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Eddie Jones says he doesn’t feel guilty at all about his process of joining Japan after it was rumoured he was in talks with the Japanese Rugby Football Union while coaching Australia at the World Cup.
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Tag: Arsenal
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(Sky Sports)
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India Women 1st innings
Total
2916.3 overs
Batting
Runs
Balls
4s
6s
SR-
Mandhana
b Bell
17
12
3
0
141.67 -
Verma
not out
7
22
1
0
31.82 -
Satheesh
not out
4
5
1
0
80.00
Yet to bat
- Kaur
- Rodrigues
- Sharma
- Bhatia
- Rana
- Vastrakar
- Renuka Singh Thakur
- Gayakwad
Fall of Wickets
Bowling
Overs
Maidens
Runs
Wickets
Econ-
Cross
3.3
0
9
0
2.57 -
Bell
3
0
19
1
6.33
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Mandhana
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Beau Greaves clinches second WDF World Championship title with win vs Aileen de Graaf at Lakeside
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England’s Beau Greaves, 19, picks up her second consecutive WDF World Championship title, beating Dutch player Aileen de Graaf 4-1 in the final of a dominant tournament performance and success at Lakeside
Last Updated: 10/12/23 7:53pm
Beau Greaves has secured the second WDF World Championship title of her career
Beau Greaves beat Aileen de Graaf 4-1 to clinch the second WDF World Championship title of her darting career at Lakeside.
Defending world champion Greaves produced one of the highest averages in the history of the Women’s World Championship as she beat Rhian O’Sullivan 3-0 in the semi-finals on Saturday, with the 19-year-old finishing on a 90.77 average, and it was much of the same from her in the final.
Greaves’ imperious form continued to take the first set of the final, winning successive legs in 17 and 18 darts to take it 3-1.
Greaves swept the second set 3-0 to double her lead going into the break, before also winning the third set despite De Graaf breaking Greaves’ throw to get one on the board – the latter instead took it it 3-2 to move within three legs of a second World Championship title.
De Graaf then won three legs on the spin to take the fourth set – the first Greaves dropped all tournament – and force the final past the second break. Yet, Greaves showed her class to comfortably close out the match 3-0 in the fifth set.
Greaves’ run to the trophy
Round 2 – Beau Greaves 2-0 Lorraine Hyde
Quarter-final – Beau Greaves 2-0 Paula Murphy
Semi-final – Beau Greaves 3-0 Rhian O’Sullivan
Final – Beau Greaves 4-1 Aileen de Graaf
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Hamas says no hostage will leave alive unless group's demands met
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Hamas has warned that not a single hostage would leave the territory “alive” unless the group’s demands were met.
“Neither the fascist enemy and its arrogant leadership… nor its supporters… can take their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, said in a televised broadcast, referring to the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
A one-week truce in the war that collapsed on December 1 saw 105 hostages held by the group freed, including 80 Israelis released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. Israel on Saturday said 137 captives remained in the Palestinian territory.
He said that the “temporary truce proved our credibility”, and said that its fighters had partially or fully destroyed 180 Israeli personnel carriers, tanks and bulldozers in 10 days since fighting resumed in Gaza.
05:02 PM GMT
That’s all for today
Thank you for following our live coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The key developments from the day were the following:
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Hamas has warned that not a single hostage would leave the territory “alive” unless the group’s demands were met.
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Israeli tanks reached the centre of Khan Younis in a major new push into the heart of the main city in the southern Gaza Strip.
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Mediation efforts are continuing to secure a new Gaza ceasefire and free more hostages held by Hamas despite ongoing Israeli bombardment that is “narrowing the window” for a successful outcome, Qatar’s prime minister said.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he regrets the Security Council’s failure to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, condemning the divisions that have “paralysed” the world body.
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The IDF has reported that 1593 of its soldiers have been wounded since the start of the war on Oct 7, 559 of those in Gaza.
