Emma Raducanu was targeted by a man who “exhibited fixated behaviour” during her second-round loss to Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships, the WTA said.
An emotional Raducanu, 22, was seen hiding behind the umpire’s chair two games into the defeat by Muchova.
“On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour,” said the Women’s Tennis Association.
“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday and subsequently ejected.”
The man has been banned from all WTA events, “pending a threat assessment”.
Raducanu alerted the chair umpire to the situation and was comforted by 14th seed Muchova as the individual was removed from court three.
The Briton returned to the court to applause from the crowd and continued playing, but fell to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat.
The WTA said: “Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events.
“The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.
“We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”
The Dubai Tennis Championships said it “fully supported” the WTA’s statement, and subsequent action taken by the governing body of the women’s game.
“The tournament security team worked in collaboration with the WTA security team to proactively identify and immediately eject the individual in question from the stadium,” said tournament organisers.
“We support the WTA’s decision to ban the individual in question from all WTA events, and share the tour’s longstanding commitment to player welfare, safety and wellbeing.
“We thank Emma for her contribution to this year’s tournament and look forward to welcoming her back next year.”
Rapper A$AP Rocky has been found not guilty of firing a gun at a former friend.
A jury in Los Angeles acquitted the musician, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, on two felony assault charges that carried up to 24 years in prison.
Terell Ephron claimed the Grammy-nominated hip-hop star opened fire at him during an argument on a Hollywood street on 6 November 2021, grazing his knuckles with one of the shots.
Mr Mayers, who is also a fashion mogul and the longtime partner of pop star Rihanna, denied the charges, arguing that the weapon was a prop gun and that his former friend, who calls himself A$AP Relli, was only after money.
As the first not-guilty verdict was read on Tuesday, the court rang with screams and clapping. Mr Mayers rushed towards his family and partner Rihanna, who were seated behind him. He dived over a wooden barrier to embrace them.
He hugged his lawyers and appeared to have tears in his eyes as the second not-guilty verdict was read.
“Thank God for saving my life,” Mr Mayers said aloud. He thanked members of the 12-person jury.
The rapper was arrested on the two felony assault charges after a heated argument with his former friend in the heart of Hollywood.
Mr Mayers and Mr Ephron have known each other since high school in New York and were part of the A$AP Mob hip-hop collective.
Their friendship cooled as A$AP Rocky’s career took off.
Authorities said Mr Ephron met Mr Mayers on 6 November 2021, a day after the pair had a disagreement, outside a hotel about a block from the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame.
An altercation ensued.
Mr Mayers was alleged to have whipped out a gun from his waistband and pointed it at Mr Ephron, telling him: “I’ll kill you right now.”
“He looked me in my eyes and pointed the gun at me,” Mr Ephron testified.
Mr Ephron said he told the rapper to fire the weapon, but Mr Mayers started walking away.
As he left, Mr Ephron followed, shouting at him.
Prosecutors alleged that at this point, Mr Mayers once again pulled out the gun and fired multiple shots, with one bullet said to have grazed Mr Ephron’s knuckles.
Much of the trial hinged on whether the firearm in question was a harmless prop gun, as Mr Mayers’s defence said, or a real weapon capable of causing harm, as Mr Ephron and prosecutors alleged.
The weapon has not been recovered by authorities.
Jurors were able to watch some footage of the altercation because parts were captured on surveillance video, including audio of gunfire, but no video evidence directly showed any shooting.
Mr Ephron took two days before reporting the incident to authorities and brought shell casings he said he had retrieved from the scene.
But police who responded to reports of a shooting in the area did not locate any shell casings. Mr Ephron, who said he returned with his girlfriend hours later, said he knew exactly where to look, but no surveillance footage corroborates his account.
He was not admitted to hospital in Los Angeles and instead went for medical treatment after flying back to New York.
Attorneys for Mr Mayers suggested that Mr Ephron had planted the shell casings to frame the rapper.
The trial was marked by emotional and combative exchanges, particularly when Mr Ephron – the trial’s star witness – took the stand.
At one point, Mr Ephron called Mr Tacopina – a defence attorney for Mr Mayers – “annoying”, which led to a reprimand from the judge.
Another witness, A$AP Twelvyy, was asked by prosecutors about a photograph showing Mr Mayers’s bed with the letters “AWGE” emblazoned on the furniture.
When asked what that stood for, Mr Mayers unexpectedly interrupted the proceedings and yelled, “Don’t say!” Twelvyy ultimately refused to elaborate.
Outbursts from defendants during trials are uncommon, especially in front of a jury.
However, for a criminal suspect on trial to interject and instruct a witness not to answer a prosecutor’s question during cross-examination is something nearly unheard of in a court.
The rapper is set to release his first solo album in nearly a decade and is scheduled to co-headline Los Angeles’ Rolling Loud festival in March 2025.
In May, he is set to co-chair the 2025 Met Gala alongside big names like Anna Wintour, British race car driver Lewis Hamilton, singer Pharrell Williams and basketball superstar LeBron James.
Additionally, he stars alongside Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s upcoming film “Highest 2 Lowest,” slated for a summer release.
His longtime partner, singer Rihanna, has attended court intermittently. She was in the courtroom on Tuesday as the verdict was read.
Buckler performing live at the Palladium in New York City in February 1980
Rick Buckler, former drummer in The Jam, has died at the age of 69, his ex-bandmates have confirmed on social media.
The Jam rose to fame in the punk and new wave era of the late 1970s and are credited with inspiring a revival in mod fashion and music.
The band were led by singer and guitarist Paul Weller, who posted on X that he was “shocked and saddened” by Buckler’s death.
Bass player Bruce Foxton said he was “devastated”.
In a statement, his family described him as a “loving husband, father and grandfather” who was “devoted to many” and will be “greatly missed”.
The statement added that he had “passed away peacefully on Monday evening in Woking after a short illness with family by his side”.
The Jam had 18 consecutive UK top 40 singles from their debut hit in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982.
Their four number one hits included Going Underground and A Town Called Malice.
Rick Buckler, left, in 1981 with bandmate Bruce Foxton
Buckler and Foxton later played together in a successor band, From the Jam, while Weller continued his career with the Style Council and as a solo artist.
Buckler had recently been forced to cancel a spoken-word tour of UK venues because of health problems.
