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Club cited possible safety concerns' after West Midlands police decided to ban Maccabi fans from fixtureAston Villa told matchday stewards they would not have to work during the club's Europa League fixture against the Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv, citing possible concerns" over safety, it has been reported.West Midlands police decided to ban Maccabi fans from the forthcoming match, after saying the force would not be able to police the fixture safely owing to violent clashes and hate crime offences" at a previous match in Amsterdam in 2024. Continue reading...

Authorities urge UN to intervene to protect unarmed civilian populations' after attack on bus that killed 11Gaza's media office has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire with Hamas 47 times since the truce came into effect in early October, killing 38 Palestinians and wounding another 143.These violations have included crimes of direct gunfire against civilians, deliberate shelling and targeting, and the arrest of a number of civilians, reflecting the occupation's continued policy of aggression despite the declared end of the war," reads the statement. Continue reading...

Officials say reopening of gateway between Gaza and Egypt would depend on Hamas returning remains of dead hostagesThe Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will stay closed until further notice", Israel has said, after the Palestinian embassy in Cairo said the territory's sole gateway to the outside world would reopen on Monday.The statement by Benjamin Netanyahu's office said reopening Rafah would depend on how Hamas fulfils its ceasefire role of returning the remains of all 28 dead hostages. Israel's foreign ministry earlier said the crossing would probably reopen on Sunday. Continue reading...

Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman calls spread of AI-generated misinformation a dangerous development'A Conservative MP has reported an AI-generated deepfake" video of him announcing that he has joined Reform UK to the police, according to reports.George Freeman, the MP for Mid Norfolk, denounced the video and, in a Facebook post, called the deliberate spread of misinformation through AI-generated content a concerning and dangerous development". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Automated systems have generated cookie cutter' responses that fail to account for individual circumstances, financial watchdog says

Five MTV channels will close at the end of the year in the UK, leaving just one - which mostly plays reality TV. And with budgets pinched, directors say they are strugglingThe launch of MTV, in 1981, ushered in a new era of music. Showing music videos 24 hours a day, the television channel redefined artist marketing and launched the careers of artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna, whose public personas became inseparable from the gripping, frequently controversial clips they produced to be played on the service.Now, that chapter of music history appears to be drawing to a close, with MTV's parent company Paramount announcing last week that its five dedicated music channels in the UK - MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live - will cease broadcasting after 31 December. (The flagship MTV channel, which broadcasts reality programmes such as Catfish, The Hills and Geordie Shore, will remain in operation.) Continue reading...

Decommissioning Hamas weapons seen as major stumbling block, with British diplomats advising on processA European and US-backed UN security council motion to give a planned international stabilisation force robust powers to control security inside Gaza is being prepared, with the strong expectation that Egypt will lead it, diplomats have said.The US is pressing for the force to have a UN mandate without being a fully fledged UN peacekeeping force and will operate with the kind of powers given to international troops operating in Haiti to combat armed gangs. Continue reading...

Canada isn't helping to repatriate refugee applicant Mahin Shahriar, a 28-year-old Bangladeshi man, his lawyer saysA refugee applicant living in Canada is trapped at a US immigration detention facility after he says he mistakenly crossed the border, but his lawyer says Canada isn't helping to bring him back.Mahin Shahriar, 28, who came to Canada from Bangladesh in 2019, told the Canadian Press he accepted an invitation from a friend" to visit a property near Montreal, which he now suspects was part of a broader human trafficking operation. Continue reading...

Tehran terminates 2015 deal under which sanctions were lifted in return for curbs on country's nuclear programmeAn international deal with Iran designed to keep the world safe from the spread of atomic weapons has officially ended, with Tehran announcing the termination of the decade-old agreement.Iran said on Saturday that it was no longer bound by the 2015 agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which international sanctions were lifted in exchange for limitations on Tehran's nuclear programme. Continue reading...

