Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The offences are reported to have taken place between 2021-2022, the Metropolitan Police said.
The charges involve three women, with two counts of rape relating to one woman, three counts of rape in connection to a second woman and one count of sexual assault linked to a third woman.
The Ghanaian international denies the charges and “welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name”, his lawyer said.
The 32-year-old’s contract with Arsenal ended on Monday after playing with the team since 2020.
BBC News has contacted Arsenal, the Football Association and the Premier League for comment.
The charges follow an investigation by detectives, which started in February 2022 after police first received a report of rape.
Det Supt Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward.
“We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing [email protected]”
Mr Partey, of Hertfordshire, is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 5 August.
In a statement, his lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said: “Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him.
“He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation.
“He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.
“Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further.”
Mr Parteyjoined Arsenal for £45.3m from Atletico Madrid in October 2020, made 35 top-flight appearances last season and scored four goals as the London club finished second in the Premier League.
He also played 12 times in the Champions League as the Gunners reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by eventual winners Paris St-Germain.
Overall, he made 130 Premier League appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side, scoring nine goals.
Mr Partey has also made more than 50 appearances for Ghana’s national team, and most recently played at World Cup qualification matches in March.
Fears of exceptional heat as Foreign Office updates advice amid wildfire concerns for British tourists
15:43, 04 Jul 2025Updated 15:45, 04 Jul 2025
Tourists shelter from the sun in Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece. Concerns are rising about a ‘heat dome’ hitting the country (Image: Getty)
The South of Europe is bracing for a Heat Dome, which is predicted to extend its reach to Greece, bringing with it heatwave conditions from Sunday, July 6, 2025.
Early reports suggest that this heatwave will be relatively short-lived, but temperatures are expected to soar to a sweltering 42 or even 43 degrees Celsius next week.
Wednesday, July 9, is set to be the toughest day, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. In some areas, such as Halkida in Evia, the mercury will hit 42 degrees Celsius.
Following a brief respite with cooler than average temperatures, the heat is set to return with a vengeance, as a five-day heatwave is forecasted, with high temperatures lingering for several days.
However, relief is in sight, with a significant drop in temperatures expected from Thursday, July 10 Keep Talking Greece reported.
Open TV’s meteorologist Klearhos Marousakis predicts a sharp rise in temperature from Monday to Thursday, July 7-11, due to a westerly current entering Greece, acting as a windbreak for the eastern mainland. He forecasts peak temperatures of 40 to 42 degrees Celsius around Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
From Saturday, July 5, temperatures will gradually begin to climb as the meltemi (summer northern winds) depart the area and the pressure difference decreases. The very dry wind levels are expected to persist until Friday, July 5.
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice – with concerns rising about an outbreak of wildfires in the dry country. It said: “There is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October. Ensure that your mobile phone is registered to receive emergency alerts to be warned of wildfires near your location.
“Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The situation can change quickly.”
To avoid starting wildfires:
leave no litter, especially not glass which is known to start fires
make sure cigarettes are properly extinguished
do not light barbecues
Causing a wildfire or a forest fire is a criminal offence in Greece – even if unintentional. If you see a fire, call the emergency services on 112.
Be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires:
call the Greek emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger
contact your airline or travel operator who can assist you with return travel to the UK
Meanwhile, Europe experienced its first major heatwave of the summer this week, with Barcelona recording its hottest June in over a century and Paris reaching scorching temperatures.
Samantha Burgess, from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, stated that the unusually hot weather “is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress”, with temperatures more akin to those usually seen in July and August.
Barcelona’s Fabra Observatory reported a record-breaking average temperature of 26C for last month, the highest since records began in 1914.
Ramon Pascual, a representative for Spain’s weather service in Barcelona, told the Associated Press that the “very intense heatwave” is undeniably linked to global warming.
Mr Pascual pointed out that the rising sea temperatures are not helping those living in the Mediterranean region, as they significantly reduce any cooling effects from nearby bodies of water.
Spain’s weather service reported that recent surface temperatures for the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands are 5-6C above average.
Spain’s national average for June was 23.6C, which is 0.8C hotter than the previous hottest June in 2017.
Madrid was expected to hit a sweltering 39C.
In Paris, temperatures were predicted to reach a staggering 40C. The national weather agency, Meteo-France, placed several departments under the highest red alert.
Over 1,300 schools were either partially or fully closed due to the heat.
Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were left disappointed as the landmark closed due to the extreme heat.
Visitors were advised to delay their plans as the summit was temporarily shut down until Thursday for “everyone’s comfort and safety”.
Climate specialists are sounding the alarm, predicting that future summers could outdo all previous records, with scorching highs over 40C becoming an annual occurrence by the century’s end.
Italy’s health ministry has reported a heatwave gripping 17 out of its 27 key cities.
Florence felt the brunt of the heat on Tuesday, with mercury hitting 38C, leading to a city centre blackout due to a surge in power usage. Energy giant Enel confirmed that power was swiftly restored thanks to emergency systems.
Tragedy struck near Bologna where a 46 year old construction firm boss succumbed while working on a school car park, with state broadcaster RAI attributing his collapse to the intense heat, pending autopsy results.
In Soest, Netherlands, local fire services announced they’d be joining a water gun battle with a real fire hose, teasing on social media: “Bring your water pistol and swimming clothes with you, because you’re guaranteed to get soaked!”.
Portugal’s meteorological authority confirmed a record-breaking high for June in mainland Portugal, with Mora, west of Lisbon, scalding at 46.6C on June 29.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s firefighters are battling blazes for the third day running, leading to the evacuation of around 50,000 people.
July 4 (UPI) — One person died and 26 were injured in record Russian airstrikes throughout Ukraine‘s capital Kyiv on Friday, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “disappointed” that Russian President Vladimir Putin wasn’t ready to end the three-year war.
Several thousand residents spent the night in shelters, including subway stations or underground parking lots during eight hours of drone and missiles strikes, CNN reported.
“Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv,” Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said about the nonstop strikes.
After the two presidents spoke on the phone, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the “Special Military Operation,” which started in February 2022, will continue until they’ve met their objective.
Trump said that “no progress” had been made to end fighting, which began after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Trump said he planned to speak with Zelensky on Friday.
Ukraine’s air force said the the 550 drones, 72 of which penetrated air defenses, surpassed the previous record of 537 launched last Saturday night.
Air raid alerts sounded overnight in Kyiv, the “main target of the strikes,” the Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a “brutal, sleepless night” as he condemned one of the most “demonstratively significant and cynical” attacks of the war.
“Notably, the first air raid alerts in our cities and regions yesterday began to blare almost simultaneously with media reports discussing a phone call between President Trump and Putin,” Zelensky posted on X. “Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror.”
Again, he urged international allies, including the United States, to put more pressure on Russia to end the war and to impose harsher sanctions.
“All of this is clear evidence that without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behavior,” Zelensky said. “For every such strike against people and human life, they must feel appropriate sanctions and other blows to their economy, their revenues, and their infrastructure. This is the only thing that can be achieved quickly to change the situation for the better. And it depends on our partners, primarily the United States.”
Some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine have been halted by the United States.
Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for “emptying out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves.”
A German government spokesperson said his nation is in talks with the U.S. to buy Patriot air defense systems to give to Ukraine.
The commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces warned the number of long-range drones used by Russia could reach 1,000 or more daily.
The airstrikes damaged railway infrastructure, as well as schools, businesses and vehicles in the capital, including five ambulances that were summoned.
The Polish consulate also was damaged, said Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who called on the U.S. to “restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor.”
With air pollution levels in the city “high,” according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, residents were warned to stay indoors, not to ventilate rooms and use air purifiers at maximum if possible.
“This attack happened immediately after Putin’s conversation with Trump, and it confirms that Trump is a scoundrel, just like the fact that the U.S. wants to stop aid deliveries and he is not helping in any way during his presidency,” one Kyiv resident, Yuriy, told CNN.
One body was found in the rubble in the Svyatoshynsky district, the leader of the Kyiv city military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said.
Also hit were the Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv regions.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said the “massive” strikes were in response to the “terrorist acts of the Kyiv regime.”
A woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a village not far from the border on Friday night, the acting governor of Russia’s southern Rostov region said.
