UK prosecutors to appeal decision to dismiss Kneecap rapper ‘terror’ charge

Prosecutors in the United Kingdom are appealing a court decision to throw out a “terrorism” charge against Liam O’Hanna, also known as Liam Og O hAnnaidh, a member of the Irish rap group Kneecap.

O’Hanna was accused of displaying a flag of the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah during a London concert in November, but the case was dismissed in late September by a London court on account of a technical error.

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“We are appealing the decision to dismiss this case as we believe there is an important point of law which needs to be clarified,” a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday.

The rapper, also known as Mo Chara (“my friend” in Gaeilge, the Irish language), was charged in May under the United Kingdom Terrorism Act, which states that it is a criminal offence to display an article in a way that arouses reasonable suspicion that someone is a supporter of a banned organisation.

On September 26, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told Woolwich Crown Court that the case was “unlawful” and “null” since it had been brought outside the six-month statutory limit.

There was no immediate comment from Kneecap regarding the CPS’s appeal announcement. After the charges were thrown out last month, O’Hanna said the case had more to do with Gaza and “what happens if you dare to speak up” rather than “any threat to the public”.

“As people from Ireland, we know oppression, colonialism, famine and genocide. We have suffered and still suffer under ‘your empire’,” he said. “Your attempts to silence us have failed because we are right and you are wrong. We will not be silent.”

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill said at the time that the charges were “part of a calculated attempt to silence those who stand up and speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza”.

The members of Kneecap have been accused by some countries of promoting “terrorism” due to statements made in support of Palestinians during Israel’s war on Gaza.

Hungary and Canada have banned the group from entry, and some of the group’s concerts in Germany and Austria were cancelled this year.

Indonesia vs Saudi Arabia: AFC World Cup qualifier – teams, start

Who: Indonesia vs Saudi Arabia
What: FIFA World Cup AFC qualifiers
Where: Alinma Bank Stadium at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
When: Wednesday, October 8, at 8:15pm (17:15 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 5:15pm (14:15 GMT) advance of our live text commentary stream.

Indonesia face Saudi Arabia as the fourth round of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifiers for the FIFA 2026 World Cup kick off on Wednesday, with six teams still hoping to book their places at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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The third round of qualifiers were completed in June, with six AFC teams confirming their qualification at that stage. The fourth round is not quite the last-chance saloon, however, with an intercontinental playoff still to come.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the qualifier and how the last teams standing can still progress to global football’s showpiece event next year.

Why is Saudi Arabia staging the match with Indonesia?

Saudi Arabia and Qatar were named in June as the cohosts for the current, and brief, fourth stage of AFC qualifiers.

What is the format for the fourth round of AFC World Cup qualifiers?

The six teams that still have a chance of reaching the FIFA 2026 World Cup have been divided into two groups. Each team will play each other once, with the top team progressing directly to next summer’s tournament.

The teams that finish second will play a two-legged playoff, with the winner progressing to the intercontinental playoffs, which will be the final chance for teams around the globe to join those already qualified.

What are the fourth qualifying round AFC groups?

  • Group A: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman
  • Group B: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Indonesia

What are the dates for the fourth round of qualifiers and the playoffs?

The final group stage of AFC qualification for the FIFA 2026 World Cup runs from October 8 to 14, with Indonesia against Saudi Arabia and Oman against Qatar kicking off the process on Wednesday.

The home-and-away playoff matches for the runners-up will be played on November 13 and 18.

What is the full list of fixtures for the fourth round of qualifiers?

Wednesday, October 8:

  • Group A: Oman vs Qatar
  • Group B: Indonesia vs Saudi Arabia

Saturday, October 11:

  • Group A: United Arab Emirates vs Oman
  • Group B: Iraq vs Indonesia

Tuesday, October 14:

  • Group A: Qatar vs United Arab Emirates
  • Group B: Saudi Arabia vs Iraq

How did Indonesia fare in the third round of AFC qualifiers?

Indonesia finished fourth in Group C in the previous round of qualifiers, with Japan and Australia claiming the two automatic qualifying spots and Saudi Arabia finishing third. China and Bahrain were eliminated from the group.

Indonesia narrowly beat China 1-0 in their penultimate, and crucial, third-round match to ensure their place in the fourth round.

How did Saudi Arabia fare in the third round of AFC qualifiers?

Saudi Arabia had the chance to progress automatically for next summer’s World Cup in their final group stage match, but were beaten 2-1 by Australia, who in turn held second spot.

Abdulrahman Al-Obud opened the scoring in the match for Saudi Arabia, who needed an unlikely four-goal winning margin in the game to swing the goal difference in their favour.

What happened the last time Indonesia played Saudi Arabia?

Marselino Ferdinan scored both goals in a 2-0 home win for Indonesia against Saudi Arabia in the second match between the sides in the group.