Jason Clare says artificial intelligence is supercharging bullying' to a terrifying' extent

Unusually high temperatures in the low to mid 40s to hit parts of NSW, Queensland and SA, the Bureau of Meteorology predicts

Ukrainian president repeats call for weapons but US president insists they're not easy for us to give you' and says Putin wants to end the war'The key to success is in the sky': the Ukrainian defenders struggling to stem Russia's air assaultFirst came the sound of drones. Then a boom that rattled windows. Shortly after that, two columns of black smoke rose over the Shebelinka gas processing plant in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Towering flames threatened storage tanks. Continue reading...

Boots, hit show about a closeted teen joining the marines, has led to a statement on restoring the warrior ethos'The Pentagon has slammed Netflix for making woke garbage" after the release of the hit gay military drama Boots.The show, based on Greg Cope White's 2015 memoir The Pink Marine, tells the story of a closeted teenager who enlists in the United States Marine Corps in the 1990s. Continue reading...

In the six attacks on similar vessels launched by Trump, this is the first where any survivors have been reportedThe US has seized survivors of a military strike on a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, the first since Donald Trump began launching deadly attacks in the region last month, according to officials in Washington.Trump later confirmed the attack, telling reporters that the targeted vessel was a narco-submarine. Continue reading...

University of Texas at Austin faculty fear changes from new taskforce that could restructure humanities programsFaculty at the University of Texas at Austin fear entire academic departments might be on the chopping block after the university quietly appointed a committee charged with studying the restructuring of its liberal arts programs.The university - the largest in the public University of Texas system - has not made any announcements about cuts or restructuring, but faculty there have learned the committee was established earlier this semester and tasked with a review that they believe is focused on ethnic and regional disciplines such as African and African diaspora studies, Mexican American and Latina/o studies, as well as women's and gender studies. Continue reading...

No 10 says talks happening at pace' over West Midlands police order banning fans from attending Aston Villa tieThe Home Office is offering extra support to West Midlands police in an effort to reverse its ban on fans of the Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv attending a match at Villa Park next month.After a political outcry about the police decision that would stop the Israeli team's fans going to the match, Downing Street said on Friday that discussions were happening at pace across government" to resolve the issue. Continue reading...

Group suspended following unanimous vote after Politico documented racist and antisemitic chats from membersThe New York Republican state committee has suspended the authorization of their Young Republicans chapter after members were implicated in highly offensive and racist messages that were obtained and published by Politico.The Young Republican National Federation is made up of members aged 18 to 40 and has an active chapter in every state. Their website calls them the oldest youth political organization in the US, with the aim being to recruit young voices to the GOP before equipping and encouraging them to run for office. Continue reading...

Musician and philanthropist was nominated in recognition of scholarship programme at the universityThe acclaimed musician and philanthropist Stormzy has been elected an honorary fellow of Jesus College at the University of Cambridge.The 32-year-old, whose full name is Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr, was nominated in recognition of his cultural impact and philanthropic work, having launched the university's Stormzy Scholarship in 2018. Continue reading...

Lawyer hopes investigation for OECD into 2021 find near Australian military testing range sets precedent

Members of white supremacist active clubs' spearheaded a US expansion of a Russian fighting group that has raised money for the Kremlin's illegal invasion of UkraineA Russian street fighting organization that has raised money for Moscow's illegal invasion of Ukraine expanded into the US earlier this year with the help of prominent American white supremacists from the extremist neo-Nazi active club" movement and the neo-fascist organization Patriot Front, the Guardian can reveal.The group, known as Streets Fight Club (SFC), also promoted violent, for-profit combat events featuring white nationalist extremists held in the US south to tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and YouTube. Continue reading...

Administration reportedly promises supercheck' covering shutdown pay for law enforcement officers across DHSThe Trump administration has promised tens of thousands of federal agents carrying out his immigration crackdown that they will be paid during the government shutdown, according to emails seen by Reuters, even as other federal workers go without pay.The pay plan was communicated to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staff on Wednesday in separate internal emails seen by Reuters. Continue reading...

