- Thai hostages: Five held in Gaza released by Hamas BBC.com
- ‘I told my son to keep strong – let’s wait for dad’: Thailand hopes for return of its last Hamas hostage The Guardian
- What medical condition are the Thai nationals released from Hamas captivity in? The Jerusalem Post
- Israeli doctors say five released Thai hostages in ‘fair’ health after 15 months of captivity The Associated Press
- Five Thai hostages freed by Hamas yesterday are in ‘fair’ health — hospital director The Times of Israel
Tears of joy as five Thai hostages held in Gaza are freed
The five were working on farms in Israel when they were abducted during attacks on 7 October 2023.
British-Egyptian dissident mulls giving up citizenship over failure to be released
Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s family reveal letters showing his despair after initial hopes David Lammy could get him freed from Cairo jail
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, the British-Egyptian political dissident held in a Cairo jail for more than five years, has reached such a state of despair over the UK’s inability to secure his release that he has contemplated renouncing both his British and Egyptian citizenship, his letters reveal.
His family have given permission for some of his private letters to be published to show his situation and his concern for his 68-year-old mother, Laila Soueif, on hunger strike seeking his release.
Continue reading...Rachel Reeves says cabinet ‘united’ in backing Heathrow third runway plan – UK politics live
Chancellor says she has support of cabinet as climate minister Ed Miliband reported to be sceptical over Heathrow plans
Richard Madeley goes next.
Q: The Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary says you are wrong, and the third runway won’t be built until you are 70. You are 45 now. Why is he wrong?
We’re signing off decisions on wind farms, on solar farms, a commitment to a new stadium at Old Trafford. We are upgrading the Transpennine route to make journey times easier between York and Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield. Those things are happening right now.
Continue reading...European Central Bank cuts interest rates to support growth as eurozone economy stagnates – as it happened
Live coverage of business, economics and financial news as ECB cuts main interest rate by 0.25 percentage points in effort to support European economies
It was a flash reading on the Eurozone economy, so we don’t have the details on what the drivers were. But it’s clear that it was a weak end to 2024.
But the European Central Bank might be able to spur a bit of economic growth in the eurozone with looser monetary policy.
This marks a weak end to last year, following positive growth in the first three quarters of 2024. As a result, first estimates suggest that the currency bloc as a whole grew by 0.7% in 2024. Declining activity in Germany – the Eurozone’s largest economy – has weighed on the bloc’s growth, with German GDP contracting by 0.2% on the quarter. This suggests Germany has now seen annual declines in activity for two consecutive years.
In 2025, further loosening of monetary conditions is expected to provide a modest uptick in activity for both Germany and the Eurozone, with growth expected to amount to 0.3% and 1.0% respectively.
Continue reading...BBC apologises to staff who ‘felt unable to raise’ Russell Brand concerns
A number of people believed comedian ‘would always get his way and therefore they stayed silent’, review finds
The BBC has apologised to staff after a review into the conduct of Russell Brand during his time with the broadcaster found a number of people “felt unable to raise” concerns about his behaviour .
Peter Johnston, the BBC director of editorial complaints and reviews, said on Thursday he had investigated eight complaints about Brand during his review, with only one of those formally made to the BBC.
Continue reading...Chaos and celebrations as eight more hostages released by Hamas
Three Israelis and five Thai nationals comprised the latest group of hostages released since the Gaza ceasefire was announced.
UK to keep ban on asylum seekers claiming modern slavery protections – Reuters UK
- UK to keep ban on asylum seekers claiming modern slavery protections Reuters UK
- New crime of endangering lives to target small boat crossings BBC.com
- Planned UK people-smuggling laws risk ‘criminalising’ asylum seekers, charities say The Guardian
- Small boats tracker: Find out how many people have crossed the Channel The Telegraph
- New UK asylum bill to criminalise those who seek to prevent small boat rescues Financial Times
Bishop of Liverpool quits amid sexual misconduct allegations
John Perumbalath was under pressure from Church of England leadership over sexual assault and harassment claims
A senior Anglican bishop has quit his role amid sexual misconduct claims, plunging the Church of England into fresh crisis.
John Perumbalath, the bishop of Liverpool, bowed to pressure after his senior leadership team called on him to step aside after allegations of sexual assault and harassment surfaced.
Continue reading...Heathrow’s third runway can be built in 10 years, Reeves says – BBC.com
- Heathrow's third runway can be built in 10 years, Reeves says BBC.com
- Backing Heathrow expansion suggests Labour is serious about boosting growth The Economist
- Heathrow’s third runway, Rachel Reeves and the pursuit of growth | Letters The Guardian
- Europe’s busiest airport is set to get bigger, as Britain green-lights tortured Heathrow expansion project CNN International
- U.K. Government Backs Heathrow Expansion in Push for Faster Growth The New York Times
Judge rejects attempt to overturn inquest verdict on Stockport scout’s death
Scout leaders had launched judicial review over verdict of unlawful killing of Ben Leonard, 16, who fell from cliff on expedition
A high court judge has rejected an attempt by a scout leader and an assistant to overturn the findings of an inquest jury that concluded they were responsible for the unlawful killing of a 16-year-old boy who fell from a cliff during an expedition.
