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  • UK police say pro-Palestine performances at Glastonbury subject to probe | Gaza News

    UK police say pro-Palestine performances at Glastonbury subject to probe | Gaza News

    British police have announced that the weekend performances by rap-punk duo Bob Vylan and the Irish-language band Kneecap at the Glastonbury Festival are subject to a criminal investigation after they led crowds in chants calling for “death” to the Israeli military and a “free Palestine”.

    Police on Monday said the performances at the United Kingdom’s largest summer music festival “have been recorded as a public order incident”.

    Rapper Bobby Vylan, who until the weekend was relatively unknown, led crowds in chants of “free, free Palestine” and “death, death” to the Israeli military.

    The BBC said it regretted livestreaming the performance and it should have pulled it off the air.

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other UK politicians condemned the chants, saying there was no excuse for such “appalling hate speech”. Starmer added that the BBC must explain “how these scenes came to be broadcast”.

    Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, said it was “very concerned” about the BBC livestream and said the broadcaster “clearly has questions to answer”.

    Meanwhile, the United States Department of State said it has revoked the visas for Bob Vylan to perform in the US after its “hateful tirade at Glastonbury”.

    “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a social media post.

    Israel’s genocidal assault in Gaza has inflamed tensions around the world, triggering pro-Palestinian protests in many capitals and on college campuses. Israel and some of its supporters have described the protests as anti-Semitic while critics said Israel uses such descriptions to silence its opponents.

     

    Glastonbury Festivalgoers watch as Kneecap performs in Pilton, Somerset, England [Jaimi Joy/Reuters]

    While maintaining a crippling siege on the bombarded enclave, Israeli forces have killed at least 56,531 people and wounded 133,642, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

    Bob Vylan, known for mixing grime and punk rock, tackles a range of issues in its lyrics, including racism, homophobia and the class divide, and has previously voiced support for Palestinians.

    Its lead vocalist, who goes by the stage name Bobby Vylan, appeared to refer to the weekend performance in a post on Instagram, writing: “I said what I said.”

    “Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place,” he added.

    The duo played Saturday afternoon right before Kneecap, whose set was not livestreamed by the BBC but still found a huge online audience via TikTok. It is another band that has drawn controversy previously over its strongly pro-Palestine stance.

    Kneecap led a crowd of tens of thousands in chants of “Free Palestine” at the festival. It also aimed an expletive-laden chant at Starmer, who had said he didn’t think it was “appropriate” for Kneecap to play Glastonbury after one of its members was charged under the Terrorism Act.

    Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who is also known as Liam O’Hanna and performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged with supporting a proscribed organisation for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London last year.

    Israel has faced sustained international opprobrium for the conduct of its war in Gaza. Weekly protests draw thousands of people around Europe and across the world in support of Palestinians.

    Public pressure, in part, seemed to prompt the Israeli allies France, Canada and the UK to issue a sharply worded statement in May calling for Israel to stop its “egregious” military actions in Gaza and criticising Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank.

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  • Jury deliberates in Sean “Diddy” Combs sex-trafficking trial – live updates

    Jury deliberates in Sean “Diddy” Combs sex-trafficking trial – live updates

    Inner life of one of hip hop’s biggest stars on display in this trial

    Nada Tawfik
    New York correspondent

    This Manhattan courthouse has pulled back the curtain on the private life of one of hip hop’s biggest icons.

    The mogul and producer admits that he beat his partners – had a drug problem – and that he enjoyed so-called “freak offs” – or prolonged sexual encounters between his girlfriends and male prostitutes.

    But Sean “Diddy” Combs insists the sex was consensual. So is he guilty of running a criminal enterprise and sex trafficking?

    The jury will need to weigh the evidence to decide if he’s just a flawed individual being unfairly targeted by overzealous prosecutors and women after money. Or if he’s someone who used his vast wealth, power and influence to manipulate, trap and force women to fulfil his sexual desires.

    There’s video and photo evidence – text messages – hotel and financial records – flight logs. But ultimately this case hinges on who the jury believes.

