How will BBC revamp Match of the Day when Gary Lineker leaves?

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Plan is forming for digitally focused show to expand and grow the brand in a fractured media landscape

When the BBC confirmed the news this week that Gary Lineker was leaving Match of the Day at the end of this season, the presenter’s official reaction was limited to a terse 21-word statement that he was “delighted” at signing a new contract to cover the FA Cup and 2026 World Cup.

The former England striker was – unsurprisingly – more expansive about leaving the BBC’s flagship football programme after 25 years on his own podcast, the Rest is Football, on Thursday. “All things have to come to an end,” he mused. “I think the next contract, they’re looking to do Match of the Day slightly differently. So I think it makes sense for someone else to take the helm.”

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Anger in Lebanon at large number of rescue workers killed by Israel

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Attacks on Thursday night bring total number of emergency workers killed by Israel in Lebanon to more than 200

Twenty-one civil defence rescuers have been killed in two Israeli strikes on Lebanon, in one of the deadliest days for rescue workers since the fighting began between Israel and Hezbollah 13 months ago.

Thursday night’s airstrikes brought the total number of emergency workers killed by Israel in Lebanon to more than 200, most of them during the last two months.

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GM’s Cruise admits submitting false report to robotaxi safety investigation

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General Motors unit to pay $500,000 fine after failing to disclose key details of 2023 San Francisco crash to NHTSA

General Motors’ self-driving car unit, Cruise, admitted on Thursday to submitting a false report to influence a federal investigation and will pay a $500,000 criminal fine as part of a deferred prosecution agreement, the justice department said.

The department said Cruise failed to disclose key details of an October 2023 crash to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in which one of its robotaxis in San Francisco struck a pedestrian after she was hit by another vehicle and dragged her 20ft (6.1 meters).

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Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon pick, sparks alarm over far-right extremism

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Experts concerned over the Fox & Friends host, his Christian nationalist ideology and militant language

Extremism experts are sounding the alarm about Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, whose writings and online presence reveal someone immersed in a culture of rightwing Christianity, political extremism and violent ideation.

The Fox & Friends host, who has served in the US army but has no experience in government, drew shock from Pentagon officials when Trump nominated him. Hegseth’s books on American culture and the military, his commentary on Fox and his frequent posts on social media showcase his far-right ideology. On these platforms, Hegseth telegraphs paranoia and anger toward “leftists”, an ultra-masculine Maga persona and apparent revulsion toward service members who do not fit his vision – including women.

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Prince Harry to continue lawsuit against Sun publisher, high court hears

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Duke is ‘one of two claimants whose claims are still live’ against NGN, court told, the other being ex-MP Tom Watson

The Duke of Sussex is continuing his lawsuit against the publisher of the Sun over allegations of unlawful information gathering, the high court has heard.

Prince Harry “is one of two claimants whose claims are still live” against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN), his barrister David Sherborne said, with the other being the former deputy Labour leader Tom Watson. The court was told 39 cases had been settled since a previous hearing in July.

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Snow White star Rachel Zegler apologises for angry Trump post

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West Side Story actor soon to take on iconic Disney role backs down after re-election response led to backlash

The West Side Story and Snow White actor Rachel Zegler has apologised after criticising Donald Trump and his supporters.

The 23-year-old, currently starring in Broadway’s re-imagined Romeo + Juliet, had posted a lengthy response to the re-election of Trump and the “four years of hatred” he would bring about in America.

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Lebanon ceasefire talks intensify as Hezbollah considers new US-Israeli proposal – CNN

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  1. Lebanon ceasefire talks intensify as Hezbollah considers new US-Israeli proposal  CNN
  2. Netanyahu Plans a Big Gift for Trump—Two Months From Now  The New Republic
  3. The Price Israel and Lebanon are Each Paying for Their War on the Border  NPR
  4. Lebanon studying US plan to end Israel-Hezbollah conflict — officials  The Times of Israel
  5. Israeli Forces Push Deeper Into Lebanon in Widening War Campaign  The Wall Street Journal
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‘Ready for ceasefire, but Israel must respect proposal’, says Hamas – Hindustan Times

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  1. ‘Ready for ceasefire, but Israel must respect proposal’, says Hamas  Hindustan Times
  2. Hamas says 'ready for ceasefire' as Israel presses Gaza campaign  Yahoo! Voices
  3. Hamas urges Trump to pressure Israel to end Gaza war; PIJ releases hostage video  The Times of Israel
  4. Hamas official says group is ready for 'immediate' ceasefire - report  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Middle East crisis: Hamas ‘ready’ for Gaza ceasefire, says senior official – as it happened  The Guardian
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Tropical Storm Sara: Forecast cone, maps, models and plots – NBC2 News

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  1. Tropical Storm Sara: Forecast cone, maps, models and plots  NBC2 News
  2. Tropical Storm Sara Is A Dangerous Central America Flood Threat  The Weather Channel
  3. How Tropical Storm Sara's Impact on US Could Change  Newsweek
  4. Tropical Storm Sara to significantly weaken on path to Central Florida, drive up rain chances  WESH 2 Orlando
  5. Belize on alert as Tropical Storm Sara moves along Honduran coast bringing heavy rain  The Associated Press
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‘A fork in the road’: laundry-sorting robot spurs AI hopes and fears at Europe’s biggest tech event

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Humanoid called Digit fuelled boosterism at Web Summit, but also raised concerns about jobs, safety and climate

This year’s Web Summit, in Lisbon, was all about artificial intelligence – and a robot sorting laundry.

Digit, a humanoid built by the US firm Agility Robotics, demonstrated how far AI has come in a few years by responding to voice commands – filtered through Google’s Gemini AI model – to sift through a pile of coloured T-shirts and place them in a basket.

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A Ukrainian brigade armed with French light tanks, artillery, and heavy weaponry is about to enter the fight – Business Insider

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  1. A Ukrainian brigade armed with French light tanks, artillery, and heavy weaponry is about to enter the fight  Business Insider
  2. Ukrainian troops train for trench warfare near France's WWI battlefields  Fox News
  3. A Ukrainian brigade armed with French tanks, artillery, and heavy weaponry is about to enter the fight  Yahoo! Voices
  4. France Equips and Trains New Ukrainian Brigade at Critical Point in War  Newsweek
  5. Ukraine’s Anne of Kyiv Brigade completing training in France  Ukrinform
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Shrinking GDP forecast adds to German woes after coalition collapse

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European Commission figures predict German economy, usually the engine of the EU, will contract O.1% this year

Germany’s looming general election will be fought against the backdrop of a stagnating economy, the European Commission has forecast, with GDP expected to have contracted in 2024.

The commission’s quarterly forecast suggested Germany, traditionally the engine of the bloc’s economy, will be its weakest performer in 2025, notching up growth of just 0.7% after shrinking by 0.1% this year.

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