A MAJOR A-road has shut down overnight for works set to last nearly two weeks.
The A38 in Cornwall is currently closed overnight, with National Highways confirming the closure is to “improve safety” along the busy stretch.
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The A38 in Cornwall is currently closedCredit: Google Maps
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The A38 will be closed in both directions from Twelvewoods to Turfdown Roundabout during the worksCredit: Alamy
National Highways is carrying out work between St Neot at Carnglaze Caverns junction and Dobwalls at the Twelvewoods roundabout.
The highways agency has said it aims to improve safety and reduce the need for unplanned closures down the line.
The A38 will be closed in both directions from Twelvewoods to Turfdown Roundabout every weeknight from 8.30pm to 6am.
The closure began on Tuesday, May 6, and will run through to Friday, May 16.
The road remains open as usual during the day and weekends.
National Highways said overnight closures are when traffic is lightest – meaning disruption is kept to a minimum.
Access to properties within the closure area will be maintained, with residents told to speak to the site team to be escorted through the works.
Signed diversions are also in place, and drivers are being urged to plan ahead and allow extra travel time.
All light vehicles heading east or west will be sent through Lostwithiel.
HGVs heading westbound will use the same route.
But eastbound HGVs over 20 tonnes will face a longer diversion via the A30 to Launceston, before joining the A390 and reconnecting with the A38 at Carkeel Roundabout.
First new road bridge crossing River Clyde in 20 years opens to drivers TODAY
Access to Bodmin Parkway Station will be kept open via Turfdown Roundabout.
National Highways said the work is weather-dependent, meaning poor conditions could extend the closure period.
It comes as residents in Tunbridge Wells,Kent, are facing nearly half a year of diversions in order to facilitate key gas works.
Gas distribution company SGN’s project will involve replacing 2.2 miles of gain mains on Upper Grosvenor Road and kicked off earlier today.
SGN said: “It’s part of a 30-year programme to replace our old metal mains reaching the end of their useful lives with new plastic pipe.”
The gas network upgrades were approved to ensure a safer and more efficient supply for residents, they added.
Clear diversion signs will be in place to guide motorists, and local vehicle access will be maintained throughout the works.
President Trump signed an executive order Friday directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a center for homeless veterans on its West Los Angeles campus.
The order set a goal of housing up to 6,000 homeless veterans at the center, which Trump named the National Warrior Independence Center, and ordered federal agencies to “ensure that funds that may have been spent on housing or other services for illegal aliens are redirected to construct, establish, and maintain” it.
Trump ordered VA Secretary Doug Collins to prepare an action plan to create the housing by Jan. 1, 2028. He also ordered Collins to report within 60 days on “options like expanding office hours, offering weekend appointments, and increasing the use of virtual healthcare.”
“Too many veterans are homeless in America,” the order said. “Each veteran deserves our gratitude. Yet the Federal Government has not always treated veterans like the heroes they are.”
As part of the action plan, Trump ordered the secretary of Housing and Urban Development to consult with Collins on using “vouchers to support homeless veterans in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and around the Nation with respect to this effort.”
The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program, commonly known as HUD-VASH, provides vouchers that veterans can use for housing on the campus and in rentals in the community. Delays in processing applications and landlord resistance to accepting the vouchers have left many of them unused. In 2024, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System reported that there were 8,453 HUD-VASH housing vouchers available for greater Los Angeles but only 62% were in use.
The initiative comes amid the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to VA staffing that have sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers of widespread disruptions across the agency’s healthcare system.
“There are real-life dangerous impacts for veterans,” Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania said Thursday following an investigation by the investigative news site ProPublica.
The order comes at a critical moment in a trail of litigation over the VA’s management of the campus. A decision is expected any day from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on a federal judge’s ruling that the VA had failed a fiduciary duty to provide housing for veterans. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ordered the VA to immediately create about 100 units of temporary housing on the 388-acre campus and to build more than 2,000 units of permanent and temporary housing. He also invalidated leases of portions of that land to civilian entities including UCLA and a private school.
The VA appealed the decision, contending, in addition to other legal arguments, that the cost would irreparably harm other services to veterans.
Although the immediate effect on the case was unclear, veterans took Trump’s executive order as a positive sign.
“A lot of the veterans I’ve spoken to so far are very happy to see that the White House has taken this position about the West Los Angeles VA,” said Rob Reynolds, an Iraq war veteran who testified in the case about his frustrations helping homeless veterans seeking housing on the campus. “Just to know that there was an executive order signed for more housing on VA land, that’s a huge win for us. That’s something vets have been fighting for for years.”
The Veterans Collective, a development and service partnership that has a VA contract to construct about 1,200 units of supportive housing on the campus, issued a statement saying that it “enthusiastically applauds President Trump’s plan for a national center for homeless veterans” and said it looks forward to welcoming him to the campus soon.
The group is working to complete the 1,200 units by the end of Trump’s term, it said.
“With more than 1,000 Veterans already living on campus today, it would be a wonderful opportunity for them to meet with the Commander-in-Chief,” the statement said. “He would also be the first President to see our progress.”
Another veteran who has been critical of the VA’s handling of the campus development was more guarded.
“The President’s Executive Order is a right thing but not yet the right thing,” said Anthony Allman, executive of Vets Advocacy, a nonprofit created to monitor development of a master plan that arose from an earlier lawsuit.
Allman notes that the order outlines a plan for more than just housing and envisions a center of activity and services for veterans on and off the campus.
“We look forward to working with the administration to make the right things — housing, community, workforce development — available to veterans at the historic Pacific Branch property,” Allman said, using the historic name for the disabled soldiers home created there in the 19th century.
In a lengthy preamble, Trump’s executive order alluded to some of that history, including the closing of veterans’ housing in the 1970s and improper leases of veterans’ land that led to the two lawsuits.
“The campus once featured a chapel, billiard hall, 1,000-seat theater, and housed about 6,000 veterans, but the Federal Government has since allowed this crown jewel of veteran care to deteriorate over the last few decades,” it said. “The Department of Veterans Affairs leased parts of the property to a private school, private companies, and the baseball team of the University of California, Los Angeles, sometimes at significantly below-market prices.
“As of 2024, there were approximately 3,000 homeless veterans in Los Angeles, more than in any other city in the country and accounting for about 10 percent of all of America’s homeless veterans. Many of these heroes live in squalor in Los Angeles’s infamous ‘Skid Row.’”
The order also required an action plan to expand the Manchester VA Medical Center in New Hampshire to a full-service medical center “so that it is no longer the only State in the contiguous United States” without one.
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery praises the “fantastic” Ollie Watkins as the striker becomes the club’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League with the only goal in a 1-0 win over Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium.
May 10 (UPI) — Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said he was “targeted” when he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at a migrant detention facility in that city.
“Nothing happened for a long, long time, you know, for at least over an hour. And then, you know, after that, they finally told us to leave, and I told him I was leaving, they came outside the gate and arrested me,” Baraka said during a TV interview with MSNBC.
“So it looked like it was targeted.”
Baraka was arrested at Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, after attending the facility with New Jersey Reps. Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman.
The Department of Homeland Security later accused the two members of Congress of illegally breaking into the detention facility as part of a “bizarre political stunt.”
Baraka was later released from a DHS field office following his arrest.
The 55-year-old native of Newark is running to replace Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., who is term-limited. Baraka has made several TV appearances following the arrest.
“The reality is this: I didn’t do anything wrong,” Baraka told the public following his release.
“[Baraka] was exercising my right and duty as an elected official,” the mayor told CNN.
Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba pushed back, saying federal officials were in the right.
“The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon,” Habba said on X. “He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. No one is above the law.”
At least 21 people, including several children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn amid a months-long Israeli blockade that has deepened the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn coastal enclave.
Four Palestinians were killed and others were wounded Saturday evening after an Israeli airstrike targeted a tent sheltering displaced families in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip.
Earlier, Palestinian news agency Wafa said Israeli warplanes bombed a tent in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City on Saturday morning, killing five members of the Tlaib family.
