Pro-Palestinian protesters reportedly demanded on Friday that Israel’s upcoming World Cup qualifier be postponed because of the Gaza war. They marched past the training facilities of the Italian football team.
The protest was a part of a nationwide strike that was protesting Israeli forces’ blocking of an aid flotilla.
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On October 14, Italy will host Israel in Udine. However, UEFA might consider suspending Israel because of the conflict. The squad will meet at the Florence Coverciano training facility on Monday, but the players were not there.
On the opposite side of the street from the football complex, protesters waved placards that read, “Let’s stop Zionism with the resistance” in Italian. How can you still permit Israel, a Zionist and criminal state, to play football games, yelled a protest leader who grabbed a microphone?
Since Wednesday night when the Israeli navy intercepted and detained the Global Sumud Flotilla, dozens of protests have erupted all over Italy.
After the largest unions in the country demanded a one-day general strike in solidarity with the Palestinians and the flotilla, workers and students took to the streets on Friday. Numerous private and public schools were closed, as were numerous domestic flights, and hundreds of trains were canceled or delayed.
EXCLUSIVE: Dick and Dom reveal what they’ve been up to since leaving children’s television in 2018 after a 20-year career on CBBC, and what they’ve accomplished together.
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Dick and Dom are back as a ‘force for good’ for kids who ‘grew up’ with them(Image: BBC)
Everyone say “Bogies!” – Dick and Dom are back and determined to be a “force for good” for those who “grew up” seeing the pair on their TV screens.
Richard ‘Dick’ McCourt and Dominic ‘Dom’ Wood have always been a “force for good” by making people laugh, they told the Mirror. For years, the double act presented children’s TV shows like the BAFTA-winning Dick & Dom in da Bungalow and Splatalot, becoming icons for the late millennials and early Gen-Zers that watched them on a Saturday morning.
Now, the pair want to help that same generation of children turned young adults, but helping them make sure they have the DIY skills to get their deposits back from landlords when moving flat. Partnering with Google’s AI Gemini, Dick & Dom are encouraging young renters to use AI to help them learn how to plaster over holes they drilled to hang up a picture or polish a scratch out of a table to make sure landlords don’t take all of their deposit.
Why move to an older audience if the pair are so well-known for children’s television? The children who were raised with us, you may know, are currently between 18 and 35. It kind of feels like we’ve all grown up together, Dick said. And, as you know from our previous experiences renting properties, we are aware of how it feels when a landlord or estate agent is taking money from you for trivial things you could have fixed yourself.
“I like to think we’re still guiding our audience, you see. We’ve been with them since the beginning. We’re going to carry on being together. We’re a force for good now. We are teaching them the ways of the world.”
“And Gardener’s World will be taking place as well, before you know it!” “Dom jokes. He and Dick shared a flat almost 25 years ago when they first rented it together. Overall, “Dom added, we were a good landlord.”
Dick recalled how times have changed since they first met as flatmates. In terms of, you know, the bits and pieces that had been done to the house back then, landlords were a little more lenient. And we’re not talking about serious damage; rather, we’re talking about simple things like putting nails into walls to hang pictures and other things.
Dom continued, “In today’s world, inventory companies are assigned to make sure the location is exactly the same as it was when the tenant moved in. But the issue is that if you move in and put up six or seven pictures on the wall, that would be “six or seven holes.”
But we don’t always think about it what might affect our deposits, they continued to say. “You’re trying to make a place your own home,” Dom pointed out. “Let’s say if you’re there over Christmas time, you think, ‘Oh, I’m going to nail up a bit of tinsel, or I’m going to do a bit of this, put some decorations up.’ You never really think about, ‘Oh, hang on a minute, what happens if I need to move out? Am I going to get charged for all this?’ It’s crazy!
The landlord can say, “Right, well, I need to hire a professional decorator to fill all the holes in the walls, sand them all down, and then repaint the entire wall so that it all looks good together.” And then, just before you know it, your deposit was taken, allegedly, by £350.
Gemini enters in this regard. The pair discussed how they could use AI to teach them how to fix a coffee table that has scratches for much less than the cost of replacing it. The best feature of this AI tool is that you can literally point the camera at the problem. We pointed it at a scratched coffee table while we tested it out in a London apartment. A landlord could now say, “We need a whole new table because it’s scratched,” Dom said. However, AI gave them directions on how to make a DIY patch up and where to find the materials.
“It was unbelievable. And so all those little details that can keep your deposit, he continued. Both he and Dick both acknowledged how intimidating it can be to start a DIY project.
“Putting up a book shelf like this still requires a lot of patience and understanding. However, I sincerely believe that if you can do that, you can help with the following step.