Ben Leonard from Stockport, Greater Manchester, became separated from his group during a hike in north Wales and fell about 60m (200ft) from a ledge, suffering a fatal head injury.
Continue reading...Who Are the 3 Israeli Hostages Released Thursday? – The New York Times
- Who Are the 3 Israeli Hostages Released Thursday? The New York Times
- Eight hostages released from Gaza amid chaotic scenes as 110 Palestinian prisoners to be freed CNN
- Hamas releases another eight hostages as part of Gaza ceasefire deal Axios
- Israel Suspends Palestinian Prisoner Release After Chaotic Hostage Handover: Live Updates The New York Times
- Palestinian militants begin handover of three Israeli hostages in latest stage of ceasefire deal Reuters
Sweden points to ‘foreign power’ after Iraqi refugee on trial for Qur’an burnings shot dead
Five arrested after Salwan Momika reportedly killed during TikTok live stream, hours before trial verdict due
Sweden’s prime minister has said a foreign power may have been involved in the fatal shooting of an anti-Islam campaigner just hours before a trial verdict over his burning of the Qur’an was due.
Police arrested five people over the killing of Salwan Momika, 38, who was shot late on Wednesday in a house in the town of Södertälje, near Stockholm. Authorities did not say whether the shooter was among those detained.
Continue reading...Families in India cremate loved ones killed in stampede at religious festival – The Associated Press
- Families in India cremate loved ones killed in stampede at religious festival The Associated Press
- A second crush 3km away claimed 7 lives Hindustan Times
- After Maha Kumbh Mela Stampede, Concerns of Cover-Up The New York Times
- I left the place a few hours before the stampede at Kumbh: Roopa Rao TOI Etimes
- Day after Maha Kumbh stampede: VIP passes cancelled, no-vehicle zone, curbs on routes The Indian Express
Inside a US security firm’s risky Gaza mission – The Jerusalem Post
- Inside a US security firm's risky Gaza mission The Jerusalem Post
- U.S. Security Contractors Going to Gaza to Oversee Truce, Officials Say The New York Times
- US, Egyptian security contractors check for weaponry in cars returning to northern Gaza The Times of Israel
- US security contractor will take charge of key checkpoint in Gaza as Israeli forces withdraw CNN
- U.S. private security contractors will operate key Gaza checkpoint Axios
Five arrested in Sweden after anti-Islam campaigner shot dead; PM concerned over foreign links to shooting – Reuters
- Five arrested in Sweden after anti-Islam campaigner shot dead; PM concerned over foreign links to shooting Reuters
- Quran Burner Killed, Five Arrested Newsweek
- Salwan Momika, Man Who Burnt Quran In 2023 Sparking Huge Protests Shot Dead In Sweden NDTV
- Sweden points to ‘foreign power’ after Iraqi refugee on trial for Qur’an burnings shot dead The Guardian
- Salwan Momika, Who Burned a Quran in Sweden, Is Killed The New York Times
Gamblers complain to Bet365 over outage during Champions League matches
Online gambling firm’s service ‘issues’ left bettors apparently unable to ‘cash out’ on busy night in European football
The online gambling company Bet365 has been flooded with complaints after it suffered an outage during one of the busiest nights of European football this season.
Customers claimed to have lost out on thousands of pounds owing to what the company called “issues with our service” during the second half of Wednesday night’s 18 Champions League games.
Continue reading...Fact check: RFK Jr’s statements during Senate confirmation hearing
Kennedy Jr denied and downplayed past controversial comments during his hearing for HHS secretary.
‘This will delay medical breakthroughs’: US scientists demand to bargain over Trump orders
NIH fellows say policy changes including funding freeze would ‘severely limit’ researchers’ ability to do their work
A union representing about 5,000 researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a legally binding demand to bargain over Donald Trump’s sweeping policy changes, including a funding freeze, a communications blackout and a staff travel ban.
The NIH is the largest biomedical institution in the world, providing more than $40bn annually to fund health research, providing grants to more than 300,000 researchers at more thab 2,500 universities, medical schools and other research institutions globally, with nearly 6,000 scientists performing research in its own labs.
Continue reading...Israeli captive Arbel Yehud freed in Gaza handover
Crowds surrounded Israeli captive Arbel Yehud as she was freed by Islamic Jihad in Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal.