How global trade and oil prices could be hit by Houthi advance
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Fighters from the Iran-backed Houthi group have seized territory close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea - a key trade gateway that links Asia and Europe.
Houthis have said they pose no threat to international shipping but have reiterated their intention to target vessels from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the Red Sea for oil exports since the US and Israel's war effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.
At least 46,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since fighting escalated last week, according to the United Nations.
BBC Verify's Thomas Copeland reports.
Produced by Aisha Sembhi. Graphics by Mark Edwards.
MPs vote against fresh attempt to legalise assisted dying
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MPs have voted against proposals to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, bringing the latest effort to change the law to an end.
Following a debate in which both sides made emotional speeches, the House of Commons voted 286 to 270, majority 16, against the proposed legislation.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would have allowed adults with fewer than six months to live to apply to be given help to end their own life, subject to certain safeguards.
A similar bill in the last parliamentary session was supported by MPs before stalling in the House of Lords. The decision from MPs on Friday rules out the prospect of changes to the law on assisted dying in the short-term.
The bill tabled by Labour MP Lauren Edwards will make no further progress, although MPs and peers could make another attempt in the next parliamentary session.
Assisted dying is an issue that has been debated for hundreds of hours in Parliament over the last two years and would have represented one of the biggest societal changes in recent years if it had been approved.
MPs were given a free vote, meaning they did not vote on party lines.
Safeguards within the bill included a requirement that a person applying for an assisted death had the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.
But critics said it included too few measures to protect vulnerable people from being coerced into ending their lives, while some say improving palliative care should be the priority.
An extraordinary result - why did MPs reject assisted dying bill this time?
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There were gasps and – to the intense irritation of supporters – cheers from opponents of assisted dying when the vote was read out in the Commons.
This was an extraordinary result.
After twice voting in favour of the bill, MPs have rejected proposals to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, bringing to an end the latest effort to change the law.
The debate itself was tetchier, more irritable than when Kim Leadbeater introduced a similar bill in 2024. Then it was the first time MPs had voted on assisted dying in nine years.
Since then the Commons has voted on this issue three times and had hours of debate. The sombre, respectful tone from 2024 has become more embittered.
Given the strength of feeling on both sides over such an emotive issue, perhaps that is unsurprising.
But on a deeply divided issue, both sides agree on why the result was different.
"We always said it would come to turnout and it did," one supporter of the bill text me. An opponent messaged to say the same.
The numbers tell a story.
Last time MPs voted on assisted dying in June, 315 were in favour and 291 against. Today, the numbers opposed were similar: 286.
But support for this bill has ebbed away. Just 270 voted for this bill, a fall of 45.
'Never, ever forget' - America marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks
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Twenty-five years after 9/11, US presidents past and present have commemorated the lives lost when hijacked planes slammed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.
President Donald Trump led a Pentagon ceremony, while US Vice-President JD Vance attended a memorial at the site of the World Trade Center in New York, along with all four living former US presidents and first ladies.
Moments of silence were held to mark the timings of the attacks and the names of nearly 3,000 people who died were read out.
Commemorations were also held in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed after passengers fought back against the hijackers.
Houthis claim major advance in Yemen and tighten grip on Red Sea shipping lane
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On Friday, Yemeni pro-government forces withdrew from Perim (also known as Mayyun).
Witnesses and news agencies reported that Houthi forces moved on to the island.
The Houthis later issued a statement, saying that their military operation to expel Saudi-backed forces had been a "success" and that "maritime navigation is safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels".
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the "large-scale" military operation was launched on 3 September due to Saudi Arabia's "blatant aggression" against "our dear people".
Sarea also said the Houthis had expelled "Saudi enemy" forces from six districts in the Taiz and Hodeidah regions, claiming that hundreds of troops had been killed, wounded or captured.
The Houthi statement, however, did not mention Perim Island.
Saudi Arabia has not publicly commented on the latest developments.
Perim Island sits at the narrowest point of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which has become increasingly important following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz - another crucial waterway - in the conflict between the US and Iran.
Saudi Arabia has been relying on the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait for shipping oil to customers in Asia.
The escalation of the conflict between the Houthis, Yemen's government and Saudi Arabia has contributed to a surge in oil prices.
Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed and thousands displaced in Yemen since the Houthis launched an offensive in the south-west a week ago.
A Saudi-led coalition has also carried out air strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in western Yemen in support of the pro-government forces, and the Houthis have launched missiles and drones at cities and oil facilities in southern Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi foreign affairs ministry said on Friday that drones from Iraq had targeted the country's East-West oil pipeline, forcing it to be closed as a "precautionary measure" and injuring several people.
Iraq's government condemned the attack and its prime minister has launched an investigation.
In a statement, the prime minister's office said the operations commander in the Maysan governorate - a province which borders Iran - had been removed from his post following confirmation the drone attack had originated from that region.
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said that, following a call from Iraq's prime minister, it had chosen not to respond to the attacks at this stage.
UK government rejects 'kill switch' idea for dangerous AI
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The UK government has rejected the idea of creating a so-called "kill switch" to stop a dangerous attack from rogue AI.
The proposal to create a legal mechanism for the UK to switch off an AI model in an emergency has been brought to Parliament by lords and MPs in recent weeks as fears grow about the threat the tech poses.
But the Cabinet Office - the part of government which leads on AI safety - said the UK "cannot simply turn AI off".
"Blocking access to models in the UK would not prevent them being developed or misused elsewhere", a spokesperson told BBC News.
The government's opposition to the legislation does not prevent it from progressing through parliament, but makes it unlikely it will become law.
Former OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajlo agreed the idea of a single country creating a legal or technical kill switch without international agreement was not feasible.
"Switching off access to an AI model in an emergency will do little to protect you," he said.
"You're still going to be steamrolled by the super intelligences created in the US."
Kokotajlo is the co-author of an influential research paper called AI2027 which, last year, predicted AI could wipe out humans by the mid 2030s.
The Cabinet Office, which oversees AI safety and research via its AI Security Institute (AISI) said "companies have a clear responsibility to develop their products safely and to invest in the security infrastructure this technology requires."
In theory, a kill switch law could allow the UK to switch off an AI model in data centres in the UK in an emergency.
