Month: June 2025

United States President Donald Trump can force Israel to end the war on Gaza if he shows the same gumption as he did with Iran, argues Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Parsi discusses the wider implications of the 12-day war on Iran with host Steve Clemons, including:

• Will Iran double down on its nuclear weapons programme?
• Will improved Iran-US relations lead to sanctions relief?
• Why did European leaders legitimise the unprovoked US and Israeli attacks, instead of calling for the “rules-based order” as they do in Ukraine?
• Does Iran have allies?

Former Grey’s Anatomy star Sandra Oh has opened up on the possibility of returning to the long-running medical drama

Grey’s Anatomy star Sandra Oh has shared her thoughts on a potential return to the show, and it’s not good news.

Sandra is most recognised for her role as cardiothoracic surgeon Cristina Yang in the long-running medical drama.

Cristina was part of the original group of interns, alongside Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), and George O’Malley (TR Knight).

During her tenure on the show, Cristina was at the centre of numerous high-profile storylines.

Her relationship with Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) notably concluded on their wedding day in the third series, she was left shaken following the hospital shooting at the end of the sixth series, and was aboard the plane that crashed in the eighth series, reports the Mirror US.

After ten series, Cristina departed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital for a job in Zurich, Switzerland. She took up a position at the Klausman Institute for Medical Research, a hospital established by her former mentor and ex-fiancé, Preston.

Since then, Sandra has starred in a variety of popular films and TV shows, including Killing Eve, The Chair and Turning Red.

More than a decade after her departure from Grey’s Anatomy, fans are still holding out hope for Cristina’s comeback. However, Sandra has now addressed the possibility, and it’s not the news fans were hoping for.

In a chat with Deadline, the 53-year-old actress expressed appreciation for the show’s fans, but also stated that she had “to be true” to herself.

“What I have noticed, this is ten years out from leaving the show, is the deep appreciation that I have for the people who appreciate Cristina,” Sandra said.

“It is that love that has made me go, ‘Oh, the fans really, really, really want it,’ and for the first time, that’s when I started opening up the idea.”

However, she added: “For me, I think to really be true to the people who enjoy your work, you have to be true to yourself. So, at this point, I don’t think so.”

This sentiment echoes what Sandra expressed last year when probed about reprising her role as Cristina.

“I love that you asked me that, because Cristina Yang is, of course, near and dear to my heart. [But] I will say, not anytime soon, my love,” she had previously shared with Entertainment Tonight.

“I hope people feel like I did my job, which is that I brought to life a character and she had a growth over ten seasons, and that it was true. She was ready to move on, and so have I.”

The season 21 finale of Grey’s Anatomy aired in May, culminating in a nail-biting cliffhanger as a mother threatened to blow up a gas tank unless Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) performed surgery on her child.

The explosive conclusion left viewers on the edge of their seats, with the destinies of several characters up in the air. Fans are eagerly awaiting the premiere of season 22 later this year to discover the aftermath of the devastating blast.

Grey’s Anatomy is available to stream on Disney+

Jake Paul appeared to be taking the biggest risk of his unique boxing career by stepping in the ring with Julio César Chávez Jr., a former middleweight champion and his most accomplished opponent by far.

At least it seemed like a risk — until a lifeless Chávez meekly waited until the ninth round to mount any offense, dismaying a crowd desperate for him to hurt the famous YouTuber-turned-pugilist.

Paul shrugged it all off and rolled to another victory. After all, he’s the star of every show.

Paul beat Chávez by unanimous decision Saturday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, dominating the early rounds before weathering Chávez’s late rally for his sixth consecutive win.

Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) had little trouble from the 39-year-old Chávez (54-7-2), controlling the majority of the bout in front of an ardently pro-Chávez crowd in Southern California.

“I love that he brought a good fight at the end, and I think the fans got a good fight to see him come out, put some punches on me,” Paul said. “It makes me better. I had to elevate tonight and rise to a different level. I’m glad the fans got to see me get punched in the face a little bit.”

Even with his famous father shouting furiously at ringside, Chávez fought tentatively and tepidly against Paul, who patiently controlled the ring and landed just enough to win rounds. Chávez looked lifeless at the start, barely throwing a punch until late in the fourth round of their cruiserweight bout at Honda Center.

Chávez first mounted a discernible attack in the sixth, and he delivered several exciting shots in the ninth, finally exhibiting the skills of a long boxing career.

But he couldn’t seriously damage Paul, who jumped on the ropes in celebration after absorbing several flurries in the 10th and final round. The crowd booed Paul after the bell, and he cursed at them.

“All the boos are awards,” Paul said. “It was flawless. I think I only got hit about 10 times.”

Julio César Chávez Jr., right, punches Jake Paul during their cruiserweight boxing match on Saturday at the Honda Center.

(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)

The judges scored it 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 for Paul. The Associated Press also favored Paul 97-93.

Chávez, who had fought just once since 2021, is best known for failing to maximize the potential in his father’s genetics. He is still the most credible boxer to share the ring with Paul, who is now 5 1/2 years and 13 bouts into his lucrative fight career.

“I thought I lost the first five rounds, so I tried to win the last rounds,” Chávez said. “He’s strong, a good boxer (for) the first three, four rounds. After that, I felt he was tired. I don’t think he’s ready for the champions, but he’s a good fighter.”

Paul has successfully leveraged his Internet ubiquity and his own hard work to become a force in the business of boxing, if not in traditionally important bouts. He has founded a busy promotional company and flirted with mixed martial arts while becoming arguably the most prominent combat sports athlete in the world.

But Paul had mostly fought mixed martial artists and fellow online celebrities, and he took his only loss in February 2023 when he stepped in against actual boxer Tommy Fury, whose fame also exceeds his ring skills.

“I don’t really care what people say at the end of the day, because every single time I just prove myself more and more,” Paul said. “And that’s slowly turning the tide.”

Paul hadn’t fought since last November, when he beat Mike Tyson in a much-hyped bout that couldn’t live up to improbable expectations from fans who didn’t understand the simple realities of Tyson being 58 years old.

