fallen

Hebron, occupied West Bank – Among the more than 67,190 Palestinians killed in Israel’s war on Gaza, there has been a particularly heavy toll on journalists and media workers. More than 184 journalists have been killed by Israel in the war, including 10 Al Jazeera staff members, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Palestinian journalists in the occupied West Bank were only able to look on at their colleagues’ sacrifice in Gaza from afar. But they have also faced their own challenges, as Israel continues its near-daily practice of raids throughout the Palestinian territory.

As Palestinians in Gaza expressed relief at the news of the ceasefire deal, journalists in Hebron, in the southern West Bank, were documenting how Palestinians were being restricted from moving around large parts of the city because of the influx of Jewish Israelis as a result of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Among the areas where Palestinians’ movement has been restricted is the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, in central Hebron.

As the journalists navigated the Israeli road closures, they sent their own messages to their colleagues in Gaza – who were forced to endure two years of war marked by displacement, hunger, and loss.

Mamoun Wazwaz, photojournalist

“A thousand blessings to all of you – those who work with the international agencies, TV channels, websites, radio stations, and in the field. You gave everything and sacrificed immensely. I pray that your suffering ends after two years of hell, and that you never live through another war. Your message was the most sacred and powerful in history. You shook the world – because you conveyed the truth. No one could have done what you did.

“The psychological and emotional impact of those who died will never fade. [I remember when Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief] Wael Dahdouh stood over his son’s body and said, ‘They took revenge on us through our children,’ – I felt those words cut deep into my heart. I saw the footage on television and broke down crying. Imagine how his colleagues, who live it with him, must have felt.

“We live here in Hebron in constant contact with the Israeli occupation forces – there are frequent incursions and military checkpoints. After the war began, following October 7, 2023, the confrontations and clashes were intense.

“They treated us as part of the war, not as neutral observers, and used every possible means to fight us. Many times, I would say goodbye to my family as if it were the last time.”

“You journalists in Gaza sacrificed your lives for your people and homeland. You risked everything to convey the truth, the suffering, and the crimes against Gaza’s people. Whenever one of you is killed, I feel as it I’ve lost someone myself – as if I were the one wounded or arrested.

“You carried the message until your last breath, and you never stopped. You inspire us to continue the path you and the generations before you began. Thank you for every photo, every shot, every moment you captured for the world to see the many, many faces of war.

“War meant displacement. War meant famine. War meant being targeted by the military. War meant stopping education. Through your work, you made the world see it all.”

Raed al-Sharif, journalist

“My feelings are conflicted today after the ceasefire was announced. We in the West Bank followed everything happening in Gaza, where hundreds of journalists were killed or wounded, some losing limbs. What happened was a real crime, a genocide. Journalists [were especially targeted] because the occupation doesn’t want reports to come out of Gaza.

“Honestly, I feel ashamed as a Palestinian journalist. Despite our sacrifices in the West Bank, they don’t amount to even a drop in the sea of what our colleagues in Gaza experienced. They offered their lives and bodies – the most precious sacrifice of all.

“It’s our duty as Palestinian journalists to carry the voice of our oppressed people and continue the journey. The ones who affected me most are our martyred colleagues – like the al-Ghad cameraman Yazan al-Zuweidi, and Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh. As for Nidal al-Wahidi, he’s been missing since October 7 [2023] – we don’t know if he’s detained, martyred or wounded. That absence hurts deeply – he vanished from existence.

UP here at the Tory Party conference in Manchester, comparisons between Kemi Badenoch and United’s Ruben Amorim write themselves. 

Two gaffers tasked with getting a once-formidable colossus back to winning ways — and both finding that nothing they do seems to work. 

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Supporters who long for the glory days of old are solemn, and the dressing room is fast losing faith. 

Both watch enviously as their gloating rivals in light blue continue to shine. 

Both beg for more time. 

After her bullish conference speech ­yesterday, Badenoch has bought herself that time. 

It was well delivered and she hit the right notes on the economy, welfare, crime and immigration. 

Her pledge to abolish stamp duty should also prick the ears of voters who until now have not been paying her ­attention. 

As an exercise in corralling despondent Tory members and seeing off any immediate leadership threat, it’s job done, Kemi. 

Back down to Earth 

Much the same can be said of Sir Keir Starmer’s run out in Liverpool, where he successfully united his party against their common enemy, Nigel Farage. 

He too delivered an address lapped up by his grassroots to the extent the prospect of impending mutiny melted away. 

The North West has been kind to them both, and they appear stronger. 

But the crashing thud of reality awaits them back in Westminster, where the mirage of the past fortnight will soon be shattered. 