“Three children, their mother and her husband were sleeping inside a tent and were bombed by an [Israeli] occupation aircraft,” family member Omar Abu al-Kass told the AFP news agency.
The strikes came “without warning and without having done anything wrong”, added Abu al-Kass, who said he was the children’s maternal grandfather.
In parallel, a drone attack on Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood left six people dead and one more in the Sheikh Radwan area of the city where Israel bombed an apartment belonging to the Zaqout family.
Further south, Wafa said Israeli gunboats opened “heavy fire” on the shores of Rafah, killing a man identified as Mohammed Saeed al-Bardawil. Two more civilians were injured in an attack on the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, west of Rafah.
In the past 24 hours, at least 23 Palestinians have been killed and 124 others injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.
Israeli blockade
The attacks came amid Israel’s continuing refusal to allow vital supplies into Gaza since March 2, leaving the enclave’s 2.3 million residents dependent on a dwindling number of charity kitchens, which have been shutting down in recent days as food runs out.
Reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said: “There’s barely food … We’re talking about bakeries not operating, we’re talking about zero distribution points and we’re talking about only a few hot meal kitchens still operating.”
Khoudary said people queueing for hours would often leave empty-handed, with remaining kitchens stretching out food that would previously have fed 100 to serve up to 2,000 people.
“We’re seeing more people dying, we’re seeing more children dying due to malnutrition and the lack of food. But it’s not only the lack of food, it’s also the lack of medical supplies, it’s the lack of fuel, cooking gas and it’s the lack of everything,” she said.
Among the charities shuttering operations, the United States-based World Central Kitchen said on Wednesday that it had been forced to close down because it no longer had supplies to bake bread or cook meals.
The United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs appealed for the blockade to be lifted.
“Children are starving, and dying. Community kitchens are shutting down. Clean water is running out,” it said on Friday in a post on X.
‘Failure of humanity’
The blockade is also having a devastating effect on people with chronic illnesses, depriving Palestinians who suffer from diabetes, cancer and rare conditions, of life-saving medication.
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said: “Doctors here say the tragedy is not in what’s happening, but in what is preventable.”
“These diseases have a treatment, but people of Gaza no longer have access to them, and they say that this is not just a failure of logistics, but of humanity,” he added.
Mahmoud spoke to the father of a 10-year-old boy suffering from diabetes, who said insulin was not available across northern Gaza.
“I spend entire days searching pharmacies, hoping to find it. Sometimes we hear that individuals might have it, so I go to their homes to barter,” he said.
Said al-Soudy, head of emergency in the oncology department of Gaza City’s Al Helou International Hospital, told Al Jazeera: “A large part of patients are struggling to find their essential medications. Without them, their health conditions deteriorate and may become life-threatening.”
Pharmacist Rana Alsamak told Al Jazeera that Palestinians were unable to obtain medication for “multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, chronic illnesses and … immune-related diseases”.
“These conditions now go largely untreated,” she said.
On Friday, the United States said it was establishing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to coordinate aid deliveries into Gaza, with Israel providing military security for operations. The United Nations rejected the move, saying it would weaponise aid, violate principles of neutrality and cause mass displacement.
Match of the Day host says reaction would be positive if Premier League stars opened up about their sexuality
20:00, 10 May 2025Updated 20:00, 10 May 2025
Gary Lineker shared his thoughts on why gay male footballers fear coming out(Image: The FA via Getty Images)
Gary Lineker says he hopes a gay male footballer comes out at the top level – and is “applauded for their bravery”. The former England striker shared his thoughts when asked why he thinks it’s hard for players to be open about their sexuality.
Gary Lineker faces some tricky questions on ITV’s The Assembly
Lineker, 64, added: “I think if a player came out the reaction would be positive and applaud them for the bravery of doing it.”
The outgoing Match of the Day presenter was also asked about whether or not he’d be going to the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal.
“No, I won’t be there,” revealed Gary. “Hopefully by 2034 that has changed, I hope.”
His comments came in ITV show The Assembly, in which stars are quizzed by interviewers who are neurodivergent, autistic or learning disabled.
Asked how he avoided a booking in his 16-year career for clubs like Leicester City and Spurs, he said: “I never tackled anyone. It’s impossible now to go through a career without being booked. In my day you’d have to have committed grievous bodily harm to be booked.”
Asked how he would like to be remembered, Gary mused: “I don’t mind what people think about me. People have opinions about people when they don’t have any idea what they’re like. People thought I’m a good footballer. I was born to be in the box, I learnt to be on the box and very soon I’ll be in a box. It’s been fun.
“I’ve been incredibly lucky. I wonder why I have been so blessed. But I’m thankful.”
Gary will leave Match of The Day at the end of the football season (Image: BBC/Pete Dadds)
But said support from his colleagues meant a lot to him. “It was actually also lovely, because the backing I got from the people I work with was beautiful,” he said.
Lineker had posted that language used by Suella Braverman over the stop the boats asylum policy was “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s”.
But after he was suspended, many of his colleagues in BBC Sport declined to stand in for him, including Alex Scott and Alan Shearer.
Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will replace Gary in the famous Match of the Day chair
The Assembly: Gary Lineker is on ITV1 at 10pm tomorrow night.
Thousands gather demanding an end to the war and the release of Israeli captives in Gaza.
Thousands of Israelis rallied in central Tel Aviv, calling on the government to end the war on Gaza and secure the immediate release of Israeli captives held in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that in Tel Aviv, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli campaign group, held its weekly rally Saturday in “Hostages Square”, while another demonstration by families of captives is taking place outside the Israeli military headquarters.
A separate antigovernment protest is also occurring at Habima Square in Tel Aviv.
The Times of Israel reported that Shai Mozes, whose parents were held captive and released in separate exchange deals, told the crowd at the protest in Habima Square that Israel’s “real enemy is not Hamas, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is destroying Israel as a Jewish and democratic state”.
Netanyahu’s critics in Israel have accused the prime minister of extending the war for his own personal and political survival.
Haaretz also reported that protests are expected in other cities, including Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba, as well as at dozens of other sites and intersections across Israel.
After Netanyahu announced an expanded offensive in the Gaza Strip on Monday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum criticised the move in a statement, saying the plan is “sacrificing” those still held in the Palestinian territory.
A demonstrator wearing a mask representing US President Donald Trump and carrying a doll with a mask depicting Netanyahu at an antigovernment protest in Tel Aviv [Jack Guez/AFP]
Hamas releases video of two Israeli captives alive in Gaza
Hamas’s armed wing released a video on Saturday showing two Israeli captives alive in the Gaza Strip, with one of the two men calling to end the 19-month-long war.
Israeli media identified the pair in the undated video as Elkana Bohbot and Yosef Haim Ohana.
The three-minute video released by Hamas’s Qassam Brigades shows one of the captives, identified by media as 36-year-old Bohbot, visibly weak and lying on the floor wrapped in a blanket.
Ohana, 24, speaks in Hebrew in the video, urging the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of all remaining captives.
Bohbot and Ohana were both abducted by Palestinian fighters from the site of a music festival during Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on Saturday denied trespassing at a new federal immigration detention center during a confrontation that led to his arrest while the Democrat was at the facility with three members of Congress.
Baraka, who has been protesting the center’s opening in his New Jersey city this week, was released around 8 p.m. Friday night after several hours in custody. He was accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings to leave the Delaney Hall facility.
Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for public affairs with the Department of Homeland Security, said in an interview with CNN on Saturday that the investigation was ongoing and that the department released more video of the confrontation. McLaughlin accused Baraka of playing “political games.”
“I’m shocked by all the lies that were told here,” said Baraka, who said he had been invited there for a news conference. “No one else arrested, I was invited in, then they arrested me on the sidewalk.”
Baraka, who is running to succeed term-limited New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, has embraced the fight with the Trump administration over illegal immigration. He has protested the construction and opening of the 1,000-bed detention center, arguing that it should not be allowed because of building permit issues.
Alina Habba, interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, said on the social platform X that Baraka trespassed at the detention facility, which is run by private prison operator Geo Group.