Speaking on 1 September in a debate in the House of Lords, Lord Clement-Jones proposed the idea along with other peers.
"If a highly capable autonomous frontier model, whether hosted in a UK data centre or integrated across our critical infrastructure, begins exhibiting rogue behaviour, compound algorithmic failure or active alignment collapse, our security services and regulators possess no specific agile statutory mechanism to compel a physical or digital shutdown," he warned.
The proposal has since been brought up by Labour MP Alex Sobel in the commons and supported by a cross party group of MPs.
The idea follows reports of AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta breaking out of testing environments and going on uncontrollable hacking sprees.
In some cases the tech appeared to know what it was doing was against guardrails set by researchers.
Norway's Princess Astrid dies two days after attending brother King Harald's funeral
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Princess Astrid of Norway, the sister of the late King Harald V, has died at the age of 94, two days after attending his funeral, the country's royal palace has announced.
The new king, Haakon VIII, said that "throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner".
Harald died last month, aged 89, after more than 35 years as king. His funeral was Astrid's last public engagement.
The princess will be buried at state expense and flags will be flown at half-mast across Norway, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said.
Astrid was the last surviving child of King Olav V, who reigned from 1957 to 1991.
She became Norway's first lady at the age of 22 in 1954, after the death of her mother Crown Princess Märtha. Olav did not remarry and Astrid retained the title until her brother's marriage in 1968.
"In her work, Princess Astrid was always particularly concerned with care and inclusion for the most vulnerable in society," her nephew King Haakon said in his statement.
Her health had deteriorated in recent months and in March she received hospital treatment for pneumonia.
Dozens of European royals and heads of state attended Harald's funeral on Wednesday, including the Prince of Wales and three Nordic kings.
Thousands of people lined the route during a procession from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday afternoon.
The non-royal leaders paying their respects included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and five foreign prime ministers.
Police to crack down on face coverings at protests in Portsmouth
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The police said several of its vehicles, alongside those of the coastguard and Border Force, were damaged during the disruption, which lasted until the early hours of Monday.
It added that a small number of officers were treated at the scene for injuries, but no-one in attendance was seriously injured.
Rowlinson said: "We have been consistently clear that violence and criminal damage have no part in peaceful protest and we will investigate incidents like this thoroughly and take robust action against those responsible.
"Clearly events on Sunday evening were not peaceful protest, rather violent public disorder, and this will not be tolerated as we work to keep our wider communities in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight safe."
He also pointed out the force will not tolerate abuse aimed at police or partner agencies online.
This comes after RNLI volunteers were targeted on social media.
"We will work with our colleagues across policing to address any online threats that are made," Rowlinson said.
"This arrest also sends a clear warning to anyone intent on causing disruption and disorder at any future events. If you break the law we will take action against you and where it is feasible to do so seek a prosecution."
The disorder in Portsmouth followed a separate anti-migrant protest at the Port of Dover the day before.
Children and a woman injured on Maltby fairground ride
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Two children and a woman have been injured while on a fairground ride in South Yorkshire, police said.
Emergency services were called to Maltby Crags Fair in Rotherham on Friday evening, which closed early after the incident.
South Yorkshire Police said three people, aged 11, 13 and 21, had been taken to hospital for treatment. The extent of their injuries is not yet clear.
Blyth Lane was closed between Muglet Lane and Victoria Road to allow people to safely exit the fairground, the force added, with the road since reopening.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service confirmed the two injured children were taken to Sheffield Children's Hospital after it attended the fair at about 18:50 BST.
Two ambulances and three rapid response vehicles were sent to the scene, the service said.
Kate visits cancer patients in hospital she helped fund with climb
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The princess spoke to patients and staff at the hospital about the importance of support which goes beyond the physical.
"I had incredible care here and support from a huge team and I'm really, really grateful on a personal level," she said.
"But also the holistic care, the treatments and therapeutic support on the outside is so important.
"It makes a big difference - the impact of nature, the impact of good nutrition, good ongoing support around you when it's really difficult to manage the trials and tribulations of medical treatments," she reflected.
Catherine sat down and chatted to those receiving treatment at the hospital, including patients with breast cancer, head and neck cancer and a brain tumour.
"When you first get cancer, you're very aware of the physical impact," a patient told her. "The mental impact comes after."
He said it had been a "lifesaver" to be able to talk to a therapist at the hospital, because "there is only so much you can say to your friends and family".
The princess agreed: "Cancer is not just the physical changes your body is going through.
"There's a mind-body aspect that changes who you are... having professionals who can help you navigate that is really essential," she said.
Surrogate who refused abortion over heart defect takes custody battle to US Supreme Court
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A surrogate who refused an abortion request from the parents who hired her to have their baby has asked the US Supreme Court to intervene in the dispute over who should have custody of the baby.
McKenna West filed an emergency appeal asking the court to halt a previous ruling granting parental rights to California couple Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar.
Ahmed and Gilkar had asked West to abort the pregnancy after a scan at 20 weeks showed the foetus had a severe heart defect.
Instead, West - who has been supported by several Republican officials - travelled to Texas where nearly all abortions are illegal and gave birth to the child.
The BBC has contacted lawyers for Ahmed and Gilkar for comment.
West has since been pushing for custody over the baby, born last month with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a defect where the left side of the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body.
The condition often requires multiple surgeries, which are not a cure. Infants with the condition can have lifelong complications, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
After West travelled to the state, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened in the case and won an emergency court order requiring that the boy receive medical care in the state. He had surgery soon after birth.
West said she denied the couple's requests to have the abortion after learning of treatment options and wanting to keep "this precious baby", according to the Supreme Court filing.
West has argued that the biological parents should not have custody because she worries they would not give the boy necessary medical care because they sought to abort the child after learning of the life-threatening condition.
In a previous court hearing, Gilkar said the baby - whom they named Rumi - was "our child" and "the love of our lives", according to the Associated Press. They said West travelled to Texas without telling them and blocked their access to medical information.
A California court previously granted parental rights to Ahmed and Gilkar, while a Texas court issued a restraining order blocking West from seeing the baby.
Last month, an attorney for the California couple said the child was in critical condition and seemed to be "suffering from potential complications".
West argued that without intervention from the Supreme Court, she would no longer have access to information about the child's medical condition. In the filing, lawyers for West suggested that the California couple could place the child in hospice care.
