A large chemical fire sent flames and dense black smoke pouring from a Mississippi manufacturing facility Monday, prompting an employee evacuation and a major emergency response from fire crews across the county, according to local reports.

The blaze started at a Howard Industries facility in Laurel when a paint booth caught fire near a tanker truck carrying an explosive substance, Mayor Johnny Magee told local media.

All workers were safely evacuated, and fire departments throughout Jones County responded to the scene, according to WDAM-TV. By 8 p.m., crews had largely brought the fire under control.

Video shared on social media showed towering flames at the facility as heavy smoke spread across the sky and fire trucks moved in.

Several loud booms could be heard as people ran from the area and firefighters worked near the fire, according to WAPT-TV.

“Everybody’s gotta leave,” Brandon Herford Brewer, who posted one of the videos, could be heard saying.

Brewer described the heat as unbearable as he prepared to leave the area.

“My face is melting,” he said. “It’s Howard industry, and I’m about to get out of here. I am sweating down.”

Brewer later said the building had been cleared and everyone had gotten out.

Howard Industries makes electrical transformers, including the equipment utilities use to get electricity to homes and businesses. The company says its Laurel plant covers about 2.3 million square feet.

Officials urged people to avoid the area, warning that traffic could slow firefighters and put workers and first responders at risk.

It was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured or how much damage the fire caused.

Officials did not immediately release more information.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s dog is no longer a mystery — the couple’s beloved pup is named Wendy.

The Samoyed’s name was revealed by Forbes after Wendy stepped into the spotlight for her first fashion campaign, appearing in a Tommy Hilfiger shoot with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.

For the stylish ad, Wendy was photographed beside her famous owner on a striped lounge chair at New York City’s iconic Plaza Hotel.

Kelce — who looked dapper in a navy peacoat and white turtleneck — smized for the camera as the pup sat up on his leg.

In a video for the campaign, Wendy and the NFL star got cozy together on a couch as Kelce sported a gray Hilfiger hoodie.

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Fans began suspecting the newlyweds had become dog parents when images from inside their lavish Madison Square Garden wedding were leaked to the Daily Mail.

In one snap of the garden-themed decor at the nuptials, there was a portrait of the pop star and the tight end holding a white dog.

Fans also recalled seeing the dog hop out of Swift’s car a few months prior.

Wendy made her debut alongside Kelce in July when she traveled with the athlete to Palm Beach, Florida, via Swift’s private jet.

Page Six exclusively reported that the pair got the white pooch “many months” ago and have had Wendy for “close to a year.”

We were told Swift and Kelce are “very happy” about “their shared pet.”

Swift and Kelce tied the knot in a star-studded ceremony — officiated by comedian Adam Sandler — in New York City on July 3.

The Grammy winner and her husband each exchanged 20-minute vows in front of an estimated 1,000 guests.

The bride and the groom both wore Dior haute couture. Swift reportedly walked down the aisle to her 2008 hit song “Love Story.”

This summer’s run of A-list weddings has delivered no shortage of spectacle, from Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s reported £1.5million celebration in Sicily to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s lavish Madison Square Garden affair.

But while the biggest names in entertainment have been gathering to exchange vows, it is the behaviour of some celebrity guests that has sparked just as much conversation as the ceremonies themselves.

On Saturday, Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas O’Connell married his longtime girlfriend Claudia Sulewski in a glamorous ceremony at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, where Justin and Hailey Bieber were among those in attendance.

However, fans with a close eye on the festivities quickly began speculating about possible tension between the Biebers after the couple were seen in what appeared to be a serious exchange.

During the celebration, Justin and Hailey were pictured talking animatedly away from the rest of the guests, with the model seen gesturing emphatically before turning and walking away from her husband.

A representative for Hailey declined to comment, and the Daily Mail has not heard back from a representative for Justin. 

Body language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail: ‘the way that Hailey looks back at her husband as he walks away after their animated conversation gives the impression of tension or drama here.’

