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The United States urgently needs a virtual cybersecurity academy to train cyber defenders for national security, according to the Internet Security Alliance (ISA).It noted in a recent update to its National Defense Cyber Threat Report that the federal government needs to muster the resolve shown at the end of World War II when the U.S. established the Air Force Academy to ensure the nation had the trained personnel to defend it in the new air theater of operations.“Today, the United States faces a nearly identical deficiency — this time with respect to digital conflict,” the ISA asserted. “The nation, including every critical infrastructure sector, is under constant cyberattack from well-financed nation-states, and we lack an adequate number of trained personnel required to defend both government and private-sector systems.”It explained that despite high investment in cybersecurity, the workforce deficit is overwhelming, with 500,000 to 750,000 cybersecurity vacancies nationwide, including 35,000 unfilled positions in the federal government.“The United States must respond with the same urgency shown after World War II,” it argued. “While there are some government programs to promote cybersecurity training in return for government service, as would the virtual academy, they are far too small. We need to address the problem at scale.”The ISA outlined a plan by which academy graduates would be paid at a level similar to that of West Point and Annapolis graduates during their required government service.Those salaries are far lower than the ones paid to independent contractors to do those jobs. The difference between what the government pays academy graduates and what it pays independent contractors is so significant that it would cover the full cost of training them. Essentially, this is free cybersecurity for the federal government, the ISA reasoned.Moreover, it added, once the academy graduates complete their government service, they will likely enter cybersecurity jobs in the private sector, where they will continue to defend our nation against nation-state attacks.Funding for the academy could come through the Cyber PIVOTT Act, a proposed law currently before Congress that aims to train 10,000 cyber recruits a year for government positions, the ISA explained.“At Darktrace, we see firsthand the pressing need for a stronger cybersecurity workforce,” said Marcus Fowler, CEO of Darktrace Federal, a global cybersecurity AI company. There are massive numbers of unfilled cybersecurity roles across the United States, leaving businesses and government agencies vulnerable.“The recent PIVOTT Act is a critical step toward closing this gap by creating smarter workforce development pathways, expanding access to hands-on training, and building a skills-based cybersecurity talent pipeline that meets the demands of today’s economy,” he told TechNewsWorld.However, Fowler added, to achieve that goal, we’ll also need to ensure that security teams are trained on the most advanced tools so that technology can fulfill its potential to augment the workforce and act as a true force multiplier.“We believe that a smarter federal cyber workforce policy, when combined with greater adoption of AI-powered cybersecurity technologies, marks the best path forward toward meeting America’s skills and capabilities needs and building a more resilient national cyber defense,” he said.David Kertai, a research assistant with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a science and technology think tank in Washington, D.C., maintained that it is clear that federal, state, and local governments across the U.S. need more cybersecurity professionals to prepare for and respond to the growing number of cyber threats and attacks.For example, he noted, the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program provides scholarships in exchange for service in federal cybersecurity positions. “While this program is a step in the right direction, it should be expanded,” he told TechNewsWorld. A virtual cybersecurity academy could complement the CyberCorps program by connecting individuals with existing educational institutions to complete their degrees and enter the cybersecurity workforce.A virtual cybersecurity academy could be valuable, but only if it avoids the pitfalls that have made other federal training programs ineffective, contended Morgan Peirce, a research assistant in the technology and national security program of the Center for New American Security, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on U.S. national security and defense policy.“The U.S. already operates several major cyber training programs, including CyberCorps SFS, NSA’s Centers of Academic Excellence, and various agency initiatives — and these programs are resource-constrained and structurally fragmented,” she told TechNewsWorld. This new virtual academy would need to fill specific gaps lacking in existing programs.“Adding a new program, rather than expanding existing programs, may fragment funding further,” she said. While the virtual element increases convenience, it will be important not to sacrifice training that requires an in-person element.If an academy were established, it would need to rethink current pedagogical approaches to information security. The traditional cybersecurity education model cannot scale to address the roughly 500,000 unfilled positions in the U.S. alone, contended Michael Bell, CEO of Suzu Testing, a provider of AI-powered cybersecurity services, in Las Vegas.“A virtual academy removes geographic barriers while enabling hands-on training through virtual labs and simulated threat exercises that can actually be more effective than traditional classroom lectures,” he told TechNewsWorld.The risk is that these training pipelines become certificate mills rather than genuine educational institutions, so any national academy must have rigorous standards, real-world capstone requirements, and employer validation to ensure graduates are actually qualified to defend critical systems, he said.Bell envisioned the academy combining asynchronous coursework with live virtual labs, mentorship from practicing professionals, and real-world capstone projects with government and private-sector partners.Think of a hybrid model, he observed, with a foundational curriculum covering network security, incident response, threat intelligence, and secure architecture, paired with specialization tracks: offensive security, cloud security, OT/ICS security, and AI security.Critically, it needs partnerships with employers who commit to hiring graduates, creating a direct pipeline from education to employment, he added. The military’s existing virtual training infrastructure could serve as a foundation — although it would need to be vastly improved, scaled for civilian use, and integrated with community college credentialing programs, like those in the PIVOTT Act.Any academy should require hands-on training in large simulated corporate environments and guidance from senior professionals who would instruct and exercise the trainees, advised Ian Amit, founder and CEO of Gomboc, a provider of automated cloud infrastructure security solutions, in New York City.“The key elements of the work a cybersecurity professional does involve tight coordination with other stakeholders,” he told TechNewsWorld. It’s not about proficiency with specific tools or languages, but more about experience working on incidents and coordinating response.However, Amit argued that we don’t need more entry-level workers in the cybersecurity industry. It’s already overflowing with those who have a hard time breaking into the workforce — especially as more advanced tooling is offered to help fill the tasks performed by entry-level workers.This seems to be a government view on the macroeconomy. While skilled professionals are in short supply, initiatives that provide virtual education to fill entry-level roles are simply misguided, he maintained.While it’s absolutely the case that there is a major cyber professional and workforce pipeline deficit which is problematic, given escalating cyber tensions and incursions from adversaries sponsored or supported indirectly by Iran, Russia, North Korea and China, training alone can’t solve the deficit problem, added Jeff Le, managing principal at 100 Mile Strategies, a government affairs and emerging technologies consulting firm in Washington, D.C.There needs to be a concerted investment and specific matchmaking to reduce the certification glut and emphasize skills-based expertise and apprenticeship models, he told TechNewsWorld.The ISA’s emphasis on national cybersecurity as a shared public-private responsibility is spot-on, noted Rosario Mastrogiacomo, chief strategy officer at Sphere Technology Solutions, a data governance software and services company, in Hoboken, N.J.“But workforce challenges won’t be solved with policy alone,” he told TechNewsWorld. “We need scalable, sustainable infrastructure for continuous learning, better alignment between compliance and real risk reduction, and tools that enable security teams to focus on prevention, not paperwork.”“The ISA report is a wake-up call,” added Ensar Seker, CISO of SOCRadar, a threat intelligence company, in Newark, Del. “It reframes cybersecurity not as a cost center or an IT silo but as a pillar of national strength,” he told TechNewsWorld.We need systemic reforms, yes, but we also need to humanize the workforce challenge, he continued. Burnout, fragmentation, and talent bottlenecks are solvable, but only if we treat cyber professionals not just as defenders, but as strategic assets worth investing in.

Samsung raised the ante in the foldable smartphone market on Tuesday with the introduction of the Galaxy Z TriFold.The three-panel phone folds out to create a 10-inch QXGA+ display (2160 x 1584) with a peak brightness of 1600 nits and a 120Hz refresh rate.The phone’s two side panels fold inward to protect the main screen, and there’s an auto-alarm system that alerts a user when the device is being folded incorrectly.The device can run three portrait-sized apps simultaneously — one in each panel — or a single app across all three panels. The phone also supports an external monitor.When folded, the phone is 12.9 mm thick. Unfolded, it’s 3.9 mm thick at its thinnest point. By comparison, an iPhone 17 Pro is 8.75 mm thick, and an iPhone Air, Apple’s thinnest phone, is 5.64 mm thick.The phone, available only in black, will be offered with 16GB of memory and either 1TB or 512GB of storage. There is no MicroSD support.Under the hood, the phone features a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile processor and a 5,600 mAh three-cell battery, with one cell in each display panel.At the rear of the phone, there’s a 12MP ultra-wide camera, 200MP wide-angle snapper, and 10MP telephoto unit with 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom.There are two 10MP cameras on the front of the unit — one on the screen cover and one on the main screen. Samsung calls the TriFold its most advanced foldable, pairing a redesigned dual-hinge system with a reinforced display and stronger exterior materials, including a titanium hinge housing and Advanced Armor Aluminum frame. It will debut in Korea on Dec. 12 before rolling out to other markets, including the United States. The phone will reportedly sell for $2,440.A tri-fold smartphone is an overall better two-in-one device than a bi-fold, explained Kristen Hanich, director of research at Parks Associates, a market research and consulting company specializing in consumer technology products, in Dallas.“The design allows the user to more easily access the device in its phone form-factor, while also supporting a larger tablet screen when unfolded,” she told TechNewsWorld. “It’s better as a phone replacement and better as a tablet replacement.”A tri-fold lets you carry something that behaves like a 10-inch tablet in a pocketable phone footprint, noted Mark N. Vena, president and principal analyst at SmartTech Research, a technology advisory firm, in Las Vegas.“It gives power users more room for side-by-side apps, content creation, and productivity than even today’s book-style foldables,” he told TechNewsWorld. It is less about basic phone tasks and more about replacing your secondary device.Tri-folds also have benefits for the approximately 34 million American users of reading glasses. The larger screen allows you to enlarge the typeface and still get a lot of words on the same screen, explained Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst with the Enderle Group, an advisory services firm, in Bend, Ore.“It is also better for video content for those who travel a lot,” he told TechNewsWorld. “And it is still unique enough to convey a bit of status, since tri-folds are relatively rare.”Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, a technology advisory firm, in San Jose, Calif., maintained that the market has not shown any demand for tri-fold smartphones. “The Galaxy TriFold is designed to show off Samsung’s design prowess and innovation,” he told TechNewsWorld.The challenge with the foldable phone market is that there isn’t a killer app, or a suite of apps, that delivers high enough value for these devices to be adopted by a large segment of users, contended Tuong Huy Nguyen, director analyst for emerging technologies and trends at Gartner, a research and advisory company based in Stamford, Conn.“The challenge for the foldable market isn’t a technical [or] engineering challenge. It’s a market challenge,” he told TechNewsWorld. “What content, apps, and services are available to support it, and are they high-value enough? Foldables are lacking an ecosystem to support them in a way that’s unique to this form factor.”“Until foldable phones come down in price substantially, or deliver utility and value that justify their cost, they will continue to be a niche product,” he said.Bajarin acknowledged that foldable phones are a niche at the moment, but argued that they could change rapidly. If Apple decides to bring out a folding iPhone and bless this category, the potential for demand for folding smartphones could rise significantly, he predicted.“Apple will not release a folding smartphone unless it has the technology perfected to Apple’s standards,” he added. “But if and when they do bring one to market, Apple’s marketing and innovation engine will kick in, and interest in this category will be heightened.”In addition to marketing prowess, Apple could bring something else to the foldable table. Developers have historically been more willing to update their software to take better advantage of Apple’s hardware, explained Ross Rubin, the principal analyst at Reticle Research, a consumer technology advisory firm, in New York City.“We saw that over many years with the iPad, where apps that had originally been iPhone apps were optimized more for the iPad than Android phone apps were for Android tablets,” he told TechNewsWorld.He added that Samsung’s timing of the TriFold introduction is also interesting. Samsung is coming out with this larger phone surface at the same time that Google is looking at merging Android and elements of Chrome OS. A large part of that would be better support for larger screens.“There is a perception that Apple is behind the proverbial eight ball in the foldable space because Samsung now has book-style, flip-style, and tri-fold hardware on the market while Apple is still all-in on slabs,” added SmartTech’s Vena. “Strategically, though, Apple tends to wait until it can solve durability, thickness, and app experience in a way that feels invisible to users.”“The bigger question is whether customers will still care about foldables by the time Apple finally jumps in,” he added. “Interestingly, I contend that Samsung wants Apple to jump into the category to validate foldable phones with the consequence that ‘a rising tide lifts all boats.’”Vena asserted that tri-folds are less about chasing a gimmick and more about testing the upper limits of the phone as a primary computer. The real unlock will come when software and AI actually exploit the extra canvas with smarter multitasking, not just bigger icons, he said. In the meantime, this category will be a fascinating test bed for what next-generation mobile devices look like.“I carry a Google Pixel Fold 10 and have used foldable phones since the Microsoft Duo came out,” Enderle noted. “I don’t think I could go back to a non-foldable phone.”“However,” he continued, “a tri-fold may be a bridge too far for me, both because of cost and because in a tri-fold the flexible screen is more exposed than a dual-fold and has more mechanical vulnerability.”Foldables aren’t for everybody, maintained Anshel Sag, a senior analyst for mobility, 5G and XR at Moor Insights & Strategy, a technology analyst and advisory firm based in Austin, Texas.“I think they are an ultra-premium niche today that will eventually cannibalize even more of the tablet market than foldables have to date,” he told TechNewsWorld. “I personally almost never use a tablet, but having a foldable has become central to my daily use.”Parks’ Hanich added: Tri-folds are an exciting development in mobile computing, serving as both a smartphone and tablet replacement — and potentially a laptop replacement, as well.The images featured in this article are credited to Samsung.

Discarded electronic waste containing earth minerals is overtaking landfills globally at an alarming rate as much of the tech industry and enterprises kick the disposal problem to the curb. Meanwhile, the waste stream contains critical raw materials needed across global supply chains.The latest edition of the Global E-Waste Monitor reported that global e-waste contained approximately 68 billion pounds of metals in 2022, including significant amounts of critical raw materials. The estimated value of these e-waste metals in 2022 was $91 billion, with copper, iron, gold, and nickel the most valuable components.The report found that formal recycling captured only $28 billion in metal value in 2022, with informal recycling contributing an additional $12 billion. Yet the bigger story sits beneath those numbers. When the estimated $78 billion in yearly health and environmental damage is included, e-waste becomes a net global loss of about $37 billion — potentially climbing to $40 billion by 2030.Thomas Witherell, president of Data Recycling of New England, noted that solving the e-waste problem is more complex than just recycling for metal value. He argued that reports often neglect hazardous materials, the actual low content of valuable material in each item, and manufacturers’ trend toward using less gold in newer devices. Devices now yield the same scrap prices they did 15 years ago, while costs have risen, pushing many recyclers toward resale to remain viable.“As a recycler, this sounds good on a macro level. But it’s not that easy. There are multiple factors to consider,” Witherell told TechNewsWorld.Trey Closson, CEO of Amplio, an industrial asset recovery firm, added that many enterprises lack the incentive to manage e-waste effectively, as procurement focuses on production, making it easier to send assets to a scrapper or landfill than to dispose of them responsibly.“It’s much easier to send a few truckloads of assets to a scrapper or a landfill than it is to ensure that every item is disposed of responsibly,” he told TechNewsWorld. “Inventory managers at plants don’t have the resources or the mandate to handle e-waste and other disposal the right way, so they don’t.”The scale is significant. Every person generates about 18 pounds of e-waste per year. Larger, heavier equipment, like refrigerators, has a higher recycling rate than smaller electronics. Witherell said that referring to e-waste as a “gold mine” is a false narrative because most devices contain minimal recoverable value.Amplio’s Closson noted that scrap metal prices, while volatile, generally trend up, providing a base value for obsolete assets. Amplio’s AI software compares resale profit projections with metal scrapping costs to choose the optimal strategy.“Often, products and machines that aren’t worth reselling whole can at least be scrapped for positive net value,” he said.Ismael Velasco, founder of the Adora Foundation, sees innovation tackling e-waste, from reducing software-forced obsolescence to global hardware reuse. He noted that a few platforms aim to tackle this at the design stage. Companies lack generic, industry-specific software platforms to scale solutions.“Some industry consortia and companies create marketplaces to collect and recycle electronics. That’s as far as it goes today. But there are very few platforms that aim to do it at the design stage itself,” Velasco told TechNewsWorld.Companies are on their own when it comes to recycling outdated equipment. Some work with consultants who are not necessarily electronics experts.“It is essential to allow solutions to scale across use cases and companies and to ensure that measures taken balance correctly the form, fit, and functionality choices of the electronics device under question,” he said.Francis D’Souza, CEO of Banyan.eco, developed a platform for scoring recyclability and reusability, aiming to provide specs to electronics designers before production.He noted that resource scarcity and geopolitical stress are embedded in the industry, and that rising volumes of discarded electronics are intensifying both environmental and economic pressures.The goal is getting the specs in front of electronics designers before their devices go into production.“Growing e-waste means a lot of valuable resources ending up in a landfill,” he told TechNewsWorld, noting that discarding hardware creates an environmental challenge through contamination from toxic materials.“The economic impact of making newer devices that need more expensive materials as they become rarer creates a model that drives up consumer costs over time,” he added.Luke Crihfield, director of demand generation at Amplio, suggested that enterprises can reduce e-waste by implementing better procurement and recovery strategies. Planning for sustainability starts with procurement, which must build lifespan and redeployment planning into purchasing decisions across facilities.Crihfield pointed to a market shift toward refurbished hardware driven by production necessity. If a refurbished part is the difference between a production line running or grinding to a halt, manufacturers will use refurbished and pre-owned parts.He added that many organizations have decentralized purchasing among different sites, where buyers are usually incentivized to minimize purchase cost rather than minimize surplus down the road.“Reduce e-waste by never buying items that you won’t need,” Crihfield told TechNewsWorld. “Obviously, this is much easier said than done.”Government regulation plays an important part. The adoption of the EU’s recent Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) could accelerate market demand by making products more sustainable from the start, increasing the appetite for subsequent reuse. He noted that e-waste is also a visibility and knowledge problem among enterprises.Meaghan Kennedy, founder of Orange Sparkle Ball, said regulators, customers, and investors are increasingly pushing companies to be more transparent about how they manage devices at the end of their life. That pressure is driving improvements in tracking, product longevity, and repair-friendly design, and the broader adoption of take-back programs.“They are recognizing that discarded electronics are not just waste but valuable sources of components and critical minerals,” she told TechNewsWorld.Kennedy’s Penny Pickup program focuses on a persistent industry bottleneck: collecting devices before they become waste. The initiative uses zero-emission micrologistics — including autonomous robots and e-cargo bikes — to retrieve equipment directly from homes, labs, and offices.“We solve the last-mile bottleneck. Most programs fail (early) at reaching homes, labs, and offices. That is our lane,” she said.By moving recovered devices to nearby refurbishers and processors, the platform keeps value and jobs within the community while reducing the volume of electronics headed to landfills.

The air is getting thin up here. Nvidia recently shattered records by reaching a staggering $5 trillion valuation. It is a number that defies gravity, logic, and, historically speaking, sustainability.But if you look closely at the pillars holding up this massive financial edifice, you’ll see they aren’t made of superior silicon or magical AI dust. They are built on a foundation of software lock-in known as CUDA. Thanks to a small, virtually unknown company named Spectral Compute, that foundation is about to turn into sand.We are standing on the precipice of a massive correction in the AI market, one that will likely see Nvidia’s valuation stripped down to reality. The catalyst isn’t a better chip from AMD or Intel; it is a piece of code that makes the hardware irrelevant.Let’s talk about how Spectral could bring down Nvidia’s house of cards. Then, I’ll close with my Product of the Week: HP’s OmniBook 5 Laptop 16″ AI PC.How did Nvidia get to five trillion dollars? It wasn’t just by selling GPUs. If this were purely a hardware race, AMD and Intel would have eroded the margins years ago. Nvidia reached this height by creating a walled garden so high and so thick that developers felt they had no choice but to stay inside. CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) is that wall.For over a decade, Nvidia has aggressively pushed CUDA as the only viable language for accelerated computing. Nvidia gave it away to universities, hooked researchers early, and ensured that the entire AI software stack — from PyTorch to TensorFlow — ran natively and best on Nvidia green. The result was a classic monopoly strategy: lock the customer in so tightly that the cost of leaving is higher than the cost of staying, no matter how abusive the pricing becomes.Investors looked at this moat and saw infinite returns. They didn’t value Nvidia as a hardware company; they valued it as the owner of the AI standard. However, monopolies built on coercion rather than preference are notoriously fragile.The cracks in the armor are already visible, and they are coming from the very top of the food chain. Microsoft, arguably Nvidia’s most important customer, has effectively sounded the alarm.Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been increasingly vocal about the logistical nightmares associated with Nvidia’s latest hardware. While diplomatically phrased, his recent comments about having “chips sitting in inventory that I can’t plug in” highlight a critical failure in Nvidia’s roadmap. The Blackwell architecture, touted as the next leap forward, has been plagued by overheating issues and massive power requirements that existing data center infrastructure simply cannot support.When your biggest customer tells you that your product is effectively unusable in the current environment, a listening company pivots. A company drunk on its own lock-in power, however, tends to double down. Microsoft has reportedly cut orders for Blackwell racks, signaling that the pain of staying with Nvidia is finally starting to outweigh the fear of leaving.While the giants fight over power grids and heat dissipation, a small British startup, Spectral Compute, has quietly forged the key to the CUDA prison.Almost no one has heard of Spectral. It doesn’t have flashy keynotes or leather-jacketed CEOs. What it has is a technology called Scale, a “C to silicon” compiler that allows CUDA applications to run natively on AMD hardware — and eventually on other hardware — without porting, without performance loss, and without the headaches that have plagued previous conversion attempts.This isn’t vaporware. Spectral’s technology is working today. For the first time, a company can run a massive library of legacy CUDA code on AMD’s MI300 or upcoming MI400 chips by simply recompiling.This changes the math entirely. If CUDA code can run on any hardware, Nvidia’s “moat” evaporates. The hardware becomes a commodity again, and commodities do not trade at 40x revenue.Spectral isn’t the only one swinging a sledgehammer at the wall, though it may have the sharpest tip. There is a quiet army of major and minor players working on breaking CUDA’s grip.Microsoft has been developing toolkits to convert CUDA to ROCm, aiming to leverage its massive investment in AMD silicon. AMD has its HIP (Heterogeneous-Compute Interface for Portability) and HIPIFY tools. There are open-source projects, like the recently resurrected Zluda, attempting similar feats.The difference with Spectral is the seamlessness. If it succeeds in making the transition invisible, the floodgates will open. CIOs, currently sweating over Nvidia’s extortionate pricing and delivery delays, will look at AMD’s comparable performance at half the price and realize they finally have a choice.I have seen this movie before. In fact, I had a front-row seat.Working at IBM in the 1980s, I saw the same hubris that currently permeates Nvidia. IBM’s leadership genuinely believed that the customer’s opinion didn’t matter. We weren’t just selling mainframes; we were, as one executive famously put it, “selling air.” The implication was that our customers needed us to breathe. They were locked into our architecture, our software, and our service contracts. We believed they had nowhere to go.This arrogance creates a culture of deafness. When you believe your customers are captives, you stop listening to their complaints about price, complexity, or power consumption. You stop treating them as partners and start treating them as resources to be mined.At IBM, this strategy laid the groundwork for the company’s near-collapse in the early 1990s. The moment the market offered a viable alternative (client-server computing), the exodus was violent and rapid. Customers didn’t just leave; they fled with a vengeance, angry at years of being taken for granted. Nvidia is currently generating that same level of resentment among the hyperscalers and enterprises that feed it.So, what happens when the correction hits?If Spectral’s technology gains traction — and I believe it is a matter of when, not if — Nvidia’s stock won’t just dip; it will crater. A valuation of $5 trillion implies total domination for decades. The realization that it is just another hardware vendor in a competitive market could easily wipe 50% to 70% off Nvidia’s market cap overnight.This will send shockwaves through the tech sector. The AI bubble, inflated largely by Nvidia’s multiplier effect, will burst. Companies that leveraged themselves to buy H100s and Blackwells will see their asset values plummet.But the most immediate human toll will be inside Nvidia itself.Right now, thousands of Nvidia employees are paper millionaires or billionaires. They are “resting and vesting,” meaning they are waiting for their stock options to mature. A massive correction turns those options from lottery tickets into confetti.When a workforce that expects to retire at 35 suddenly realizes they have to work for another 20 years, morale doesn’t just drop; it disintegrates. The talent drain that follows will further accelerate the company’s decline, creating a death spiral that is incredibly difficult to pull out of.We are in the calm before the storm. The technology to break Nvidia’s monopoly exists. The customer resentment required to drive adoption is at an all-time high. The specific technical failures of the Blackwell generation have provided the opening.I expect Spectral’s power to pivot this market will become widely known within the next two quarters. Once a major player — likely Microsoft or Meta — publicly announces they are shifting a significant portion of their production workload to AMD using Spectral’s Scale, the illusion of Nvidia’s invincibility will shatter.The market correction will be brutal, but it is necessary. It will return competition to the chip industry, lower AI development costs, and serve as a harsh history lesson that, in technology, no wall is high enough to keep the future out forever.Navigating the chaotic sea of Black Friday and Cyber Week deals can be exhausting. Often, the “doorbuster” specials are older models, refurbished units, or devices so underpowered they struggle to run a web browser and a spreadsheet simultaneously. However, every once in a while, a deal surfaces that forces you to double-check the price tag. This season’s standout is the HP OmniBook 5 Laptop 16” AI PC.For the holiday shopping season, HP has aggressively positioned the OmniBook 5 to capture the mainstream market, offering configurations that are arguably the best consumer values in the laptop space right now.Historically, the laptop market has been segmented by size and price. If you wanted a budget laptop (under $500), you were generally relegated to 13” or 14” screens. If you wanted a 16” or 17” display — often preferred for the “desktop replacement” experience — you had to pay a premium for the extra glass and chassis materials.The OmniBook 5 disrupts this pricing structure.A 16” screen is incredibly useful for a variety of reasons. It offers enough real estate to have two full-sized windows open side by side, which is essential for productivity. For entertainment, it provides a far more immersive streaming experience than smaller notebooks. Furthermore, for users with aging eyes, the larger screen allows for increased font scaling without losing too much context on the page. Getting this form factor at these price points is highly unusual.HP offered three distinct tiers of discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Week, when I wrote this column, making this machine accessible to almost anyone.The star of the lineup is the AI-enabled configuration. It features the Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 255U processor, which includes 12 cores and 14 threads, capable of speeds up to 5.2 GHz. This isn’t a budget chip; it’s a high-performance engine designed for heavy multitasking.Getting a Core Ultra 7 machine with a 2K touch display for just over $600 is a standout bargain.Where things get truly disruptive is with the customizable SKUs.To find a brand-new 16″ laptop from a tier-one manufacturer like HP for under $380 is exceptionally rare. That price point is usually reserved for Chromebooks or low-end Celeron-based Windows machines, not devices equipped with Core i5 processors.Because of the pricing spread, the OmniBook 5 fits several demographics perfectly:Beyond the specs, HP continues its push for sustainability. The OmniBook 5 is constructed using recycled metals and post-consumer recycled plastics. It features a modern design with a micro-edge display and includes the dedicated Copilot key, offering instant access to Microsoft’s AI assistant — a feature that is becoming standard on premium devices but is a welcome addition at this price tier.We are accustomed to paying a “screen tax” for larger laptops, but HP has effectively eliminated that barrier this season. Whether you opt for the high-performance AI model or the incredibly affordable entry-level SKU, you get a premium chassis and a massive display for a fraction of the expected cost. Because it brings the productivity benefits of a 16” display to a price point accessible to almost everyone, the HP OmniBook 5 16” Laptop is my Product of the Week.The images featured in this article were created with AI.