Running costs of Covid vaccine damage scheme double the amount paid to victims
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The campaign group Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK (VIBUK), which was set up to support families affected, said the scheme was not fit for purpose.
"It offers too little, too late, to too few and the cost of running it shows how inefficient it is," said the group's representative Kate Scott, whose husband Jamie was left severely disabled by the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.
Scott called on the government to act on the recommendations from module four of the Covid public inquiry and reform the scheme.
Earlier this year, the Covid inquiry's chair, Baroness Heather Hallett, recommended increasing the payout and basing it on the degree of injury suffered.
The government is due to respond to her recommendations.
The BBC has previously reported on the large sums paid to an external medical provider which has been carrying out medical assessments.
The Taxpayers' Alliance, a right-leaning think tank which campaigns for lower taxes and spending, said that the public would be "stunned" that the running costs of the scheme appeared to be "far more than has actually been paid out to those harmed".
"When administrative costs are running into tens of millions, ministers need to explain why the system is so expensive and whether victims are getting value from it," said the organisation's chief executive John O'Connell.
He called for the government to urgently review the scheme, cut "unnecessary bureaucracy" and make sure "more of the money goes to those it was created to help."
The Department for Health and Social Care said it is "carefully considering" the COVID-19 Inquiry's recommendations on reforming the scheme and "will respond shortly".
"In the meantime, we are working to speed up claims and improve the experience for applicants," the government said.
NHSBSA said it continued to work "closely" with the government on "managing the costs of the VDPS".
France train derailment leaves at least 44 injured
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At least 44 people have been injured, including one seriously, after a passenger train derailed in northern France, local officials have said.
An 18-year-old woman was airlifted in critical condition by helicopter to hospital.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said 180 passengers were on board the train that was operating between Rouen and Caen in Normandy.
He added that 140 firefighters and other emergency teams were being deployed to the scene of the crash on Friday evening near the commune of Cléon, just south of Rouen.
The cause of the derailment was not immediately known.
The local authorities activated a mass-casualty response plan after the crash shortly before 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT).
Photographs later emerged showing passengers leaving the crashed train, with French media reporting that three carriages overturned.
France's state-owned railway operator SNCF reported "significant disruptions" on its routes in the area. It said replacement buses would be provided.
The authorities advised the public to avoid the area.
Lightning Houthi advance in Yemen may bring dangerous new dimension to Iran war
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"Now that they are there, they're going to be entrenched," Hisham al-Omeisi, senior analyst at the Brussels-based European Institute of Peace, told the BBC. "And it's going to be a lot more costly to push them out."
Of course, the Houthis are not alone. They enjoy the backing of Iran, support that has become even more important for Tehran in the wake of the setbacks and defeats experienced by other parts of its so-called "Axis of Resistance" – Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas in Gaza and the Assad regime in Syria.
"So they redirected their support to the Houthis," al-Omeisi said. "And of course they need that support."
Even though most analysts agree that it's a mistake simply to describe the Houthis as Iranian puppets, events of the past few days raise an uncomfortable new reality.
Seven months after the US and Israel launched their huge, combined assault on Iran, the regime in Tehran now exerts authority over not just one, but two of the world's most important maritime passages: the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and the Bab al-Mandab, gateway to the Red Sea (and the Suez Canal).
"Now Iran, directly and through proxies, controls two of the most strategic choke points in the Middle East and the world," says Farea al-Muslimi, a research fellow at London's Chatham House think tank, "controlling more than 35% of the fuel and oil trade globally."
"This is as much leverage as a nuclear bomb," he says.
Gen Zs recall first learning of 'deeply harrowing, terrifying' 9/11
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Avery Black, 20, a journalism student at the University of South Carolina, remembers hearing about 9/11 for the first time in elementary school, then going home and asking her mother about it, she told the BBC.
"She just started telling me where she was the day it happened, and just broke down in tears, explaining to me about all the firefighters that went in and never came out," Black recalled.
As a child, Black didn't quite grasp the day's gravity, but for her, certain details still stand out.
She remembers, most distinctly, the "falling man" – a famous image of a man plummeting, upside down, from the North Tower. A Dallas, Texas native, she also recalls teachers showing the video of then-President George W. Bush first learning about the attacks at an elementary school event.
For Annie Erickson, 26, who grew up in North Carolina, personal anecdotes, more than school or reports, created her first memories of 9/11.
"My mother grew up in New York City, so I remember my mom telling me about 9/11 and talking about how someone that lived in her building, who she was friends with, passed away in the towers," Erickson said.
She also was struck when learning about 9/11 at school that it was one of the few historical events teachers could personalise with their own memories.
Currently, there's no national requirement for US schools to teach students about the attacks, and the expectations vary widely by state. Twenty-five states require or expect public schools to teach the events of 9/11, while 13 make 9/11 instruction optional, according to a recent analysis by The Associated Press.
But not every state that requires it specifies a curriculum.
Allegra Tashjian, 28, who grew up in Wisconsin, said her teacher explained in first or second grade that it was a very important, sombre day and asked if anyone knew why. After a student responded that it was the day planes hit the towers in New York, Tashjian wondered why she had never heard of it before.
Later, at home, she recalls asking her mom if she remembered planes crashing in New York. "I remember she kind of paused folding her laundry and was like, 'um no, I don't think I've ever heard anything about that,'" the PhD student said.
"For whatever reason at that point, I guess she really didn't want to talk about it."
Tashjian, Erickson, Black and several other Gen Zs all told the BBC that they remember hearing a few details about the attacks in school and from their families, but only through their own research did they learn in depth what actually happened that day.
Black didn't realise as a child who was behind the attack. "That was the part that I wasn't really taught until I did my own research. It's really hard to explain what a terrorist is to a child."
"It really took me until I was like 13 or 14 to sit down and watch news coverage of 9/11, and really process this is a deeply harrowing, terrifying event," said Jack Coyne, 28, a Connecticut native who lives in Boston.
Now, as an adult, Coyne said he wishes people had a more nuanced perspective, recognizing 9/11 as a tragedy that also fuelled Islamophobia in the US and led to further deaths in ensuing wars.
Professor David Schanzer, who teaches "9/11 & Its Aftermath" at Duke University, wrote this week in a campus magazine commentary that there's still strong interest generations later. His course is full, with dozens on a waitlist.
"Ten years ago, I thought student interest was ebbing and I would need to find something else to teach about," he wrote.
But current world events, he said, only made young people more curious about what happened 25 years ago on 9/11.
"If you want to understand what has gone wrong over the past couple of decades it makes sense to learn about 9/11, the first global catastrophe of the 21st century (the others being the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic)," he wrote.
How does assisted dying work in other countries?
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Across Europe, six countries have some form of legalised assisted dying: Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Austria and - most recently - France. In all of them - unlike the proposals in England and Wales - help to die is not restricted to the terminally ill.
Switzerland was the first country in the world to create a “right to die” when it made assisted suicide legal in 1942. It is one of the few countries which allows foreigners access to help to die via organisations like Dignitas, in Zurich. More than 600 Britons have died at Dignitas, external in the past two decades, including 43 last year. The lethal medication must be self-administered.
The Netherlands and Belgium both legalised assisted dying more than 20 years ago for patients experiencing unbearable suffering from an incurable illness, including mental health issues. It has since been extended to children - the only European countries to allow this. Both allow euthanasia - or physician-assisted dying.
Most recently, Spain and Austria have legalised assisted dying for both terminal illness and intolerable suffering. In Austria, the drugs must be self-administered, whereas in Spain a medical professional can administer them.
In England, Wales and Scotland, parliament has so far rejected assisted dying proposals.
But assisted dying has already been legalised in one part of the British Isles.
In July, Royal Assent was given to a bill in Jersey. Unlike at Westminster and Holyrood, the legislation was introduced by the Jersey government, which says it will take about 18 months to set up the service. The first assisted death could happen late next year. There will be a residency requirement of one year, in a bid to prevent so-called 'death tourism'.
The measure, which most sets apart the Jersey legislation from the rest of the British Isles, concerns the manner in which those eligible for an assisted death can end their lives.
Individuals will be able to choose to have a doctor administer a lethal dose intravenously, as happens in Spain, Canada, New Zealand and most of Australia.
This is, in effect, voluntary euthanasia. It has become the preferred method of assisted dying in jurisdictions which allow this choice.
The laws proposed at Westminster, Holyrood and Tynwald - Isle of Man - all state that death must be by self-administration, which usually means the individual swallowing a lethal dose.
The Isle of Man assisted dying bill was passed by Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in March last year. As a UK Crown Dependency - like Jersey - it could not become law until granted Royal Assent.
This was declined earlier this year by the UK Ministry of Justice, but Tynwald has since passed an updated bill which has been sent back to the UK government for a second time.
If Royal Assent is granted, the Isle of Man expects the service to be operational next year. There is a residency requirement of five years.
CIA warned of threat of 'explosive airplane' years before 9/11, documents show
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Newly declassified documents show that three years before 9/11, US intelligence officials were discussing the possibility that al-Qaeda "may fly an explosive airplane into a US city".
On Friday, the 25th anniversary of hijacked planes being crashed into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, the CIA released 71 daily presidential briefs spanning from early 1998 to the day after the attacks.
Another document, dated 12 September 2001, said the plot's existence was "widely known" in extremist circles.
President's Daily Briefs are among the most secretive intelligence analyses in the US government, and typically remain classified for 40 or 50 years after publication.
"Twenty-five years ago, the 9/11 attacks struck a blow to our nation, but they did not break us," CIA Director John Ratlcliffe said in a statement
"Generations of C.I.A. officers have since dedicated their careers to securing justice for our fallen Americans and ensuring Al Qaeda would never again harm our country," he added.
Of the 71 documents published by the CIA, 69 have never been seen by the public.
The briefs - many still heavily redacted - were created during both the Clinton and Bush administrations.
They show increasing alarm over the al-Qaeda network and its leader, Osama Bin Laden. They also echo the assessment of the official commission that reviewed what happened that day that US intelligence repeatedly warned of a potential attack, but had few details or sense of the scale of what was coming.
One briefing document, dated 10 September 1998, reported Bin Laden's preferred location for a strike was within the US, with Washington a prime target.
The group, a CIA analyst wrote, "may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a US city".
While the 9/11 Commission's 2004 report noted US intelligence believed al-Qaeda was considering using an airplane in the attack, it was never clear that the warning reached then-President Bill Clinton.
Bin Laden and al-Qaeda were already well-known to the US intelligence community in1998.
In August that year, they attacked US embassies in both Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 people and prompting the US to strike targets in Afghanistan and Sudan with cruise missiles.
One document written on 28 August 1998 - 21 days after the embassy attacks and eight days after the US retaliation - warned that the network remained intact and that Bin Laden was actively "considering attacks in the US".
Only one of the presidential briefings in the release comes from after the attacks. It was sent to the White House 0400 on 12 September, just under 20 hours from when the first aircraft struck the World Trade Center in New York.
The report noted that "mounting evidence" suggested extremists in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf "were aware" the attack had been imminent.
Another partially redacted sentence said the plot was "widely known" among extremists and that Bin Laden may have relocated to Kabul, in Afghanistan, to avoid conflict with the country's Taliban rulers with whom he had "clashed" over the plan.
The then-head of the Taliban, Mullah Omar, was reported to have been evacuated with his family from the southern Afghan city of Kandahar immediately following the attacks. Less than a month later, the US and its allies invaded Afghanistan, seeking to destroy al-Qaeda.
Solheim Cup 2026: Carlota Ciganda lifts Europe to a 4-4 tie with US on opening day
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European hopes of parity had begun to fade into the shadows of the evening sunshine, with Angela Stanford's visitors seemingly assuming control of the 20th edition of the biggest team competition in women's golf.
It proved to be a hard-fought opening day between Europe and a US team looking to retain the trophy following their 15½-12½ victory in Virginia two years ago.
However, despite Ciganda's heroics, there was also a sense of what might have been for the hosts, who found themselves 6-2 behind at this stage two years ago at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
History has shown a good start to be essential in this competition, with the team holding the advantage after the opening day taking home the trophy 14 out of 19 times.
And the decision to send out Hull and Woad first in both the morning foursomes and the afternoon fourballs failed to deliver the impetus Europe's captain Nordqvist would have hoped for.
When Hull and rookie Woad emerged on the raucous opening tee with daylight barely breaking through at 06:40 BST, they did so as the two highest-ranked players in the European side at eight and seven respectively.
Yet despite winning the opening hole, Nordqvist's gamble never looked like paying off against the formidable pairing of Korda and Allisen Corpuz.
The American duo won all four of their foursomes matches across the previous two editions of this contest and became the first to make it five on the spin with a comfortable 4&3 victory.
Disappointingly for Europe, Hull and Woad then let a three-hole advantage slip on the back nine on Friday afternoon against Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin, who was playing only her third competitive round since June.
They did at least scramble a half point despite loud music being played by an on-course DJ clearly distracting Woad and Noh as they lined up their final putts. BBC Sport has contacted the Ladies European Tour about the incident which clouded the end of a pulsating match.
In contrast Europe's three other debutants, Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud, delivered in style.
England's Rhodes and France's Nadaud produced a superb performance to defeat Corpuz and Auston Kim 2&1, while the big-hitting Lopez Ramirez teamed up with her compatriot Ciganda in that final match against Korda and Lauren Coughlin.
"There's another 36 holes [on Saturday], so not every player's going to play five matches," said Nordqvist of her plans.
"Sometimes you've got to sit out someone, and for me, it was important to play all 12 players [on Friday], and the way the pairings worked out, that's how I had to play it."
The Voice UK: Alesha Dixon and Stacey Solomon joing show as ITV confirms revamp
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Alesha Dixon and Stacey Solomon are to host The Voice UK as part of a revamp of the show announced by ITV.
The pair replace Emma Willis, who has presented the singing contest since 2014 but recently left to front the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.
ITV also confirmed earlier reports that singer Cheryl and rapper Aitch will join the The Voice as coaches, sitting in the show's famous giant red chairs.
It comes after Sir Tom Jones said earlier this week that he had been removed from the series despite wanting to stay, over an insurance issue.
On Friday, the network said: "ITV would like to thank the irreplaceable Sir Tom Jones for all his years on The Voice UK, and the countless incredible and unforgettable moments he gave the show.
"He has brought joy to audiences, and to every singer who performed for him and with him."
The changes will take effect from the next series, which began filming on Friday. The series currently airing on ITV was filmed in 2025.
Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland will remain on The Voice coaching panel, alongside Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am, who has been on the show since its first series.
Ryanair boss O'Leary defends 'high-fare rapists' airlines remarks
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Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has refused to apologise to a rape crisis centre which criticised him for describing rival airlines as "high-fare rapists".
Speaking to journalists, O'Leary said some people were "desperate to get to Ryanair's low fares because they can't afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe".
O'Leary doubled-down on his choice of words when asked about them at the time, and later refused to apologise when the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) wrote to him asking for apology, in a letter seen by the BBC.
Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris said it was "clearly an inappropriate use of language" and that O'Leary "should have moved to rectify it".
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told UK radio outlet LBC that victims of rape are "not going to be rushing to book tickets with him, let's be honest".
O'Leary made the comments on Thursday while talking to journalists ahead of Ryanair's yearly meeting with shareholders.
Asked by a reporter from the Press Association whether the language was appropriate, he said: "Absolutely."
"British Airways, Lufthansa, and everybody else's high fares, I'll happily offend them on a regular basis," he added.
Asked whether it would offend sexual assault victims, he said rape was "a terrible crime".
Following O'Leary's comments, the DRCC's chief executive Rachel Morrogh wrote to O'Leary accusing him of trying to get a headline with his comments.
She said the DRCC had received calls from rape victims who were "upset and distressed because of what you said".
She offered O'Leary training on the impact of sexual violence and urged him to apologise.
"I can't imagine you would ever use the term so flippantly again if you truly understood [what] it was like to survive rape," she wrote.
In response, O'Leary said: "I am quite clear that no remarks of mine could possibly trivialise the heinous crime of rape."
He added that as he had not "trivialised the heinous crime of rape" he would "not be issuing any apology or accepting your offer of training".
It is not the first time O'Leary has offended people while talking about his business.
In 2004, he reportedly called the owners of Stansted Airport "a bunch of overcharging rapists", external in a row over airport charges.
He has also previously called some of his own staff "lazy bastards" and once said to passengers looking for a refund "we don't want to hear your sob stories".
In June, he said the airline would "reluctantly" stop charging parents to sit next to children after a watchdog investigation was opened, but insisted its previous policy complied with laws.
Sacked Grand Theft Auto worker claims Rockstar staff placed on 'watch list'
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A worker dismissed by the makers of Grand Theft Auto claimed colleagues were placed on a "watch list" after signing a petition about remote working.
Dayne Oram told an employment tribunal Rockstar North "kept an eye" on a small group of employees who were union members after the petition was handed to the company in the spring of 2023.
Oram was among a number of employees claiming to have been sacked by the gaming giant for attempting to unionise in October last year.
Rockstar has denied those allegations at the employment tribunal in Glasgow and alleges workers were sacked for "gross misconduct" following the sharing of confidential information in an online forum.
Some 34 workers were believed to have been sacked last year, with 23 taking part in the employment tribunal.
Most of the sacked staff were based at the company's Edinburgh headquarters, with others based in Canada.
Eight people arrested over Bromley KFC multiple stabbing
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Eight people have been questioned on suspicion of attempted murder after a multiple stabbing at a KFC restaurant in south-east London.
The Met Police, ambulance service and air ambulance were called out to reports of an altercation involving several people on Bromley High Street at about 14.15 BST on Thursday.
A 21-year-old man and three boys aged between 14 and 17 were taken to hospital with stab wounds. The man's condition was previously critical but is now not thought to be life-threatening.
The Met said those four, plus four other boys aged between 14 and 17 have since been arrested and remain in custody.
MPs Vote Against Assisted Dying Bill
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Today, MPs have voted against a fresh move to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. The bill would have allowed adults with fewer than six months to live to apply to be given help to end their life. It followed hours of debate and the result was close with 286 against and 270 in favour. Adam is joined by Ailbhe Rea, Political Editor of the New Statesman and Lara Spirit, Deputy Political editor of the Sunday Times to unpack the politics of the result and to reflect on the other big events in Westminster this week. Including the moment the new Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a fundamental shift on the government’s approach to Israel. Also, they discuss the news that Zack Polanski has been confirmed as the Green Party candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election taking place next month, and whether the greens think they can win. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480. New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Cordelia Hemming. The social producer was Jem Westgate. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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Will Trump’s $5,000 offer convince US voters?
