The England national football team has announced the withdrawal of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Ollie Watkins from the squad for their upcoming Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.
Manchester City forward Foden, recently named PFA Player of the Year, did not join the squad due to illness. Chelsea forward Palmer and Aston Villa striker Watkins initially reported to St George’s Park but have since returned to their clubs “to continue their rehabilitation from ongoing issues,” according to the Football Association.
Interim England manager Lee Carsley, who replaced Gareth Southgate following his resignation after the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain on July 14, now faces the challenge of adjusting his squad for the matches. England is set to play the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on September 7, followed by a home fixture against Finland at Wembley Stadium on September 10.
These games mark England’s first international appearances since their defeat in the Euro 2024 final. Carsley, previously in charge of the England Under-21 team, was appointed interim manager on August 9.
In response to these withdrawals and as part of his squad selection, Carsley has brought in several players from his former U21 setup. Angel Gomes, Tino Livramento, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Noni Madueke have all received call-ups. Lille winger Gomes, Newcastle defender Livramento, Nottingham Forest midfielder Gibbs-White, and Chelsea forward Madueke previously played under Carsley at the U21 level.
The interim manager has also recalled Manchester City playmaker Jack Grealish, who was omitted from England’s preliminary Euro 2024 squad, and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.
These squad changes come as England looks to regroup and start a new chapter under Carsley’s leadership, with an eye on upcoming international tournaments and qualifications.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and leader of the United Arab Emirates, has pardoned 57 Bangladeshi nationals convicted for their involvement in protests related to unrest in their home country.
The decision comes after a telephone conversation last week between Sheikh Mohammed and Bangladesh’s interim prime minister, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
The pardons highlight the UAE’s strict laws concerning public demonstrations and free speech, which led to the rapid trials and convictions of the Bangladeshi protesters in July.
The state-run WAM news agency reported that the pardon includes canceling the sentences of those convicted and arranging for their deportation.
According to the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency, all 57 Bangladeshis arrested and tried will soon return to their home country. The convictions, handed down by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal, included 10-year prison sentences for 53 Bangladeshi nationals, an 11-year term for another, and life sentences for three others.
Prosecutors had accused the men of gathering in public to protest against their home government with intent to incite unrest, obstructing law enforcement, causing harm to others, and damaging property. However, Human Rights Watch described the men as “arbitrarily detained, convicted and sentenced to long prison terms … based on their participation in peaceful demonstrations.”
The protests in the UAE were triggered by weeks of demonstrations in Bangladesh over a controversial quota system that reserved up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans from the 1971 war of independence.
The unrest in Bangladesh escalated, leading to the resignation and flight of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, after weeks of violent protests and government crackdowns that reportedly resulted in over 600 deaths, according to United Nations estimates.
The UAE’s decision to pardon the protesters underscores the delicate balance the country must maintain as a nation where expatriates make up about 90% of the population.
With more than 9.2 million residents, only 10% are Emirati citizens. Bangladeshis represent the third-largest expatriate community in the UAE, following Indians and Pakistanis.
The pardons also draw attention to the UAE’s stringent laws that tightly restrict speech and criminalize public protests. Nearly all major local media in the country are either state-owned or state-affiliated, and the few protests by foreign laborers that do occur are typically met with swift legal action.
This incident serves as a reminder of the complex relationship between the UAE and its large expatriate workforce, as well as the challenges faced by migrant workers in navigating the legal and cultural landscape of their host country.
As the pardoned Bangladeshis prepare to return home, the international community continues to monitor the human rights situation in both the UAE and Bangladesh.
The U.S. Justice Department took a significant step Tuesday in its efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, announcing criminal charges against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior militants.
This marks the first formal effort by American law enforcement to identify and prosecute the alleged masterminds behind the deadly rampage.
A seven-count criminal complaint, filed in federal court in New York City, levels serious accusations against the Hamas leadership. The charges include conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction resulting in death.
In a notable expansion of the case, the complaint also implicates Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, accusing them of providing financial support, weapons including rockets, and military supplies to Hamas.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the broader implications of these charges in a video statement. “The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’ operations,” Garland said.
“These actions will not be our last.” This statement signals a continued and comprehensive approach by the U.S. government to address the activities of Hamas, which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. since 1997.