British investigative journalist Asa Winstanley, known for his coverage of Palestine, had his home raided by police in October 2024. Although a court in May 2025 deemed the seizure of his devices unlawful, Winstanley says that current laws are being weaponised to intimidate some journalists.
Brits heading on holidays this summer are being warned to check the rules for taking photos in public spaces as some countries have some hefty fines in place if you get it wrong
You can take photos but always be mindful of your surroundings(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
There’s nothing quite like a holiday selfie with an appropriately smug caption (‘How’s your Monday going?’ always seems to be a popular choice).
However, Brits heading on Dubai holidays should take note of the UAE’s privacy laws before getting their phone out in public spaces, or they could risk some hefty fines.
Luxury travel specialists at eShores have warned: “One wrong snap could bankrupt your holiday budget. Taking photographs of people without explicit consent is classed as a serious privacy violation in the UAE, with tourists facing eye-watering fines of up to 500,000 AED (£110,000) or even imprisonment. Cameras are strictly banned in government buildings, certain palaces, and designated areas throughout the emirate, so that Instagram story could literally cost you your freedom.”
The experts warn that in general, no matter where you’re travelling, it’s worth avoiding snapping photos in certain settings, for example in certain religious sites, government facilities, military and security zones, or public spaces where there are strict privacy laws, the latter being the case for Dubai.
Double check the rules before you snap a photo in a public place(Image: Getty Images)
It’s not the first time that Brits have been urged to think twice before snapping a photo. In its UAE travel advice, the UK Foreign Office also warns Brits against “taking photos in secure areas”. A statement explains: “It is illegal to take photos of some government buildings and military installations. Hobbies like bird watching and plane spotting may be misunderstood, particularly near military sites, government buildings and airports.
“Do not photograph people without their permission. Men have been arrested for photographing women on beaches.”
Meanwhile, you’ll also want to be mindful of what you’re posting on social media. The Foreign Office warns: “It is illegal to post material, including videos and photographs, online that is critical of the UAE government, companies or individuals, or which relates to incidents in the UAE. This includes material which appears to abuse, ridicule or criticise the country or its authorities. Material that is culturally insensitive may also be considered illegal.”
It’s not just Dubai where you may want to think before you get your camera out. In Japan, you could also face fines for taking photos in no-camera zones, although these are around the £55 mark. The eShores insiders explained: “Train stations, traditional ryokan inns, and historic geisha districts like Kyoto’s world-famous Gion quarter all enforce strict no-camera policies. That candid shot of a geisha could land you a ¥10,000 (£55) fine – not to mention serious cultural offence.”
Gavin Lapidus, the travel firm’s founder, added: “While social media has transformed how we document our travels, it’s crucial that holidaymakers understand local laws and cultural sensitivities. What seems like an innocent holiday snap can result in serious legal consequences.
“We always recommend travellers research photography restrictions before they travel, or better yet, speak to experienced travel consultants who understand each destination’s cultural nuances and legal requirements. A few minutes of preparation could ultimately save you thousands of pounds in fines.”
We’ve all eaten an extra hot dog at a Fourth of July barbecue — but only the greats can stomach 50 dogs in rapid fire.
Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest brings the world’s top competitive eaters to Coney Island, N.Y., to see how many hot dogs they can eat in 10 minutes. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s competition.
Is Joey Chestnut competing?
Joey Chestnut, the competition’s most decorated eater, is returning to the Coney Island stage this year after a sponsorship conflict barred him from competing in 2024. Banned after signing a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, Chestnut got his fill competing at a different contest in El Paso, Texas. Major League Eating eventually ceded the sponsorship issue with Chestnut, who posted on X in June that he is “grateful we’ve been able to find common ground.”
Who are the eaters?
Chestnut — ranked No. 1 in the country — is the favorite to win again, boasting a Major League Eating record of 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Other eaters to watch are the 2024 winner and No. 2-ranked Patrick Bertoletti, No.-3 ranked eater Geoffrey Esper, No.-4 ranked eater James Webb and No.-6 ranked eater Nick Wehry.
Miki Sudo is the front-runner in the women’s competition. The reigning champ with a 10-year winning streak, Sudo will be aiming to top her personal record set in 2024 of 51 hot dogs.
When is the contest?
The 2025 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest will take place July 4 outside the original Nathan’s Famous on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y. ESPN will continue its annual broadcast of the Fourth of July contest this year, with coverage beginning at 7:45 a.m. PT/10:45 a.m. ET. The main hot dog eating contest is expected to begin at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.
How can I watch?
The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. It will air again on ESPN at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET, and at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. This will give fans some timing options as they iron out their Fourth of July plans.
The women’s competition will air on ESPN3 at 7:45 a.m. PT/10:45 a.m. ET and will be recapped around 12 p.m. ET.
How did the contest come to be?
In 1916, Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker used a $300 loan and his wife’s secret recipe to open a nickel hot dog stand — it wasn’t until 1972 that the first hot dog eating contest began.
What was initially a lighthearted challenge has become a physically taxing sport, formalized by Major League Eating and extensive media attention. Many see the contest as emblematic of America’s obsession with spectacle and excess. Nathan’s is also not shy about its original goal of self-promotion. Every Independence Day, tens of thousands of fans flock to Coney Island with millions more watching on ESPN.
So, what’s on the table?
The winner receives the highly coveted and bejeweled Mustard Belt, a $10,000 grand prize and the esteemed champion title.
On June 16, The New York Times disclosed that United States President Donald Trump is considering broadening his travel ban list to include as many as 36 additional countries, most of them African – including my country, Zimbabwe.
Twelve days earlier, Trump had enacted a proclamation barring citizens from 12 nations from entering the US. Seven of them – Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan – are African.
He also imposed partial travel restrictions, rather than a complete ban, on individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Citizens from these nations are barred from permanently relocating to the US or obtaining tourist or student visas.
As promised on the campaign trail, Trump is cracking down on immigration.
For the first time in my life, I now face the extraordinary prospect of being barred from travelling to the US – a nation that several of my family members and friends call home.
My cousin, Dr Anna Mhaka, for example, completed her medical studies and practised exclusively in the US. Spencer Matare, a former classmate, has lived in Indianapolis for more than two decades and is a US citizen.
Despite the Trump administration’s political grandstanding and vilification of migrants – both legal and undocumented – Anna and Spencer, like millions of others, are industrious, law-abiding members of US society.
I know many in Africa hope to follow in their footsteps, and are deeply alarmed by the growing barriers to migration that Trump has erected.
Yet, I am not one of them.
Since graduating from the University of Cape Town in 1997, I have never felt inclined to travel to America – let alone live there.
I recognise that this makes me something of an anomaly.
I come from a time and place where the West was idealised – romanticised through the assimilated lens of an Anglicised upbringing. That longing was all around me, not just in my community but across the African continent, shaped by the enduring legacies of French, Portuguese, Spanish and British colonial rule. Yet it was never mine.
On International Migrants Day – December 18, 2024 – Afrobarometer released a report based on data from 24 African countries. It found that 49 percent of Africans had considered emigrating, with North America and Europe the top destinations – though a significant number preferred relocation within Africa.
Nearly 49 percent cited the search for better work opportunities as their reason for wanting to emigrate; 29 percent pointed to poverty and economic hardship.
Many Africans still believe in the “American dream” – or its European equivalent – and I do not begrudge them. Across the US, Africans have found success in business, academia, and sport. The late NBA star Dikembe Mutombo, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is a case in point.
During his lifetime, Mutombo donated $15m of his wealth to establish the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa – a $29m medical and research centre built in memory of his mother, who died in 1997 after failing to receive timely care.
Her tragic, though common, story reflects the deep-rooted socioeconomic challenges across Africa – the very conditions that continue to drive emigration: Broken healthcare systems, entrenched corruption, unemployment, poverty. In contrast, the US often appears as a refuge.
A January 2022 report by the Pew Research Center on Black immigrants in the US showed that African-born Black immigrants are among the most recent arrivals: Three-quarters came in 2000 or later, with 43 percent arriving between 2010 and 2019.
Though the Caribbean remains the top source region, Africa has spurred much of the recent growth. Between 2000 and 2019, the number of Black African immigrants rose by 246 percent – from about 600,000 to two million. Today, individuals of African descent account for 42 percent of the US’s foreign-born Black population – up from 23 percent in 2000.
