The United States State Department has confirmed the evacuation order of non-emergency personnel from its embassy in Beirut on Monday, February 23.

The move comes after regional tensions have escalated and U.S. President Donald Trump intensified threats against Iran.

The orders are applicable for non-essential staff and eligible family members, though the embassy will remain operational with core personnel.

As reported by Al Jazeera, 50 people had been evacuated while a Beirut airport official reported 32 staff and family members departed on Monday, February 23.

A State Department official said, “We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel. This is a temporary measure intended to ensure the safety of our personnel while maintaining our ability to operate and assist US citizens.”

The departure order follows Israel’s strikes across Lebanon in recent weeks, killing at least 12 people on Friday alone.

Violating the 2024 ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces continue to occupy five outposts inside Lebanese territory.

According to a complaint filed in January to the United States by Lebanon, Israel has made around 2,000 breaches of its sovereignty since October.  

Britain’s film academy and the BBC apologized to viewers after an audience member with Tourette syndrome shouted a racial slur during the British Academy Film Awards.

The offensive word could be heard as “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the award for best visual effects during Sunday’s ceremony.

Host Alan Cumming had earlier told the audience that a guest at the ceremony was John Davidson, a Scottish campaigner for people with Tourette’s who inspired the BAFTA-nominated film “I Swear.”

“I Swear” won two BAFTAs, including best actor for Robert Aramayo, who plays Davidson.

Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements and vocalizations, including the uttering of inappropriate words.

After the outburst, Cumming apologized to the audience at London’s Royal Festival Hall for the “strong and offensive language.”

“Tourette syndrome is a disability and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language,” Cumming said. “We apologize if you were offended.”

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts referred to Cumming’s statement when asked for comment on Monday.

The epithet could be heard when the BBC broadcast the ceremony about two hours after the live event.

The broadcaster apologized, though the offensive word could still be heard on its streaming service on Monday morning. The program was later removed, and the BBC said the slur would be edited out.

“Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional,” the BBC said in a statement. “We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”

Ed Palmer, vice chairman of the charity Tourettes Action, said the BBC should have considered bleeping out the slur.

“This is really one of the most acute examples of where something that is a disability can cause quite understandably huge amounts of offense to someone,” he told Times Radio. “So, if it’s being prerecorded now, then bleeping it out, for example, might be a reasonable compromise.”

The charming member of the royal family, Princess Beatrice, has received a delightful news about new baby amid family crisis.

The 37-year-old’s stylist has brought smile to the Princess’ face with delightful announcement about her first pregnancy, revealing she’s becoming a single mother at 43.

‘Just the two of us’, She wrote in an emotional message.

Olivia Buckingham, the Hong Kong-born British socialite, told her followers it’s ‘never too late.’ 

‘The best birthday gift I could ever dream of! I feel so incredibly grateful that I get to start this next chapter of life with a baby on the way,’ she said.

However, the stylist has not shared further details of how the pregnancy came about. She wrote in in the caption: ‘It’s never too late [to] live the life of your dreams.’

The stylist, who has an impressive portfolio – which includes Princess Beatrice, Poppy Delevingne, and Carey Mulligan – broke the the news in stylish gown. It was the same boho-esque gown that Buckingham chose to style the then-pregnant Poppy Delevingne in at last year’s Baftas, with the model opting sporting the dress in a delicate pink shade.

Buckingham’s followers flooded the comment section with well-wishes, including Beatrice’s husband, Edo Mapelli Mozzi, who shared love heart face emojis.

The stylist, who counts Kate Moss as a close friend, spent her early childhood in Hong Kong before relocating to the UK and attending Heathfield School in Ascot.