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France said that one of its warships in the Red Sea was targeted by two drones coming from Yemen. Both were intercepted and shot down.
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Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Vladimir Putin and voiced displeasure with “anti-Israel positions” taken by Moscow’s envoys at the United Nations.
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Some Hamas fighters have surrendered in the northern Gaza Strip, Israel said.
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The impact of the conflict on Gaza’s healthcare sector has been “catastrophic”, the World Health Organization chief said on Sunday at an emergency board meeting, saying conditions were ideal for the spread of deadly diseases.
04:25 PM GMT
WHO urges immediate humanitarian aide for Gaza
The World Health Organization’s executive board on Sunday adopted a resolution by consensus for combatting the worsening health situation in the Gaza Strip.
After the UN Security Council declined to demand a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militant group, the 34 countries on the WHO’s executive board adopted by consensus a resolution calling for the “immediate, sustained and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief” into Gaza.
04:13 PM GMT
Israeli tanks reach centre of southern Gaza’s main city
Israeli tanks have reached the centre of Khan Younis in a major new push into the heart of the main city in the southern Gaza Strip.
Residents said tanks had reached the main north-south road through the middle of Khan Younis after intense combat through the night. Warplanes were pounding the area west of the assault, while thick columns of white smoke rose over the city.
Smoke rises in Khan Younis – IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA / Reuters “It was one of the most dreadful nights, the resistance was very strong, we could hear gunshots and explosions that didn’t stop for hours,” a father of four displaced from Gaza City and sheltering in Khan Younis told Reuters.
Israel launched the storm of Khan Younis this week after a truce collapsed, extending its ground war to Gaza’s southern half in a new, expanded phase of its two-month-old campaign to wipe out Hamas militants.
International aid organisations say this has left the enclave’s 2.3 million people with nowhere to hide.
03:54 PM GMT
In pictures
An Israeli army self-propelled artillery howitzer fires rounds – MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images Chickens walk on top of rubble, at the site of Israeli strikes on a residential area – REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Israel’s Chief of Staff lighting a candle in Nahal – IDF
03:37 PM GMT
White House to intensify push for Ukraine and Israel aid
The White House will step up its engagement with US lawmakers trying to strike a bipartisan deal that would provide military aid for Ukraine and Israel, a Democratic senator said on Sunday.
Republicans have insisted that additional funding for Ukraine must be paired with major US border security changes but a bipartisan group of senators trying to broker a compromise have made little progress with less than a week before the US Congress leaves for a Christmas break.
“The White House is going to get more engaged this week,” said Senator Chris Murphy, the lead Democratic negotiator.
Murphy said the current border security demands by Republicans were “unreasonable” and that they were “playing games with the security of the world” by linking the military aid to US border security measures.
03:24 PM GMT
Israel cannot recover its hostages without negotiations, says Hamas
Hamas’ armed wing said on Sunday Israel will not be able to recover any of its hostages unless it engages in talks over conditional swap deals.
Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, said in an audio speech broadcast by Al Jazeera television that Israel will not be able to recover the captives by force, citing what he described a failed operation to free one of them.
He also claimed that Hamas fighters had partially or fully destroyed 180 Israeli personnel carriers, tanks and bulldozers in 10 days since fighting resumed in Gaza, and that the “temporary truce proved our credibility”.
03:08 PM GMT
Blinken: Palestinian civilian safety imperative
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Sunday it is “imperative” that Israeli military operations in Gaza protect Palestinian civilians, adding that the fighting should be followed by a durable peace leading to a Palestinian state.
03:01 PM GMT
Watch: Israel claims ‘Hamas fighters’ surrender in northern Gaza
02:54 PM GMT
Israel says 1593 soldiers wounded and 425 killed
The IDF has reported that 1593 of its soldiers have been wounded since the start of the war on Oct 7, 559 of those in Gaza.
It added that 425 soldiers have been killed.
