Israel says it has launched a ‘major strike’ on military and nuclear sites across Iran, killing top commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran said residential areas in Tehran were hit and civilians were killed.
Israel launches ‘major strike’ on Iran
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom battle to save relationship as reason for split revealed
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have reportedly split following a ‘rough patch’ in their relationship, with the pair struggling to fix issues that have crept up of late
The real reason Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have called it quits has reportedly been revealed. Earlier this week, it was reported that the American singer and the British actor had “quietly ended their engagement” but are apparently planning to wait until Katy’s tour concludes at the end of this year.
Neither Katy, 40, nor Orlando, 48, has yet to confirm or deny the rumours but those close to the on-off couple have hinted the split is more of “a rough patch” and the two stars are in a battle to fix their relationship before it’s too late.
Katy, previously married to British comedian Russell Brand, and the Pirates of the Caribbean actor began their love story back in 2016. Their romantic journey peaked with an engagement three years later, just ahead of Daisy’s arrival in 2020.
The pair did split briefly at the start of their relationship before finding their way back to one another and reuniting for good. However, it seems their nearly ten-year liaison is reportedly on the ropes due to recent professional struggles for Katy.
“There aren’t many people she can dump her emotions on, but obviously she can with Orlando. But with his work and juggling parenting, life as of late has put a strain on their relationship,” a source has said amid the speculation.
Article continues below
It’s been a tough time professionally for Katy of late, with the award-winning singer facing embarrassment after critics lambasted her latest album, and her space adventure invited further criticism, leaving the ‘I Kissed A Girl’ singer under intense scrutiny and putting a strain on her relationship.
But all is not lost, with the insider added that Katy and Orlando are going through a rough patch “but it’s not at the point of no return.” They told the DailyMail: “They know they must fix things, and they both want to figure it out. They haven’t been able to sit down and work on some of their issues. A breakup isn’t imminent, but they both know that they should focus on their relationship before it does become too late.”
Other sources allege that the lacklustre performance of Katy’s album titled ‘143’ put a strain on their bond, as Orlando tried to be supportive. PageSix suggests the couple are biding time until the conclusion of Katy’s ‘Lifetimes’ tour on December 7 before going public with their separation.
“It’s over,” confided the insider. “They’re just waiting until the tour is done before they split.” The Mirror has previously approached Katy and Orlando’s representatives for a comment regarding these claims.
Amid the drama, Katy has shared a charming behind-the-scenes clip of her five-year-old daughter Daisy Dove singing.The American singer posted a collection of pictures and videos to Instagram on Friday showing ‘tidbits’ from her world tour so far.
Katy, 40, is currently performing the Australian leg of her Lifetimes Tour, playing a series of shows in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney.
“Tour liffffffeeee side quest tid bits,” she captioned the post, which showed Katy inhaling helium from a balloon, posing with her tour dancers and holding the key to Oklahoma City.
One clip, taken in Katy’s hotel room at Capella Sydney, showed Daisy Dove hiding behind a curtain and singing as her mum filmed the special moment. ‘The part where Daisy was playing behind the curtains warmed my heart,’ one fan wrote in the comments section.
Rumours that Katy is newly single intensified when the Road hitmaker made a telling comment on stage during a recent performance. The mum-of-one was performing the third of her Sydney concerts on Tuesday night when she was handed a packet of Tim Tam chocolate biscuits.
Katy was in the middle of performing of her 2008 heartbreak anthem I’m Still Breathing when she opened the packet and ate one of the treats. “This song is about a breakup, and this Tim Tam saved me,” the pop icon told the crowd during the brief interlude.
“Thank you,” she continued, before resuming her performance whilst kneeling down and offering biscuits to the front row audience members. Her remark about enduring a ‘breakup’ has only fuelled recent rumours that Katy and Orlando are encountering some difficulties.
Article continues below
Why have anti-immigration riots broken out in Northern Ireland?
Anti-immigration protests have escalated into clashes with police in several towns in Northern Ireland this week, marking a new wave of unrest to hit the United Kingdom.
Disorder in towns across the region continued for a fourth night on Thursday. In Portadown, County Armagh, a crowd used bricks and masonry from a derelict building to throw at police.
About 40 officers have been injured, and 15 arrests have been made.