The return fixture in Saudi Arabia ended in a 1-1 draw in September.

Indonesia must not be intimidated in Saudi Arabia

Patrick Kluivert has urged his Indonesia players not to be intimidated by the hostile atmosphere at a sold-out King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

Indonesia are attempting to reach the World Cup for the first time since gaining independence from the Netherlands in 1949.

“I’m not afraid because if you’re afraid, you show your weakness,” said the former Barcelona and Netherlands striker. “If we show weaknesses, that gives the opponent strength.

“We know the power and the strength of Saudi Arabia, especially when they play at home, but we need to be focused. The mindset is the most important thing, to be calm in warm situations.

“We have to play two finals, so tomorrow is a final. Big expectations, of course. The importance is very high. We are representing a country of 280 million people, and we are ambassadors for the game.

“The most important thing is to be sharp in the match. We live towards this moment, not only us, but everybody backing us up is living for this moment.”

Saudi Arabia ready for revenge against Indonesia

Saudi coach Herve Renard is confident his team can put aside the disappointment of their previous results against the Indonesians to pick up a win that will move the country a step closer to a seventh World Cup appearance.

“I think we have made very good improvements since January, and we continue on our way,” he said.

“We are more confident, I think we are stronger than before. But let’s play, because the reality is on the field.”

Indonesia team news

The Indonesians will go into the game without first-choice goalkeeper Emil Audero and striker Marselino Ferdinan, who scored the goals in November’s win over the Saudis, while fellow forward Ole Romeny is also a doubt.

Saudi Arabia team news

Saudi Arabia will be led in attack by Salem Al-Dawsari, who has scored 25 times for his country.

Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti and Saad Al-Nasser are out with muscle and knee injuries, respectively, while Nawaf Al-Aqidi is a doubt due to a hamstring problem.

Indonesia predicted starting lineup

Argawinata; Ridho, Idzes, Hubner; Sayuri, Haye, Pelupessy, Verdonk; Vikri, Sananta, Kambuaya

Saudi Arabia predicted starting lineup

Ceasefire declared between Syrian forces, Kurdish fighters after one killed

Syria’s government has declared a ceasefire between its security forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, after at least one person was killed and four people were injured in overnight violence.

Murhaf Abu Qasra, Syria’s minister of defence, announced the ceasefire on Tuesday after meeting with Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), saying the two sides had “agreed on a comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts and military positions in northern and northeastern Syria”.

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“The implementation of this agreement will begin immediately,” the government minister added.

The Syrian army and the United States-backed SDF clashed after SDF fighters reportedly targeted checkpoints in the city, according to the state-run news agency SANA.

SDF forces allegedly fired into residential areas in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighbourhoods of Aleppo “with mortar shells and heavy machine guns”, SANA reported, adding there were civilian casualties.

Residents of the area told The Associated Press that two security guards in a public park were killed on Tuesday by shelling, and a woman and a child were wounded.

The SDF denied attacking the checkpoints and said its forces withdrew from the area months ago. It blamed the outbreak of violence on aggression by government forces.

It also issued a statement on Tuesday accusing government military factions of carrying out “repeated attacks” against civilians in the Aleppo neighbourhoods and imposing a siege on them.

The violence was the latest flare-up in tensions between the interim government and the SDF, which has sought to retain de facto autonomy in the northeast part of the country.

It was also another setback for the landmark deal struck in March by President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Abdi.

The agreement, brokered after the fall of ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December, was designed to integrate Kurdish-led forces into Syria’s state institutions.

It also would have seen key assets held by the SDF — including border crossings, an airport, and oil-and-gas fields — handed to Damascus by the end of the year. The SDF is estimated to control about a quarter of Syria’s land, mostly in the northeast part of the country.

The government in Damascus has hoped to consolidate its control over the country. But progress on the March plan has stalled.

Both Damascus and the SDF have accused each other of provocations that have increased tensions.

On Tuesday, the presidential office issued a statement that al-Sharaa had spoken to US envoy Tom Barrack to discuss how the plan might be implemented “in a manner that safeguards Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

They also discussed “ways to support the political process”, according to the statement.

On Monday, Syria published the results of its first parliamentary election since al-Assad was toppled, a landmark moment in the country’s fragile transition after nearly 14 years of civil war.

Italy-Israel World Cup tie faces security concerns amid protests

Israel’s World Cup qualifying match in Italy next week is expected to attract more pro-Palestinian protesters outside the football stadium in Udine than ticket-holding spectators inside the arena.

Protesters already approached the gates of Italy’s training centre in Florence last week to demand that the match not be played because of the war in Gaza — part of a national strike that saw millions of activists take to the streets.