Chávez was away from the ring for three years before his return late last year, but Paul’s invitation brought him back again — along with the thousands of fans who eagerly bought tickets in perpetual support of their champion.

Chávez has fallen to innumerable lows during a lengthy boxing career conducted in the shadow of his father, one of the most beloved athletes in Mexican history. The son has failed drug tests, served suspensions and egregiously missed weight while being widely criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport.

He still rose to its heights, winning the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defending it three times. Chávez shared the ring with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both.

Chávez even lost in 2021 to Anderson Silva, the former UFC champion and rudimentary boxer who lost a one-sided ring decision to Paul one year later.

Jake Paul, left, punches Julio César Chávez Jr. during their cruiserweight boxing match on Saturday at the Honda Center.

(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)

Paul’s career as the world’s most popular pugilistic sideshow could change soon: His financial potency makes it almost inevitable that he will be invited to fight under a sanctioning body’s aegis, which means he could likely book a bout against an elite boxer whenever he chooses.

“We’ll see,” Paul said when asked to name his next opponent. “There’s a long line, so they’ve got to wait in line. Take a ticket.”

Paul then said he would have no problem beating Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who retained his two cruiserweight title belts with a close unanimous decision over Cuba’s Yuniel Dorticos in the final undercard bout.

Earlier, 43-year-old former UFC star Holly Holm returned from a 12-year absence from the boxing ring to dominate previously unbeaten Yolanda Guadalupe Vega Ochoa.

New Jersey welterweight Julian Rodriguez earned a thrilling victory in the waning moments of the 10th and final round, staggering Avious Griffin with a sneaky left hand and eventually knocking the previously unbeaten Griffin sideways into the ropes for a stoppage with 5 seconds left.

Beacham writes for the Associated Press.

June 29 (UPI) — A Ukrainian F-16 pilot died overnight Sunday during one of Russia’s largest attacks since the invasion in 2022 that included several hundred drones and missiles, Ukraine‘s Air Force said.

Lt. Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, 31, died after his fighter jet was damaged trying to intercept Russian missiles and drones, Ukraine’s Air Force said. Ustymenko, who destroyed seven enemy air targets and managed to steer his jet away from populated areas but didn’t eject in time.

“Ustymenko did everything possible, but his jet was damaged and started losing altitude. He died like a hero!” Ukrainian military officials said.

Ustymenko became Ukraine’s third F-16 pilot to die in combat since the nation added U.S.-made planes last year.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 537 missiles and drones, including 477 Shad-type attack drones and decoys launched into Russian-occupied Crimea, the Kiev Post reported from the military. Of those, 475 were shot down, including Shahed drones and 225 drones suppressed by electronic warfare.

Russia’s missile attack lasted nearly three hours and the drone siege went on for almost 10 hours.

A Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Kirovske airfield in Crimea destroyed several helicopters and an air defense system, the Security Service of Ukraine said.

“The SBU is systematically working to reduce the Russian Federation’s capabilities to carry out air and bombing strikes on the territory of Ukraine,” the military said. “The occupiers must realize that their expensive military equipment and ammunition are not protected anywhere: neither on the front line, nor in temporarily occupied territories, nor in the enemy’s deep rear.”

The agency said Mi-8, Mi-26 and Mi-28 helicopters were destroyed.

A dozen Ukrainians were injured in attacks against infrastructure, residential buildings and storage buildings in Lviv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Kyiv.

Several explosions were reported in Kremenchuk and Lviv. And an industrial facility in the Poltava region caught fire as a result, officials said.

A production site in Zaporizhzhia also was damaged.

Russia, under Russian President Vladimir Putin, has increased its attacks on Ukraine’s cities during a summer offensive, Politico Europe reported.

“Just this week alone, there have been more than 114 missiles, over 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 glide bombs,” Zelensky said on Telegram. “Putin long ago decided he would keep waging war, despite the world’s calls for peace.”

Neighboring Poland, a member of NATO, scrambled jets and activated its ground-based air defense system, its military said.

Zelensky urged more protection from its allies, including ballistic missiles, and efforts to end the war.

“Ukraine must strengthen its air defense — the thing that best protects lives,” Zelensky said. “These are American systems, which we are ready to buy. We count on leadership, political will, and the support of the United States, Europe, and all our partners. I thank everyone who is helping.”

Last week during the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. might be able to provide anti-ballistic missiles.

“We’re going to see if we can make some available,” Trump said. “They’re very hard to get. We need them too. We were supplying them to Israel, and they’re very effective. A hundred percent effective — hard to believe how effective.”

The F-16 is a single-engine, single-seat supersonic jets have been produced by Lockheed Martin since 1976.

As Sudan’s war effects spill into Chad, the country faces the world’s most underfunded refugee crisis. Nearly a million Sudanese, mostly women and children, have fled, but aid is vanishing, disease is looming, and the system is on the verge of collapse. In this episode of Talk to Al Jazeera, Ahmed Idris speaks to a United Nations lead official in Chad and to a Sudanese refugee activist who fled the same forces now threatening his people. As the world looks away, they warn that the cost of inaction may soon be counted in lives.

Between delicately assembling a pair of open-faced sandwiches in her comfortably stocked kitchen and carefully picking her wardrobe for an incoming visitor, Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant), an elegant older woman with intelligent eyes and a wry smile, looks like someone who enjoys hosting. Flirting too, if the hand she gently places on her lunch companion’s knee is any indication.

But there are signs that Ruth, an accomplished cookbook author, exists apart from the reality of the moment. Polite, patient, nervous Steve (H. Jon Benjamin) is not a date — he’s actually Ruth’s son, there to take her to a well-appointed retirement community where she’ll live under the observation of caregivers who specialize in memory care. But also, thanks to the power of “Familiar Touch,” it’s a place where she’ll be affectionately dimensionalized through the encouraging eyes of the filmmaker who created her, Sarah Friedland.