When I first heard of Trump’s proposed visa bans, I felt profound disdain. It was impossible not to recall his infamous “shithole countries” comment from January 11, 2018 – another act of racial profiling aimed at African nations.
But, on reflection, I have come to see his divisive, insular policies in a different light.
On January 20, he froze US aid to Africa.
Now, he is close to denying many of us visas – from Burkina Faso to Cameroon and Ivory Coast.
Unwittingly, Trump is nudging African nations towards greater self-reliance – forcing us to confront the unmet needs of our restless populations.
But he is not alone in “anti-African” politicking.
Anti-immigration rhetoric has hardened across the US political spectrum. For Africans, even securing a student visa has become harder. In 2023, sub-Saharan African countries had the highest US visa refusal rates – averaging 57 percent. Excluding Southern Africa, where rejection sits at about 19 percent, the rate across other regions rises to 61 percent.
These declining approvals do not affect me, as I have no desire to visit or settle in the United States.
My reluctance to set foot in the so-called “land of the free” stems from a deep-seated fear: The fear of becoming yet another victim of American police brutality – as the world witnessed with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. I know that Black people – African or otherwise – are far too often subjected to racism, violence and discrimination in the US, regardless of their immigration status.
But racially charged police brutality is not the only reason I choose to stay away. There are many more reasons for an African never to consider settling there.
Many Americans struggle with the same, deep-rooted problems facing Africans across the continent. Roughly 29 million adults in the US struggle to access affordable healthcare, according to the West Health-Gallup healthcare indices – a challenge as familiar in Kinshasa as it is in many parts of America. In 2023, the US Census Bureau reported that 36.8 million Americans were living in poverty.
Despite the glossy illusion projected by Hollywood, the US is no utopia.
While people like Anna and Spencer have succeeded there, for most Africans there is no path to achieving the “American dream”. They must find their futures within their own countries or in other parts of Africa.
A huge transformation is needed.
China, after all, achieved sweeping economic reform in just 40 years.
With Africa’s vast mineral wealth and its young, educated population, similar change is possible. A focus on domestic processing of raw materials could drive industrial growth, job creation, and higher gross domestic product.
But peace and good governance must come first. And our investment priorities must change. Rather than pouring money into defence and security, African governments should focus on artificial intelligence, healthcare, and scientific research.
As Africans, we must stop defining ourselves through Western aid, validation, or instruction.
Whatever comes, I will remain in the motherland.
Keep your America, Mr Trump – and we will keep our Africa.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
A BOSS has been branded as being “beyond diabolical” over the text messages they sent to an employee regarding her maternity leave.
Ben Askins, a UK career expert, regularly shares videos calling out questionable workplace behaviour to his social media sites.
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Ben Askins, pictured, read out the shocking text message exchange in a TikTok videoCredit: Ben.Askins / TikTok
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The boss tried to get the employee to take less maternity leave than she is entitled toCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
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The boss seems more concerned with how the maternity leave with impact the businessCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
In a recent post, Ben highlighted an “ugly” response to a pregnant woman’s “reasonable” request for maternity leave where he branded her employer as being in “the top three of the worst bosses I’ve come across”.
Ben shared the text exchange to his TikTok account which has since notched up nearly 590,000 views.
The text message exchange begins with the pregnant employee confirming that her manager had received her “email about maternity leave requests for February”.
The boss then replied: “I saw it, and I wanted to talk to you about it.
“Is there any way you’d consider reducing how long you want to take?
“If you are sure you are going to go ahead with it, would you be open to discussing it all. I am just a bit worried about the costs from our side.”
Clearly taken aback by her manager’s reaction, the female employee tried to justify her reason for taking her legally-entitled maternity leave.
To help ease the situation, she offered to be as helpful as possible to the person who would temporarily filling her position.
She wrote in reply: “Oh ok, um I was kind of hoping to take as much time as possible.
“This is my first child and wanted to get as used to being as parent as possible, especially as my family lives quite far away.”
Vick Hope finally reveals pregnancy – and date she’s going on maternity leave from BBC Radio One
She added: “I will ensure all my responsibilities are handed over seamlessly and help interview for mat cover but I really do want to take the full amount.”
The boss though continued to badger his employee over the “burden” she was allegedly creating by going on maternity leave.
He wrote: “The challenge is that this is a small company, and it’s quite a burden to have to pay both your mat leave and your mat cover.
“I am just not sure how we can cope.”
The woman though continued to advocate for her rights and even offered to assist her employer while she was off on leave.
She said: “I appreciate that but this isn’t fair to put on me, I am happy to support but I am well within my rights to do this.
“I will try and support however I can, make sure everything is in place for a smooth handover and can also be on call for emergencies if that helps?”
The concerned employee then ended the message by saying: “Is my pregnancy going to be a problem for my role in the company?”
The boss then responded: “Not at all! Your pregnancy is absolutely fine by me, we are a family company.”
However, they then continued: “[J]ust not ideal timing for me that is all. But if you are not going to help out and reduce the time then nothing really further for us to talk about I guess.”
As Ben read out the series of text message in the video, he couldn’t help interject with his own comments about the situation, calling the manager out for their “disgusting” behaviour.
Ben also claimed the boss in this case was “fully aware of what he’s doing”.
He said: “He’s trying to use guilt to basically get her to kind of waive her rights [to take the full length of maternity leave]… because you can then sort of go, ‘Oh no, she agreed with it.”
Ben also added the woman’s request was perfectly “reasonable” and noted she had gone above and beyond by offering additional assistance in regard to the recruitment and handover to her replacement.
The expert also added that it was not the woman’s “problem” the business may struggle financially due to her leave entitlement and it was her right to take maternity leave.
Ben said: “That is not her f**king problem, that is your problem.
“If she’s not an equity holder, she’s not a director in the business, it’s not her company, that is a YOUR problem.”
The clip has gained a lot of attention, along with nearly 1,000 comments, many outraged by the behaviour of the boss.
One person wrote: “This is the kind of boss that makes you start looking for another job while you’re on leave.”
Another added: “She should not even have to justify anything.”
A third said: “The gaslighting and guilt is beyond diabolical.”
Others took issue with the manipulative language used by the boss in the text exchange.
One commenter said: “’Not ideal timing for me.’ Yea, I mean sheesh, couldn’t think of your boss while conceiving your baby?”
Another asked: “Did they just suggest she get an abortion for the sake of the company’s bottom line?!?”
While a third posted: “’If you’re not going to help out’ is an insane thing to say especially after she already stated she’s more than happy to arrange cover and everything else before she leaves.”
From the video, it is unclear what jurisdiction the worker was in, but many commentators noted that maternity leave was a legal employment right in a number of countries, including Australia, and the employee may have grounds to take legal action.
One commentator wrote: “Wow… save this, go to an employer lawyer. Get settlement, enjoy!”
Another opined: “This is a slam dunk mat discrimination case. Employers need to understand that claim awards are potentially unlimited.”
Other commentators used the opportunity to relate their own horror stories about requesting maternity leave.
One person wrote: “I had a line manager refuse to discuss it with me because ‘your baby could still die right up until the end’.”
Another commentator added: “My old manager tried to convince me to have an abortion… they wondered why I didn’t want to go back after having my baby.”
While a third said: “My old boss tried to tell me I only got half maternity time with my second child cos I’d already done the full maternity bonding time with my first.”
While most comments expressed outrage by the response of the boss, there were some commentators who said they understood where the employer was coming from.
One reply said: “Whilst he’s being improper, you can’t avoid the fact that small companies will avoid employing women of childbearing age to reduce costs.”
Another commentator said: “For small businesses, maternity leave – even if protected by law – can have a massive impact on the company, especially if it’s not performing well financially.”
Someone else posted: “[S]o many companies like this don’t like hiring young women because the potential for taking maternity leave is high.”
One comment from a disheartened female worker gained more than 1,600 likes which said: “We’re judged by society if we don’t want kids and then punished by work when we do.
“We’re judged for working 9-5 and having a career with kids but then also judged if we stay home full time with kids. Women can’t win.”
Under the Fair Work Act, all employees in Australia are able to get up to 12 months unpaid parental leave, if they have completed at least 12 months of continuous service with their employer.