Habba said Baraka had “chosen to disregard the law.”
Video of the incident showed that Baraka was arrested after returning to the public side of the gate to the facility.
Witnesses describe a heated argument
Witnesses said the arrest came after Baraka attempted to join three members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation — Reps. Rob Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Bonnie Watson Coleman — in attempting to enter the facility.
When federal officials blocked his entry, a heated argument broke out, according to Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. It continued even after Baraka returned to the public side of the gates.
“There was yelling and pushing,” Martinez said. “Then the officers swarmed Baraka. They threw one of the organizers to the ground. They put Baraka in handcuffs and put him in an unmarked car.”
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the lawmakers had not asked for a tour of Delaney Hall, which the agency said it would have facilitated. The department said that as a bus carrying detainees was entering in the afternoon, “a group of protestors, including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility.”
Ned Cooper, a spokesperson for Watson Coleman, said the three lawmakers went there unannounced because they planned to inspect it, not take a scheduled tour.
“Contrary to a press statement put out by DHS we did not ‘storm’ the detention center,” Watson Coleman said in a statement. “The author of that press release was so unfamiliar with the facts on the ground that they didn’t even correctly count the number of Representatives present. We were exercising our legal oversight function as we have done at the Elizabeth Detention Center without incident.”
Video of the incident
In video of the altercation shared with the Associated Press, a federal official in a jacket with the logo of Homeland Security Investigations can be heard telling Baraka he could not enter the facility because “you are not a Congress member.”
Baraka then left the secure area, rejoining protesters on the public side of the gate. Video showed him speaking through the gate to a man in a suit, who said: “They’re talking about coming back to arrest you.”
“I’m not on their property. They can’t come out on the street and arrest me,” Baraka replied.
Minutes later, several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, some wearing face coverings, surrounded him and others on the public side. As protesters cried out, “Shame,” Baraka was dragged back through the gate in handcuffs.
Menendez said in a statement that as members of Congress, he and his colleagues have the legal right to carry out oversight at DHS facilities without prior notice and have done so twice this year. But on Friday, “throughout every step of this visit, ICE attempted to intimidate everyone involved and impede our ability to conduct oversight.”
The detention center
The two-story building is next to a county prison formerly operated as a halfway house.
In February, ICE awarded a 15-year contract to the Geo Group to run the detention center. Geo valued the contract at $1 billion, an unusually long and large agreement for ICE.
The announcement was part of President Trump’s plans to sharply increase detention beds nationwide from a budget of about 41,000 beds this year.
Baraka sued Geo soon after the deal was announced.
Geo touted the Delaney Hall contract during an earnings call with shareholders Wednesday, with Chief Executive David Donahue saying it was expected to generate more than $60 million a year in revenue. He said the facility began the intake process May 1.
He said the activation of the center and another in Michigan would increase capacity under contract with ICE from around 20,000 beds to around 23,000.
The Department of Homeland Security said in its statement that the facility has the proper permits and inspections have been cleared.
Offenhartz, Lauer and Shipkowski write for the Associated Press. AP writer Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed to this report.
Tomoyuki Sugano gave up one run and three hits in 7 ⅓ innings, Gunnar Henderson hit a solo homer and drove in an insurance run in the ninth with a triple, and the Baltimore Orioles broke a five-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Angels on Friday night.
Sugano (4-2) used a six-pitch mix to strike out five and walk none during a 93-pitch effort in which he threw 65 strikes.
Yennier Cano replaced Sugano with one out in the eighth and gave up a single to Jo Adell and a walk to pinch hitter Jorge Soler. But the right-hander won a 13-pitch duel with Zach Neto, who fouled off six two-strike pitches before whiffing on a 95-mph sinker.
Felix Bautista struck out two of three batters in the ninth for his seventh save.
Henderson’s first-inning homer came off Angels right-hander Kyle Hendricks (1-4), who gave up three earned runs and six hits in five innings, striking out five and walking three.
Ryan O’Hearn and Tyler O’Neill walked to open the second, and Jackson Holliday’s RBI single pushed the lead to 2-0. Emmanuel Rivera’s RBI single to left made it 3-0.
The Angels cut the deficit to 3-1 in the seventh when Yoán Moncada tripled and scored on Taylor Ward’s groundout.
The Angels’ Reid Detmers, who was rocked for 12 runs and 11 hits while retiring one batter in his previous three appearances, relieved Hendricks with two on and no outs in the sixth. The left-hander struck out Holliday, got Ramon Laureano to fly to center and Rivera to line out to second to keep the Angels close.
Henderson’s fourth homer of the season ended a streak of 16 straight games in which the Orioles had not scored in the first inning.
Up next: RHP Kyle Gibson (0-1, 14.09 ERA) will start Saturday night’s game for the Orioles against Angels RHP Jack Kochanowicz (1-5, 5.79).
Islamabad, Pakistan – India and Pakistan fired missiles at each other’s military bases on Saturday morning, the latest escalation in their rapid drift towards an all-out war.
Pakistan accused India of carrying out attacks inside its territory for the fourth consecutive night, launching ballistic missile strikes on at least three air bases. Islamabad said that in response, it launched a major military campaign, “Operation Bunyan Marsoos” (Arabic for “a structure made of lead”) targeting at least six Indian military bases.
India, in turn, accused Pakistan of being the aggressor. Indian military officials claimed Pakistan had targeted several Indian military bases and that its missiles into Pakistani territory were in response.
Yet, regardless of who hit the other first on May 10, the very fact that India and Pakistan had struck each other’s military bases over such a wide swath of territory, well beyond Kashmir – the disputed region that they each partly control – means that the conflict has now veered into almost unknown territory.
Never have the South Asian rivals attacked each other on this scale outside the four wars they have fought.
Here is what we know so far about India’s attacks, Pakistan’s response, what both countries and global powers like the United States are saying, and the background to this intensifying conflict.
(Al Jazeera)
What happened on the morning of May 10, according to Pakistan?
Pakistan said that India launched a salvo of drones into Pakistan, followed by ballistic missile strikes on at least three major airbases.
The Pakistani bases India targeted are:
Nur Khan airbase: Located near Chaklala, Rawalpindi, it serves as a key operational and training hub. It houses important Pakistan Air Force commands, and supports transport, logistics and VIP flight operations.
Murid airbase: Located in Chakwal, roughly 120km (75 miles) from Islamabad. It is a vital forward-operating base for the Pakistan Air Force. It plays a crucial role in air defence and combat readiness.
Rafiqui airbase: Located in Shorkot, Punjab, the base hosts fighter squadrons.
Pakistan said that in response, it launched aerial attacks against multiple Indian military bases. The bases known to have been targeted are:
Udhampur airbase: Located in Indian-administered Kashmir, Udhampur is also the headquarters of the Indian Army’s Northern Command.
Pathankot airbase: The base in Indian Punjab is a central part of India’s frontline air force operations and was targeted by armed fighters in a 2016 attack in which six Indian soldiers were killed. India blamed that attack on the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Drangyari artillery gun position: Drangyari is in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Uri field support depot: Uri, in Indian-administered Kashmir, is also home to a major Indian Army base that was attacked in 2016 by armed fighters who killed 19 Indian soldiers. India, which blamed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad for the attack, launched what it described as “surgical strikes” in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Nagrota: The town in Indian-administered Kashmir is home to a storage site for the Brahmos missiles jointly designed and made by India and Russia.
Beas: Located in Indian Punjab, the site is a storage facility for the Brahmos missile.
Adampur air base: Located in Indian Punjab, the base is home to an S-400 missile defence system that India bought from Russia.
Bhuj air base: The base is located in Gujarat, the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
What has India said?
At a media briefing, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri accused Pakistan of provocations and escalations, claiming that New Delhi was only responding to its neighbour’s actions.
He was joined by Colonel Sofia Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, who shared New Delhi’s version of events.
Pakistan, Qureshi said, used “drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions and fighter aircrafts to target civilian areas and military infrastructure”.