Friedland’s acute debut feature, drawn from her experience in the memory-care field, is a small miracle of realigned empathy, turning away from the condescension and easy sentiment of so many narratives about late-in-life adaptation. Instead it finds something infinitely more layered and meaningful, especially where Chalfant’s utterly commanding characterization is concerned.

Friedland doesn’t waste time letting us know she has more on her mind than rote family drama or a spotlight on medical suffering. The quiet car ride to the senior living home is marked by a closeup of Ruth’s hand turning on her lap as it’s warmed by the sun — a moment meant to prioritize Ruth’s sensorial experience. In the facility’s lobby, where we meet kindly caregiver Vanessa (Carolyn Michelle) and Ruth realizes she’s not at a hotel for a rendezvous but rather to be admitted to a new group home by a grown child she doesn’t recognize, the moment is as tension-filled as it needs to be.

Yet even that is offset by the composed normality of Friedland’s unhurried, attentive direction, seeding an understanding that what is new for Ruth (or new once more, since we learn that she herself had chosen the place in less-confused times) is, in practically every other way, a common occurrence. This is a rite of passage happening all the time everywhere and deserving of compassion.

Ruth’s awareness is fluid as she becomes accustomed to a life of assistance, tests, activities, neighbors and the unique connection between resident and caregiver. As the process unfolds, “Familiar Touch” reveals itself as a social procedural about a demanding healthcare profession, often staffed by people who can’t afford to place their own loved ones in such facilities. The movie demystifies what’s hard and rewarding about caregiving, thanks largely to Michelle’s incredible, nuanced turn as Vanessa. That thread is exquisitely interlocked with a sensitive, sharp portrait of the interiority of someone searching for agency while in the throes of dementia.

Friedland never ignores what’s upsetting about Ruth’s condition, especially the loneliness that might replace sleep in an unfamiliar bed, or the despair that triggers a nighttime escape. But by sticking to Ruth’s perspective, the camera attuned to every emergence of childlike glee, adult pleasure or sharp-witted flash of authority, we come to see a person, not a patient. Ruth’s swings of emotion and identity are multitudes to be uncovered and respected.

The mystery of Ruth’s mindfulness — which ebbs and flows — is at the core of Chalfant’s brilliant, award-worthy performance. Hers is a virtuosity that doesn’t ask for pity or applause or even link arms with the stricken-but-defiant disease-playing headliners who have gone before her. Chalfant’s Ruth is merely, momentously human: an older woman in need, but no less expressive of life’s fullness because of it. It’s a portrayal to remember, for as long as any of us can.

In 1944, amid the harsh glare of Jim Crow, 14-year-old George Stinney Jr. was strapped into South Carolina’s electric chair after a trial that lasted just a single day. With no physical evidence, no defense witnesses, and an all-white jury that deliberated for ten minutes, he was convicted of murdering two white girls. Nearly seven decades later, a judge threw out the verdict.

In this episode:
– Matthew Burgess, Criminal Defence Attorney
– Dr Melanie Holmes, Assistant Professor of African American Studies

Marc Marquez extended his lead in the MotoGP world championship standings with victory in the Dutch MotoGP despite starting on the second row in Assen.

The Spaniard, 32, who also won Saturday’s sprint race after recovering from two crashes in practice, finished clear of Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi.

His Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, who had been chasing a fourth consecutive win at the Dutch track, was third.

Marquez’s younger brother Alex, who is his closest rival in the standings, fractured his hand in a crash with Pedro Acosta.

The 29-year-old, who is now 68 points behind his older brother, jumped back to his feet but was gingerly holding his wrist as he was biked back to the pit lane and was taken to the medical centre for a check-up.

“I am sorry for Alex, my father says he injured a finger, but racing is like this,” said Marc.

“Of course I am super happy with the job the team did on Friday [after the crashes] and all weekend, amazing weekend.

“Assen is not one of my best tracks.”

Although it was Bagnaia who made the best start, Marquez moved into second on the second lap and passed his team-mate on the fifth lap.

He set the fastest race lap at the halfway mark of the 26-lap race and went on to claim his sixth victory of the season to move him level with the legendary Giacomo Agostini on 68 elite wins, but still 21 adrift of Valentino Rossi.

The next race weekend is in Germany on 12-13 July and will mark the mid-point of the 22-race season.

The 80-year-old leader pledges economic growth from today’s GDP of $66bn to $500bn within the next five years.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed he will contest next year’s presidential election, setting the stage for a potential extension of his nearly 40-year rule.

The 80-year-old announced late on Saturday that he had expressed his interest “in running for … the position of presidential flag bearer” for his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

Museveni seized power in 1986 after a five-year civil war and has ruled ever since.

The NRM has altered the constitution twice to remove term and age limits, clearing the way for Museveni to extend his tenure.

Rights groups accused him of using security forces and state patronage to suppress dissent and entrench his power – claims he denies.

Museveni said he seeks re-election to transform Uganda into a “$500bn economy in the next five years”. According to government data, the country’s current gross domestic product stands at just under $66bn.

Ugandans are due to vote in January to choose a president and members of parliament.

Challenger

Opposition leader Bobi Wine, a pop star-turned-politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has confirmed he will run again. Wine rejected the 2021 results, alleging widespread fraud, ballot tampering and intimidation by security forces.

Tensions have risen in recent months after parliament passed a law allowing military courts to try civilians, a practice the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in January.

The government insisted the change is necessary to tackle threats to national security, but rights organisations and opposition figures argued it is a tool to intimidate and silence critics.

Uganda for years has used military courts to prosecute opposition politicians and government critics.

In 2018, Wine was charged in a military court with illegal possession of firearms. The charges were later dropped.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised Uganda’s military courts for failing to meet international standards of judicial independence and fairness.

Oryem Nyeko, senior Africa researcher at HRW, said this year: “The Ugandan authorities have for years misused military courts to crack down on opponents and critics.”

Marc Marquez beats Marco Bezzecchi in a drama-filled race that claimed his brother Alex, who crashed out of the contest.

