Former Australia manager Graham Arnold has been confirmed as the new head coach of Iraq by the country’s football federation ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifiers against South Korea and Jordan.
Arnold’s appointment was announced on social media by the Iraq Football Association, which published photographs of the 61-year-old being welcomed in Baghdad by officials from the national body.
“We are delighted to announce Graham Arnold as the new head coach of the Iraq national team,” the federation said in a post on Instagram. “Welcome to the Lions of Mesopotamia!”
Arnold replaces Jesus Casas at the helm after the Spaniard’s departure in the wake of a 2-1 loss to Palestine in March during the third round of Asia’s qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
That result left the Iraqis in third place in the standings in Group B, four points adrift of leaders South Korea and one behind the Jordanians.
Welcome to Baghdad ✔️
Our new Australian head coach Graham Arnold has arrived in the Iraqi capital! 🛬 pic.twitter.com/AH1IybroHv
The top two finishers in each of Asia’s three qualifying groups advance automatically to the World Cup, while the teams in third and fourth place progress to another round of preliminaries.
Arnold’s first game in charge will be in Basra on June 5 against the South Koreans before he takes his new team to Amman to face Jordan five days later. Iraq are attempting to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
The appointment sees Arnold return to international management more than seven months after standing down as Australia’s head coach.
Arnold, who led the Australians to the knockout rounds of the 2022 World Cup during a six-year spell in charge, quit after an uninspired start to the current phase of qualifying when his side lost to Bahrain and drew with Indonesia in September.
Islamabad, Pakistan – India and Pakistan fired missiles at each other’s military bases on Saturday morning, the latest escalation in their rapid drift towards an all-out war.
Pakistan accused India of carrying out attacks inside its territory for the fourth consecutive night, launching ballistic missile strikes on at least three air bases. Islamabad said that in response, it launched a major military campaign, “Operation Bunyan Marsoos” (Arabic for “a structure made of lead”) targeting at least six Indian military bases.
India, in turn, accused Pakistan of being the aggressor. Indian military officials claimed Pakistan had targeted several Indian military bases and that its missiles into Pakistani territory were in response.
Yet, regardless of who hit the other first on May 10, the very fact that India and Pakistan had struck each other’s military bases over such a wide swath of territory, well beyond Kashmir – the disputed region that they each partly control – means that the conflict has now veered into almost unknown territory.
Never have the South Asian rivals attacked each other on this scale outside the four wars they have fought.
Here is what we know so far about India’s attacks, Pakistan’s response, what both countries and global powers like the United States are saying, and the background to this intensifying conflict.
(Al Jazeera)
What happened on the morning of May 10, according to Pakistan?
Pakistan said that India launched a salvo of drones into Pakistan, followed by ballistic missile strikes on at least three major airbases.
The Pakistani bases India targeted are:
Nur Khan airbase: Located near Chaklala, Rawalpindi, it serves as a key operational and training hub. It houses important Pakistan Air Force commands, and supports transport, logistics and VIP flight operations.
Murid airbase: Located in Chakwal, roughly 120km (75 miles) from Islamabad. It is a vital forward-operating base for the Pakistan Air Force. It plays a crucial role in air defence and combat readiness.
Rafiqui airbase: Located in Shorkot, Punjab, the base hosts fighter squadrons.
Pakistan said that in response, it launched aerial attacks against multiple Indian military bases. The bases known to have been targeted are:
Udhampur airbase: Located in Indian-administered Kashmir, Udhampur is also the headquarters of the Indian Army’s Northern Command.
Pathankot airbase: The base in Indian Punjab is a central part of India’s frontline air force operations and was targeted by armed fighters in a 2016 attack in which six Indian soldiers were killed. India blamed that attack on the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Drangyari artillery gun position: Drangyari is in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Uri field support depot: Uri, in Indian-administered Kashmir, is also home to a major Indian Army base that was attacked in 2016 by armed fighters who killed 19 Indian soldiers. India, which blamed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad for the attack, launched what it described as “surgical strikes” in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Nagrota: The town in Indian-administered Kashmir is home to a storage site for the Brahmos missiles jointly designed and made by India and Russia.
Beas: Located in Indian Punjab, the site is a storage facility for the Brahmos missile.
Adampur air base: Located in Indian Punjab, the base is home to an S-400 missile defence system that India bought from Russia.
Bhuj air base: The base is located in Gujarat, the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
What has India said?
At a media briefing, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri accused Pakistan of provocations and escalations, claiming that New Delhi was only responding to its neighbour’s actions.
He was joined by Colonel Sofia Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, who shared New Delhi’s version of events.
Pakistan, Qureshi said, used “drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions and fighter aircrafts to target civilian areas and military infrastructure”.