The Paid Parental Leave scheme is run by Services Australia which provides financial support to eligible working parents to take time off work so they can care for a newborn or recently adopted child.
Some employees are able to receive parental leave payments from the Australian Government Parental Leave Pay, while others will get employer funded parental leave payments.
In some cases, it is possible a person can receive both.
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The employee, not pictured, offered to help with the handover to her replacement (stock image)Credit: Getty
El Alamin, a town built to house cotton and tobacco workers in the 1950s, was meant to be a utopia
14:50, 04 Jul 2025Updated 14:50, 04 Jul 2025
El Alamin is a small village in Spain and translats to “the world” in Arabic(Image: santiago lopez-pastor/ Flickr)
Located just a short drive from the bustling Madrid, lies the forsaken village of El Alamin, which stands in stark contrast to the busy Spanish capital that boasts a population exceeding three million.
El Alamin, translating to “the world” in Arabic, was conceived in the 1950s as an idyllic settlement to accommodate cotton and tobacco workers. Heralded as a utopia for its 150 pioneers, the town comprised only three streets, adorned with 40 houses, a tavern, post office, and a church reflecting Communist architectural design, where inhabitants lived rent-free, paying solely for their electricity.
The vision for this secluded town sprang from the fourth Marquis de Comillas, Juan Claudio Güell y Churruca’s mind, who aligned himself with Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
However, the local farmland suffered overexploitation “to the point of exhaustion”, leading to the degradation and fall of the village, as reported by the travel blog Madrid No Frills.
As time went on, the residents slowly deserted the village, and by the turn of the millennium, El Alamin had been completely vacated, reports the Express.
El Alamin is just a short drive from the bustling Madrid(Image: santiago lopez-pastor/ Flickr)
Presently, it attracts the attention of dark tourism enthusiasts keen to delve into its neglected edifices and discover the essence of life as it was roughly 75 years ago.
Nevertheless, since 2021 gaining access to wander the ghostly lanes of El Alamin has grown more challenging, now requiring the consent of the property owners.
Tamar Shemesh of Madrid No Frills shared that on December 18, 1957, the sister of the Marquis tied the knot in El Alamin’s church amidst a gathering of Spain’s crème de la crème families.
Lately, El Alamin has been shrouded with increasingly “darker mysteries”, she continued.
One eerie myth offers an account of the “real” cause behind the desertion of the town, detailing how one shepherd led his livestock to a nearby hill.
One myth suggests that a shepherd led his livestock to a nearby hill(Image: santiago lopez-pastor/ Flickr)
By dawn, the sheep and their guardian were found deceased, inciting terror throughout El Alamin and prompting its inhabitants to escape.
Dr Philip Stone, who heads the Institute for Dark Tourism Research at the University of Central Lancashire, told the Express that enigmatic spots like El Alamin stir a longing for bygone days.
“These ghost towns give us a sense of the people coming before us, but also of our own fast-moving world. When we see places that have literally stopped, it can bring a sense of nostalgia.”
The outbreak triggered a health warning from the General Directorate of Public Health with tortillas being blamed
14:46, 04 Jul 2025Updated 14:55, 04 Jul 2025
Salmonella bacteria. 22 people had to be hospitalised after falling ill in Spain, health officials said(Image: Getty)
More than 160 festival-goers have been struck down with illness after attending a music and food event in Spain. A total of 162 individuals have contracted Salmonella, believed to be from food consumed at the Trasan Fest held on June 27 and 28 in Oza Cesuras (A Coruña), with 22 requiring hospital treatment.
The outbreak triggered a health warning from the General Directorate of Public Health of the Sergas (Galician Health Service). Preliminary investigations are pointing towards a food stall selling tortillas, a traditional Spanish dish made with eggs and potatoes, as the potential source of the infection.
Health officials are now conducting epidemiological surveys among those affected to pinpoint the exact origin of the outbreak.
In an official statement, the festival organisers expressed their deep regret over the incident. “We are collaborating with the authorities to locate the source of the incident, likely linked to a raw material supplied by one of our suppliers,” they stated.
Consumer group FACUA Galicia is urging the Galician Ministry of Health to carry out inspections of all establishments, food trucks, or mobile food vendors at venues hosting music festivals or other cultural events, in a bid to prevent such food poisoning incidents in the future.
FACUA has also advised that those affected by the Salmonella outbreak are entitled to claim compensation for the days during which their health was compromised. Evidence of the type of injury sustained, supported by the appropriate medical report, is required. It would also be beneficial to have proof of consumption of the suspected food.
In 2023, Salmonella was the most commonly identified cause of outbreaks, with 350 instances. This also led to the highest number of patients associated with an outbreak at 2,747, along with 356 hospitalisations and four fatalities.
The largest Salmonella outbreak impacted 159 individuals. A number of these outbreaks were linked to the consumption of eggs and egg products.
From Kevin Baxter: The Dodgers will be without Max Muncy for approximately six weeks after the third baseman was placed on the injured list Thursday with what the team is calling a bone bruise in his left knee. Muncy was injured in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s walk-off win over the Chicago White Sox when Chicago’s Michael Taylor slid headfirst into third on an unsuccessful attempt to steal third base.
Taylor’s helmet hit Muncy’s knee, bending it sideways and flipping the infielder to the ground. The collision was so gruesome, SportsNet LA, which was broadcasting the game, did not show replays. Muncy writhed on the ground in obvious pain before being helped to the clubhouse.
Muncy, who entered the Dodger clubhouse Thursday afternoon wearing a blue elastic support bandage on his left leg, said he originally feared the worst, but an MRI found no structural damage.
“It was tough news, but it was also great news,” he said. “I still get to play baseball this year instead of coming back next year around April. So it was kind of best-case scenario.”
Muncy, who said his knee felt stiff but not painful, was scheduled to meet the Dodger doctors later Thursday but said he intended to embark on an aggressive rehabilitation process.
“Everybody’s body is different,” he said. “You know, some guys heal extremely fast, some guys heal extremely slow. Traditionally, I’ve always healed fairly fast.”
Dave Roberts had some goals in mind for starting pitcher Dustin May on Thursday. And they had little to do with the final result.
“The first thing is his ability to go deeper in games,” the Dodger manager said. “The sweeper has got to be a more effective pitch. His sinker has got to be more effective.
“I know he’s working through some delivery things with the pitching coaches. I’m kind waiting to see what to expect tonight.”
May would give Roberts far more than he asked for, setting down the first 16 batters in order and pitching into the eighth inning for the first time in his career in a 6-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.
The win was the Dodgers’ fourth in a row and ninth in their last 10 games.
The start was May’s 16th of the season and the seven innings he threw gave him 89.2 for the year, both career highs. Consistency, however, has been an issue. He won just once in June, when his 5.67 ERA was highest among Dodger starters.
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ANGELS
Zach Neto had three hits, including a homer, Nolan Schanuel added a two-run blast and José Soriano gave up only three hits in seven scoreless innings to lead the Angels to a 5-1 victory over the weak-hitting Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.
The Braves avoided a shutout on Jurickson Profar’s ninth-inning homer off left-hander Brock Burke. It was Profar’s second homer in two games since returning from an 80-game PED suspension.
Soriano (6-5) had seven strikeouts and did not allow a base runner to reach second base. Neto scored three runs.
As athletic and skilled as Deandre Ayton is for a 7-footer, he’s better known at this stage of his career for his shortcomings.
His maddening inconsistency. His uninspired defense. His lack of motivation. His inability to stay healthy.
Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton shoots under pressure from Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic on Feb. 10 in Denver. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press) If you didn’t like Anthony Davis, you’re going to hate Ayton. Davis was always accountable or at very least not tone deaf, which Ayton apparently is.
Little wonder the Portland Trail Blazers officially gave up on Ayton during the weekend by buying out his contract, opening the door for the Lakers to pick him up at a bargain price.
The Lakers are wagering they can do what the Trail Blazers, and the Phoenix Suns before them, couldn’
Natasha Cloud scored 11 of her 23 points in the third quarter and sparked a huge run to lead the New York Liberty to an 89-79 victory over the Sparks on Thursday night.
Breanna Stewart added 17 points and 14 rebounds and Sabrina Ionescu had 20 points for New York (12-5).
The defending champion Liberty trailed 53-42 midway through the third before Cloud and Ionescu got going. Cloud’s three-point play sparked a 13-0 run and then Ionescu scored 10 straight points for New York to give the Liberty a 63-59 advantage.
Dearica Hamby scored 25 points to lead the Sparks, who got a boost with the return of Rae Burrell. She saw her first action since injuring her knee in the opener. She checked in late in the first quarter and played 12 minutes, finishing with five points.
1907 — Canadian world heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns KOs Bill Squires of Australia in round 1 in Colma, Calif., his 6th title defense.
1910 — Jack Johnson knocks out Jim Jeffries in the 15th round at Reno, Nev., to retain the world heavyweight title and spoil Jeffries’ comeback.
1914 — The Harvard eight wins the Grand Challenge Cup to become the first American crew to capture the top event at the Henley Royal Regatta.
1919 — Jack Dempsey wins the world heavyweight title at Toledo, Ohio, when Jess Willard fails to answer the bell for the fourth round.
1923 — Jack Dempsey beats Tommy Gibbon in 15 for the heavyweight title. The fight almost bankrupts the town of Shelby, Montana, which borrowed heavily to stage it.
1930 — Helen Wills Moody wins her fourth straight singles title at Wimbledon with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Elizabeth Ryan. Moody would go on to win four more Wimbledon singles titles.
1954 — FIFA World Cup Final, Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, Switzerland: Helmut Rahn scores twice as West Germany beats Hungary, 3-2.
1964 — Maria Bueno of Brazil upsets Margaret Smith of Australia 6-4, 7-9, 6-3 for the women’s title at Wimbledon.
1975 — Billie Jean King beats Evonne Goolagong, 6-0, 6-1 for her sixth and final singles title at Wimbledon.
1982 — Jimmy Connors beats John McEnroe 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 for the men’s singles championship at Wimbledon. The match lasts 4 hours, 16 minutes.
1987 — Martina Navratilova wins her eighth Wimbledon singles title and sixth straight, beating Steffi Graf 7-5, 6-3.
1994 — FIFA World Cup: A Bebeto strike saves Brazil from embarrassment, beat USA 1-0 at Stanford.
1999 — Pete Sampras overwhelms Andre Agassi in three sets to capture his sixth Wimbledon title and tie Roy Emerson’s record with his 12th Grand Slam championship. Sampras is the first man in the Open era with six Wimbledon titles.
2002 — Venus and Serena Williams win in straight sets to set up their third title match at a major in 10 months — and the first all-sister Wimbledon final since 1884. Top-seeded Venus, the two-time defending champion, overpowers Justine Henin 6-3, 6-2. Second-seeded Serena routs Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-1 in 55 minutes.
2003 — Lakers star Kobe Bryant is arrested in Eagle, Colo., for sexual assault, charges eventually dismissed.
2004 — UEFA European Championship Final, Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal: In a huge upset Greece beats host nation Portugal, 1-0.
2004 — Meg Mallon wins the Women’s U.S. Open with a 6-under 65, the lowest final round by a champion in the 59-year history of the tournament. Mallon finishes at 10-under 274 for a two-shot victory over Annika Sorenstam.
2008 — Dara Torres completes her improbable Olympic comeback, making the U.S. team for the fifth time by winning the 100 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb. The 41-year-old wins in 54.78. A nine-time medalist, she already was the first U.S. swimmer to make four Olympic teams.
2009 — Serena Williams beats her big sister Venus 7-6 (3), 6-2 for her third Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam championship. In the fourth all-Williams final at Wimbledon, Serena comes out on top for the third time. Later, Venus and Serena win their fourth women’s doubles title at Wimbledon and ninth Grand Slam doubles title as a pair.
2010 — Rafael Nadal beats Tomas Berdych in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4, to win his second Wimbledon title and eighth Grand Slam championship.
2011 — Tyler Farrar becomes the first American to win a July 4 Tour de France stage, dominating a sprint finish in the third leg as teammate Thor Hushovd of Norway kept the yellow jersey.
2014 — Germany becomes the first country to reach the semifinals for a fourth straight World Cup by beating France 1-0 in a quarterfinal match settled by a first-half header from Mats Hummels.
2015 — Copa América Final, Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago: Chile defeats Argentina, 4-1 penalties to win their first title; 0-0 after extra time.
2015 — Super Rugby Final, Westpac Stadium, Wellington: Otago Highlanders beat Wellington Hurricanes 21-14 for their first title.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1905 — The Philadelphia Athletics scored two runs in the 20th inning, giving Rube Waddell a 4-2 victory over Cy Young of the Boston Red Sox. Both pitchers went the distance.
1908 — George Wiltse of the New York Giants pitched a 10-inning, 1-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.
1912 — George Mullin of the Detroit Tigers celebrated his 32nd birthday by pitching a no-hitter over the St. Louis Browns.
1925 — Two of the great left-handers of their time, Herb Pennock of the Yankees and Lefty Grove of the Athletics, hooked up in a pitcher’s duel that New York won 1-0 in 15 innings. Pennock gave up four hits and walked none.
1939 — Jim Tabor of the Boston Red Sox hit three home runs, including two grand slams, in an 18-12 triumph over the Philadelphia Athletics in the second game of a doubleheader.
1945 — Augie Bergamo drove in eight runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to 19-2 rout of the New York Giants in the second game of a doubleheader. Bergamo, batting leadoff, went 5 for 6 with two home runs and four runs scored.
1976 — The Phillies’ Tim McCarver lost a grand slam when he passed Garry Maddox on the base paths. The Phillies still beat the Pirates 10-5 at Pittsburgh.
1983 — Dave Righetti of the New York Yankees pitched a 4-0 no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
1984 — Phil Niekro of the New York Yankees struck out five Texas Rangers to become the ninth pitcher with 3,000 strikeouts. No. 3,000 was Larry Parrish.
1985 — The New York Mets beat the Braves 16-13 in 19 innings at Atlanta. The game went until just before 4 a.m. on July 5, and was followed by a fireworks display for the 10,000 still left in the stands. Keith Hernandez of the Mets hit for the cycle in 10 at-bats. The score was tied 8-8 after innings. Both teams scored two runs apiece in the 13th. The Mets scored a run in the 18th to take an 11-10 lead, but Braves pitcher Rick Camp tied the score with a homer. Camp then gave up five runs in the top the 19th. Ron Darling, the seventh Mets pitcher, closed the game giving up two runs.
2006 — Victor Martinez went 5-for-6 and Jhonny Peralta and Travis Hafner each hit two of Cleveland’s six home runs, powering the Indians to a 19-1 rout of New York. The win was Cleveland’s largest at home in more than 56 years, since a 21-2 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics on June 18, 1950.
2006 — Jose Contreras tossed 6 2-3 scoreless innings to win his 17th straight decision and lead the White Sox to a 13-0 victory over Baltimore.
2008 — The Cardinals drop a 2-1 decision to the Cubs but Albert Pujols socks his 300th career home run. At 28 years, 170 days old, he becomes the fifth youngest player to hit 300, one day ahead of Mel Ott. The younger players were Alex Rodriguez, Jimmie Foxx, Ken Griffey Jr. and Andruw Jones.
2008 — Colorado homered six times to rally from a nine-run deficit for the biggest comeback in franchise history and an 18-17 victory over Florida. Chris Iannetta singled home the winning run off Kevin Gregg in the ninth inning. The Rockies and Marlins combined for 35 runs and 43 hits, 21 of them for extra bases with eight home runs.
2010 — The rosters for the 2010 All-Star Game, to be played at Angel Stadium, are announced today. The top vote getters are Joe Mauer in the American League and Albert Pujols in the National League. Among the first-time All-Stars is 40-year-old reliever Arthur Rhodes of the Reds; he sports a sparkling 1.09 ERA in his 19th big league season.
2012 — Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz hit his 400th career home run, a leadoff drive to right in the fourth inning against Oakland’s A.J. Griffin.
2014 — Brian Roberts hit three doubles and a triple, leading the New York Yankees to a 6-5 win over Minnesota.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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It was a normal Teams meeting at the end of a busy week. Colleagues were discussing the hospital weekend plans. I was there too, nodding, half-present. My mind was elsewhere – on a message I’d sent earlier that morning to a friend in Gaza.
I glanced at my phone.
One tick.