02:44 PM GMT
France says its warships was targeted by drones from direction of Yemen
France said that one of its warships in the Red Sea was targeted by two drones coming from Yemen. Both were intercepted and shot down, according to the Associated Press.
A short statement from the Armies Ministry did not say who fired the drones at the French Navy frigate Languedoc.
France’s Armies Ministry said the drones “came straight at” the Languedoc two hours apart from the direction of Yemen. The warship destroyed them both about 110 kilometers (70 miles) off the Red Sea port of Al Hudaydah on the Yemeni coast, it said.
02:38 PM GMT
Pictured: Palestinian detainees
Israeli soldiers stand by a truck packed with shirtless Palestinian detainees – REUTERS/Yossi Zeliger I
02:26 PM GMT
Artillery Corps now operating inside the Gaza Strip
Since the start of the war, Israel’s Artillery Corps has been operating on the border of the Gaza Strip, assisting the ground forces with fire support for operations and rescue efforts.
In recent days, soldiers from the 282nd Brigade have begun operating in the Gaza Strip, in cooperation with the 188th Brigade in the Shuja’iyya area of the Gaza Strip, according to the IDF.
02:09 PM GMT
Netanyahu: Israel helped Cyprus foil Iranian-ordered attack against Israelis and Jews
Israel helped Cyprus foil an Iranian-ordered attack against Israelis and Jews on the island, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday, saying such plots were on the rise since the Gaza war erupted.
Netanyahu’s office gave no details of the planned attack but said in the statement on behalf of the Mossad intelligence service that Israel was “troubled” by what it saw as Iranian use of Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus “both for terrorism objectives and as an operational and transit area”.
The breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey, which is sharply critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza since Oct. 7.
The internationally recognised government in the south of Cyprus has close relations with Israel.
01:43 PM GMT
Netanyahu speaks to Putin
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday and voiced displeasure with “anti-Israel positions” taken by Moscow’s envoys at the United Nations, an Israeli statement said.
Russia backed a UN Security Council resolution for a Gaza truce, which was vetoed by the United States on Friday.
Speaking to Putin, Netanyahu also voiced “robust disapproval” of Russia’s “dangerous” cooperation with Iran, the Israeli statement said
Netanyahu also expressed his appreciation of the Russian effort to release an Israeli citizen with Russian citizenship.
01:31 PM GMT
Pictured: Netanyahu heads the weekly cabinet meeting
Benjamin Netanyahu heads the weekly cabinet meeting – AFP
01:22 PM GMT
North Korea condemns US veto of Gaza ceasefire call at UN
A North Korean senior official criticised the United States for blocking a UN resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, claiming the veto showed Washington’s “double standards”, North Korean state media KCNA said on Sunday.
The United States vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza at the United Nations Security Council on Friday.
The ceasefire resolution at the UN failed to pass after the United States vetoed the proposal and Britain abstained.
“The United States’ abuse of its veto power to protect an ally that massacred tens of thousands of civilians is not only a manifestation of illegal and unreasonable double standards, but also the height of inhumane evil,” Kim Son Gyong, North Korea’s vice foreign minister for international organisations, said via KCNA.
Kim argued the United States was contradicting itself by condoning continued fighting in Gaza while condemning North Korea’s recent satellite launch that caused no harm to any other country.
01:10 PM GMT
Hamas fighters surrender in northern Gaza, claims Israel
Some Hamas fighters have surrendered in the northern Gaza Strip, Israel said late on Saturday.
The Israeli military did not specify how many Hamas militants had been captured, but said they had surrendered in and near Gaza city, in the Shajaiya and Jabaliya neighbourhoods.
The claims come two days after Israel said it had detained hundreds of terrorism suspects.
Videos circulated on social media and Israeli news channels this week believed to show Hamas fighters detained by Israeli forces. The men in the videos had been forced to strip to their underwear and were blindfolded. The videos could not be independently verified, and reports emerged that there were civilian Gazans among those described as Hamas fighters.