“I’m shocked and saddened by Rick’s passing,” Weller said on X.
“I’m thinking back to us all rehearsing in my bedroom in Stanley Road, Woking. To all the pubs and clubs we played at as kids, to eventually making a record. What a journey!”
Foxton said: “I was shocked and devastated to hear the very sad news today. Rick was a good guy and a great drummer whose innovative drum patterns helped shape our songs.
“I’m glad we had the chance to work together as much as we did. My thoughts are with Leslie and his family at this very difficult time.”
Rick Buckler is pictured on drums with The Jam bandmates Paul Weller (left) and Bruce Foxton (centre) performing in 1977 on the BBC’s Top of the Pops show
The lead singer of ska group The Bodysnatchers, which gained popularity around the same time as The Jam, also paid tribute.
“A band is only as good as its drummer,” said Rhoda Dakar. “So I would say he was a bloody good one.
“My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Don’t waste a day people – tomorrow isn’t promised.”
The cause of Buckler’s death has not yet been confirmed.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been charged by the country’s chief prosecutor with attempting a coup after he was defeated in the 2022 presidential election.
The 69-year-old was handed five charges over the alleged bid to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after a bitter election race.
The prosecutor’s advice will now be considered by the Supreme Court. If accepted, Bolsonaro and 33 others will be formally charged and will have to face trial.
Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing and says he’s the victim of political persecution.
He was banned from running for office for eight years after being accused of undermining Brazilian democracy by falsely claiming that electronic ballots used in the October 2022 poll were vulnerable to hacking and fraud.
The bitterly fought election was won by an extremely narrow margin by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – known more commonly as Lula.
Bolsonaro never publicly acknowledged his defeat and left Brazil for the US two days before Lula was sworn in as president.
On 8 January 2023, his supporters stormed government buildings in the capital Brasilia. Parts of the buildings were ransacked and police arrested 1,500 of the rioters.
Three months ago, the federal police released a report accusing Bolsonaro of playing a lead role in planning and organising an attempted coup – including by proposing the idea to key figures in the military – to stop Lula taking power.
The document charging Bolsonaro says the responsibility for acts that were harmful to democratic order lies with a criminal organisation led by Bolsonaro himself.
In practice, this means legal proceedings are beginning and Bolsonaro will likely face a trial.
One of the charges is for the crime of “armed criminal organisation”, allegedly led by Bolsonaro and his vice-presidential candidate Walter Braga Netto.
“Allied with other individuals, including civilians and military personnel, they attempted to prevent, in a coordinated manner, the result of the 2022 presidential elections from being fulfilled,” Attorney General Paulo Gonet Branco said in a statement.
Brazilian media reports that the Supreme Court is expected to proceed with the trial later this year.
Reaction to the prosecutor’s decision shows that the divisions that have marked Brazilian politics for the past decade remain as deep as ever.
Government supporters are celebrating and saying the former president belongs in jail, while the opposition insist he’s innocent.
The focus now is on the impact the Supreme Court decision will have on next year’s presidential election. Recent opinion polls show record levels of rejection for President Lula.
Despite being banned from running for office, Bolsonaro remains a strong political force in Brazil and could use the trial as a platform for his agenda.
Speaking ahead of the ATP Qatar Open, Novak Djokovic questions the fairness of the anti-doping system and says there is “favouritism” towards high-profile players.
Godstone High Street has been closed after a large sinkhole opened in the road
Buildings have been evacuated and part of a high street in Surrey has been closed after a large sinkhole emerged.
Police have closed Godstone High Street between Oxted Road and Bletchingley Road.
A 100m (328ft) cordon has also been put in place.
The road is likely to remain closed for an extended period of time, police said.
BBC/ADRIAN HARMS
Heavy machinery had been brought in to Godstone High Street on Tuesday morning
A small number of buildings have been evacuated as a precaution while the emergency services respond, they added.
BBC Radio Surrey reporter Adrian Harms said the sinkhole was at least 19m (62ft) long and about 3m (10ft) wide.
“I’ve been here for about an hour and a half, and on a couple of occasions I’ve heard some cracking and seen the hole getting bigger,” he said.
“It’s filled with water so there’s no real telling how far down it goes.”
He added: “If you think of a scene from an earthquake where the road is buckled and the pavement’s buckled, that’s exactly what it’s like here.”
BBC/ADRIAN HARMS
Emergency services said the road would likely be closed for some time
“Please avoid the area and use alternative routes,” a Surrey Highways spokesperson said.
SES Water said it was aware of a burst water main in Godstone High Street in the early hours of Tuesday morning, which was affecting water supply to homes in the area.
Teams had been deployed to carry out urgent work, a spokesperson for the company said.
“We’re really sorry for the disruption this is causing and are doing all we can to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,” they said.
Robin Sherry said he and and his family were evacuated from their home in William Way at about 00:30 GMT on Tuesday by police, who told him “to get out as quick as possible” over fears of an explosion caused by exposed cables.
“I booked a hotel down the road, but I know some people stayed in their car and some people went to families,” he said.
BBC/ADRIAN HARMS
Local resident Paul Whelan said the hole was only a couple of feet wide when it was first reported
Local resident Paul Whelan described how quickly the sinkhole developed, after pictures were initially posted on social media at about 23:00 on Monday.
“A hole maybe a couple of feet across started up,” he told BBC Radio Surrey. “Now it’s grown quite a lot after the burst water main.
“It’s made a real mess. It’s going to take a few hours work to sort this out.”
Another neighbour, Mel Henderson, said: “The water was everywhere. It’s flooded the drains, and the ground was all flooded.”
Her husband added: “Even standing here for half an hour last night you could see it was getting worse, and it’s a lot bigger this morning.
“We’ve no water for the next few days I think.”
Tom Street
The sinkhole appeared late on Monday night
Josh Neame was also evacuated, having only moved into his property six days earlier, and spent the night sleeping in his car parked by the local green.
“They’ve just let me in now” he said, “over my shoulder is a bag of toiletries, pants and socks to get me through.
“I don’t know what’s going to come from here, no-one can give me any info. They said it could be up to a week before we’re back in. I don’t think they know what state the mains gas and electric’s in, so it was risk of explosion, fire, collapse.