WhatsApp users know the signs: one tick means the message was sent. Two ticks mean it was received. Two blue ticks, it was read.
For most people, it’s a minor delay. But when you’re texting a Palestinian friend in Gaza during a war, one tick carries a sense of dread.
Maybe his phone’s out of charge – normal in a place where power was cut off 20 months ago. Maybe there’s no service – Israel often cuts communication during attacks. But there’s a third possibility I don’t allow myself to think about, even though it’s the most likely outcome if you are living through a genocide.
Still one tick.
Back in the meeting. We wrap up. Plans are made and people start to think about their own weekend plans.
I glance again. Still one tick.
This is the curse of being Palestinian. Carrying the weight of your homeland, its pain, its people – while being expected to function normally, politely, professionally.
Then, I was told my Teams background was “potentially anti-Semitic.”
It was a still-life image: figs, olives, grapes, oranges, watermelon, and a few glass bottles. A quiet nod to my culture and roots. But in today’s climate, even fruit is political. Any symbol of Palestinian identity can now be interpreted as a threat.
Suddenly, I was being questioned, accused, and possibly facing disciplinary action. For a background. For being Palestinian.
Still one tick.
I felt silenced, humiliated, and exposed. How was my love for my culture, for art, for my people being twisted into something hateful? Why is my choice of virtual background more controversial than the devastating violence unfolding in real time?
This is not isolated. Many of us – Palestinians, or anyone else who cares about Palestine – are being challenged on our humanity across organisations, all driven by external pressure.
And then it happened. Two blue ticks.
My friend was alive. He messaged: they fled their home in the early hours of the morning. He carried his children, walked for hours, left everything behind. No food, no shelter. But alive.
How could I explain to him what had happened to me that day? That while he ran for his life, I was threatened with disciplinary action about a painting of fruit? That I was accused of racism for an image, while he was witnessing the destruction of entire families?
This is what it means to be Palestinian today. To constantly navigate a world that erases your humanity, silences your voice, distorts your identity. To be told your pain is political. Your joy is provocation. Your symbols are offensive.
I’ve worked in the NHS for 25 years. It’s more than a job – it’s part of who I am. And now, along with two colleagues, I’m taking legal action. Not for ourselves, but to protect the NHS from external political lobbying. To say, firmly and clearly, that our National Health Service should belong to its patients and its staff – not to those who seek to silence, intimidate or twist it into serving a toxic agenda.
What happened to me is not just unjust – it is unlawful. Speaking up against genocide is not only my moral responsibility as a human being, but also my right as a British citizen in a democratic society.
I don’t write this to compare my experience with my friend’s suffering. I write it to expose the absurdity, the cruelty, of how Palestinians are treated across the world. Whether under bombs or under suspicion, we are made to justify our existence.
It shouldn’t be this way.
Being Palestinian is not a crime. But too often, it feels like the world treats it as one.
The author is currently pursuing legal action, alongside two NHS colleagues, challenging, among other things, allegations of antisemitism.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
When you live in war for so long, you have to take comfort in whatever little control you have over your decisions. My city in northwest Ukraine is now just 20km (12 miles) from the front line.
We all know that the front line has been getting closer in recent months. Every two or three days, there are reports that one village, another village and a third village have been occupied.
Cluster munitions have already directly hit the city centre. There are constant sirens, some lasting as long as two whole days. We have got so used to them that we don’t spend the whole time in basements because, over time, people’s minds adapt. We stay outside and continue to live, knowing we are risking our lives, knowing that this coffee might be the last one.
For many families in Sumy, like mine, the critical decision is whether to flee to a safer area. When this is your home, your roots, your loved ones, everything you’ve built – especially if family members aren’t planning to leave – it becomes a very complex decision. My daughter and I are staying put, though she has been sleeping in the hallway for the past few months, feeling safer there than in her bed next to the window. But with the school year now over, some families with the option are leaving the city – for a summer camp, a grandparents’ house – before reassessing the situation. Some have packed up and left for good.
I feel the children’s absence in the classes I facilitate through the local organisation League of Modern Women, supported by Save the Children. One day, a child is enjoying the lessons. The next day, they’re gone. These classes continue bringing joy to children – giving them some sense of normality, moments of joy and a glimpse of a real childhood. For children who have been limited to online learning for months, even years, it is the only opportunity they have to interact with others in person. And they are supporting one another, building resilience.
The classes for small children encourage them to draw, express emotions, feelings and dreams through art and painting. They also play team games and sports and learn mindfulness and breathing techniques to keep calm during crises. With teenagers, we ask them to work together to come up with project ideas to improve their community. For example, one girl wants to create a drama club, and a boy wants a library for Japanese manga comics. We teach them how to write a project proposal, create a budget and offer mentorship. It’s refreshing – and essential – for children to escape and expand their imaginations beyond the reality of war.
This is a reality that is eroding childhoods. The constant sirens have turned a decent night’s sleep – critical for children’s health and development – into a distant memory.
This is a reality that has separated children from their fathers. One girl in my class was in a bad mood for a long time. Finally, she said: “I want to see Dad. He is in military service.”
This is a reality that has kept children from socialising – something parents around the world will remember from the days of the COVID-19 pandemic. One boy, whose only interaction with other children for a long time was through a computer screen, started my classes struggling to communicate with others. Gradually, he has come out of his shell. Many children have had to say goodbye to friends on the move, time and again.
In one class, a boy and his friend had a ukulele and wanted to sing for everyone. We said, “Of course, go ahead!” These were fourth-graders – nine- and 10-year-olds. They stood up, started playing and singing, and their classmates turned off the lights and lit up their phone flashlights. They transformed our shelter classroom into a concert hall for five minutes. It was such a joy to see them enjoying life, even if just for a few moments in a city under attack.
For me, that makes my decision to stay in Sumy worthwhile. We cannot abandon the families and children here. Children need hope – and that is what our classes give. You could leave Sumy, and something could happen somewhere else. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a border city or the capital – moving in Ukraine is like playing the lottery. Safety is not guaranteed.
For those of us who have made the decision to stay, every day the significance of that choice becomes clearer. If we all left, there would be no Sumy – and no one left to protect.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
Naomi Schiff is a familiar face to Formula 1 fans as she co-hosts all the action from the motorsport as part of the Sky Sports presenting team
Sky Sports presenter Naomi Schiff is renowned for her F1 coverage(Image: Getty Images)
Popular among F1 fans and a key figure in Sky Sports’ presenting team, Naomi Schiff will be at the forefront of this weekend’s racing excitement as they showcase the much-anticipated British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Racing enthusiasts will witness home hero Lewis Hamilton make his premier appearance at Silverstone as a Ferrari driver, while Lando Norris aims to forge ahead in his quest for the 2025 world championship title, rivalling teammate Oscar Piastri.
Naomi, a retired racing driver herself, is set to deliver all the electrifying updates from the event to eager viewers. The presenter, who hails from Belgium, has Rwandan and Belgian heritage and grew up in South Africa, has transitioned from her racing pursuits to television presenting.
Now at 31 years old, not only is Naomi thriving in her new role, but she’s also embracing the joy of impending motherhood with her French husband Alexandre Dedieu. We delve into her life beyond the screen…
Naomi is a fan favourite as a Sky Sports F1 presenter(Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Marriage and baby news
Naomi celebrated her marriage to Alexandre in 2024 with two ceremonies – a modest official exchange and big wedding, reports the Express.
After their civil union in September, Naomi expressed her joy on Instagram, sharing pictures and writing: “Officially Mr. & Mrs. ‘Oui’ was never in doubt, it’s always been you. So grateful for this beautiful moment and excited for forever. Can’t wait to celebrate our big day in the days to come!”
Naomi shared breath-taking snaps in a bridal white dress and long veil from her wedding, posting: “From unforgettable moments to cherished memories, our wedding day was everything we dreamed of and more. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us, filling our day with laughter, love, and joy.”
Not long after their nuptials, Naomi thrilled her followers with news that she’s expecting, unveiling her bump in a clip with the caption: “Been keeping the tiniest little secret.”
In May, she revealed she was “halfway” to greeting their bundle of joy.
F1 absences explained
Naomi started her career as a racing driver(Image: Getty Images)
Whilst Naomi is set to embrace maternity leave soon, spectators have noted her sporadic absences at races.