“Pakistan military also resorted to air intrusions using drones and firing of heavy calibre weapons along the Line of Control,” she said. Loitering munitions, also known as suicide drones, are remote-controlled and designed to crash into their targets. The Line of Control is the de facto border between Indian and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
While India said it had shot down most incoming missiles and drones, Qureshi and Singh conceded that the air force bases in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj did suffer “limited damage”.
India, however, rejected suggestions that any bases had suffered any significant damage, with the military releasing time-stamped photos of the facilities in support of its assertion. Pakistan’s military had on Thursday claimed that the Udhampur and Pathankot bases had been “destroyed.”
Indian officials said at least five people had been killed by Pakistani missile fire on Saturday.
What else happened on May 10?
As the neighbours traded missile fire and allegations, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with General Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief and widely regarded as the country’s most powerful figure, as well as with the Indian foreign minister, S Jaishankar.
According to the US State Department, Rubio urged both parties to seek ways to “deescalate” and offered American assistance in launching constructive dialogue to avoid further conflict.
How did India and Pakistan get to the brink of war?
Pakistan’s military response on Thursday followed four days of consecutive Indian attacks inside its territory and came two weeks after a deadly assault on tourists in the scenic town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.
The attack killed 26 men, all civilians. India blamed armed groups it alleges are backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad has denied, calling instead for an “impartial, transparent” investigation that New Delhi has rejected.
Multiple witness accounts suggest the gunmen segregated the men from the women, then selected and killed non-Muslims.
India initiated strikes on May 7, targeting areas inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. It claimed to have destroyed “terrorist infrastructure” and eliminated at least “100 terrorists”.
It called its attacks Operation Sindoor, a reference to the vermilion – sindoor in Hindi – the red pigment many married Hindu women apply to their foreheads. The mission’s name was an allusion to the manner in which gunmen killed tourists in Pahalgam.
Pakistan reported that the Indian strikes killed 33 people, including several children, and injured more than 50. It denied that any of the dead were fighters, as India claimed.
As the attacks unfolded, Pakistan deployed its air force in response, engaging in a battle with the Indian Air Force (IAF). Pakistan’s military claimed it downed five Indian jets, including three Rafales, the French-made aircraft considered the IAF’s most advanced assets. India has neither confirmed nor denied the losses.
Drone warfare intensifies
India responded by deploying drones and loitering munitions on May 9 and 10, hitting at least a dozen targets across Pakistan, including major urban centres such as Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
India said the drone strikes were in response to Pakistan’s use of drones, a claim Islamabad continues to reject.
“There is no credence to their claims. They continue to lie. Their allegation is false. Otherwise, where is their evidence?” Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Pakistan’s military spokesperson, told Al Jazeera during a news briefing in Rawalpindi on Friday.
He added that Pakistan’s response to “Indian aggression” would come at a “time, method, and place of our choosing”.
That time came on the morning of May 10.
What does Operation Bunyan Marsoos mean?
Pakistan’s operation is titled Bunyan Marsoos, an Arabic phrase that translates as “a structure made of lead”.
The phrase originates from the Quran: “Truly God loves those who fight in His cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.”
In its Quranic context, the phrase symbolises unity and strength among believers fighting for a righteous cause.
What comes next?
Experts have repeatedly warned of the need for immediate de-escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours before the situation becomes “irreversible”.
India said on May 10 that it was willing to stop the cycle of escalation if Pakistan reciprocated.
But Kamran Bokhari, senior director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, said Indian strikes on Pakistani airbases had dramatically escalated the conflict.
“With Pindi being hit and other airbases such as the one in Sargodha, the war has taken a turn for the worse,” he told Al Jazeera. “We are now looking at a much bigger-scale war.”
Muhammad Faisal, a South Asia security analyst at the University of Technology Sydney, said Pakistan was left with little choice but to respond forcefully.
“Pakistan can employ its latest jets in standoff mode or launch long-range missile strikes on Indian airbases that bypass air defences. During the last three days, both sides have significantly mapped each other’s air defences, and now the next round of escalation is here,” he told Al Jazeera.
Carlo Ancelotti says Xabi Alonso has “all the doors open” for a move to a big club, with speculation building that the former Real Madrid midfielder is set to replace the Italian coach at the helm of the Spanish powerhouse.
Ancelotti gave his routine pre-game news conference on Saturday, a day after Alonso announced he was leaving Bayer Leverkusen.
He praised the work of Alonso, who has been widely linked to an eventual move back to Madrid after leading the German club to the Bundesliga title last season.
“I read that Xabi is leaving Bayer Leverkusen, where he did a fantastic job,” Ancelotti said before Sunday’s trip to Barcelona. “He has all the doors open because he has shown that he is one of the best coaches in the world.”
Xabi Alonso confirmed in a news conference on Friday that he would leave Leverkusen at the end of the season [Marius Becker/Picture Alliance via Getty Images]
Ancelotti again refused to speak about his future, especially before a decisive Clasico in LaLiga. Madrid trail Barcelona by four points and need to win to keep alive their chances of winning a trophy this campaign.
But he did speak movingly about what Madrid means — and will mean — for the most successful manager in European football.
For Ancelotti, his relationship with the club he has spent six seasons at in two stints is an everlasting “honeymoon”.
“The honeymoon with this club never ends, it continues forever,” he said. “I think that Real Madrid, like Milan before, are the teams that stay with me, given the time I have spent here. At the beginning, there is passion, and when that fades, other feelings emerge, a sense of tender care. My honeymoon with Real Madrid will last for as long as I live.”
The 65-year-old coach is under contract through the next campaign but is widely expected to leave after an underwhelming season in which the team played worse despite adding Kylian Mbappe to its squad.
Brazil have been courting Ancelotti for over a year, and it appears talks are still ongoing with the veteran manager.
Real Madrid must play ‘complete’ game at Barcelona
With only four games remaining of the LaLiga season, only a win will realistically keep Real’s hopes of retaining the title, and for Ancelotti, they will need to get everything right to have a chance on Sunday.
“In this type of game, you have to do things well. Barcelona are used to keeping the opponent in their own area, but no team is perfect,” he said.
“It’s a game where there’s a lot at stake, and to win, you have to manage everything well, defend well, attack well. We have to play a complete game.”
With so much at stake against their great rivals, Ancelotti will have little trouble getting his players fired up.
“It’s not difficult to motivate the players because it’s the type of match for which the players already come out motivated and with a lot of confidence,” he said.
“Playing with Barcelona is special. It will be the last ‘El Clasico’ of the season because Barca are not in the Club World Cup.”
Barcelona’s players have discussed last week’s Champions League elimination and are ready to put their disappointment behind them against rivals Real Madrid, manager Hansi Flick said in his news conference on Saturday.
Barca suffered a 4-3 Champions League semifinal defeat by Inter Milan on Tuesday.
A home win on Sunday would move Flick’s side one victory away from their 28th Spanish league title.
“We’re doing well. After the defeat in Milan, everyone knows it’s not easy … but we’re doing things right. We’ve talked about what we want to do in these two weeks,” Flick told reporters.
“There are four more games to go. El Clasico is important, we have to show how well we can play. We have to show confidence. The players are doing very well … We’ve been talking about what they are thinking, what they are feeling.
“We had to talk about it as a group. Everyone knows that in a Clasico, you have to give 100 percent. You have to be active, intense, dominant. Real Madrid is a very good team, and we need the fans.”
El Clasico – the low down
Translated as “The Classic” in English, El Clasico is the name given to any football match between rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The special matchup between these football sides was born out of a more-than-a-century-old political-historical dimension between an increasingly distinct Catalan national identity, with FC Barcelona representing Catalonia, pitched against the centralised power structures of Spain’s capital city, Madrid, and by extension, its most famous football club, Real Madrid.
The first match between the two Spanish mega clubs was played on May 13, 1902.
In total, 260 matches have been played. Real Madrid lead in head-to-head results with 105 wins to Barcelona’s 103, with 52 draws.
