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De geheime ontmoeting met de president van de VAE is de nieuwste mijlpaal in een snel ontwikkelende alliantie in het Midden-Oosten. Benjamin Netanyahu heeft onthuld dat hij een geheime reis naar de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten heeft gemaakt op het hoogtepunt van de oorlog met Iran om president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan te ontmoeten. “Dit bezoek heeft geleid tot een historische doorbraak in de betrekkingen tussen Israël en de VAE,” aldus het kantoor van de Israëlische premier in een verklaring op woensdagnacht. Lees verder...

Experts warn of ‘soft target’ vulnerabilities and intelligence gaps as federal agencies prepare to secure 78 matches across 11 citiesFifa World Cup matches set to be held across the United States face heightened terrorism risks, with experts warning that vulnerabilities are being amplified by the US-Israel conflict with Iran and a depletion of counter-terrorism expertise within federal law enforcement.The biggest threat stems from homegrown violent extremists, often lone actors that may have become radicalized online by extreme political views or jihadists such as the Islamic State (Isis), said four counter-terror experts interviewed. Continue reading...

Holder went back to woman’s Cheltenham flat after night out and refused to stop assault even when she began cryingA co-founder of the clothing company Superdry has been jailed for eight years for raping a woman after a night out in Cheltenham.James Holder, 54, had been due to get a taxi back to his home in the Cotswolds with a male friend. Instead, the pair got into the victim’s taxi and went to her flat in the Gloucestershire town, where Holder raped her.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Candidates will get funding for midterm races in battleground states, amid Republican push to revise voting mapsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDemocratic officials added eight new candidates to their slate of top contenders vying to reclaim a Democratic House majority during midterm elections this fall.The candidates will receive a boost in fundraising and campaign support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) as part of a “Red to Blue” program that seeks to help competitive candidates win elections in battleground states. Continue reading...

• Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by eight wickets on Saturday at MA Chidambaram Stadium, chasing 160 runs comfortably in IPL 2026. • Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kartik Sharma scored unbeaten fifties to lead the successful chase, highlighting CSK's dominant batting form. • The loss leaves MI in ninth place with only two wins from nine matches and four points, their playoff hopes fading fast.

Claire Freemantle accused of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving when 4x4 hit school in LondonThe driver of a 4×4 that crashed into a south-east London primary school has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after two eight-year-old girls were killed.Claire Freemantle, 49, is accused of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the incident at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon in July 2023. Continue reading...

Darren Jones suggests cost of energy, food and flights will remain high after de-escalation and Hormuz strait reopensThe UK faces higher prices for food and fuel for at least eight months after the war in Iran ends, a minister has said. The closure of the strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane that carried a fifth of global oil and gas, has sent oil prices soaring since the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began in February. Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, said the conflict would probably continue to raise prices for energy, food and flights in the coming months as potential issues around energy supplies affect production, rather than lead to shortages on supermarket shelves. The UK government has urged motorists to fill up their cars as usual amid higher prices at the pumps and for air travellers not to change their plans over potential jet fuel shortages. Jones told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “You’re going to see prices go up a bit as a consequence of what Donald Trump has done in the Middle East. “That’s probably going to come online not just in the next few weeks, but the next few months. There’s going to be a long tail from this.” Asked how long higher prices might remain, Jones suggested it would be around eight months after the strait of Hormuz was unblocked and a de-escalation of the conflict had taken place. “I think our best guess is eight-plus months from the point of resolution that you’ll see economic impacts coming through the system,” he said. Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the US ceasefire with Iran last week that paused most of the fighting, but further efforts towards ending the conflict have been unsuccessful after the US president told his envoys not to travel to Pakistan for talks at the weekend. The UK government is stepping up planning for how to offset the impact, focusing on the live monitoring of stock levels and what plans are in place for addressing supply chain disruption. Jones said: “The government here in the UK, the work that I’m doing with the prime minister is looking at all of those things and saying, ‘What can we do within our power to help people to get through those difficult times?’” The government is also looking to secure stocks of carbon dioxide, which is used in the food industry and by breweries to make drinks fizzy, as well as for defence purposes and medical uses such as MRI scanning. Jones said he was seeking to ensure there was an adequate supply of beer for fans watching the men’s football World Cup which starts on 11 June. He said: “I raised this issue because if there is a problem with jet fuel on holidays and carbon dioxide on beer, the summer might be pretty depressing for people, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure that it’s not the case.” The Liberal Democrats have called for a bill to be included in the next king’s speech in May to put food security at the top of the government’s agenda. Continue reading...