12:50 PM GMT
Iran accuses jailed Swedish EU diplomat of conspiring with Israel
Iranian authorities have accused a Swedish EU diplomat, held in a Tehran prison for more than 600 days, of conspiring with Iran’s arch-enemy Israel to harm the Islamic republic, the judiciary said Sunday, reported by AFP.
“Johan Floderus is accused of extensive measures against the security of the country, extensive intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime and corruption on earth,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online news agency said.
Corruption on earth is one of Iran’s most serious offences which carries a maximum penalty of death.
“The defendant has been active against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of gathering information for the benefit of the Zionist regime in the form of subversive projects,” Mizan quoted the prosecution as saying.
Earlier Sunday, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for the immediate release of the Swedish diplomat, arguing “there are absolutely no grounds for keeping Johan Floderus in detention.”
Floderus, 33, works for the European Union diplomatic service. He was arrested on April 17, 2022, at Tehran airport as he was returning from a trip abroad, and is being held in Tehran’s Evin prison.
12:33 PM GMT
Hamas attacks do not justify Israel’s punishment of Palestinians, says Russia’s Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday said it was not acceptable for Israel to use Hamas’ terror attack on Oct 7 as justification for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, and called for international monitoring on the ground in Gaza.
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly blamed the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas on the failure of years of US diplomacy in the Middle East, while aiming to position Russia as an important player with ties to all the major actors in the region.
12:22 PM GMT
Pictured: Fighting on Dec 10
Smoke rises from Israeli artillery shelling on the outskirts of Yaroun, a Lebanese border village with Israel – AP Photo/Hassan Ammar Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip during an Israeli strike – MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images Photo from the IDF of fighting in the Gaza Strip – IDF
12:03 PM GMT
Iran unveils drones armed with air-to-air missiles
Iran has reinforced its air defence capabilities by adding combat drones equipped with air-to-air missiles to its arsenal, state media reported on Sunday.
“Dozens of Karrar drones armed with air-to-air missiles have been added for air defence in all border areas of the country,” the official IRNA news agency said, reported by AFP.
The drones, with an operational range of up to 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), were exhibited Sunday morning during a televised ceremony organised at a military academy in Tehran.
“The enemies will now have to rethink their strategies” because the Iranian forces have “become more powerful”, IRNA quoted the commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, General Abdolrahim Mousavi, as saying.
The development of Iran’s military arsenal has sparked concern among many countries, particularly the United States and Israel, the sworn enemies of the Islamic republic.
The latter accuse Tehran of providing fleets of drones to its allies in the Middle East, notably to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, and to the Huthi rebels in Yemen.
Iran also backs the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
11:43 AM GMT
Watch: Israeli offensive continues as Netanyahu rebuffs calls to end fighting in Gaza
11:27 AM GMT
Jordan says Israel aims to expel Palestinians from Gaza
Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi said on Sunday Israel was implementing a systematic policy of pushing Palestinians out of Gaza by a war that has killed thousands of civilians.
In remarks at a conference in Doha, Safadi, whose country borders the West Bank and had absorbed the bulk of Palestinians after Israel’s creation in 1948, also said Israel had created an “amount of hatred “ that would “haunt the region” and “define generations to come”.
11:14 AM GMT
Israeli army says five soldiers have died
The Israeli army have said in a statement that five of its soldiers have died in the Gaza War.
Four soldiers were killed in the battle in Southern Gaza, while the fifth succumbed to his wounds after fighting on October 7, according to the Israeli army statement posted on X.
11:00 AM GMT
Two Iranians questioned over suspected plots to attack Israelis in Cyprus
Two Iranians have been detained in Cyprus for questioning over suspected planning of attacks on Israeli citizens living in Cyprus, a Cypriot newspaper reported on Sunday.
The two individuals were believed to be in the early stages of gathering intelligence on potential Israeli targets, the Kathimerini Cyprus newspaper said, without citing sources.