Yet Justin and Hailey’s moment of alleged ‘tension’ is not the first time celebrities have sparked controversy as wedding guests. 

From Geri Halliwell’s white bridal look at Melanie C’s Lake District wedding, to Meghan Markle’s baby announcement during Princess Eugenie’s big day, these are the celebrities who have famously risked breaking wedding guest etiquette…

Justin and Hailey Bieber’s intense exchange 

The Biebers were among the star attendees at Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas O’Connell’s wedding to Claudia Sulewski in Santa Barbara on Saturday.

And while Justin, 32, posted cosy snaps from the event on Instagram, he and his wife, 29, appeared to share an intense moment at one point during the festivities.

According to body language expert Judi James, Justin’s ‘gently hunched posture and the way his arms hang slightly in front of his torso makes him look less motivated and less positive here.’

Hailey, meanwhile, was seen holding a cocktail and gesturing before the couple eventually went their separate ways. 

However, the expert added that it did not appear the two were arguing, saying: ‘Hailey has been waving her arms and pointing, although not at him so no signal of conflict.’ 

O’Connell, 29, and Sulewski, 30, exchanged vows in a lush garden setting at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, surrounded by family and friends, as seen in photos obtained by Deuxmoi. His sister, 24, reportedly had the honor of officiating the ceremony. 

The Biebers, who have a two-year-old son, will soon be celebrating their eight-year wedding anniversary – they tied the knot in a New York City courthouse on September 13, 2018.

Geri Halliwell’s all-white look

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, 54, divided opinion online when she attended Melanie C’s Lake District wedding last month.

Several individuals questioned her decision to wear what looked to be a romantic, flowing white dress for her friend and former bandmate’s big day.

Geri picked a cream outfit with a delicate floral pattern for Mel C’s big day, as seen in a photograph published by British Vogue.

In the snap, Sporty Spice was flanked by her former bandmates, including Geri, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown as she beamed with joy after saying ‘I do’ to long-time boyfriend Chris Dingwall.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, stylist Lisa Talbot said: ‘I think if a dress is predominantly white, even with a pattern it can still feel risky.

‘If there’s any chance it could resemble bridalwear in photographs, I would avoid it. There are so many other beautiful colours to wear as a guest.’

Meanwhile, fans felt that Geri could have picked a different colour for her close friend’s wedding, with one person writing ‘white is only for the bride’.

Writing on Mumsnet, one person said the floor-length gown teetered on being inappropriate, adding: ‘[Not wearing white] is a sign of respect, not about being mistaken for the bride. If you and your friends don’t care then crack on, but there’s nothing wrong with brides who don’t want other women wearing white to their wedding.’

Reacting to the photo of Mel C, Geri and Emma and Melanie Brown, another said: ‘I actually really thought she wouldn’t do that.’

Others defended Geri, writing that the floral-patterned frock ‘looks nothing like a bridal gown’.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s pregnancy announcement 

When Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank tied the knot in 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were thrilled for the couple and had even postponed the departure of their Royal Tour to Australia to attend the ceremony, Harry wrote in Spare.

However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also used the joyous get-togethers surrounding the marriage in 2018 as an opportunity to share their own good news.

They were pregnant with their first child, Archie – and though some were delighted, the timing of their announcement to family members left others a little disgruntled.

Writing in Spare, Harry revealed: ‘The various gatherings connected to the wedding would give us a chance to pull aside family members one by one and tell them our good news.’

They told Prince Charles shortly before Eugenie and Jack’s drinks reception at Windsor while he was in his study.

Charles was ‘delighted to learn that he was going to be a grandfather for a fourth time,’ Harry wrote.

The Duke and Duchess also informed Prince William later on, after the drinks reception, and then Princess Kate who congratulated them.

However, the news coming at the same time as the bride and groom’s celebrations was not welcomed by everyone in the Royal Family.

‘Many wondered why Meghan chose to reveal her news on the bride’s big day,’ Tom Bower wrote in his book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors.