“My life’s still in boxes, I hadn’t even unpacked from the house move.
“Not what you wanted on a Monday night.”
BBC/ADRIAN HARMS
People have been moving out of the properties closest to the sinkhole
Neighbour Leslie Burnett said there was a system of caves below many of the houses.
She said: “Nobody knows quite how far they go, but every so often holes appear.”
Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for highways, said by 09:30 on Tuesday the hole had grown to 20m (65ft) by 6m (20ft).
“At this stage, we’re working with the utility companies. Our key aim at the moment is to secure the sight and make it safe,” he said.
Thames Water has won a crucial High Court battle to secure a £3bn rescue loan, staving off the prospect of the debt-laden company coming under government control.
The UK’s largest water and waste company was set to run out of cash by the end of March and would have likely been placed into temporary nationalisation to keep services running.
The court decision on Tuesday has given Thames breathing space to undergo a major restructuring, but the future of the company remains uncertain as it struggles with £19bn worth of debt.
Thames has faced heavy criticism over its performance in recent years following a series of sewage discharges and leaks.
The supplier serves about a quarter of the UK’s population, mostly across London and parts of southern England, and employs 8,000 people.
Since the dire state of the company’s finances first emerged about 18 months ago, the government has been on standby to put Thames into special administration.
Regardless of what happens to the company in the future, water supplies and waste services to households will continue as normal.
Thames has said the £3bn in emergency funding will give it the space needed to complete a restructuring of its debts and attract a cash injection from prospective new investors.
But the proposals had to be approved by the High Court after a group of creditors opposed it, arguing that the 9.75% interest rate on the loan was too costly.
In approving the lifeline, Mr Justice Leech ruled that the “relevant alternative” to the company’s plan being approved was temporary nationalisation, known as a Special Administration Regime.
“After taking into account the public interest in ensuring the uninterrupted provision of vital public services, I nevertheless exercise my discretion to sanction the plan,” he said.
He also added that the water regulator, Ofwat, and the Environment Secretary had “not opposed the plan”.
‘Good money after bad’
Thames Water chairman Sir Adrian Montague said the ruling marked a “significant milestone” for the company while chief executive Chris Weston said it put “our business on a firmer financial footing”.
However, Charlie Maynard, Liberal Democrat MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, said he would appeal against the decision.
The politician, who gave a witness statement to the High Court opposing the loan, said: “Allowing Thames Water to take on £3bn more debt is not in the interests of their millions of customers. They will all be paying the price for this futile, expensive, and extremely short-term bail out.
“This restructuring is simply throwing good money after bad.”
Henry Swithinbank, policy and advocacy manager at environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage, said the cash lifeline was a “sticking plaster that will allow Thames Water to limp along until it requires another bailout”.
“Today the High Court sided with the fat cats and bosses,” he added.
The first £1.5bn of the rescue loans to Thames Water will see the company through to the autumn.
A second instalment will be used to fund the company as it appeals a decision by Ofwat over how much Thames can raise household bills by – a process which could take up to a year.
The company was set to repay £200m worth of debt due in March, but following the court ruling, all its debt repayments have been extended by two years.
Ofwat has capped bill rises at 35% over the next five years, but Thames has argued they need to increase by 53%.
It claimed that the 35% uplift “does not appropriately support the investment and improvement that is required” by the business.
Other water companies are also permitted to lodge appeals against bill settlements with the Competition and Markets Authority.
Southern Water is contesting a 53% increase in household bills over five years, that was approved by Ofwat. Southern had originally asked for permission to hike bills by 84%.
Anglian Water and South East Water have also appealed.
Six others have said they will not appeal: Severn Trent, United Utilities, Pennon plus Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, SES and Hafren.
Thames Water’s problems have been blamed on a combination of poor historical regulation, actions by shareholders, climate change and management failure.
Some have argued Thames should have been allowed to collapse and be nationalised due to it being the architect of its own misfortune. Previous owners loaded the company with debt and took out big dividends.
But others, including water companies, have argued that a growing population and the challenges of a changing climate mean bills need to be higher and were kept at lower levels for too long.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ attempt to intervene in a landmark case over controversial car loans has been blocked by the UK’s highest court.
The Supreme Court case set for April will rule on whether lenders should have clearly told customers how much commission they were making from selling car loans.
The Court of Appeal ruled last year that lenders should have been clearer, but the lenders are appealing against this ruling in April’s case.
The Treasury attempted to intervene last month due to concerns the ruling would reduce the availability of car loans. It told the BBC it respected Monday’s Supreme Court decision to block its intervention.
The vast majority of new cars, and many second-hand ones, are bought with finance agreements.
In 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) banned deals in which the dealer received a commission from the lender, based on the interest rate charged to the customer. It said this provided an incentive for a buyer to be charged a higher-than-necessary interest rate.
Since January, it has been considering whether compensation should be paid to people who had these deals before 2021.
That has created the prospect of banks and other lenders having to make payouts totalling millions of pounds.
Last month, a decision at the Court of Appeal broadened the net of those who could receive compensation.
Some analysts estimate total payments could reach as much as £30bn in a scandal that could end up being the largest compensation scheme regarding financial products since the payment protection insurance (PPI) saga.
The government said last month that, while it wanted to make sure customers get redress, it also wanted the motor sector to be able to continue “supporting millions of motorists to own vehicles”.
It expressed concerns at the time that the size of the compensation bill for lenders could undermine the competitiveness of UK banks.
A spokesperson for the Treasury said on Monday: “We respect the Court’s decision to not grant our application to intervene… and will monitor it closely”.
The court also rejected applications to intervene in the case from Consumer Voice, a compensation advisor, and trade body the Finance & Leasing Association.
It approved applications from the FCA and trade body the National Franchised Dealers Association.
The court’s time is limited, so it sometimes rejects interventions from parties who it believes may give similar evidence.
“It is very unusual for the government to intervene in court decisions in which it is not directly concerned, especially to pursue policy issues,” said Wayne Gibbard, who leads the automotive finance practice at law firm Shoosmiths.
Shares in UK banks involved in the case fell on Monday, with Lloyds Banking Group down 4% and Close Brothers Group down almost 15%.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron welcomed European leaders at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday for an emergency summit on the war in Ukraine.