The paper added that the Iranians were political refugees in contact with a person linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
A senior Cyprus official declined to comment, citing policy on issues concerning national security.
Barely a 40-minute flight from Israel, Cyprus is a popular holiday and investment destination for thousands of Israelis.
10:50 AM GMT
Watch: Crowding in Rafah as displaced Palestinians flee after evacuation orders
10:40 AM GMT
Yemen rebels threaten Israel-bound Red Sea ships
Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels have threatened to attack any vessels heading to Israeli ports unless food and medicine are allowed into the besieged Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.
The latest warning comes amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea and surrounding waters following a series of maritime attacks by Huthi rebels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.
In a statement posted on social media, the Huthis said they “will prevent the passage of ships heading to the Zionist entity” if humanitarian aid is not allowed into Hamas-ruled Gaza.
The Huthis have recently attacked ships they claim have direct links to Israel, but their latest threat expands the scope of their targets.
Regardless of which flag ships sail under or the nationality of their owners or operators, Israel-bound vessels “will become a legitimate target for our armed forces”, the statement said.
Hamas welcomed the rebels’ “courageous and bold” decision.
“We call on Arab and Muslim countries to use all their capabilities, based on their historical responsibilities and in the spirit of chivalry, to lift the siege of Gaza,” it added in a statement sent to AFP.
Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said his country would not accept the “naval siege”, noting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked US President Joe Biden and European leaders to take measures to address the situation.
10:29 AM GMT
‘Apocalyptic’ situation in southern Gaza
Israel is continuing to push on with its punishing air and ground offensive in southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled in search of shelter.
Aid groups have described the situation as “apocalyptic” and warned it is on the brink of being overwhelmed by disease and starvation.
Hamas said on Sunday that Israel had launched a series of “very violent raids” targeting the southern city of Khan Younis and the road from there to Rafah, near the border with Egypt.
At least 17,700 people, mostly women and children, have died in two months of fighting in the narrow strip of territory, according to the latest figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue its “just war”, while army chief Herzi Halevi said his forces needed to “press harder” in Gaza.
10:25 AM GMT
Pictured: Damage to homes in Gaza
A Palestinian man inspects the damage at the site of Israeli strikes on houses – REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
10:13 AM GMT
Netanyahu rebuffs calls to end fighting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed on Sunday international calls to end the Gaza war, describing them as inconsistent with supporting the war-aim of eliminating Hamas.
Briefing his cabinet, Netanyahu said he had told the leaders of France, Germany and other countries: “You cannot on the one hand support the elimination of Hamas and on other pressure us to end the war, which would prevent the elimination of Hamas”.
10:00 AM GMT
Gaza health situation is ‘catastrophic’, says WHO chief
The impact of the conflict on Gaza’s healthcare sector has been “catastrophic”, the World Health Organization chief said on Sunday at an emergency board meeting, saying conditions were ideal for the spread of deadly diseases.
“It’s stating the obvious to say that the impact of the conflict on health is catastrophic,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the 34-member board.
“In summary health needs have increased dramatically and the capacity of the health system has been reduced to one third of what it was,” he said.
09:44 AM GMT
Displaced Palestinians shelter in Rafah
Displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, shelter in Rafah – REUTERS/Mustafa Thraya
09:31 AM GMT
Qatar says efforts to renew Israel-Hamas truce ‘continuing’
Mediation efforts are continuing to secure a new Gaza ceasefire and free more hostages held by Hamas despite ongoing Israeli bombardment that is “narrowing the window” for a successful outcome, Qatar’s prime minister said Sunday.
“Our efforts as the state of Qatar along with our partners are continuing. We are not going to give up,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the Doha Forum.
He added that “the continuation of the bombardment is just narrowing this window for us.”
Qatar was a key mediator in negotiations that resulted in a seven-day truce, which saw scores of Israeli hostages exchanged for Palestinians prisoners and humanitarian aid, until it ended at the start of the month.