Given this year’s packed F1 schedule with 24 races, Sky Sports F1’s large presenting roster means some faces will naturally be missing from time to time. Despite the varied presenter lineup, Naomi is slated to cover 12 races for Sky.
During an Instagram Q&A session, Naomi addressed whether she picks which weekends she’s on, saying: “The @skysportsf1 on-screen team is pretty big. So, it’s about being able to split races amongst everyone both numbers-wise but also geographically”.
She pointed out that scheduling can be tricky due to personal commitments that jostle for attention within the Sky Sports F1 presenting crew’s annual calendars.
Lewis stuck up for Naomi(Image: Sky Sports/YouTube)
Bond with Lewis Hamilton
Naomi’s bond with F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has seen the driver step up to defend her during times of controversy.
When Naomi ventured into presenting at the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team car launch and co-hosted Sky Sports F1 show Any Driven Monday in 2022, a critic doubted her suitability for the role, according to The Sun.
The sceptic posted: “Meet Naomi Schiff, Sky Sports latest Formula 1 commentator. Can you guess what her main qualification for the job is? Hint: It isn’t Formula 1 experience.”
Naomi retorted with three yawning emojis to express her indifference to the criticism. Champion Lewis Hamilton was quick to come to Naomi’s defence on Twitter (now renamed X), disagreeing with the detractor’s view.
He commented: “Naomi is an ex-professional racing driver & totally qualified to give her opinion as part of the Sky team. She’s been a great asset since joining & we should welcome more representative broadcasting with open arms.
“Still have a long way to go to change these attitudes in sport.”
Sky Sports is hosting coverage of the British Grand Prix throughout the weekend with the race coverage starting on Sunday, July 6 at 1.30pm
On July 3, the United States House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump’s signature tax cut and spending package, which he has called the “One Big Beautiful Bill“.
The bill combines tax reductions, spending hikes on defence and border security, and cuts to social safety nets.
Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that the bill “hurts everyday Americans and rewards billionaires with massive tax breaks”.
Trump’s erstwhile ally, billionaire Elon Musk, publicly opposed the bill, arguing it would bloat expenditure and the country’s already unmatched debt.
Trump is expected to sign the bill into law on Friday, July 4 – the US’s independence day – at 4pm ET.
Here’s what’s next – and whom the bill will affect:
How have taxes been lowered?
The main goal of the bill was to extend Trump’s first-term tax cuts.
In 2017, Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which lowered taxes and increased the standard deduction for all taxpayers, primarily benefitting higher-income earners.
More than a third of the total cuts went to households with an income of $460,000 or more.
The top 1 percent (roughly 2.4 million people) received average tax cuts of about $61,090 by 2025 – higher than any other income group. By contrast, the middle 60 percent of earners (78 million people) saw cuts in the range of $380 to $1,800.
Those tax breaks were set to expire this year, but the new bill has made them permanent. It also adds some more cuts Trump promised during his latest campaign.
For instance, there is a change to the US tax code called the State and Local Taxes deduction.
This will let taxpayers deduct certain local taxes (like property taxes) from their federal tax return.
Currently, people can only deduct up to $10,000 of these taxes. The new bill would raise that cap from $10,000 to $40,000 for five years.
Taxpayers will also be allowed to deduct income earned from tips and overtime, until 2028, as well as interest paid on loans for buying cars made in the US from this year until 2028.
Elsewhere, the estate tax exemption will rise to $15m for individuals and $30m for married couples.
In all, the legislation contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.
How big are social welfare cuts?
To help offset the cost of the tax cuts, Republicans plan to scale back Medicaid and food assistance programmes for low-income families.
Their stated goal was to focus these programmes on certain groups – primarily pregnant women, people with disabilities and children – while also reducing what they deem to be waste, including by limiting access to immigrants.
Currently, more than 71 million people depend on Medicaid, the government health insurance program.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill would leave an additional 17 million Americans without health cover in the next decade.
While Medicaid helps Americans suffering from poor health, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps poor people afford groceries.
About 40 million Americans currently receive benefits through SNAP, also known as food stamps.
The CBO calculates that 4.7 million SNAP participants will lose out over the 2025-2034 period, due to program reductions.
Changes to Medicaid and SNAP could become permanent provisions, with no sunset clauses attached to them.
A recent White House memo pointed to more than $1 trillion in welfare cuts from the new bill – the largest spending reductions to the US safety net in modern history.
Will there be new money for national security?
The bill sets aside about $350bn, to be spread out over several years, for Trump’s border and national security plans. This includes:
$46bn for the US-Mexico border wall
$45bn to fund 100,000 beds in migrant detention centres
Billions more to hire an extra 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents by 2029, as part of Trump’s plan to carry out the largest mass deportation effort in US history.
Will clean energy be affected?
Republicans have rolled back tax incentives that support clean energy projects powered by renewables like solar and wind, instead giving tax breaks to coal and oil companies.
These “green” tax breaks were a part of former President Joe Biden’s landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which aimed to tackle climate change and reduce healthcare costs.
A tax break for people who buy new or used electric vehicles will expire on September 30 this year, instead of at the end of 2032 under current law.
How will the bill affect the US debt profile?
The legislation would raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, from $36.2 trillion currently (which amounts to 122 percent of gross domestic product or GDP), going beyond the $4 trillion outlined in the version passed by the House in May.
Washington cannot borrow more than its stated debt ceiling. But since 1960, Congress has raised, suspended or changed the terms of the debt ceiling 78 times, facilitating more leverage and undermining the US’s long-term fiscal stability.
In his first term, Trump oversaw a roughly $8 trillion increase in the federal debt, which surged due to 2017 tax cuts and emergency spending, approved by Congress, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Debt as a share of GDP was already higher last year than it was anytime outside of World War II, the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis or the COVID-19 pandemic. Deficit concerns contributed to Moody’s downgrading of the US credit score in May.
For its part, the White House claims the new tax bill will reduce projected deficits by more than $1.4 trillion over the next decade, in part by spurring additional growth. But economists on both sides of the aisle have strongly disputed that.
Indeed, according to the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, interest payments on national debt will rise to $2 trillion per year by 2034 owing to the legislation, crowding out spending on other goods and services.
How did the House of Representatives vote on the bill?
The lower house of the US Congress voted by a margin of 218 to 214 in favour of the bill on Thursday.
All 212 Democratic members of the House opposed the bill. They were joined by Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who broke from the Republican majority.
On July 1, the Senate narrowly passed the bill by a 51–50 vote, with the deciding vote cast by Vice President JD Vance.
Who will benefit the most?
According to Yale University’s Budget Lab, wealthier taxpayers are likely to gain more from this bill than lower-income Americans.
They estimate that people in the lowest income bracket will see their incomes drop by 2.5 percent, mainly because of cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, while the highest earners will see their incomes rise by 2.2 percent.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who suffered a blow to his already slim championship hopes when he was taken out of last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, was only 10th fastest, complaining about the balance of his car.
Red Bull are one of a number of teams with revised floors for this event, the others McLaren, Aston Martin, Haas, Williams and Sauber.
At Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso used the new floor in the first session, to end up 11th fastest, while team-mate Lance Stroll ran the previous specification for comparison and ended up just one place behind.
In warm temperatures and in front of a large crowd, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto both had huge spins at the ultra-fast Copse corner, remarkably without going off track and damaging their cars.
July 4 (UPI) — The United Parcel Service has announced that it is offering buyouts to full-time drivers as part of its execution of “the largest network reconfiguration” in the company’s history.
The plan was announced in a statement Tuesday, explaining it is “the first time ever” that they have offered full-time drivers the ability to volunteer to “receive a generous financial package if they choose to leave UPS.”
Specifics of the financial package were not revealed, but UPS said it will be in addition to any earned retirement benefits, including pension and healthcare.
“Each driver would have the ability to decide if this voluntary program is beneficial to their family and the plans they have for their future,” UPS said.
The company added the drivers’ union has been informed of the plan and that UPS remains committed to their 2023 agreement.
The union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, issued a statement rejecting the buyout plan as violating their commitment not only to protect 340,000 delivery workers but to create 22,500 more jobs.
“UPS is trying to weasel its way out of creating good union jobs here in America by dangling insulting buyouts in front of Teamsters drivers,” the teamsters general president, Sean O’Brien said in a statement.