Peace talks on ending the war are set to take place in Saudi Arabia between the US and Russia, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was no role for Europe in any peace talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would not be taking part in the meeting between US and Russian officials on Tuesday.
Following the summit, German Chancellor Olaf Schloz said Europe and the US must work together on security, and Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said there should be no decisions about Ukraine without its involvement.
Most of the papers focus on the latest in the Ukraine war, as peace talks between the US and Russia – but not Ukraine – begin in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The Guardian focuses on quotes from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who says he would consider deploying UK troops to Ukraine in the event of a lasting peace deal. But he says “there must be a US backstop, because a US guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again”.
The Times also focuses on Sir Keir urging the US to offer security guarantees to Ukraine. It says he will travel to Washington next week for talks with US President Donald Trump, making him the first European leader to do so. Senior UK government sources tell the paper Sir Keir will have “serious conversations” with Trump about the possibility of the US offering security guarantees. America’s Ukraine envoy has signalled willingness to consider offering such guarantees, the paper adds.
The Mirror calls it a “test of strength” for Sir Keir, as it pictures him and Trump facing each other. It says Sir Keir’s comments mark a “warning” to the US that it must help keep the peace in Ukraine. The Mirror adds that the prime minister also emphasised that Ukraine must be included in peace talks between the US and Russia.
It’s a “Starm offensive”, says the Metro, which says the prime minister has embarked on a mission to stand up for Ukraine as it is “kept on the sidelines” of the peace talks. The PM also says the world is at a “once in a generation moment” to contain the threat of Putin.
The Financial Times focuses on the remarks from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who says his country will not recognise the outcome of these peace talks if Ukraine isn’t involved. Russia is framing Tuesday’s meeting in Riyadh as “the start of its return from the cold” after its invasion of Ukraine, the paper says. The US says the talks are aiming to work out whether “the Russians are serious and if they’re on the same page” about ending the war, the paper adds.
The i newspaper focuses on Sir Keir’s suggestion he would consider sending troops to Ukraine as part of a European peacekeeping force. Former defence chiefs tell the i newspaper that a UK deployment to Ukraine would be “bigger than in Afghanistan”, leading the paper to suggest the UK might need to see more cuts to afford the extra defence spending.
But the Daily Telegraph says the UK is at odds with some European leaders over sending troops to Ukraine – with Germany particularly reluctant. It quotes Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, as saying the idea is “completely premature” and “highly inappropriate”, and that he is “a little irritated”. It says Scholz left the talks in Paris early as splits emerged. Meanwhile the main picture for the paper is of Deputy PM Angela Rayner, who has arrived in Ethiopia to meet business representatives. Under the headline “Rayner on parade”, the paper says she has been accused of “grandstanding and ignoring her brief”.
Instead of Ukraine, the Daily Mail focuses on a speech from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who yesterday warned that Western values were under threat from “poisonous” woke ideology. The paper says she launched a defence of free speech, free markets and the rule of law, in a fiery speech at a right-wing conference. According to the Mail, she made a direct reference to Sir Keir taking the knee to support the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, saying people must “get off our knees and start fighting for the West”.
The Daily Star reports that Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 – are “ditching vegan diets”. The paper hails it as the “age of the sausage”, and suggests the cost-of-living crisis could be part of the reason.
The cost-of-living crisis also features on the front of the Daily Express, which reports that up to nine million pensioners – or three out of four – lived in uncomfortably cold homes in January. It comes from figures from the charity Age UK, which is today delivering a petition to Downing Street demanding action, after the government cut back on who was eligible for winter fuel payment. Meanwhile the front page’s main picture is of the Princess of Wales, who shared sketches she and her children drew of themselves.
All passengers and crew on a flight which crashed and overturned while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada have survived, the airport’s chief executive has said.
“We are very grateful there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries,” said Deborah Flint of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.
One child and two adults were critically injured in the crash, according to emergency services and images shared on social media show a plane flipped over and lying on its roof on the snow-covered tarmac. It appears to be missing at least one of its wings.
Toronto Pearson Airport said the crash involved a Delta Air Lines flight arriving from Minneapolis, and of the 80 people on board, 76 were passengers and four were crew.
Eighteen passengers have been transported to hospital in total.
Ontario air ambulance service Ornge said it haddispatched three air ambulance helicopters and two land ambulances to the scene.
The patients with critical injuries include a child, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 40s, it added.
Toronto Pearson Airport president and CEO, Deborah Flint, in an evening briefing, called the response by emergency personnel “textbook” and credited them with helping ensure no loss of life.
The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said the plane involved was Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, being operated by one of its subsidiaries, Endeavor Air.
Delta confirmed that a CRJ900 aircraft was involved in the incident at about 14:15 ET (19:15 GMT) on Monday afternoon.
Twenty-two of the passengers are Canadian, the rest are “multinational”, Ms Flint said.
The airport was closed shortly after the incident, but flights into and out of Toronto Pearson resumed at about 17:00 local time, the airport said.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said it was deploying a team to “gather information and assess the occurrence”.
Two runways will remain closed for several days for investigation and passengers have been told to expect some delays.
Toronto Pearson fire chief Todd Aitken said on Monday night that it is early in the investigation but they can say “the runway was dry and there was no cross-wind conditions”.
That contradicts earlier reports of wind gusts over 40mph (64km/h) and a crosswind.
Video footage shared on social media shows people clambering out of the overturned aircraft, with fire crews spraying it with foam.
“We’re in Toronto, we just landed. Our plane crashed, it’s upside down,” said one man as he filmed a video taken from outside the upturned plane.
The video shows passengers being helped out of the plane’s doors by airport staff, with some then running away from the plane’s entrance.
“Most people appear to be OK. We’re all getting off, there’s some smoke going on,” he can be heard saying.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said provincial officials are in contact with the airport and local authorities and will provide any help that’s needed.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he was “grateful to the first responders and professionals on the scene”.
After the crash, the airport’s arrival and departure boards showed scores of delays and cancellations to flights.
Some passengers told the BBC that they were now stuck in Toronto for several days after their flights were cancelled, with none available on Monday or Tuesday.
James and Andrea Turner were in customs – located right before the departure gates – when they were suddenly told to evacuate.
“They got rid of everybody from customs to security, and then put everybody back to the general area,” James said, adding that the departures hall was packed as a result.
