Pro-Palestine campaigners have rallied against Israel’s punishing war on Gaza, gathering outside the British Parliament in London and demanding a full arms embargo and that hard-hitting sanctions be imposed on the Israeli government.
Wednesday’s march, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), came as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took weekly questions from parliamentarians.
Thousands of protesters created a “Red Line for Palestine”, wearing red while encircling the building.
Starmer told Parliament that Israel’s actions in the besieged and bombarded enclave are “appalling” and “intolerable”.
“It is right to describe these days as dark”, Starmer said. “We have strongly opposed the expansion of Israeli military operations, and settler violence, and the blocking of humanitarian aid”.
Starmer added that the UK has imposed sanctions, suspended free trade negotiations, and is currently considering further sanctions.
But the UK leader, his Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and his government have come under heavy criticism in the UK for not speaking more forcefully backed by actual action earlier in the war, and for not doing enough now as Palestinians face what United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called the “cruellest phase of this cruel conflict”.
Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands, reporting from London, said the protest went on for several hours and throughout Starmer’s entire speech to Parliament.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold a banner outside the Parliament during a demonstration calling for sanctions on Israel over ongoing hunger among Gaza’s war-struck population, in London, Britain]Isabel Infantes/Reuters]
“There was a red line around the whole of Parliament”, Challands said.
“These protesters had formed a cordon, essentially all the way down from Parliament to the first bridge … that goes across to the other side of the]River] Thames, and they came back up … and returned over Westminster Bridge to join up here to make a full loop”, he added.
According to Challands, protesters say that their “red line” is to show that the UK government should have its own red lines when it comes to Gaza.
It has not had “sufficient” red lines in place, he said. “The protesters say there should have been red lines before 54, 000 deaths”.
In his remarks, Starmer also called for an end to the siege and said humanitarian aid must reach Gaza quickly and in the required quantities.
Israel has maintained a crippling blockade on the territory, barring the entry of much-needed aid, including food, medicine, clean water, and fuel required by generators. A famine now looms as more than two million people are facing starvation, the UN has warned.
Meanwhile, a controversial, United States-backed group that runs aid distribution points in Gaza – the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – has suspended operations for a full day. Since the organization started operating in the area on May 27, Israel opened fire on hungry aid seekers several times, killing dozens of Palestinians and injuring hundreds more.
As more people claim aid is being abused, and Guterres, the UN’s Guterres, demands an independent investigation, the killing of people who desperately seek food supplies has sparked growing international outcry.
At least 10 people have been killed in a crush outside a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Bengaluru, which was hosting a victory parade to celebrate the home team’s Indian Premier League title win.
Thousands of people – young and old – lined the streets on Wednesday to welcome the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) who beat the Punjab Kings in the IPL cricket final the day before.
“About 10 people have died in the stampede at the gates of the Chinnaswamy stadium,” a senior police official told BBC Hindi.
One police official told the BBC there were over 200,000 people who came out for the victory parade but they were only expecting half that amount.
The RCB team had arrived by a special flight at the old HAL airport to be received by Karnataka Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar. They were taken in a procession to the hotel.
This was a precursor for the reception on the steps of the majestic Vidhana Soudha, seat of the state legislature, where Governor Thawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other ministers met the team.
The team was then scheduled to drive, again, in a procession to the stadium before the crush occurred.
Prior to the incident, masses of people from different parts of the city had moved towards the stadium on all modes of transport wearing RCB jerseys.
Metro trains were so packed that several people – including this reporter – were not able to enter any compartment. All this while passengers inside the train and outside chanted the team’s name in chorus.
Auto rickshaws and taxis did not respond to requests from people who wanted to be dropped anywhere near the stadium. Those who agreed dropped commuters several kilometres away.
After reports of people losing their lives in the crush spread, people started rushing away to metro stations.
Brooklyn Beckham and his wife, Nicola Peltz, left their fans stunned when they decided to break their silencethis week after swerving David Beckham’s birthday last month
Brooklyn Beckham’s jaw-dropping interview with his wife, Nicola Peltz, has left much of the showbiz world gobsmacked(Image: WWD via Getty Images)
Brooklyn Beckham’s jaw-dropping interview with his wife, Nicola Peltz, has left much of the showbiz world gobsmacked. After swerving David Beckham’s 50th birthday last month amid reports of a bitter feud in the family, the young couple broke their silence in a new interview on Monday.