If you’re thinking of letting your employees use AI browsers like Comet and Atlas, think again.That’s the advice in a recent report from influential global technology advisory firm Gartner.“Agentic browsers, or what many call AI browsers, have the potential to transform how users interact with websites and automate transactions while introducing critical cybersecurity risks,” explained the report written by Gartner analysts Dennis Xu, Evgeny Mirolyubov, and John Watts.“CISOs must block all AI browsers in the foreseeable future to minimize risk exposure,” they wrote.MJ Kaufmann, an author and instructor with O’Reilly Media, an operator of a learning platform for technology professionals, in Boston, noted that AI browsers create risk by hoovering a user’s data.“AI browsers create a security problem because their sidebars can unintentionally capture whatever is visible in an employee’s open tabs, sending sensitive data like internal tools, credentials, or confidential documents to an external AI back-end without the user realizing it,” she told TechNewsWorld.An AI browser has a unique understanding of what you’re doing in a way that very few platforms do, added Alex Lisle, CTO of Reality Defender, a developer of AI-powered tools to detect deepfakes and synthetic media, in New York City.“When you think about websites, they are siloed by each browser tab,” he told TechNewsWorld. “That’s not the case with an AI browser. It understands all the tabs that are open, it understands all the data in them, and uses this to create a better context for you. It’s trying to make your life easier, but at the same time it’s slurping up that vast quantity of data.”Dan Pinto, CEO and co-founder of Fingerprint, a device intelligence and browser fingerprinting company in Chicago, also pointed out that with AI browsers, the AI assistant becomes part of the browsing experience, interpreting pages and acting on hidden instructions, even if they’re malicious, because that’s what it was designed to do.“The danger is that the AI assistant may take action on a user’s behalf,” he told TechNewsWorld. “This can include clicking on malicious links, filling out forms, and sending valuable personal information — all without the user being aware.”The concern Gartner raised about AI browsers sending information such as active web content, open tabs, and even browsing history to a cloud back-end is a real security issue, agreed Chris Anderson, CEO of ByteNova, a developer of edge AI technologies, in San Francisco.“Most people don’t fully grasp how much sensitive information sits in their browser at any moment,” he told TechNewsWorld. “That data isn’t always something you can just ‘reset’ if it leaks. Internal dashboards, financial portals, patient records, you name it. Once it’s out, it’s out.”AI browsers are moving beyond passive assistance into autonomous action, putting traditional browser security models under strain.As organizations rapidly adopt agentic AI, the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and autonomous browsing capabilities, a pattern is emerging, observed Randolph Barr, CISO of Cequence Security, a global API security and bot management company.“AI-native browsers are introducing system-level behaviors that traditional browsers have intentionally restricted for decades,” he told TechNewsWorld. “That shift breaks long-standing assumptions about how secure a browser environment is supposed to be.”He waved a red flag over another pattern. “The real exposure emerges when individuals install AI browsers on their personal devices,” he said. “We know from every technology adoption wave — cloud apps, messaging platforms, AI assistants — that employees first test these tools at home.”“With AI browsers,” he continued, “curiosity will drive rapid experimentation. Once users become comfortable with these tools at home, those behaviors inevitably bleed into the workplace through BYOD access, browser sync features, or personal devices used for remote work.”“What’s more concerning is how easy AI browsers are to detect and how quickly adversaries can scale that detection,” he added. “AI browsers introduce unique fingerprints in their APIs, extensions, DOM behavior, network patterns, and agentic actions. Attackers can identify them with a few lines of JavaScript or by probing for AI-specific behaviors that differ from traditional browsers.”“With AI-driven classification models, bad actors can now fingerprint AI browsers across millions of sessions automatically,” he explained. “At scale, that enables targeted attacks against users running these higher-risk, agent-enabled environments.”He warned that AI browsers are evolving faster than the guardrails that traditionally protect end users and corporate environments.“Transparency around system-level capabilities, independent audits, and the ability to fully control or disable embedded extensions are table stakes if these browsers want to be considered for regulated or sensitive workflows,” he said. “We are approaching a future where the use of AI agents will outpace the readiness of security measures.”“Advisories like Gartner’s help highlight the gaps and hopefully drive the industry toward more secure, transparent designs before these tools become deeply embedded in enterprise ecosystems,” he added.Gartner also noted that it’s possible to mitigate AI browser risks by assessing the back-end AI services that power an AI browser to determine whether the security measures in place are acceptable to an organization.“In practice, this advice is extremely challenging,” maintained Will Tran, vice president for research at Spin.AI, a developer of SaaS security solutions, in Palo Alto, Calif. “Proprietary AI models are ‘black boxes.’ The vendor will not allow customers to audit the model’s internal workings, its training data, or its specific prompt processing logic.”“There are also articles indicating that the AI vendors themselves do not fully comprehend the black box they’ve created,” he told TechNewsWorld.“While this advice makes sense, I don’t think it’s practical at all,” added Akhil Verghese, co-founder and CEO of Krazimo, a provider of curated artificial intelligence development and consulting services, in Dover, Del.“AI browsers are pretty closed off about their back-ends or any processing that happens before the AI provider even looks at the data,” he told TechNewsWorld. “The terms of service of the models or the browser may change. Is it really practical to expect individuals to stay on top of that?”Even if an organization believes an AI browser provider addresses its risk concerns, Gartner recommends that employees be educated that anything they are viewing could potentially be sent to the AI service back-end to ensure they do not have highly sensitive data active on the browser tab while using the AI browser’s sidebar to summarize or perform other autonomous actions.“Educating people about this is critical; however, you cannot stop at simply telling them once,” said Erich Kron, CISO advisor at KnowBe4, a security awareness training provider, in Clearwater, Fla.“This is a message that will need to be repeated on a regular basis so that it is fresh in the minds of employees when they are using these browsers,” he told TechNewsWorld. “If we don’t continue to remind employees, they are simply going to get tied up in doing their work and forget the warning.”Education, though, may not be enough to prevent employees from leaking data through AI browsers. “With so much potential for gaining efficiency by using AI to automate routine tasks, it may not be realistic to expect that employees will adjust their practices when they don’t see potential harm in the kinds of data that they are working with,” contended Chris Hutchins, founder and CEO of Hutchins Data Strategy Consultants, a healthcare-focused advisory firm, in Nashville, Tenn.“This can be a shadow IT problem and create further problems when IT and info security have no visibility into what data is being used, how it is being used, or where it is going,” he told TechNewsWorld.However, Lionel Litty, CISO and chief security architect at Menlo Security, a browser security provider in Mountain View, Calif., cautioned that even if an organization trusts its AI browser vendor and is comfortable with data sharing, it needs hard guardrails around how the browser operates.“Limit the sites it can reach, apply strict DLP controls and scan anything it downloads,” he told TechNewsWorld. “And make sure you have a strategy to defend these browsers against vulnerabilities. They can be led astray to dark corners of the web, and URL filtering alone isn’t enough.”

French PM wins crucial budget vote12 hours agoShareSaveHugh SchofieldParisShareSaveReutersFrench Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu narrowly survived a crucial test on Tuesday as the country's divided parliament voted in favour of a 2026 budget bill.If Lecornu had failed to win a majority in the National Assembly for his social security budget, it would have gravely weakened his hand ahead of the main budget vote, which is due by the end of the year. But in the end, the bill passed by 247 votes to 234. It will now go back to the upper house or Senate before returning for a final reading in the Assembly."It's a good sign that a majority has been found. The immense likelihood now is that the (social security budget) will be adopted definitively," said Assembly speaker Yael Braun-Pivet.Appointed in September by President Emmanuel Macron, Lecornu has devoted himself exclusively to the uphill task of guiding 2026 budget legislation through the two chambers of parliament.Since snap elections called by Macron in June 2024, the more powerful chamber, the National Assembly, has been split into three roughly equal blocs - centre, left, and far-right - none of which is capable of commanding a majority.Lecornu is Macron's fourth prime minister since then – the two previous incumbents Michel Barnier and François Bayrou were both forced to resign after trying to rein in France's burgeoning debt. Barnier stepped down exactly a year ago after failing to push through his 2025 social security budget.In the French system, there are two budgetary laws – one that raises and allocates money in the social security system, including hospitals and pensions; and the principal one that covers everything else, from defence to education. For years both have run on massive deficits.Widely acknowledged for his discretion and diligence, Lecornu had to convince enough deputies from 11 different parliamentary groups that failure to vote for the budgets would plunge the country into even deeper financial gloom.His main target was the Socialist Party (PS) with around 70 MPs, many of whom are uncomfortable in their erstwhile electoral alliance with the far-left France Unbowed party (LFI).In major concessions to the PS, Lecornu promised to suspend Macron's key second-term reform increasing to 64 the statutory age of retirement, and also to refrain from using a government power (known as 49-3) to force through the budget laws without a vote.Socialist leaders Olivier Faure and Boris Vallaud praised Lecornu's sense of compromise and led their MPs in voting for the budget.But by giving ground to the centre-left, Lecornu lost support in his own camp on the centre-right, where important figures such as former prime minister Edouard Philippe said the bill would do little to redress the country's fast deteriorating public accounts.Bruno Retailleau, who leads the conservative Republican party with 40 or so seats, described Tuesday's bill as a "fiscal hold-up" because of the concessions made in it to the left."This is a budget which will allow Macron to stay in power a little longer, but which leads France into a wall," he said after the vote.Mathilde Panot of the far-left LFI accused the Socialists of betraying their principles. "At least they have made a clear choice in voting for the budget. We know now that they're now no longer in opposition."Also voting against the bill was Marine Le Pen's hard-right National Rally, the biggest party in parliament with around 120 seats.Attention now shifts to the main budget vote which must take place before the end of the year. Analysts had given Lecornu little chance of winning it if he first failed to get the social security budget passed, and even now it is far from certain he will succeed.If he fails to get the main budget through, he will be obliged to introduce a special law to allow the state administration to continue functioning from January 1 using 2025 allocations. The same procedure was used at the start of this year.But Tuesday's vote was widely interpreted as a victory for the Lecornu method, consisting of a dogged behind-the-scenes hunt for votes from across the political spectrum.More on this storyFrench PM survives major test but breathing space will not last longWhy France is at risk of becoming the new sick man of EuropeEuropeFrench politicsFranceEmmanuel Macron

Nobel officials unsure when Peace Prize winner will arrive for ceremony20 minutes agoShareSaveIone WellsSouth America correspondentShareSaveAFP via Getty ImagesA press conference by María Corina Machado - the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who is currently in-hiding - was cancelled on Tuesday, with the Nobel Institute saying they are "in the dark" about her whereabouts. Machado is Venezuela's opposition leader and has been in hiding since the country's disputed 2024 election, which she and her supporters say was stolen.She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela, and was expected to formally collect it in a ceremony on Wednesday. Although Machado regularly gives social media video updates, usually against a neutral white wall, her current whereabouts are unknown.The Nobel Institute said in a statement: "María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway will be. We therefore cannot at this point provide any further information about when and how she will arrive for the Nobel peace prize ceremony."The institute had previously said she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman said "everything suggests" the press conference would be able to take place on Tuesday despite the delay. Venezuela's government has said that if Machado left Venezuela she would be considered a "fugitive" by the authorities. Her family are already in Oslo.Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told AFP last month: "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive". He said she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, terrorism".Machado had earlier told her followers that she would return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.If she attends, it would be her first public appearance since January 2025. She last appeared in public at a protest in Caracas on 9 January against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.After Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition published tallies after the election suggesting it won, despite Maduro claiming victory, and some nations including the US have recognised its candidate - Edmundo Gonzalez - as the president-elect. Ms Machado was banned from running in the election.More on this story Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace PrizeVenezuela says opposition leader will become fugitive if she collects NobelVenezuela shuts embassy in Norway following opposition leader's Nobel awardNobel PrizeVenezuela

Egypt and Iran have been drawn in 2026 World Cup Group G alongside Belgium and New ZealandThe Egyptian Football Association says it has sent a formal letter to Fifa requesting LGBTQ+ "Pride Match" celebrations at one of their 2026 World Cup matches do not go ahead.The local organising committee in Seattle, one of the host cities for the Fifa tournament next summer, have said the match at Lumen Field on 26 June will feature celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community, external.Following Friday's draw and Saturday's fixture allocation, it has been confirmed Seattle will host the Group G match between Egypt and Iran.In Iran, the maximum punishment for homosexual relations is the death penalty, while in Egypt, morality laws are frequently used to suppress LGBTQ+ rights and relationships.And in a statement, external on Tuesday, the Egyptian FA said it has sent a formal letter to Fifa secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom, rejecting "in absolute terms" any activities linked to LGBTQ+ support during the match.The game takes place on the weekend of Seattle Pride, and two days before the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots - generally regarded as the birth of the LGBTQ+ rights movement.Plans were put in place before the teams involved in the fixture were selected, or the draw for the World Cup was made, and has been organised solely by the local committee and not affiliated with Fifa itself.The lengthy Egyptian FA statement claimed the initiative would clash with "the cultural, religious and social values" of both Egypt and Iran, and urged Fifa to ensure the match would remain focused solely on football.It cited Fifa's statutes on political and social neutrality, arguing matches should not be used to promote causes that are "sensitive or of a contentious nature".The statement read: "The Egyptian Football Association explained in the letter that, while Fifa is committed to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all fans, and in order to maintain the spirit of unity and peace, it is necessary to avoid including activities that could provoke cultural and religious sensitivities between fans present from both countries, Egypt and Iran, especially since such activities are culturally and religiously incompatible with the two countries."The federation also relied on Fifa's established principle of respecting cultures and encouraging all parties to organise events in a way that respects the beliefs and identities of the participating communities."Therefore, in order to ensure that the match is held in an atmosphere of respect and focus solely on the sporting aspect, the Egyptian Federation categorically rejects these calls and demands that FIFA not hold any events or performances related to supporting homosexuality inside the stadium on matchday."The Pride Match plans have also reportedly drawn criticism from Iranian media.Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's Football Federation, was quoted by local news agency ISNA as saying Tehran and Cairo had both raised "objections against the issue", which he labelled an "irrational move that supports a certain group".However, the BBC understands reports suggesting Iran have officially appealed to Fifa about the Pride Match are untrue.The Seattle Pride Match Advisory Committee (PMAC), set up by organisers to help with the event, has previously said the game will still go ahead as planned.Following the draw, Eric Wahl, a member of PMAC, said it was a positive these nations had been drawn to play in the fixture."The Egypt v Iran match in Seattle in June just happens to be the Pride match, and I think that is a good thing, actually," he wrote on social media, external."There are LGBTQAI+ people everywhere. All are welcome to be themselves in Seattle."It is not the first time an attempted gesture of support for LGBTQ+ people at the World Cup has run into issues.At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar - a country which also has laws against same-sex relationships - Fifa said players who wore the OneLove armband in support of LGBTQ+ people would receive yellow cards.Before that tournament, then-UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said LGBT football fans who attended the Qatar tournament should show "a little bit of flex and compromise" in respect of the country's laws - remarks described as "tone deaf" by critics.BBC Sport has contacted Fifa and the Seattle organising committee for comment.Follow your club with BBC SportListen to the latest Football Daily podcastGet football news sent straight to your phone

LivestreamMenuMake ItselectUSAINTLLivestreamSearch quotes, news & videosLivestreamWatchlistSIGN INCreate free accountMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPoliticsVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuRegional bank Fifth Third on Tuesday announced a deal making fintech firm Brex the provider of its commercial cards and expense management tools for business clients. The program will run on Brex's embedded payments platform, which lets banks issue corporate cards and automate expense reporting using artificial intelligence tools, the companies said in a release.The move shows how some banks are choosing to partner with fintech firms rather than building their own platforms to keep up with clients' evolving technology expectations. Fifth Third is in the process of acquiring Comerica, a deal expected to make it the ninth-largest U.S. bank with about $288 billion in assets."Our partnership with Brex is a commitment to redefine how companies leverage financial technology," Fifth Third CEO Tim Spence said in a statement. "By combining the strength of a leading bank with Brex's AI-driven innovation, we're creating intelligent solutions that simplify complexity, drive efficiency and enable businesses to scale globally with confidence."Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed.Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by

No player has scored more Scottish Premiership goals than Motherwell forward Tawanda Maswanhise this seasonTawanda Maswanhise needed a two-week trial period to convince then manager Stuart Kettlewell that he was worthy of a contract at Motherwell.The Zimbabwe forward was in search of first-team football having just been released by Leicester City, where he had spent 13 years in the youth set-up."There's lots of potential with Tawanda and hopefully we can get the best out of him," former boss Kettlewell said after his arrival.It is safe to say that potential is now being fulfilled.Little over a year later, he is delivering a talismanic season for high-flying Motherwell and relishing an encounter with Egypt's Mohamed Salah at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.Here, BBC Scotland charts the rise of the 23-year-old, who was named Scottish Premiership player of the month for November on Tuesday.Former Celtic & Motherwell striker Deans dies aged 79On the rise & without fear - Motherwell a force under AskouVisit our Motherwell page for all the latest news, analysis and fan viewsDespite a lack of first-team opportunities at Leicester, Maswanhise benefitted from being moulded by top-level coaching during his long spell at the club.He played just once, an opportunity afforded to him by now Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca when he came on as a substitute in an FA Cup win over Millwall.Pre-Maresca, Maswanhise credits part of his development to former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, who worked at Leicester between 2019 and 2023."Having the experience to work under them was really good," the Motherwell man tells BBC Scotland. "I'd like to say I've learned quite a lot, adapting to two high-level managers."When I was with Brendan, it was more about getting used to the environment. Enzo needed a platform - he was really good tactically."But how do those two compare with his current boss?Jens Berthel Askou has received plenty of plaudits for implementing a fearless and vibrant approach to a Motherwell side well worth their current standing of third."I'd say he is similar," Maswanhise says when comparing Askou to Rodgers and Maresca. "The tactics and the system are really helping. It's clearly paying off right now."We're competing with the top teams in Scotland. If we can keep doing this, maybe we'll see ourselves on a European tour next season."Watch Maswanhise's double against Kilmarnock as Motherwell forward is named Premiership player of the monthMaswanhise has been integral to Motherwell's push for Europe.He has 12 goals in all competitions this term, eight of those coming in the league - nobody has more.On the day his Motherwell signing was confirmed, he came off the bench to register the first of his 23 goal contributions for the club with an assist in a League Cup victory over Kilmarnock."It was time for a bit of a new environment, a new lifestyle for me up here in Scotland, and I feel like I've settled in really well," Maswanhise says when recalling his move north."And I think it was time to go and get some minutes and first-team football. I got it here and I'm still doing really well. It's been a good experience."His debut set the tone for an explosive start to his Fir Park career, but he has since hit new heights this season.Playing in a more central role, Askou's attack is being spearheaded by the speedy forward, who has become a far more clinical finisher this campaign.His goal conversion rate of 27% from 30 shots makes for good reading, as does his minutes-per-goal average of 160.Maintaining that for the season would ensure an impressive tally come the end of the campaign.However, the Fir Park side will have to do without their top forward for a spell after his expected inclusion this week in Mario Marinica's squad for Afcon in Morocco.Following Saturday's trip to Dundee United, Maswanhise would then be guaranteed to miss Motherwell's next three games - against Dundee, Rangers and Celtic - and that tally would increase if Zimbabwe progress.While his absence may be sorely felt, his Motherwell team-mates will be willing him on to succeed in a section with Egypt, Angola and South Africa.An opening group game with Egypt sets up the likelihood of lining up against Liverpool's disgruntled star, Salah, a match-up that reinforces Maswanhise's rapid rise."I'll really miss the team, honestly," he adds. "Hopefully they can continue this form. I'll be watching from Morocco.''This is my first big tournament for my nation. Even though I'm one of the small fishes, hopefully I can make a name for myself."When I was with Leicester, I saw quite a lot of big fishes. I'm going to take that experience into this big tournament and hopefully not everyone will be starstruck by the players we're up against."