Marc Marquez delivered a clinical masterclass at MotoGP’s Cathedral of Speed to claim victory at the Dutch Grand Prix while his brother and closest contender Alex suffered a race-ending crash that left him with a fractured hand.

As Assen celebrated its centenary of motorcycle racing, the elder Marquez seized control on the second lap on Sunday and did not look back as he extended his championship advantage to a commanding 68 points over Alex as he seeks a seventh title.

Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi finished second while Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia came third, with the two-times champion now staring at a daunting 126-point gap to his teammate after 10 rounds.

Bagnaia had won the last three races in Assen but despite taking the lead early on, he was pushed down to fourth place before he recovered to finish on the podium ahead of KTM’s Pedro Acosta.

Marc, who crashed hard twice on Friday, also equalled motorcycling great Giacomo Agostini with 68 premier class victories and now sets his sights on his former rival Valentino Rossi who finished his career with 89 wins.

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo had claimed pole position but crashed in Saturday’s sprint – where Marc claimed his ninth victory
of the season – and the Frenchman was slow off the line while Bagnaia made the perfect start.

Gresini Racing’s Alex was in second place but on turn one of the next lap, Marc made his move to overtake his brother and slot in behind his teammate, waiting patiently to pounce with 24 laps left in the race.

Alex briefly lost his concentration and Bezzecchi, sporting a new aero package on his Aprilia, squeezed his way past the Gresini rider while Acosta also made an overtake stick to push the younger Marquez down to fifth.

Alex Marquez crashes out

Up front, Marc found a gap before the final chicane on lap five to overtake Bagnaia and take the lead while his brother Alex crashed heavily when he leaned into Acosta and lost his balance when they made contact in a battle for fourth.

Alex appeared to lock his front tyre in the incident, which gave a puff of smoke as the bike tipped its rider straight onto the ground.

He was immediately taken to the medical centre where a left hand fracture was confirmed, with Gresini saying the 29-year-old would fly to Madrid for surgery later on Sunday. More information about Alex’s expected recovery timeline is expected to emerge on Monday.

Bagnaia seemed to be losing pace as both Bezzecchi and Acosta moved into podium positions. But the Italian Ducati rider snatched third place back from Acosta at the end of lap 14 to set his sights on Bezzecchi.

But whatever Bezzecchi did to put pressure on Marc, the six-times MotoGP champion did not budge as he managed his tyres and maintained his pace until he took the chequered flag.

The MotoGP calendar has a weekend off before they reunite for the German Grand Prix in a fortnight.

A travel expert has issued a warning to passengers, telling them they should “never wear” one item of clothing on a plane. However, the popular garment is not banned

Travellers have been cautioned to “never wear” a certain popular item on a plane, despite it not being prohibited. The travel tip was recently divulged by Pollyann, known as travelwithpalma to her over 11,000 Instagram followers, and many were astonished they hadn’t heard of the advice before.

In an Instagram clip, she penned: “I know – leggings feel like a second skin on a flight. But here’s why you really shouldn’t wear them on a plane.

“According to experts, in the rare event of an emergency evacuation (think: fire, sudden landing, etc), synthetic fabrics like polyester and spandex – aka what most leggings are made of – can actually melt when exposed to high heat.

“That means they could fuse to your skin, making injuries way worse. The Federal Aviation Administration and safety experts recommend wearing loose fitting natural fibres like cotton, wool or denim when flying.

“They’re more fire-resistant and safer in worst-case scenarios. So yes, wear something cosy – but make it cotton cosy, not plastic cosy – just to be safe.”

Since being posted, the video has racked up thousands of views, with numerous viewers expressing gratitude for the insight. One commented: “This is such a good tip!”

Another chimed in with: “As a former flight attendant, this precaution is very great advice!” A different voice added their perspective, noting: “It’s not just leggings. Anything with polyester contains petroleum and is considered flammable.

“So someone with synthetic trousers, shorts, dresses would be in the same situation. It has nothing to do with leggings – that’s personal preference.”

Responding to the discussion, the original poster agreed: “Yes, agreed. As stated in the caption, those fabrics in any form can cause harm. Loose fitting cotton is a safer bet.”

Unbeknownst to many, despite the comfort they offer during flights, leggings are not always recommended by aviation safety experts. The concern lies in the fact that in emergencies, such as fires, the synthetic material of leggings could melt onto the skin, exacerbating burn injuries.

However, it’s important to note that there’s no outright ban on wearing leggings on planes; rather, it’s a safety suggestion from some quarters due to the risks associated with synthetic fabrics.

Airline dress codes might restrict certain types of attire for reasons of propriety or potential offensiveness. In addition to avoiding a fashion faux pas, the Federal Aviation Administration also gives guidance on how travellers can dress smartly for their own safety whilst flying.

Their website recommends: “Passengers who wear sensible clothing can reduce their chances of serious injury in the unlikely event of an emergency.

“Dress to cover as much skin as possible. Wear clothes made of natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, denim or leather.

“Synthetics may melt when heated. Wear clothing that is roomy, avoiding restrictive clothing. Wear low-heeled, leather or canvas shoes.”

It’s been claimed that staff at the BBC are in an ‘open revolt’ after the broadcaster scrapped a documentary about Gaza which will now be shown on Channel 4

Staff at the BBC are said to be in an “open revolt” after the broadcaster decided to scrap a documentary about Gaza, according to MailOnline. On Saturday, it was revealed that Channel 4 will now air the said documentary instead, which was earlier commissioned by the BBC.

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was created by two Emmy award-winning filmmakers and commissioned by the BBC over the year ago. However, it’s been claimed that the corporation had put a pause on production in April after an investigation was launched into another documentary, titled Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone.

Following this, Channel 4 will now be broadcasting Gaza: Doctors Under Attack on Wednesday, July 2, at 10pm. But the BBC’s decision is said to have left a bad taste in their staff’s mouths and they are reportedly in uproar over the broadcaster not showing the documentary on their channels.

The aforementioned publication has claimed that more than 300 people have reportedly signed an open letter to director-general Tim Davie to raise concern about censorship at the BBC as it pertains to reporting about Israel.