Last five LaLiga matches
Barcelona: W-W-W-W-D (most recent fixture first)
May 3, 2025 – Real Valladolid 1-2 Barcelona April 22, 2025 – Barcelona 1-0 Mallorca April 19, 2025 – Barcelona 4-3 Celta Vigo April 12, 2025 – Leganes 0-1 Barcelona April 5, 2025 – Barcelona 1-1 Real Betis
Real Madrid: W-W-W-W-L (most recent fixture first)
May 04, 2025 – Real Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo April 23, 2025 – Getafe 0-1 Real Madrid April 20, 2025 – Real Madrid 1-0 Athletic Club April 13, 2025 – Alaves 0-1 Real Madrid April 5, 2025 – Real Madrid 1-2 Valencia
A GARDENING expert has revealed a simple 52 trick to keep rats out of your garden.
With temperatures soaring again this weekend, many of us have likely spent as much time as we can soaking up the sun in the garden.
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Rats can cause a real nuisance in your gardenCredit: Alamy
But there’s nothing worse than settling down in your favourite deck chair with a cup of tea and a good book, only to spot a pesky rat peering out from behind the bushes.
Not only are the critters dirty and unsightly, but they can also wreak havoc on your home and garden, and can even carry harmful diseases.
Although your first thought might be to put down poison or use traps, there are a number of natural methods you can try instead, which are cheaper.
Additionally, rat poison is toxic to pets and this method doesn’t eliminate the problem, as more rats will continue to flock to your garden.
Instead, experts urge trying out natural tricks to remove the unwanted pests.
Glenlivet Wildlife’s animal authority, Sam Bryant advised homeowners to plant, plants that rats hate the smell of.
He said: “Incorporating rat-repellent plants into the garden can serve as a natural deterrent.
“These plants possess odours or tastes that rats find unpleasant.”
Mint
Mint has a potent aroma, which sensitive-nosed rodents despise.
The strong odour can also disguise the scent of other foods, making rats think that there’s nothing worth eating in the garden.
Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Garden Pest-Free
Sam said: “Plant mint around the perimeter of the garden or near vulnerable plants to repel rats with its strong scent.”
You can pick up mint from Asda for as little as 52p.
Marigolds
Another scent that rats can’t stand, is that of Marigolds.
Sam explained: “Marigolds emit an odour that rats find unpleasant. Planting them alongside vegetables or flowers can provide an added layer of protection.
Keep pests out all summer
IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here’s what you need to know.
Hornets and wasps – hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay.
Moths – acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent.
Flying ants – herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents.
Mosquitoes – plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass.
“Their bright blooms also add aesthetic appeal to the garden.”
The expert added that the beautiful colours of the flowers act as a visual deterrent for wary rodents .
Daffodils
One of the key symbols of spring, the daffodil, is also a natural deterrent for rats.
Not only are they repelled by the strong odour of the stunning flowers, the alkaloids within the plants are poisonous to the rodents.
Sam said: “Rats are known to dislike the taste and smell of daffodils. Strategically planting these bulbs can help deter them.”
“Daffodils can be planted around the garden perimeter or interspersed among vulnerable plants to create a deterrent effect.”
Ras Baraka denies charge against him a day after he spent several hours in police custody.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has denied trespassing at a new United States federal immigration detention centre following his arrest and release.
Baraka, who has been protesting the centre’s opening this week, denied his trespassing charge on Saturday, a day after he spent several hours in police custody.
The mayor has gone head-to-head with the Trump administration over undocumented immigration, pushing back against the opening of the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 1,000-bed detention facility, arguing that it should not be allowed to open because of building permit issues.
Officials accused Baraka of trespassing and ignoring warnings to leave the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, New Jersey.
“I’m shocked by all the lies that were told here,” he said, adding he had been invited there for a news conference.
“No one else [was] arrested, I was invited in, then they arrested me on the sidewalk.”
Alina Habba, interim US Attorney for New Jersey, said on the social media platform X that Baraka trespassed at the detention facility, which is run by private prison operator Geo Group.
Habba said Baraka had “chosen to disregard the law”.
Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for public affairs with the US Department of Homeland Security, said in an interview with CNN on Saturday that the investigation was ongoing and that more video from the scene would soon be released.
She also accused Baraka of playing “political games”.
Baraka was taken into custody by the ICE agents in a scuffle at the facility.
He had joined several lawmakers at the detention centre for a demonstration on Friday.
Video of the incident showed that Baraka was arrested after returning to the public side of the gate to the facility.
Local elected officials swiftly condemned the federal agents’ actions, with the state’s governor, Phil Murphy, writing on X that he was “outraged by the unjust arrest”.
YOU can’t beat beetroot – as research shows it could benefit your body and brain.
It can even help you run faster because beets are rich in nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide, a compound that helps relax blood vessels, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles.
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We test three beetroot products
And it’s packed with more antioxidants than tomato, carrot, orange and pineapple juice.
Plenish Beet Balance Shots currently £1.50 each with a Tesco ClubcardCredit: Supplied
PLENISH Beet Balance Shots are a daily dose of beetroot, apple (74 per cent), ginger, lemon juice, with the added benefit of vitamin C for glowing skin plus B6 and folic acid.
Best of all, they taste amazing.
READ MORE ON HEALTH PRODUCTS
Each 60ml bottle has just 26 calories and 100 per cent of your reference intake of B6, which is great for regulating hormones.
There is no added sugar.
I would prefer if it was more beetroot and less apple, but I love these.
I am sure they give me energy before a run.
Plenishdrinks.com, or currently £1.50 each with a Tesco Clubcard.
My 60-year-old mom looks like she’s in her 30s – she gave me her DIY skin spray recipe, it’ll take years off your face
VERSATILE JUICE
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Cawston Press Brilliant Beetroot is 90 per cent beetroot juiceCredit: Supplied
IT looks just like red wine when you pour it into a glass, but Cawston Press Brilliant Beetroot tastes much earthier than the shot.
That’s because it is 90 per cent beetroot juice and just 9.9 per cent apple juice, with a little citric acid and vitamin C added.
It doesn’t have that off-putting aroma which some vegetable juices have, and it is only 39 calories per 100ml, with eight per cent sugar.
This is also a really versatile product – you could easily add it to soups, casseroles, shakes or pancakes for an extra vitamin hit.
Plus, there is the added bonus of this juice being a long life product, so you can keep it stashed away in the store cupboard before you open it.
1-litre, on offer for £2.65 with a Clubcard at Tesco.
PROTEIN BAR
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Each 60g bar of BodyMe Beetroot Berry includes 16g of plant protein and is packed with nutrients, vitamins and mineralsCredit: Supplied
BODYME Beetroot Berry Vegan Protein Bar contains protein powder blend (pea protein, sprouted brown rice protein, hemp protein) with cashews, coconut nectar, dates, goji berries, beetroot raspberry and coconut oil.
And all of them are organic.
There is not loads of beetroot in here, but this is a great snack bar.
Each 60g bar includes 16g of plant protein and is packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
No added sugar or sweeteners in here.
There is 9.5g of fat, but that comes from nuts and coconut oil.
I found these were a great pick-me-up to help beat my usual mid-afternoon energy slump – without the jittery crash that comes after a coffee hit.
On an afternoon in mid-December, Rob Pyers notices something amiss. It’s months after the grueling 2016 election, a quiet time when consultants and candidates are taking long-deferred vacations.
But that matters little to Pyers, who sees that hundreds of rows of federal campaign contributions he’s carefully culled and coded have gone missing from the website of the California Target Book, the subscriber-based election guide he helps run. After 10 minutes of furious typing, Pyers is visibly relieved — he’s fixed the database.
Three years ago, Pyers was as far away from politics as one could imagine: a listless college dropout who’d been laid off from his job, eating cheap and binge-watching Netflix to pass the time.
Today, from his one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood, Pyers, 41, anchors the Target Book, one of the most trusted compendiums on state politics. For years, the publication has helped several hundred subscribers — mostly political consultants and party insiders who can afford its $2,700 price tag for a two-year subscription — identify the hottest legislative and congressional races to focus on. The guide uses publicly available information to provide an at-a-glance analysis of each district’s demographics, a rundown of the candidates competing in political races and data on voter registration and past election results.