Alvin Bragg was appointed co-chair of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence and sets sights on addressing flow of gunsAt a time of intense focus on high-profile and local incidents of gun violence in the US, Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, has been appointed to help lead Prosecutors Against Gun Violence (PAGV), a national group that has been trying to decrease shootings and violence since 2014.Bragg says he plans to bring his big city experience" to the national group, and wants to collaborate with his peers to address interstate gun trafficking. Continue reading...

Court of appeal rules in former actor's favour after finding tweets calling him racist did cause harm to his reputationLaurence Fox's libel claim after he was called a racist on social media will go to a retrial, the court of appeal has ruled.The former actor was successfully sued by Simon Blake, who is now the chief executive of Stonewall, and the drag artist Crystal over a row on the social media platform X. Continue reading...

Rudimentary but powerful device planted outside home of Report presenter Sigfrido Ranucci in Campo AscolanoA prominent Italian investigative journalist has been targeted in a bomb attack, with the rudimentary but powerful device almost destroying his car and causing damage to a neighbour's home.Sigfrido Ranucci, who hosts Report, an investigative programme aired by the state broadcaster, Rai, said the explosion happened about 20 minutes after he returned to his home in Campo Ascolano, close to Rome, on Thursday night. Continue reading...

John plays twinkling piano part in new song Talk to You, and says he truly loves' the Geordie singer-songwriterSam Fender has released a new song with Elton John entitled Talk to You, the day after winning the 2025 Mercury prize for his album People Watching.It features a twinkling piano line laid out by John, amid Fender's full-bodied guitar-led songwriting. Fender sings on the chorus Just wanna talk to you / Wanna talk with my best friend / Wanna let go of everything that I carry", and has said the song is about: the end of a long relationship - about the regret, the mistakes and the lessons that come with it. It's that feeling of losing your best friend, and coming to terms with that. I was playing around with the riff and thought, What I need is a really good pianist', and then, Hmmm, I wonder who I can call?' And of course, who better than Elton John?" Continue reading...

Typhoon Nakri sweeps through Izu Islands off Tokyo, a week after Halong, causing damage and disruptionThe Izu Islands in Japan have endured another powerful blow as Typhoon Nakri swept through on Monday, following in the footsteps of Typhoon Halong, which struck a week earlier.Officials on Hachijojima Island, south of Tokyo, reported disruption and damage to about 220 homes after the storm brought 37mm (1.5in) of rain in one hour and gusts of up to 95mph (152km/h). Airport operations were disrupted, infrastructure damaged, and heavy rainfall caused landslides across the island chain. The typhoon also generated 9-metre waves, creating dangerous coastal conditions. Off the Pacific coast in Oiso, in Kanagawa prefecture, three men were swept away while fishing, one of whom has been confirmed dead. Continue reading...

Owner and manager of venue which will be renamed say original decision was error of judgment' with mention of preferred mix' described as tone deaf and hurtful'

Fashion and art are familiar bedfellows but relevance of fashion at London contemporary art showcase has grown in past decadeWhen you are at the art fair, you push the fashion to be bold and experiment - no black allowed," says Belma Gaudio, at the opening of Frieze art fair in London.Gaudio is the founder of fashion boutique Koibird and an art collector, and carries a bright green Hermes bag, and her own knitted co-ords with pictures of insects to make her point. Continue reading...

The museum has declined to answer key questions about the decision to return the artwork, prompting the New York-based researcher who uncovered the story to challenge the NGV's handling of the case

With no law, order or any alternative administration under the ceasefire, the group is using violence to deter rivalsThroughout Israel's two-year war in Gaza, aid officials working in the territory avoided naming Hamas in conversations they suspected might be intercepted, instead referring to the militant Islamist group as the de facto authority".This careful euphemism for Hamas, which violently seized power in 2007, captured an important truth. Though the group was a less obvious presence in the last months of the conflict, in the absence of any alternative, it remained the closest the increasingly devastated territory had to a ruler. Continue reading...