An insider told MailOnline: “The people at commissioner level who are experienced journalists and take these decisions on an almost daily basis are being overruled by people who are pretending to be journalists.

“There’s open revolt [at the BBC]. [Bosses] approved the film multiple times and then delayed it at least five times but confirmed in emails that it would go out and that the delays were not due to the Johnstone report into Gaza: How to survive in a war zone.

“They said this [new documentary] was a vital film that exemplified ”public interest journalism’. After these multiple delays over six weeks they then apologised and said, ”Sorry, it is because of the Johnstone report”.’

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack is a one-off episode, produced by Basement Films, that examines allegations against Israel that the nation have repeatedly targeted hospitals which is a breach of international law. The documentary was made by journalist Ramita Navai, director Karim Shah and former Channel 4 News Editor Ben De Pear.

The source went on to tell MailOnline that they had to “handle the duty of care” for doctors and medics who couldn’t understand why their interviews wouldn’t be going out on the BBC.

“The film has been fact-checked and complied by Channel 4 to ensure it meets the broadcaster’s editorial standards and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

It was greenlit by Channel 4 Head of News and Current Affairs and Specialist Factual and Sport, Louisa Compton. She said: “This is a meticulously reported and important film examining evidence which supports allegations of grave breaches of international law by Israeli forces that deserves to be widely seen and exemplifies Channel 4’s commitment to brave and fearless journalism.”

Basement Films has added: “This is the third film we have made about the assault on Gaza since October 7th at Basement Films, and whilst none of them have been easy this became by far the most difficult. As ever we owe everything to our Palestinian colleagues on the ground; over 200 of whom have been killed by Israel, and the doctors and medics who trusted us with their stories.

“We want to apologise to the contributors and team for the long delay, and thank Channel 4 for enabling it to be seen.” Mirror have contacted both the BBC and Channel 4 for comment.

A BBC spokesperson told the Mirror: “Robust discussions amongst our editorial teams about our journalism are an essential part of the editorial process. We have ongoing discussions about coverage and listen to feedback from staff and we think these conversations are best had internally.

“Regarding our coverage of Gaza, the BBC is fully committed to covering the conflict impartially and has produced powerful coverage from the region. Alongside breaking news, ongoing analysis, and investigations, we have produced award winning documentaries such as Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101.”

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When The Hunger Games books came out in the late 2000s to much acclaim, probably few readers expected scenes from these dystopian novels would take place in the world they live in. But they now do – here in Gaza, every day.

We have been suffering under a full Israeli blockade since the beginning of March. Starvation has spread over the entire strip. Most families have just one meal per day. Some do not eat at all for days.

In late May, the United States- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began limited aid deliveries to the strip. Since then, Palestinians have been forced into a deadly game to secure some food.

None of my family members has dared go to a GHF aid distribution point, but some of my neighbours and friends have. All I have heard from them are horror stories.

The first time we heard about the aid zone that the Israelis call the “Netzarim Corridor”, we imagined there would be tents, queues, order. But those who risked going there found only chaos and death.

The aid distribution takes place in a fenced area near Salah al-Din Street, close to the eastern edge of Gaza – in a zone so dangerous, locals call it the death corridor.  It is surrounded by sand and guarded by foreign military contractors. There are Israeli tanks and soldiers stationed nearby.

There is no clear schedule for the aid deliveries. Sometimes, the GHF opens the gates at 4am and sometimes later. Palestinians wait starting at sunset the night before.

When the gates finally open, the crowd floods in. There are no queues, no staff, no signs. Just noise, dust and fear.

Overhead, drones circle like vultures. Then, a voice from a loudspeaker shouts: “Four minutes! Take what you can!”

Food boxes are left in the middle of the sand, but there is not enough of them. They are never enough. People rush towards the pile, shoving and climbing over each other. They push each other. Knives come out. Fistfights erupt. Children scream. Men fall. Women crawl through the sand. Few people are the lucky ones who are able to grab a box and hold onto it. Then gunfire starts. The sandy square becomes a killing field.

People run for their lives. Many get hit. Some manage to crawl out with injuries. Others are carried by friends or relatives or even strangers. Others bleed alone into the sand.

Since the end of May, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed when the Israeli army has opened indiscriminate fire on people gathered to try to get aid. More than 4,000 have been wounded.

Subhi, the father of my friend Nour, was one of them. The family had no food left, so he felt compelled to risk his life to get some aid. On the morning of June 14, he left for the aid hub in Netzarim. He never came back.

Nour told me how they waited by the door. Hours passed. No word. No call. The internet was cut. The silence was unbearable. Then suddenly, they heard the sound of shooting in the distance. They immediately knew something had gone wrong, but they had no way to reach him.

Later, paramedics found his body. He was killed while trying to carry a bag of food home to his children.

Another friend, Hala, told me the story of another victim of the GHF death trap, Khamis, the brother-in-law of her sister. He had been married for just two years and had no children yet, but he carried the weight of an entire household on his back. He had started taking care of his brother’s children after he was killed earlier in the war.

When their food ran out, Khamis’s friends managed to convince him to go with them to try to pick up some aid. On the morning of June 24, they were waiting near the aid hub when someone shouted: “They’ve opened the gates!”

Khamis stepped out of their hiding place – just slightly – to see for himself. A bullet from an Israeli quadcopter pierced his shoulder, then lodged in his heart, killing him. He left behind a grieving widow and hungry nieces and nephews.

There are countless other stories – just as painful, just as heartbreaking – that will never be known.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health has called these incidents “aid massacres”. Legal experts have called them war crimes. But they really are “hunger games”.

Hunger changes people. It doesn’t just weaken the body – it tests the soul. It undermines trust and solidarity between people and unleashes the most basic of instincts.

The occupier knows that, and it is weaponising it.

It is no coincidence it viciously attacked and banned the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

UNRWA’s aid distribution system was a model of organisation and fairness. Each family registered with the agency had an identification card with which it could receive aid distributed through a careful, transparent process. Priority was given to the most vulnerable – widows, orphans, the elderly and disabled people – ensuring that those who need help the most received it first.