As Dick & Dom both recognize, that also applies to careers. The two have performed on radio, DJ sets, and the West End since they first presented kids’ television. The legacy they’ve left for the children they made laughs is what “means the world” to them, though.
“Students are coming up to us right now or just in the street families say thanks so much,” Dick said. They actually mean it, they say. Thank you so much for “making our household laugh and bringing joy to our home every Saturday morning,” which is a really nice thing to hear.
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They thanked me for making me laugh when I was a child, Dom added. To me, it meant the world. And we didn’t realize how significant it was. And that was lovely. It was a lot of fun. You’ll remember your favorite teacher forever, like when you have them, won’t you? “
Dick & Dom’s partnership with Google Gemini AI, ‘Dick & Dom in Da Rented Flat’, launched on Instagram @DickandDomofficial on 1st October 2025.
Novak Djokovic defeated fellow veteran Marin Cilic 7-6 (7 / 4) 6-4 to reach the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday, saying he had to “fire up all engines.”
The 38-year-old Serb is chasing a fifth title that will surpass all previous records in Shanghai, where he was greeted by adoring Chinese fans in cheers as he entered the stadium.
In an ATP Masters 1000 main draw match, Djokovic and Cilic’s combined age, which was 75 years and 139 days, was the oldest between two rivals.
After launching his title bid, Djokovic said, “I did enjoy it, but I also suffered a lot on the court.”
“It was a very close match,” he said. He continued, “He was probably the better player for the first set,” claiming that he needed to “fire up all engines.”
The first set was difficult, with Cilic’s best chance of breaking the 24-time Grand Slam champion coming in the eleventh game.
In the tiebreak, Djokovic appeared to be getting back on his feet, leading 7-2.
In the third game of the second set, the world number five broke the Croat and maintained his composure in the tension-tense 10th game to win with a final ace.
Djokovic claimed that Cilic and him both “performed like we were maybe 15 years younger.”
After playing for the first time since losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semi-finals a month ago, Djokovic said, “We keep challenging each other, as well as the young guys on the tour.”
In the end, “you have to find a way to win,” according to the saying “Age doesn’t matter when you walk out on the court.”
Jannik Sinner, 14 years his junior, defeated Djokovic in the final last year.
On Saturday, Sinner will face German international Daniel Altmaier in a friendly game.
Shelton Out and Fritz Through
Taylor Fritz, the fourth-ranked player, also advanced to the next round but struggled to pass 52nd-ranked Fabian Marozsan 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1).
In the sixth and eighth games, Fritz was broken by the Hungarian, and the American appeared hungry as he struggled to advance.
Read more about Djokovic’s participation in the Shanghai Masters in October.
In the eleventh game of the second set, he repeatedly hit his racket in frustration before missing his chance to defeat Marozsan.
However, he outperformed Marozsan in both the second and third set tiebreaks, wowing the late-night viewers.
He said, “I just told myself to keep fighting and keep working for it,” and ultimately, “I was just really fired up.”
Compatriot Ben Shelton, who had been defeated by 83rd-ranked David Goffin, became the first top-10 seed to be expelled from the game, not to mention being denied entry.
Shelton, 22, defeated the Belgian underdog 6-2, 6-4, to finish in sixth place in the world.
The US Open shoulder injury has been treated for the American.
However, Goffin has proven to be successful in sacking key players, having defeated Alcaraz in Miami in March.
Teenager learner Tien, who lost to Miomir Kecmanovic in the final of the China Open against Sinner on Wednesday, continued his recent excellent form by defeating the Serbian in the second round.
Alcaraz has withdrawn from Shanghai after defeating Fritz to win the Japan Open.
Denise Van Outen, the lead woman in the popular culture series Gogglebox, and her former co-star have since settled down after years of dating.
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Denise Van Outen said the pair initially fell out over contract negotiations (Image: CHANNEL4)
Denise Van Outen and Johnny Vaughan famously fell out during their time hosting The Big Breakfast Show in the late 1990s. Denise, who later competed on Strictly Come Dancing, claimed their friendship took a turn due to issues with contract negotiations.
According to reports at the time, Johnny reportedly made a different payment plan for his salary, which harmed their relationship.
Reflecting on the matter, Denise commented on Loose Women in 2017: “At that particular time, we were literally like brother and sister, we were best friends, unbreakable.
When we began to negotiate our contracts, the relationship broke down because I always believed that we had to work as a team, which was exactly how it should be.
Now that Johnny has shared his version of events, how far back in time.
He said, “She might have fallen for me, but I never did for her,” in a conversation with The Metro newspaper. I’m completely in love with Denise.
“Sometimes you don’t notice things, which is maybe why I apologize to her for it,” I said.