Despite Pyers’ distaste for many aspects of the Sacramento political orbit, his work on the book has quickly made him the ultimate insider in the often-opaque world of campaign finance. His passion for organizing massive amounts of data has transformed the publication and made his Twitter feed a go-to resource for some of Sacramento’s top operatives.
It’s a transformation even he can hardly believe.
“If you would have put everything I’ve done in the past 18 months in front of me back then,” he says, “I would have thought you were on crack or something.”
Pyers got to Hollywood the same way so many have before him: in a car stuffed full of his belongings and the hopes of making it big.
In early 2003 — harboring dreams of becoming a screenwriter — he drove as far as Interstate 10 would take him, from Jacksonville, Fla., to Santa Monica.
By 2011, constant rejection had withered those dreams, and Pyers was stuck at the same job at Walgreens he’d taken eight years earlier to pay the bills. It wouldn’t be long before he was laid off.
It was around then that he met Allan Hoffenblum, the longtime publisher of the Target Book and a fixture in West Hollywood social circles through which Pyers had made most of his friends. Hoffenblum was one of the few conservatives he knew in the community, something he and Pyers bonded over.
“It was just very easy to get along with him, even if you completely disagreed with him on something,” Pyers said of Hoffenblum.
When Pyers was living off a dwindling severance two years ago, Hoffenblum asked him for help redesigning his personal website. It had been decades since his last computer programming class, but after weeks of frustration and toil, Pyers finished the job.
A couple of months later, Hoffenblum asked Pyers to help with proofreading and research for the Target Book.
When Hoffenblum complained about how time-consuming it was to track down campaign finance data, Pyers looked for ways to automate the process with computer code.
He watched hours of online tutorials, took a couple of basic seminars and found himself in an obsessive trial-and-error loop for weeks.
“I think one of my great talents is being able to Google error messages,” Pyers said.
During the height of campaign season, Rob Pyers toiled 19-hour days, fueled by Coca-Cola and Red Bull. Many Sacramento political insiders have taken notice of his work.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times )
By June, he’d published his first data project on the book’s website. By September, he was getting an automated alert every time someone filed a new candidate committee or when a major campaign contribution came in. Hoffenblum chimed in with tips on how to make the new features more user-friendly and taught Pyers how to use Twitter.
But the next month, Pyers showed up to his mentor’s condo for a meeting and found that he’d died in his sleep. Hoffenblum, who had effectively run the Target Book virtually as a one-man show for 23 years, willed it to Darry Sragow, a friend and co-editor who had promised to carry it on.
But the question remained: Would subscribers remain loyal to a Target Book without Hoffenblum at the helm? Even if they did, Sragow wondered, who would do the work?
“Well, there was Rob Pyers, standing right there,” said Sragow, who first met Pyers at his friend’s memorial. “It really was providence.”
With the election fast approaching and subscribers counting on the book to handicap legislative and congressional races statewide, Pyers got to work.
He wrote candidate profiles and updated voter registration data for each of the 120 legislative districts and 53 congressional districts in California, while Sragow and co-editor Tony Quinn edited his work. He also continued to add to the list of online campaign finance data tools tracking the flow of state campaign money.
It was like “trying to fix an engine on an airplane while you’re mid-flight,” Pyers said. He was terrified, he recalled, but also engrossed.
“It gave me something to drive toward, to make better, to channel all my energy into,” he said.
In a year, he’s added charts to track top spending by outside groups and state parties, and features that show top donors in the intricate web of political action committees, information that would usually take hours of work to find.
On Twitter, where Pyers describes himself as “95 lbs. of concentrated tech geek,” he’s often the first to break news on new candidate filings or large sums of money dropped into a race by outside groups.
“Data has become an increasingly key part of running any political campaign, and that struck me as a way to remain relevant,” Pyers said of his digital approach to the Target Book, which has traditionally published its print edition three times a year.
During the height of campaign season, Pyers worked 19-hour days, fueled by Coca-Cola and four-packs of Red Bull. A wet bar in the corner of his living room gathered dust, and more than a year passed without him attending a party or concert with friends.
Data has become an increasingly key part of running any political campaign, and that struck me as a way to remain relevant.
— Rob Pyers, research director for the California Target Book
But many in the Sacramento political establishment began to take notice.
“I started seeing his stuff on Twitter over and over again, with information that was relevant and timely. I thought to myself, ‘How does this guy know that?’” said Matt Rexroad, a Republican political consultant who relied heavily on Pyers’ updates during the election season.
Pyers has also become a source for political reporters, answering inquiries on the most expensive campaigns and the millions of dollars poured into local soda taxes. His analyses and constant flow of updates on Twitter helped the Capitol press corps assess the ever-shifting landscape of political spending in a record-breaking year.
“That’s a game-changer,” said Laurel Rosenhall, a reporter for the nonprofit news outlet CalMatters, who often called Pyers for a birds-eye perspective on money in the election. Rosenhall, who for years tracked money and influence in state politics for the Sacramento Bee, used to keep her own spreadsheets for races she was following, updating contribution totals manually as reports rolled in.
“That’s fine if you’re responsible for covering a couple legislative races,” she said. “But if you’re sitting in Sacramento trying to assess the landscape of 100 legislative races going on, that’s just not feasible.”
Though Pyers says that having a “virtual monopoly” on this information is good for business, he thinks the state’s campaign finance disclosure systems could be greatly improved.
“A system designed by a guy working out of his apartment shouldn’t be able to compete with that,” he said.
A self-described Libertarian with conservative leanings, Pyers believes in lifting all limits on campaign contributions and requiring immediate disclosure.
Philosophical questions aside, the current system is keeping him busy — and employed. He has grand designs for the Target Book: adding more robust coverage of ballot measure campaigns, redesigning the aging website and eventually covering congressional campaigns in other states.
He says he can’t see himself leaving the work any time soon. Pyers, who calls himself an introvert, is still getting used to the often-clubby world of Sacramento operatives and politicians.
“The Sacramento cocktail circuit strikes me as one of my own personal versions of hell,” he said.
But after the election, he met up with Rexroad in Hollywood, gleefully trading campaign post-mortems over coffee.
“Slowly coming into this and meeting people and getting new data and perspectives,” Pyers said, “it’s a learning experience — and one that I’ve enjoyed.”
May 10 (UPI) — European leaders from Britain, France, Germany and Poland joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday in urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire or face more sanctions.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merez traveled in a train together to Kiev, and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk was aboard another train, the Guardian reported.
Zelensky said they “spoken to President Trump together. We agreed on our common view of our further actions.”
“The cease-fire must be comprehensive: in the air, at sea and on land,” Zelenskyy told reporters. “It is quite possible to monitor the cease-fire in coordination with the United States of America, this is really realistic. The cease-fire should last for 30 days to give diplomacy a real chance.”
Zelensky said he was “grateful to President Trump” and wants the cease-fire to begin Monday in a post on X.
“We share a common view: an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire is needed for at least 30 days,” Zelensky posted on X. “We propose it begin on Monday, May 12. We are waiting for Russia’s response.
“This proposal has been on the table since the talks in Saudi Arabia, when it was first put forward by the United States. Once the ceasefire begins, there will be the best moment for diplomacy. Ukraine is ready for meetings and negotiations in any format.”
The proposal was dismissed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Saturday, who said via the Russian news agency Interfax that he hears “many contradictory statements from Europe. They are generally confrontational in nature rather than aimed at trying to revive our relations. Nothing more.”
Peskov earlier said Russia would only agree to a cease-fire if U.S. and European ends arms supplies to Ukraine.
“Otherwise, it will be an advantage for Ukraine,” he told ABC News. “Ukraine will continue their total mobilization, bringing new troops to frontline,”
Putin also wants Ukraine to surrender large parts of the eastern and southern regions of its country that Russian forces haven’t seized.