Party conferences are bubbles frozen in time, and it is easy to be suckered into believing a leader has played a blinder just because their own side cheers them to the rafters. 

Both Badenoch and Starmer now need to come back down to Earth and confront some home truths. 

The first is that Nigel Farage is still leading the polls by a mile, opening up a 12-point gap according to More In ­Common.

May’s local elections are almost certain to be bloody, with the party at risk of ­falling to a humiliating fourth in both Wales and Scotland. 

Labour’s conference failed to make a dent, with the party registering “no change” in its position at 20 per cent ­compared to Reform’s 33 per cent. 

If Badenoch also fails to make inroads, the same doubts over her leadership will come flooding back. 

May’s local elections are almost certain to be bloody, with the party at risk of ­falling to a humiliating fourth in both Wales and Scotland. 

Badenoch’s allies are setting expectations on the floor — but as one of her Shadow Cabinet tells me: “You can roll the pitch as much as you like, nothing prepares you for the pain until it actually hits.” 

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Mass losses would spark a fierce ­internal debate between those gunning for regicide and those who despair at the thought of the Tories killing off yet another leader. 

One prominent donor has been telling friends that he will close his chequebook forever if Badenoch is toppled. 

Whereas a Shadow Cabinet minister says: “If she’s not going to be Prime ­Minister, you might as well get rid of her now.” 

Her main rival, Robert Jenrick, is sitting back, but king cobras also sit back before they strike. 

While plotters are setting their watches for the May 1 polls, smart Tories are ­looking towards November 26 to mount a fightback. 

The upcoming Budget on that date was barely ­mentioned in both Manchester and ­Liverpool, but it could turn the fortunes of all parties on their head. 

Last year Chancellor Rachel Reeves claimed her £45billion tax raid was a one-off forced upon her by years of Tory ­economic recklessness. 

Now she is coming back for more in a Budget that risks being even more toxic. 

Bond markets have put the Chancellor in fiscal handcuffs, rightly stopping her borrowing even more money on the slate. 

Labour MPs have put her in a political straitjacket by vowing to vote down any serious spending cuts, including to the eye-watering benefits bill. 

Despite the chaos of Liz Truss, voters on YouGov’s tracker still view the Tories as the most trusted custodians of the public finances. 

And growth is so puny that it will barely move the dial, all pointing to ­taxpayers being rinsed even further to make the sums add up. 

Ms Reeves is privately furious with the Office for Budget Responsibility, whose decision to downgrade productivity leaves her with an even bigger black hole — in the region of £30billion. 

Perhaps she regrets fawning quite so much over the economic watchdog when it was a thorn in the Tory side. 

She is preparing to once again blame the Conservative record, but that is unlikely to wash for a second time, ­especially if she finds money to lift the two-child benefit cap to placate her own MPs. 

A fight on the economy is fertile ­territory for Badenoch, who spent much of yesterday attacking this “high-tax, low-growth doom loop”. 

Shock therapy 

Despite the chaos of Liz Truss, voters on YouGov’s tracker still view the Tories as the most trusted custodians of the public finances. 

Some at the top of the tree believe ­economic implosion is the shock therapy needed to get them back in the game. 

One Tory Shadow Cabinet minister tells me: “People don’t yet realise how bad things are, but be in no doubt, we are flying into the mountainside. And when we crash, that is our chance to make our case to the country once again.”

Farage will of course give this short shrift, arguing he is not only reaping ­justified anger from years of immigration failure, but also decades of working people feeling no better off. 

It is clear Badenoch still needs to go toe-to-toe on borders to have any hope of winning back voters. 

But if a miserable Budget sees voters crying out for economic competence, the Tories might at last have their pitch. 

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Sept. 11 (UPI) — President Donald Trump spoke at the Pentagon Thursday giving his condolences and telling the stories of those who died in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

In his speech, Trump mentioned that the Pentagon was built 84 years ago, and “On Sept. 11, 2001, those same walls built with the sweat and muscle blood of our parents and grandparents were scarred by flame and shaken by terror as our country came face to face with pure evil on that fateful day, savage monsters attacked the very symbols of our civilization.”

“That terrible morning, 24 years ago, time itself stood still,” he went on. “The laughter of school children fell silent. The rush of our traffic came to an absolute halt, and for 2,977 innocent souls and their families, the entire world came crashing down so suddenly. … To every member that still feels a void every day of your lives, the first lady and I unite with you in sorrow and today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget Sept. 11, 2001.”

Trump also mentioned the “Department of War,” what he’s renamed the Department of Defense, though it hasn’t yet been approved by Congress.