Its system reduced the risk of deadly stampedes and violent clashes because there was order, dignity and respect for human life.

The occupier does not want any of that.

That is why it designed aid distribution in the form of “hunger games”.

These are orchestrated traps designed to cause chaos and disorder so Palestinians fight each other and the social order and solidarity that hold Palestinian society together break down.

For a month, Israel and the GHF denied that there were any mass killings happening at the aid hubs – another Israeli lie that was widely believed. Now, the Israeli media themselves have reported that Israeli soldiers were ordered to shoot at the crowds of Palestinians trying to get aid at the GHF hubs.

Will the world believe us now? Will it take action?

What is happening in Gaza is not fiction. It is not a horror movie. The “hunger games” are real and so is the genocide they are part of. That the world is allowing such dystopia to unfold is damning evidence of its own loss of humanity.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Tourists are warning fellow flyers to brace for pat-downs especially if you are bit sweaty at airport security especially if it’s hot and your trousers are clinging in awkward places…

Flying is stressful enough. Add unnecessarily hot weather to the mix, and, being a nervous flyer plus a public groin search, it’s chaos. According to travellers online, if you’re even slightly sweaty, especially down there, airport body scanners might just flag it.

One tourist took to Reddit to share their baffling experience after being stopped for a pat-down in the same spot, not once, but twice, while going through a US Transport Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint, UNILAD reports.

They wrote that they were a “5’8″, 169lbs, midsized adult woman”, and explained: “My crotch was flagged twice.” They added that they were wearing “bike shorts and normal underwear”.

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Another Redditor asked what many were probably thinking: “Were you sweating?” The woman replied honestly: “Probably a little, I’m terrified of flying, so I was nervous.”

While she wasn’t offended by the pat-down, she couldn’t help but wonder why she was targeted and her wife wasn’t.

And she’s far from alone. One man shared a similar saga online after noticing his “sensitive area” kept setting off the scanner no matter what he wore. He tested everything from double-knee trousers to pyjama bottoms in an attempt to get through unnoticed. Still, no luck, he was patted down every time.

Eventually, someone in the thread offered what seemed like the most plausible explanation.

“I’ve flown a lot over the last few years. I’m a bigger guy, and I’ve had that problem. My unscientific testing has told me the following. If I’m sweaty, I’m getting a pat down. The machine triggers on sweat, especially in the lower back and private areas.”

Apparently, sweat can create odd shadows on the scanner image, and that’s when TSA officers step in.

The seasoned flyer continued: “Boxer briefs over boxers, the boys need to be high and tight. Pants material doesn’t make too much of a difference. What does is sag. When you get in the machine, pull your pants as high up as you can. Sagging pants make a shadow or something, and it guarantees a pat down.”

And if you’re thinking this is all a bit much, they did offer one final word of reassurance: “The last thing is to be patient. They don’t want to search you down there any more than you want to be searched, but sometimes it’s just going to happen.”

So, if you’re heading on holiday and find yourself sweating buckets in the airport queue, maybe give those clingy trousers a miss. Or at least hoik them up properly before the scanner. And definitely don’t leave the fan at home to keep yourself cool, or you could be facing a sweaty pat down.

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Memo to Mark Walter:

Check your swing.

Now that you’re the majority owner of the Lakers, everyone is expecting you to whack their two most prominent leaders in hopes of transforming the basketball team into your baseball team, but you should instead initially act in terms your Dodgers would understand.

Take a pitch.

Keep Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick in their jobs … for now.

Agreed, this might be a tough call, and certainly there could be temptation to immediately can the two Lakers employees who most epitomize the incestuous decisions that have dragged the once-shining championship organization into dull mediocrity.

Pelinka, the president of basketball operations and general manager, was hired eight years ago because he was the agent and confidant of Kobe Bryant.

Redick, the head coach, was hired last summer because he was LeBron James’ podcast bro.

Neither man came to their current positions with strong qualifications. Both men were beneficiaries of a post-Jerry Buss culture in which daughter Jeanie would surround herself with friends and family.

It is a culture that led to outsized decision-making roles for the likes of Linda and Kurt Rambis. It is a culture that is diametrically opposed to the meritocracy that has made this town’s other glamour team so great.

Now that the Dodgers have basically swallowed the Lakers whole, it might be a foregone conclusion that Pelinka and Redick would be among the first to disappear.

Memo to Mark Walter:

Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the Dodgers, recently became a majority stakeholder in the Lakers.

(Emma McIntyre / Getty Images)

Hold up rounding third.

Both Pelinka and Redick have earned a chance to show their strengths in a new system in which there will certainly be increased scouting, advanced analytics and a new professionalism for an infrastructure that had been difficult for any official to succeed.

Ned Colletti was the Dodgers’ general manager when Walter’s group bought the team in the spring of 2012. He lasted two more seasons, Guggenheim Partners pouring money into the team and giving him every chance to succeed before firing him.

Pelinka deserves at least half that chance.

Don Mattingly was the manager when Walter bought the team. He lasted four more seasons, finally parting ways after the 2015 season.

Redick deserves at least a portion of that leash.

Although both men have been viewed as overmatched both in this space and by NBA insiders across the landscape, each has done well enough to not be summarily beheaded the minute Walter walks through the door.

Start with Pelinka. You do know he has an NBA championship on his resume, right? While Alex Caruso dismissed the 2020 title as phony last week after he won another ring with Oklahoma City, that first one still counts, and Pelinka still deserves credit for overseeing it.

Yes, Pelinka is the villain who ruined everything by letting Caruso walk while gutting the title team to acquire Russell Westbrook. But he’s also perhaps the only executive in NBA history to acquire three players the likes of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis.

He had lots of help there — Magic Johnson recruited James, and James recruited Davis, and Nico Harrison handed him Doncic — but still, he was the final cog in making it happen.