“Macron, Merz, Starmer and Tusk were supposed to discuss peace in Kyiv. Instead, they are blurting out threats against Russia,” Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, the BBC reported.
The four European leaders made their first joint appearance in a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” which includes mostly European nations. They said they would assist Ukraine if there is a durable cease-fire in the now 3-year long war, which started when Russia attacked it’s neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022.
Joining in the video link were Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Macron said “some 20 countries” are in “unanimity” about the cease-fire, referring to Ukraine as “the beating heart of Europe.” He said once the cease-fire is agreed, there are a “number of steps we’re working on.” That includes strengthening Ukraine’s army.
“All of us here, together with the U.S., are calling Putin out. If he’s serious about peace then he has a chance to show it now,” Starmer said.
Merz, who assumed office on Tuesday, said Saturday that if Russia rejects the ceasefire proposal, Europe will keep defending Ukraine.
Macron documented the leaders’ journey by train on Instagram, including traveling through Poland, and posted a video of the group with Zelensky and Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska visiting a memorial to the war dead in central Kyiv. Macron and Starmer also joined Zelensky in a visit to the Saint Sophia Cathedral.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was “symbolic” to meet in Kyiv and showed the “the strength of our unity.”
Putin had declared a three-day cease-fire, which ended on Saturday, although Russia had not followed by it — similar to what happened during a one-day Easter truce Russia implemented last month.
Ukraine and Russia traded accusations of violating cease-fire that ceasefire, as well, with Zelensky accusing Russia of nearly 3,000 violations and Russia claiming Ukraine violated the halt more than 1,000 times.
European leaders have urged Russia to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine starting on Monday.
The call was issued at a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” in Kyiv. The leaders of France, Germany, the UK and Poland were hosted by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, while others joined remotely.
They made the announcement after discussing the plan by phone with US President Donald Trump – who initially mooted an unconditional ceasefire. The leaders threatened Russia with “massive” sanctions if it does not comply.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the aim of the coalition of the willing was to show “that aggression will never prevail on our continent”.
“Once a ceasefire is achieved, it will take time, but this will be a huge moment in reconnecting Ukraine’s economy, boosting investor confidence, and helping to reunite families separated by this war,” Starmer told reporters.
He was speaking alongside Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish PM Donald Tusk and the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelensky said: “Thank you all for standing with us. Today we will focus on how to build and guarantee real and lasting security.”
Russia has so far insisted that before considering a ceasefire, the West must first halt its military aid to Ukraine.
However, Zelenksy said that the ceasefire should be unconditional.
“Attempts to put forward any conditions would be evidence of an intention to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy,” he added.
Macron said the planned truce would be monitored mainly by the US, with help from European countries. He said in the event of violation, “massive sanctions would be prepared and co-ordinated between Europeans and Americans”.
Merz said the war – which began with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – was “solely a war of aggression by Russia, in violation of international law”.
Other leaders who joined the Kyiv meeting remotely included Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian PM Mark Carney, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Mark Rutte, the secretary-general of Nato.
A 30-hour ceasefire, called on Friday by Putin to mark Russia’s Victory Day, is due to end later on Saturday. It has seen a decrease in fighting but both sides have accused the other of breaches.
The coalition of the willing was formed to reinforce any eventual peace agreement with security guarantees, including the possibility of placing troops in Ukraine.
Trump earlier reiterated the call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire after a phone call with Zelensky.
“If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions,” he wrote on social media.
In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the Europeans of making contradictory statements that “are generally confrontational in nature rather than aimed at trying to revive our relations”.
Russian state media later quoted Peskov as saying: “We have to think this through. But trying to pressure us is quite useless.”
Reports of Russian attacks across Ukraine continue, despite Russia’s claims of a temporary ceasefire.
In the northern Sumy region, an 85-year-old woman was killed, three others were injured, 19 residential homes and 10 other buildings were destroyed or damaged, Ukrainian police said.
In Kostyantynivka, eastern Donetsk region, one person was injured and two apartment blocks caught fire after Russian attacks, Ukrainian state emergency service DSNS said.
And in the southern city of Kherson, a 58-year-old local resident sought medical help after being attacked by a Russian drone carrying explosives, the regional administration said.
I’m Aaron, a former sportswriter currently wrapping up a graduate degree at USC, and these days I love to read about pretty much anything other than sports — thrillers, books about transit and urban planning, and stories with a protagonist who is grappling with their identity.
The last of those has been part of my literary world since I was at least 12, when, as part of my seventh-grade creative writing elective, I wrote a memoir titled “Jasian,” as in Jewish and Asian.
My dad is a native of the Upper West Side of Manhattan, my mom immigrated to the U.S. during the Vietnam War, and as a racially ambiguous kid growing up in Houston, I often corrected classmates who mistook me for Latino.
With this being the first full week of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I’m using my L.A. Times Book Club debut to highlight some of my favorite books about Asian identity, many of which unpack feelings I’ve felt a lot more elegantly than I did in “Jasian.” I also interview the owner of Bel Canto Books, a Filipina-led bookstore in Long Beach. We talk about upcoming AAPI month events at her store, her favorite books featuring Asian protagonists, and new releases she’s looking forward to.
📚 Book Recs
“Yellowface,” R. F. Kuang’s fourth novel, is a dark satire on book publishing, racial appropriation and cancel culture.
(John Packman)
In Rachel Khong’s “Real Americans,” Nick Chen is a Chinese American teenager who looks completely white and feels isolated growing up in rural Washington with his single, Chinese mother, Lily, who he believes is hiding something about his past. This intergenerational family story with a sci-fi twist is about identity, inheritance and how much control we all actually have in controlling our destinies.
“Almost Brown,” a memoir by Charlotte Gill, the daughter of an English mother and Indian father, unpacks the tensions that can exist in a mixed-race family featuring parents with different worldviews and children searching for their own sense of self. As someone who’s felt more connected with my Vietnamese identity as I’ve gotten older, this story of reconciliation and understanding resonated with me.
You’ve probably already read “Crying in H Mart” — and if you haven’t, correct that — but I’d be remiss not to include it here. Like author Michelle Zauner, I lost my mother to cancer, a disease that hung over my relationship with my mom for much of my childhood and into my early 20s, when she died. But I’ve learned that my relationship with her and the Vietnamese heritage she gave me can continue to evolve even though my mom has passed — a lesson Zauner beautifully shares in this bestselling memoir.
If you’re like me and enjoy satire and cringe moments, then you’ll fly through R.F. Kuang’s “Yellowface,” a thriller about a woman who steals the manuscript of her dead Asian American friend and passes it off as her own, navigating cancel culture and racial politics along the way.
I also want to share a few reported books I enjoyed:
I had no idea how much influence China wielded over Hollywood until I read “Red Carpet,” by Erich Schwartzel, a film industry reporter at the Wall Street Journal.
A former Los Angeles Times bureau chief in Beijing and Seoul, Barbara Demick shares what life is like for six North Korean citizens in “Nothing to Envy.”
I’ve read every book from New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe, and “The Snakehead,” an epic tale of a human smuggling operation in New York’s Chinatown, might be my favorite.
(Please note: The Times may earn a commission through links to Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.)
Reading list
📰 The Week(s) in Books
Mark Whitaker’s new book deftly traces Malcolm X’s enduring cultural impact six decades after he was assassinated.
Whether you’re an architecture buff or just someone who appreciates the beauty of old L.A., check out the West Hollywood Denenberg Fine Arts Gallery’s exhibit showcasing Robert Landau’s new book, “Art Deco Los Angeles.” The son of L.A. gallerist Felix Landau, Robert began taking photos for his latest book on a Hasselblad in the 1970s. “I was responding visually and emotionally to places I grew up going to,” Landau tells The Times.
Jhoanna Belfer owns Bel Canto Books in Long Beach.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
This week, we talk with Jhoanna Belfer, the owner of Long Beach’s Bel Canto Books. The Filipina-led indie booksellers, which focus on celebrating works by women and people of color, started as a pop-up book club in 2018 and now has three locations: a standalone bookstore on the 4th Street corridor/Retro Row; a bookstore inside a Filipinx-led collaborative workspace in Bixby Knolls; and a mini bookstore inside Steel Cup Cafe.