Trump criticises 'decaying' European countries and 'weak' leaders21 minutes agoShareSaveRachel HaganBBC NewsShareSaveBloomberg via Getty ImagesUS President Donald Trump has criticised European leaders as "weak" and suggested the US could scale back support for Ukraine.In a wide-ranging interview with Politico, he said "decaying" European countries had failed to control migration or take decisive action to end Ukraine's war with Russia, accusing them of letting Kyiv fight "until they drop". European leaders have made attempts to carve out a role in the US-led efforts to end the war, which they fear will undercut the long-term interests of the continent in favour of a quick resolution.In response, the UK's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said all she saw in Europe was "strength", citing investment in defence as well as funding for Kyiv.She added two presidents were "working for peace" - referring to Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - and "one president - President Putin - has so far simply sought to escalate the conflict with further drone and missile attacks".Trump continued to increase pressure on Zelensky to agree to a deal to end the conflict, and urged him to "play ball" by ceding territory to Moscow. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Zelensky, writing on X later on Tuesday, said Ukraine and Europe were working actively on "all components of potential steps toward ending the war", that the Ukrainian and European elements of the plan were now more developed and that Kyiv was ready to present them to "our partners in the US".Trump's latest public criticism of Europe comes a day after European leaders came together in London to discuss their continued joint efforts to stop the fighting in Ukraine.Asked whether Europe could help end the war, the US president said: "They talk but they don't produce. And the war just keeps going on and on."US officials have held separate talks with Ukrainian and Russian officials in recent weeks in an attempt to broker an end to the war. So far, no agreement has been reached.Ukraine's president has pressed European and Nato leaders to help deter the US from backing a deal that Kyiv fears would leave it exposed to future attack.On Sunday Trump suggested, without evidence, that Zelensky was the main obstacle to peace. He told reporters that Russia was "fine" with the peace plan outlined to both sides by the US, that contained major concessions for Ukraine and which allies feared would leave it vulnerable to a future invasion.In the Politico interview, he claimed Ukrainian negotiators "loved" the US-backed proposal and alleged Zelensky had not yet read it.Trump also claimed ideological divisions now threatened to fracture Washington's alliances. Asked whether leaders he viewed as weak could still be allies, he replied: "It depends", adding: "I think they're weak, but I also think that they want to be so politically correct. I think they don't know what to do."The president's remarks came after his administration released its new 33-page National Security Strategy, which warned of Europe's potential "civilisational erasure" and questioned whether some nations could remain reliable allies. Russia welcomed that strategy - which did not cast Russia as a threat to the US - as "largely consistent" with Moscow's vision.Trump also warned on Tuesday many countries in Europe "will not be viable countries any longer" if they keep on the way they are going, adding: "What they're doing with immigration is a disaster."He singled out Hungary and Poland as doing a "very good job" on immigration, but said most European nations were "decaying".Responding on Tuesday to the strategy, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said some parts were plausible and some understandable, but other elements were unacceptable from a European point of view. He rejected the idea that the US needed to "save democracy" in Europe, saying Europeans could address such questions themselves.The strategy also followed similar rhetoric to Trump's speech to the UN earlier this year, where he had harsh criticism for western Europe and its approach to migration and clean energy.Ukraine prepares new peace plan as Zelensky rules out giving up land Critical moment to ramp up support for Ukraine, European allies sayEuropeWar in UkraineDonald TrumpUnited StatesUkraine

"This is truly one of the great honours of my life," said US president Donald Trump after receiving the Fifa peace prizeFifa's ethics committee has been asked to investigate president Gianni Infantino, claiming he broke the governing body's rules on political neutrality in relation to United States president Donald Trump.Infantino awarded Trump with the inaugural Fifa peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC last week, and has also done social media posts and interviews in support of the 79-year-old.Human rights campaign group FairSquare has written a letter of complaint, which BBC Sport has seen, alleging Infantino has "committed four clear breaches" of Fifa's neutrality rules."The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is in, and of itself, a clear breach of Fifa's duty of neutrality," the letter stated.Trump and Infantino - too close for comfort?President Trump wins inaugural Fifa Peace Prize"The Fifa president does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the organisation's mission, strategic direction, policies and values."BBC Sport has contacted football's world governing body for comment.Infantino and Trump stood side by side during the glittering ceremony at the Kennedy Center for next year's tournament, which takes place in the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June-19 July.As well as a large golden trophy, Trump received a medal and certificate from Infantino, who said "this is what we want from a leader" and "you can always count, Mr President, on my support" during a speech that followed a video before the presentation.In October, the 55-year-old posted on Instagram saying Trump "definitely deserves" the Nobel Peace Prize.During an interview in November at the American Business Forum in Miami, Infantino also added: "We should all support what [Trump] is doing [in the US] because I think it's looking pretty good."FairSquare also alleged a video post by Infantino on Instagram in January - following his invite to Trump's inauguration - "indicates support for President Trump's political agenda".Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare's programme director, added: "This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino's support for President Donald Trump's political agenda."More broadly this is about how Fifa's absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organisation's rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world's most popular sport."Follow your club with BBC SportListen to the latest Football Daily podcastGet football news sent straight to your phone

LivestreamMenuMake ItselectUSAINTLLivestreamSearch quotes, news & videosLivestreamWatchlistSIGN INCreate free accountMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPoliticsVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuIn one of New York City's most fashion-forward neighborhoods, Target is unveiling its latest effort to keep up with trends and lead the way on style. The Minneapolis-based retailer, which is in the middle of a turnaround effort and on the cusp of a CEO change, gave a makeover to its big-box store in SoHo at 600 Broadway.The one-of-a-kind concept store, which opens Tuesday, will have rotating merchandise, curated displays chosen by celebrities and influencers, and other kinds of special programming, Chief Guest Experience Officer Cara Sylvester said.The SoHo store is part of a broader push by incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke to win back Target's reputation for style and sharp merchandise. When he was named Target's next leader in August, he said that would be one of his top three priorities, along with improving the customer experience and rolling out technology to make Target faster and more efficient. He will start the role in February, succeeding longtime CEO Brian Cornell.Target is trying to get back to growth after roughly four years of stagnant annual sales due to self-inflicted challenges and a more difficult economic backdrop. Store foot traffic and sales have fallen as shoppers have responded to sloppier stores, out-of-stock and locked-up items, and the company's decision to roll back key diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Consumers across the country have also become more selective about buying discretionary merchandise, which has long been Target's sweet spot, as they pay more for necessities like groceries, electricity and housing.At an event previewing the store on Monday night, Fiddelke described the SoHo location as "a punctuation point" for Target's sense of style and its plans for the future. In an interview with CNBC, Sylvester said the store's merchandise has completely changed. The location, which opened about seven years ago, drew many shoppers and had strong sales, but sold mostly items found in drug and convenience stores, she said. It didn't carry any of Target's clothing or home decor, which felt both out of step with the neighborhood and like a missed opportunity for Target, she said."We said, 'This is the style and fashion capital. We have to be able to showcase the best,'" she said, recalling the inspiration for the project.From start to finish, the store's redesign took four months as the company raced to get the project done ahead of the holidays, Sylvester said. It has redone the store's first floor and plans to redesign the basement floor in the coming year, she added.The SoHo store is reopening at a time when holiday shoppers and tourists flock to the major shopping district for holiday gifts and party outfits — and as Target chases sales across the country during the critical shopping season. It is one of 42 stores that the retailer has in New York City and nearly 2,000 that is has in the U.S."The world looks at New York to see what's new and what's next," Sylvester said in remarks at the launch event. "And we want them to look at Target when they see what's new and what's next."When customers step inside of Target's SoHo store, they will enter a long, red hallway that resembles the inside of Target's Bullseye logo. The area of the store is called "The Drop," and Target will display merchandise there chosen around themes that feel relevant for the time of year, Sylvester said. Like most of the store, the rotating area will swap out about every four to six weeks, she added.As the store opens, The Drop is themed around the holidays — including outfits and items that a shopper may need for going out, lounging at home or giving a gift to a party host. The store displays range across categories, mixing in clothing, home decor, beauty items and more. For example, The Drop currently includes a table of products that a shopper might want if they're hosting a night at home with friends, such as card games, an espresso martini mix and eye-catching glassware for the cocktails.Sylvester said the company's merchants are already working on the next two themes for The Drop, which will be focused on wellness in January, the season of New Year's resolutions, and Valentine's Day in February.Customers can step inside of Target's "Broadway Beauty Bar," which is designed for selfies and social media posts. It will have a rotating assortment of Target's beauty merchandise, including fragrance brands like Fine'ry that are exclusive to Target, and trendy mini versions of face washes, lip glosses and more from national brands.At launch, Target is featuring items chosen by celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes. Along with the "Beauty Bar," the store sells items typically found at the big-box retailer, including large shampoos, body washes and cotton balls.Near the beauty area, shoppers can also press a button and snap a black-and-white selfie.Though the store's layout is new, it shares a similarity with some of Target's other New York City locations — some items are locked behind glasses cases that an employee needs to open.In the back of the store's first floor, Target will have a rotating "Curated By" display of items from across the retailer's beauty, fashion and home categories, picked by celebrities and other creators known for their sense of style. Shoppers can browse and buy that person's favorites or scan a QR code to see a list of them.Target's first Curated By features favorites from Megan Stalter, an actress and comedian who is in HBO's "Hacks." Some of her picks include a throw pillow, a pair of hot pink slippers, metallic water bottles and Universal's "Wicked: For Good" movie-themed clothing items.Also at the store, shoppers can find Target's "Gifting Gondola," which features merchandise exclusive to Target. Currently, the display includes holiday-themed plush penguins, bears and other products from Target's toy brand, Gigglescape. It also includes some giftable items themed around the retailer's bull terrier, Bullseye, including special edition Haribo gummy candies and a Bullseye Pez dispenser.Over time, Sylvester said Target may introduce some items that are unique to the SoHo store and can only be bought there. Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns CNBC. Versant would become the new parent company of CNBC upon Comcast's planned spinoff of Versant.Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by

Czech billionaire becomes PM with promise to cut ties to business empire13 hours agoShareSaveRob CameronPragueShareSaveReutersAndrej Babis's government will be very different from its strongly pro-Ukrainian predecesssorBillionaire Andrej Babis has been appointed as the Czech Republic's new prime minister, with his full cabinet expected to take office within days.His appointment followed a key demand from President Petr Pavel - a public pledge by Babis to relinquish control over his vast food-processing, agriculture and chemicals conglomerate Agrofert."I promise to be a prime minister who defends the interests of all our citizens, at home and abroad," Babis said after the ceremony at Prague Castle."A prime minister who will work to make the Czech Republic the best place to live on the entire planet."These are lofty ambitions, but Babis, 71, is used to thinking big.Agrofert is so deeply embedded in the Czech commercial ecosystem that there is even an app to help shoppers avoid buying products made by the group's more than than 200 subsidiaries.If a product - say Viennese-style sausages from Kostelecké uzeniny or sliced bread from Penam - belongs to an Agrofert company, a thumbs-down symbol appears.Babis, who was prime minister for four years until 2021, has shifted to the right in recent years and his cabinet will include members of the far-right SPD and the Eurosceptic "Motorists for Themselves" party.Billionaire populist Andrej Babis' party wins Czech parliamentary electionIf he honours his pledge to divest from the company he built from scratch, he will no longer benefit from the sale of any Agrofert product – from frankfurters to fertiliser.As prime minister he will have no knowledge of the conglomerate's financial health, nor any ability to influence its fortunes, he says.Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesGovernment decisions on public tenders or subsidies - Czech or European - will be taken without regard to a company he will no longer own or profit from, he adds.Instead, he says that Agrofert, worth an estimated $4.3bn (£3.3bn), will be placed in a trust managed by an independent administrator, where it will remain until his death. At that point it will pass to his children.This, he said in a Facebook video, went "far beyond" the demands of Czech law.What kind of trust remains unclear - a Czech trust, or one based abroad? The concept of a "blind trust" does not exist in Czech legislation, and an army of lawyers will be required to design an arrangement that works.Critics, including Transparency International, remain unconvinced."A blind trust is not a solution," the head of Transparency International's Czech branch, David Kotora, told news site Seznam Zpravy."There's no separation. [Babis] obviously knows the managers. He knows Agrofert's portfolio. From an executive position, even at a European level, he could theoretically intervene in matters that would affect the sector in which Agrofert operates," Kotora warned.But it's not just food - and it's not just Agrofert.In the eastern suburbs of Prague, a private health clinic towers over the O2 arena. While it is owned by a company called FutureLife a.s, that company is majority-owned by Hartenberg Holding, and Hartenberg Holding is majority-owned by Babis.Hartenberg also runs a network of reproductive clinics, as well as a florist chain, Flamengo, and an underwear retailer, Astratex.The reach of Babis into all corners of Czech life is broad. And as prime minister, for the second time, it is about to get broader.EuropeCzech Republic

These young Australians grew up with social media - what do they think of the ban?Australia is banning social media for everyone under the age of 16 from December 10. The government says their intention is to help protect children and teenagers from risks online, such as cyberbullying and harmful content. The BBC took to the streets of Sydney to find out what young people aged between 18 to 20 think of the ban.Video by Kellie Highet52 minutes agoSocial mediaAustraliaShareSaveWhat it was like inside court as mushroom murderer was jailed for lifeThe BBC's Katy Watson was in the courtroom as Erin Patterson was sentenced to life.AustraliaWatch: Moment Australian politician raises fist at journalistVeteran MP Bob Katter, 80, said he had previously punched people for mentioning his Lebanese heritage.AustraliaWatch: Solar-powered cars start epic Australian outback raceThirty-four teams from all over the world are competing to win the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.AustraliaWatch: Plane makes emergency landing on Australian golf courseVideo shows the aircraft flying over the golf course before crash landing, as the pilot and passenger escaped without major injuries.AustraliaWatch: Meteor burns across Australian night skyAmateur astronomers captured the moment it streaked over Victoria on CCTV and dashboard cameras.Australia'I loved them' - Police interview Australian mushroom murdererFootage of police interviewing convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson has been released by the Victorian Supreme Court.AustraliaWatch: Australians play in snowy winter wonderlandParts of New South Wales were blanketed with the heaviest snow in 20 years.AustraliaWatch: Huge stick insect discovered in AustraliaA new "supersized" species of stick insect that is roughly as heavy as a golf ball has been discovered in Australia.AustraliaFirst Australian-made rocket crashes shortly after lift-offThe company behind the country's first orbital rocket called the launch a 'giant leap' despite crashing after only 14 seconds.AustraliaCan you un-bleach coral? BBC visits remote reef to find outThe BBC's Katy Watson went to Australia's Ningaloo reef, the site of a mass bleaching event, to find out if the damage can be undone.AustraliaThe mysterious outback murder that shook AustraliaPolice say they will not stop searching for Peter Falconio's remains, after the man convicted of his murder died.AustraliaWatch: CCTV and phone recording shown to court in mushroom trialEvidence shown in the trial of Erin Patterson has been shared by authorities after she was found guilty of murder.AustraliaWatch: Australia's mushroom murder case… in under two minutesErin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three relatives and attempting to kill one other, after cooking them a toxic lunch.AustraliaWatch: Three things you need to know about the mushroom murder trialAs the jury deliberates Erin Patterson's fate, the BBC looks at what the key takeaways so far.AustraliaMoment man sets himself on fire in botched arson attackNewly released CCTV captures a man's failed attempt to set a restaurant alight in Melbourne, Australia last year.AustraliaElderly woman rescued from flood ravaged Australian homeTaree, a city in New South Wales, Australia has been among the worst impacted by record levels of rainfall.AustraliaMoment Australian politician signs off career with a 'shoey'The MP ended his time in parliament by drinking beer out of his shoe during his farewell speech.AustraliaCattle washed on to beaches in widespread Australia floodsA natural disaster has been declared in New South Wales, as widespread flooding prompts nearly 50,000 people to evacuate.AustraliaWatch: Man tries to scale cruise ship in SydneyA 29-year-old was arrested after he was seen climbing up the mooring lines of the Carnival Adventure cruise ship docked at Sydney Harbour.Australia'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election resultThe BBC's Australia correspondent Katy Watson breaks down who won and lost the election - and what it means.Australia

Judge rules Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury records can be unsealed 13 hours agoShareSaveMadeline HalpertShareSaveGetty ImagesMaxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in luring underage girls for Epstein to exploitA federal judge in New York has ruled the US Department of Justice can publicly release grand jury materials from Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking investigation.US District Judge Paul Engelmayer said he was ordering the release of material because of a recent law passed by Congress, which requires the justice department to publish files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein by the end of next week. In his ruling, he said the court would put in place mechanisms to protect victims from the release of materials that would "identify them or otherwise invade their privacy". Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in luring underage girls for Epstein, her former boyfriend, to exploit. Epstein died in prison in 2019.US judge orders unsealing of court records from abandoned Jeffrey Epstein caseProsecutors argued Maxwell recruited and groomed girls, some as young as 14, between 1994 and 2004, before they were abused by Epstein.Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence, was moved from a Florida prison to a new minimum-security facility in Texas in August, after she was interviewed by Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche about Epstein. In a letter to Judge Engelmayer, Maxwell's legal team said she did not take a position on the justice department's motion to release the grand jury material.Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, which has released thousands of files and messages it subpoenaed from Epstein's estate, said the unsealing was a "victory for transparency". "These files are now part of the Epstein files held by the Department of Justice, and must be turned over to the Oversight Committee in response to our subpoena," he said. The order to publish the records followed a similar ruling from a judge in Florida on Friday, which allowed for the unsealing of documents related to the state's investigation against Epstein that began in 2005.Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November after previously rejecting calls to release the files. The law "applies to unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials" that relate to Epstein and Maxwell, a court order said.The justice department has until 19 December to publicly release all the information from federal investigations into Epstein, though the law also allows the department to withhold files that involve active criminal investigations or raise privacy concerns.Florida and New York judges had previously refused to unseal grand jury materials related to Epstein, citing federal rules that require grand jury processes to be kept secret.But after Congress passed the bill to release the Epstein material, the justice department made the same request, arguing the legislation's "clear mandate" should "override" those secrecy rules.New York CityGhislaine MaxwellJeffrey EpsteinSex trafficking

Homepage Accessibility links Skip to content Accessibility Help BBC Accountrequire(["idcta/statusbar"],function(a){new a.Statusbar({id:"idcta-statusbar",publiclyCacheable:!0})}),document.querySelector(".idcta-wrapper").classList.remove("no-js") Notifications Home News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food Home News Sport Business Innovation Culture Travel Earth Video Live More menu Search iPlayer Home News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food Home News Sport Business Innovation Culture Travel Earth Video Live Close menu !function(){var e=document.getElementById("tviplayer");-1===e.className.indexOf("tvip-js")&&(e.className+=e.className?" tvip-js":"tvip-js")}(); iPlayer NavigationiPlayer Accessibility HelpMenuChannels;;Channels Sub NavigationScroll Channels Sub Navigation leftBBC OneBBC TwoBBC ThreeBBC FourBBC Radio 1CBBCCBeebiesBBC ScotlandBBC NewsBBC ParliamentBBC AlbaS4CScroll Channels Sub Navigation rightCategoriesCategoriesCategory Sub NavigationScroll Category Sub Navigation leftDrama & SoapsFilmsComedyDocumentariesSportNewsEntertainmentMusicFoodLifestyleHistoryScience & NatureArtsFrom the ArchiveAudio DescribedSignedNorthern IrelandScotlandWalesCBeebiesCBBCScroll Category Sub Navigation rightDrama & SoapsFilmsComedyDocumentariesSportNewsEntertainmentMusicFoodLifestyleHistoryScience & NatureArtsFrom the ArchiveAccessible alternative formatsAudio DescribedSignedRegionsNorthern IrelandScotlandWalesChildren’sCBeebiesCBBCA-ZTV GuideWatchlistJavaScript seems to be disabled. Please enable JavaScript to take full advantage of iPlayer.HomeLando Norris Reflects on F1 Title TriumphLando Norris Reflects on F1 Title TriumphLando Norris Reflects on F1 Title TriumphBBC Sport sits down with new Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris. 

Tottenham v Slavia Prague begins at 20:00 GMT on TuesdayTottenham's LGBTQI+ supporters group has criticised opponents Slavia Prague after the Czech club requested the relocation of a flag for Tuesday's Champions League match.The Progress Pride rainbow flag is usually located in the north-east corner of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which houses the visiting fans.In a statement, Spurs said the flag has been "relocated at the request of the visiting team to Uefa on security grounds".Proud Lilywhites said: "You don't get to come to our house and dictate what's acceptable, let alone kick off about a flag that represents our own community."The group alleged Slavia "raised concerns" supporters "may damage the flag and cause disorder" if it was not moved.Uefa sources told BBC Sport the presence of Spurs' badge on a flag within the away end created the issue.Slavia Prague have been contacted by BBC Sport. In a statement to the Athletic the club said: "The flag with Tottenham symbols would have been placed directly in the section reserved for our fans at that moment."For this reason, it was temporarily moved in another place in the stadium and with an agreement with the home club."This is a logical step based on respect for the space reserved for visiting fans, just as Slavia fans outside the visiting section respect the rules of not wearing our club colours or symbols."Proud Lilywhites' flag, present at all Tottenham home games, has been moved in similar scenarios for previous European fixtures.No other Tottenham flags are located in the away end."The risk here isn't the flag," Proud Lilywhites said in their statement."It's the reaction of a small number of opposition supporters. That's disappointing and it's another reminder of the hostility LGBTQI+ fans still face across European football."Latest Tottenham news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Tottenham - what do you want to know?