    Cassie Ventura and Jane spoke in harrowing detail about the physical toll the “freak offs” and drugs took on their bodies – how Diddy controlled every aspect of their life – and his threats including blackmail.

    Diddy didn’t testify and jurors can’t hold that against him, because the burden is on the government to prove its case. But his lawyers said the women were free to leave at any time – and when they did – nothing happened.

    The defence claimed the women were just as enthusiastic about the “swinger” lifestyle. So – was there a power imbalance? Was every “freak off” consensual – or did they eventually turn into sex trafficking when the women told him they didn’t want to do them anymore?

    Those are all important questions in this case.

    Here’s what the jury in Diddy’s sex trafficking trial is considering

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  • IDK, Cordae, Tink, Bryson Tiller & LUCKI

    IDK, Cordae, Tink, Bryson Tiller & LUCKI

    Between Drake flaunting his abs on Instagram and Beyoncé tippin’ on 44s while mid-air during her first hometown Cowboy Carter Tour stop in Houston, Texas, June certainly went out with a bang in the worlds of hip-hop and R&B.

    Drizzy’s and Queen Bey’s late-stage entries were the perfect closer to a month that also included the announcement of Brandy and Monica’s forthcoming first-ever co-headlining tour (alongside Kelly Rowland, Muni Long, and American Idol champ Jamal Roberts), a fiery Glastonbury debut from Doechii and a puzzling new EP from Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and King Combs, Diddy’s eldest child.

    This week, the news cycle’s biggest story will undoubtedly be the jury deliberations — which began on Monday (June 30) — in Diddy’s ongoing sex trafficking trial. Last week (June 24), the disgraced mogul opted not to take the stand in his own defense, telling the judge, “That is solely my decision… I wanted to tell you, thank you, you’re doing an excellent job.” No one can claim to know how long it will take the jury to land on a unanimous verdict, but Monday’s proceedings confirm that this month-long legal and cultural saga is nearing its end. Diddy, who maintains his innocence, could face a potential life sentence if convicted on all counts.

    The end of the Diddy trial could also coincide with another major hip-hop moment. On July 11, Clipse will release their highly anticipated Let God Sort Em Out album. Serving as their first new set in 16 years, Let God Sort Em Out has routinely dominated social media with each new single — and Kendrick Lamar’s much-buzzed-about guest verse.

    With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Tink and Bryson Tiller’s new duet to Dess Dior’s new summer anthem. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

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  • All the key moments from the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix as the McLarens duel, Red Bull suffer and stars hit the paddock

    All the key moments from the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix as the McLarens duel, Red Bull suffer and stars hit the paddock

    The Austrian Grand Prix provided a thrilling weekend of action for Round 11 of the 2025 F1 season, with plenty of big talking points emerging from the Red Bull Ring.

    Lando Norris bounced back from his Canada crash to seal victory, coming out on top after another nail-biting scrap with McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri – while, behind them, Red Bull endured a nightmare outing at their home event, Gabriel Bortoleto broke his points duck and several famous faces watched on. Here’s our round up of all the highlights from the Austrian Grand Prix weekend…

    An epic McLaren battle for the win

    A badly judged overtake attempt last time out in Canada saw Norris and Piastri clash, with the former retiring from the race while Piastri’s eight-race streak of podium finishes also came to an end.

    The pair reset for another round at the Red Bull Ring, with Norris clearly meaning business as he established a comprehensive gap over his team mate in Qualifying, but Piastri was far from fazed, declaring he was “not planning on finishing third”.

    He quickly followed through on his words at lights out, charging past Charles Leclerc and immediately launching a challenge on Norris for the lead of the race. In possibly one of the most thrilling intra-team battles of the last few years, the two engaged in a race-long fight that involved each side of the McLaren garage going head-to-head, bringing strategy and tyre management into the on-track contest.

    Norris had the clear advantage of starting on pole position, but Piastri rapidly shut down the gap and pursued the Briton with DRS for the entirety of the first stint.