While not referencing the drama in the Beckham clan directly, they did make a number of cryptic comments about ‘ keeping it real’, ‘ ignoring the noise ‘ – as well their “overwhelming” wedding day. The accompanying photos to their glossy magazine spread also revealed that Brooklyn appears to have covered up his ‘ Mama’s boy ‘ tattoo. So, as we wait to see if Victoria will say anything about the family friction, here’s all the cryptic comments her son – and his wife – had to say…
READ MORE: Five bitter signs Beckham feud was about to erupt in Nicola and Brooklyn’s gushing interview
Brooklyn Beckham and his wife, Nicola Peltz, left their fans stunned when they decided to break their silence
Nicola Peltz makes cryptic comment about ‘ telling the truth ‘
Transformers star Nicola has found herself in the eye of the storm since news of the Beckham feud broke. While some sources accused the actress of ‘ controlling ‘ her husband, others said she was just trying to ‘ protect ‘ Brooklyn and only wanted the best for him.
Speaking to German Glamour magazine about how important it was to be transparent, she explained: “My parents always told me, ‘Tell us the truth, and we’ll help you.’ That mindset has stayed with me.
” Whether it’s with friends, family, or in a relationship—honesty builds trust, closeness, growth. Real connection only happens when you’re brave enough to be honest. “
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The self-confessed ‘nutter in the kitchen’ rewrote hot sauce history when he failed to credit dad, David Beckham, for inspiring him(Image: Getty Images)
Brooklyn makes U-turn on David’s hot sauce help
Self-confessed” nutter in the kitchen”, Brooklyn, recently devised a hot sauce, which was branded 23 in an initial nod to David, who wore that shirt number when he played for Real Madrid and LA Galaxy.
However, in what could be deemed as another snub to his dad, the wannabe chef failed to mention the former footballer and only credited his wife for his culinary creation, saying:” The 23 stands for our engagement date and my age back then. “
‘ Important to show reality – even if it’s not easy ‘
Last month, Brooklyn took to Instagram with a snap of himself and Nicola astride a motorbike in which he told the billionaire heiress he would ‘always choose’ her.
Nicola has been fighting off reports of bad blood between her and Victoria ever since she wore Valentino and not a VB design for her wedding. She’s also been accused of keeping Brooklyn away from his family – even though her camp strongly refutes this.
However, insisting that it was important to show reality even if it’s not easy, she said:” It’s easy to create an image of a perfect life, even though, of course, no one is happy all the time. That’s the difficult thing about social media: You start to question everything.
“Ultimately, it’s important to show reality, even if it’s not always easy”.
Ignoring ‘ the noise ‘
Asked how he protects his relationship in “such a public spotlight”, Brooklyn said, defiantly: “Ignore the noise. Keep your head down, work hard, be kind. People are always going to talk. What matters is that we’re happy together”.
Nicola chimed in, hinting that a lot of the stories about the couple are “fake news”, saying: “It’s not always easy. On TikTok there are always random stories popping up about us. When I see fake news, my instinct is to shut it down. But it’s not worth it. I just scroll past and move on”.
Nicola reveals wedding day was ‘ overwhelming ‘
The bitter Beckham feud is said to have stemmed from Nicola and Brooklyn’s lavish wedding, which was held at the actress ‘ family’s $3 million estate in Florida three years ago.
There were reports that Nicola had burst into tears on her big day after J-Lo’s ex, Marc Anthony, had called Posh “the most beautiful woman in the room” at the star-studded reception.
Nicola had already got tongues wagging after she failed to wear one of Victoria’s designs for her wedding dress, with the actress later alleging she had been ghosted by the Spice Girl when she asked her to design the gown.
In the new interview, Nicola said, coyly “A wedding can be overwhelming. It’s good to focus for a moment on what it’s really about: The two of us”.