Marie Hobinger suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in OctoberLiverpool manager Gareth Taylor is unhappy midfielder Marie Hobinger was named as the victim in a stalking case but says she is doing "OK" following her ordeal.Mangal Dalal, 42, from Westminster, London, pleaded guily to stalking at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday after "repeatedly sending messages" of an "inappropriate and sexualised" nature.The messages were made via Instagram and were sent between 27 January and 16 February 2025, often including his mobile number and postcode.In a prepared statement, Dalal admitted to stalking but said that he was mentally unwell at the time.He will be sentenced on 20 January 2026 at Westminster Magistrates' Court."Hopefully this is coming to the end. What we care about are the players and we massively care about Marie and the situation she is going through," Liverpool manager Taylor told BBC Sport."It's not nice, particularly the fact she's been named also. I don't think that's great. But we deal with it."Nobody wants to see these things happening in any walk of life, so hopefully it's drawn to a conclusion really soon."The club is always at the forefront of any issue we encounter. This is no different. I would expect not just Liverpool, but any football club to act in this manner and protect their players as much as they can."'We all massively care about Marie' - Taylor on HobingerThere is no automatic right to anonymity for the victim in this type of offending.It is believed Hobinger was named because her prominent role in professional football was a major reason as to why she was targeted.Sources at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) say they hope raising awareness of the offence will act as a deterrent to others and give victims courage to come forward.Senior Crown Prosecutor Sarah McInerney said: "Mangal Dalal targeted [Hobinger] and treated her as an object that he could use to air his fantasies."His messaging was intense, continual, and totally inappropriate. It had a serious impact on the player who was simply trying to play to the best of her ability in a sport and team that she loves."Austria midfielder Hobinger, 24, joined Liverpool from FC Zurich in 2023 but is currently sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.Liverpool travel to Aston Villa on Thursday (19:00 GMT) in their next Women's Super League match. They currently sit bottom of the table with two points.Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feedGet the latest WSL news on our dedicated page

A man from Liverpool has been charged with racial abuse after Bournemouth footballer Antoine Semenyo was targeted during a match at Anfield.The Ghanaian international flagged abuse to referees during his side's match at Liverpool on 15 August. The game was temporarily suspended in the 29th minute.Mark Mogan, 47, of Templehill Close, Dovecot, has been charged with a racially aggravated section 5 public order offence.Mr Mogan was given conditional bail and is set to appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on 22 December, Merseyside Police confirmed.At the time of the match, Merseyside Police said a man was identified and removed from Anfield.Liverpool went on to win the match 4-2, in what was their Premier League opener.Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Lionel Messi is the first player in league history to win successive MVP trophiesLionel Messi has won Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Player award for the second season in a row - the first to achieve that feat in MLS history.The Inter Miami forward's two assists helped his side beat Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 to win the MLS Cup for the first time.Messi also won the league's Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorer, after the Argentina legend netted 29 goals in the 2025 regular season.With assists, the 38-year-old had 48 goal contributions across 28 matches in 2025 - the second most in a single season, including at least three contributions in nine matches, another league record.The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also became the first player in MLS history to record 10 multi-goal games in a single campaign, breaking the previous record of eight shared by Stern John, Mamadou Diallo, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.Messi scored numerous goals in five consecutive games from May 28 to July 12, becoming the first MLS player to have a multi-goal streak of more than four matches and scoring 10 times in that period.Messi recently extended his contract at Inter Miami to stay until the end of the 2028 season.Messi has featured in two MLS Best XI selectionsThe MLS MVP award has been presented since 1996 and is voted for by MLS club technical staff, media, and current players.Messi won more than 70% of the vote, while his nearest challenger, San Diego winger Anders Dreyer, had just over 11%.The former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain star adds the prize to a list of personal accolades, which include the 2022 World Cup, three The Best Fifa Men's Player awards, and two World Cup Golden Balls.Messi has also claimed three Uefa Men's Player of the Year awards, six European Golden Shoes, six La Liga Best Player recognitions, eight Pichichi Trophies as Spanish football's top scorer, and 15 Argentine Footballer of the Year awards.He has yet to confirm, though, whether he will feature for Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in United States, Canada and Mexico.Follow your club with BBC SportListen to the latest Football Daily podcastGet football news sent straight to your phone

Australia - in the 1936-37 Ashes down under - are the only team in Test history to come from 2-0 down to win a five-match seriesEngland being two-nil down after two Tests of an Ashes series has few positives, other than a) increasing the likelihood of a stage musical about the series being written if a stirring comeback leads to a historic 3-2 victory; and b) familiarity.This the eighth time in the past 10 Ashes tours of Australia that England have lost the first two Tests, and the 12th time in the past 20 Ashes contests in either hemisphere - a sequence that began in 1989 when England attempted to fight fire with selectorial mayhem, making four changes after each of the first four Tests, then treating themselves to six changes for the sixth and final match.Since the Second World War, England lead the 'Losing the First Two Tests of an Ashes Series' competition by an impressive margin of 17 to 2, with Australia's only experience of what has become the default state of Ashesness for England coming in 2013 and 1978-79 (when almost all of Australia's first and second-choice players were playing World Series Cricket rather than the Ashes).While the fading echo of the first day in Perth, the various acts of miraculous fortune-flipping in captain Ben Stokes' career, Joe Root having finally added his name to an Australian honours board, and the theoretical brilliance of England's batting line-up offer morsels of optimism if you squint hard enough, Ashes history offers little statistical succour.In 16 of those 18 previous post-war Ashes rubbers in which a team has trailed 2-0 after two Tests, that side has lost the series by at least three Tests. In 1994-95, England micro-bucked the trend by losing only 3-1.The glaring exception to the hefty thrashing rule was England in the 2023 series, so England's entire top six has recent experience of coming close to being the first side without Australia legend Don Bradman in it to fight back from two matches down to win an Ashes series.England need to win next Test or Ashes will get embarrassing - McGrathWood ruled out and Stokes throws down the gauntletDaily Ashes Quiz: Five-wicket haulsHowever, this has been a very different series to 2023. Two years ago, England pushed Australia close in both of the defeats - after the febrile, wildly undulating and frequently pyrotechnic Edgbaston and Lord's Tests, England had scored 34.6 runs per wicket to Australia's 35.8.This time, they have averaged 22.7 per wicket to 38.2, figures that are eerily similar to those at the same stage in both 2021-22 (21.8 to 39.5) and 2017-18 (23.9 to 38.6).And, most pertinently, this is Australia, where England have now failed to win 17 consecutive Tests. Only once have England had a longer winless sequence in a specific country.They went 19 Tests without victory in Pakistan, but that was not a tale of rapid-onset cricketing despair as recent Ashes tours have become. It was spread over almost four decades, in between victories in Lahore in October 1961 (England's first Test in Pakistan) and in the Karachi dusk in December 2000. Also, 17 of the 19 Tests were drawn, including three consecutive stalemated series. And one of the two defeats was a narrow one, by three wickets.By contrast, of the 15 losses in England's current cavalcade of clatterings in Australia sequence, three have been by an innings. The five in which Australia have successfully chased a fourth-innings target, England have lost by eight, nine or 10 wickets.The seven Tests England have lost when batting last have all had defeat margins of at least 120 runs. In one of the two draws, England were nine wickets down at the end, with James Anderson and Stuart Broad blocking out the final overs. In the other, Australia comfortably batted out for a draw at the MCG.None of this means Stokes' England are destined to fail as spectacularly as most of their two-down-after-two predecessors, but it does highlight the extent of the challenge they face.They have batted for just 219.1 overs in the two Tests so far, the fewest overs faced by any team in falling to a 2-0 deficit in an Ashes series, and almost 85 overs fewer than at the equivalent stage of their evisceration by Mitchell Johnson in 2013-14.In Brisbane, for the first time in a Bazball-era Ashes match, Australia were the faster-scoring team. England went at 3.79 runs per over, brisk by most standards but the sixth slowest match scoring rate since the Stokes-McCullum period began in 2022.However, they conceded runs at more than 4.5 per over for the second consecutive game (4.57 in Perth, 4.54 in Brisbane, the fifth and sixth least economical Tests by an England bowling team).Brisbane was only the fourth time in their 43 Tests that the Bazballian England have scored slower than their opponents. In the other three (all defeats, in the final Tests against Sri Lanka at The Oval and Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2024, and in the Edgbaston loss to India in the summer), they scored fewer than 0.25 runs per over slower.England soundly beaten by Australia in second Test drubbingOne of the many disappointments was that, where Australia's lower order contributed vital runs and equally vital hours, England's again evaporated rapidly.The Mitchell Starc-Scott Boland ninth-wicket partnership, which shifted the tone of the series and consolidated Australia's first-innings advantage into domination, lasted 27.2 oversEngland's eighth, ninth and 10th-wicket partnerships, in four innings across the two Tests combined, have lasted 27.5 overs, equating to a wicket lost every 14 balls.To illustrate the gulf between on-paper potential and on-pitch actuality, Gus Atkinson (with a century and four other scores over 35 in his 15-Test career) and Brydon Carse (three 35-plus scores in the recent India series, County Championship average over 30, two first-class hundreds) have scored 78-8 off 91 balls in Perth and Brisbane.Brendan Doggett (Test novice, with a domestic first-class average of 8.5) and Boland (domestic average 12.1, previous Test high score of 20) have scored 41-2 off 125 balls. Australia have scored at a Bazballistic rate, but also played with a flexibility and awareness England have failed to apply for more than fleeting passages.On the plus side, England's spin attack is leading Australia's in wickets taken after the first two Tests.In the last 50 years of Ashes cricket in Australia, every time England's spinners have taken more wickets than Australia's in the first two Tests, they have gone on to win the series - in 2010-11, 1986-87 and 1978-79.In Brisbane, when Will Jacks took the first wicket by a spinner in an Ashes Test in the southern hemisphere since Steve Smith dismissed Jack Leach in the fourth Test four years ago, England roared into a 1-0 lead in the spinners' wickets tally for the series.Admittedly, England were 2-0 up after two Tests in 1978-79, and 1-0 ahead in the other two series, but where there is a statistical straw, let us clutch it, and clutch it hard, before it floats off into the wind.For those wishing to build an entire house of statistical straws, you could also point to the fact that the last time England were bowled out in under 80 overs in the first four innings of an Ashes was in 2005, another triumphant series.And, after Stokes and Jacks' 96-run stand, you could note that every time England have had a seventh-wicket stand of more than 90 in Australia since the Second World War, they have won the Ashes (Ian Bell and Matt Prior putting on 107 in 2010-11, Geoff Miller and Bob Taylor combining for 135 in 1978-79).Get cricket news sent straight to your phone

Jakarta office fire kills at least 22, police confirm2 hours agoShareSaveDearbail JordanShareSaveWorkers rescued from Jakarta office building fireA fire at an office building in Jakarta has killed at least 22 people as authorities continue to search for casualties.The blaze at the seven-storey site in the Indonesian capital started on Tuesday afternoon, according to city police chief Susatyo Purnomo Condro, who said some workers were having lunch at the time.Police believe the fire began after a battery exploded on the first floor before the flames spread upwards. A company which makes drones is based in the building. Susatyo said most of the victims who perished were women, one of whom was pregnant, and it was likely that they had died of asphyxiation from smoke rather than burns. Thick smoke poured from the upper floors as firefighters deployed 28 engines and about 100 personnel, with dramatic footage showing trapped employees being rescued by aerial ladders.The fire has been extinguished and rescue teams are focusing on the upper levels of the building after conducting a sweep of the lower floors.Susatyo said that access to the sixth floor was "particularly challenging, according to the firefighters on site", the Jakarta Globe newspaper reports."We are still collecting data," he told the Associated Press news agency. "But for now, we are focusing on identifying the victims who have been found."The company provides drone services for industrial clients, from aerial surveying and mapping to inspection and agriculture.Indonesia

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish failed to argue that the club were not directly linked to LyonMore teams could be thrown out of European competitions next season after Uefa informed clubs it would continue its hard-line position on multi-club ownership.It follows Crystal Palace's controversial demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League this season.Uefa issued a circular on Monday to underline that 1 March is the strict deadline for compliance. It insisted there would be no extension to get around the regulations after this date.There had been speculation that the rules could be relaxed. But emboldened by the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) detailed ruling, external on Palace's failed appeal, Uefa has instead reiterated that there will be no special dispensation.Uefa does not permit two clubs within an ownership group to play in the same European competition. The club which finished lower in their domestic league must lose their place if there is a conflict.Before last season this appeared to be a hollow threat as no team had ever been impacted.But concerned that the spread of multi-club ownership was presenting a threat to the integrity of European competition, Uefa's Club Financial Control Body changed the rules.It brought forward the assessment date from 1 June to 1 March. As a result, three clubs were either demoted or removed in the summer.Palace were the highest-profile casualty. It was ruled that former co-owner John Textor had decisive influence in both the Eagles and Ligue 1 club Lyon, who had also qualified for the Europa League.League of Ireland side Drogheda United and Slovak club FC DAC 1904 lost their places in the Conference League.All three clubs failed in appeals to CAS, which last week published its full decision in Palace's case. Its judgement backed Uefa's assertion that there was no mechanism for clubs to become compliant after the deadline.On that basis, Uefa has now reaffirmed that the 1 March assessment date "is the deadline by which clubs must comply with the multi-club ownership criteria" and that the CAS ruling was binding for "a strict deadline for compliance".Uefa added it was "deemed necessary to provide clarity and predictability to clubs ahead of next season and to enable them to prepare ahead of time".Are Man Utd turning the tide or is a 'bad result just around corner'?Winless Wolves are breaking records - but how bad can things get?'Disgraceful' Salah comments caused 'carnage' - punditsIn their appeal, Palace claimed that other clubs had been given preferential treatment to modify their ownership structures for admission to Europe after 1 March.Palace highlighted the case of Nottingham Forest. Owner Evangelos Marinakis had diluted his control of the club in preparation for Champions League qualification for both Forest and Olympiakos.In a similar situation, Chelsea owners BlueCo had issued millions of new shares in Strasbourg in case both clubs ended up in the same competition.Palace claimed this was proof that some clubs had been given extra time by Uefa to sort out their structures.This was thrown out by CAS, stating that there was no clause in Uefa's regulations that permitted it.It was not tested though, because these clubs did not end up in the same competition. If so, it would have presented an even bigger test of the regulations.It makes Uefa's communication with clubs this week all the more important because it appears to completely close off any loophole beyond 1 March.Clubs in a multi-club ownership structure who think there is any chance of being in Europe must take the necessary steps to be compliant before this date. If they have not, Uefa will be back next summer to take action again.This could impact clubs such as Manchester United and Nice, who are in the same ownership structure.Follow your club with BBC SportListen to the latest Football Daily podcastGet football news sent straight to your phone

Bright has not featured in either of Chelsea's last two Women's Champions League gamesChelsea captain Millie Bright says the defending Women's Super League champions are not facing "a crisis" after Sunday's 1-0 loss to Everton.A first league defeat in 585 days - since 1 May, 2024 and first under manager Sonia Bompastor - extended the Blues' WSL winless run to three games, following 1-1 draws with Arsenal and Liverpool.Those results left them six points behind leaders Manchester City after 10 matches.Chelsea host Roma in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday and Bright said: "It's not a crisis, so we don't behave in any other way than if we'd won the game."We go back out there, get training again, keep the morale up and stick together and bounce back. There's no time to dwell because we play in the Champions League."Europe could prove a welcome distraction for Bright's side, although they still have work to do to qualify for the knockout rounds after winning two and drawing two of their four league phase games.They are currently in sixth place in the standings, outside the top four by a point, with winless Roma third from bottom."There has probably been more noise from the outside like, 'wow, Chelsea lost a game', than from the inside," added Bright."We know where we are at, what we stand for and the qualities we have. We are all human."The games are getting harder and harder. Sometimes you have to give the opposition more credit, teams are getting better and it's harder to score, keep clean sheets and win. The gaps are getting closer and closer."We never go into any game with the mentality to get anything other than three points and a good performance, but it happens. It's part of football."Chelsea unbeatable no more - is WSL now Man City's to lose?Chelsea's run ends, Man City extend lead & Jess Naz suffers ACLDefender Bright, who retired from international duty with England in October, has been an unused substitute in three of Chelsea's last four games and was substituted at half-time in the other."No-one is going to enjoy spectating, it's not where you want to be as players," said the 32-year-old, when asked about watching games from the sidelines."It's a team sport, we have a very big squad with a lot of talent and depth. Everyone is fighting for their position, it's no different for any other individual."I know where I stand. That's the price you pay for playing for a top club with world-class players around you. Everyone is competing, no-one's position is secure, no matter what your role is in the team."With or without the [captain's] armband I will remain the same. My role doesn't change, coming in every day, my mentality to train. I want the team and my players to succeed. You have to do your duties, and I would do that, with or without the armband, anyway."After facing Roma at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will travel to Germany to play Wolfsburg in their final league phase match on Wednesday, 17 December.Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feedGet the latest WSL news on our dedicated page

Bryn Ward and Stewart Moore both featured in Ulster's resounding nine-try win over Racing 92 last weekUlster head coach Richie Murphy has urged his side to "keep our foot on the pedal" after emerging from the autumn break with a couple of thumping home wins.After a month without a game, Ulster returned to action with a 47-13 win over Benetton in the United Rugby Championship before opening their Challenge Cup campaign with 61-7 demolition of an understrength Racing 92.But with a Challenge Cup fixture away to Cardiff on Saturday (20:00 GMT) followed by three successive inter-provincial derbies against Leinster, Connacht and Munster, Murphy says his players cannot afford to lose momentum over a demanding festive period."We're coming off the back of a couple of good wins. The boys are playing some really good rugby. [We're in a] very positive place," said Murphy."We just have to make sure we keep our foot on the pedal and not lose sight of the thing that have made us good over the last few weeks."Ulster led Racing 14-7 at half-time but hit 47 unanswered points after the break in an impressive nine-try display.While Murphy was pleased with his side's appetite for tries, he says attention this week has centred on areas in which the team can improve."We reassessed and met the players on Monday morning, had a good review and looked at a few areas where we can definitely do better," he added."They've been the focus point this week and Cardiff are a different challenge, so we've got to move on quickly."Murphy has overseen an upturn in Ulster's fortunes with five wins in six games this seasonMurphy has also been buoyed by the manner in which the squad's younger players have acquitted themselves recently.Charlie Irvine, 22, played 80 minutes in the second row against Racing, a couple of 21-year-olds in Joe Hopes and Bryn Ward came off the bench while Murphy's son Jack - also 21 - has started every game this season at fly-half."The confidence that's in the team at the moment is fantastic," he said."Joe Hopes coming off the bench, Charlie Irvine starting, both 21 or 22 years of age. Jack at 10, Bryn coming on into the back row, Juarno [Augustus] isn't exactly an old man at 26 and Belly [Angus Bell] is 24."It's a young squad, it's exciting, our goal is to play the brand of rugby that we're playing."As long as we can stick to that and work really hard together and improve week on week, we'll be a very hard team to beat."

Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan are suing Irish national broadcaster RTE for defamation, claiming it misrepresented chants led by the band when they played this year's Glastonbury festival.The group, which performed at Dublin's Vicar Street last month, claim they were defamed in a report by RTE News that said the lead singer led antisemitic chants when they played the Somerset festival in June.

Tanzania crackdown on planned protest leaves streets deserted4 hours agoShareSaveAlfred LasteckBBC Africa, ArushaShareSaveBBCWith many staying at home the atmosphere is quiet but tenseSecurity was tightened across Tanzania on Tuesday with police and military seen patrolling major cities ahead of anticipated anti-government protests called to coincide with independence day.By sunset, however, no major demonstrations had taken place.Residents in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya, Mwanza and several other urban centres reported an unusually slow start to the day, with many people choosing to remain indoors amid uncertainty over whether protests would happen.The demonstrations were called to demand political reforms in the wake of October's post-election unrest which left an unknown number of people dead.The authorities have admitted using force against protesters, claiming that some groups were attempting to overthrow the regime.On Tuesday, BBC reporters observed nearly empty streets in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. This was a stark contrast to the city's usual weekday bustle. Although quiet, the atmosphere remained tense. In a statement, police spokesperson David Misime assured the public of their safety and the protection of their property, saying the situation remained calm nationwide. He also urged citizens to dismiss old photos and video clips circulating on social media that falsely suggest protests are taking place.Tanzanian activist blocked from Instagram after mobilising election protestsThe president blamed for shattering Tanzania's aura of stabilityHow Tanzania police crushed election protests with lethal forceSecurity vehicles were seen driving along major roads and intersections, while officers took up positions at strategic locations, including around key public infrastructure.Public transport stopped operating entirely, the AFP news agency reported.On social media, activists and campaigners urged supporters to stay alert, suggesting any demonstrations were unlikely to begin until the afternoon. The messaging echoed previous protest calls in Tanzania, when turnout increased later in the day."We will move out, it is our right to protest... I know police are everywhere in the town and even in the street where I live... we have plans so wait, you will see what will happen," a resident of Arusha told the BBC earlier on Tuesday."I am scared for my children, if these protests happen, it will create a bad atmosphere. Like now my husband is hospitalised, how am I going to attend to him? I feel protesters should call off plans to move to the streets, we need to live in peace," said a resident of Mwanza in northern Tanzania.Motorists who ventured out reported frequent checks at roadblocks, where officers questioned drivers about their destinations.The government has not issued detailed comments on the heightened security measures or on the planned protests.Tanzanian authorities have banned the planned protests and cancelled independence day celebrations, urging citizens to stay indoors.Meanwhile, in neighbouring Kenya several activists were arrested on Tuesday as they were holding a solidarity protest outside the Tanzanian high commission in the capital, Nairobi.More about Tanzania:A coronation not a contest - Tanzania's first female president faces little opposition'A bullet went through my skull': Tanzania abduction survivorWhy Samia's hesitant reforms are fuelling Tanzanian political angerGetty Images/BBCGo to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafricaBBC Africa podcastsFocus on AfricaThis Is AfricaTanzaniaAfrica

Lithuania declares emergency situation over Belarus balloons4 hours agoShareSavePaul KirbyEurope digital editorShareSaveLithuanian state border guard serviceThousands of cigarettes smuggled from Belarus have been intercepted in recent months and Lithuania calls it a "hybrid attack"The Lithuanian government has declared a "nationwide emergency situation" in response to a series of incursions from neighbouring Belarus by weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes.Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene condemned the balloon incursions as a "hybrid attack" by Belarus that posed a real risk to national security and civil aviation.This year alone, officials say about 600 balloons linked to smuggling and almost 200 drones have entered Lithuanian airspace, leading to the repeated closure of Vilnius airport.Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko denies being behind the incursions, alleging the issue has been "politicised" by Lithuania, which is a member of both the EU and Nato.Lithuania's decision to impose an "emergency situation" is a step below a state of emergency, which was last imposed in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It grants the armed forces additional powers to respond faster and more effectively.Belarus's long-time leader is a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin, and Lithuania's president, Gitanas Nauseda, has said there is a lot of evidence that the balloon threat is a "deliberate action aimed at destabilising the situation in Lithuania".A number of European countries have faced a range of threats from Russia, which the EU has condemned as a "hybrid campaign" that includes sabotage, disruption to critical infrastructure and most recently drone flights near sensitive sites.Last month, the head of Nato's military committee, Adml Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, said the Western military alliance was considering a more "aggressive" or "pro-active" stance to Russia's hybrid warfare.Mysterious drones have been spotted at night at airports across Europe. How worried should we be?Lithuania to shoot down smuggling balloons, PM warnsLithuania has accused Belarus of this kind of provocation before. Four years ago, thousands of irregular migrants mostly from the Middle East crossed the Belarusian border.Responding to the latest threat, Lithuania closed two border checkpoints with Belarus for three weeks from the end of October. Belarus then barred Lithuanian trucks from driving on its roads and hundreds of Lithuanian vehicles are still understood to be stranded there."We are talking about aviation security and international law, and about the fact that such actions could be recognised as terrorism," Ruginiene said last week, in reference to both the balloons and the blocked trucks.The weather balloons can fly to a height of 10km (6 miles) and Lithuania's interior ministry says they have led to Vilnius airport being closed for more than 60 hours since October. Some 30,000 passenger were affected in October alone.Lukashenko told Belarusian TV on Tuesday that what the Lithuanians were accusing Belarus of was impossible: "It is unrealistic. Even if balloons flew into there, even if they did, I have spoken to pilots and they say that they pose no problem.""The question arises why," he added. "Do they want to fight us? We do not need war. I am convinced that the Lithuanian people do not need war either. Neither do Poles, Latvians and Estonians."Although flights into and out of Vilnius airport were disrupted for only a short period on Saturday night, it meant that 1,000 passengers were affected. Authorities said they had intercepted 11 smuggling balloons and seized almost 40,000 packets of cigarettes.On one night last week, the airport had to suspend operations three times and Finnish airline Finnair has cancelled all evening flights to Vilnius until the end of February because of the balloons.EuropeBelarusAviation safetyLithuaniaAlexander LukashenkoAir travel