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“It’s not going to be a calm environment,” Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso acknowledged Tuesday from inside the Coverciano training centre that was targeted. “There will be 10,000 people outside the stadium and 5-6,000 inside the stadium.”

As of Monday, only 4,000 tickets were sold for next Tuesday’s match at Stadio Friuli.

While UEFA had been considering suspending Israel over the war and Udine Mayor Alberto Felice De Toni had called for the game to be postponed, with Italy desperately attempting to avoid failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, the four-time champion team doesn’t plan to risk not playing.

“We have to play this match. Because if we don’t, we’ll lose it 3-0,” Gattuso said, referring to the rule for forfeited matches. “[Italian Football Federation] president [Gabriele] Gravina explained that very well.”

There was also tension on the field between the two squads after the final whistle when Italy edged Israel 5-4 in a nine-goal thriller last month in neutral Hungary — where Israel has been playing its “home” matches during the war.

The protesters in Italy and elsewhere have also been reacting to an international aid mission blocked by Israeli forces.

“It’s upsetting to see what’s happening to innocent people and children,” Gattuso said. “It hurts your heart.”

Italy and Israel are level six points behind group leader Norway, with only the first-place finisher in the group to qualify directly for next year’s tournament in North America.

The second-place finishers progress to a playoff — the stage where Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia and ruled out of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.

“Considering that we’re trying to get to the World Cup and we need to give our absolute all, I’m sure you can understand that I would have preferred to play a home game with the enthusiasm that we saw in Bergamo a month ago,” Gattuso said, referring to a 5-0 win over Estonia.

Israel could also face protests during a visit to Norway on Saturday.

The Norwegian soccer federation pledged to give its profits from ticket sales for the game in Oslo to humanitarian work in Gaza by Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym, MSF).

Italy played Israel in Udine last October in the Nations League. That game went off without incident amid a heavy police presence and despite a pro-Palestinian demonstration before the game. Italy won 4-1.

German mayor-elect gravely wounded in stabbing attack

A newly elected mayor in western Germany has been critically injured in a stabbing attack, according to German media reports.

Iris Stalzer, the 57-year-old mayor-elect of the North Rhine-Westphalia town of Herdecke, was stabbed in front of her home about noon (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday, leaving her with life-threatening injuries, Germany’s WDR broadcaster reported, quoting local police.

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Prosecutors and police said in a joint statement their inquiry was looking into every possibility.

“Close family involvement cannot be ruled out at the present time,” they said.

DPA news agency reported that her son and daughter, aged 15 and 17, had been taken in for questioning. Stalzer was airlifted to hospital and was still in intensive care, the authorities’ statement said.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the “heinous attack” and called for a swift investigation.

“We fear for the life of the designated mayor, Iris Stalzer, and hope for her full recovery,” he wrote in a post on X.

Stalzer’s teenage son told authorities his mother had been attacked by several men, Germany’s Bild newspaper reported.

The police and prosecution statement did not address the content of the media reports.

Stalzer, a member of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, was elected mayor of the town of 22,000 people in the eastern Ruhr area on September 28.

The attack came after a regionwide campaign that politicians in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s largest state, described as unusually hostile.

A recent study found 60 percent of politicians in Germany had experienced violence at least once, with one in five saying it had made them more reluctant to appear in public.

In 2019, a conservative district government president in the state of Hesse, Walter Luebcke, a supporter of then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policy, was shot dead by a far-right activist on his home terrace.

Italy to propose global ceasefire for 2026 Winter Olympics

Before the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in 2014, Italy will submit a request for a worldwide ceasefire to the UN, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani.

A global truce during the Olympics dates back to the ancient games in Greece, when rival rival rival rival rivals agreed to put down their weapons for the duration of the competition so that athletes could safely travel to and from the site of the ancient Olympia.

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Since 1896, including the 2024 Paris Olympics, no one has heeded the call for global ceasefires made by the Olympics and the UN. The Milano Cortina Games begin on February 6 and end on February 22.

We are presenting to the UN a proposal for an Olympic truce for all wars, including those involving Ukraine and the Middle East, in light of the Milano Cortina Olympics, Tajani said on Tuesday.

He remarked during a conference in Rome that “we must be champions of peace.” We support the US’s strategy to end the Gaza war, but as Pope Leo has said, we must never give up hope for peace.

The 20-point plan, which Israel and Hamas launched indirect discussions on Monday, is thought to be the most promising step to put an end to a Palestinian war that has claimed the lives of more than 67, 000 since October 7, 2023, according to US President Donald Trump. 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led attack on Israel that day.

The conflict in Gaza arose on Tuesday, marking its second anniversary.

A number of major Western nations, including Italy, have formally recognized Palestinian statehood in response to the devastation and humanitarian disaster that Israel’s military campaign has caused, bolstering Palestinians’ long-standing aspirations for an independent homeland on Israeli-occupied territory.