Protests began in Ballymena, a town of about 31,000 people located 40km (25 miles) northwest of the city of Belfast, on Monday when two Romanian 14-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
The most intense violence took place on Tuesday in Ballymena, when hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set buildings and cars on fire. A smaller crowd threw rocks, fireworks and petrol bombs at police on Wednesday, as police officers responded with water cannon.
Masked rioters also set fire to a leisure centre in Larne, about 30km (19 miles) away from Ballymena, on the coast, where some immigrant families had been given shelter following the unrest in Ballymena.
Violence also spilled over to the cities of Belfast, Coleraine, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Antrim and Lisburn.
What happened in Ballymena?
Riots in Ballymena erupted after the Romanian teenagers appeared in Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Monday on sexual assault charges, which they denied. A Facebook post advertised a “peaceful protest to show our anger at what cannot and will not be tolerated in this town”.
The planned gathering began in Ballymena at 7:30pm (18:30 GMT). A crowd assembled at Clonavon Terrace in the town, where the alleged assault had taken place, and police officers presided over a largely peaceful demonstration.
Police said several masked individuals later broke away from the group and began erecting barricades and attacking private properties housing immigrants. They also attacked police officers with smoke bombs, fireworks, bottles and bricks, leading to clashes which have continued for several days since.
Some residents placed UK flags or signs in their windows reading “British household” and “locals live here” in a bid to avoid being targeted.
Sky News reported seeing ethnic minority residents of the town “packing up suitcases and leaving their homes”.
One mother of two, Mika Kolev, told the BBC her home had been damaged by rioters on Tuesday night. She said she intended to leave her home with her family and is considering moving back to Bulgaria.
“This is my house, I pay rent,” she said. “I feel like this is my country, this is my city. My daughter was born here. It’s very scary.”
Who are the rioters?
The identity of the hundreds of people – many masked and hooded – who attacked immigrant households and businesses was not immediately clear.
In the past, this sort of violence has usually taken place in towns like Ballymena, which are a stronghold of UK unionism. However, there were media reports that Catholics had also joined the protests this time.
Northern Ireland endured decades of conflict between unionists – largely Protestants who want it to remain within the UK – and nationalists – primarily Catholics who wanted to reunite with the rest of Ireland.
Paramilitary groups played a significant role in the sectarian conflict known as the Troubles, which lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998, when the Good Friday Agreement established a power-sharing arrangement.
The agreement, however, has faced opposition from some unionist groups, and some grievances remain unresolved.
“Some working-class unionist areas feel as if they’ve lost out during the peace process,” sociologist John Nagle, who lectures at Queen’s University in Belfast, told Al Jazeera. “I think the sort of grievances about the peace process are being grafted onto the wider concerns about immigration.”
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said at this stage there was no evidence of unionist paramilitary involvement in the recent violence in the town. However, a report published last month by the independent human rights group Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) points to a connection.
The study, titled Mapping Far Right Activity Online in Northern Ireland, analysed seven incidents of anti-immigrant protests that have taken place in Northern Ireland since 2023.
Daniel Holder, the organisation’s director, said the latest unrest followed a “fairly familiar pattern”.
“What we noticed … is that they’re all being called and taking place in areas where there is significant loyalist activity,” and are featuring a “degree of paramilitary control”, he told Al Jazeera.
Holder also said such riots have mostly taken place during the summer, coinciding with the loyalist marching season, a tradition among Protestant and Loyalist communities that runs from Easter Monday to September.
He struck a note of caution over accounts suggesting the involvement of Catholic nationalists in the unionist stronghold of Ballymena and said the notion of a broader “coming together” of the two historic rivals was unlikely.
What are the main issues driving the unrest?
Immigration appears to be the main concern for protesters. Since 2015, more than 1,800 Syrian refugees have been settled in Northern Ireland via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, which was renamed the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (NIRRS) in 2020.
General immigration has been on the rise as well.
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member Paul Frew told the BBC that tensions over this have been rising for some time in Ballymena and people were “frightened about illegal immigration”.
Anger about austerity policies – and the retraction of welfare programmes – since the global financial crisis of 2008 has compounded concerns about immigration.
Grievances over poor housing conditions and housing shortages, in particular, have been used to scapegoat migrants and to favour a narrative of “mass uncontrolled migration that simply is not factually true”, Holder said.
The CAJ report, he said, found no clear correlation between the areas where violence has flared up in Northern Ireland since 2023 and poverty rates or high immigration rates.
“When you look at the pattern of where attacks are taking place, they’re not in the most deprived areas,” Holder said. “What this points to is that attacks involve particular far-right elements, including some elements of loyalist paramilitary organisations, rather than this being tied to either migration levels or deprivation.”
Does Northern Ireland have high rates of immigration?
Official figures from the Northern Ireland Assembly show that it is the least diverse part of the UK, with 3.4 percent of the population identifying as part of a minority ethnic group, compared with 18.3 percent in England and Wales and 12.9 percent in Scotland.
According to the most recent census data in 2021, immigration to Northern Ireland is relatively low, but it is rising. The percentage of the population born outside of the UK rose from 6.5 percent in 2011 to 8.6 percent in 2021.
How have Northern Irish leaders responded to the violence?
Some ministers have been accused of fanning the flames of unrest.
Several ministers condemned the violence in strong terms. First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the “racist and sectarian attacks on families” were “abhorrent and must stop immediately”.
Finance Minister John O’Dowd described the attackers as “racist thugs”, while Justice Minister Naomi Long said the violence was “completely unjustified and unjustifiable”. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, who leads the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said, “Hate-fuelled acts and mob rule do nothing but tear at the fabric of our society.”
On Thursday, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons rejected calls for him to resign over a social media post in which he revealed the location of the leisure centre in Larne that was later attacked.
Tyler Hoey, a Democratic Unionist Party councillor and local representative, condemned the violence but also accused the UK government of taking “busloads” of unvetted migrants to the area.
Sociologist John Nagle, who lectures at Queen’s University in Belfast, told Al Jazeera that several unionist politicians condemned the riots while repeating the unfounded claim that Ballymena had become “a dumping ground” for migrants.
“Although the government has quickly come out to denounce the protests, to some extent that has been caveated by some politicians who are trying to use this as a way to highlight their opposition towards migration and refugees,” Nagle said.
Are most people in Northern Ireland concerned about rising immigration?
Sociologist Ruth McAreavey, who lectures at Newcastle University, said general surveys show that Northern Ireland has become more welcoming towards migrants over time and less likely to want to see reduced levels of immigration.
The Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey found that 94 percent of respondents in 2024 said they would be willing to accept a person from a minority ethnic group in their area, compared with only 53 percent who said they would feel comfortable in 2005.
However, McAreavey said fast-paced demographic changes have taken place within a “socially conservative place” as it navigates global economic upheavals, including the decline of its predominantly industrial economy, most notably in the shipbuilding and textile sectors.
“There is a level of discontent that people are taking to the streets,” McAreavey said, adding that this was compounded by austerity measures that rolled back the welfare state.
‘Showboating’ Sam Thompson snaps after awkward Louis Tomlinson encounter
Sam Thompson appeared riled at a camera person after taking a break from training alongside Louis Tomlinson for their upcoming Soccer Aid match for Unicef
All eyes were on Sam Thompson and Louis Tomlinson as the duo joined up with the Soccer Aid crew ahead of this weekend’s charity event. And despite the duo seeming to be amicable, Sam was left less than impressed during an interview.
Former One Direction man Louis, 33, is currently dating 32-year-old Sam’s ex, Zara McDermott. Fans were eager to see how the pair would greet each other for the first time since Louis and Zara’s relationship news.
And it appears as though the awkward meeting brought two differing approaches as they mingled with teammates. However, Sam’s off-field actions showed tension could be in the air.
As Sam was being interviewed by the Daily Mail, cameras panned over his shoulder to show Louis continuing with the training session. Sam is heard telling the team: “You’re going over my shoulder. I’m over here.”
Sounding riled, Sam continued: “Stop going over there, what are you doing. I’m over here. It’s fine, okay, cool, well you’re just going to get my voice and the lads training.”
Article continues below
It comes after a body language expert said their apparent efforts to avoid eye contact only acted as an “attention-magnet”.
Speaking to Mail Online, Judi James claimed Sam’s actions made him look like he was trying to be seen as “anything but a loser in love” as he played alongside his exes new man. Louis on the other hand appeared to be more “introverted” during the interaction, observed Judi.
Judi said: “There probably was scope for these two guys to connect with a hug or a handshake, no matter how cursory, but they chose to perform a non-verbal ‘ignore’ of the situation, with Sam being Zara’s ex while Louis is very much her current”
She added that while both appeared to show off “good guy” vibes, Sam is clearly the one who is in more of an attention-seeking mode. “‘They each appear to have adopted contrasting states,” she explained.
“Sam’s body language puts him in an attention-seeking mode, showboating with a wide smile and animated gesticulation, while Louis appears more introvert, watching the action with a grin rather than instigating it himself.”
The expert claimed Sam was trying to suggest he has clearly moved on from his past after spending five years with Zara, 28. She also said the interaction appeared to show “no outward sign of anything competitive or of open resentment” between the pair.
Zara and Sam shocked their followers by announcing their split in January. Shortly after, the former Love Island star was heavily linked with the pop star. It first emerged that they enjoyed a romantic dinner at a hotel before snaps of them holding hands emerged on the internet.
Following the speculation, Sam revealed an interview question that drew attention to his looming interaction with Louis. He said: “At the end of the interview, he goes, ‘Look mate, I’ve got to ask the question that everyone wants to know. This is sort of the big question really, the elephant in the room, What’s it going to be like with you and Louis? Obviously he’s doing Soccer Aid too.'”.
Article continues below
Sam opened up on the questioning and laughed: “Mate, you should have seen the room, everybody, it was silent then everyone goes ‘Woah, Woah Woah, end the call! End the call!’ and I have just gone ‘No, no guys, I’ve got this, I’ve got this.’ I held my hands up to say just relax.”
How US politicians responded to Israel’s attacks on Iran
Washington, DC – Less than three hours before Israel launched its first wave of strikes against Iran, United States President Donald Trump reiterated that the United States was committed to further diplomacy with Tehran.
The Israeli attacks early on Friday have put those negotiations in jeopardy and raised the risk of an all-out conflict in the Middle East that may involve the US.
Israel’s strikes came as polar opposites on the right and left ideological spectrum of US politics have urged Trump to resist being dragged by Israel into a war with Iran.
But support for Israel in the US political establishment remains formidable despite the cracks that have been showing in recent years, both in public opinion and among politicians.
So as the bombs fell on Tehran and other Iranian cities, many American politicians rushed to send “prayers” for Israel, while others expressed concern – if not outright rejection – over the escalation.
Here’s how US politicians responded to the events.
Trump administration says US ‘not involved’
The Trump administration was quick to distance itself from Israel’s attacks, while also warning Iran not to retaliate against US interests in the region.
“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
“Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” Rubio said.
Trump later reiterated Rubio’s message, telling Fox News that the US is “hoping to get back to the negotiating table” with Iran.
But it is highly unlikely that diplomacy between Washington and Tehran will continue – at least in the near future.
Early reports from Iran indicate that Tehran will not attend the sixth round of nuclear negotiations with the US that are scheduled to take place in Oman on Sunday.
Republicans pray for Israel
Numerous members of Trump’s Republican Party in Congress were quick to voice support for Israel, with many calling for prayers for the US allies, although it was Israel that initiated the attack on Iran.
At least three lawmakers – Katie Britt, Rick Scott and Gary Palmer – used the exact words “Please join me in praying for Israel” in their statements.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also showed unflinching support for Israel.
“Israel IS right – and has a right – to defend itself!” Johnson wrote in a social media post featuring the Israeli flag.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s defence of Israel was slightly less effusive, as he focused his statement on US interests.
“The United States Senate stands ready to work with President Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas,” Thune wrote in a social media post.
“Iran should heavily consider the consequences before considering any action against Americans in the region.”
Please join me in praying for Israel.
Hawkish Republican Senator Lindsey Graham – a Trump ally – was among the first lawmakers to comment on the strikes.
“Game on. Pray for Israel,” he wrote in a social media post.
Despite assertions by some critics that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the bombing of Iran to sabotage Trump’s diplomacy with Tehran, most of the US president’s political party has come out in favour of the strikes.
Progressive Democrats slam Israel
Several Democrats criticised the strikes outright, stressing that war with Iran would not serve US interests.
Senator Chris Murphy said the Israeli strikes are “clearly intended to scuttle” the Trump administration’s diplomacy with Iran.
“This is a disaster of Trump and Netanyahu’s own making, and now the region risks spiralling toward a new, deadly conflict,” Murphy said in a statement.
“A war between Israel and Iran may be good for Netanyahu’s domestic politics, but it will likely be disastrous for both the security of Israel, the United States, and the rest of the region.”
