Officials in Britain claim that they are putting more pressure on asylum seekers, including removing refugees’ permanent residency in the UK. The overhaul comes as polls reveal growing immigration concerns, according to Rory Challands of Al Jazeera.
Published On 17 Nov 2025
England will beat Australia “quite comfortably” in the Ashes if captain Ben Stokes is fit enough to play all five Tests, says former batter Mark Ramprakash.
The series begins on Friday in Perth with England looking to win the urn down under for the first time since 2010-11.
Stokes has recovered from a shoulder issue to play but has missed matches in each of England’s past three series because of injuries.
Ramprakash, who also worked with Stokes during his time as England batting coach, pointed to the all-rounder’s ability to balance the side but also his leadership.
“He seems to really connect with his team-mates,” Ramprakash told BBC Radio 5 Live’s on their Ashes preview show.
“He knows how difficult it is to be an international cricketer.
“He gives them his full backing and has great empathy to understand the ups and downs.”
Stokes’ most recent injury ruled him out of the fifth Test against India in the summer, which the tourists won to draw the series 2-2.
He also missed a Test in Pakistan last winter after tearing his hamstring in the summer and limped out of a match in New Zealand in December having repeated the injury.
“If he is not in the middle to make those decisions, to know when to back his bowlers, when to attack, that is a massive vacuum,” Ramprakash said.
Stokes has been the focus of the hostilities from the Australian media since arriving in Perth, with one local paper describing him as “England’s Cocky Captain Complainer”.
Stokes and some other England players were also pictured on the golf course on Monday – an apparent attempt to question the side’s preparations.
Stokes’ county coach, Western Australian Ryan Campbell, criticised the headlines and questioned the logic in targeting Stokes before the series.
“I got a bit shirty about it,” Durham coach Campbell said. “I want WA to put on a good show. I don’t want that stuff.
“Everyone wants to say something smart. A lot of it you have to take with a pinch of salt.
“There is two blokes I wouldn’t have a crack at – that is Ben Stokes and Joe Root.
“They are the calmest and take it on board to give back in spades. Pick your targets a bit better.”
Stokes has already produced a number of famous Ashes moments, starting with a century in his second Test against Australia in Perth during the 2013-14 tour.
The most famous was his extraordinary match-winning century at Headingley in 2019 and spinner Jack Leach – his final batting partner that day – said he was inspired by Australia’s aggression during that knock.
“[David] Warner had been going at him,” Leach said.
“He said [at the end of day three] ‘I am not walking off that pitch until we have won the game’ and was really fired up. Obviously he ended up doing it.”
Leach added: “[Root] does it in a quieter way. He is, deep down, pretty motivated for this.
The deserted hostel where 25 schoolgirls were abducted as a result of a deadly attack on a Kebbi secondary school has now been captured in photos.
The chaos left behind after gunmen stormed the dormitory on Sunday night is captured in the images of the now-quiet building, which show scattered belongings and empty bunk beds.
Witnesses claimed that the attackers lacked standing and panicked the neighborhood.
CSP Nafiu Abubakar, a spokesman for the police, noted that Makuku was shot while attempting to protect the girls and that he was abducted and killed.
Read more about Bandits abduct 25 schoolgirls and murder the vice principal in a vicious attack on a Kebbi school.
He claimed that vigilantes, soldiers, and police tactical units have been deployed and are now searching nearby forests for students.
Ahmed Idris, governor’s chief press secretary, claimed that Umar Tafida, Deputy Governor, had been dispatched to assess the situation on the governor’s behalf.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris issued a directive to security agencies to locate and rescue the girls safely, along with the Federal Government’s condemnation of the attack. Residents and parents are concerned as the search continues.
Boxing expert Steve Bunce says Anthony Joshua was given an “offer he simply couldn’t refuse” to fight Jake Paul.
Britain’s Joshua, the former two-time unified heavyweight champion, will take on YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul at Kaseya Center in Miami on 19 December.
The fight will consist of eight three-minute rounds and both fighters will wear regulation 10-ounce gloves.
Joshua, 36, weighed more than 250lbs during his previous three fights but must come in at under 245lbs for the bout.
Bunce said that the fight is “ridiculous” and 28-year-old American Paul is nothing more than a “novice”, but added he can understand the financial appeal for Joshua who is reportedly set to earn £36.9m ($50m).
“Last November Jake Paul fought Mike Tyson and nearly broke the world,” Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“They had something ridiculous like 300 million people watching on different channels and were paid something along those lines in dollars as well.