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President Trump made the pledge at the Republicans' first ever midterm convention, promising every adult American a $5,000 payment if his party wins both chambers of Congress in November. Sarah, who was in the arena in Dallas watching Trump’s speech, and Justin look at whether this is a serious policy or a desperate measure. The payment would cost over a trillion dollars, no detail has been given on how it would work, and federal law restricts payments made in connection with how people vote. JD Vance has suggested it could be paid for by revenue raised from trade tariffs. Trump told supporters to pretend he was on the ballot himself, and said he would campaign in every close race. But with his approval ratings at historic lows, an unpopular war with Iran, and some Republicans on the ballot this year choosing to stay away from the convention, is he now more of a hindrance than a help to his own party? And a year on from the killing of Charlie Kirk, Justin and Sarah discuss his legacy on the American right, and ask whether anyone has emerged to take his place. HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, BBC North America Editor • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter GET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email [email protected] • Or use #Americast This episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles and Nik Sindle. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. The battle for Charlie Kirk’s legacy - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct8lzb If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app. You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers. US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155 Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below. Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
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US Open 2026 results: Alexander Zverev beats Karen Khachanov to reach final
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Alexander Zverev beat Karen Khachanov at the US Open to reach a third Grand Slam final in a row and continue his bid for a second major of the year.
The top seed put in a commanding performance to beat the Russian 6-3 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (8-6).
Germany's Zverev is the favourite in New York after ending his long wait for a Grand Slam title with his French Open triumph in June.
He reached the Wimbledon final in July, losing in four sets to world number one Jannik Sinner.
The 29-year-old will play either eighth seed Ben Shelton or 11th seed Frances Tiafoe in Sunday's showpiece, with the two Americans set to meet in Friday's night session.
"I think it [Sunday] will be incredibly special especially, these two guys are crowd favourites and everyone loves them," said Zverev.
"Tonight will be an epic semi-final and I am looking forward to watching it. Hopefully I can not make their American dream come true."
With Sinner and defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz suffering with injuries this year, Zverev has found a consistency that has allowed him to reach all four Grand Slam semi-finals.
He started off the tournament in New York slowly, being taken to five sets in his opening two matches, but has not dropped a set since.
Zverev faced brief moments of pressure against world number 50 Khachanov, saving two set points in the third set, but otherwise remained in control.
"After the second round, at about 3am I was sitting with my team in the locker room and we were laughing at how bad I was playing," Zverev said.
"That sense of humour helped me. I obviously have improved a bit otherwise I would not be in the US Open final."
Zverev won 13 of 15 points behind his first serve and all nine points at the net in the first set as he broke Khachanov to go 5-3 up before serving out the opener.
Khachanov fought back after going a break down early in the second set and forced a tie-break, saving set point with a magnificent backhand to polish off a 22-shot rally.
In a pivotal point of the match, it was Zverev who took the initiative to earn another set point, converting it as he outlasted Khachanov in a draining rally with some magnificent defence from the baseline.
In the third set, both players remained on serve without conceding a single break point to reach another tie-break.
It was Khachanov who settled quickest into the tie-break, opening up a lead and creating two set points - both of which were saved by Zverev.
From there the top seed never looked back, ultimately clinching victory as Khachanov put a forehand long.
After reaching his sixth major final, Zverev stood arms wide in celebration facing his coaching team, before going to the net to shake hands with Khachanov.
Victory means Zverev is into his second US Open final after suffering a heartbreaking five-set loss to Dominic Thiem in 2020.
Razaullah: 'Razball' reigns as Pakistan thrive in chaos against England on day three at Edgbaston
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At times when Razaullah - who has one first-class century - was teeing off, England captain Joe Root wore the expression of a chess player waiting for someone to tell him it was his move.
Root stationed eight fielders on the boundary at one point - but it did not deter Razaullah as he brashly swaggered at the crease with the arrogance of youth.
This was a special innings.
Razaullah's nine sixes is the joint-most ever in a Test innings in England. The other is Ben Stokes' famous 155 with nine against Australia in the Ashes Test in 2023.
He hit as many sixes as Sir Geoffrey Boycott did in his 108-Test career.
Perhaps being so far behind, and expected to capitulate, liberated Pakistan. There was a freedom to their batting hitherto unseen in this series so far.
Shan Masood played with admirable application with a stoic 95 while captain Babar Azam, a weight lifted off his shoulders, made 76.
Yet it was the swashbuckling Razaullah who really captured the imagination.
"England are going to win this Test match, I'm sure," said former England captain Michael Vaughan.
"But Razaullah has given Pakistan cricket some hope. They've unearthed a gem and he will be a superstar for many years."
Even Razaullah's dismissal was pure theatre lapped up by the crowd. Reprieved lbw to Dan Lawrence he danced down the pitch and was stumped next ball.
The young Pakastani left the field to the warmest ovation.
In another world he might have been playing for Cleethorpes in the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League, having signed for the 2026 season only to be called up to a national training camp in May.
Those with tickets for Saturday must have thought the prospect of seeing any play was remote when Pakistan offered a meek surrender on day one.
Steamrolled for 133 just after lunch in Birmingham on Wednesday they looked rudderless against opponents who were ruthless.
Doubtless many punters will have started to make other plans in the expectation this would all be over swiftly, especially when England racked up 453.
Yet with 129 to defend, Pakistan have an outside chance of what would be the most famous of victories.
It's tempting to look at Pakistan cricket through a certain prism, but when moments like these arrive it's impossible not to. Through the emotional wringer again - despair to hope in the space of three days.
"There wouldn't be any person in the world that would've thought we'd go to day four," added Vaughan.
"That is what Pakistan cricket is. They have had a difficult few weeks. The team has been in turmoil. That is why I love Pakistan cricket.
"England will look back at a lot of the tactics and realise they got it wrong. The short stuff, one over of spin, the second new ball with the spinner.
"That day today will make the England team realise there is a long way to go to be world class."
Joao Pedro: Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso says striker like Karim Benzema and as good as Erling Haaland
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Xabi Alonso says Chelsea striker Joao Pedro is similar in style to his former Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema - and at a comparable level to Manchester City's Erling Haaland.