Pelinka also engineered the splendid undrafted free agent signing that was Austin Reaves, which led to the Lakers finishing this season as the third seed in the West.

You don’t fire a decision-maker the same year his rebuilt team finishes third in basketball’s most competitive neighborhood. You don’t fire a decision-maker two years after his team reached the Western Conference finals. And you certainly don’t fire a decision-maker until you know what’s happening with his best employee.

It seems clear that James is going to opt in to his $52.6 million contract this week and remain with the team — and son Bronny — for at least one more season. If that’s the case, then Pelinka should get the chance to add the rim protector he’s been seeking to maximize Doncic and give James one more opportunity at a ring.

However, if James unexpectedly turns down the money to seek better title opportunities elsewhere — not a bad decision for the Lakers, honestly — then the ensuing roster chaos will not be the right time to make a change at the top.

Either way, the situation is fluid enough that Pelinka should be allowed to see it through.

The same goes for Redick, who did an admirable job in his first regular season before melting down in the playoffs.

Granted, some would consider his first-round series game management against the Minnesota Timberwolves a fireable offense, particularly in Game 4 when he used the same five players for an entire second half. He didn’t do himself any favors when he later reacted to criticism of that decision by bristling at a reporter’s question before stalking away from a pregame news conference.

During the most important moments of the season, Redick was in over his head. But as he admitted, he’ll learn, he’ll grow, he’ll get better, and he did well enough during the regular season to believe him.

Redick coached one team before the arrival of Doncic and the departure of Davis. He coached another team afterward. He deftly handled both of those teams while smartly disarming the potentially divisive distraction that was Bronny. Redick also empowered Reaves to become a legitimate third threat before Reaves joined his coach in a playoff disappearing act.

All of which brings this surprisingly sugary piece to this upcoming week, the start of the NBA’s summer madness, and the pressure is on.

Like it or not, Pelinka and Redick are a pair now, a tandem joined by the appearance of a new owner with new expectations.

Pelinka needs to find a big man who can help carry them deep into the playoffs. No matter who Pelinka acquires, Redick has to scheme around Doncic and make it all work.

They won’t get many chances under a new Dodger regime that demands sustained success, but they deserve at least one chance to take advantage of the massive changes that this new ownership group will surely create in returning basketball’s greatest franchise to new glories.

Memo to Mark Walter:

Keep Pelinka‘s and Redick’s names in the lineup card.

In pencil.

A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a woman in Donaghadee, County Down.

Sarah Montgomery, a 27-year-old mother of two, was pregnant at the time of her death.

Police received a report at approximately 14:15 BST on Saturday of an unconscious woman with a serious injury inside a house in the Elmfield Walk area of the town. Ms Montgomery was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police cordons remain in place.

Det Ch Insp Tom Phillips said: “Enquiries are at an early stage into this deeply tragic case.

“Our thoughts are also with Sarah’s family during this incredibly difficult time – as they struggle to come to terms with what has happened.”

He added that the family are being supported by “specially trained officers”.

North Area Ch Insp Yvonne McManus added: “We understand this news will cause shock and concern within the community.

“We recognise the profound impact that violence against women and girls has on individuals, families and wider society.

“Addressing this issue remains a key priority, and we are committed to engaging directly with the local community to offer support, build trust, and help people feel safe.”

Alliance councillor for the area John Hennessy said the “local community is in complete shock” at this “devastating incident”.

“My thoughts go out to Sarah’s family and loved ones, especially her children.”

Marlee Matlin has a word tattooed on each of her wrists. On the left is “perseverance,” on the right is “warrior.”

“After 37 years, I’m still hustling,” she says by way of explanation in “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore.” Referring to the ink on her left wrist, she adds, “I look at this all the time. Every day.”

“Not Alone Anymore” is hardly the first celebrity documentary to salute its subject’s tenacity. But if the contours of this story are familiar — the rise, the fall, then the rise again of an Oscar winner — director Shoshannah Stern’s affectionate portrait is all the richer for the layers it reveals about both Matlin and the larger struggles of the Deaf community she embodies. The 59-year-old actor’s legacy may indeed be one of perseverance, but “Not Alone Anymore” touchingly details just how much more challenging her battles with addiction and sexual abuse have been than those of other famous people.

The film’s inventiveness starts with its opening frames, in which closed captioning describes the sounds that accompany the production companies’ logos: “[low humming],” “[dramatic, echoey flutters].” These descriptions occur throughout the documentary, as do subtitles for every talking head, including the Deaf participants. Obviously, these creative decisions allow Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers to more easily experience “Not Alone Anymore.”

But it’s also a subtle acknowledgement of Matlin’s trailblazing work in the late 1980s, when she used her newfound fame to convince lawmakers to require televisions to include closed captioning — a groundbreaking development for a community who had been deprived of a fuller engagement with the media they were watching.

This wasn’t the only way in which Matlin has left her mark. In “Not Alone Anymore,” she breezily recounts how, at 19, she was plucked from relative obscurity to star in her first film, the 1986 adaptation of “Children of a Lesser God,” based on Mark Medoff’s acclaimed play, about a love affair between Sarah, a Deaf janitor, and James, a hearing teacher. Matlin won the Oscar, becoming the first Deaf actor to do so. (Nearly 40 years later, she remains the youngest lead actress recipient.) At the time, her victory was hailed not just as a coronation of a promising talent but also a triumph for the Deaf, who too often feel marginalized and underestimated. But, as the documentary reveals, real progress would prove trickier to achieve.

Matlin and Stern, who is also a Deaf actor, have been friends for decades, and their interviews are mostly conducted sitting together on a couch, the conversations exuding the cozy intimacy of old chums chatting. Making her directorial debut, Stern deftly draws out her subject. Audiences will learn about Matlin’s past history of drug abuse and her fraught romantic relationship with her “Lesser God” costar William Hurt, whom she has accused of sexual and physical abuse. (Hurt died in 2022.)

