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Djibouti football leadership ousted in disputed assembly amid police presence
Police occupied the Djibouti Football Federation’s headquarters as 16 club presidents held a disputed assembly to remove president Souleiman Waberi and his executive committee. The federation says the meeting was improperly called and its decisions are invalid; the episode raises concerns about state interference in football governance and possible international sanctions. Opponents say enough delegates…
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BT’s purchase of TalkTalk is cosy – but probably politically sensible | Nils Pratley
BT’s hurried purchase of TalkTalk through a pre-pack administration has prompted claims that it is a cosy deal favouring the dominant broadband group. The article argues that ministers had few practical alternatives: an uncontrolled collapse could have disrupted customers, while no credible buyer had emerged after months of efforts. TalkTalk had about £1.5bn in borrowings,…
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Preppers used to be ridiculed – but we’re all stockpiling now | Zoe Williams
The UK government is asking households to keep three days’ worth of food and water for emergencies, advice the writer sees as reasonable given how often wars and other shocks disrupt supplies. But she questions whether household stockpiles can offer meaningful protection without a wider public plan for emergencies. The article notes that Britain has…
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Former Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert dies aged 84 in Illinois home
Former US House Speaker Dennis Hastert has died aged 84 at his Illinois home. The county coroner said he died of natural causes over the weekend; his death brings renewed attention to a political career that ended in prison after he admitted abusing teenage boys he coached before entering politics. Hastert represented Illinois in Congress…
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Saudi aircraft support Yemen government offensive against Houthi-held territory
Yemen’s government has launched an offensive to retake territory held by the Houthis, with support from Saudi-led coalition air strikes. The campaign matters beyond Yemen because recent Houthi advances near the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab shipping route, alongside disruption to Saudi oil infrastructure, have added pressure to energy supplies during the wider Middle East…
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Even I’m not English under Suella Braverman’s ‘ridiculous’ test, says Jacob Rees-Mogg as he swipes at Reform UK defectors
Jacob Rees-Mogg criticised Suella Braverman’s view that English identity depends on family heritage, calling it too narrow. He said people born in England, or those who move there and become British citizens, should be able to identify as English, and argued that Englishness and Britishness are often treated as synonymous. Braverman, who joined Reform UK…
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Yemeni troops claim control of key Bab al-Mandab Strait
Yemen’s government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have launched a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthi movement, claiming to have “secured” the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. The military operation marks a significant escalation in the country’s ongoing civil war, with government forces besieging Houthis in the Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab and launching…
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Iran’s oil minister quits amid inflation and falling oil revenues
Iranian oil minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned as the country faces soaring inflation, a shrinking economy and falling oil receipts. The departure also comes amid allegations that intermediaries handling overseas oil sales owe the state billions, raising questions about oversight and public confidence. President Masoud Pezeshkian said he accepted Paknejad’s resignation, which was given for…
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OpenAI must explain action taken to stop AI hacking Australians’ private data, chair of federal inquiry says
OpenAI must explain how it will prevent its AI models from inappropriately accessing Australian data, parliament’s artificial intelligence committee chair has warned ahead of federal inquiry hearings beginning this week. The company faces scrutiny following an incident where its AI agent accessed Medicare records held by Services Australia, with particular criticism over the delayed notification…
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Artist considers legal action over Tories’ unauthorised Burnham cartoon use
Manchester-based illustrator Stanley Chow is considering legal action against the Conservative Party after they used his cartoon of Prime Minister Andy Burnham without permission. The artwork was originally commissioned for campaign material during the Makerfield byelection in June, but was later reproduced on water bottles distributed at the Conservative conference with the slogan “bottler Burnham”.…