The couple had been due to board the plane that crashed on the runway. Their flight was then cancelled – the third delay to their trip, after their previous journeys were rescheduled due to bad weather.
Toronto Pearson Airport had been experiencing weather-related delays over the last few days, with heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures battering parts of Ontario.
Two storms – one on Wednesday and one on Sunday – covered the city with a total of 30-50cm (11.8-19.6 inches) of snow.
The BBC’s US partner CBS reports that there was light snow falling at the time of the crash.
Earlier on Monday, the airport warned that “frigid temperatures and high winds were moving in”.
It said a “busy day” was expected, with airlines “catching up after this weekend’s snowstorm which dumped over 22cm of snow at the airport”.
A “Wonderful Mum” balloon was left outside the pub among the tributes
A woman who was shot dead outside a Kent pub on Valentine’s Day has been identified by police as Lisa Smith.
Tributes to Ms Smith, 43, from Slough, have been left at the scene of the fatal shooting outside the Three Horseshoes pub in Knockholt shortly after 19:00 GMT on Friday.
Flowers and balloons – including one for “Wonderful Mum” – were accompanied by messages such as “rest in peace” and “fly high, pretty lady”.
Police said they found a vehicle containing a gun on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which crosses the River Thames, near Dartford.
Detectives are investigating the possibility that the suspect entered the water.
Officers are continuing to search areas of the River Thames, police added.
Meanwhile, detectives believe the suspect was known to the victim.
The force also said call handlers had received reports of a man “on the wrong side of the barrier” on the Dartford Bridge on Friday.
Gareth Fuller/PA Media
The shooting happened outside the pub on Friday evening
Rev Tim Edwards, vicar of St Katherine’s church in Knockholt, told BBC Radio Kent how he heard about the shooting.
“I had a text message from one of my church wardens” he said, “and my immediate reaction was ‘no, that must be a misunderstanding, that doesn’t make sense.’
“As I’ve spoken to people, that sort of feeling has been replicated.
“There is a sense of shock, that is the word that every single person I have spoken to has used.
“It just doesn’t feel real, this sort of thing doesn’t happen. It’s the sort of thing you see on television, it’s not the sort of thing you see here in your own village.”
BBC/JO BURN
Flowers, balloons, messages and energy drinks have been left at the scene
He added the community was “doing what village communities do” by supporting each other, “pulling together and looking after one another”.
Paul was told bailiffs were chasing an advertising debt
A man has described how criminals pretending to be bailiffs almost tricked him into paying thousands of pounds to settle a fictitious debt as part of an elaborate scam.
In what has been reported as a growing problem, people are phoned up and told bailiffs are on the way to their home to remove their possessions and that the only way to call them off is to settle the debt with a local court.
A convincing fake of the court’s phone service then tries to take payment with the criminals hoping the panic of the approaching bailiffs will persuade them to part with their cash.
“I answered the call and he then proceeded to say he was a bailiff and he was ringing because there’d been a county court judgment against me the previous summer in Worcester Crown Court and I owed £2,950 plus his fee of £970,” he said.
He was then told: “‘The boys and I are going to come round later today to collect furniture from your house to the value of the finding.'”
The man on the phone told Paul, who rents out holiday cottages on his farm, the debt related to unpaid social media marketing fees.
“I was astonished and terrified, actually, at the same time,” he said.
The man gave Paul a number to contact the court for details.
Although the number was bogus, Paul encountered the court’s genuine automated switchboard message – which the criminals had duplicated to make the scam more convincing.
When he was put through to someone, Paul was told he had unpaid “marketing expenses”.
He then received what looked like genuine court documents by email – which have been shared with the BBC – detailing the debts that had apparently built up.
Paul was emailed what was claimed to be official court documents
Paul was asked to transfer the money to the personal bank account of a “court appointed adviser” who was working as a freelancer.
“At this point, alarm bells were ringing loud and clear,” he said.
Paul then searched online for the correct contact number for the court, and realised the one he had been given was wrong, just as another email asking for payment arrived, from an unlikely-looking dot com email address.
“All the way through all of this, I keep having phone calls from the alleged bailiff wanting me to tell him that I had sent the money,” he said.
“He said not until the money has been sent will he call off the action of the guys with the fists who would come around and steal all my furniture.”
‘Panic mode’
Victoria, who lives in Cheshire, was also targeted with the scam.
When her phone rang, she was told the “enforcement officers” were 40 minutes away and were coming to remove items from her home.
“I kind of went into panic mode,” she said.
The man told her he couldn’t discuss details over the phone, but would give her the details of Chester County Court who she could call for an explanation.
“I was on the phone for ages,” said Victoria.
“I couldn’t get through. So because I couldn’t get through and the bailiff was on the way, I was panicking even more.”
She said she was able to get through to another man, also a scammer, who told her she had built up debt through Google advertising – and because she remembered speaking to Google several years ago, this seemed plausible.
Victoria, who works for a funeral business, had never actually bought Google advertising, but the man told her she had used a free trial and failed to cancel it.
Victoria was told she should have appeared in court and that there was a warrant out for her arrest.
“I just wanted to send the money over there and then,” she said.
“As I was on my computer setting it up another bailiff rang me and he was on his way and he was the nasty bailiff, he was the horrible bailiff.
“He was just saying that he was now 10 minutes away and he was coming to clear the property and to get the bank transfer done as soon as possible.”
As she set up the payment on her online banking, her husband had searched online for the correct number for the court and called it – but was number 30 in the queue.
“He was walking out the room saying he would never speak to me again if I sent the money,” she said.
“And I just wanted to stop the bailiffs.”
A warning on Victoria’s online bank that the details she’d been given were for a personal – not a business – account sowed the first seeds of doubt in her mind – just as her husband got through to the genuine court who told them not to pay.
‘Tip of the iceberg’
It was a near miss for both Paul and Victoria.
“They sort of almost had me,” said Paul.
“You go into a mode of shock where you’re not really thinking terribly clearly.
“And also there was sufficient plausibility in some of it because they claimed that I’d failed to pay marketing expenses for the holiday cottage business that I do actually run. And they’d rung me on my mobile number and they knew my name.
“There were a few question marks where it felt as though it could have been real – sufficient to make me terrified…”
The Ministry of Justice said it was a criminal offence to impersonate a bailiff, and that anyone receiving a similar call should hang up and find the correct number for the court.