Eugenie and her mother, Sarah Ferguson, were particularly displeased by the timing and were said to be ‘furious’. 

Victoria Beckham accused of ‘hijacking’ first dance

In January, Victoria Beckham hit the headlines after her son Brooklyn publicly claimed that his mother had ‘hijacked’ his first dance at his wedding. 

During a take down of his parents shared to Instagram, Brooklyn wrote: ‘My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned weeks in advance to a romantic love song.’ 

Brooklyn went on to claim in his statement that he was left ‘humiliated’ when Victoria ‘danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone.’ 

He even stated that his and Nicola’s decision to renew their vows last year without his family present was ‘so we could create new memories of our wedding day that bring us joy and happiness, not anxiety and embarrassment.’

However, Brooklyn’s claims that his mother ‘hijacked’ his first dance at his wedding are at odds with Vogue’s official account of the nuptials.

Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn’s April 2022 wedding was covered by US Vogue, which went into lavish detail about how the wedding party followed American traditions of a mother and son and father and daughter dance.

Vogue say the newlyweds’ first dance was to South African singer Lloyiso’s rendition of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love.

The publication then states that Marc Anthony, a close friend of David and Victoria, took to the stage much later into the reception at 11pm to perform his track I Need To Know.

It was at this point ‘Brooklyn invited his mother on stage for a dance and they were joined by David and their 10-year-old daughter, Harper.’

The claim that Brooklyn ‘invited’ his mother to dance is in direct contrast to his statement that ‘Marc Anthony called me to the stage, where in the schedule was planned to be my romantic dance with my wife but instead my mum was waiting to dance with me instead.’

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s ‘big fight’

When Chrissy Teigen and John Legend were guests at Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s luxurious nuptials in Florence, Italy, in May 2014, tensions were somewhat high between the pair.

During a sit-down conversation with Kim in 2016, Chrissy revealed: ‘John and I got in THE biggest fight at Kim and Kanye’s wedding,’ adding, ‘that you have ever seen in your whole life.’ 

‘I feel like there were so many fights at our wedding!’ Kim disclosed – although not revealing who else argued.

‘Everyone was so wasted from the Versaille night’ Kim added.

Chrissy continued: ‘You know when you think everything’s about you? I was like, “we ruined the wedding and everyone noticed” and everyone’s like “no, not really, nobody noticed,” oh my gosh.’

‘Wait! Was this before or after John sang our first dance song?’ exclaimed Kim.

Chrissy replied: ‘This was before cause I remember standing with your mom and being so mad at him and everyone was like: “he’s so amazing, isn’t he amazing?” and I was like, “NO!”.

Kim then revealed that her and Kanye, who filed for divorce in 2021, also ‘got into a fight’ during Chrissy and John’s nuptials in Lake Como in 2013.

The Keeping up With The Kardashians star revealed:  I got into a fight with Kanye during your wedding when…I didn’t go because she [North] was just born and I was so fat and I was like “I have nothing to wear” and so then he kept texting me being like, “Babe this is the most beautiful wedding”, “Babe this is so pretty, I really wish you were here at Lake Como” and this…

‘Then he’s like telling me that like, “And Stevie Wonder sang,” – literally a text – like a play by play text,’ remembered Kim.

‘You got FOMO?’ Chrissy established.

Kim continued: ‘And I was like – I – we got into the biggest fight – I was like just stop texting me – go enjoy the wedding, cause you’re making me feel so bad.’ 

Kendall Jenner’s risqué look 

When Kendall Jenner attended the wedding of close friend Lauren Perez to David Waltzer in November 2021, her figure-hugging cutout dress was branded ‘tacky’ by numerous social media users who deemed it inappropriate and ‘disrespectful’ for the occasion.

The striking Monot gown saw the model even face criticism for attempting to ‘upstage’ the bride during the reception.

One social media commentator wrote: ‘Cute dress but nothing could be worse for a wedding. All that money and no class or consideration for others.’