“It’s an illegal violation of our national contract.”
In the five-year contract, ratified in August 2023, UPS guaranteed to fill at a minimum 22,500 permanent full-time jobs. The announcement of the buyout also comes as the union says UPS is failing to provide at least 28,000 air-conditioned vehicles to drivers by 2028.
“Our members cannot be bought off and we will not allow them to be sold out,” O’Brien said.
“The Teamsters are prepared to fight UPS on every front with every available resource to shut down this illegal buyout program.”
The announcement comes after UPS said in late April that they expected to reduce their workforce by about 20,000 positions during this year.
The United Nations human rights office has said it recorded at least 613 killings of Palestinians both at controversial aid points run by the Israeli- and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and near humanitarian convoys.
“This is a figure as of June 27. Since then … there have been further incidents,” Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva on Friday.
The OHCHR said 509 of the 613 people were killed near GHF distribution points. The Gaza Health Ministry has put the number of deaths at more than 650 and those wounded as exceeding 4,000.
The GHF began distributing limited food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of deliveries which the UN says is neither impartial nor neutral, as killings continue around the organisation’s sites, which rights groups have slammed as “human slaughterhouses”.
Mahmoud Basal, a civil defence spokesperson in Gaza, said they “recorded evidence of civilians being deliberately killed by the Israeli military”.
“More than 600 Palestinian civilians were killed at these centres,” he said. “Some were shot by Israeli snipers, others were killed by drone attacks, air strikes or shootings targeting families seeking aid.”
‘I lost everything’
A mother, whose son was killed while trying to get food, told Al Jazeera that she “lost everything” after his death.
“My son was a provider, I depended totally on him,” she said, adding: “He was the pillar and foundation of our life.”
The woman called the GHF’s aid distribution centres “death traps”.
“We are forced to go there out of desperation for food; we go there out of hunger,” she said.
“Instead of coming back carrying a bag of flour, people themselves are being carried back as bodies,” she added.
The World Health Organization said on Friday that Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis is operating as “one massive trauma ward” due to an influx of patients injured around GHF sites.
Referring to medical staff at the hospital, Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, told reporters in Geneva: “They’ve seen already for weeks, daily injuries … (the) majority coming from the so-called safe non-UN food distribution sites.”
Peeperkorn said health workers at Nasser Hospital and testimonies from family members and friends of those wounded confirmed that the victims had been trying to access aid at sites run by the GHF.
He recounted the harrowing cases of a 13-year-old boy shot in the head, as well as a 21-year-old with a bullet lodged in his neck which rendered him paraplegic.
According to the UN, only 16 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially operational, their collective capacity merely above 1,800 beds – entirely insufficient for the overwhelming medical needs.
The Israeli army has targeted the health institutions and medical workers in the besieged enclave since the beginning of its war on Gaza in October 2023.
“The health sector is being systematically dismantled,” Peeperkorn said on Thursday in a separate statement, citing shortages of medical supplies, equipment, and personnel.
GHF condemned
The UN, humanitarian organisations and other NGOs have repeatedly slammed the GHF for its handling of aid distribution and the attacks around its distribution sites.
More than 130 humanitarian organisations, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty International, on Tuesday demanded the immediate closure of the GHF, accusing it of facilitating attacks on starving Palestinians.
The NGOs said Israeli forces and armed groups “routinely” open fire on civilians attempting to access food.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which was carrying out aid distribution for decades before the GHF, has called for investigations into the killings and wounding of Palestinians trying to access food through GHF.
UNRWA noted that while it operated about 400 sites across the territory, GHF has set up only four “mega-sites”, three in the south and one in central Gaza – none in the north, where conditions are most severe.
The GHF has denied that incidents surrounding people killed or wounded at its sites have occurred involving its contractors, without providing any evidence, rejecting an Associated Press investigation that said some of its United States staff fired indiscriminately at Palestinians.
A recent report from Israeli outlet Haaretz detailed Israeli troops, in their words, confirming that Israeli soldiers have deliberately shot at unarmed Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza after being “ordered” to do so by their commanders.
Medical sources have told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces killed 27 Palestinians in Gaza since dawn on Friday.
In Khan Younis, the Israeli military killed at least 15 Palestinians following a series of deadly attacks on makeshift tents in the al-Mawasi coastal area, which was once classified as a so-called humanitarian safe zone by Israel. Attacks there have been relentless.
Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, while displacing most of the population of more than two million multiple times, triggering widespread hunger and leaving much of the territory in ruins.
The war began after Hamas-led fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 captives back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
SEOUL — The third and final season of Netflix’s “Squid Game” broke viewership records on the streaming platform following its release on June 27, marking a fitting close for what has arguably been the most successful South Korean TV series in history.
Although reviews have been mixed, Season 3 recorded more than 60 million views in the first three days and topped leaderboards in all 93 countries, making it Netflix’s biggest launch to date.
“Squid Game” has been transformative for South Korea, with much of the domestic reaction focused not on plot but on the prestige it has brought to the country. In Seoul, fans celebrated with a parade to commemorate the show’s end, shutting down major roads to make way for a marching band and parade floats of characters from the show.
In one section of the procession, a phalanx of the show’s masked guards, dressed in their trademark pink uniforms, carried neon-lit versions of the coffins that appear on the show to carry away the losers of the survival game. They were joined by actors playing the contestants, who lurched along wearing expressions of exaggerated horror, as though the cruel stakes of the game had just been revealed to them.
At the fan event that capped off the evening, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk thanked the show’s viewers and shared the bittersweetness of it all being over.
“I gave my everything to this project, so the thought of it all ending does make me a bit sad,” he said. “But at the same time, I lived with such a heavy weight on my shoulders for so long that it feels freeing to put that all down.”
Despite the overnight global fame “Squid Game” brought him (it’s Netflix’s most-watched series of all time), Hwang has spoken extensively about the physical and mental toil of creating the show.
Visitors take photos near a model of the doll named “Younghee” that’s featured in Netflix’s series “Squid Game,” displayed at the Olympic park in Seoul in October 2021.
(Lee Jin-man / Associated Press)
He unsuccessfully shopped the show around for a decade until Netflix picked up the first season in 2019, paying the director just “enough to put food on the table” — while claiming all of the show’s intellectual property rights. During production for the first season, which was released in 2021, Hwang lost several teeth from stress.
A gateway into Korean content for many around the world, “Squid Game” show served to spotlight previously lesser-known aspects of South Korean culture, bringing inventions like dalgona coffee — made with a traditional Korean candy that was featured in the show — to places such as Los Angeles and New York.
The show also cleared a path for the global success of other South Korean series, accelerating a golden age of “Hallyu” (the Korean wave) that has boosted tourism and exports of food and cosmetics, as well as international interest in learning Korean.
But alongside its worldly successes, the show also provoked conversations about socioeconomic inequality in South Korean society, such as the prevalence of debt, which looms in the backstories of several characters.
A few years ago, President Lee Jae-myung, a longtime proponent of debt relief, said, “‘Squid Game’ reveals the grim realities of our society. A playground in which participants stake their lives in order to pay off their debt is more than competition — it is an arena in which you are fighting to survive.”
In 2022, the show made history as the first non-English-language TV series and the first Korean series to win a Screen Actors Guild Award, taking home three in total. It also won six Emmy Awards. That same year, the city of L.A. designated Sept. 17 — the series’ release date — as “Squid Game Day.“
Although Hwang has said in media interviews that he is done with the “Squid Game” franchise, the Season 3 finale — which features Cate Blanchett in a cameo as a recruiter for the games that are the show’s namesake — has revived rumors that filmmaker David Fincher may pick it up for an English-language spinoff in the future.
While saying he had initially written a more conventional happy ending, Hwang has described “Squid Game’s” final season as a sobering last stroke to its unsparing portrait of cutthroat capitalism.
“I wanted to focus in Season 3 on how in this world, where incessant greed is always fueled, it’s like a jungle — the strong eating the weak, where people climb higher by stepping on other people’s heads,” he told The Times’ Michael Ordoña last month.
“Coming into Season 3, because the economic system has failed us, politics have failed us, it seems like we have no hope,” he added. “What hope do we have as a human race when we can no longer control our own greed? I wanted to explore that. And in particular, I wanted to [pose] that question to myself.”