Sarah Naylor, from the trade body for bailiffs, the Civil Enforcement Association, said there had been an increase in the number of reports her organisation received about these tactics, and that these were likely to be the tip of the iceberg as few victims would think to notify genuine bailiffs after being scammed.
“These scam companies work on the basis of urgency and fear,” she said.
Genuine enforcement officers will always reschedule and allow people time to check details, she said, and would never only offer one payment option.
“Take a breath and reflect,” she advised anyone receiving a similar call.
“Does this seem right? Is this the first you’ve heard about it? Does it seem suspicious? Keep calm and understand more about the debt and if that individual isn’t helping you with that, then it’s very likely that they’re not a legitimate enforcement agent.”
Fake Bailiffs, Heat Pump Tourism and Supermarket Loyalty Cards
Baftas 2025: Catch up on the big winners in 100 seconds
With two major musicals in the awards race this year, it was only right that host David Tennant opened the Bafta Film Awards with a tune of his own.
The Scottish star kicked off proceedings with a storming rendition of The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles, featuring contributions from Selena Gomez, Colman Domingo, Anna Kendrick, Hugh Grant and Camila Cabello.
The energy remained high throughout the ceremony, which saw Conclave and The Brutalist take the most prizes with four each.
Backstage, the stars were in equally good spirits, even if a few of them were jet-lagged, hungry, and remarking on how heavy the Bafta trophy is to carry around.
Here are eight highlights from the winners’ room:
1. Mikey Madison took Robert De Niro’s advice too seriously
EPA
When Anora star Mikey Madison collected the best actress award, she started by admitting to the audience that she hadn’t prepared a speech.
Backstage, she jokingly blamed this on Robert De Niro, whom she recently appeared with on The Graham Norton Show.
“I just wish that I’d had a better speech,” she said.
“I was on a talk show and Robert De Niro told me not to write a speech and I thought, I should probably listen to him. And I forgot to thank so many important people.”
On The Graham Norton Show last week, Robert De Niro (left) advised Mikey Madison (right) not to prepare a speech
Madison was overwhelmed but overjoyed with the recognition from Bafta.
“I think I’m a little disassociated right now,” she says, “I love making movies, and being an actress is my dream, and for my film to be recognised like this is incredibly special.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever fully grasp the magnitude of being in a room like that, full of my idols, incredible creatives who I admire so much.”
2. Wallace and Gromit directors proud of ‘Anton Deck’
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Merlin Crossingham (right) said US audiences understandably didn’t get the film’s joke about Ant & Dec
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl won two prizes for its producer Richard Beek and directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. The trio brought their famous characters along with them to the ceremony
Crossingham reflected on the fact that stories about a cheese enthusiast and his loyal but long-suffering dog always seem to go down so well in the US, despite the films firmly rooted in UK culture.
“It is remarkable that our very Britishness is embraced in America,” he told journalists.
He highlighted one particular reference in Vengeance Most Fowl: the TV presenter in the film is called Anton Deck, a reference to Geordie duo Ant & Dec.
“There are some jokes, like Anton Deck, which are very British. In the American screenings, there was complete silence apart from one Brit guffawing in the corner.
“But we’re very proud of that, we stick to our guns. Apart from one or two very specific gags like that, it seems to be embraced.
“And even if they’re laughing at us, not with us, if they’re laughing, we’re still happy about that.”
3. Jesse Eisenberg is embracing the UK
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Jesse Eisenberg, who won best original screenplay for A Real Pain, walked into the winners’ room carrying his Bafta and asking journalists: “Am I expected to hold this heavy thing the whole time?”
After being reassured he was allowed to put it down as he answered questions, he reflected on the fact that the screenwriting prizes he’s won for A Real Pain have both been in the UK.
“The other award I won for this was the London Film Critics prize, so I must be living the wrong country,” he joked.
“My background is playwright, and when one of my plays transferred to the West End it was far more popular. I don’t know what it is, maybe I’m a novelty here and in America I’m boring.”
Eisenberg was also asked about his relationship with co-star Kieran Culkin, who won best supporting actor. But, he said, it’s not as close as people might imagine.
“In terms of our dynamic, I’ll text him today and say, ‘hey you won the Bafta, I’m so proud of you’. And then three weeks later my phone will buzz and it’ll be [Culkin saying]: ‘Hey, I just got this, thanks’.”
“That’s the closeness with which you imagine we live.”
4. Zoe Saldaña enjoyed ‘jumping into the unknown’
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Zoe Saldaña continued her awards season sweep of the best supporting actress category with another win at Bafta, despite the recent controversies faced by her film Emilia Pérez.
Backstage, she reflected on her biggest number in the Spanish-language musical, El Mal, which is also up for best original song at the Oscars.
“Not getting in my own way was the challenge,” she said of shooting it. “Sometimes you can become very heady about something and you overthink it.
“What you have to do is trust the process… Rehearsing the dance was about reconnecting with a part of me I had missed so much but I had since let go of for more than 20 years.
“Reconnecting with that, dusting off all those cobwebs and jumping into the unknown was what needed to happen.”
Asked about the importance of performing the musical in Spanish, she replies: “It’s my first language, I was spoken to first, sung to first, in Spanish.
“We love we live, we fight, we work, in Spanish. And my art has [previously] only lived in a very English way. So that yearning to connect my culture with my art was meaningful to me.”
5. Warwick Davis thought he was being scammed
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Warwick Davis was the recipient of this year’s Bafta Fellowship, the British Academy’s highest honour.
“It’s very overwhelming, this whole thing,” he said. “You win the award and then you have to talk to loads of people, feeling very shiny.”
(Everyone was feeling sweaty backstage by this point.)
Asked about the moment he heard he was this year’s winner, Davis said: “I was on the toilet when I found out!
“[Bafta] notified me by email, and I do most of my administration work on the toilet. I might call it paperwork but then you’d get the wrong idea,” he jokes.
“Then I got an email from Bafta saying I’d won the fellowship, and I got all excited, and then it suddenly dawned on me, is this a fake email? Some sort of scam?
“So I clicked on the email address, and it really was Bafta. Then I finished up at the loo, you probably didn’t need that detail, and then went and celebrated with the kids.”