LivestreamMenuMake ItselectUSAINTLLivestreamSearch quotes, news & videosLivestreamWatchlistSIGN INCreate free accountMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPoliticsVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuA version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Property Play newsletter with Diana Olick. Property Play covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, from individuals to venture capitalists, private equity funds, family offices, institutional investors and large public companies. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.The recovery in commercial real estate has been slow and bumpy, much like interest rate policy over the past few years. The two, of course, are deeply connected. After gaining significant momentum coming out of the pandemic, this year has been rough. October was the first month of negative year-over-year transaction volume growth since the post-Fed rate hike recovery began in early 2024, according to monthly data provided by Moody's as a media exclusive to CNBC's Property Play. It tracks the top 50 commercial real estate, or CRE, property sales across the U.S.Deal volume growth turned positive in the early part of last year and was even approaching pre-Covid levels by year-end. "More than an imminent downturn in the CRE capital markets, the slip to negative growth in October 2025 reflects the stalemate going on between buyers and sellers," said Kevin Fagan, head of CRE capital market research at Moody's. "The bottom of the U-shaped recovery from 2023 low volumes has been lengthened by persistently high interest rates and policy and economic uncertainty of 2025." But October was still an active month. There were $24.4 billion of sales, which is roughly 70% of October 2019 sales. Total dollar volume is still higher this year than it was last year, but the momentum of growth has slowed significantly since 2023.Looking at specific property trends, industrial and multifamily led the top 50 deals. The only sector to improve in deal volume compared with last year was hotel. It saw 6% growth after a negative third quarter.One notable sale: The New York Edition hotel at 5 Madison Avenue was sold for $231.2 million by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund, to the Kam Sang Company, a real estate development firm. "The New York Edition hotel is an interesting one because of both the sales price being so high, a Mideast sovereign wealth fund pulling out of NYC, and the history of the building," said Fagan, noting that it was originally an office building called the MetLife Clock Tower and was the tallest building in the world for roughly three years from 1910 to 1913. Both the Clock Tower and the Woolworth building, which was also once the tallest in the world, were converted to hotel and residential, respectively, starting around 2013. "They are nearly worthless as offices, but extremely valuable as a hotel and an apartment building, respectively," Fagan added.Meanwhile the multifamily segment saw the biggest pullback in October, down 27% from 2024. It had been showing volumes that were higher than pre-Covid levels in the four months before, and, despite the pullback, buildings were mostly trading at a premium to previous sales.CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox.Subscribe here to get access today.Office continued its rocky recovery, with either discounts or property conversions as part of the story. The top October sale was of the Sotheby's headquarters to Weill Cornell, which probably means a repurposing to health care or medical office, according to Fagan.New York Life picked up a distressed Manhattan office building from BGO for almost half of its last sale price in 2015. "It shows there is institutional interest in offices sold at discounts, reinforcing the long-term value floor for office buildings in good markets, and the recognized enduring utility of such properties," Fagan said.The niche real estate sector that’s luring big money for small kids' careDiana OlickApartment rents drop further, with vacancies at record highDiana OlickThe warehouse real estate sector is seeing a rebalance. Here's what to watch forDiana OlickRead MoreSubscribe to CNBC PROSubscribe to Investing ClubLicensing & ReprintsCNBC CouncilsJoin the CNBC PanelDigital ProductsNews ReleasesClosed CaptioningCorrectionsAbout CNBCInternshipsSite MapCareersHelpContactNews TipsGot a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by

Iniesta's new team signed Eritrean star rider Biniam GirmaySpain's World Cup winner Andres Iniesta says owning his new World Tour cycling team is "meaningful on many levels".Iniesta, 41, co-owns the new NSN Cycling team, which took over the ill-fated Israel-Premier Tech team last month.And the former Barcelona legend said: "This new step is meaningful on many levels. It's not only about sport - it's about everything that surrounds sport: the values, the excitement, the community."I'm very motivated, very excited, and eager to share this new chapter."Iniesta, who scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup and won two European Championships, before retiring last year, formed Never Say Never - a sports and entertainment management company - with businessman Joel Borras in 2018.The cycling team is the latest addition to the stable after funding from Stoneweg - a Swiss investment firm.As a statement of intent, NSN last week signed one of the hottest talents on road cycling's UCI World Tour in Eritrea's Biniam Girmay, who won the Tour de France's prestigious green jersey in 2024."I'm excited to dive deeper into cycling, learn more, and appreciate the huge amount of work behind every rider," added Iniesta."The goal for the team is simple: keep growing, enjoy the journey, and show what a united team can achieve – because, in the end, only one rider wins, but the collective effort is what will define us."NSN are expected to contest cycling's biggest races - including the Tour de France - next year after acquiring a World Tour licence as part of the deal to take over Israel Premier Tech, who were set to return to the World Tour next season.The team also has five British riders on its roster, including one-day specialists Stevie Williams, Jake Stewart and sprinter Ethan Vernon.Britain's Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome was released last month.Iniesta used to watch road cycling with his grandfather, and this is more than just a case of throwing one's name to a product.Cycling's biggest race the Tour de France begins in Barcelona next year, and Iniesta is as treasured in the Catalonian capital as the Sagrada Familia.Riders will be on the start ramp for the opening stage team time trial with the world's eyes on them, and Iniesta's big post-career project.Hipster multimedia company Never Say Never put on sporting events and music festivals, but they see cycling as so many have over the years: a virtually untapped platform for growth.The problem often is, few ever seem to grasp just how much it all costs to transport cyclists, kitchens, mechanics, doctors, coaches, bikes around the world for 10 months and pay for pretty much everything themselves.No team receives television rights money, which is taken by the biggest race organisers, and without a consistent stream of high finance it's difficult to get the exposure of the top teams who operate on budgets of around 50 million euros (£43.7m) each season.Israel Premier Tech had the money, but no longer the support of sponsors or many fans by the end, as Spain witnessed chaotic pro-Palestinian protests, many directed at IPT as a result of the Israel-Gaza war.Swiss registered, and "Spanish structured" NSN's budget is likely to be pretty reasonable if they can notch Girmay's annual salary up to two millions euros.However, without the often mooted but never progressed sea change in the division of money and power in cycling - controlled largely by Tour organisers ASO - the sport remains a deceptively expensive hobby.History-maker Girmay signs for Iniesta's new team'Untenable': Israel team loses top sponsor despite changesIsraeli cycling team taken over by Iniesta's company

Helmut Marko said it was the right time "to end this very long, intense, and successful chapter" with Red BullRed Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko will leave the team after 20 years at the end of 2025.The 82-year-old has been an integral part of Red Bull's success since the team formed in 2005, as they won six constructors' championships and eight drivers' titles.Marko, who was the right-hand man of the late Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz, has overseen the development of 20 drivers, most notably world champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, with whom the Austrian has a close relationship.A statement from Red Bull said Marko, a former F1 driver and Le Mans winner, had "decided to step down at the end of 2025".Marko added: "I have been involved in motorsport for six decades now, and the past 20-plus years at Red Bull have been an extraordinary and extremely successful journey."It has been a wonderful time that I have been able to help shape and share with so many talented people. Everything we have built and achieved together fills me with pride."Narrowly missing out on the world championship this season has moved me deeply and made it clear to me that now is the right moment for me personally to end this very long, intense, and successful chapter."Oliver Mintzlaff, who is in overall charge of Red Bull's F1 programme in his role as chief executive officer of corporate projects and investments, said the decision came after "a long and intense conversation".He added: "Helmut approached me with the wish to end his role as motorsport adviser at the end of the year. I deeply regret his decision, as he has been an influential figure for more than two decades, and his departure marks the end of an extraordinary era."'That's life' - Verstappen and Piastri react to missing out on F1 title'I'm too driven... I never settle for not good enough' - Verstappen in-depth on title raceMintzlaff added: "Over more than 20 years, Helmut has earned incomparable merits for our team and the entire Red Bull motorsport family. He played a decisive role in all key strategic decisions that made Red Bull Racing what it is today: a multiple world champion, an engine of innovation, and a cornerstone of international motorsport."His instinct for exceptional talent not only shaped our junior programme but also left a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole."Names like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen stand for the many drivers who were discovered, supported, and guided to the very top under his leadership."His passion, his courage to make clear decisions, and his ability to spot potential will remain unforgettable."Verstappen has spoken to Marko and, although he is emotional about the move, has accepted it is time for his ally to move on, according to insiders.At the beginning of 2024, Verstappen was instrumental in ensuring Marko kept his role in the team in the midst of a power struggle with former team principal Christian Horner.Marko's decision is said to have been influenced by the fact he realised he no longer had the control he once had, following the changes that have been made in the wake of Horner's sacking in July.One flashpoint late in 2025, according to sources close to Red Bull, has been that Marko signed Irish racing driver Alex Dunne to the Red Bull programme against the wishes of Mintzlaff and team principal Laurent Mekies.Dunne has had to be paid off and is currently looking for another way into F1 after his ties with McLaren were severed earlier this year.Marko was also at the centre of a number of controversies.These included blaming former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez's inconsistent form in 2023 on his ethnicity, remarks for which he later apologised.Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen both won four drivers' titles in a row for Red Bull

French feminists outraged by Brigitte Macron's comment about activists5 hours agoShareSaveMalu CursinoShareSaveAFP via Getty ImagesThe French president's wife Brigitte Macron in a file photographFrench celebrities and feminists have voiced their outrage at first lady Brigitte Macron's language about activists who had protested at a comedian's show.Activists wearing masks of Ary Abittan interrupted his stand-up show on Saturday shouting "Abittan rapist". Abittan was accused of rape in 2021, but investigators later dropped the case, citing lack of evidence.Mrs Macron met Abittan before his performance on Sunday. In a video, he says he feels "scared", to which Mrs Macron responds "if there are any stupid bitches we'll kick them out", before smiling and laughing.Mrs Macron's team told AFP news agency her words intended to "critique the radical method" of the protest."Brigitte Macron does not approve of this radical method," a member of her team added.The words used by Macron, "sales connes" (which translates to "stupid bitches"), have since been adopted by celebrities and feminists online who denounced the first lady's actions and violence towards women.The demonstration was organised by Nous Toutes, a French organisation that fights against violence towards women.The majority of those using "#salesconnes" on social media are doing so to voice their support for the feminist group.Actor Judith Godrèche - who herself has accused a film director of historical rape, which he denies - added her support."I too am a stupid bitch," she wrote on social media, with Belgian comedian Florence Mendez also saying she was "proud" to be one.Actor and singer Nadège Beausson-Diagne also adopted the term, writing on Instagram: "I too am a stupid bitch in summer, winter, spring and autumn."She went on to voice her support for the "courageous" woman who had accused Abittan of rape and for Nous Toutes, adding that the group will "come back stronger to fight together against sexual violence".Actor Rachida Brakni also thanked the "bitches" and tagged Nous Toutes in her post.Stand-up comedian Marine Leonardi, meanwhile, wrote on Instagram: "Feminists are never stupid bitches".Mrs Macron had attended Abittan's show with her daughter.EuropeFranceEmmanuel Macron

World darts champion Luke Littler was spotted celebrating Manchester United's 4-1 victory at Wolves with the away fans on Monday - but how did he get a ticket?It is not uncommon for celebrity football fans to be captured by cameras among the crowds on matchdays.Oasis' Noel Gallagher was at Craven Cottage for Manchester City's recent 5-4 win over Fulham, while England legend Alan Shearer regularly enjoys a trip with the Newcastle faithful.Littler posted a picture at the game with United's director of fan engagement, Richard McGagh, sparking debate around the club's away ticket allocations.He had previously posted on Instagram that he wanted to buy three tickets and was "happy" to pay over the face value of £30 for each one.The 18-year-old received last-minute tickets from Adidas and later thanked the German sports goods manufacturer in a social media post."Quality night seeing the boys win away, big thanks to Adidas for the tickets," Littler said on Instagram.Adidas, the club's official kit supplier, is given a small amount of tickets and can then distribute them to staff or guests.Luke Littler was pictured standing next to Manchester United's director of fan engagement, Richard McGaghA lifelong United fan, Littler opens the defence of his world title against Darius Labanauskas at the Alexandra Palace on Thursday, so is likely to be a bit too busy to watch Ruben Amorim's team in action until into January.Some eagle-eyed fans spotted he was stood near United's head of fan engagement, and questioned how the tickets were arranged at a time when there is more scrutiny on how tickets are distributed than ever before.Littler's United credentials are solid. He took his world championship trophy to Old Trafford for the home game against Brighton last season.United refused to comment but officials confirmed privately Littler's ticket had come from Adidas. But they stressed the proportion of away tickets given to commercial partners was tiny - single digits in some instances - compared to the overall allocation, which is reserved for season ticket holders and executive club members.The club also said Littler's presence was welcomed by the fans around him.Adidas could accommodate a request for a ticket as it gets a small number for every game - and duly obliged.The issue for some United fans is that away tickets are so hard to get hold of and the club are having a major crackdown over where tickets are going, amid concerns about a significant infiltration of touts, who are selling at vast profit.Some supporters are dubious about the club's intentions and feel 'normal' fans are being squeezed out, with new rules around how many times tickets can be downloaded and who they can be forwarded to and when.For some, distrust is so great, even the seemingly innocent sight of Littler enjoying himself was enough to trigger irate social media posts, particularly as he was with a senior United staff member responsible for supporter engagement.The thrust of their argument is United are strict when it comes to application of their own rules, except when it comes to high-profile fans who portray the club in a positive light. According to the rules, if Littler had asked a 'normal' fan for a ticket, they would have risked being banned by selling him one.United, clearly, would dispute they have a two-tier system and most clubs find ways for special cases to get tickets for games.But it emphasises a disconnect between fans and club that will not easily be resolved.The ballot system is arranged to stop touts getting their hands on tickets, but it doesn't really work.There are people in these ends who are not regularly at away games.I have heard from numerous fans the away atmosphere at certain grounds has really diminished and that is something United have been famous for.I understand the frustration about Littler getting his hands on the tickets, particularly because he was on Instagram saying he was willing to pay over the odds.The fact United have this system in place to prevent touts, and it is not working, is worrying.The Luke Littler effect: Is darts now a global sport?United away tickets are in extremely high demand and come with limited availability. Around 2,750 were available at Molineux.Fans must be season ticket holders for a minimum of three years to be eligible to apply for away tickets and must also attend every home game, including cup matches.Fans apply via a ballot and tickets are allocated at random. A section also goes to a 'loyalty pot' - enabling long-standing supporters to receive a percentage of the tickets sold.But many members and fans struggle to get tickets for fixtures - including former players Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.Scholes told The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast that he had to "ring a ticket tout" to get extra tickets after his four season tickets were already in use.United also caused upset in 2024 when they raised Premier League matchday ticket prices to £66 per game, with no concessions for children or pensioners.A new digital ticketing system has also caused long queues outside Old Trafford on matchdays.A number of fans were also relocated at Old Trafford this season when the area was transformed into a corporate ticket zone.This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits.We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events.Our coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio.Who is one card away from suspension in the Premier League?When are Premier League players heading to Afcon?World Darts Championship 2026: Dates, format & prize money

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveClose menu BBC SportMenuHomeFootballCricketFormula 1Rugby UTennisGolfAthleticsCyclingMoreA-Z SportsAmerican FootballAthleticsBasketballBoxingCricketCyclingDartsDisability SportFootballFormula 1Gaelic GamesGolfGymnasticsHorse RacingMixed Martial ArtsMotorsportNetballOlympic SportsRugby LeagueRugby UnionSnookerSwimmingTennisWinter SportsFull Sports A-ZMore from SportEnglandScotlandWalesNorthern IrelandNews FeedsHelp & FAQsAmerican FootballSuper BowlScores & FixturesTables{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"NFL: Jaylen Hurts loses ball twice on same play","description":"Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts loses the ball twice during the same play as the reigning Super Bowl champions slump to a third successive defeat on Monday.","thumbnailUrl":["https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1920x1080/p0mmj512.jpg","https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1232x1232/p0mmj512.jpg","https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/688xn/p0mmj512.jpg","https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/400xn/p0mmj512.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2025-12-09T14:35:50.465Z","duration":"PT35S"}Eagles quarterback Hurts loses ball twice on same playThis content is not available in your location.There was an errorPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts loses the ball twice during the same play as the reigning Super Bowl champions slump to a third successive defeat on Monday.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionExplore moreEagles quarterback Hurts loses ball twice on same play. Video, 00:00:35Eagles quarterback Hurts loses ball twice on same play0:35Up Next. Shedeur Sanders responds to critics after Browns win. Video, 00:00:34Shedeur Sanders responds to critics after Browns win0:34'A boo-worthy performance' - Rodgers on Steelers' loss to Bills. Video, 00:00:47'A boo-worthy performance' - Rodgers on Steelers' loss to Bills0:47Sanders confident despite rough NFL debut. Video, 00:00:47Sanders confident despite rough NFL debut0:47Sanders debut 'not the worst ever' Video, 00:01:44Sanders debut 'not the worst ever'1:44Editor's recommendationsSlot 'no clue' if Salah has played his last Liverpool game. Video, 00:02:48Slot 'no clue' if Salah has played his last Liverpool game2:48'Winning made everything worth it' - Norris on world title triumph. Video, 00:02:46'Winning made everything worth it' - Norris on world title triumph2:46'Disrespectful' Salah comments threw club under bus - Rooney. Video, 00:01:35'Disrespectful' Salah comments threw club under bus - Rooney1:35'Salah's put his team-mates in jeopardy' - Coady. Video, 00:01:19'Salah's put his team-mates in jeopardy' - Coady1:19Villa could still go up another level - Sutton. Video, 00:01:43Villa could still go up another level - Sutton1:43'It can become hostile' - Savage on impact of fan abuse. Video, 00:02:52'It can become hostile' - Savage on impact of fan abuse2:52Tuchel reacts to England's 'difficult' World Cup group. Video, 00:02:37Tuchel reacts to England's 'difficult' World Cup group2:37'Bring it on' - Clarke reacts to Scotland's World Cup draw. Video, 00:00:48'Bring it on' - Clarke reacts to Scotland's World Cup draw0:48'Have I just outed Chelsea?' - Confession Cam. Video, 00:03:19'Have I just outed Chelsea?' - Confession Cam3:19'He wasn't happy' - Slot on Salah's reaction after being dropped. Video, 00:00:58'He wasn't happy' - Slot on Salah's reaction after being dropped0:58'Why would you do that?' - Sutton on Spurs fans booing. Video, 00:02:31'Why would you do that?' - Sutton on Spurs fans booing

Caroline Dubois has five stoppages in 11 victoriesLightweight world champion Caroline Dubois has signed a promotional deal with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions.The WBC title holder leaves Boxxer to join the ranks of MVP, which has signed a host of female talent this year including world champions Ellie Scotney and Alycia Baumgardner.Dubois, 24, is unbeaten in 12 fights with one draw and will defend her WBC title against Italy's Camila Panatta on the undercard of Paul's fight against Anthony Joshua on 19 December in Miami."Signing with MVP is the next step in my career. I'm proud to be under their roster, and I believe they will be able to help me on my quest for greatness," said Dubois."The mission must be to become the face of women's boxing."The Londoner has twice defended her world title but has tried unsuccessfully to secure unification fights since becoming champion in 2024.Briton Terri Harper holds the WBO title, while American Stephanie Han has the WBA belt and Turkey's Elif Nur Turhan is the recently crowned IBF champion.Dubois, whose brother Daniel is a former heavyweight world champion, held talks with Ben Shalom's Boxxer organisation about re-signing with the promotional outfit but chose MVP.MVP's Nakisa Bidarian says that as well as fighting next week, Dubois will be in action in the UK in early 2026."Dubois has been the most coveted free agent in women's boxing," said Paul and Bidarian, co-founders of MVP.Paul v Joshua main card, from 01:00 GMT, 20 December:Jake Paul v Anthony Joshua – heavyweight (8x3min rounds)Alycia Baumgardner v Lela Beaudoin – WBA, IBF & WBO super-featherweight world titles (12x3min rounds)Anderson Silva v Tyron Woodley – cruiserweight (6x3min rounds)Jahmal Harvey v Kevin Cervantes – featherweight (6x3min rounds)Paul v Joshua preliminary card from 21:45 GMT, 19 December:Cherneka Johnson v Amanda Galle – undisputed bantamweight title (10x2min rounds)Caroline Dubois v Camila Panatta - WBC lightweight world title (10x2min rounds)Yokasta Valle v Yadira Bustillos – WBC strawweight world title (10x2min rounds)Avious Griffin v Justin Cardona – welterweight (8x3min rounds)Keno Marley v Diarra Davis Jr – cruiserweight (4x3min rounds)Boxing schedule and results 2025Watch every Born to Brawl episodeNotifications, social media and more with BBC Sport

Sacked agents sue FBI, saying they were punished for taking the knee5 hours agoShareSaveJames FitzGeraldShareSaveGetty ImagesThe plaintiffs said adopting a gesture used by protesters helped to defuse tensions during the Washington DC protestTwelve fired FBI agents are alleging that they were unlawfully sacked because they knelt during a racial justice protest in Washington DC five years ago.In a recently filed lawsuit, the former agents argue that their decision to kneel - adopting a gesture used by demonstrators - helped to deescalate a tense protest situation in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd.The agents believe they were fired on the orders of FBI boss Kash Patel, who is named as a defendant.Their termination letters accused them of "a lack of impartiality" in their duties, they say. The FBI has declined to comment on the case.The dozen sacked agents - nine women and three men - say they had been "confronted by a mob" when deployed in the US capital city on 4 June 2020, and were responding to a "dangerous situation" for which they were ill-prepared. The killing of Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis had sparked protests across the US and in cities around the world just days earlier.Amid a febrile atmosphere during the protest in the US capital city, the plaintiffs made what was a "considered tactical decision" to take a knee, the group said in their legal filing, which gave their account of events. They said they "avoided triggering violence by assuming a kneeling posture" which had been used to lessen tensions "between law enforcement officers and their communities during this period of national unrest".They say their actions were reviewed at the time by both the FBI and the Department of Justice, of which the FBI is a part. They highlighted that their dismissal letters came more than five years after the incident.The agents are seeking reinstatement in their positions and back pay.In their complaint, the ex-agents said they had been "targeted" because their choice of tactics on that day had led to a "perceived lack of affiliation" with President Donald Trump, who was in office during the protests.During his tenure leading the FBI, Patel has been accused of a wider crackdown on personnel perceived to be disloyal to his ally Trump. He has previously denied accusations that his sackings at the agency have been politically motivated.Amid recent speculation regarding his future at the top of the agency, the White House said Patel was "a critical member of the president's team and he is working tirelessly to restore integrity to the FBI."The civil case from the 12 former agents, which was filed in the District of Columbia, comes after former FBI acting director Brian Driscoll and others filed a lawsuit of their own, alleging that they too had been terminated in an act of political retribution.Fired FBI agents sue Kash Patel over retribution claimsThousands remember George Floyd on fifth anniversary of death FBIBlack Lives MatterDonald TrumpUS politicsUnited States