“Pakistan military also resorted to air intrusions using drones and firing of heavy calibre weapons along the Line of Control,” she said. Loitering munitions, also known as suicide drones, are remote-controlled and designed to crash into their targets. The Line of Control is the de facto border between Indian and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
While India said it had shot down most incoming missiles and drones, Qureshi and Singh conceded that the air force bases in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj did suffer “limited damage”.
India, however, rejected suggestions that any bases had suffered any significant damage, with the military releasing time-stamped photos of the facilities in support of its assertion. Pakistan’s military had on Thursday claimed that the Udhampur and Pathankot bases had been “destroyed.”
Indian officials said at least five people had been killed by Pakistani missile fire on Saturday.
What else happened on May 10?
As the neighbours traded missile fire and allegations, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with General Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief and widely regarded as the country’s most powerful figure, as well as with the Indian foreign minister, S Jaishankar.
According to the US State Department, Rubio urged both parties to seek ways to “deescalate” and offered American assistance in launching constructive dialogue to avoid further conflict.
How did India and Pakistan get to the brink of war?
Pakistan’s military response on Thursday followed four days of consecutive Indian attacks inside its territory and came two weeks after a deadly assault on tourists in the scenic town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.
The attack killed 26 men, all civilians. India blamed armed groups it alleges are backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad has denied, calling instead for an “impartial, transparent” investigation that New Delhi has rejected.
Multiple witness accounts suggest the gunmen segregated the men from the women, then selected and killed non-Muslims.
India initiated strikes on May 7, targeting areas inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. It claimed to have destroyed “terrorist infrastructure” and eliminated at least “100 terrorists”.
It called its attacks Operation Sindoor, a reference to the vermilion – sindoor in Hindi – the red pigment many married Hindu women apply to their foreheads. The mission’s name was an allusion to the manner in which gunmen killed tourists in Pahalgam.
Pakistan reported that the Indian strikes killed 33 people, including several children, and injured more than 50. It denied that any of the dead were fighters, as India claimed.
As the attacks unfolded, Pakistan deployed its air force in response, engaging in a battle with the Indian Air Force (IAF). Pakistan’s military claimed it downed five Indian jets, including three Rafales, the French-made aircraft considered the IAF’s most advanced assets. India has neither confirmed nor denied the losses.
Drone warfare intensifies
India responded by deploying drones and loitering munitions on May 9 and 10, hitting at least a dozen targets across Pakistan, including major urban centres such as Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
India said the drone strikes were in response to Pakistan’s use of drones, a claim Islamabad continues to reject.
“There is no credence to their claims. They continue to lie. Their allegation is false. Otherwise, where is their evidence?” Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Pakistan’s military spokesperson, told Al Jazeera during a news briefing in Rawalpindi on Friday.
He added that Pakistan’s response to “Indian aggression” would come at a “time, method, and place of our choosing”.
That time came on the morning of May 10.
What does Operation Bunyan Marsoos mean?
Pakistan’s operation is titled Bunyan Marsoos, an Arabic phrase that translates as “a structure made of lead”.
The phrase originates from the Quran: “Truly God loves those who fight in His cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.”
In its Quranic context, the phrase symbolises unity and strength among believers fighting for a righteous cause.
What comes next?
Experts have repeatedly warned of the need for immediate de-escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours before the situation becomes “irreversible”.
India said on May 10 that it was willing to stop the cycle of escalation if Pakistan reciprocated.
But Kamran Bokhari, senior director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, said Indian strikes on Pakistani airbases had dramatically escalated the conflict.
“With Pindi being hit and other airbases such as the one in Sargodha, the war has taken a turn for the worse,” he told Al Jazeera. “We are now looking at a much bigger-scale war.”
Muhammad Faisal, a South Asia security analyst at the University of Technology Sydney, said Pakistan was left with little choice but to respond forcefully.
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Retinol capsules that leave ‘skin looking younger’ hailed for results ‘in a day’(Image: Getty)
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These RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Night Serum Capsules comes with 30 doses(Image: RoC)
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kebbi State is facing a major political setback as three of its prominent lawmakers, considered key powerbrokers within the party, officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The development follows last week’s stakeholders’ meeting in Birnin Kebbi, where Governor Nasir Idris hinted that the senators would soon be joining the APC. While many of their supporters had already defected during the governor’s local government tour last year, the senators remained silent until now.
Their defection comes at a critical time for the PDP, as the party prepares for its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for May 27, 2025.
The three senators, Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) announced their defection after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. They were led to the meeting by APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
Also present at the meeting were Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris, Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu, and Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu.