The complaint, originally filed under seal in February, names six defendants, including Sinwar and former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. However, the Justice Department acknowledges that three of the six defendants are believed to be dead, underscoring the challenges in prosecuting international terrorism cases.
Other Hamas leaders facing charges include Marwan Issa, Khaled Mashaal, Mohammed Deif, and Ali Baraka, representing a wide swath of the organization’s leadership structure.
The legal document provides a chilling account of the October 7 attack, describing it as the “most violent, large-scale terrorist attack” in Hamas’ history. It details how Hamas operatives, using a variety of vehicles and methods of entry, engaged in brutal acts of violence, including rape, genital mutilation, and close-range machine-gun shootings. The complaint references widely circulated video evidence of the atrocities, further emphasizing the severity of the charges.
These legal actions come at a sensitive time in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The White House has announced that it is developing a new cease-fire and hostage deal proposal in collaboration with Egyptian and Qatari counterparts.
This effort aims to bring about an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the nearly 11-month war in Gaza. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that there is no reason to believe the charges would affect these ongoing negotiations.
The October 7 attack resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, primarily civilians, and the taking of about 250 hostages. As of now, around 100 hostages remain, with a third believed to be dead. The Justice Department is also investigating the recent “executions” of six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, as acts of terrorism.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has had devastating consequences, reportedly killing over 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. This figure, however, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The war has caused widespread destruction and displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
The ongoing conflict has led to a complex negotiation process. Hamas has offered to release all hostages in exchange for an end to the war, complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants.
This aligns broadly with an outline for a deal put forward by President Joe Biden in July. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged “total victory” over Hamas and blames the group for the failure of negotiations.
As the legal and diplomatic processes unfold, the international community watches closely. The U.S. charges against Hamas leaders represent a significant development in the global response to the October 7 attack and may have far-reaching implications for international counterterrorism efforts and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
An 11-year-old boy is suspected of using two guns to fatally shoot a former Louisiana mayor and his daughter, Minden Police Chief Jared McIver announced Tuesday.
The victims were identified as Joe Cornelius Sr., 82, a former mayor, city council member, and deputy sheriff, and his daughter Keisha Miles, 31. Their bodies were discovered Sunday morning after a 911 call alerted police to two dead individuals in a Minden residence.
McIver said the juvenile suspect was present at the scene when officers arrived. “The juvenile gave us a story at first that just didn’t add up,” McIver stated at a news conference. The child later confessed to the killings during questioning, with an adult relative present.
Police have not disclosed a motive for the killings. “Who knows why someone would do something this malicious? And at that age,” McIver said.
The suspect, whose name is withheld due to Louisiana law regarding juvenile suspects, is being held on a $500,000 bond for two counts of first-degree murder.
District Attorney Schuyler Marvin told KTBS-TV that if convicted on the current charges, the child could be held in a juvenile facility until age 21. Louisiana law prohibits trying juveniles under 14 as adults, even for first-degree murder.
Investigators recovered two hidden weapons matching the caliber of shell casings found near the bodies. McIver declined to specify the types of firearms but said further testing is underway to confirm both were used in the slayings.
Cornelius was a longtime public servant in Minden, serving on the city council and briefly as appointed mayor in 2013. He was also involved in youth programs and local Black history events.
Minden Mayor Nick Cox praised Cornelius’s service, stating, “Joe Cornelius’ years of service to Minden were marked by his commitment and dedication to the betterment of our community.”
Emma Navarro, the 23-year-old American and No. 19 seed, has advanced to her first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open, defeating Paula Badosa 6-2, 7-5. The victory guarantees Navarro at least $1 million in prize money.
Navarro, born in New York but raised in Charleston, thanked her father, billionaire financier Ben Navarro, for recognizing her potential early on. “He knew maybe I was a little bit ADHD or something to be sitting in a classroom or in a nine to five. He saw something in me from a young age,” Navarro said post-match.
The match on Arthur Ashe Stadium saw Navarro comfortably take the first set before Badosa surged to a 5-1 lead in the second. However, Navarro staged a remarkable comeback, winning six consecutive games to clinch the match.
Navarro’s path to the semi-final included a notable victory over defending champion Coco Gauff, who struggled with 19 double faults and 60 unforced errors in their match.