A coup too far: Why Benin's rebel soldiers failed where others in the region succeeded6 hours agoShareSavePaul MellyWest Africa analystShareSaveAFP via Getty ImagesPlotters misjudged the national mood and Benin's neighbours learnt from past errorsHad last week's coup attempt in Benin been successful, it would have become the ninth to take hold in the region in the last five years alone.Just a few days after soldiers took power in Guinea-Bissau while a presidential election vote count was still under way, leaders of the West African grouping Ecowas rapidly concluded that Sunday's attempted overthrow of Benin's President Patrice Talon was one destabilising step too far.In support of his government, Nigerian warplanes bombarded mutinous soldiers at the national TV and radio station and a military base near the airport in Cotonou, the largest city. Ecowas also announced the deployment of ground troops from Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone to reinforce the defence of constitutional order.This is a region that has been shaken by repeated coups since 2020, and which little more than 10 months ago saw the putschist regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger completely withdraw their countries from Ecowas - the Economic Community of West African States - of which they had all been founding participants 50 years ago.So, faced with the prospect that yet another civilian government might be overturned by discontented soldiers, the presidents of the remaining Ecowas member states rapidly reached the conclusion that the attempted coup in Cotonou could not be allowed to succeed.Learning from past mistakesHaving fought off early morning putschist attacks on Talon's home and the presidency offices, loyalist forces had already reaffirmed government control across the city, locking down the main central administrative district. But it was proving hard to break down the last-ditch resistance of rebel troops who had shown they were ready to use lethal force without regard for civilians.In response, Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, Benin's eastern neighbour and much the largest military power in the region, authorised air strikes, while Ecowas leaders decided to despatch ground troops the same day. Among those sending forces is Ghana's President John Mahama, who leads a resilient democracy but has made friendly diplomatic overtures to the Sahelian military regimes.In acting so quickly, Ecowas has perhaps learned a lesson from its misjudged response to the 2023 coup in Niger.On that occasion it was not practically organised to intervene militarily in the hours after the elected head of state, Mohamed Bazoum, had been detained by coup leaders – the only moment, perhaps, when a rapid commando raid to rescue him and secure key buildings might have had any chance of success.By the time the bloc had threatened intervention and begun to plan it, the chance had gone: the new junta had consolidated control over the Nigérien army and mobilised popular opinion in its support. Faced with the prospect of intervention becoming full-scale war, and under strong domestic popular pressure to avoid any such bloodbath, Ecowas leaders backed off - opting to rely on sanctions. And when those also proved counter-productive, they settled for the diplomatic path alone.This time around, in Benin, the situation was quite different: Talon was still in full control, even if some would-be putschists were still resisting. So he, as the internationally recognised president, could legitimately request support from fellow member countries in the regional bloc.And this seems to have had popular support in Cotonou.Many Béninois citizens do have grievances against the current government, notably over the exclusion of Les Démocrates, the main opposition party, from the forthcoming presidential election.But there is a strong culture in Benin of trying to achieve change through political and civil society action, rather than force.Béninois are rightly proud of their country's role as the pioneering instigator of the wave of peaceful mass protest and democratisation that swept across francophone Africa in the early 1990s.BTVMost of the soldiers who appeared on state TV early on Sunday morning are on the runWhile the complaints against Talon aired by the would-be putschists during their brief appearance on national television are widely shared, there has been absolutely no sign of any popular support for their attempt to get rid of the government by force.So Benin represented a particularly favourable context for a forceful Ecowas intervention in defence of constitutional civilian rule.Indeed, if anything, the coup-plotters are likely to become the target of growing public anger as news of casualties circulates. At least one civilian – the wife of Talon's key military adviser – was killed.In recent days two top military officials abducted during Sunday's failed coup attempt in Benin have been rescued, but security forces are still searching for the coup leader Lt Col Pascal Tigri and other plotters.Simmering grievancesThis was just the latest in a string of coup attempts across the region, though most of the others have in fact succeeded.They have all occurred in a context of fragility and pressure across West Africa at a time of Islamist violence across the Sahel, now spreading into the northern regions of many coastal countries. There is disenchantment with traditional political elites. Even where economies are growing well, a desperate shortage of jobs and viable livelihoods, for the region's rapidly growing young population.However, while the regional context is widely shared, the driving factors for the coups are often local - specific to each country.The lack of popular support for the Cotonou putschists stands in stark contrast to the mood on the streets of Conakry, the Guinean capital, in September 2021, when the commander of special forces, Col Mamady Doumbouya led the overthrow of then-President Alpha Condé.Like Talon, Condé had first been democratically elected but later secured re-election in questionable conditions, and presided over a significant erosion of political freedoms. Yet in Guinea, Condé had presided over the violent abuse on a far greater scale than in Benin. In addition, Condé had then strong-armed his way to a third term aged 83. Whereas the 67-year-old Talon has promised to step down next April, albeit having adjusted the electoral rules to almost guarantee an easy victory for his chosen successor, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni.Another key difference is Condé's deeply disappointing economic track record, whereas Talon has presided over strong growth and improving services.Watch: People in Benin felt 'total fear' at attempted coupFurther north, the wave of coups in the Sahelian countries in recent years were also driven by local conditions.In Mali and Burkina Faso, military commanders had grown frustrated with the weak leadership elected presidents were providing in the campaign against Islamists. In both countries, troops had repeatedly suffered brutal losses while their civilian governments appeared incapable of mobilising the extra weapons or sometimes even food that the troops needed.There was also deep resentment at France's inability to bring the jihadists to heel, despite the high-tech weaponry at the disposal of its forces then deployed across the Sahel. Also in Mali, some nationalist sections of political and military opinion were frustrated with the functioning of a 2015 peace agreement with former Tuareg separatists in the far north, overseen by UN troops. Hardliners even accused French forces of actively preventing Bamako from deploying national army units to the north.In Niger, the circumstances surrounding the 2023 putsch were equally distinctive.Bazoum's political support had been eroded by his very publicly close partnership with France, and particularly his request that Paris provide troops to defend the north-western border from incursions by Mali-based jihadists. However, his vocal support for judges probing a corruption scandal in defence procurement also risked alienating powerful elements of the military.The coup that followed soon afterwards in Gabon, in August 2023, was similarly the product of local frustrations. In this case the opaque management of election results that saw an implausible victory awarded to President Ali Bongo, in frail health after a slow recovery from a stroke.So, circumstances vary widely. And recent events confirm the trend.The region certainly does face a real crisis of security and, in many countries, politics or development too.But national conditions are often the major driver for each upheaval or coup attempt.Many suspect the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau aimed to forestall a possible opposition election victory. Whereas the Benin rebels seem to have been motivated by a mix of army grievances, and broader political and economic complaints.But they strikingly misjudged the popular appetite in Cotonou for any violent or radical system change.You may also be interested in:Three military-run states leave West African bloc - what will change?Was it a coup or was it a 'sham'? Behind Guinea-Bissau's military takeoverThe region with more 'terror deaths' than rest of world combinedGetty Images/BBCGo to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafricaBBC Africa podcastsFocus on AfricaThis Is AfricaBurkina FasoBeninGuineaMaliGabonGuinea-BissauNigerAfrica

CCTV shows suspects make off on foot with stolen artworksTwo armed men have stolen at least 13 paintings from a library in São Paulo, Brazil, including eight engravings by famed French artist Henri Matisse.Authorities said on Monday that they had found the "escape vehicle" and one of the suspects had been arrested.Local authorities are working with Interpol to recover the works before they are taken out of the country.BBC Brasil's André Biernath explains what we know about the heist and what CCTV footage shows us about how it unfolded.More on this story: Thieves snatch eight Matisse artworks from library in BrazilVideo edited by Marina Costa6 hours agoSao PauloArt galleriesArtBrazilMuseumsShareSave'We did it!': Countries celebrate World Cup qualificationPanama, Haiti, Curacao and Scotland fans partied as their countries secured a spot at the World Cup in 2026. Latin AmericaPolice find suspected cocaine in trick-or-treat bucketAn officer dressed as Spiderman to carry out a Halloween sting operation on a gang in Peru.Latin AmericaHurricane Melissa: Aerial view of 'ground zero' destructionThe BBC's Will Grant witnessed the devastation in the town of Black River, as he joined an aid helicopter flight over the island.Latin AmericaWatch: BBC is on the ground in hard hit Santa Cruz, JamaicaThe BBC's Nada Tawfik reports on how the Jamaican Red Cross plans to aid recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.Latin AmericaJamaica's 'ground zero' - Assessing hurricane damage in Black RiverThe southwest of the island bore the full force Hurricane Melissa's 185 mph (295km/h) winds on Tuesday.Latin America'Everything's gone' - BBC finally able to access one of Jamaica's worst-hit areasBuildings, power lines, and a church once visited by King Charles are down in the tourism hub of Falmouth.Latin AmericaHurricane Melissa drone footage shows destroyed homes and towns under waterVideo shows the destruction in St Elizabeth and Montego Bay, which are among the worst hit places in Jamaica.Latin AmericaHurricane Melissa - what we know about the damage in Jamaica The Jamaican authorities are trying to assess the impact of Hurricane Melissa - footage on social media is revealing the scale of the damage left behindLatin AmericaWatch: Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa as Montego Bay devastatedThe Category Five hurricane has left large parts of Jamaica without power.Latin AmericaFlooded streets, inundated cars and tangled power lines - Jamaicans assess damageHurricane Melissa is the strongest storm to hit the Caribbean nation in modern history. Latin AmericaStrong winds and flying debris as Hurricane Melissa makes landfallStorm surges of 13 feet (3.9m) above ground level and destructive waves are expected as the storm hits Jamaica.Latin AmericaWatch: Storm chasers fly inside the eye of Hurricane MelissaFootage taken by a US Air Force Reserve crew known as the "Hurricane Hunters" shows the category five storm intensifying in the Caribbean.Latin AmericaWatch: Satellite video shows Hurricane Melissa intensifying near JamaicaSwirling cloud formations and a display of lightning illuminate the storm’s eye as it moves towards land.Latin AmericaWatch: Police fire tear gas at protesters in PeruPolice fired tear gas at protesters who could be seen sheltering in doorways. Latin AmericaDrone captures huge fire engulfing homes in PeruAccording to local media, dozens of houses have been damaged and it's suspected the blaze was caused by an illegal pyrotechnics warehouse.Latin AmericaWatch: Soda truck falls into sinkhole in Mexico CityInitial reports suggested the sinkhole was caused by a collapsed drainage system, according to Iztapalapa's mayor.Latin AmericaPunches and slaps: Watch as Mexican Senate debate ends in brawlA fight erupted in the senate involving two senior Mexican politicians.Latin AmericaSandstorm turns skies bright orange in PeruFootage from Ica shows huge dust clouds. Latin AmericaHurricane Erick hits Mexico resort towns killing twoVideo shows communities in the affected areas dealing with flood waters and a messy clean-up.Latin AmericaWatch: Moment people flee church as earthquake interrupts mass in PeruThe 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck near Lima, Peru on Sunday morning, causing panic at the city's cathedral.Latin America

EU investigates Google over AI-generated summaries in search results6 hours agoShareSaveLiv McMahonTechnology reporterShareSaveGetty ImagesThe EU has opened an investigation into Google over its artificial intelligence (AI) summaries which appear above search results.The European Commission said it would examine whether the firm used data from websites to provide this service - and if it failed to offer "appropriate compensation" to publishers.It is also investigating how YouTube videos may have been used to improve its broader AI systems, and whether content creators were able to opt-out.A Google spokesperson said the probe "risks stifling innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever"."Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies and we will continue to work closely with the news and creative industries as they transition to the AI era," they said.The EU's investigation will also cover Google's AI Mode, which gives people an answer in a conversational style with some links to other pages.It is in addition to the tech giant's existing search platform - providing an experience similar to its rivals such as ChatGPT.What is AI and how does it work?Google's introduction of its AI Overview summaries was met with concerns it could result in fewer visitors to websites.Without people clicking on web pages, sites generate less money from advertising.The Daily Mail previously claimed the number of people who clicked its links from Google search results fell by around 50% since Google introduced its AI Overview feature.The Commission said it was concerned both web publishers and YouTube video creators were not being compensated or given the opportunity to opt-out of their content being used to train the company's AI models.Ed Newton-Rex from AI fairness campaigners Fairly Trained said it was "career suicide" for people to not publish their work on YouTube or online.He told the BBC Google "essentially makes it a condition" of online publishing that the firm can "use your work to build AI that competes with you"."This investigation could not come at a more critical time for creators around the world," he said.And the move was also welcomed by Rosa Curling, co-executive director of campaign group Foxglove - which had called on the Commission in June to tackle the impact of AI Overviews on independent media organisations.But she said "clear and present" dangers to journalism and democracy remain."We need an urgent opt out for news publishers to stop Google from stealing their reporting today – not when this investigation is finished," she said."Otherwise, there will be little left, by the time the Commission is ready to act."AI trainingThe Commission's investigation comes down to whether Google has used the work of other people published online to build its own AI tools which it can profit from.Its generative AI systems are capable of producing text, images and video in seconds, in response to simple text prompts.Many firms can now do this - and they have used huge volumes of online web content to train their underlying systems.But creatives have voiced concern their work may have formed the basis for big tech's AI products and outputs, at the expense of their own rights or livelihoods."A free and democratic society depends on diverse media, open access to information, and a vibrant creative landscape," said Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera.She said AI was ushering in "remarkable innovation" and "many benefits for people and businesses" - but its growth should not come at the cost of the EU's values.But the Commission's recent enforcement of its tough digital rules - which can see tech companies face huge fines if they found to be breaching them - has been met with outrage from US lawmakers.Elon Musk's platform X axed the Commission's account for placing adverts on the site, after the EU brandished a €120m (£105m) fine over its blue verification badges.MrBeast: AI means it's 'scary times' for YouTube creatorsBBC threatens AI firm with legal action over unauthorised content useGlue pizza and eat rocks: Google AI search errors go viralSign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.GoogleArtificial intelligenceEuropean Commission

Liverpool manager Arne Slot replied "I have no clue" when asked if Mohamed Salah had played his last game for Liverpool.The 33-year-old winger has been left out of the squad to face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday after giving an explosive interview in the wake of Liverpool's 3-3 draw at Leeds United. Salah claimed he was "thrown under the bus" by the club and his relationship with Slot had broken down.READ MORE: I am not weak, says Slot, but Salah could return

George Martin has only played 15 games for Leicester over the past two seasonsSaracens have confirmed the signing of Leicester's England lock George Martin.The 24-year-old will join the London club in the summer, when his contract expires. He has spent his entire career so far with the Tigers.Martin has scored nine tries in 73 appearances and was a member of Leicester's Premiership title-winning side of 2022.He made his England debut against Ireland in March 2021 and has won 21 caps but is currently out of action because of a shoulder injury."George is a highly driven young player who we are delighted to welcome to the club," said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall."His attributes and character will complement and add value to the group and we are looking forward to him realising his potential in the years ahead."Martin signed what was described as a "multi-year" contract with Leicester in December 2023.The second-rower has not played since being forced off the pitch in England's Six Nations victory against France 10 months ago, and he is not expected to be available again until the end of January.Leicester are fourth in the Prem Rugby table after four wins from six games so far, but they began their European Champions Cup campaign with a 39-20 defeat at La Rochelle on Saturday."We would have liked George to stay with the club as he's a top-quality player developed through our academy alongside many of the current team," said Leicester head coach Geoff Parling."While we offered George a competitive deal to remain with Tigers, he has chosen a different direction for the next stage of his career."What did we learn from the Champions Cup's opening weekend?Injured Stuart a doubt for England's Six Nations campaignDid the Champions Cup opening weekend deliver?

VAR is only used in the play-off finals in the ChampionshipBristol City head coach Gerhard Struber believes the Championship should have VAR brought in to create "more fairness".The Robins saw a late equaliser disallowed for offside in their 1-0 defeat by Millwall on Saturday, resulting in a huge post-match melee involving staff and players from both sides.Video assistant referees were brought into the Premier League at the start of the 2019-20 season, but in the Championship the technology has only been used in play-off finals since 2022."I am not a fan of VAR but this shows us the many signs, evaluations that with VAR the decisions are better and more fair," Struber told BBC Radio Bristol."We should do everything for more fairness and the last game showed us this on a really good picture."As well as the Premier League, VAR is used in all the major leagues around Europe including the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 and also in others including domestic competitions in the Netherlands, Turkey, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.Struber said the quality of the Championship meant it should be implemented in England's second tier."It's not always so easy to deal and handle the game with [such a] high dynamic, [so] the referees they have everything in a good picture with the pressure with the atmosphere and the high dynamic," Struber added."The Championship is one of the most attractive and interesting and dynamic leagues over the whole world and I would say this would deserve VAR."In many other countries, much lower league levels have a VAR and also many other coaches want to have VAR in the near future."Struber: "We have a really good energy"City next take on Leicester at home on Wednesday, before a trip to league leaders Coventry on Saturday.The Foxes are 14th in the table, seven places behind the Robins, but the sides are separated by just two points."It's completely a different opponent, a really, really good quality with the biggest strength in possession - they celebrate possession," Struber said."With [Jannick] Vestergaard they have a very experienced player with top skills on [the] ball and they have in the right areas high dynamic players, strikers, also what they bring from the bench."This is a team from the Premier League and we know that and have really big respect for them but we have a really good energy and we have a really good roster - we have very interesting players."With a clear plan and our typical phase it could be very interesting on Wednesday night."Latest Bristol City news, analysis and fan viewsListen to Bristol City content on BBC Sounds

Congress ups pressure to release boat strike video with threat to Hegseth's travel budget7 hours agoShareSaveJames FitzGeraldShareSaveStefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesUS lawmakers are trying to pressure the Trump administration to release video of a controversial "double-tap" military strike by limiting Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget. The incident on 2 September, in which the US carried out a second deadly strike on a boat in the Caribbean, has raised fresh questions about the legality of Trump's campaign targeting alleged drug-carrying vessels.A provision buried in a lengthy defence spending policy would restrict travel funds for Hegseth's office until the Pentagon hands over unedited footage. The bill is expected to pass with support from both parties.US President Donald Trump says release of the video is something for Hegseth to decide.Trump denied that he had previously said he would have "no problem" with the footage being made public - despite that comment being made on camera as recently as Wednesday.The threat from Congress to withhold money from Hegseth's travel budget has emerged amid a clamour for information from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle. It is buried within a 3,000-page draft bill that is focused on approving next year's defence spending. The annual bill authorises nearly $901bn in funding (£687m).The bill's final wording, which was first reported by Politico, states that Hegseth's office may spend no more than three-quarters of the funds made available for travel for the year 2026 until it meets certain requirements.These include an obligation to give the House and Senate armed service committees all "unedited video of strikes conducted against designated terrorist organizations in the area of responsibility of the United States Southern Command".The wording nods to the way Trump has characterised his strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. He says they are a matter of targeting designated terrorist organisations. Trump calls US reporter's company "fake news" over question about alleged drug boat strike videoBoat strike briefings help Hegseth - but shipwreck video release may hurtWhat legal experts say about second US strike on Venezuela boatIn his comments to reporters on Monday, Trump said each of the alleged drugs boats that had been sunk had saved 25,000 American lives, and claimed that drugs trafficking to the US by sea had all but stopped.His administration has sought to justify its actions by saying it is in a non-international armed conflict with the alleged traffickers. Dozens of people have been killed in the months-long campaign, but the administration has not publicly provided evidence for its assertions of criminality in each case.Experts have raised questions about the legality of the strikes, prompting concern from Republicans and Democrats alike. Regarding the "double-tap" attack on 2 September specifically, the experts point out that the so-called laws of war decree that the parties in an armed conflict are obliged to pick up wounded survivors of a strike rather than attack them again.Nine people died in the first strike on the vessel and two survivors were left clinging to the burning wreckage when it was struck again, killing them, according to the Washington Post.The White House has repeatedly said it is working within the laws of armed conflict.It says the second strike was ordered by a navy admiral, and not by Hegseth, who has become a focal point for scrutiny of both the strike and the White House narrative surrounding it.Senior members of Congress who were shown the video in a briefing last week by that admiral, Frank Bradley, emerged with differing views.Jim Himes of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said he found the video of the second attack "deeply, deeply troubling".But Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas disagreed, calling the strikes "entirely lawful and needful".Watch: Lawmakers react to boat strike video showed in classified briefingTrump has previously posted video of the first strike from 2 September, and continues to be asked whether he will release video of the second.Last Wednesday, the president responded to an on-camera question about the video from an ABC News reporter by saying: "I don't know what they have, but whatever they have, we'd certainly release, no problem."Five days later, he responded to a question from the same network by saying: "I didn't say that. That's - you said that, I didn't say that."He went on to clarify: "Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is OK with me."In his most recent remarks on the subject, Hegseth was noncommittal on the subject, saying: "We're reviewing the process, and we'll see."Hegseth, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Dan Caine, the chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff, is due to brief top congressional lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon, two sources told CBS.Watch: What we know about US strikes targeting alleged drug boatsHow the White House account of September boat strike has evolvedWhy is Trump threatening Venezuela's Maduro?Tracking build-up of US military planes and warships near VenezuelaDonald TrumpUnited States

BBC Sport and Getty Images present a selection of some of the most striking sports photographs taken around the world over the past seven days.Britain's new Formula 1 champion Lando Norris is drenched in champagne as he celebrates securing his first championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Photo by Mario RenziKristian Doolittle rips his basketball vest in frustration after the Wildcats lose an NBL match against the Adelaide 36ers in Perth, Australia. Photo by Paul KaneEngland captain Ben Stokes shows disappointment at losing his wicket on day four of the second Test against Australia in Brisbane. Photo by Bradley KanarisNorway's Johan-Olav Botn at the shooting range as snow falls during the men's 12.5km pursuit at the World Cup biathlon event in Ostersund, Sweden. Photo by Kevin VoigtThe Sydney Kings' Jaylin Galloway shoots under pressure from the NZ Breaker's Sam Mennenga at Claudelands Arena, in Hamilton, New Zealand. Photo by Phil WalterThe Miami Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle celebrates with team-mates after scoring a touchdown against the New York Jets during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Photo by Kenneth RichmondCrystal Palace's Yeremy Pino battles for possession with Fulham's Raul Jimenez during the Premier League match at Craven Cottage. Photo by Justin SetterfieldItaly's Leonardo Donaggio competes during the men's Freeski Big Air final in Beijing, China. Photo by Lintao ZhangThe Missouri Tigers' Annor Boateng dunks as the Kansas Jayhawks' Tre White, Melvin Council Jr and Flory Bidunga look on during the game in Kansas City. Photo by Jamie SquireThe Minnesota Vikings' Aaron Jones dives with the ball between two opponents during the NFL game against the Washington Commanders in Minneapolis. Photo by Michael OwensFrance's Flavio Vitale competes in the second run of men's giant slalom during the Ski World Cup event in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Sean M. HaffeyInter Miami's Lionel Messi celebrates winning the Audi 2025 MLS Cup against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium in Florida. Photo by Rich StorryThe New York Rangers' Carson Soucy scores a goal as Dallas Stars' Kyle Capobianco tries to keep the puck out of the net at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won 3-2. Photo by Sarah StierA surfer - centre of picture - rides a towering wave during a big waves surfing session at Nazare, Portugal. Photo by David RamosAustralia's Alex Carey moves to catch the ball as he chases it with Marnus Labuschagne during day one of the second Test against England at the Gabba in Brisbane. Photo by Cameron SpencerBahia's Erick Pulga competes for the ball with Fluminense's Kevin Serna as part of the Brasileirao match in Rio de Janeiro. Photo by Wagner MeierThe Calgary Hitmen's Eric Tu jumps into a pile of stuffed toys after his team score in the third period during the 30th annual Teddy Bear Toss in Calgary. Photo by Leah HennelTeam Switzerland's Marco Odermatt on his way to victory in the men's downhill during the Ski World Cup event at Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Sean M. HaffeyMcLaren's Lando Norris drives on track during qualifying for the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit. Photo by Clive MasonSouth Korea's Kim Tae-hee competes in the 3,000m women's junior speed skating World Cup event at Ritten Arena in Collalbo, Italy. Photo by Dean MouhtaropoulosAll photographs licensed by Getty Images and subject to copyright.Take a look at last week's gallery and come back next Tuesday for more great sport photos of the week.All your football quizzes in one place

McCusker represented Ireland at the 2024 OlympicsMax McCusker has become the second Irish Olympic swimmer to join the controversial Enhanced Games.In October, three-time Olympian Shane Ryan confirmed he had signed up after announcing his retirement from swimming, a move which was condemned by Swim Ireland.McCusker, who represented Ireland at the 2024 Paris Games, has followed Ryan's decision to join a competition that will allow athletes to use performance-enhancing substances without being subject to drug tests.Team GB Olympic swimmer Ben Proud, four-time Greece Olympian Kristian Gkolomeev and US sprinter Fred Kerley are among those set to compete.The first Enhanced Games are due to take place in Las Vegas in 2026 with each event awarded a total prize purse of $500,000 (£375,000) and $1m (£750,000) on offer for competitors who break world records.McCusker, 26, competed in the men's 4x100m medley relay in Paris alongside Ryan, Conor Ferguson and Darragh Greene.At the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, McCusker broke the Irish 100m butterfly record twice in one day with times of 52.52 and 52.31 seconds.The former Arizona State University swimmer also set an Irish 100m butterfly record of 51.90 seconds during the Irish Open in 2024.American Caeleb Dressel set the 100m butterfly world record in a 50m pool at 49.45 seconds in 2021, while in October 2025 Canadian Josh Liendo broke the short course record with a time of 47.68 seconds in a 25m pool.Irish Olympian Ryan joins Enhanced GamesWhat are the Enhanced Games and why are they controversial?