Their defection is seen as a significant boost to the APC’s political strength in Kebbi and at the national level, especially ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The latest blow further weakens the PDP’s already fragile structure in Kebbi. Recently, the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Sani Dododo, publicly accused the senators of deceiving party faithful and holding back their defection to cause maximum damage.
In response to the growing crisis, an extraordinary meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum has been scheduled, the first of its kind, as such meetings are usually reserved for current governors.
The agenda, sources say, includes building consensus ahead of the party’s national convention and discussions around the zoning of national party offices.
READ ALSO: PDP Lawmaker Defects To APC
Meanwhile, debate continues over who will emerge as the new face of the opposition in Kebbi.
Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, has recently distanced himself from the APC, publicly withdrawing his support from the CPC bloc aligned with President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Broadcasting star Valerie Singleton hosted iconic TV programme Blue Peter for a decade back in the 1960s before going on to present The Money Programme and BBC Radio 4 show PM
Blue Peter icon Valerie Singleton has opened up about her topless mishap(Image: PA)
A Blue Peter legend was caught sunbathing topless by hot air balloon passengers, the TV star revealed. Valerie Singleton is best known for her time presenting the children’s TV programme but has now opened up about her funny moment years on.
Valerie has revealed her anecdote about how she was caught sunbathing topless by passengers of a hot air balloon. She explained that she was left embarrassed when she was simply relaxing on her balcony at home – and spotted a hot air balloon full of people nearby. Forgetting she had no clothes on, Valerie stood up to wave at those travelling in the hot air balloon. However, seconds later she realised that she was topless for all to see and ran to grab a towel to cover her modesty.
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Valerie worked on Blue Peter for ten years(Image: Getty Images)
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, she explained that she used to put plants around her so she could sunbathe naked at her home near Sherborne, Dorset without being spotted by any of her neighbours. Valerie told listeners of the radio show: “I was sitting on my balcony and I had window boxes all around so I could sunbathe topless without all my neighbours seeing me.
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88-year-old Valerie is best known for hosting Blue Peter between 1962 to 1972 before going onto to present The Money Programme and BBC Radio 4 show PM. She never got married but was involved in a relationship with Albert Finney and has an affair with Blue Peter co-star Peter Purves while he was married.
Peter and Valerie had an affair(Image: Getty Images)
Valerie revealed almost 20 years ago that they had slept together, saying: “It was one of those impulsive, enjoyable experiences – but more a friendship thing than anything else. Sleeping with people you work with is generally not advisable, so we didn’t want to pursue it. There was always an unspoken acknowledgement that something rather nice had happened.”
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While Peter recently opened up to The Telegraph about the drunken fling saying: “I am not being shy, but I feel it is disrespectful to go into this. I loved the 60s, the world seemed to be a much freer place. It was a time of great music, peace, and fantastic clothes which went on into the 70s and 80s – and I had a great time. I would only apologise if I ever offended anyone, but I hope I didn’t.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board has postponed its Pakistan Super League T20 cricket tournament following rising military tensions between India and Pakistan.
The PCB said it acted on advice from Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“Cricket, while being a unifying force and a source of joy, must take a respectful pause,” the PCB said in a statement on Friday evening.
The PCB had earlier confirmed that it would relocate the eight remaining PSL matches to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, citing growing concerns among overseas players and the need to prioritise their safety.
The latest announcement, however, said the PSL was being postponed and gave no indication of whether this year’s edition would resume.
The cities of Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore had been scheduled to host the remaining PSL games.
On Thursday, an Indian drone fell inside the complex of the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium hours before the start of a PSL game in which several cricketers from New Zealand, Australia, the West Indies, South Africa and England were due to compete.
Residents gather outside the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium after a drone strike, allegedly by India, on Thursday [Sohail Shahzad/EPA]
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the interior minister in the Pakistan government, held meetings with foreign cricketers and six franchise owners of the PSL before initially saying the tournament was being moved to Dubai.
England cricketer Sam Billings, New Zealand’s Colin Munro, South African Rilee Rossouw and Jason Holder of the West Indies were among 43 foreign cricketers competing in the PSL.
“We have sincere regard for the mental well-being of participating players and the sentiments of our foreign players, and we respect the concerns of their families who want to see them back home,” the PCB statement said.
The PSL, in its 10th edition, started in the UAE in 2016. The UAE hosted the first two editions of the PSL, except for the final in 2017, and also some of the games in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Munro’s Islamabad United are the defending champions in the six-team league. Rossouw’s Quetta Gladiators lead the points table and have already qualified for the playoff stage while Multan Sultans, led by Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, were eliminated after losing eight of their nine league games.
The three other teams are Peshawar Zalmi, captained by Babar Azam; Karachi Kings, skippered by Australian David Warner and Lahore Qalandars.