A former top college player for the Virginia Cavaliers and 2021 NCAA champion, she has quickly adapted to the professional tour. Her first tour-level match outside of wildcards was in May 2023, making her rapid rise to a Grand Slam semi-final particularly impressive.
Navarro’s playing style, characterized by a mix of spins and slices, has proven challenging for opponents. “After I got it back to 5-2 (in the second set), I kind of had an inkling that it might be two sets,” Navarro said, describing her mindset during the comeback.
The match was a contest between two New York-born players, with Badosa having lived in the city until age seven before moving to Barcelona.
Emma’s victory, sealed with a trademark drop shot, sets her up for a semi-final appearance and continues her remarkable run at the US Open.
A pregnant woman and several children have been identified as among those who died when an overloaded migrant boat capsized in the English Channel near Boulogne-sur-Mer, French officials reported Tuesday.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that two more people are missing. The French coast guard rescued over 50 people off the Gris-Nez cape, with two in critical condition.
Frédéric Cuvillier, mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, confirmed to the BBC that a pregnant woman was among the deceased. Guirec Le Bras, the city’s prosecutor, said the victims were “primarily of Eritrean origin,” though exact nationalities were still being determined.
Darmanin noted that the boat was overloaded and fewer than eight people had life jackets. He reported that French authorities are preventing 60% of small boat departures, but smugglers are now cramming up to 70 people onto vessels previously used for 30 to 40, leading to deadlier shipwrecks.
This incident marks the deadliest loss of life in the Channel this year, bringing the 2024 death toll to 42. It surpasses the previous highest annual figure of 45 deaths recorded in 2021, according to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the incident “horrifying and deeply tragic,” emphasizing the need to dismantle smuggling gangs and strengthen border security.
Steve Smith, CEO of Care4Calais, a migrant aid charity, urged political leaders on both sides of the Channel to address these “avoidable tragedies.”
The number of people crossing the Channel in small boats has risen, with over 135,000 arrivals in the UK since 2018. More than 21,000 have crossed in 2024, surpassing the same period last year but fewer than in 2022, which saw a record 45,755 crossings.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently canceled the previous government’s plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda and vowed to take tougher measures against people-smuggling gangs.
Critics, including Amnesty International UK, argue that the government should focus on providing safe routes for asylum seekers rather than relying solely on enforcement measures.
Ivan Toney has completed a £40 million transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli from Brentford, securing a salary that places him among the highest-paid English footballers globally.
Toney, 28, is set to earn £400,000 per week tax-free, with performance-related bonuses potentially pushing his earnings to £500,000 weekly. This marks a significant increase from his sub-£50,000 weekly wage at Brentford.
The striker’s new salary rivals that of other top English talents:
– Harry Kane earns approximately £400,000 per week at Bayern Munich, totaling £20.8 million annually.
– Jude Bellingham receives around £220,000 weekly at Real Madrid, doubling his previous earnings at Borussia Dortmund.
– Bukayo Saka takes home £300,000 per week at Arsenal, making him the club’s highest earner.
While Toney’s wage is substantial, it falls short of some Saudi Pro League salaries, such as Cristiano Ronaldo’s reported £3.2 million weekly earnings.
Toney becomes the second England international to join the Saudi Pro League, following Jordan Henderson. His transfer concludes weeks of speculation about his future, during which Brentford manager Thomas Frank excluded him from matchday squads.
Al-Ahli’s new signing is expected to make his debut against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr after the international break. Toney will join former Premier League players Roberto Firmino and Edouard Mendy at his new club.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv for a third consecutive night Tuesday, demanding the Israeli government reach a ceasefire deal to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
The demonstrations intensified after the Israeli military reported that six hostages were killed by their captors in Gaza as troops approached their location. Many protesters blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the increasing number of hostage deaths and are calling for immediate action to secure their release.
In diplomatic efforts, the United States is collaborating with Egyptian and Qatari counterparts on a new ceasefire and hostage deal proposal. The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to convene Wednesday to discuss the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli military announced Tuesday it had killed Ahmed Fozi Wadia, a Hamas commander from a commando battalion. Wadia was identified in a widely circulated video from the October 7 attack, showing him drinking cola near two children wounded in a grenade attack that killed their father. The military stated that an airstrike on Saturday targeted a Hamas compound in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of eight militants, including Wadia.