“We are going to continue, we are committed to have hostages released, but we are also committed to stop the war,” Qatar’s prime minister said.
However, he said, “we are not seeing the same willingness from both parties”.
09:24 AM GMT
UN chief says its credibility is ‘undermined’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Sunday said he regrets the Security Council’s failure to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, condemning the divisions that have “paralysed” the world body.
Addressing Qatar’s Doha Forum, Guterres said the council was “paralysed by geostrategic divisions” that were undermining solutions to the Israel-Hamas war which started on October 7.
The body’s “authority and credibility were severely undermined” by its delayed response to the conflict, he said two days after a US veto prevented a resolution calling for a Gaza ceasefire.
“I reiterated my appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared,” he told the forum.
“Regrettably, the Security Council failed to do it,” he added. “I can promise, I will not give up.”
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LIVE STREAM: Watch England vs South Africa in third match of Vitality Netball International Series
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The Vitality Roses welcome South Africa in their first home series since winning a Netball World Cup silver medal this summer; the three-match tournament concludes on Sunday December 10 at 1.45pm, live on Sky Sports Mix and YouTube
Last Updated: 10/12/23 2:24pm
Watch England take on South Africa in the third game of their three-match Vitality Netball International Series via our free live stream.
The Vitality Roses welcome South Africa in their first home series since winning a Netball World Cup silver medal this summer. The three-match tournament started in Manchester, as England won Game 1 before South Africa sent the series to a decider by winning Game 2.
Watch the Game 3 deciding clash by clicking play on the video at the top of this page – live coverage gets under way from 1.45pm.
You can watch England take on South Africa in their home series between December 5-10, live on Sky Sports. Stream the netball and more with NOW.
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Putin’s Russia is closing in on a devastating victory. Europe’s foundations are trembling
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We need to talk about Ukraine. While the world’s attention has been focused on the war between Israel and Hamas, grim tremors have been shaking that rich, black soil. Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed – or, in Volodymyr Zelensky’s words, “did not achieve the desired results”.
As exhausted Ukrainians fall back from Russia’s ramparts and minefields, the initiative is swinging to the invaders. Russia is advancing through the skeletal remains of what used to be Marinka, a city in Donetsk, perhaps of greater psychological than strategic importance. Missiles are again hitting Kyiv. Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, has taken to the BBC to warn that her country is in “mortal danger”.
Now, it is the Ukrainians’ turn to dig in, to try to hold what they have. As in 1914, a fortified line runs the length of the front, from the Dnieper delta to the Russian border. And, as then, military technology favours the defender, so that tiny gains are bought at terrible cost.
The First World War eventually ended in part because the Allies had greater manpower. Brutally, they were able, especially after America had fully mobilised by the beginning of 1918, to throw more men at the front lines than the Central Powers.
This time, the demographic advantage is with Russia, whose population is three-and-a-quarter times the size of Ukraine’s. Russia has switched a third of its pre-war civilian production to weapons and ammunition, and may now have the edge when it comes to drones – that modern equivalent of the barbed wire and machine guns that gave the defending side such a lethal advantage in the Flanders mud.
The long-term costs to the Russian people of this shift to a wartime economy are dreadful. Vladimir Putin has condemned his long-suffering muzhiks to years of penury and hunger. But, for now, it has done the trick. Russia has made it through to winter without a Ukrainian breakthrough.
We are all prone to hindsight bias, and there will no doubt be articles about how it was always going to be tough to unseat entrenched defenders. But this stalemate was far from predictable when the counteroffensive was launched in June.
I was one of those who expected Ukraine to break through to the Sea of Azov, a move that might well have ended the war. During 2022, Ukraine had demonstrated that Russia could not resupply Crimea across the Kerch Strait. Breaking the land bridge would have left the Russian garrison on the peninsula cut off. Ukraine could have turned off its electricity and food, and a negotiating space would have opened.