But “Not Alone Anymore” gently probes the unique difficulties Matlin’s deafness created as she navigated those traumas. When she went to rehab, the facility was ill-equipped to treat a Deaf patient. And during a poignant discussion about Matlin’s sexual abuse, she explains growing up with no understanding of the phrase “domestic violence.”

“Deaf people only have their eyes to rely on for information,” she tells Stern. It’s an illuminating illustration of the dangers of what the Deaf community refers to as language deprivation.

Despite her Oscar win, Matlin would repeatedly have to advocate for herself in an industry seemingly uninterested in Deaf characters. Stern uses 2021’s best-picture-winning “CODA,” which costarred Matlin, as a happy ending of sorts for her film, without denying the ongoing movement for greater Deaf visibility. But if “Not Alone Anymore” can sometimes lean too heavily on uplifting sentiment, Matlin’s story possesses a bittersweet aftertaste.

As evidenced by Matlin’s years of striking, engaging performances, she is a winning presence in the documentary — funny, charming and open — even while we sense the lingering wounds from a difficult upbringing exacerbated by sexual abuse she endured in childhood. Beyond being a spokesperson for the Deaf, Matlin has also emerged as a voice for survivors, even when the world wasn’t receptive to what she had to say. “Not Alone Anymore” notes, with pointed irony, that Matlin published her candid memoir “I’ll Scream Later” in 2009, years before #MeToo, so her accusations against Hurt didn’t carry the same weight in the media as the ones that would later stop powerful predators such as Harvey Weinstein.

It was hardly the first time Matlin waited for society to catch up with her. When she first arrived in Hollywood, she couldn’t have possibly imagined how much of a warrior spirit she would need. “Not Alone Anymore” honors a woman who learned how to fight.

There are plenty of reasons to dislike Carl DeMaio, if you so choose.

The first-term San Diego assembly member is MAGA to his marrow, bringing Donald Trump’s noxious politics and personal approach to Sacramento. For Democrats, the mere mention of his name has the same effect as nails applied to a chalkboard.

Fellow Republicans aren’t too fond of DeMaio, either.

Party leaders worked strenuously — and far from successfully — to keep DeMaio from being elected last fall. They accused him of criminal wrongdoing. Allies spent millions of dollars to boost his GOP rival.

Republican foes “cite his relentless self-promotion, his criticism of his party and his tendency to take credit for victories he played little or no part in to help him fundraise and elevate his political brand,” CalMatters wrote in a harsh January profile.

None of that, however, excuses the silly and juvenile behavior of the Assembly’s majority Democrats last week when the chamber took up a resolution commemorating Pride month.

DeMaio, the Assembly’s first openly gay Republican member, rose on the floor to voice his objections. Usually lawmakers have around five minutes to offer their remarks without interruption.

Not this time.

DeMaio complained that the resolution — larded with more than three dozen whereas-es — strayed far afield from a straightforward commendation, endorsing some “very controversial and extremist positions” opposed even by members of the LGBQT+ community.

“This is not about affirming the LGBT community,” DeMaio said. “It’s about using them as a political pawn to divide us.”

You can agree or disagree with DeMaio. You can embrace the resolution and its myriad clauses with all your heart, or not. That’s beside the point.

About 90 seconds into his remarks, DeMaio was interrupted by the Assembly member presiding over the debate, Democrat Josh Lowenthal of Long Beach, who said he had a “very important announcement” to make.

And what was the pressing matter that couldn’t possibly wait a second longer? Wishing another Assembly Democrat a happy birthday.

Cheers and applause filled the chamber.

DeMaio resumed, only to be interrupted a short time later. Lowenthal deadpanned that he’d forgotten: It had been another Democratic lawmaker’s birthday just a few days earlier. More cheers and applause.

DeMaio resumed and then was interrupted a third time, so Lowenthal could wish “a very, very happy birthday” to a third Democratic Assembly member, who was marking the occasion the next day.

The response in the chamber, laughter mixed with more whoops and cheers, suggested the hazing by Lowenthal and fellow Democrats was great good fun and oh-so-clever.

It wasn’t.

It was petty. It was stupid.

And it bespoke the arrogance of a super-majority party too used to having its way and bulldozing Sacramento’s greatly outnumbered Republicans.

A few things are worth noting here, seeing as how California is supposed to be governed by a representative democracy.

DeMaio’s political peers may not be terribly enamored of the freshman lawmaker. But he was the clear-cut favorite of voters in San Diego, who sent him to the Assembly by a whopping 57% to 43% margin. Their views and voices deserve to be heard.

Democrats may be California’s majority party, enjoying a sizable registration advantage. They hold 60 of 80 seats in the Assembly and 30 of 40 in the state Senate. But the state has nearly 6 million registered Republicans. There are doubtless many more in California who support the party, or at least its policies and broad philosophy, but choose not to formally affiliate with the GOP.

They, too, deserve to be heard.

A not-insignificant number of California residents feel overlooked, ignored and unrepresented by Democrats and their hegemonic rule over Sacramento. The frustration helped spawn the fruitless and wasteful 2021 attempt to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom — which cost taxpayers more than $200 million — and fuels the perennial fantasy of a breakaway rural state called Jefferson.

To a larger point: One-party rule is not good for California.

“When you’re competing, you’ve got to be sort of on your toes,” said Thad Kousser, a UC San Diego political science professor who’s researched the difference between states with two vibrant political parties and those ruled by one or the other.

“When you’re solidly in control, you don’t feel like you need to prove it to voters,” Kousser went on. “You can write off certain areas of the state. You can ignore legislators in the other party, because you don’t think the shoe will ever be on the other foot.

“None of that,” Kousser concluded, “is good for democracy.”

It’s been well over a decade since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger left office and Republicans wielded meaningful clout in Sacramento. The last time the GOP controlled the Assembly was when Bill Clinton was in the White House. Gerald Ford was president the last time Republicans had a majority in the state Senate.

That’s not likely to change anytime soon.

In the meantime, Democrats don’t have to love their fellow lawmakers. They don’t even have to like them. But at the very least, Republicans elected to serve in Sacramento should be treated with respect.

Their constituents deserve as much.