Brooklyn appears to have covered up his tattoo tribute to his mum Victoria (Image: Getty Images for Glamour)
Brooklyn no longer a ‘ Mama’s boy ‘ after curt comment about tattoos
The couple’s Glamour Germany photoshoot reveals that Brooklyn has given his ‘ Mama’s boy ‘ tattoo, etched over his heart, a surprising refresh in tribute to his wife Nicola’s wedding blooms.
The new images reveal Brooklyn’s fresh tattoo of flowers covering the “mama’s boy” inscription he got back in 2018 as an homage to his mum Victoria. The aspiring chef has around 100 tattoos, with nearly 70 are tributes to Nicola and her family. Brooklyn got his tribute to Posh Spice in 2018 when he labelled himself a mama’s boy.
Brooklyn has more than 100 tattoos, including one of the middle name he shares with his dad, ‘ Joseph’.
Well, this is awkward!(Image: Instagram)
However, when asked which of his inkings were “particularly important” to him, he failed to mention doting David, instead saying: “Some mean a lot to me, like Nicola’s eyes on my neck or our wedding vows. I also have the Star of David and a tattoo honouring my grandfather”.
In what could be seen as a dig at Victoria, Nicola added: “He also got my mother’s rosary tattooed on his hand”.
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Tammy Beaumont hits a century for the second consecutive match to set England up in a commanding position of 257-1 in the second One Day International against West Indies in Leicester.
FOLLOW LIVE: England Women v West Indies Women – second ODI
It was an extremely quiet transfer window for Liverpool last summer, with Federico Chiesa the only immediate signing that was made.
But despite the lack of additions, the Reds cruised to the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.
This time, however, they are doing things differently.
Liverpool have already brought in Netherlands international Jeremie Frimpong for £29.5m, are closing in on his Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Florian Wirtz for a fee in the region of a club record £109m and are in talks to sign Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez for between £45m and £50m.
Why are the champions opting to spend big?
Getty Images
After seeing his side close out their title-winning campaign with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at Anfield, Slot reflected on the club’s lack of transfer business last summer.
Chiesa arrived late in the window and while the Reds did also agree a deal to sign Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, he stayed with the Spanish side until this summer.
“We did things differently”, he said. “Apart from signing Federico Chiesa we didn’t do a lot so that makes it maybe even more special”.
If the lack of transfer activity made for a “special” title win, why the change of tack?
“It will be just as tough or even tougher next season because the clubs we’ve competed with this season have always in every window invested a lot of money and they will probably do so this summer as well”, Slot added.
“We just want good players. Ideally you sign them as soon as you can but it is not always easy”.
The arrival of Wirtz would take Liverpool’s spending to £138.5m already, with a mini-transfer window having opened earlier than usual because of the Club World Cup.
“Liverpool have been outside of the top 10 spenders on player signings since 2019, but their model is a classic case of being smarter rather than bigger”, says football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
“They certainly have the capacity to spend £200m but whether that fits with their model is another matter”.
This is also a first proper summer transfer window for sporting director Richard Hughes, who joined the Reds in March last year.
What other positions will be strengthened?
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Given how much the Reds have spent already, there is every chance they will spend the £200m Maguire mentions, with several positions still being targeted as areas to strengthen.
Liverpool moved quickly to address the departure of full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold with the signing of Frimpong, who can play anywhere down the right-hand side.
Wirtz, meanwhile, is seen as a key acquisition for Slot, which is why Liverpool are prepared to pay a club-record transfer fee for him.
Manchester City – Liverpool’s likely main challengers for the title next season – had also been interested in the Germany international, having viewed him as a successor to Kevin de Bruyne.
But Pep Guardiola’s side were ultimately put off by the potential cost of the deal, leaving Liverpool to press on.
Left-back is also an area Slot wants to strengthen with Milos Kerkez – who plays for Hughes ‘ former club Bournemouth – a key target.
No agreement has yet been reached between Liverpool and Bournemouth, but the Reds have stepped up their efforts to sign him over the last couple of days.
Hughes was Bournemouth’s sporting director when Kerkez moved to the South Coast from AZ Alkmaar in 2023.
The Hungary defender dropped a small hint over his future on Instagram recently, posting: “I don’t know what will happen in the next week but Cherries family thank you”!