6. Adrien Brody reflects on career surge
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Adrien Brody’s reaction to winning best actor might have been slightly hampered by how hungry he is.
“I haven’t eaten anything yet, so I’m not sure how I’m feeling, but I’m so happy to be here,” he says backstage.
Brody is asked about the surge his career has enjoyed in recent months thanks to The Brutalist, more than two decades after his last awards run for The Pianist.
“The beauty of being an actor is that any life experience, and there have been many since [The Pianist], anything you’ve experienced is so valuable in shaping a sense of understanding,” he reflects.
“So the moments of triumph, loss, complexity along your path, they give you an ability to represent those more truthfully and authentically in your work.
“I’m just so grateful to have had this meaningful opportunity come my way, I’ve been yearning for this for a long time.
“I’ve been working very hard. It’s not for a lack of hard work, but there are so many magical things that have to happen for a film to achieve greatness and I’m so happy that all of those things conspired on The Brutalist.”
And with that, he’s off to have some supper.
7. Edward Berger likens Conclave cast to an orchestra
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Conclave won best film and best British film, becoming the first movie to take the top two prizes since 1917 (the film, not the year).
“I am so humbled and so grateful to be welcomed here so openly with such warmth and open arms,” its German director Edward Berger says of the UK. “Basically, I just want to live here, I’m never going to leave.”
He likens the cast of Pope drama Conclave, which includes Stanley Tucci, Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossallini, to an orchestra.
“No-one really knows [why a cast works so well], but you have a hunch, so there’s a lot of discussion – we put pictures up on the wall and it just felt like a good combination,” he explained.
“They were all believable cardinals, all different nationalities and accents, it just felt they were all different instruments in a big musical piece.”
8. Brady Corby is optimisitic for the film industry
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The Brutalist’s Brady Corbet might have won best director, but he said he was slightly too “jet-lagged and exhausted” to fully process it.
As much as he’s enjoying awards season, he notes: “It’ll be amazing when it’s done, I’m looking forward to getting back to work.”
Corbet is not shy of hard work – making the Brutalist was famously a labour of love which took several years. “We basically just didn’t sleep,” he says. “I haven’t had a day off in years.”
Now that awards campaigning is in its final phase however, with voting for the Oscars closing on Monday, he should finally get some down time. “The week leading up to the Oscars is actually pretty quiet, I’m looking forward to it.”
The Brutalist, a 3.5-hour film with an intermission, has been a relative box office success despite its intimidating duration.
“I’m not trying to teach anyone a lesson or anything,” he says, “but I do think it’s good for the ecosystem that a film like this which is completely uncompromised – I don’t like too many cooks in my kitchen – for that to have made $30m globally so far, that’s exciting.
“All the things you’re told not to do, when those films are proven to be commercially viable, and people want original, daring movies, it makes me feel more optimistic than usual.'”
At least nine people have died over the weekend, as torrential downpours drenched parts of the south-eastern US, submerging roads and houses.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said eight people had died in his state and suggested at a news conference on Sunday that the total could go up.
Hundreds of people stranded in flood waters, many stuck in their cars, had been rescued, and Beshear warned residents to “stay off the roads right now and stay alive”.
In Georgia, the ninth death was recorded after a man lying in his bed was struck by an uprooted tree that crashed into his home.
Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina were under some type of storm-related alert this weekend. Almost all of those states suffered catastrophic damage in September from Hurricane Helene.
Between the eight states, more than half a million households were without power on Sunday night, according to poweroutage.us.
A bulk of the death and destruction appears to have occurred in Kentucky, where a mother and her seven-year-old child and a 73-year-old man were among the dead.
Some parts of Kentucky received up to 6in (15cm) of rain, National Weather Service (NWS) figures show, resulting in widespread flooding issues.
The rapid influx of rain caused river levels to rise quickly and trapped vehicles in feet of water, images posted online show.
Governor Beshear wrote on X that there were over 300 road closures.
He also said that he had written to the White House requesting an emergency disaster declaration and federal funds for affected areas, according to the BBC’s partner CBS News.
President Donald Trump approved the declaration on Sunday, authorising the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), which he has suggested abolishing, to co-ordinate disaster relief efforts.
Officials have cautioned that the worst of the flooding is not over yet.
“The rivers are still going to rise,” Eric Gibson, director of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, said on Sunday.
Bob Oravec, a senior forecaster with the NWS, said: “The effects will continue for a while, a lot of swollen streams and a lot of flooding going on.”
In Obion County, Tennessee, heavy rains there caused a levee to break, “resulting in rapid onset flooding”, a local NWS account said on X.
“If you are in the area, GET TO HIGH GROUND NOW! This is a LIFE THREATENING situation,” the post said.
The town of Rives along the Obion River was deluged from the breached flood barrier.
Footage shows brown water rushing over rocks and past trees, as rescue workers in red boats pass flooded homes.
Steve Carr, the Obion County mayor, declared a state of emergency on Facebook and said there would be mandatory evacuations in Rives because of “the rising water, no electricity, and freezing temperature creating a life-threatening situation”.
Located north-east of Memphis, Rives has a population of roughly 300.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey issued a state of emergency in 10 counties on Saturday and added another three counties to the list on Sunday.
“Please continue to be cautious,” Morrisey said on X.
Kristi Noem, head of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Fema, said she had been in contact with both Governors Beshear and Morrisey, and left voicemails with Governors Bill Lee of Tennessee and Kay Ivey of Alabama.
“While emergency management is best led by local authorities, we reinforced that DHS stands ready to take immediate action to offer resources and support,” Noem said.
Meteorologists have also warned that a polar vortex is making its way early this week towards the northern Rocky Mountains and northern Plains in the middle of the country.
In Colorado, temperatures could drop to as low as 14F (-10C), with the city of Denver reportedly opening shelters for its homeless population this weekend.
It comes after a separate gold mine in south-west Mali (pictured) flooded in late January
More than 40 people, mostly women, were killed after an illegal gold mine collapsed in Mali on Saturday.
The collapse took place near Kéniéba, in Mali’s western, gold-rich Kayes region.
The victims had climbed into open-pit areas left by industrial miners to look for scraps of gold when the earth around them caved in, a gold miner’s union leader told Reuters.