“And that’s the reason this fight is happening, let’s get it right. AJ has been made an offer he simply couldn’t refuse and he’s accepted.
“I would not deny a single man or woman that boxes professionally a pound note, penny, a cent, a dime, the money for any fight.
“If AJ is being paid as handsomely as we’re told, bear in mind he does a lot of work for the community with his foundation, if it spreads the love around and absolutely loads up his pockets, I’ve no problem with it.”
Bunce said Joshua is “still in talks” over fighting fellow Briton Tyson Fury and the fight against Paul will be “one of the final paydays” for the fighter despite an obvious mismatch.
“AJ will be at least six inches taller and he will be perhaps four stone heavier. He’s an Olympic champion remember – we overlook that fact,” Bunce explained.
“Jake Paul is a terrific novice. He’s a great novice in a weight division below – cruiserweight – and that’s what he is: a novice. But he’s a novice who conjures up these ridiculous fights.”
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions and Paul’s manager, said he had no concerns about the fight on safety grounds.
“I don’t think it’s reckless in any way shape or form,” he told BBC Sport.
“Jake’s in a much better position than a lot of fights which happen in boxing on a regular basis. I think he has a great shot.
“AJ is big, strong, but slower. He’s more vulnerable to Jake’s movement. In my mind this is more sanctionable than many fights in the sport of boxing.”
However, former British middleweight Nick Blackwell – who had to retire from boxing after he sustained a brain injury against Chris Eubank Jr in 2016 – said he does not agree with the fight going ahead as he feels it is “so dangerous”.
He told BBC Newsbeat he does not “want anyone to go through what I’ve been through” and thinks Joshua will be “able to do what he wants”.
Despite his personal objection, he understands the global appeal the fight will have.
“He’s going to earn a lot of money out of it and everyone’s going to want to watch it,” he added.
Bunce acknowledged there is a recent history of fights of this nature and cited UFC champion Francis Ngannou’s bouts against Tyson Fury and Joshua as an example.
Fury claimed a controversial victory by split decision in October 2023 before Joshua cruised to a second-round knockout win over Ngannou in March 2024.
“Tyson Fury travelled out to Saudi Arabia and picked up an absolute fortune for fighting Ngannou, who was 6ft 7in and 20 stone,” Bunce said.
“Ngannou was ‘untouchable’ and ‘unbreakable’. He pushed Fury and dropped him and people screamed blue murder saying it was a disgrace that Fury had damaged our sport.
“What happened, beautifully, a few months later was AJ got in with him [Ngannou], looked him up down, walked out then promptly knocked 10 bells out of him and sparked him out unconscious in the second round.”
Bunce said there is a big difference between Joshua fighting someone of Ngannou’s physical stature compared to Paul, though.
He added: “It’s even more alarming for Jake Paul in the sense that Ngannou is five inches taller than Paul and five and a half stone heavier as well as having, quote unquote, ‘the greatest chin in all fighting sports’.
“He managed to get himself sparked out in the second round so lord only knows what will happen to Jake Paul once the first bell sounds. Don’t try to say you won’t be watching, though – of course you will!”
However, Paul’s promoter Bidarian insisted the bout will be a “career-defining moment” for both fighters and Joshua has the chance to become a “legend” to many in the “boxing community who hate Jake Paul”.
He said: “For Jake Paul it’s a chance to show how far he has come. For Anthony Joshua it’s a chance to end the Jake Paul train, but also a lot of risk for him if he doesn’t show the way he should, the way people expect him to.
At 36 – and with his powers seemingly on the wane – Joshua’s decision to fight Paul is a far from ideal way to see out the twilight of his career, according to Bunce.
“If I put my purist hat on, the hat of the man who has been covering schoolboy boxing, covered AJ at a mere 18 years of age, and been to every level of boxing, of course it’s not dignified,” he said.
“Would I have liked to see him with Fury five years ago? Of course I would have. But it didn’t happen then and even that fight is going to be late.”
Bidarian has predicted the Paul bout will be the “biggest combat sports event of 2025” and dubbed it the “biggest fight” of Joshua’s career.
He said: “From a reach and viewership perspective, it’s absolutely the biggest fight.
“Just like the biggest fight of Mike Tyson’s career was against Jake Paul. The most people watched Mike Tyson in a fight in his whole career was against Jake Paul.”
Bunce joked that at least Joshua’s fight with Paul still retains at least a semblance of credibility given boxers have plumbed to even further depths at times.
“It could be worse. A great man called Chuck Wepner fought a bear. The fight was so good with the bear they had a rematch!” he added.