    In a moment that surely saw the team pit wall hold their breath, Piastri darted past Norris on Lap 11, snatching the lead albeit for only a short time. The original leader remained by his side and prevented him from edging further ahead, reclaiming first place as quickly as he’d lost it.

    The tension didn’t end there as the Australian endured another heart-in-mouth move soon afterwards – closing in on Norris once again, he locked up just behind and came agonisingly close to colliding with the rear of his car, but fortunately only emerged with an uncomfortable flat spot.

    With the first round of pit stops beginning to kick off, the pair never got quite as near each other on track again, as Piastri’s choice to stay out for four laps longer than Norris led to a six-second gap between them. A seemingly endless stream of backmarkers, including Franco Colapinto who forced Piastri off onto the grass unaware he was behind, further halted the Australian’s ambition to return into DRS range, and Norris was able to endure the constant pressure until the chequered flag fell.

    A nightmare home race for Red Bull

    Looking at past results, this weekend should have been a return to glory for the Milton Keynes-based outfit – Max Verstappen holds the most pole positions and most victories in Austria and, of course, the circuit itself bears Red Bull’s name in the team’s home country.

    Hordes of people rocked up in orange for the occasion, ready for another Verstappen masterclass in the Styrian hills. But they were swiftly disappointed by the conclusion of Qualifying as the Dutchman ended up in P7, deterred from setting a second flying lap due to the yellow flags shown whilst Pierre Gasly recovered from a late spin.

    The session was similarly, if not more, disastrous for Yuki Tsunoda, who failed to progress to Q2 for the second time in the last three rounds and was resigned to start the race from P18 on the grid.

    While Verstappen labelled the result “painful”, he also admitted that there could be “some surprises in the race”, which certainly proved to be accurate. Maybe he was expecting some drama at the front that he could capitalise on, but the drama actually ended up involving him.

    Just a few corners into the opening lap, Kimi Antonelli locked up his rear tyres and found himself unable to make the corner, instead plunging straight on into the lead Red Bull to take both himself and Verstappen out of the race.

    His remorse was evident as the two were seen talking whilst their cars were recovered, and the rookie confirmed that he had apologised immediately after the incident that caused the reigning World Champion’s first DNF since the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. Antonelli still received a three-place grid drop for the upcoming round at Silverstone for causing a collision.

    Tsunoda was forced to take on the role of the sole remaining Red Bull, but little went well for him. On Lap 30, he was passed by Colapinto’s Alpine and, determined to reclaim the position, he threw caution to the wind and ended up clipping the Argentine’s right rear tyre to send him into a spin.

    He then headed to the pits to replace his damaged front wing and dropped to last in the order, with things going from bad to worse as he was handed a 10-second time penalty for the collision, well and truly confirming his P16 result.

    Bortoleto takes his first points and Lawson shines

    Amid a wealth of collisions and mechanical failures, it’s nice that at least one driver experienced the best weekend of their F1 career so far – enter Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto.

    The combination of returning to a circuit he performed superbly at in his junior career and finding the rhythm he has been searching for in the C45 came together to produce the rookie’s first F1 points.

    After making it into Q3 for the first time this season, Bortoleto raced those around him masterfully, including his manager/mentor Fernando Alonso – the two engaged in a heartwarming battle for P7 in the final laps of the Grand Prix, with the former World Champion clinging onto the position.

    He was later seen hugging the Brazilian and congratulating him on defending his Qualifying position to finish in eighth place, just ahead of his team mate Nico Hulkenberg.

    Aside from Alonso, another driver to make the one-stop strategy work was Liam Lawson, who achieved his best Qualifying result so far (P6), in a similar vein to Bortoleto. He started and finished as the lead Red Bull-backed racer, securing an important six points for Racing Bulls as he escaped up the road from the Alonso-Bortoleto battle on the penultimate lap.

    The biggest pole margin of the season so far

    Saturday’s Qualifying was an exciting affair, with Norris grabbing pole for Mclaren. Having sat out FP1, Norris topped FP2, FP3, Q1 and Q2 – so it was no surprise when he grabbed the P1 grid slot.

