greatest athletes. It’s a model for how free people, at every level of society, can live, compete and still recognize one another as fellow citizens.

Expelled Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu has attacked Rahul Gandhi. Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu’s wife taunted and said that ‘Pappu has finally stamped his name’. A leader who considers himself the only honest and knowledgeable one, is completely oblivious of the ground realities. People close to him succeed in keeping him in exile and sell tickets long before he takes any decision.

Attacking Navjot Kaur, she said, “It takes more than 6 months for them to respond in case of emergency, by then the loss is certain to happen.” Before joining people with him, he should find out from his so-called supporters whether they are ready to be honest? Are they ready to work honestly for Punjab?”

Pappu has finally put a stamp on his name. A leader who thinks that he is the only honest and knowledgeable person, totally unaware of the ground realities. People working for him in his inner circle succeed in keeping him in exile and enjoying luxuries of life selling tickets…

— Dr Navjot Sidhu (@NavjotSidh42212) February 6, 2026

Rahul Gandhi’s people are busy filling their pockets – Navjot Kaur Sidhu

Navjot Singh Sidhu also said, “Many of his (Rahul Gandhi) followers are not ready for selfless service, rather they are busy filling their pockets because they know he will not return. If you have the guts, ask him to speak against the present government and be ready to disclose his files. Learn to speak and face the truth which is, was and will always be. The advice to a good friend is to be more conscious, mature and practical.”

BJP recognized my talent- Navjot Kaur Sidhu

Praising BJP, Navjot Kaur Sidhu said, “BJP recognized my talent and on the basis of its surveys without any bias, gave me the MLA ticket in 2012. When I was working in the hospital and being a doctor, I was made the Chief Secretary of the Health Department. I had the privilege and freedom to speak the truth and work with integrity. I could go to any department and get my work done.”

BJP recognized my talent and through their surveys not influenced by anything, offered me a MLA Ticket in 2012 while I was working in the hospital and made me CPS, health because of my being a doctor. I had the privilege and liberty to speak truth and work with integrity and…

— Dr Navjot Sidhu (@NavjotSidh42212) February 6, 2026

‘Rahul Gandhi has no time to listen to the ground reality’

He further said, “Rahul Gandhi ji, you do not have time to listen to the ground realities because you like to live in the heaven of your own making. Do you think people like me, who have struggled to become a post graduate, will make time for you? No, my time is only for the people of Punjab and I can work for them by staying away from politics. Most of your supporters have gone to BJP offices. Neither have I met anyone till date nor has anyone contacted me.

Respect honest and hardworking people- Navjot Kaur Sidhu

Navjot Kaur further said that I may work through a foundation, but my time and energy is only for the welfare of Punjab. While giving advice to the Congress leader, he said that learn to respect honest and hardworking people, otherwise your existence in politics will end.