The pair briefly reconnected on the Capital Radio Breakfast Show in 2008, spüring hopes for a new friendship after years of disconnection.
However, things didn’t go as planned after Denise left the show before her contract expired.
She later claimed that, despite being a joint presenter, he would never allow me to speak, would never let me speak, and would never indicate when. There was no mention of my name in the announcement that this is Johnny Vaughan and you are listening to Capital Radio.
I was standing opposite the desk. When I would speak, he would turn my microphone down while he had control over the desk.
Johnny, however, disputed this and asserted that she found the transition from television and theater to radio challenging.
He added to The Mirror: “Perhaps I wasn’t as reassuring as you can be. We did have a bit of a fallout, but I still love her to bits.”
Despite their past issues, the duo have since reconciled, joining forces on Celebrity Gogglebox last year and sharing the screen on Steph McGovern’s Steph’s Packed Lunch in 2023.
The presenter stated in his most recent interview that they had a close relationship and that they had done Gogglebox frequently.
She has always supported me no matter how we have gotten to know each other, and I hope she finds that I have always supported her.
Sarah Mullally, the first woman to hold the position in the Church’s most senior office, will be appointed as Canterbury’s next archbishop, according to the Church of England.
As well as facing a Communion divided over issues like the acceptance of same-sex couples and the role of women in the Church, Mullally, 63, will lead 85 million Anglicans worldwide.
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Justin Welby, who resigned last year as a result of a child abuse cover-up scandal, is now in Mullally’s place.
The new archbishop addressed congregants at Canterbury Cathedral on Friday for the first time and expressed her appreciation for the world’s hope in a difficult time.
Mullally argued that her first duty is to spread Christ’s message, but she also used her speech to address issues in the UK, including migration and the deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue on Thursday that left two people dead.
According to Mullally, “We are witnessing hatred that rises through divisions across our communities.”
“I am aware that those who suffer are drawn nearer to the God who is with us.” Then, as a Church, we have a responsibility to stand up for antisemitism in all its manifestations. She continued, “We cannot tolerate hatred and racism of any kind.”
Sarah Mullally, the UK’s new archbishop of Canterbury-designate, addresses the news of her appointment at Canterbury Cathedral in south-east England.
Due to her gender, Mullally’s appointment received criticism from traditional African Anglican churches.
Bishops from Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda were included in the Global Anglican Future Conference, which claimed Mullally’s appointment would “promote unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.”
The majority of the Anglican Communion still believes that the Bible calls for a male-only episcopacy, according to the Reverend Laurent Mbanda in a statement for the organization.
The evangelical branch of the Church of England called for a stop to what it termed a “detour from scripture.”
Mullally has previously advocated for same-sex couples receiving blessings. She has been bishop of London since 2018.
Mullally received the Vatican’s congratulations and best wishes. Mullally’s nomination was approved by King Charles III, who congratulated him.
Before their weekend Premier League games, Manchester United and Manchester City will pay respects to the victims of the synagogue attack.
However, tributes to the incident that left two people dead and three others injured on Thursday won’t be regularly held in the Premier League or English Football League.
United players will observe a minute’s silence and wear black armbands before their Saturday game against Sunderland at Old Trafford, just as the women’s team did on Friday night when they played Chelsea in their Women’s Super League game.
Ruben Amorim, the manager of United men, stated at his news conference on Friday: “It is a crazy world we are living in right now, a lot of big things happened, we will pay tribute tomorrow.
Black armbands will also be worn by United’s under-21 and under-18 teams.
City and the Bees have agreed to hold a moment’s silence before kick-off, and they will also be wearing black armbands when they travel to Brentford on Sunday.
Brentford had already planned a memorial for Christopher Ramsey, the head of the academy, who passed away from bowel cancer on Wednesday.
Given the gravity of Thursday’s attack, Brentford have agreed to reduce the tribute from a minute’s applause to silence.
Women’s Manchester City will also pay their respects before Saturday’s WSL game against Arsenal.
Any club that wants to pay tribute will likely be supported by both the Premier League and the EFL.
Following Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva’s tragic passing in a car crash in Spain, a Premier League-wide moment of silence was observed before all top-flight games.
The Premier League has since abandoned the idea of blanket silences for non-football issues despite supporting anti-discrimination initiatives for some time.
Following the Football Association’s announcement that Wembley’s arch would only be lit for entertainment and football under a new policy in November 2023, the new policy is now in effect.
Following the Hamas attacks on October 7 that resulted in 1,200 fatalities, the decision was made following criticism.
The Premier League, EFL, and FA were accused of “double standards” for holding memorials for the 50 victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks four years ago.