Demonstrators clashed with police outside congress building amid public anger at crime crisis days after Jose Jeri assumed powerPeru is set to declare a state of emergency after at least one person was killed and dozens of police officers were injured in widespread protests against President Jose Jeri who assumed power just days ago.Prime minister Ernesto Alvarez said late on Thursday that the government would declare the state of emergency in Lima within hours and is preparing a package of measures to tackle rising insecurity. Continue reading...

Housing secretary and capital's mayor draw up plans to boost housebuilding, but homelessness charities protestDevelopers will be allowed to build lower numbers of affordable homes and claim higher subsidies to build them under plans being drawn up by the government to solve London's housebuilding crisis.Steve Reed, the housing secretary, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, will announce the package within weeks, in what officials say will be a time-limited intervention designed to stall the sudden drop in new building in the capital. Continue reading...

Ceremony marks 80 years since release of the Rev W Awdry's first book and coincides with railway bicentenaryEighty years since the first of a beloved fleet of trains was introduced to the world, a national blue plaque is being unveiled at the redbrick house in Gloucestershire where the Rev W Awdry worked on his railway stories.The addition of the new Historic England plaque to Wilbert Awdry's old address in Stroud is expected to prompt fans of Thomas the Tank Engine and his fellow locomotives to make a pilgrimage to the street to pay their respects. Continue reading...

Jane Hume's office says comments about the regional party were meant to be teasing, attracting a sharp rebuke that the Liberals were out of touch'

It is unknown whether US military rendered aid to survivors after attack on suspected narcoterrorist' vesselThe US military carried out a new strike on Thursday against a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean, and in what is believed to be the first such case, there were survivors among the crew, a US official told Reuters.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not offer additional details about the incident, which has not been previously reported. But it raises new questions, including whether the US military rendered aid to the survivors and whether they are now in US military custody. Continue reading...

Cambodia's rights commission said intense, high-pitched noises' broadcast by Thai soldiers along the disputed border threatened to escalate tensionsCambodia's former leader Hun Sen has complained about Thailand broadcasting ghost-like sounds across a disputed border, while the country's human rights commission has accused its neighbour of engaging in psychological warfare, despite both countries agreeing to a ceasefire in July.Posting on Facebook, Hun Sen, 73, who now serves as Cambodia's powerful senate president, said Cambodia's human rights commission had complained to the United Nations about the intense, high-pitched noises". Continue reading...

Editors at the Indiana Daily Student say administration's move to control news content amounts to censorshipIndiana University has ordered its student-run newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student (IDS), to cease printing new editions and fired the school's director of student media, who also served as the paper's adviser, according to multiple reports. Students at the school are criticizing these moves as censorship.The university's directive to halt print editions came just hours after Jim Rodenbush, the school's director of student media, was terminated, according to a letter from IDS editors. Continue reading...

FCA cites study showing victims' red flags' are often missed and calls for improved monitoring systemsThe City regulator has called on banks and payment firms to bring in stricter controls protecting customers from romance fraud after a study showed a number of missed red flags" that led to people losing huge sums of money.The review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) highlighted one case where someone lost 428,000, another where a customer made 403 payments totalling 72,000 to a fraudster and a case where someone wanted money to transfer cryptocurrency to their partner" in Iraq. Continue reading...

Daniel Birtwistle, 39, faces trial for manslaughter of 24-year-old tattoo artist and other charges including assaultA man has appeared in court charged with manslaughter, assault and coercive and controlling behaviour.Daniel Birtwistle, 39, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, appeared by video link at Dudley magistrates court on Thursday morning, where he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. Continue reading...