    What was a surprise was the margin, the biggest of the season so far at 0.521s. That is a mighty gap at any circuit, but at Austria where the track is one of the shortest of the calendar, it laid down a form marker that Norris is back in business.

    Yes, there was the caveat that a few drivers including Piastri did not get to complete – or even start – their second runs in Q3 thanks to yellow flags, but even so, Norris looked untouchable over one-lap.

    It was the perfect response to some Q3 mistakes earlier this season, and his race-ending collision with his team mate in Canada.

    Stars turn out for Austria, with the race here to stay

    News broke on Sunday that Austria has been handed a contract extension and will be on the calendar until 2041. It is a firm favourite with fans and drivers alike, and one of the most picturesque tracks the F1 circus visits.

    Plenty of stars wanted to judge that for themselves, with Liverpool’s former manager Jurgen Klopp attending the race on Sunday. He spent time in the Racing Bulls garage and perhaps that was what inspired such a strong performance from the team, with Liam Lawson grabbing a brilliant sixth-place finish.

    Eric Bana was also spotted in the Austria paddock, the actor no stranger to the world of F1 as a big sports fan.

    It remains to be seen if Pierre Gasly approached him for tips – after F1 The Movie star Brad Pitt cited Gasly as the driver most likely to make it in Hollywood, Gasly joked he might have to turn to acting as a second career unless he started scoring points.

    And what did he fail to do in the race? Score points. Hollywood might beckon for Pierre.

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  • Italy to issue half million non-EU work visas over next three years – Reuters

    1. Italy to issue half million non-EU work visas over next three years  Reuters
    2. Italy to Allow 500,000 New Migrant Entries in Next Three Years  Bloomberg.com
    3. Italy opens 500,000 jobs for foreigners by 2028: How Indians can benefit  Business Standard
    4. Italy to Issue 500,000 Work Visas for Non-EU Workers  Bloom Pakistan
    5. Italy to issue 500,000 work visas for non-European countries by 2028  Daily Times

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  • Syria’s Christians fear for future after devastating church attack

    Syria’s Christians fear for future after devastating church attack

    Lina Sinjab

    BBC Middle East correspondent

    Reporting fromDamascus, Syria
    Getty Images A woman cries leaning on top of a coffin as she is comforted by a man nearby as people standing behind her cry tooGetty Images

    The attack on a church in the suburbs of Damascus left at least 25 people dead

    Warning: This article contains distressing details

    “Your brother is a hero.”

    This is what Emad was told after finding out his brother had been killed in a suicide explosion at a church in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

    His brother, Milad, and two others had tried to push the suicide attacker out of the church building. He was killed instantly – alongside 24 other members of the congregation.

    Another 60 people were injured in the attack at Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Dweila on 22 June.

    It was the first such attack in Damascus since Islamist-led rebel forces overthrew Bashar al- Assad in December, ending 13 years of devastating civil war.

    It was also the first targeting of the Christian community in Syria since a massacre in 1860, when a conflict broke out between Druze and Maronite Christians under Ottoman rule.

    The Syrian authorities blamed the attack on the Islamic State (IS) group. However, a lesser- known Sunni extremist group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, has said it was behind the attack – though government officials say they do not operate independently of IS.

    Two men and two women sit together in a room with the picture of the deceased brother on a little table on the far side of the wall. All four people look solemn at the camera

    Emad, far right, was told his brother (in the photograph) had been a hero trying to stop the suicide attacker

    Milad had been attending a Sunday evening service at the church, when a man opened fire on the congregation before detonating his explosive vest.

    Emad heard the explosion from his house and for hours was unable to reach his brother.

    “I went to the hospital to see him. I couldn’t recognise him. Half of his face was burnt,” Emad told me, speaking from his small two bedroom-home which he shares with several other relatives.

    Emad is a tall, thin man in his 40s with an angular face that bears the lines of a hard life. He, like his brother, had been working as a cleaner in a school in the poor neighbourhood, which is home to many lower to middle class and predominantly Christian families.

