Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig reports from Aleppo on how the rebel offensive and regime instability led to the historical city’s fall, marking a major turning point in Syria’s 14-year war. He highlighted the massive destruction, displacement, and the billions needed for reconstruction as the government seeks international support.
Tim Westwood has arrived at court after being charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. The former BBC Radio 1 broadcaster was at Southwark Crown Court, just weeks after he was granted conditional bail on November 10.
The 68-year-old appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last month and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address. He is accused of offences against seven different women, some of whom were aged 17 at the time.
Westwood was charged in October this year with four counts of rape, nine counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault. The alleged incidents are believed to have taken place between 1993 and 2016. Westwood denies all allegations made against him. He previously said: “It’s all false allegations.”
Police have previously said that Westwood allegedly indecently assaulted a 17-year-old girl in Fulham, west London, in 1983. He also faces allegations of indecently assaulting a woman in her 20s in the Vauxhall area of London in 1986.
He’s also accused of raping and indecently assaulting a woman, aged between 17 and 18, between 1995 and 1996 in London. Westwood, who lives in Westminster, is also accused of raping and indecently assaulting a woman between the ages of 17 and 18 between 2000 and 2001 in London.
He faces a further accusation of sexually assaulting another woman, aged in her 20s, in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 2010. He also faces an allegation of assaulting a woman, believed to be in her 20s, in the Finchley area of London in 2016.
Andy Furphy, Detective Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police, said: “It takes courage to come forward and report allegations of this nature.
“The women who have done so have put their trust in us and we continue to provide them with all available support. Our investigation remains open and we’d encourage anyone who has been impacted by this case or anyone with information to come forward and speak with us.”
Westwood stepped down from his programme on Capital Xtra in April 2022. He also left Radio 1 and Radio 1 Xtra in 2013 – almost two decades after he joined the BBC.
He also presented the MTV UK programme, Pimp My Ride UK, which aired for three seasons between 2005 and 2007.
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Neymar is set to have knee surgery after playing in pain to help boyhood club Santos avoid relegation from Brazil’s Serie A.
The 33-year-old played the full 90 minutes as Santos claimed a 3-0 win over Cruzeiro on Sunday to avoid an immediate return to the second tier after promotion last season.
He did not give any any details on his expected recovery, adding: “I need to rest and then I will have this knee surgery.”
Neymar returned to Brazil in January after making just seven appearances over 18 months for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal.
He has played a crucial role in Santos’ survival by scoring five goals in their last four matches of the season.
“I came for this, to try to help in the best way I can,” said Neymar. “These have been tough weeks for me.
“I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have played these matches because of this knee problem.”
Injuries have limited Brazil’s all-time top scorer, who has netted 79 goals in 128 appearances, from featuring for the national side since a defeat by Uruguay in October 2023.
Neymar is set to have knee surgery after playing in pain to help boyhood club Santos avoid relegation from Brazil’s Serie A.
The 33-year-old played the full 90 minutes as Santos claimed a 3-0 win over Cruzeiro on Sunday to avoid an immediate return to the second tier after promotion last season.
He did not give any any details on his expected recovery, adding: “I need to rest and then I will have this knee surgery.”
Neymar returned to Brazil in January after making just seven appearances over 18 months for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal.
He has played a crucial role in Santos’ survival by scoring five goals in their last four matches of the season.
“I came for this, to try to help in the best way I can,” said Neymar. “These have been tough weeks for me.
“I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have played these matches because of this knee problem.”
Injuries have limited Brazil’s all-time top scorer, who has netted 79 goals in 128 appearances, from featuring for the national side since a defeat by Uruguay in October 2023.
Two weeks ago Neymar’s hopes of having one last crack at the World Cup looked like a forlorn dream.
The return to Santos had emphatically not lived up to expectations and the serious knee injury he suffered playing for Brazil in October 2023 was taking its toll.
Neymar spent the year repeatedly breaking down with niggling injuries. Unable to build up any rhythm, he looked a shadow of his former self; he could still strike a dead ball or see a pass, but he was unable to get away from his marker and glide past defenders.
Santos were deep in relegation trouble, and Neymar cut a frustrated, petulant figure, at war with everyone around him – opponents, referees, even his own team-mates.
His name would come up in every Brazil news conference – but this was a bomb that coach Carlo Ancelotti found easy to defuse, using general statements about the need to take only fully fit players to the USA.
The past 10 days might have saved Neymar’s World Cup. They have certainly shaken things up.
It looked as if his year might be over. He needs a minor knee operation. But, heavily strapped up, he took to the field and was the driving force behind three consecutive wins that carried Santos to safety- and even in to next year’s version of the Europa League equivalent.