The Israel-Hamas conflict, now in its 11th month, began with a Hamas-led attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. The subsequent war in Gaza has resulted in over 40,000 deaths, according to Gaza health officials.
A Russian missile strike on a military institute in the central Ukrainian town of Poltava killed at least 51 people and wounded 271 on Tuesday, making it the deadliest single attack in the war this year.
Two ballistic missiles hit the Military Institute of Communications, partially destroying one of its buildings, the Ukrainian defense ministry reported. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that soldiers were among the casualties but did not specify the number of military personnel killed.
“The Russian scum will definitely be held accountable for this strike,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram, ordering a full investigation.
Poltava regional governor Filip Pronin stated that 15 people may still be trapped under the rubble. Emergency services initially reported 50 deaths, with officials later updating the toll to 51.
Ukraine’s land forces announced they are investigating whether sufficient measures were taken to protect soldiers at the facility. The foreign ministry noted that the use of ballistic missiles, which can hit targets hundreds of kilometers away within minutes, left victims little time to seek shelter after air raid sirens sounded.
Dmytro Lazutkin, a Defense Ministry spokesman, told national TV that classes were in session when the attack occurred at 09:08 local time (0608 GMT). People rushed to shelters, but explosions followed minutes after the air alert.
The strike has prompted renewed calls from Zelenskiy for increased Western air defenses and permission to use long-range weapons for strikes deeper into Russian territory. “We keep telling everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: air defence systems and missiles are needed in Ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere,” he said.
This attack comes amid an intensification of missile and drone strikes by Russia over the past two-and-a-half years of the full-scale war. Last week, Ukraine faced its heaviest bombardment to date, while on Monday, ballistic and cruise missiles targeted Kyiv.
Ukraine has also increased its attacks on Russian territory, launching over 158 drones at the weekend, damaging an oil refinery near Moscow and a power station. Fighting has escalated over the past month, with Russian forces advancing in eastern Ukraine and Kyiv’s troops mounting their first large-scale cross-border assault into Russia’s Kursk region.
Local authorities in Poltava announced three days of mourning, with about 150 residents donating blood for the wounded.
This is not the first time Russia has struck military facilities far from the frontlines with mass casualties. In May 2022, Russia claimed to have hit a training ground for reserve forces in Desna, where Ukraine reported 87 deaths. In March of the same year, 35 people died in a Russian strike on a military base in western Ukraine.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for a suicide bombing in Kabul that killed at least six people on Monday, citing the Taliban’s reactivation of detention facilities at the Bagram base as motivation.
The attack targeted people working with judicial services, according to the Islamic State’s Telegram channel. The group claimed 45 people, including Taliban members, were killed. These figures could not be independently verified by Reuters.
Kabul police reported that all six confirmed casualties were civilians. The intended target of the bombing was not specified.
Islamic State said the attack was retaliation for the treatment of Muslim prisoners in Taliban prisons, particularly their transfer to the Bagram facility. “The attack came in retaliation for Muslim prisoners in Taliban prisons, especially after their transfer to the notorious ‘Bagram’ prison, in a repeat of the American era and its practices against prisoners,” the group stated.
Bagram, a Soviet-built airstrip, served as the main U.S. base in Afghanistan from 2001 until the American withdrawal in 2021. The CIA used it as a “black site” detention center for terrorism suspects in the early years of the Afghan war, with practices later acknowledged as torture by President Barack Obama.
Mohammad Yusuf Mestari, acting head of prison administration under the Taliban government, announced Sunday that the Bagram prison was being “reactivated” after years of disuse. He confirmed some prisoners had been transferred there but did not specify their identities.
The Islamic State’s local affiliate, Islamic State-Khurasan, has been waging an insurgency against the Taliban, whom they consider enemies. Taliban authorities claim to have largely suppressed the group, despite ongoing attacks in Afghanistan.
The Taliban-run interior ministry has not immediately responded to requests for comment on the bombing.
This attack follows a series of Islamic State-claimed incidents globally, including a stabbing in Germany, a concert hall assault in Moscow, and a memorial bombing in Iran.