    During Bashar al-Assad’s rule, members of Syria’s many religious and ethnic minority communities believed the state protected them. Now, many fear the new Islamist-led government, established by the rebels who overthrew him last December, will not do the same.

    While interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his government have pledged to protect all citizens, recent deadly sectarian violence in Alawite coastal areas and then in Druze communities around Damascus have made people doubt its ability to control the situation.

    Many of Emad’s family members echoed this sentiment, saying: “We are not safe here anymore.”

    A young woman with dark hair with bandages all around the bottom half of her face sits in a hospital bed staring directly at the camera

    Angie, 23, no longer wants to stay in Syria after being injured in the attack

    Angie Awabde, 23, was just two months away from graduating university when she got caught up in the church attack.

    She heard the gunshots before the blast.

    “It all happened in seconds,” she told me, speaking from her hospital bed as she recovers from shrapnel wounds to her face, hand and leg, as well as a broken leg.

    Angie is frightened and feels there is no future for Christians in Syria.

    “I just want to leave this country. I lived through the crisis, the war, the mortars. I never expected that something would happen to me inside a church,” she said.

    “I don’t have a solution. They need to find a solution, this is not my job, if they can’t protect us, we want to leave.”

    Before the 13-year civil war, Christians made up about 10% of the 22 million population in Syria – but their numbers have shrunk significantly since then with hundreds of thousands fleeing abroad.

    Churches were among the buildings bombed by the Syrian government and allied Russian forces during the war – but not while worshippers were inside.

    Thousands of Christians were also forced from their homes due to the threat from hardline Islamist and jihadist groups, such as IS.

    Izettin Kasim/Anadolu via Getty Images A birds eye view shows five white coffins being carried over people's heads with a large crowd of mourners gathered around themIzettin Kasim/Anadolu via Getty Images

    A mass funeral ceremony was held last week for the victims of the 22 June attack

    Outside the hospital where Angie is being treated, coffins of some of the victims of the church attack were lined up, ready for burial.

    People from all walks of life, and representing different parts of Syrian society, attended the service at a nearby church, which took place under a heavy security presence.

    In a sermon at the service, the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in Syria, John Yazigi, insisted “the government bears responsibility in full”.

    He said a phone call from President Ahmed al-Sharaa expressing his condolences was “not enough for us”, drawing applause from the congregation.

    “We are grateful for the phone call. But the crime that took place is a little bigger than that.”

    Sharaa last week promised that those involved in the “heinous” attack would face justice.

    A day after the bombing, two of the suspects were killed and six others arrested in a security operation on an IS cell in Damascus.

    But this has done little to allay fears here about the security situation, especially for religious minorities.

    Syria has also seen a crack down on social freedoms, including decrees on how women should dress at beaches, attacks on men wearing shorts in public and bars and restaurants closing for serving alcohol.

    Many here fear that these are not just random cases but signs of a wider plan to change Syrian society.

    Archimandrite Meletius Shattahi, director-general of the charitable arm of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, feels the government is not doing enough.

    He refers to videos circulating online showing armed religious preachers advocating for Islam over loud speakers in Christian neighbourhoods, saying these are not “individual incidents”.

    “These are taking place in public in front of everybody, and we know very well that our government is not taking any action against [those] who are breaching the laws and the rules.”

    This alleged inaction, he says, is what led to the attack at the Church of the Prophet Elias.