Why did I get it wrong? I had been talking not only to Ukrainians, but to British military observers with direct knowledge of the battlefield. They had watched the extraordinary Ukrainian gains in Kharkiv and Kherson in 2022 – gains that had emboldened the West to offer the kinds of matériel that they had previously held back from sending, lest it fall into enemy hands.
Ukraine now had long-range missiles, mine-clearing kit and modern tanks. At the same time, the Prigozhin mutiny had shown how soft Russia was behind the hard shell of its front lines.
But the invaders had learnt from their earlier mistakes. While Ukraine rushed to train its men in how to operate their new weapons last spring, Russia seeded mile after mile of landmines, built fortifications, dug trenches and amassed drones.
Putin needs only to hang on for another 12 months. Even if Donald Trump is not elected – the former president makes no secret of his admiration for the Russian tyrant, once going so far as to declare that he trusted Putin before the US security services – Republican congressmen have turned against the war. Last week, they blocked President Biden’s £88 billion aid package to Ukraine.
Their concern is supposedly financial, but a bigger motive may be their partisan dislike of Biden, the same ignoble impulse that led an earlier generation of Republican congressmen to oppose Harry Truman’s war in Korea. For the MAGA wing, there is also a lingering resentment of the cameo role that Ukraine played in the Trump impeachment drama.
You can’t have missed the spring in Putin’s step. For a long time, he was too scared to stray beyond Russia’s borders. Quite apart from an international arrest warrant, he had a well-founded fear of assassination. His only foreign ventures were to former Soviet states, and two friendly dictatorships: Iran and China.
But, this week, he visited two neutral dictatorships – the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The footage shows beyond doubt that it was the despot in person, not a body double. What gave him confidence to travel to places that have security links with the West? Is it possible that some tentative entente has been reached? Might the Saudis have been asked to sound him out, discretely and deniably, as a possible prelude to peace talks?
If so, we risk a Suez-level disaster for the Western democracies. Any deal that rewards Russian aggression will signal to the rest of the world that Nato, with all its collective wealth and weaponry, could not succeed in the minimal goal of rescuing a country that its two most powerful members, the US and the UK, had undertaken to protect.
The case for intervention in Ukraine is not that it is a liberal democracy. Sure, it is vastly more liberal than Russia, but it falls well short of our standards. Russophile parties have been banned, and there is a worry that the crackdown might extend to pro-Western opposition politicians, too. This week, I was at a meeting of global Centre-Right parties at which Petro Poroshenko, the former president, was meant to speak. At the last minute, he and two of his MPs were banned from leaving Ukraine – and though Poroshenko patriotically declined to make a fuss, it left me wondering, not for the first time, why Zelensky refuses to draw other parties into a wartime coalition.
Then again, Poland was run by an authoritarian government in 1939. That did not alter the fact that it was attacked without provocation after we had guaranteed its independence – just as we guaranteed Ukraine’s independence in 1994 when it surrendered its nuclear arsenal.
While we are not ourselves at war this time, we are so invested in the Ukrainian cause that a Russian victory – and absorbing conquered territory is a Russian victory, present it how you will – would mean a catastrophic loss of prestige for the West and the ideas associated with it: personal freedom, democracy and human rights.
Conflicts will spread as regimes that never cared for liberal values in the first place realise that there is no longer a policeman on the corner. Venezuela’s outrageous claims against Commonwealth Guyana are just the start of this process.
“The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion… but rather by its superiority in applying organised violence,” wrote Samuel Huntington. “Westerners often forget this fact; non-Westerners never do.”
But this is not yet over. Ukraine has driven Russia out of the western Black Sea, which is open again to international shipping. We should be on our guard against the tendency that George Orwell observed during the Second World War, whereby intellectuals over-interpret each new military development – a tendency, he believed, not shared by ordinary people. Just as there was excessive pessimism immediately after Russia invaded, and excessive euphoria when Kherson was retaken, so we should not infer too much from this setback.