He added that the US has “no obligation” to follow Israel into a war with Iran.
Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, also called on Trump to push for de-escalation.
“Israel’s alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence,” Reed said in a statement.
“I urge both nations to show immediate restraint, and I call on President Trump and our international partners to press for diplomatic de-escalation before this crisis spirals further out of control.”
Congressman Joaquin Castro noted that US officials were set to hold talks with Iran on Sunday.
“This attack by Netanyahu is pure sabotage,” Castro said in a social media post.
“What does ‘America First’ even mean if Trump allows Netanyahu to drag the country into a war Americans don’t want?”
Hawkish Democrats back Israel
The Israeli strikes have also highlighted the split within the Democratic Party on Israel, as some lawmakers voiced unreserved backing for the US ally despite criticism by their colleagues.
Congressman Ritchie Torress claimed that Israel – which has its own undeclared nuclear arsenal and is accused by UN experts and major rights groups of carrying out a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza – is “defending itself”.
Senator John Fetterman rejoiced in the assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Hossein Salami.
He wrote, “thank u, next” in response to the news.
thank u, next https://t.co/pKBZl12fHy
Although US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard said earlier this year that Washington “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon”, several lawmakers portrayed the Israeli attacks as an effort to stop Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb.
“America and the World will never be safe with a nuclear-capable Iran which would bring an existential threat to Israel and constant instability to the region,” Congressman George Latimer said.
Sabrina Carpenter faces furious backlash as fans say raunchy album cover is ‘too far’
Sabrina Carpenter has angered fans after she released her new album cover art for her upcoming album Man’s Best Friend, as many are left shocked by her new submissive image
Sabrina Carpenter’s new album cover art for her upcoming project Man’s Best Friend has left fans confused at the “submissive” message it implied. Whilst the star is widely known to have a sarcastic sense of humour and sexual innuendos – shown on-stage during her X-rated 2025 BRIT Awards performance – but the album’s cover art has left many fans asking if she’s gone too far.
Sabrina is portrayed as a submissive woman on the cover and is shown crawling on hands and knees as a male figure grabs her infamous locks.
The artwork sparked a wave of backlash as many fans took to TikTok to vent about the “uncomfortable” nature of the former Disney star’s image, questioning why female popstars are pushing a hyper-sexualised narrative.
READ MORE: Sabrina Carpenter in savage dig at ex Barry Keoghan as fans come to same conclusion
One Sabrina fan has gained over 500,000 views on TikTok for questioning Sabrina’s posing in the album artwork. They reference Sydney Sweeney, who was recently embroiled in a bathwater scandal, where the Hollywood actress posed in a bathtub to advertise her new product – a bar of soap that contained drops of her bathwater.
The creator @ddiva444 said: “Seeing this alongside the Sydney Sweeney stuff and Bonnie Blue’s petting zoo, I just really have to question what on earth is going on at the moment?”
Article continues below
Admitting to being a fan of Carpenter’s music, she shared how she loved Sabrina’s previous album, Short n’ Sweet, because songs like Please, Please, Please and Espresso “poked fun at a lot of the stuff that women experience.”
“But this? Like literally being on your hands and knees, a man holding you by your hair and titling your album Man’s Best Friend… I’m just not sure what to think of it,” the creator said.
Left with a bitter taste from the image, she went on: “I just don’t think this is a good image that we should be preaching”. Receiving 51,000 likes, other users ran to the comments to share their comments in agreement, with one writing: “FINALLY people are talking about this. Her rebrand hypersexualising herself for the male gaze is setting us so far back.”
Another wrote: “It’s so regressive and lowkey degrading, definitely promotes the wrong idea to the wrong people”.
Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We’d love to hear from you!
Interestingly, a third user wrote: “I’m so sick of white, rich women exploiting the concept of choice feminism – whether it’s her, Sydney Sydney Sweeney, Bonnie Blue – they have created this really disgusting and damaging narrative. Women sexuality being presented isn’t negative but they monopolise the male gaze because they are capitalists and ‘sex sells’ but its so disgusting”.
Their strong statement ended by insisting, “women are not objects and their world doesn’t revolve [around] men’s pleasure but that’s the message these women spread”.
Article continues below
A fourth user suggested the singer “acts like she’s poking fun but, at the same time, she’s pandering to those toxic norms”. The 26-year-old pop singer is yet to comment on the unhappy reception of Man’s Best Friend.