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  • Carlos Alcaraz beats Fabio Fognini in thrilling first round clash – Wimbledon

    1. Carlos Alcaraz beats Fabio Fognini in thrilling first round clash  Wimbledon
    2. Alcaraz eyes hat-trick, Krejcikova relishes return at Wimbledon  Dawn
    3. Alcaraz survives five-set scare from Fognini in Wimbledon opener  ATP Tour
    4. Alcaraz vs Fognini: TV channel, time and where to watch Wimbledon match online  MARCA
    5. London | Fognini runs defending champion ragged  Tennis Threads Magazine

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  • President Zardari gives assent to Finance Bill 2025 – Business Recorder

    President Zardari gives assent to Finance Bill 2025 – Business Recorder

    1. President Zardari gives assent to Finance Bill 2025  Business Recorder
    2. President gives assent to Finance Act 2025  Dawn
    3. Budget, free market and democracy  The Express Tribune
    4. Tax exemptions for Army Welfare Trust, others included in Finance Bill 2025-26  Geo.tv
    5. President assents to budget bill  The News International

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  • Alcaraz aids stricken fan as brutal heat hits Wimbledon on Day 1 – ATP Tour

    1. Alcaraz aids stricken fan as brutal heat hits Wimbledon on Day 1  ATP Tour
    2. Analyzing the impact of environmental factors on athletic performance  newshub.co.uk
    3. Fans and stewards taken ill as Wimbledon suffers record hot opening day  The i Paper
    4. Carlos Alcaraz vs Fabio Fognini suspended after fan collapses on Centre Court  The Telegraph
    5. Wimbledon clash halted due to medical emergency as Carlos Alcaraz rushes to aid medics  GB News

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  • Christian Horner admits Red Bull ‘not even thinking about the championship’ after ‘very frustrating’ day in Austria

    Christian Horner admits Red Bull ‘not even thinking about the championship’ after ‘very frustrating’ day in Austria

    Christian Horner was left to rue a “very frustrating” sequence of events in Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix after Red Bull left their home race without scoring any points.

    Max Verstappen completed only two corners at the Red Bull Ring before being taken out of the action by Mercedes rival Kimi Antonelli, who misjudged his approach to Turn 3 and subsequently earned a three-place grid penalty for Silverstone.

    Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, was the final finisher in 16th position, having struggled to make an impression after his Q1 exit and been given a 10-second penalty for tipping Franco Colapinto’s Alpine into a spin exiting Turn 4.

    The result means Red Bull fall even further behind their rivals in the Teams’ Championship, holding 162 points to McLaren’s 417, while Verstappen is 61 adrift of Oscar Piastri in the Drivers’ standings.

    “A frustrating day,” Red Bull team boss Horner summed up on F1 TV’s post-race show. “Starting with Max, he had a great start and was well-positioned for Turn 1. At Turn 3 unfortunately Kimi just lost control and wiped him out. Very frustrating… Obviously Kimi’s apologised. It is what it is.

    “I think when you look at the pace, we wouldn’t have fought the McLarens today, but we’d have fought the Ferraris hard, for sure. George [Russell] had no pace. It was frustrating.

    “With Yuki, it’s difficult to make progress starting where he did on the grid, then picking up a penalty as well with Colapinto. A horrible race for him today as well. Frustrating, but we’ll move on quickly to Silverstone.”

    With that in mind, Horner was asked how Red Bull can “remedy” the struggles several drivers have now faced in the seat alongside Verstappen – and ensure that both cars are in a position to score points moving forward.

    “We need to understand with Yuki what’s gone wrong [this weekend],” he continued. “FP1 and FP2, certainly FP2 and FP3, he was looking okay. Qualifying it seemed to fall apart for him.

    “When you’re out of position, you’re down the pack like that, when it’s so tight… he’s struggling, I think he’s struggling for confidence. But we’ll work with him, we’ll try and help him through it.

    “The car is… it’s a car that’s evolved over the years around the development path that we’ve taken. It isn’t an easy car to drive, but it’s not that difficult either. We’ll work with him and hopefully it’ll make a step up in Silverstone.”

    Given the significant gaps that have developed in both championships, Horner knows Verstappen and Red Bull now face a tall order to add to their recent title successes in 2025.

    “Well, look, the championship we’re not even thinking about,” he conceded. “We’re just focused on each race now. They’re [McLaren] a long way out of touch. We’ll just take things race by race.

    Verstappen has won the last four Drivers’ titles on the bounce, while Red Bull were crowned Teams’ champions in 2022 and 2023 before being overhauled by McLaren last season.

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