Burkina Faso accuses Nigerian Air Force of violating its airspace8 hours agoShareSaveThomas NaadiandNicolas NégoceShareSaveGetty ImagesThe aircraft was en route to Portugal when it had to land in Burkina Faso, the Nigerian authorities have said (file photo)Eleven Nigerian military officers were briefly detained in Burkina Faso after their aircraft made an emergency landing in the country, Burkinabè security sources told the BBC.The Air Force C-130 aircraft entered Burkina Faso's airspace on Monday without authorisation, according to the country's Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo. In a joint statement, the military governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger said their prompt investigation confirmed the "violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states". But the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said a technical problem meant the plane, which was en route to Portugal, had to land in accordance with safety procedures. The statement added that the crew was "safe and have received cordial treatment from the host authorities". It did not mention whether they had been detained.The aircraft landed in Bobo-Dioulasso, in the west of Burkina Faso and its second-largest city. The NAF said it was the site of the nearest airfield when the plane had to make an emergency stop.But the Nigerian account of the incident contradicts the position of the trio of Sahel countries, formally known as Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which said that the aircraft entered Burkinabè airspace without prior authorisation and was forced to land."An investigation was immediately opened by the competent Burkinabè services and highlighted the lack of authorisation to fly over Burkinabè territory for this military apparatus," the AES said in a joint statement. It called the landing an "unfriendly act" and said the countries' respective air forces had been put on maximum alert and authorised to "neutralise any aircraft" found to violate the confederation's airspace.On board were two crew members and nine passengers, all military officers, according to the AES. The Burkinabè authorities told BBC that the soldiers were released and given permission to fly back to Nigeria. In its statement, the NAF said that plans were under way to resume the mission to Portugal as scheduled, assuring the public that the air force remained committed to operational aviation procedures and safety standards. Political analysts have linked the incident to the deployment of troops from West Africa's regional bloc, Ecowas, to Benin following an attempted coup on Sunday.Nigeria led the regional mission with the deployment of jets and troops to suppress the mutiny in Benin. Earlier this year, all the three military-led countries - Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - withdrew from Ecowas, citing a mix of political and security grievances.They had rejected Ecowas' demands for them to restore democratic rule.The three Sahel countries have also distanced themselves from Western countries, notably from former colonial ruler France, while drawing closer to Russia.You may also be interested in:Why West Africa's united front is in tatters'I thought I would die' - freed captive tells BBC of life in West African jihadist baseThree military-run states leave West African bloc - what will change?Getty Images/BBCGo to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafricaBBC Africa podcastsFocus on AfricaThis Is AfricaNigeriaBurkina FasoAfrica

A case involving sprawling illegal betting schemes, which the FBI says involves star National Basketball Association (NBA) personalities and the New York mafia, could be headed towards plea deals, a Brooklyn court has heard.Miami Heat player Terry Rozier has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His bail has been set at $3m (£2.2m).The judge said the case - one of two alleged schemes that have led to the arrests of 34 people - would be adjourned while plea deal negotiations take place for some of those who have been charged.Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups earlier pleaded not guilty to allegations of participating in a separate mafia-linked, illegal poker operation.The FBI investigation into the two alleged schemes reads like a Hollywood movie, with claims of X-ray tables at high-stakes poker games, and rigged betting on NBA player performances. They were allegedly linked to some of New York's infamous Five Families, which have ruled the city's mafia for decades.FBI Director Kash Patel described the allegations to reporters as "mind-boggling".They include indictments in two major cases, officials said, both involving fraud.The first case is called "operation nothing but bet", in which players and associates allegedly used insider information to manipulate wagers on major sports betting platforms.In some cases, players altered their performance or took themselves out of games to ensure those bets were paid out, according to New York City police commissioner Jessica Tisch. Those bets amounted to tens of thousands of dollars in profits.The second case is more complex in nature, officials said, and involved four of the five major crime families in New York as well as professional athletes.The accused in that case are alleged to have participated in a scheme to rig illegal poker games and steal millions of dollars.They did so using "very sophisticated" technology including off-the-shelf shuffling machines, special contact lenses and eye glasses to read pre-marked cards, according to authorities. They also used an X-ray table that could read cards that were face down.The victims were allegedly lured to play in these games with former professional athletes, who acted as "face cards" in the scheme. The victims were unaware that everyone, including the dealer and the other players, were in on the scam.Authorities said they began probing these poker games in 2019, spanning multiple locations including the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami and Manhattan.The accused allegedly laundered profits via bank wires and cryptocurrencies.They are also alleged to have committed acts of violence, including a robbery at gunpoint and extortion against victims.Both schemes amounted to tens of millions of dollars in theft and robbery across several years and 11 states, authorities said.All in all, authorities say 34 defendants were indicted on charges related to the two fraud cases.Six people were charged in the first case of players allegedly faking injuries to influence betting odds, including Miami Heat's guard Rozier. Rozier is in the last season of a four-year, $96m contract.New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch alleged that in March 2023, Rozier, then playing for the Charlotte Hornets, let others close to him know that he planned to leave a game early with a supposed injury.Members of the group then used that information to place fraudulent bets and cash out big, she said.Speaking after the arrest, Commissioner Tisch said that Rozier's "career is already benched, not for injury but for integrity".Former NBA player Damon Jones was also arrested. He is alleged to have been involved in two games that were part of the scheme: when the Los Angeles Lakers met the Milwaukee Bucks in February 2023, and a January 2024 game between the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder.Jones retired from playing years ago, but since then has worked in assistant coaching jobs and media roles inside the world of the NBA. Jones has pleaded not guilty to charges that span both alleged betting schemes.One alleged instance shared in the indictment claims Jones shared inside information with bettors about a prominent NBA player missing an upcoming game due to injury.Authorities identified a total of seven NBA games between February 2023 and March 2024 that were part of the first case:The second case relates to illegal poker games and involves a total of 31 defendants, including Portland Trail Blazers coach Billups, who was inducted to the basketball Hall of Fame last year.Billups is on unpaid leave, and is not currently coaching the Blazers. He has pleaded not guilty and had his bail set at $5m.Prosecutors allege that Billups acted as a "face card", who gave the illegal poker scheme a veneer of prestige and lured unsuspecting players to rigged games.This case involves an alleged underground poker operation that prosecutors say featured cheating devices like X-ray tables, specialised contact lenses that could read marked cards, and a compromised shuffling machine - all of which were designed to rig the games against unsuspecting high spenders at the table.Thirteen members and associates of the Bonanno, Genovese and Gambino crime families in New York were also indicted in the illegal poker case.The charges include robbery, extortion, wire fraud, bank fraud and illegal gambling.In a statement after the initial arrests in October, which coincided with the opening week of the basketball season, the NBA said it was in the process of reviewing the federal indictments that were announced and that it was co-operating with authorities.The league added that Rozier and Billups were placed "on immediate leave" from their teams."We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority," the statement said.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was "deeply disturbed" by the allegations."There's nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting."Silver said the NBA had previously investigated Rozier after sports books notified the association of unusual "prop bets" in 2023, where more than $200,000 was wagered on Rozier's individual performance for a game."Terry at the time cooperated. He gave the league office his phone. He sat down for an interview. And we ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence despite that aberrational behaviour to move forward," Silver said in an interview during the broadcast of an NBA game in late October."He still hasn't been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry. Obviously, it doesn't look good. But he's now been put on administrative leave. There's a balance here of protecting people's rights and investigating."Authorities said the alleged overall scheme involved four of the five well-known crime families of New York.The Five Families - the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese - have ruled the city's Italian American mafia since 1931.Major mob takedowns reduced the prevalence of mafia activity in the 1990s, aided by the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and then-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.But, as Thursday's indictments show, the mafia has not entirely gone away.The Five Families are part of the larger American-Sicilian mafia operation known as La Cosa Nostra, which translates to "this thing of ours", and the members often work closely with their counterparts in Sicily.On the Italian side, the gangsters consider New York City to be a "gym" where their members go to be toughened up, criminology professor and modern organised crime expert Anna Sergi, previously told BBC.

McLaren's Lando Norris is the 2025 world champion after he finished third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.The 26-year-old is the 11th British world champion in Formula 1.Max Verstappen won the race but finished two points behind Norris in the standings, while Oscar Piastri finished second at the Yas Marina Circuit and ended his season in third overall.After the season finale, BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions.Is Lewis Hamilton staying in F1 too long and damaging his reputation, just like Michael Schumacher did when returning with Mercedes? - MartinHamilton has had a very difficult season for Ferrari, however you look at it.He has been comprehensively out-performed by team-mate Charles Leclerc in both qualifying and races, and he has failed to score a podium finish for the first time in his career.Most observers felt that Hamilton might find it difficult to adapt to Ferrari, and that Leclerc would provide a stiff challenge. But few will have expected Hamilton to struggle the way he has.Hamilton's belief seems to be that the issue is a combination of the difficulty of adapting to an unfamiliar car in a new environment in a unique team, and the fundamental disconnect he has felt with the generation of cars that is now consigned to the bin.The 2026 cars promise to be different in many ways, especially in terms of power-units and energy management, but in one potentially important factor they are a return to the cars in which Hamilton excelled.The fundamental aerodynamic philosophy is a return to so-called 'step-plane' cars, with a flat bottom either side of the central chassis reference plane, with a diffuser at the back.This type of car gelled much more naturally with Hamilton's driving style, which is to brake late and use the change in aerodynamic pressure to help rotate the car into the corner.Few - if any - were as good as him at balancing extreme braking with corner entry speed without compromising the exit.So, yes, there are inevitable and justifiable questions as to whether Hamilton's struggles to adapt have anything to do with age - he is 40, after all. But it would be unfair and unwise not to wait until next season before jumping to conclusions.Norris keen to 'live a normal few days' and 'forget I drive in F1'How Norris achieved his lifetime's ambition by 'winning it my way'Was it virtually impossible for the stewards to give any kind of penalty to Lando Norris for the Yuki Tsunoda incident in Abu Dhabi? - DannyThe stewards at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were clear in their reasoning for penalising Tsunoda and not penalising Norris in the incident in which the Briton's McLaren went off track in passing the Red Bull.It was all applied according to the rules.Tsunoda was penalised for making more than one move in defence - weaving, as it is known.And while Norris technically broke the rule that forbids overtaking off track, he was deemed to have been forced there by Tsunoda.The stewards' report said that he had ended up there because Tsunoda "made multiple moves defending his position".It added: "Had (Tsunoda) not made those moves, (Norris) would have overtaken without going off track, but (he) moved off track to avoid contact".The FIA driving standards guidelines "provide that if a car is 'forced off' (which was effectively what occurred here) it is not considered to have exceeded track limits".It has to be said that Tsunoda did not do an especially good job, from the perspective of Red Bull, of holding up Norris.Such was the tyre offset between the two cars, Norris was always going to find passing on the straight relatively easy.But if Tsunoda had driven with more calculation, he could have measured his pace to ensure Norris caught him at the start of the final part of the track around the marina, where overtaking is impossible.Doing that, he could have delayed Norris a significant amount through that section before being passed.'Winning made everything worth it' - Norris on F1 title and what's to come in the futureWhile we were talking about McLaren almost throwing away the drivers' championship for different reasons, surely by Red Bull not having a decent number two driver, who would have taken points off both McLaren drivers, you could argue that this cost Max Verstappen the title. - BillIt's a fair point, but also a debatable one.Red Bull are in a difficult position.In Max Verstappen, they have someone who many - if not most - regard as the best racing driver in the world. Certainly, that's what Red Bull think.So they are probably working from the principle that whoever they signed alongside him is unlikely to be able to beat him over a season, and would not find it easy to get close to him.Daniel Ricciardo left the team at the end of 2018 because he felt things had swung too much towards Verstappen. Partly in terms of the way the team operated. But also, almost certainly, because he could see the trend line of performance between the two of them was only going one way.Since then, Red Bull have been looking for a driver of a similar sort of level.Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon fell short at the team, but have gone on to have very solid careers elsewhere.Sergio Perez's status was pretty much established before he even got into a Red Bull, so it was no surprise he could not get close to matching Verstappen.He proved handy in the Abu Dhabi showdown in 2021, by delaying Lewis Hamilton enough that when the critical late safety car came out, Hamilton did not have a gap large enough to pit for fresh tyres without losing the lead.But Perez would likely have been of no significant help this season, judging by his average performance deficit to Verstappen over his time at Red Bull and the gaps between the front-running cars.Then you're looking at the next level of driver up. Red Bull could have signed Carlos Sainz for this season, for example. They chose not to because they felt it would disrupt the team dynamic.And as much as a driver of that calibre would likely have got in the mix with the McLarens, he would also likely have taken points away from Verstappen, in the same way the McLaren drivers took points from each other.On top of that, the Red Bull has been a difficult car this season, and perhaps only a very few drivers other than Verstappen could have got a tune out of it.Joining Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Alain Prost and Lewis Hamilton in being a driver with the most victories in a season without winning the championship, where does Max Verstappen's 2025 performance rank in terms of seasons without winning the title? - AlanAny topic like this is always going to be subjective.There are a number of examples of drivers who arguably, on merit, should have won the title but didn't.Stirling Moss in 1958, Niki Lauda in 1976, Gilles Villeneuve in 1979, Ayrton Senna in 1989 and Lewis Hamilton in 2007 are just some of the years up for discussion.Arguably the peak example of this was Fernando Alonso in 2012, when he drove a season of remarkable consistency and excellence to keep a Ferrari that was on average the fourth fastest car in the title fight until the final race.He ended up losing out to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel. But had only one of two incidents for which he was entirely blameless not happened, he would easily have been champion.He was taken out by the cartwheeling Lotus of Romain Grosjean at the start in Belgium, and his tyre was punctured by the other Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen into the first corner in Japan.There is no doubting Verstappen's excellence this season. How his year has compared with Alonso's then is a matter for debate, but his Red Bull was certainly more competitive than that Ferrari.As for Verstappen himself, he says he has "no regrets" about his season."I've hated this car at times," he said in Abu Dhabi, "but I've also loved it at times. I always tried to extract the most from it, even in the difficult weekends that we've had."Luckily, the last, I would say, eight, nine rounds in general have been a lot more enjoyable. And also, in the team, we have a great atmosphere. We're really on a roll - positive energy, belief, confidence - and that's exactly what you want heading into next year."Of course, shame to miss out on the title, but at the same time, for a long period of time I was not even thinking about the title. I never felt like I was in it until a few rounds ago. That's pretty crazy."You take your pride in different ways. I'm happy with myself, and going into next year I'm not in a state of having to worry about my skills or whatever."'That's life' - Verstappen and Piastri react to missing out on F1 titleThe phrase "it's difficult to overtake at xxxx race track" seems to be getting more and more common. Should F1 be dropping the worst tracks or incentivising tracks to amend their layouts to provide overtaking opportunities? - SteveWith a few exceptions, it is primarily the nature of the cars that has restricted overtaking in recent years rather than circuits.When the regulation cycle that ends this year was introduced, the aim was to make overtaking easier and racing closer.The field has definitely closed up, but any effect on overtaking has been negligible. Drivers agree that it was marginally better in the first year of the regulations, 2022, but has become increasingly worse ever since.That's because the cars have become more sophisticated, and have developed more and more downforce. And the more downforce, the more disruption from the car in front.The theory behind this set of rules - that controlling the wake created by a car and trying to direct it away from cars behind will make it easier to follow - has, at best, not been proven. At worst, it has been debunked.Another factor in overtaking is tyres. Pirelli's rubber has improved significantly this year in terms of durability, but the tyres are still prone to overheating when drivers follow other cars closely. And once they overheat, they lose grip, and bang goes the chance of overtaking.There's also the question of whether governing body the FIA has always made the right calculations about the length of the zones in which drivers can use the DRS overtaking aid. Which some would say has not always been the case.Will next year's cars be better?They have a push-to-pass button that actives extra electrical energy instead of DRS, because both the front and rear wings will be moveable to decrease drag on straights.But there are so many questions about how next year will be that it's impossible to know the answer.Backed by his family, propelled by his talent - the rise of NorrisInside McLaren's season - the rules, values, incidents & relationshipsNorris is 'only just getting going' - and rank British world championsQuiz: How well do you know F1 champion Norris?Lando Norris: The Making of a World Champion

Sudan militia chief sentenced to 20 years for war crimes during Darfur conflict8 hours agoShareSaveWedaeli ChibelushiandAnna Holligan,The HagueShareSaveANP/AFP/Getty ImagesThe International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced a Sudanese militia leader to 20 years in prison for atrocities committed during a civil war more than two decades ago.Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman had been convicted in October on 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region.Known as Ali Kushayb, he was one of the leaders of the Janjaweed, a government-backed group that terrorised Darfur, killing hundreds of thousands of people.Kushayb, aged 76, is the first person to be tried by the ICC for atrocities committed during the civil war. He had argued the charges were a case of mistaken identity.Dressed in a light blue suit and tie, Kushayb stood quietly as presiding judge Joanna Korner delivered his sentence on Tuesday."Abdal Raman not only gave the orders which led directly to the crimes but... also personally perpetrated some of them," Judge Korner told the court.The conflict in question lasted from 2003 to 2020 and was one of the world's gravest humanitarian disasters, with allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide against the region's non-Arabic population.Five years after the end of that crisis, Darfur is a key battleground in another civil war, this time between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), whose origins lie in the Janjaweed.BBC hears of horror and hunger in rare visit to Darfur massacre townReturn of the feared JanjaweedSudan war: A simple guide to what is happeningDuring Kushayb's trial, survivors described how their villages were burned down, men and boys slaughtered and women forced into sex slavery.Judge Korner said Kushayb had given orders to "wipe out and sweep away" non-Arab tribes and told soldiers "don't leave anyone behind. Bring no one alive."The charges against Kushayb centred on attacks committed between 2003 and 2004.The Darfur war began after the Arab-dominated government at the time armed the Janjaweed, in an attempt to suppress an uprising by rebels from black African ethnic groups. The Janjaweed systematically attacked non-Arab villagers accused of supporting the rebels, leading to accusations of genocide.That same systematic violence is still happening in Darfur as part of Sudan's current civil war.Many of the Janjaweed fighters went on to join the RSF.The UK, US and rights groups have accused the RSF of carrying out ethnic cleansing against non-Arab communities in Darfur since the conflict began in 2023. The RSF has denied the accusations.When passing Kushayb's sentence, Judge Korner said the ICC wanted to ensure both "retribution and deterrence"."Deterrence is particularly apposite in this case given the current state of affairs in Sudan," she said.Throughout the two conflicts, there has been a "long hiring out of militias, suppressing of rebellion, and sexual violence used as a tool of war", Dr Matthew Benson-Strohmayer, Sudan Research Director at the London School of Economics, told the BBC."I think the way that the war is being fought in Darfur in particular is really a war of terror," he told the BBC.At the time of the verdict, Dr Benson-Strohmayer said he hoped the conviction would impact the current conflict, but "sincerely" doubted it will.Most victims of the first Darfur crisis remain displaced, and although the ICC has managed to prosecute Kushayb, there are still outstanding arrest warrants against Sudanese officials, including one accusing former President Omar al-Bashir of genocide, which he denies.Bashir is reportedly in military custody in north Sudan after he was ousted in a coup in 2019.More BBC stories about Sudan:Darfur city under siege: 'My son's whole body is full of shrapnel'The mother and children trapped between two conflictsBarrier being built around besieged Sudan city, satellite images show'Our children are dying': Rare footage shows plight of civilians in besieged Sudan cityGetty Images/BBCGo to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafricaBBC Africa podcastsFocus on AfricaThis Is AfricaInternational Criminal CourtSudanAfrica

Does Japan's megaquake warning mean the 'big one' is coming?8 hours agoShareSaveShaimaa Khalil,BBC News, TokyoandFlora Drury,BBC News, LondonShareSaveAFP via Getty ImagesAfter a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck north-eastern Japan on Monday, authorities again warned of the possibility of a future megaquake.It means that thoughts in Japan are turning to the "big one" - a once-in-a-century quake.In September, Japan's earthquake investigation panel said there was a 60-90% chance that a megaquake would occur in the Nankai Trough - an area of seismic activity which stretches along Japan's Pacific coast - within the next 30 years. In April authorities had warned that a megaquake had the potential to trigger a tsunami of more than 20m (66ft) which could hit parts of Tokyo and other prefectures. They predicted that there would be around 300,000 deaths and trillions of dollars in economic damage.So, what is the "big one", can it be predicted - and is it likely to strike any time soon?What did the latest warning say?Officials urged residents in seven prefectures from Hokkaido in the north to Chiba in central Japan to stay on high alert for a potential megaquake.This is a vast area with millions of people.A government official said there was a possibility that "a large-scale earthquake with a magnitude of 8 or higher could occur as a follow-up earthquake" in the region.Authorities also told people to check evacuation routes, secure furniture, and prepare emergency kits, including food, water and portable toilets.However, an evacuation order was not issued. Japan's director for disaster management said at a news conference that global earthquake data suggests there's a possibility, not a prediction, of a larger tremor to come.Officials said the possibility of a larger quake occurring is about one in 100. What is a megaquake?APThe last megaquake occured along the Nankai Trough almost 80 years agoJapan is a country used to earthquakes. It sits on the Ring of Fire and, as a result, experiences about 1,500 earthquakes a year. The vast majority do little damage, but there are some - like the one which struck in 2011 measuring magnitude 9.0, sending a tsunami into the north-east coast and killing more than 18,000 people.But the one that authorities fear may strike in this more densely populated region to the south could - in the absolute worst-case scenario - be even more deadly.Earthquakes along the Nankai Trough have already been responsible for thousands of deaths. In 1707, a rupture along its entire 600km length caused the second-biggest earthquake ever recorded in Japan and was followed by the eruption of Mount Fuji.The Nankai Trough sits between Suruga Bay, in central Japan, and the Hyuganada Sea in Kyushu to the southThese so-called "megathrust" earthquakes tend to strike every hundred years or so, often in pairs: the last ones were in 1944 and 1946.And this long-anticipated event is, according to geologists Kyle Bradley and Judith A Hubbard, "the original definition of the 'Big One'”."The history of great earthquakes at Nankai is convincingly scary" so as to be concerning, the pair acknowledged in their Earthquake Insights newsletter last year.But can earthquakes actually be predicted?Not according to Robert Geller, professor emeritus of seismology at the University of Tokyo.When authorities issued a megaquake warning last year, after a 7.1 quake struck southern Japan, Prof Geller told the BBC that the warning had "almost nothing to do with science".The advisory was "not a useful piece of information", he said.This, he argued, is because while earthquakes are known to be a "clustered phenomenon", it is "not possible to tell in advance whether a quake is a foreshock or an aftershock”.Indeed, only about 5% of earthquakes are "foreshocks", said Bradley and Hubbard.However, the 2011 earthquake was preceded by a 7.2 magnitude foreshock, they note - one which was largely ignored.The warning system was drawn up after 2011 in an attempt to prevent a disaster of this scale again. August 2024 was the first time the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) used it.Getty ImagesA massive earthquake in 2011 killed more than 18,000 peopleBut, crucially, while it told people to be prepared, it did not tell anyone to evacuate. Indeed, they were keen to play down any massive imminent risk."The likelihood of a new major earthquake is higher than normal, but this is not an indication that a major earthquake will definitely occur," the JMA said at the time.Additional reporting by Chika Nakayama and Jake LaphamJapanEarthquakes

Not in Australia's wildest dreams could they have believed they would be 2-0 up in this Ashes series after playing only six days of cricket.They were put under the pump by England in the first Test in Perth, then pulled off an incredible turnaround.It put them on a wave of confidence going into the second Test in Brisbane, where they gave England a lesson in how to play Test cricket, particularly day-night Test cricket.This series is not dead, but it's not far from it. If England don't win the third Test in Adelaide, it will get embarrassing.I got a close look at England's style during the 2023 Ashes in the UK. For all of the talk about this tour being their chance to finally win a series in Australia, there was a lot of scepticism in this country about the way England play.Would England's batting be suited to Australian conditions? Would they play big shots and find ways to get out? Would they crumble under the pressure of the big moments?Right now, all of the Australians who were sceptical about England are being proved right.Wood ruled out and Stokes throws down the gauntletEngland's 'Bazball' message dead - Agnew columnDaily Ashes Quiz: Five-wicket haulsThere is a lot I like about England's attitude. I love it when sportspeople play without fear, because that helps them push the boundaries of what is possible.But I don't like the idea that pressure or expectation needs to be removed. The great players thrive under pressure, and the best teams hold each other to account.I played in an Australian team that won a lot, under some tough captains in Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.Yes, there were the coaches like Bob Simpson and John Buchanan, but it was the captain and senior players who always ran the dressing room.Even as a young player, I felt like I was allowed to have my say and opinion. Everyone took ownership of the team.Then, if someone stepped out of line, they were held accountable by the other players. If someone made a mistake on more than one occasion - which didn't happen very often - they were told.We had some huge personalities - none bigger than the great Shane Warne - but we all felt that what we were doing was for the team and for each other. Matthew Hayden used to say we pulled together because of the love we had for each other, such was the amount of time we had as a group.That accountability, responsibility and adaptability all came together when we stepped on to the field as a team.Ashes history offers little statistical hope for England - ZaltzmanEngland cannot have 'glass jaw' - McCullum'England in battle to avoid worst Ashes tour in modern times'Admittedly, all of these things are easier when a team is winning, which England are not doing right now.My concern for England was the message of "this is the way we play" yielded a culture that lacks accountability.It was almost that England had decided conditions had to adapt to them, rather than England adapting their game to suit the conditions.Finally, in the aftermath of the defeat in Brisbane, it looks like the penny has dropped.Both Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum conceded there are issues, and they need to do something about it.I have no problems with what the England leaders said in public at the Gabba. If Stokes and McCullum have been strong in the media, you can guarantee they have been even stronger behind closed doors.Will we now see a new version of Bazball? Like I said, I like the element of playing without fear. If England can add the ingredients of pressure and accountability, then they might still be on to something.'A dressing room I'm captain of isn't for weak men either' - StokesFor all that England have been criticised, Australia deserve a huge amount of credit.If England had been told they would play an Australia team without all of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, they would have been rubbing their hands with glee.And yet, Australia pulled off victory in Brisbane with all of their other players standing up.Mitchell Starc has been absolutely outstanding, supported by Michael Neser, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett.Alex Carey put in an absolute masterclass behind the stumps, possibly the best wicketkeeping performance I've ever seen - and I played with Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist.Perhaps the biggest revelation for Australia has been the shift in the batting order.Before the series, when there seemed to be a lot of discussion about the Australia line-up, I said there was only really a debate about one area - Usman Khawaja's opening partner.That debate has been settled, just not in a way anyone expected.Ever since Travis Head stuck his hand up to open when Khawaja got hurt in Perth, Australia have looked like a different team. Now, there seems to be the opportunity for Head and Jake Weatherald to cement themselves as the opening pair.Khawaja might find it tough to get back in, although Australia coach Andrew McDonald has suggested he could bat at number five.England soundly beaten by Australia in second Test drubbingInjuries will mean England's Mark Wood and Australia's Josh Hazlewood will miss the third Test in Adelaide and the rest of the series.That is a great shame for both men. I know how much hard work it is to bowl fast, the effort that goes into coming back from injuries, and how desperate both would have been to play a full part in this series. They will be devastated.Adelaide will be a good pitch, with something in it for batters and bowlers. Australia will certainly recall Lyon and it looks like Cummins will be back to lead.Australia will remember how England came from 2-0 down to draw the last Ashes. They will know England are dangerous.On this occasion, they have England by the throat and must not let up just because some big names are returning. They cannot get complacent.An Australia team should always think it can win every Test it plays, so for that reason this team should be thinking about winning 5-0.England will know they have no choice but to turn things around in Adelaide. If they don't, then it really could be 5-0.Glenn McGrath was speaking to BBC Sport's chief cricket reporter Stephan ShemiltThe Ashes: Australia v England21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026In-play clips and highlights on iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app. Ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sport website and app, which will also have live text commentary and daily features and analysisGet cricket news sent straight to your phone

Dixie Deans (number eight) won six major trophies with CelticCeltic legend John 'Dixie' Deans has died aged 79.Capped twice by Scotland, Deans was a prolific goalscorer for both Motherwell and Celtic in the 1960s and 1970s, winning six major honours with the latter.He started his career with Neilston Juniors and was nicknamed after former Everton and England striker Dixie Dean for his scoring feats, which included 60 in one season.A move to Motherwell followed in 1965, where he continued to find the back of the net regularly - 89 times in 198 appearances - and won the Second Division title in 1968-69.He picked up several red cards during his time at Fir Park, but Celtic boss Jock Stein was not deterred from bringing Deans to Celtic in 1971, following the surprise 4-1 League Cup final defeat by Partick Thistle.His discipline improved, but the scoring streak remained as Deans combined with fellow forward Kenny Dalglish to great effect.He scored a hat-trick in the 1972 Scottish Cup final and the 1974 League Cup final, both in victories against Hibernian, but is also remembered for missing the crucial penalty in Celtic's 1972 European Cup semi-final shootout loss against Inter Milan.Deans moved to Luton Town in 1976, having scored 124 goals in 184 appearances in green and white.Further spells with Adelaide United, Carlisle United and Partick Thistle followed before he retired from playing in 1980.In a statement, Motherwell said: "Deans will be remembered fondly for his exquisite goal-scoring form at Fir Park."He passes away aged 79 years old, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this incredibly sad time.Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell added: "This is extremely sad news and I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to Dixie's family and friends."Dixie was a great Celt and one of the finest goal scorers ever to have played for the club. I was fortunate enough to have watched him play throughout his career and he played his part in the successes we enjoyed in the 1970s, not least in those unforgettable hat-tricks he scored against Hibs in two cup finals at Hampden."I was even more fortunate to get to know him personally over the past few years, and it was always great to meet him here at Celtic Park on a matchday."What was always clear was his real love of Celtic and also the love that supporters had for him too."

BBC Sport asks fans and experts in Bilbao to explain why Athletic Club winger Nico Williams is attracting the attention of Europe's biggest clubs in his debut Champions League season.WATCH MORE: How Athletic Club's unique player policy drives success

Boulter had a career-high ranking of 23 in 2024Former British number one Katie Boulter has missed out on a place in the main draw for the Australian Open.There are 104 players who have received direct entry into the Melbourne draw, including those with protected rankings, with Boulter currently ranked 106.The 29-year-old will now have to go through qualifying at Melbourne Park in January for the first Grand Slam of 2026.Boulter had the opportunity to earn extra ranking points in the WTA 125 challenger event in France last week but opted not to play after sustaining a hip injury in Hong Kong in October.She told BBC Sport in November that she had to "choose between my body and my ranking" when weighing up whether to play to improve her ranking."If there are tournaments there, it gives you an opportunity because you want to make the main draw of Australia," she said at the time."I think I know my own right choice, but it's difficult because it means that everyone else is going to be playing and passing me."Boulter has won just 14 Tour-level main-draw matches this year and recently split with coach Biljana Veselinovic after a three-year partnership in which she won three WTA titles.Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal and Francesca Jones all received direct entry into the main draw - along with Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley.For the first time, the men's Australian Open entry list was drawn up in November - which is the ATP's official year-end ranking date - with the earlier draw aimed at discouraging players from chasing ranking points in the off season, as Boulter could have.The women's entry list was based on the world rankings as of 8 December."There has to be somewhere where you draw the line and you give people an opportunity to recuperate and also get a good pre-season in," Boulter said."I feel like this year we've seen so many burnouts, and so many people not playing the end of year because of mental health issues as well as body issues, and I do think it contributes to it."Now Boulter will need to win through qualifying if she is to make the main draw at Melbourne Park for the sixth time in her career.Live scores, results and order of playGet tennis news sent straight to your phone

Alonso's playing career included spells at Liverpool and Real MadridReal Madrid are "all together" from the dressing room to the boardroom as they bid to halt a poor run of form, says under-pressure coach Xabi Alonso.Former Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso, who has not ruled out a future move to the Premier League, was appointed by Real in the summer to replace Carlo Ancelotti on a three-year deal.He is seemingly already clinging to his job after six months.Real suffered a 2-0 home loss against Celta Vigo on Sunday and are on a run of one victory in five La Liga games, slipping four points behind leaders Barcelona.They host Premier League side Manchester City in the league phase of the Champions League on Wednesday, when 15-time European champions Real will be aiming to put an end to recent troubles."We are all on the same boat," said Alonso in a pre-match news conference. "We have to go through positive and negative times."We need to believe the next game is an opportunity and tomorrow we have a very exciting game for all of us, and we need to keep our eyes open to have that energy so the Bernabeu enjoys what it sees."That emotional bond is very important tomorrow."Last week, Alonso spoke with club president Florentino Perez as pressure built around his job.BBC Sport's Guillem Balague reports that Alonso's chances of survival are "slim" and defeat against City in Europe could spell the end of his short spell.Alonso says the board are being supportive."Communication is constant," said Alonso. "We have unity, we are all together in this, I have a good relationship with them."Why Alonso's chances of survival at Real Madrid are slimAlonso has not played for or managed an English club since leaving Liverpool for Real in 2009 during his prime years as a midfielder.The Reds' current boss Arne Slot is under pressure as the reigning champions have faltered this season, and star player Mohamed Salah gave an explosive interview at the weekend.The 44-year-old Alonso remains a popular figure at Liverpool and left the door open when asked by BBC Sport if he would consider a return to work in the Premier League one day.He said: "Of course there is a bond with my former club, but for now this is my place. In the future you never know what might happen."Asked about possibly being replaced in his current role by former boss Zinedine Zidane or Real Madrid B team boss Alvaro Arbeloa, Alonso said: "When you are the coach of Real Madrid you need to be ready to face these situations and I only have the game in my mind."Kylian Mbappe has scored seven goals in his past four appearances for Real MadridKylian Mbappe has been Real Madrid's shining light in 2025-26, scoring 26 goals including nine in the Champions League.The 26-year-old was not involved in open training on Tuesday, with reports in Spain stating that he has a fractured finger, although he is still expected to feature against City.Alonso is already dealing with an injury crisis - primarily in defence - with several key figures unavailable.Eder Militao, who only returned from a groin problem on 30 November, suffered a torn hamstring on Sunday and is set for another stint on the sidelines.The Brazilian joins Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen and David Alaba in the treatment room.It was no surprise Alonso swiftly shut down any questions about his future, repeatedly redirecting discussion back to the task at hand, acknowledging the importance of securing a win at the Bernabeu and that being his sole focus.One of the more notable moments came when he spoke about the need to rebuild an emotional connection with the supporters.He recognises the growing disillusionment among fans which was only intensified by Sunday's 2–0 defeat at home to 10th-placed Celta Vigo. Regaining the supporters' trust has clearly become a priority.Alonso was also insistent that he retains the full backing of both the dressing room and the club's board.This sentiment was echoed by defender Aurelien Tchouameni, who placed responsibility on the players.The French international acknowledged the gaps in Real's defence because of injuries but said it was up to the team to unite, step-up and defend together.Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

Nasa astronaut and cosmonauts return to Earth after 245 days in spaceNasa's Jonny Kim, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, have returned to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS).They landed near the city of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan.The crew completed a 245-day mission aboard the ISS, orbiting Earth 3,920 times and travelling nearly 104 million miles, according to Nasa.This mission marks the first spaceflight for Kim and Zubritsky, while Ryzhikov concludes his third journey to space.9 hours agoNasaRussiaAstronautsInternational Space StationSpace explorationUnited StatesShareSaveA baby seal walks into a bar...A bar in Richmond, New Zealand had a surprise visitor when the marine mammal popped in.WorldWatch: Pope struggles to remove cloth covering plaqueIt took several attemps for Pope Leo and church clergy to unveil a plaque covered by a white sheet at an Istanbul cathedral. WorldTrump says Saudi crown prince 'knew nothing' about Jamal Khashoggi's murderThe claim contradicts a 2021 US intelligence report, which said the de facto leader "approved an operation" to "capture or kill" the journalist.WorldThe Egyptian green tech firm looking to cut energy billsSaving System has developed a device that it says can help firms save electricity.WorldMiss Universe contestants stage walkout after organiser berates Miss MexicoMiss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, said Nawat Itsaragrisil was 'not respectful' at a pre-pageant ceremony on TuesdayWorld'No inch here was spared': Hurricane Melissa destroys Jamaica townThe BBC’s Nada Tawfik reports from Black River, where the strongest storm to hit the country in modern history has left scenes of desperation.WorldWatch: US and China's different reports of their trade meetingThe BBC's Laura Bicker explains how the two nation's have reported on the trade negotiations.WorldHandshakes and whispers: Trump and Xi's meeting…in 73 secondsTrump says the meeting with President Xi, which was their first face-to-face interaction since 2019, was a "great success".WorldWatch: Moment Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet The US and Chinese leaders shook hands when they met face-to-face for the first time since 2019.WorldHurricane Melissa floods and destroys towns across CaribbeanAt least four people in Jamaica are confirmed dead and at least 20 people have died in Haiti flooding.WorldThree things you need to know about the Trump-Xi meetingThe two world leaders are set to hold talks in South Korea, after months of escalating trade tension between the US and China.WorldSlow-motion footage reveals secrets of snake bitesScientists working out of a venom laboratory in Paris studied which snakes strike their prey fastest.WorldPen pals from Canada and Singapore meet for the first time after 43 yearsThe two women began exchanging letters in 1983 through a school project and finally met in Newfoundland this week.WorldTrump to Australian ambassador: 'I don't like you either'In 2020, Kevin Rudd wrote on social media that he believed Trump was the 'most destructive' president in US history. WorldWatch: Brits row from Peru to Australia in tiny boatJess Rowe and Miriam Payne told the BBC how they made the six-month journey unsupported, catching fish and growing their own vegetables.WorldHow would US Tomahawk missiles change the Ukraine-Russia war?The BBC's Jonathan Beale explains what impact the weapons might have if the US decides to send them to Ukraine.WorldPolice fire tear gas at crowds mourning former Kenyan prime ministerThousands of mourners fill the streets of Nairobi from the airport to the Kasarani Stadium to pay their respects.WorldWatch: Security guard saves woman from being hit by tramFootage released by the Turkish city of Kayseri's transport operator shows the last-minute rescue.WorldThe US presidents who claimed Middle East breakthroughs before TrumpAn assassination derailed Bill Clinton's peace plan, while other hopeful moments in history melted away.WorldWatch: Netanyahu responds to Trump remark that he's not 'the easiest' to work withCBS News, the BBC's US partner, conducted an exclusive interview with the Israeli prime minister in a hospital tending to freed hostages.World

Batchelor has stopped both of his opponents so far in his pro MMA careerPontypool's Levi Batchelor says he is determined to finish the year on a high as he prepares for his second PFL bout against France's Rayan Balbali in Lyon on Saturday, 13 December.The 23-year-old made an impressive start to life in the PFL in July, submitting Fahdi Khaled with an Ezekiel choke in the third round after dominating the contest on the scorecards."I'm always looking for the finish," Batchelor said."That was less than a minute left in the fight. I was quite easily three rounds up and I was still hunting the finish. That's what the fans want, that's what the PFL wants."Batchelor will open a stacked card at the LDLC Arena, which features two world title fights including MMA great Cris Cyborg."Cris Cyborg is seen as one of the best women fighters of all time," Batchelor added."It's crazy for me to look at myself amongst those names and being on the card. Even if I'm opening the card, I don't care."Cyborg to make first title defence for two yearsRescheduled Elliott v Micallef bout set for UFC 325Batchelor's opponent Balbali is 1-0 in his professional career and will have home advantage for the bout.However, the Welsh bantamweight insists he has learned to enjoy competing on "enemy territory"."Keep feeding me the energy, I thrive from it," Batchelor said."If anything, it takes the nerves off me because I know all the booing is because they want the other guy to perform. If I'm not allowing him to do that, it just means I'm winning."Batchelor has continued his preparations at Shore MMA, supplemented by training camps in Dubai and Thailand.While overseas he worked alongside world-class coaches and athletes, including UFC flyweight contender Amir Albazi."It's insane to be amongst these types of people," he said.Levi Batchelor will be fighting on the same night as training partner Brett JohnsAs well as aiming to make another statement in the cage, Batchelor has ambitions beyond his own career and hopes to help bring a PFL event to Wales in the future."I want to be that guy to bring the PFL back to Wales," he said."I think we're more than capable of having a big show here. There are multiple venues available, and I want to give myself the opportunity to do that — but I also want to give other fighters in Wales the opportunity to perform on a big stage."Undefeated in his pro career at 2-0, Batchelor says he is focused on steady, sustainable progress as he climbs the PFL ranks, taking inspiration from the Welsh fighters who have succeeded on the world stage before him."I take this one step at a time," he said."I'm not trying to catapult myself to the top, and I'm not looking to sit on the sidelines either."I just want to keep getting a little bit better every day — and eventually you'll see me on top."Watch every Born to Brawl episodeNotifications, social media and more with BBC Sport

Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting at the border?10 hours agoShareSaveFlora Drury and Gavin ButlerBBC NewsShareSaveEPAVillage security officers stand guard in Phanom Dong Rak district, ThailandSimmering tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have once again exploded along their shared border, derailing a fragile ceasefire backed by US President Donald Trump.At least five Thai soldiers and seven Cambodian civilians have been killed since Monday, with the countries accusing one another of starting the violence.The clashes, which have also seen Thailand launch airstrikes along the border, are the most serious since the ceasefire was agreed in July.What is the border dispute about?This is not a recent dispute. The argument between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, when the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia.Hostilities escalated in 2008, when Cambodia tried to register an 11th Century temple located in the disputed area as a Unesco World Heritage Site. The move was met with heated protest from Thailand.Over the years there have been sporadic clashes, with soldiers and civilians killed on both sides.The latest tensions ramped up in May, after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. This plunged relations between the countries to their lowest point in more than a decade.In the run up to the first bout of fighting in July, both nations had imposed border restrictions. Cambodia banned imports from Thailand, including fruit and vegetables, power supplies and internet services.Both countries had also strengthened troop presence along the border in recent weeks.AFP via Getty ImagesWhy have border tensions flared up again in December?The two sides have given differing versions of what happened.On Monday 8 December, the Thai army said its troops had responded to Cambodian fire in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani Province. It said that a Thai soldier had been killed. The Thai army said that it had also launched air strikes on military targets along the disputed border.However, Cambodia's defence ministry said it was Thai forces that had attacked first, in Preah Vihear province. Cambodia also insisted that it did not retaliate. The next day, Thailand's military accused Cambodia of firing rockets and using bomb-dropping drones and kamikaze drones against Thai soldiers, with some rockets reportedly hitting civilian areas.It later confirmed it had carried out more airstrikes. Cambodia has also accused Thailand of firing indiscriminately into civilian areas in its border Pursat Province.AFP via Getty ImagesWhat happened during clashes in July?Both sides exchanged gunfire, with each claiming the other had triggered the conflict. It escalated quickly, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of firing rockets and Bangkok carrying out air strikes on Cambodian military targets.At least 48 people were killed and thousands displaced during five days of fighting.Trump then intervened and, with the help of Malaysia, negotiated a ceasefire.The US president later oversaw the signing of what he dubbed "the Kuala Lumpar peace accord" in October. Thailand refused to call it that - instead referring to it as "Joint Declaration by the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia on the outcomes of their meeting in Kuala Lumpur".Both agreed to withdraw their heavy weapons from the disputed region, and to establish an interim observer team to monitor it.The next step was supposed to include the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers held in Thailand.Twelve killed in Thailand-Cambodia military clashes on disputed borderWhat has happened to Trump's 'peace deal'?Thailand paused the agreement in November, with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul saying the security threat "has not actually decreased".At the time, Cambodia said it remained committed to the terms of the deal.After fighting broke out again in December, Thailand's foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told the BBC the ceasefire was "not working" and that "the ball is in Cambodia's court".However, Cambodia's former prime minister Hun Sen said it had only returned fire late on Monday, in order to "respect the ceasefire".Trump, meanwhile, has called on both sides to respect the agreement, news agency Reuters said.Where this leads next is unclear. While there have been serious exchanges of fire in the past, they de-escalated relatively quickly.Back in July, that was the path our correspondent Jonathan Head thought would be followed again.However, he warned, there's a lack of leadership with the strength and confidence to pull back from this confrontation in both countries at the moment.You can read more of his analysis from earlier in the year here.Is it safe to travel to Thailand and Cambodia?For those travelling to Thailand, the UK Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel to areas within 50km of the whole border with Cambodia. For those in Cambodia, it advises against all but essential travel to border areas within 50km of the whole border with Thailand. You can check the latest travel advice on the Foreign Office site.Twelve killed in Thailand-Cambodia military clashes on disputed borderThai prime minister suspended over leaked phone callThailand closes land crossings as border dispute with Cambodia persistsThailandCambodia

Jess Naz becomes the eighth player to suffer an ACL since the start of the WSL seasonEngland and Tottenham forward Jess Naz has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and will miss the rest of the season.The 25-year-old picked up the injury in Spurs' late win over Aston Villa on Sunday and will require an operation on her right knee.It is the second time Naz has suffered an ACL injury in her career having missed the 2019-20 Women's Super League season as a result of the issue in her other knee.Naz, who has started every WSL game for Spurs this season, has six England caps and was in the squad for October's friendly defeat by Brazil and win over Australia.She joins England youngsters Michelle Agyemang and Katie Reid who also suffered ACL injuries this season.Last month, England and Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh said governing bodies must "listen to the players" about the congested fixture schedule in relation to ACL injuries.ACL injuries suffered since the start of the WSL season:Michelle Agyemang (Brighton, on loan from Arsenal)What is an ACL injury and why is it so serious?Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feedGet the latest WSL news on our dedicated page