The Brazil international, 24, has scored twice and provided two assists in his first three games of the season - and was named the Premier League's Player of the Month on Friday.
It was the first time Joao Pedro has won the award as he finished ahead of team-mate Cole Palmer, who was Chelsea's previous recipient in September 2024.
When asked whether the forward could be compared to the prolific Haaland, who won last season's Premier League Golden Boot with 27 goals, Blues boss Alonso said: "I would say yes.
"If you count how many top strikers we have in the Premier League, I'm sure that Joao [Pedro] is there, Haaland for sure is there. So I would rate him that way."
Joao Pedro signed a new contract at Stamford Bridge last month to stay until 2034, and was handed Chelsea's number nine shirt at the start of the season.
He became the club's first striker since Diego Costa to score 20 goals in a single season during his debut campaign and has struck 25 times and had 11 assists in 57 matches since joining last summer.
In his last 57 matches for City, Norway's Haaland has 42 goals and supplied nine assists.
England vs Pakistan: Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan question Joe Root tactics in Razaullah onslaught
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Razaullah's thrilling knock included nine sixes, tying the record for the most maximums in an innings by a batter on Test debut.
He also equalled Stokes' record for the most sixes in a Test played in England.
There were times when Root looked devoid of ideas, while the energy was sapped from his team. Jofra Archer cut a frustrated figure when Razaullah hit him for successive straight sixes and at one point Gus Atkinson was asked to bowl bouncers with eight fielders on the boundary.
"We shouldn't be surprised by England, they've delivered tactically like this on a regular basis," said ex-England captain Michael Vaughan.
"I think they'll win this game but they can't keep making mistakes like that. The basics of Test cricket generally work and that's to hit the top of the stumps. It's a bit of a warning sign that this attack is very good but they aren't the finished article just yet.
"Who are the characters in the team who are going got grab a hold of everyone and say, 'right, I'm going to make a moment'. I didn't see it from anyone today."
At one stage Root left the field for an opportunity to consult with the England backroom staff, although it did little to alter the course of the evening.
Eventually, Abbas poked the pace of Josh Tongue to point before Razaullah was stumped off Lawrence from the final ball of the day to leave Pakistan 453 all out.
"I'm disappointed, of course," said Trescothick. "We were in a position where they were eight down and the scores were level. We were hoping to go through them pretty quickly.
"We tried many different things. You have variations of plans. We bowled the short ball for a period of time, then length for a period of time, then a bit of spin. You're always chopping and changing, with various ideas.
"You'd always like to think you can do it better and you analyse it afterwards saying, 'right, was there an area or tactic we missed to get it right?' You hope in those situations when you bowl it in the right place, which we did on many occasions, that you get the nick or bowl them. Fair play, they played pretty well."
Super League: Wigan 50-12 Catalans Dragons - Warriors win sixth League Leaders' Shield
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Wigan (24) 50
Tries: Smith, Marshall 2, O'Neill, Farrell, Daniel, Field, Eckersley, Keighran Goals: Keighran 7
Catalans (6) 12
Tries: Tison, Lis Goals: Aispuro-Bichet, Garcia
Wigan Warriors won a sixth League Leaders' Shield as they ran in nine tries to beat Catalans Dragons and carry on their remarkable run of form heading into the Super League play-offs.
Matt Peet's side, who were trophyless in 2025 off the back of their quadruple-winning 2024 campaign, have now won two pieces of silverware, having lifted the Challenge Cup in May, and are now two games away from a treble.
Harry Smith and Ugo Tison exchanged tries early on, but Liam Marshall, Brad O'Neill and Liam Farrell put Wigan in control at the break.
Austin Daniel and Jai Field continued Wigan's scoring streak, while Zach Eckersley, Adam Keighran and Marshall's second wrapped up a thumping 16th win in a row, with Alexis Lis scoring a fine consolation try for Les Dracs in the closing stages.
Despite Friday's victory ensuring the shield was theirs, the really hard work was done in last week's crucial win over title rivals Leeds Rhinos at Headingley, where they leapfrogged their rivals to go top.
Had Wigan have lost then, Leeds could have pulled off a dramatic final-day surge back to the top, winning the shield at their expense on points difference, but the Rhinos fell short and were beaten by Hull FC on Friday.
Wigan now have a bye week by virtue of a top two place and will be at home for their Super League play-off semi-final on Saturday, 26 September, live on the BBC.
For Catalans, it means a difficult campaign ends with a ninth-placed finish. Les Dracs have now not made the end-of-season play-offs since their run to the Super League Grand Final in 2023 - where they were also beaten by Wigan.
World Athletics Ultimate Championship: Armand Duplantis stars as sport's new global event begins
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A bright pink sandpit and a pitch black infield. A brand new trophy and historic prize money.
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is posed as something different in the sport, but some things stay the same - pole vault star Armand Duplantis taking centre stage.
As the inaugural competition's official song, which two-time Olympic champion Duplantis wrote and recorded, was played to a sell-out crowd of more than 20,000, all eyes fell on the Swedish 26-year-old as, yet again, it was just him against the world record.
Duplantis had already secured the title of inaugural champion in the event he has long dominated, and his $150,000 (£110,000) slice of the record $10m (£7.4m) prize pot on offer.
While he was unable to clear 6.32m and set the 16th world record of his remarkable career, an entertaining battle with Greek challenger Emmanouil Karalis had provided the blockbuster finale to the opening night of action in Budapest.
"I approached this event with a combination of a lot of nerves and excitement," said Duplantis.
"This was a missing piece for me to become the ultimate champion."
The condensed three-day format of the Ultimate Championship will see the world's best athletes go head-to-head across an innovative format which governing body World Athletics and its president Lord Coe hope can shape the sport's future.
Friday's upbeat curtain-raising session featured eight finals over three hours and brought victories for several global stars including Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Masai Russell.
Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson, Georgia Hunter Bell, Amy Hunt and Matthew Hudson-Smith will be among those hoping to land the sport's newest global prize on Saturday.
Reform receives record £36m donation from cryptocurrency billionaire
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Reform UK has received a £36m donation from a British cryptocurrency billionaire - a record for a UK political party.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, external, Ben Delo said he was making the move because he wanted a "fair fight and a level playing field".