“In the years that followed, America’s warriors, avenged the fallen and sent an unmistakable message to every enemy around the world, ‘If you attack the United States of America, we will hunt you down, and we will find you, go all over the sometimes-magnificent Earth. We will crush you without mercy, and we will triumph without question.’

“That’s why we named the former Department of Defense the Department of War. It will be different. We won the first World War. We won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to change the name. Well, now we have it back to where we all want it. Everybody wanted it. Everybody is so happy to have it back. You will fail, and America will win, win, win. The enemy will always fail.”

He then went back to telling stories of those killed in the 9/11 attacks and the families of those killed.

At the beginning of his speech, Trump mentioned the “heinous assassination” of political commentator Charlie Kirk who was shot and killed while hosting an event in Utah on Wednesday.

“Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty. Our prayers are with his wonderful wife Erika [Frantzve] and his beautiful children. Fantastic people, they are,” Trump said.

He then announced that he will posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Before Trump spoke, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — introduced as Secretary of War — spoke, mentioning that “Islamist terrorists” attacked the United States.

“War is an enduring aspect of the human condition, a tool that, when wielded wisely, punishes enemies intent on terrorizing or subjugating our nation,” he said. “War must not become a mere tool for global social work eager to risk American blood and treasure for utopian fever dreams. We should hit hard, reap vengeance and return home.”

According to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, 2,977 people died during the attacks, including 2,753 in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 on Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania.

The president is expected to travel to New York later Thursday to attend a Yankees game. The Yankees are expected to have a pregame ceremony to recognize the victims and heroes of 9/11.

Vice President JD Vance was scheduled to attend a ceremony in New York, but changed his schedule to head to Utah to offer condolences to the family of Charlie Kirk.

Omagh Town were founded in 1962, but their heyday came in the 1990s when they were challenging in cups, in the top half of the league and playing in the Intertoto Cup in Europe.

“We had the good days, the glory days back then,” said former striker Andy Crawford.

“St Julian’s was a fortress when we were going really well. We were a thriving team back then.”

While Gaelic football was the dominant sport in Tyrone, with St Julian’s Road a stone’s throw away from the imperious Healy Park ground that the county’s four-time All-Ireland winners call home, Omagh Town played a key role in the community.

Manchester United’s treble winners, as well as Liverpool and Chelsea, all came to play the club in charity matches in the aftermath of the Omagh bomb in August 1998, in which 29 people were killed and hundreds more injured in one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The games were a show of the club helping the town to come together, but their financial issues continued into the start of the new millennium and Crawford, who joined Linfield a year before the club’s eventual collapse, said “the cracks were starting to show” by the time of his departure.

Relegation in the 2004-05 season, along with the closure of their social club, were pinned as the reasons for Omagh Town’s demise as more than 60 years of history were gone in an instant.

St Julian’s Road lay derelict for years, and in 2020 it was turned into a public park where there still sits a small memorial to mark the visits of the Premier League teams in the aftermath of the bomb.

I lost my heart to this beautiful part of the country and now I can’t wait to return

Tucked away in the undulating hills of Suffolk, The Wilderness Reserve offers a quintessential English summer experience. I recently had the pleasure of spending a weekend there and was utterly charmed by this tranquil corner of the county, bathed in the glow of a June heatwave sun.

The walled garden was a riot of colour as I watched a couple tie the knot, and while enjoying elderflower cocktails, I felt like I’d stepped into a Merchant Ivory film. But it wasn’t just the stunning venue that captivated me to be honest, the entire region truly stole my heart.

Suffolk, with its gently rolling hills, expansive skies, and patchwork of fields, meadows, and ancient woodlands, epitomises rural England. The 8,000-acre private estate near Saxmundham is just one of many highlights in the area, with attractions such as Framlingham Castle, Sutton Hoo, RSPB Minsmere, and Yoxford Antiques Centre and Gardens all within easy reach.

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Scattered with picturesque villages, timber-framed cottages, medieval churches, and quiet lanes, much of Suffolk is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Then there is the stunning Suffolk coastline with its mix of sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and pretty seaside towns. Southwold is known for its beautiful beaches, iconic lighthouse and Victorian pier, while Aldeburgh Aldeburgh offers a more artistic atmosphere with its historic high street and rich cultural heritage, including the famous Aldeburgh Festival.

Nearby, there lies the 12th-century Framlingham Castle, while the town of Woodbridge is home to the impressive Tide Mill and a charming blend of Georgian buildings and independent shops. While a visit to the Wilderness Reserve was a delicious treat, there are so many other ways to explore the region, along with a multitude of places to stay.