Reports of the exact number who died in Saturday’s accident are conflicting.
A local police source told the AFP news agency that 48 people were killed in the collapse, while the head of an industry union told Reuters there were 43 victims.
“Some of the victims fell into the water. Among them was a woman with her baby on her back,” the local police source told AFP.
Mali is one of the biggest gold producers in the world. Accidents are common in the country as much mining activity is unregulated, with miners using unsafe methods to dig for gold.
A spokesperson from the country’s mines ministry confirmed to Reuters that the accident had taken place between the towns of Kéniéba and Dabia, but declined to give further details.
Ministry teams are drawing up a report at the scene, Reuters reports.
The collapse on Saturday occurred at an abandoned site formerly operated by a Chinese company, according to AFP.
Beijing is heavily invested in developing Mali’s mining industries, with the approval of its government.
Mali is currently engaged in a dispute over revenue sharing with one of the largest mining companies in the country, the Canadian firm Barrick.
Last month, the Malian government seized gold bars worth $245m (£194m) from Barrick and issued an arrest warrant for its CEO, Mark Bristow.
Mr Bristow said he had “no doubt” the conflict would be resolved in an interview with Bloomberg this week.
Crowds join deadly ‘stampede’ at New Delhi railway station
On Sunday morning, the New Delhi Railway Station in India’s capital looked much like it always does; bustling, with its many platforms full of eager, impatient passengers waiting to catch their trains.
According to officials, two trains had been delayed at the station, while a third – heading to Prayagraj city where the massive Hindu religious festival, Kumbh Mela, is being held – was waiting to depart as people pushed against each other.
The crush occurred after “a passenger slipped and fell on the stairs”, a spokesperson for Indian Railways said.
Opposition leaders have criticised the government, alleging that Indian Railways did not make adequate arrangements to manage crowds at the station.
An investigation has been launched, and authorities have announced compensation for the victims.
When asked by the BBC about safety and security at the station, Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner of Northern Railway, said “let the investigation be completed first”.
Crowds at the railway station were also not unexpected – trains are by far the cheapest long-distance mode of transport in India and it is common for the number of passengers to far exceed the capacity of trains.
Shilam Devi (left) and Pinky Devi were among 18 people who died in the crush
Eyewitnesses and the families of victims have been recounting their ordeal. Many of them were angry at authorities and police officials at the railway station, who they say did not act in time.
Some eyewitnesses said the crush was not limited to one place but took place on the overhead bridge, staircases and platforms.
Bipin Jha was at the station to meet his wife Mamta, who was arriving on a train. She died in the crush.
“I met her at the platform and we were walking on the footbridge overhead when she was trapped in the crush. She died in front of my eyes. I will live my life with the guilt of not saving her,” he says.
“We were on the stairs, suddenly we felt a push from behind. We fell, along with many others, and were trapped under bodies. I was barely breathing,” said Seema, whose sister-in law Pinky Devi died on the staircase.
Usha Devi, who was travelling to the eastern state of Bihar for her nephew’s wedding, said chaos erupted the moment she reached the platform.
“Many people fell. Everywhere, there were scattered belongings, food items and clothes. I was on the verge of fainting. So many people were collapsing. The crowd was so dense that we couldn’t board our train.”
Abhinav Goel
Umesh Giri, whose wife Shilam Devi died in the crush, says the crowd was uncontrollable.
Umesh Giri’s wife Shilam Devi was among the victims.
“The crowd became uncontrollable,” he told BBC Hindi while waiting outside the mortuary at Delhi’s Maulana Azad Medical College.
“I saw several bodies already lying there. People were colliding with each other, and others started falling over them,” said Mr Giri, who was also injured.
He added that help took time to arrive and that he pleaded with officers for help.
Senior police and railway officials at the scene did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
The bodies were taken to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital in New Delhi
Most of the victims were taken to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital in New Delhi, where police and paramilitary forces were deployed, and railway authorities had set up a help desk to assist families. Journalists were not allowed to enter the hospital on Saturday.
Relatives of victims shared their grief with reporters waiting outside, while also expressing anger at the facilities in the hospital.
“Multiple people were crammed onto a single bed,” alleged Shobha, the sister-in-law of Shilam Devi.
Others coming out of the hospital also confirmed this. Hospital authorities did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
At Lady Hardinge Hospital, the grieving family of Riya, 7, completed the paperwork so they could receive her body.
“No child deserves to die like this”, her uncle Vivek said, wiping away tears.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is working in “full cooperation” with the US on a “common strategy” for Gaza, after talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Netanyahu praised US President Donald Trump’s “bold vision” for Gaza’s future and said he and Rubio had discussed ways to “ensure that future becomes a reality”.
Rubio said the plan may have “shocked and surprised” people, but that it took “courage” for Trump to propose an alternative to the “tired ideas” of the past.
Rubio is visiting Israel on his first tour of the Middle East as the US’s top diplomat. He also plans to meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem after their meeting, Rubio and Netanyahu outlined areas of agreement, including a desire to eradicate Hamas’s governing capacity, prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, and to monitor developments in a post-Assad Syria.
Netanyahu also condemned what he called “lawfare” from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which he said “outrageously libelled” Israel.
He thanked the US administration for issuing sanctions against the ICC, which last year issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza – which Israel denies – as well as a top Hamas commander.
The US and Israel had a common position on Gaza, Netanyahu said, as he warned that the “gates of hell” would be opened if all Israeli hostages were not released.
“Hamas can not continue as a military or government force,” Rubio added. “And as long as it stands as a force that can govern or administer or a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible.”
Rubio’s visit comes after a shipment of American-made heavy bombs arrived in Israel overnight.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said his country had received a delivery of MK-84 bombs from the US late on Saturday, after Trump overturned a block on exporting the munitions placed by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Biden initially shipped thousands of MK-84s to Israel after Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack, but later declined to clear the bombs for export out of concern for their impact on Gaza. The powerful 2,000-pound bombs have a wide blast radius and can rip through concrete and metal, destroying entire buildings.
Katz said the shipment represented a “significant asset” for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and served as evidence of the “strong alliance between Israel and the United States”.
Fears had been high that the fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza could collapse, after a dispute over a planned hostage release, which was nearly aborted but ultimately went ahead on Saturday.