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Sport: “Kerkez from Bournemouth is a really good option. He’s quick, he’s got good feet, likes defending one-on-one. He is very tenacious, great energy, and is only 21.
” It fits the criteria of Liverpool’s recruitment team measured by ability to progress and become more of an asset. I think that’s quite likely to happen. “
The left-back ranks second for most distanced covered of all Premier League full-backs this season (behind only Fulham’s Antonee Robinson) and third for most sprints.
He has made the third-most open play crosses in the Premier League and has eight goal involvements this campaign (two goals and six assists).
His arrival would raise questions about the future of Andy Robertson and Konstantinos Tsimikas, with the Reds unlikely to need all three left-backs next season.
Tsimikas would be the expected departure but, with Champions League interest in Robertson, his exit instead is a possibility.
Liverpool were also one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen before his move to Real Madrid was confirmed, so a centre-back may also be on the radar, particularly as Ibrahima Konate is into the final year of his contract with no news on a new agreement.
A new striker could also be pursued, although that will likely be dependent on outgoings in that position.
Who could depart in summer of change?
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Slot could be tempted to refresh his attack and both Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez have been linked with moves away.
Diaz joined the Reds in 2022 but enjoyed his best goalscoring form under Slot with 17 in all competitions including 13 in the Premier League.
However, potential summer moves to either Barcelona or Saudi Arabia have been touted, and speculation over his future has only increased after Diaz and his girlfriend both wrote lengthy posts on social media to Liverpool fans that could be interpreted as farewell messages.
Meanwhile, Nunez has struggled to start regularly under Slot, who has also made public criticisms of his attitude.
He has had three full seasons at Liverpool since completing a move worth up to £85m from Benfica – and while his effort is praised by Liverpool fans, he has struggled to score consistently.
” It’s time for a freshen up in attack, “added Murphy.
” I think Darwin has had a lot of chances. If you just simplify it to what we’ve seen in terms of his contribution and minutes played, Slot obviously doesn’t fancy him.
“Slot has played a winger, Luis Diaz, ahead of him as a striker at times. That tells you everything you need to know.
” I would be amazed if Darwin stayed. I think the writing is on the wall for him. “
Another player whose future is unclear is Harvey Elliott.
The midfielder made 18 Premier League appearances for the Reds last season but started just two games and recently suggested his future is uncertain by saying” you never know what’s going to happen”.
Two suspected illegal miners were detained on Wednesday by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The defendants face a five-count charge of unlawful possession and exportation of mineral resources after being detained by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1.
According to one of the counts, “You, Zhang Hong Lin, Gao Pei Hai, and Gao Pei Yu (at large), conspired between yourselves and with the intention to defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria of the proceeds therefrom, and you engaged in an export of “Mica products, copper bearing and lithium bearing mineral resources” out of Nigeria, and you did so without the consent of the appropriate authority. You also committed an offence against Section 8 (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act,
The offense was pleaded “not guilty” by the defendants.
The defendants were remanded in a correctional facility and the prosecution’s attorney, Bilkisu Buhari, requested a trial date in light of their plea.
However, the defense attorney, Jeremiah Okoro, requested that the court place his clients in the EFCC’s custody while the bail application was being heard.
The judge turned down the defense attorney’s request to place his clients in an EFCC custody instead of a correctional facility.
The trial’s start date was further adjourned until July 4, 2025.
The two Chinese nationals were detained by EFCC operations on May 9, 2025, along with six Nigerians, for an alleged crime committed in Ogun State’s Ogere region.
Read more about the EFCC’s arrests of two Chinese nationals and six Nigerians for illegal mining.
Following credible information obtained by the Commission and thorough investigation into their activities, the suspects, including Zach Hang Lin, Gao Pei Hai, Matthew Mathias, Oluwaseun Amoo, Wasiu Ademola Alao, Ajibola Nurudeen, Ibrahim Yinusa, and Saidu Shuaibu, were apprehended during a sting operation.
Three trucks full of sacks of substances thought to be ground lithium powder and other still-unidentified solid minerals were discovered by operatives at the time of the arrest.