In response, Lauren took to Instagram to defend Kendall and wrote that she ‘looked stunning and I loved it’.

Kendall also clarified that she had in fact asked for the bride’s permission on the day to wear the dress.

Ms Talbot noted that while ‘cut-outs, plunging necklines and sheer fabrics can work’, balance is key.

She added: ‘I always say choose one statement feature rather than everything at once.

‘Celebrities often push boundaries because fashion is part of their personal brand and weddings are highly photographed events.

‘Someone like Victoria Beckham or Kendall Jenner will naturally dress in a way that feels authentic to their image, even if it divides opinion. But public reaction usually comes when people feel the outfit risks overshadowing the bride.’

Molly-Mae’s unconventional choice of all-black

In May, Molly-Mae Hague faced backlash over her unconventional decision to wear all-black to Venezuela Fury’s high-profile wedding.

The influencer, 27, who is due to give birth to her second child with Tommy Fury any day now, made a brief appearance at the ceremony on the Isle of Man on May 16 with her daughter Bambi, three, who was a bridesmaid.

‘Black at a wedding?,’ questioned one Facebook user, while another added: ‘Black is a no no at a wedding sorry’.

Traditionally, wearing black to a wedding is heavily frowned upon, as the colour is usually reserved for funerals.

Ms Talbot previously told The Daily Mail: ‘Ultimately, the best wedding guest style is polished, respectful and appropriate for the setting.

 ‘The key is how it’s styled. If it feels elegant and sophisticated rather than sombre or attention-grabbing, it can absolutely work,’ she added.

‘Ultimately, the best wedding guest style is polished, respectful and appropriate for the setting. You want people remembering how chic you looked, not questioning whether you broke the dress code.’

Americans’ greater purchasing power compared with many Europeans shows up in an unlikely place: the McDonald’s menu.

A new report finds that the average U.S. worker can afford 10,215 Big Macs a year after taxes, offering a striking snapshot of disposable income.

That total is more than double what workers in France and Germany can buy, and roughly 50% higher than the number affordable for workers in Britain.

The figures are drawn from the Big Mac Index, The Economist’s long-running and unconventional gauge for comparing economic strength across countries.

The latest analysis looks at how much labor is needed to purchase the same widely available product, sold at about 44,000 McDonald’s restaurants worldwide.

Big Macs are priced according to local ingredient and operating costs. A Big Mac in the US averages $6.22, while it’s $7.30 in France and Germany, and just $3.12 in Japan, according to a separate price tracker.

Dividing the cost of a Big Mac by average wages offers an easy-to-understand way to compare the wealth between the working people of different nations.

In America, it’s just 23 minutes of work to afford a Big Mac — or six burgers per hour.

ALSO READ: Ominous Warning Sign That Nepal’s Devastating Flood Was About to Strike

Americans continue to top the Economist McWages rankings on an annual basis, with a US worker earning nearly $60,000 after taxes — enough to buy 10,215 Big Macs.

That figure is almost twice the roughly 5,000 Big Macs that a worker in France can afford annually, and more than double the roughly 4,000 that can be afforded by German workers.

Switzerland and Australia are in second and third place, respectively, with New Zealand fourth and Israel fifth.

But Americans also work longer hours than many of their European counterparts — and one country has the advantage on Big Macs-per-hour.

Switzerland comes out on top — with Swiss earning the equivalent of seven Big Macs an hour.

Australia, with five burgers for every hour worked, comes third.

The index also tracks wealth growth and decline — because it expresses both wages and the cost of a basic food item.

Germans are not lovin’ it — becoming much poorer in the past two years, as wages have stagnated and prices soared.

However, other countries, such as Latvia, are significantly richer in Big Mac terms than they were two years ago, with the average worker now able to afford an additional burger for every two hours’ work.

As the death toll from catastrophic flooding across Nepal and Tibet rises past 900, scientists are pointing to a series of troubling signals that may have foreshadowed the disaster.

