Louise Lasser, star of cult sitcom Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Woody Allen comedies, dies aged 87

The 1970s soap parody made a household name of Lasser, who was also known for her collaborations with ex-husband Allen and later films including Requiem for a Dream

Louise Lasser, star of cult 70s sitcom Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and early films by Woody Allen (to whom she was married for four years), has died aged 87. The New York Times reported she died “at home in Manhattan”.

Lasser’s role as a satirically conceived housewife in suburban Ohio in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, designed as a parody of daytime soap operas, made her a national star, landing her on the cover of People magazine and Rolling Stone. The series lasted a year and a half, between January 1976 and July 1977, but due to its five-days-a-week schedule squeezed more than 300 episodes out of its two season run. Lasser’s Hartman, with her signature pigtails, was preoccupied with domestic minutiae but found herself in unsettling and disturbing situations, including bizarre deaths. The show was intended to explore the changes sweeping ordinary life in the US in the 1970s.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/08/louise-lasser-dies-aged-87-mary-hartman-woody-allen

US stock markets fall amid Iran strikes and potential higher interest rates

Dow down 1.09%, or 500 points, as S&P 500 sees a small loss and tech-heavy Nasdaq rises slightly

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US stock markets fell on Wednesday as the US continued strikes on Iran and the Federal Reserve flagged concerns that would warrant higher interest rates.

Donald Trump’s declaration at the Nato summit in Ankara that the Iran-US ceasefire is over sent oil prices sharply higher Wednesday. Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped more than 5% to crest $80 a barrel. US stocks fell in step, with the Dow down 1.09%, or 500 points, at closing Wednesday afternoon. The S&P 500 saw a small loss while the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose slightly. Global stocks had fallen earlier in the day, with the UK’s FTSE 100 down 1% as Japan’s Nikkei fell 2.1%.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/08/us-stock-markets-iran-interest-rates

Manhattan building sparks evacuations after two structural columns buckle

Officials also find multiple cracks and sagging floors in building that is being converted into apartments

A high-rise building in Manhattan was deemed unstable on Tuesday after authorities determined that support columns buckled, spurring evacuation of nearby buildings, according to officials and reports.

The former Pfizer pharmaceutical building, which is being converted into residential rentals, also had problematic floors, fire department officials said.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/07/manhattan-building-columns-buckle-evacuations

Hungary's public news broadcasts halted in bid to scrap Orban-era propaganda

The country's main state TV channel displayed a message saying it was "sorry" for lying on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe’s President Signs Law Extending His Term #wanitaxigo

Melbourne police in standoff with graffiti artist perched above Pam the Bird tag on Bolte Bridge tower

Man on bridge refuses to come down after posting tax complaint on social media

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Police in Melbourne are stuck in a standoff with a man on top of a major inner-city bridge after a dangerous graffiti stunt.

Emergency services were called to the Bolte Bridge at 3am on Tuesday over reports a graffiti artist had climbed up one of the bridge’s 120-metre high pillars.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/07/melbourne-bolte-bridge-pam-the-bird-graffiti-police-ntwnfb

Why a Diljit Dosanjh film vanished from streaming after two days

The film's troubled journey spans years of censorship disputes, court battles and an unexpected release on a streaming platform.