In response to pledge, company has claimed in a statement that its policies prohibit discrimination of any kind'Warner Bros Discovery has rebuked a pledge signed by more than 4,000 film industry figures to not work with Israeli film institutions implicated in the genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people", saying that such a pledge would likely violate its internal policies.In a statement to Variety, a spokesperson said the company is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for its employees, collaborators, and other stakeholders". Continue reading...

Zions and Western Alliance reveal problems with bad loans as scrutiny of regional banks' lending practices increasesUS regional banking stocks fell sharply on Thursday after two banks disclosed issues with bad and fraudulent loans, amplifying concerns on Wall Street around the state of credit markets.Zions Bancorp announced it had a $50m charge-off over two bad loans from its subsidiary, California Bank & Trust in San Diego. Western Alliance also said it was dealing with a fraudulent borrower. Continue reading...

Agents also appear to have violated order banning them from using riot-control, such as tear gas, without warningFederal immigration officers in the Chicago area have been ordered by a court to wear body cameras after they repeatedly deployed pepper balls, smoke grenades and tear gas against protesters and local police, seemingly in violation of a federal judge's ruling from last week.Sara Ellis, a US district judge, who had previously required immigration agents to wear badges and banned them from using riot-control techniques such as tear gas without warning, railed on Thursday against the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) continued aggressive tactics, many of which have been caught on camera, and which appear to violate her order. Continue reading...

Stephen Parkinson called on to give fuller explanation' as MI5 expresses frustration over charges being droppedThe director of public prosecutions has come under intense cross-party pressure to explain why the China spy trial collapsed as MI5 expressed frustration at the decision and MPs launched a series of inquiries into how it was taken.The chairs of the home affairs, foreign affairs, justice and national security committees wrote together to Stephen Parkinson, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), on Thursday calling on him to give a fuller explanation for the dropping of charges". Continue reading...

Militant group says it needs specialist equipment to recover bodies as Netanyahu says fight is not over yet'

The actor has paid tribute to his Godfather co-star and one-time romantic partner, saying she had a once-in-a-lifetime gift'Al Pacino has paid tribute to the his co-star and ex-romantic partner Diane Keaton who died last week.The 85-year-old actor had been filming in Paris and reportedly needed some time to put together his thoughts and feelings on Keaton, who died of pneumonia on Saturday at the age of 79. Continue reading...

Killing of Lola Daviet three years ago led to outcry after far right was accused of exploiting her death for political gainA woman who allegedly abused and tortured a 12-year-old girl before leaving her to suffocate will go on trial for murder on Friday in a case that has shocked France and caused political waves.Lola Daviet's body was found stuffed into a plastic trunk that had been dumped on the street near her home. Continue reading...

Trustees working with legal and financial advisers as artists claim repeated emails have been ignoredManchester Pride has said it is determining the best way forward" with legal and financial advisers after allegations that its performers have not been paid.One of Europe's biggest LGBTQ+ Pride events issued a statement after performers who took part in this year's three-day festival claimed they are owed thousands in unpaid fees. Continue reading...

National security adviser, education secretary and science minister to visit before end of year as part of policy to reset relationsMinisters are pushing ahead with their reset of relations with China, including several planned high-level visits before the end of the year, despite the furore triggered by the collapse of a high-profile espionage trial.Plans have been drawn up for Jonathan Powell, the national security adviser, to travel to Beijing in November for talks before an anticipated trip by Keir Starmer next year. Continue reading...

In excerpts from posthumously published text, Giuffre warns more women will suffer if people continue to believe Jeffrey Epstein was an anomaly'Virginia Giuffre's latest revelations are a mirror held up to a system" that still enables powerful men to groom, abuse and exploit women with impunity, women's rights campaigners have said.Excerpts from Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, which were released ahead of the book's publication next week, lay bare how Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell took advantage of their position of power to manipulate and groom Giuffre.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Prime minister also announces 10m funding to provide security for Jewish amenities, including synagogues and schools