“When the bear came in for the second fight Chuck Wepner told me: ‘I looked over to the bear and he had done his homework, and nullified my jab!’
Maxon Margiela, a rapper, passed away at the age of 21. The upcoming music star allegedly attempted to kill himself on Sunday in Miami. He passed away.
The late star’s “care” was confirmed by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office. The death examination, however, was not yet complete. Maxon, who was a Mason Reyes’s birth, had just made an attempted suicide attempt a week ago, according to local media.
Margiela’s debut album, #healthy, was released in November of last year, and he gained notoriety on SoundCloud. More than 100, 000 people visit his Spotify page each month thanks to his enormous following.
However, his success spurred him on to reach new heights, as he did earlier this year when he signed with Columbia Records. He released a clip from his second mixtape #filthy in July of this year, as well as a number of new tracks just last month, including Kiss The Future, for which he posted a clip from the music video on his Instagram page.
Since then, fans have taken to social media to express their gratitude, with one user saying, “I’m sorry bro. I adore you dearly. The industry’s and those around him are truly invincible, according to another comment.
It’s inspiring to see how he lifted others, especially in their early stages. His kindness and encouragement, undoubtedly, will enable him to keep his legacy alive.
A third typed, “Maxon’s passing means so much to me. Maxon himself was a talent I discovered early on, and his team has always been one of the kindest people I’ve met in this field.
He was “one of the friendliest people you could meet,” he said, “and he truly loved each and every one of his fans.” It was incredible to see him meet up in Central Park just two months ago to spend time with those who supported him. His loved ones are in my thoughts and prayers.
“Always was such a fan of his, and whenever I saw him, he was so kind to me. A fourth person praised Maxon Margiela. Another distraught fan commented, “Just found out Maxon Margiela passed genuinely started listening to him last week and now he’s gone just like that mental health is such a huge topic that people don’t talk about enough. wishing his family and friends the best wow that’s heartbreaking.”
Maxon met with other musicians at New York Fashion Week earlier this year. His lyrics focused on money, girls, and leaving. He claimed that his “time” in the sun was drawing nearer in his song, My Time.
You don’t know me, you don’t know anything, Maxon wrote. I’m sure you’re envious, but things are going up quickly.
The Samaritans have a free helpline that is available 24/7, accessible at 116 123, for those who are struggling and need to talk. You can also contact Jo at jo@samaritans.org or visit their website to find your neighborhood branch.
This story, do you like? Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTubeandThreads for more latest news and gossip.
After complaining that a referee coach “manhandled” her at a game, a Women’s Super League referee claims she lost her position as an international official.
Steve Child, a Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) coach and former Premier League assistant referee, “forcefully pushed her,” Lisa Benn claimed in an employment tribunal in London on Monday.
However, after filing a complaint, she claimed in a witness statement that PGMOL had not given her the same level of recommendation as it had previously, which resulted in her being placed on Fifa’s international referee list.
Benn, 34, claims that she was informed by Howard Webb, the organization’s chief refereeing officer, and his wife Bibi Steinhaus-Webb, the then head of women’s referees, that she would not be punished for speaking out.
PGMOL conducted an investigation into the complaint, but it turned out that the child’s behavior did not meet the required standards for disciplinary action.
The alleged incident occurred at a PGMOL-organized tournament to train staff on video assistant referees (VAR), which were not used in the women’s game, in March 2023, according to the hearing on Monday.
When Benn claims Child allegedly pressured her to get a game started right away, grabbed her arm, and “forcefully pushed” her onto the pitch, the schedule was delayed due to a serious injury.
The tribunal was informed that the game she officiated eventually grew heated, and Child instructed a fourth official to “kill the game” Benn.
Benn responded by saying, “Don’t tell me how to referee,” and also directed an expletive at Child.
She told the panel, “This was an under-19s game, and I referee at the highest level.”
She continued, “He felt superior, he felt like he could come on and tell me how to referee,” and that he “would never have done that to a male referee.”
Benn refrained from expressing his belief that Jesse Crozier, for PGMOL, would have simultaneously put his arm behind you and ushered you onto the pitch, but he refuted this claim.
When asked if she had witnessed him behave that way with other referees, Benn responded, “Yes, I have to female referees.” I don’t referees to men.
Child grabbed her arm and said, “Your card has been marked,” she said at the end of the game.
She continued, “He was so angry that his eyes were bulging out of his head.”
Someone would have seen it if you had been dragged, grabbed, and pushed at a training event, Crozier said, which Benn disagreed with.