The sum is the biggest single donation ever given to a political party in the UK.
Party leader Nigel Farage said he was "honoured and humbled" by the gift.
Delo said he was donating £1m a month between now and the latest date Labour could call a general election in 2029 - but that he would give all the money up front in case the government tried to limit mega-donations in future.
There are currently no restrictions on the amount of money UK-based donors can give to political parties.
But Labour previously introduced a £100,000 cap on donations from British citizens living overseas.
Sheffield-born Delo, who has already donated £4m to Reform, has previously said he will move back to the UK from Hong Kong in order to continue his backing for the party.
Last year, Delo was given an unconditional pardon by US President Donald Trump over a Bank Secrecy Act violation.
In the Telegraph, Delo wrote: "Unlike the people who express mock concern for the health of 'our democracy' while doing everything they can to keep it as a cartel, I want a fair fight and a level playing field.
"My conclusion from Reform's recent troubles is that they should spend less time trying to raise funds to compete on equal terms and more time preparing for government."
Anti-migrant activists like Danny Tommo are changing tactics
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At around seven o'clock last Saturday morning, dozens of men dressed in black climbed into the backs of lorries in a quiet Kent village called Preston-next-Wingham.
The men had arrived under cover of darkness the night before, leaving their cars everywhere: in the village hall car park and on the recreation ground.
In an operation with a degree of military precision, the small fleet of lorries departed for Dover just after sunrise, where the men staged an intimidating show of strength near the port.
In disciplined, serried ranks, they wore paramilitary-style balaclavas as they blocked roads around the port. There were at least three waves of arrivals, including the men who had spent the night in Preston-next-Wingham. Glaring ominously at motorists and police officers, they stood their ground.
Hardened anti-immigration campaigners were using their newly developed tactics for the first time.
It bore little resemblance to the running battles seen in cities in the Midlands in the days of Tommy Robinson's original vehicle, the anti-Muslim English Defence League (EDL).
"I seriously thought we'd been invaded by Russians," a Dover resident, Robin Burkhardt, told the BBC.
The main organiser Danny Thomas, known to his supporters as Danny Tommo, said on Instagram afterwards: "This is our warning."
The style of protest is a new development in the crowded world of British hard-right and far-right politics. It was visually striking, and the men - who were part of a new group called Patriot Platform - chanted "Christ is King" as well as "Stop the Boats".
On Sunday, using a social media live stream, Thomas was able to organise a second, more impromptu protest of a few hundred people in his home city of Portsmouth.
His activists tried to block coaches that had come to collect migrants, who had arrived illegally, brought ashore after making the long journey from Normany in France.
On Thursday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood met senior police officers and urged them to make full use of their powers to stop activists wearing face coverings.
"These scenes have caused disruption for people and, given that people are dressed in black wearing balaclavas, there is a fear factor and obvious malign intent being communicated to our residents," she said.
"This makes it different from other protests, so we need to make sure we are learning lessons."
Some of Patriot Platform's disruptive, eye-catching tactics seem to have been borrowed from environmental groups like Just Stop Oil. But its leaders are also getting ideas and funding from the growing "Christian nationalism" seen in the United States.
It organisers say they are building a working-class "voting bloc" to persuade political parties on the right to adopt their agenda.
Tasia Fortune: Arrest made over the death of black woman found hanged from tree
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Warning: This story contains distressing details
Police in the US state of Mississippi have made their first arrest in the case of a black woman found dead and hanged from a tree, and say they could soon take more people into custody.
Tasia Fortune's body was found in the lot of an abandoned home in Jackson in August, but police only announced they were treating her death as a possible homicide earlier this week.
"That arrest today is an important development in this investigation, but it is not the conclusion," Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said on Friday. "This case remains active."
Fortune's death has worried locals in Jackson, a majority-black city in a state with a history of racial violence and lynching.
During Friday's news conference, Brackney said the medical examiner had confirmed Fortune's cause of death was homicide, adding that a suspected killer would be charged with murder.
Police had arrested one man and "additional arrests will be pending as our investigators continue to follow the evidence", she said, adding that they had interviewed 15 people in the case.
Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, told the BBC that she cried when the police called to update her about the arrest, saying: "I guess I do feel like a little sigh of relief...like a little bit of peace just come over me."
"I just hope that they've got the right person," she added.
The arrest of a suspect followed weeks of what Spivey and residents in Jackson described as relative silence and inaction from local officials.
Combined with the grim nature of Fortune's death and Mississippi's history of racial lynchings, the lack of information about the case had left the community in shock and fear.
Spivey earlier told the BBC she had tried contacting Jackson police several times over the last two weeks, leaving multiple voicemails, and had not heard back.
Brackney addressed the family's frustration on Friday, saying: "We have been in constant contact with the mother and the stepfather, as well as the biological father, throughout this case."
A letter Spivey wrote to officials about the limited communication and speed of the investigation was read during a public city meeting on Tuesday - the same day Jackson police made the announcement about a possible homicide.
"I'm kind of like in awe," Spivey said. "Like, I can't believe it. That was quick."
Fortune's death has been described by a member of the US Congress as part of a pattern of "possible modern-day lynchings".
This week, more than 50 members of Congress sent a letter, external to the FBI and justice department, saying they were "extremely alarmed by reports of black people found hanging from trees in numerous states" and calling for an independent investigation into suspicious deaths of black Americans.
So far this year there have been at least 10 reported hangings of black people in the US, they said, adding that there were more than 70 lynchings documented between 2000 and 2025.
Donald Trump: Protests expected as US President visits Ireland
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US President Donald Trump will arrive on Saturday morning at Dublin Airport ahead of a two-day visit to Ireland.
Trump will hold a courtesy call with Irish President Catherine Connolly as well as a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin.
He will also attend events at the US Ambassador to Ireland Ed Walsh's residence in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
Trump will then attend the Amgen Irish Open golf tournament which is taking place at the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Doonbeg in County Clare, which he owns.
He last visited the Republic in 2019, where he also spent time at his golf course.
Irish authorities have been planning for Trump's visit for months in what will be one of the biggest security operations in the history of the state.
Thousands of people are expected at protests in Dublin and a protest will also be held in Doonbeg.
His sons Eric and Donald Trump Junior are expected to accompany Trump in Doonbeg.