Author: News Desk

Fifteen months after a Hamas-led terrorist attack in southern Israel triggered the unprecedented Israeli bombardment and ground campaign that has laid waste to Gaza, a way out of the conflict may be in sight. The human cost has been devastating: a Palestinian death toll close to 45,000, according to local authorities; more than 1,000 Israeli fatalities from the October 7, 2023, assault. The EU watched from the sidelines as the US, Egypt and Qatar mediated a three-phase ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that could come into effect on Sunday, seeing 33 Israeli hostages in Gaza released in exchange for…

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has issued a statement after claiming that a photo of himself alongside a rapper is set to be published by a British tabloid newspaper. The image has not been published as of 7pm on Thursday evening but the reference to Jimmy Mizen in Rashford’s statement suggests that the rapper in the photo is UK drill artist TEN, whose real name is Jake Fahri – a 35-year-old who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years in 2009 for Mizen’s murder. Fahri, then 19, threw an oven dish at Mizen which shattered and…

Neil Robertson working on ‘scary snooker that you can’t stop’ despite Masters loss Neil Robertson feels his game is in brilliant shape and is close to playing ‘scary snooker that you can’t stop’ despite a Masters defeat at the hands of Shaun Murphy. The Australian did play well in a 6-2 defeat to the Magician, who was in fantastic form, winning the match with a break of 120, snookering himself on the yellow in a bid for a 147. Robertson made breaks of 108, 79 and even a 66 in the fifth frame which he lost and only saw positives…

Shaun Murphy credits former world champion for bringing back his belief Shaun Murphy feels his link-up with former world champion Peter Ebdon has helped bring back his self-belief, as he soars into the semi-finals at the Masters. The Magician was in excellent form on Thursday as he beat Neil Robertson 6-2 at Alexandra Palace to book his spot in the final four. It nearly ended in perfect fashion as he potted 15 reds and blacks in the eighth frame before snookering himself on the yellow and ending his hopes of a first Triple Crown 147. It was an excellent…

Paul Scholes tells Man Utd fans not to worry if ‘scruffy’ £70m star is sold Paul Scholes believes Manchester United supporters should not worry if the club decide to sell Alejandro Garnacho. Napoli have identified Garnacho as their first-choice replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is set to join Paris Saint-Germain in a €70 million (£58.9m) deal. United are holding out for a £70m fee for Garnacho, however, Napoli are looking to secure a deal closer to €50m (£42.1m). The Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules could also force United to listen to offers for Kobbie Mainoo, with the England…

Ally McCoist says £58m Man Utd star was ‘smashed to smithereens’ by Southampton Ally McCoist says Leny Yoro was ‘smashed to smithereens’ during Manchester United’s comeback victory against Southampton on Thursday night. Ruben Amorim’s side were staring down the barrel of another defeat after Manuel Ugarte’s own goal gave Southampton a deserved lead shortly before half time. But a late hat-trick from Amad Diallo salvaged a 3-1 win for United, who move into 12th place in the Premier League. Yoro, meanwhile, endured a difficult evening at Old Trafford as United’s £58 million signing struggled to get to grips with Southampton’s…

Mark Allen downs Mark Selby in Masters slugfest after ‘ridiculous’ luck Mark Allen battled his way into the semi-finals of the Masters after a 6-2 win over Mark Selby on Thursday night. It finished an impressive scoreline in Allen’s favour but the match did not feel one-sided, with a string of close and long frames. The game began at a nice pace with Allen making 81, Selby responding with 88 and the Northern Irishman retaking the lead with a 104. However, the one-visit frames ended there for some time as the next three were lengthy, tight and edgy. They all…

Owen Hargreaves blasts ‘mad’ Man Utd transfer decision after Southampton win Owen Hargreaves has described Manchester United’s decision to listen to loan offers for Marcus Rashford as ‘madness’ and has also urged the club to keep Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. Rashford has made it clear that he is keen to leave United in order to find a ‘new challenge’ and the 27-year-old has attracted interest from several clubs across Europe, including Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. However, Rashford’s £325,000-a-week salary is a major hurdle and United are understood to be asking clubs to contribute at last half…

The Conservative Party leader has been called on to ‘urgently clarify’ what she meant in an LBC interview Kemi Badenoch in row over pension triple-lock interview question Kemi Badenoch has come under fire after she was asked whether the Conservative Party would look at the triple-lock pension system in a radio interview. The leader of the opposition was asked on LBC on Thursday evening about how certain people benefit from the triple-lock when, the caller claimed, they do not need it. The current system ensures state pensions rise by whichever is highest out of the rate of inflation, average earnings…

The exact location of most of these small chips remains a mystery Search for 30 missing fragments from ancient Stone of Destiny after Westminster Abbey heist A search is underway for more than 30 fragments of the ancient Stone of Destiny after they separated from the ancient artefact following its famous theft from Westminster Abbey and secret repair. The exact location of most of these small chips remains a mystery as they have been passed down through families or are in private collections. Professor Sally Foster has been painstakingly collating the history of as many of the pieces as possible,…