There was a goal and an assist in the 3-0 win over Sport, a hat-trick in the 3-0 win away to Juventude, and no goals but a fine contribution in the clinching 3-0 win over Cruzeiro. Neymar had saved the best of the season until last.
A huge ‘but’ applies here. The fixture list could not have been easier. Sport and Juventude had already been relegated. Cruzeiro, in midweek cup semi-final action, fielded the reserves. These games have next to nothing to do with the World Cup.
But they have changed the scenario. Had Santos gone down, things looked bleak. Playing himself into the Brazil squad would have been impossible from the second division, and options of finding another club would have been limited.
Now, this changes. It is not certain that he will stay at Santos. His contract runs out at the end of the month, and many at the club are concerned that they cannot afford him. The probability now is that he will stay, for six months at least – and if not, the past few days have surely proved enough for another Brazilian club to offer him a short-term deal.
And with the first division kicking off at the end of January – two months earlier than usual – if he can come back flying from minor knee surgery then he has enough time to put himself in the conversation.
Neymar is set to have knee surgery after playing in pain to help boyhood club Santos avoid relegation from Brazil’s Serie A.
The 33-year-old played the full 90 minutes as Santos claimed a 3-0 win over Cruzeiro on Sunday to avoid an immediate return to the second tier after promotion last season.
He did not give any any details on his expected recovery, adding: “I need to rest and then I will have this knee surgery.”
Neymar returned to Brazil in January after making just seven appearances over 18 months for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal.
He has played a crucial role in Santos’ survival by scoring five goals in their last four matches of the season.
“I came for this, to try to help in the best way I can,” said Neymar. “These have been tough weeks for me.
“I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have played these matches because of this knee problem.”
Injuries have limited Brazil’s all-time top scorer, who has netted 79 goals in 128 appearances, from featuring for the national side since a defeat by Uruguay in October 2023.
Two weeks ago Neymar’s hopes of having one last crack at the World Cup looked like a forlorn dream.
The return to Santos had emphatically not lived up to expectations and the serious knee injury he suffered playing for Brazil in October 2023 was taking its toll.
Neymar spent the year repeatedly breaking down with niggling injuries. Unable to build up any rhythm, he looked a shadow of his former self; he could still strike a dead ball or see a pass, but he was unable to get away from his marker and glide past defenders.
Santos were deep in relegation trouble, and Neymar cut a frustrated, petulant figure, at war with everyone around him – opponents, referees, even his own team-mates.
His name would come up in every Brazil news conference – but this was a bomb that coach Carlo Ancelotti found easy to defuse, using general statements about the need to take only fully fit players to the USA.
The past 10 days might have saved Neymar’s World Cup. They have certainly shaken things up.
It looked as if his year might be over. He needs a minor knee operation. But, heavily strapped up, he took to the field and was the driving force behind three consecutive wins that carried Santos to safety- and even in to next year’s version of the Europa League equivalent.
There was a goal and an assist in the 3-0 win over Sport, a hat-trick in the 3-0 win away to Juventude, and no goals but a fine contribution in the clinching 3-0 win over Cruzeiro. Neymar had saved the best of the season until last.
A huge ‘but’ applies here. The fixture list could not have been easier. Sport and Juventude had already been relegated. Cruzeiro, in midweek cup semi-final action, fielded the reserves. These games have next to nothing to do with the World Cup.
But they have changed the scenario. Had Santos gone down, things looked bleak. Playing himself into the Brazil squad would have been impossible from the second division, and options of finding another club would have been limited.
Now, this changes. It is not certain that he will stay at Santos. His contract runs out at the end of the month, and many at the club are concerned that they cannot afford him. The probability now is that he will stay, for six months at least – and if not, the past few days have surely proved enough for another Brazilian club to offer him a short-term deal.
And with the first division kicking off at the end of January – two months earlier than usual – if he can come back flying from minor knee surgery then he has enough time to put himself in the conversation.
Liverpool’s Jazza Dickens said he has been upgraded to WBA super-featherweight champion after Lamont Roach was stripped of the title.
American Roach was crowned champion in 2023 and defended once the following year but his last two fights, which have both ended in majority draws, have taken place at lightweight and light-welterweight respectively.
Dickens, 34, last fought in July, stopping Russia’s Albert Batyrgaziev in round four to win the WBA interim belt.
“A lifetime of hard work is starting to pay off. Huge thanks to all the people who’ve put me in this position,” Dickens told BBC Sport.
BBC Sport has contacted the WBA for confirmation.
He is scheduled to face undefeated Japanese super-featherweight Hayato Tsutsumi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 27 December.
Dickens has won 36 of his 41 fights, with 15 of those victories coming inside the distance, and two of his five defeats have come at world level.
In 2016, Dickens lost to WBA super-bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, of Cuba, and he also came up short against compatriot Kid Galahad for the IBF featherweight title in 2021.