Take Winkle Cottage for instance – a fishermans cottage bathed in Aldeburgh’s seaside charm. This classic fisherman’s cottage offers snug living spaces and can comfortably accommodate five guests. It has been praised by visitors as “a great place to stay.”

The village of Campsea Ash also hosts an ideal spot for larger family reunions, offering a glorious barn conversion on a private estate. Quill Farm Barn is touted as a “delightful” holiday home, nestled away in “the perfect setting.” Then there’s the Sea Tower, a chic apartment boasting sea vistas that has earned accolades as “a special place” or the grand Holly Lodge – a robust five-bedroom countryside house capable of hosting group getaways for up to 10 individuals.

For something completely different, the Pound Farm Mirror Houses in Framlingham offer contemporary dwellings in the heart of the countryside. An upscale alternative to traditional ‘tiny homes’ each house comes with its own hot tub.

Booking.com boasts a diverse array of accommodation options in Suffolk. The Swan Hotel in Southwold, a four-star establishment nestled within a historic building just 200 metres from the seafront, is one such gem. For those seeking a more traditional vibe, The Ship at Dunwich serves up home-cooked fare and real ales in an authentic inn setting.

Adventure-seekers drawn to RSPB Minsmere will find Moonlight Lodge an ideal retreat close by. Available through Holidaycottages.co.uk, it’s set against the backdrop of Dunwich beach and surrounded by woodlands – a nature lover’s dream.

For a touch of grandeur, The Great House in Orford stands as a majestic Grade II-listed holiday home right in the village’s heart. This quintessential country haven sleeps 12 and has been hailed as “a stunning house” and “absolutely perfect for larger parties” by visitors.

The tranquil beauty of Suffolk has garnered thousands of glowing reviews on TripAdvisor from enamoured visitors. One tourist said: “Loved our afternoon in Southwold especially the pier! Such a pleasant surprise to have a clean characterful pier with a brilliant quirky water fuelled clock at the end! The beaches looked amazing, beautiful clean sand and so pretty with the huts behind!”.

Another visitor, charmed by Aldeburgh, shared: “It was a dream in July to swim in the early hours of the morning and have fish and chips looking out to sea.”

Of course, the accommodation is key to any memorable holiday, and Sykes Cottages are dazzling holidaymakers, boasting a 4.6 out of five-star rating. One chuffed guest remarked: “We wanted a quiet weekend getaway and we found exactly that in Suffolk. Perfect for young and old…the cottage we booked we know it’s a fabulous place and beautifully presented.”

Another satisfied customer shared: “Suffolk in the sunshine. This was an important family holiday following my dad being very unwell last year, our holiday with Sykes gave us the quality time we needed and the chance to make some wonderful memories.”

However, not all feedback was glowing. A less impressed guest posted a three-star review: “Sykes offer a vast range of holiday accommodation. From experience so far, the description and photos of accommodation are fairly accurate, however, the cleanliness of the accommodation is another matter. It is difficult to get hold of anyone from Sykes by telephone.”

But praise continued with another beaming five-star critique: “We were looking for pet friendly cottages in Suffolk, Sykes cottages came up with the goods. A nice cottage plenty of details about the cottage giving us all the details we needed. So many thanks looking forward to our holiday.”

Russia has returned the bodies of 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv, marking one of the largest repatriations of remains since the war began more than three years ago.

The return on Friday was made following an agreement reached during peace talks in Istanbul last month.

However, Moscow has claimed this latest exchange was one-sided, claiming that Ukraine has failed to return the bodies of its fallen soldiers.

“Today, Russia handed over 1,200 bodies of deceased soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces to Ukraine. Not a single one was handed over to us,” an unnamed source told Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.

Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky also claimed that Ukraine suddenly postponed the handover of remains and prisoner exchanges on June 7, without offering a public explanation.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement on Friday that forensic experts will now work to identify the remains they received, adding that the bodies were believed to be those of Ukrainian military personnel.

Earlier this week, Russia returned another 1,212 bodies and received just 27 bodies of its own troops in return.

Despite tensions, both sides have agreed in principle to exchange up to 6,000 bodies and prioritise the release of sick and severely wounded prisoners of war, as well as those under the age of 25.

EU protection for Ukrainian refugees

Meanwhile, as the war continues between Russia and Ukraine, the European Union has extended its temporary protection scheme for Ukrainian refugees by another year, allowing them to remain in the bloc until March 2027.

The EU’s move, announced on Friday, comes amid ongoing air raids and strikes across Ukraine, which have displaced millions since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

More than 4.3 million Ukrainians are currently registered under the scheme, with Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic hosting the largest refugee populations.

“While Russia continues to terrorise Ukrainian civilians with indiscriminate air strikes, the EU continues to show its solidarity,” said Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s interior minister.