The deadly surge struck last Wednesday, when a violent torrent of ice, snow and rock tore through steep valleys along the Tibet-Nepal border.

Researchers now suspect the disaster was set off by a glacier collapse, with a massive section of ice—estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,300 metres wide—breaking free and plunging into the valley below.

According to experts, monitoring sensors had already detected warning signs that the area was becoming dangerously unstable as early as two days before the deadly collapse.

The crisis has renewed concern over climate risks in the Himalayas, where temperatures are rising faster than the global average and putting once-stable ice formations under growing strain.

Dr Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist from the British Antarctic Survey, said he has temperature sensors in and next to a lake lying at 5100 m about 10 km away from the glacier.

He revealed that last Wednesday – the day of the catastrophic flood – had the highest lake temperature of the year, while two days before this recorded the highest ground temperature in the last two years. 

‘These high temperatures would have weakened the snowpack, filled crevasses with water and thawed the bonds between ice and rock that hold these glaciers in place,’ he said.

Scientists initially suspected that the flooding had been triggered by a magnitude 5.2 earthquake that was detected on August 26.

However, it was later discovered that this seismic event was actually the impact of a massive glacier collapse on the Langtang-Lirung mountain.

This sent ice and rock cascading down the mountain, mixing with sediment left by previous floods, and temporarily blocking the Lhende Khola River.

That caused a large lake to temporarily form before it broke through in a devastating flood.

As of today, 903 people are confirmed dead in Nepal, in addition to 16 in Tibet.

More than 4,000 are also reported missing in Nepal, with another 500 in Tibet.

With recovery efforts ongoing, scientists are now starting to understand the conditions that made the flooding more likely.

Dr Pritchard says: ‘This happened in the middle of the monsoon season when heavy snow and rain fall in this region, making this the peak season for avalanches.

‘The heavy rain would have saturated the soil and filled the rivers downstream, setting the scene for such a disaster, and these conditions are made much more likely by climate change that is causing rapid retreat of Himalayan glaciers.’

The terrain in the northern half of Nepal is extremely steep, making it highly susceptible to landslides, rockfalls, and ice cliff collapses.

When glaciers flow over steep slopes, they fracture into features known as seracs, inherently unstable ice cliffs.

However, climate change is now threatening to further destabilise these already perilous conditions.

Glaciers sit on a layer of permafrost, ground that remains frozen all year, which helps maintain their stability.

As temperatures warm, parts of this permafrost are beginning to thaw, loosening rocks and mud that create a serious risk of catastrophic collapse.

In Nepal, this means that similar rockslides, glacial collapses, and floods are becoming increasingly common.

In April 2015, an earthquake released a major avalanche on the south face of the same Langtang-Lirung mountain, which destroyed Langtang village and caused many casualties.

Professor Maria Shahgedanova, a climate scientist from the University of Reading, says: ‘The failed glacier retreated by approximately 450m between 1990 and 2020, potentially reducing the mechanical support provided by the glacier to the underlying rock slope.’

Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the global average temperature has risen by 1.4°C (2.52°F), but this warming is not evenly distributed.

The Himalayas have been warming far faster than the global average, leading to rapidly accelerating glacier melting.

The latest comprehensive assessment of glaciers using satellite data from 1976 to 2024 found that melt rates have increased everywhere on Earth besides Iceland.

In High Mountain Asia, which includes the Himalayas, the rate of melting in the last decade has been 25 per cent faster than the long-term average.

This increased melting makes serac collapses more likely, destabilises the permafrost, and leads to the growth of large lakes at the feet of glaciers.

These glacial lakes are held back by fragile natural dams of sediment from previous floods that can suddenly break, causing destructive glacial lake outburst floods.

Professor Hugh Sinclair, of the University of Edinburgh, adds: ‘No single event can be attributed to climate change, but the trend is worrying. Melting is driving collapse of the high Himalayan glacial valleys, and this is likely to accelerate with global warming.’