This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
What events is Bel Canto Books hosting for AAPI month?
Saturday, May 10: Helena Ree will read her picture book, “Sora’s Seashells” at Billie Jean King Main Library in Long Beach
Wednesday, May 14: Book signing with authors Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn, who wrote the Korean cookbook “Umma,” and C.B. Lee, whose book “A Clash of Steel,” is a remix of “Treasure Island” featuring two queer girls of color
Saturday, May 17: A conversation with middle grade authors Tracy Badua and Van Hoang at Southeast branch of the Torrance Public Library
What are some of your favorite books featuring Asian protagonists?
One of my favorite writers is Lisa Ko. Her first book, “The Leavers,” was about a mom who’s a nail shop technician and an immigrant in New York’s Chinatown. She goes to work one day and never comes home. And her son has to grapple with what happened and try to figure out how to live, since he’s 10 or 12 when she first disappears.
Lisa Ko has a new book called “Memory Piece” that just came out in paperback. It’s phenomenal. Writers obviously are writing about what’s percolating in their minds and in the world that they’re in, and “Memory Piece” really reflects our current world. In the book, the government has become incredibly authoritarian, everyone is surveilled, and these three friends are trying to figure out how to live their lives and still make sense and find meaning.
The last one I would mention is Ocean Vuong’s new novel, “The Emperor of Gladness,” which drops next week. I got to read an early copy, and it’s stunning. It’s my favorite of his work so far, which is a very high bar. He just gets better and better with every book.
What new releases are you looking forward to?
“Coffee Shop in an Alternate Universe” by C.B. Lee is a cozy, queer fantasy about two young women who meet in a coffee shop. They don’t realize that they’re crossing into each other’s different worlds. One world is not magical, and the other one is. It has tons of fun cafe drinks and monsters that they have to defeat.
A local author, Elise Bryant, has a second book coming out in her PTA moms murder mystery series: It’s called “The Game Is Afoot.” It’s super fun if you either have kids in elementary school or you have ever known a PTA mom. It’s very juicy and gossipy and fun.
The last one I’ll call out is “Moderation” by Elaine Castillo, a Filipina American writer whom I love. The protagonist is a content moderator, which sounds very benign. But she takes you into the deep, dark depths of what moderation actually can be, or horrifyingly probably is, with these people having to flag and kick out folks on the internet.
You can find Bel Canto Books at their standalone shop located 2106 E. 4th St., Long Beach; in Kubo LB at 3976 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach; and inside Steel Cup Café at 2201 N. Lakewood Blvd. Suite E, Long Beach.
That’s all from me for now! I look forward to sharing more books with you all soon!
India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire after days of military escalation, deadly cross-border attacks, accusations and counter accusations, had raised acute concerns that the two nuclear-armed neighbours would engage in an all-out war for the fifth time since 1947.
But violations of the truce were reported later on Saturday as explosions rang out across parts of Indian-administered Kashmir.
Military officials from both countries had spoken to each other and agreed that all fighting would stop at 17:00 Indian time (11:30 GMT) on Saturday, bringing a halt to all firing and operations by land, air, and sea. This followed heavy overnight exchanges Friday into Saturday.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the two military chiefs would speak to each other again on May 12.
“Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.
The announcement had met relief and joyous scenes by residents in both countries and in the areas of disputed Kashmir that each administers.
But just hours after the ceasefire was announced, explosions were heard across the city of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to Omar Abdullah, chief minister of the federal territory. “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar,” Abdullah posted on X.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Lahore, Pakistan, said, “People are welcoming the ceasefire, but we are also reminded how precarious it is; ceasefire violations are already happening across the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region.”
“We’ve been hearing from local sources that there has been an exchange of fire in multiple locations in the Kashmir region, and there are some projectiles that have entered the Pakistani airspace, as well”, he said.
“We’re also hearing the loud explosions in Srinagar, similar to what was heard early Saturday and in the afternoon. Air sirens are all across, and there’s a power shutdown,” journalist Umar Mehraj told Al Jazeera from Srinagar.
“I can see projectiles flying, projectiles in the sky. It’s very unclear if they are missiles or air defence intercepting these attacks. Similar reports of the explosions are being heard in Baramulla and Jammu,” said Mehraj.
Electricity was cut off across multiple localities, adding to the confusion. With no official clarification on the nature of the blasts, some residents described feeling “abandoned and unprepared”.
“One of the blasts was so powerful it made the walls tremble. Authorities are not clarifying what is going on; we do not have any shelters, nor did we hear any sirens. We do not know what to do. There is only fear,” one Srinagar resident told Al Jazeera.
The ceasefire appears to have been mediated by international actors, but there are conflicting reports as to which countries played a crucial role.
US President Donald Trump claims it was the US – he was first to declare it on Truth Social post: “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE”.
“Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence,” he wrote.
Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, DC, noted, “There are questions about why the US did announce first. What sort of leverage does it have over India and Pakistan? We do know that it was a multilateral attempt to get a ceasefire. We do know, as well, that the United Kingdom has just signed a major trade deal with India, so it would also have great sway in this. Still, the US appears to be taking it further.”
However, Dar told broadcaster Geo News that Pakistan and India had agreed to a “full-fledged” and “not partial” ceasefire, adding that three dozen countries were involved in the diplomacy that secured it.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement also includes plans for broader talks at a neutral venue, which conflicts with a statement published on social media by India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that says, “There is no decision to hold talks on any other issue at any other place.”
Indian army soldiers stand guard in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, May 10, 2025 [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Broader Issues
Amid the cessation of hostilities, India and Pakistan have also agreed to a broader dialogue on various issues.
Two government sources told the news agency Reuters that all measures taken by India against Pakistan after April 22, including on trade and visas, remain in place.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Lahore, Pakistan, said that for the Pakistani side, the water issue is crucial “because India has suspended its related treaty with Pakistan, which affects the livelihood and agriculture in this country”.
Four government sources told Reuters that the Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, remains suspended.
The treaty regulates the sharing of water from the Indus River and its tributaries between the South Asian nations. India pulled out of it last month. It is crucial to agriculture in both nations.
“There are real fundamental political issues that need to be addressed so we don’t find ourselves again in a militarised crisis,” Elizabeth Threlkeld, director of the South Asia programme at the Stimson Centre, told Al Jazeera.
“The timing is significant since there is significant water flow between India and Pakistan because of the season at the moment. But in a few months’ time, that will start to dry up,” she said.
India does not necessarily have the infrastructure to meaningfully divert water right now, but it will gain that capacity when there’s less flow. So, that will have to be on the agenda of the talks if the two sides are to come together,” she added.
‘God has been kind to us for now’
Following the announcement of a ceasefire, residents on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir expressed a sense of relief, with many praying for a lasting solution to the Kashmir conflict.
“I was extremely anxious about what was happening,” 25-year-old Rumaisa Jan, a resident of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir who has her wedding scheduled next week, told Al Jazeera. “This is the wisest decision taken after so many lives have been lost. We want peace and an end to all these hostilities.”
Firdous Ahmad Sheikh, who runs a travel agency in the city, said he was frustrated by Kashmir being turned into a “battleground” by the two countries.
“My only fear is that things could escalate again in future. These countries must sit together and find a political solution to Kashmir once and for all. I pray our children don’t have to witness such times again.
“God has been kind to us for now.”
Pakistani people flashing victory signs stand over a tank as they celebrate after the ceasefire between Pakistan and India, in Multan on May 10, 2025[ Shahid Saeed Mirza/AFP]
In Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, residents welcomed the ceasefire, saying they hope it will bring long-awaited relief to a region that has borne the brunt of recurring conflict.
“For us, peace means survival,” said Zulfikar Ali, a resident. “We’ve suffered enough. I’m glad that both Pakistan and India have made a sensible decision.”