“We will continue to offer protection for millions of Ukrainian refugees for another year.”

Fighting continues

Heavy fighting continued across the front line on Friday, with new casualties reported in both Ukraine and Russia.

In Russia’s Belgorod region, a two-year-old boy was killed and two adults, including his grandmother, were wounded in what officials said was a Ukrainian drone strike overnight, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed it had intercepted 260 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours, while over the past week, Moscow says its air defences downed a Neptune long-range missile, 18 JDAM guided bombs, nine US-made HIMARS rockets, and 1,582 fixed-wing drones from Ukraine.

In Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian Governor Ivan Fedorov reported one person killed and three injured in Russian shelling, while in Donetsk, Ukrainian Governor Vadym Filashkin said two civilians were killed and five injured across the region.

It comes after the Ukrainian military said it had struck the Rezonit electronics factory near Moscow, triggering explosions. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine later reported 113 Russian assaults across key fronts, including in Lyman, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka and Kurakhove.

Trains between Glasgow and London have been disrupted by damage to overhead electric lines caused by a fallen tree in southern Scotland.

Avanti West Coast said all lines were blocked between Lockerbie and Carstairs and services would be affected until 14:00. Some services scheduled to start in Glasgow now starting in Preston, Lancashire, and experiencing delays of several hours.

Passengers waiting overnight on the Caledonian Sleeper service from Glasgow Central were told a tree had come down on the line.

Ticket holders have been advised that they can travel on alternative services on the east coast rail line for no extra cost or get a refund.

A statement from Avanti West Coast said: “Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Lockerbie and Carstairs, all lines are blocked.

“Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Please check your journey.”

May 26 (UPI) — President Donald Trump will mark his first Memorial Day as commander-in-chief in his second term with ceremonies in Arlington National Cemetery.

“I will be making a Memorial Day Speech today at Arlington National Cemetery,” the president announced Monday morning on his social media platform, adding to “enjoy!!!”

Trump, who will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony per tradition at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, says the speech at the nation’s cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington in Virginia will be at 11 a.m. EDT.

“Happy Memorial Day to all, including the scum that spent the last four years trying to destroy our country through warped radical left minds,” Trump wrote in all caps in part in an earlier post Monday morning.

In a separate statement, the White House said on “this solemn day” as the country honors the sacrifice of its fallen soldiers, Trump and first lady Melania Trump “ask all citizens to join us in prayer that Almighty God may comfort those who mourn, grant protection to all who serve, and bring blessed peace to the world.”

America’s first observance of Memorial Day on May 30, 1890, previously known as Decoration Day, was proclaimed by Union Commander John A. Logan to honor fallen soldiers who died fighting to preserve the Union during the Civil War.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the government estimates more than 650,000 Americans have died in battle since the Revolutionary War began in 1775.

On Monday, the VA will partner with nonprofits to honor veterans interred in national cemeteries where more than 5.4 million people are buried.

VA officials announced Thursday that through partnerships with Carry The Load, the Travis Manion Foundation and Victory for Veterans, at least 70,000 volunteers visit 54 national veterans cemeteries on Memorial Day.

It arrives on top of Trump’s revelation earlier this month that he plans to name November 11 — which is Veterans Day — a “national holiday” to celebrate past world war victories.

May 1 (UPI) — The Veterans Administration will partner with a trio of nonprofits to honor veterans interred in the VA’s national cemeteries, the administration announced Thursday.

The VA said that, through the partnership with Carry The Load, the Travis Manion Foundation and Victory for Veterans, there will be at least 70,000 volunteers visiting 54 national veterans cemeteries on Memorial Day.

“These collaborations allow us to express our collective appreciation for Veterans’ service and sacrifice,” said Ronald Walters, Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs. “Through shared efforts, we honor their legacy and ensure their stories are never forgotten.”

More than 5.4 million people are buried in VA national cemeteries, including more than 4 million ranging from the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They include fallen soldiers and eligible family members.

The VA encouraged people to visit the Veterans Legacy Memorial to share memories and stories about service members.

VA officials said that, beginning May 1, Carry The Load Memorial May activities would see volunteers visiting 17 VA national cemeteries, traveling thousands of miles along three routes.

This year’s Travis Manion Foundation’s “Honor Project” will be the largest in its history, with 2,500 volunteers visiting more than 50 cemeteries in more than 25 states throughout Memorial Day weekend, VA officials said.

Meanwhile, volunteers with Victory for Veterans will recognize veterans by placing flowers on veterans’ graves, VA officials said, adding that since 2021 the program has expanded to placing flowers at 10 VA national cemeteries.