It is still possible to imagine a peace deal that does not overtly reward aggression. Perhaps the eastern oblasts could win autonomy under loose Ukrainian suzerainty; perhaps an internationally supervised referendum might be held in a demilitarised Crimea.
But if Russia ends up annexing land by force, it is not just the West that will lose; it is the entire post-1945 international order.
The world is getting colder. The nights are drawing in.
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(Sky Sports)
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India Women 1st innings
Total
3346 overs
Batting
Runs
Balls
4s
6s
SR-
Verma
lbw b Dean
0
2
0
0
0.00 -
Mandhana
lbw b Dean
10
9
2
0
111.11 -
Rodrigues
not out
9
12
0
0
75.00 -
Kaur (c)
lbw b Sciver-Brunt
9
7
2
0
128.57 -
Sharma
c Jones b Bell
0
2
0
0
0.00 -
Ghosh (wk)
not out
4
4
1
0
100.00
Yet to bat
- Vastrakar
- Patil
- Sadhu
- Renuka Singh Thakur
- Ishaque
Fall of Wickets
Bowling
Overs
Maidens
Runs
Wickets
Econ-
Dean
2
0
4
2
2.00 -
Bell
2
0
14
1
7.00 -
Sciver-Brunt
2
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The Verdict: ‘Wasteful’ Tottenham drop further down the table
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Michael Bridge and Ben Grounds react to West Ham’s second-half comeback as a ‘wasteful’ Tottenham squanders another lead and drop further down the table.
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Aberdeen 0-1 Kilmarnock | Scottish Premiership highlights
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Highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.
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Israeli forces pictured setting up seawater pumps to flood Hamas tunnels
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Israeli troops have been pictured setting up pumps to flood Hamas tunnels with water.
Long pipes can be seen running from the sea up the beach and into Gaza in images released by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
It follows reports that the IDF was moving to ruin the terror group’s vast subterranean network by setting up five pumps capable of sending hundreds of thousands of litres of water cascading underground every hour.
Hamas’s tunnels are as extensive as London’s Underground and have been used to devastating effect by Hamas during the war so far.
The terror group is believed to be hiding its leadership, the 137 remaining hostages and the vast bulk of its arsenal in the network.
03:58 PM GMT
Today’s live coverage has ended
Today’s live coverage has ended. Here is a roundup of the day’s main events:
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Israeli troops have been pictured setting up pumps to flood Hamas tunnels with water.
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A large stockpile was uncovered near a clinic and school in northern Gaza, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
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Gaza health officials said many civilians were killed in an Israeli strike on houses in Deir al-Balah, north of Khan Younis.
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Supplies at al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza are at critically low levels due to road enclosures despite hundreds of patients being admitted per day, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
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The Israeli army said Wednesday that the International Committee of the Red Cross “must have access to the hostages” still being held by Palestinian militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
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An incident involving a drone in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen has been reported by the UK maritime trade operations agency.
03:44 PM GMT
Western troops in Iraq targeted in drone attack claimed by pro-Iran group
A drone targeted Western troops at a military base in Iraq on Wednesday, a US military official said, in an attack claimed by a pro-Iran militant group.
“A one-way attack drone was launched against US and Coalition forces at (Ain) al-Asad Airbase” in western Iraq, the official who spoke on condition of anonymity told AFP, adding it caused no causalities or damage.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed the attack. The pro-Iran group has been carrying out its attacks in response to the United States’ support for Israel in its nearly two-month war with Hamas.
03:28 PM GMT
Israel condemned UN response to sexual violence allegations
The Israeli foreign ministry has condemned the United Nations’s response to allegations of sexual violence by Hamas during its October 7 attack.
Catherine Russell, head of the UN children’s agency UNICEF, described the accounts of sexual violence on October 7 as “horrific” earlier today.
Spokesman Lior Haiat blasted Russell for not mentioning the alleged perpetrators.
“The fact that she (Russell) doesn’t mention the Hamas terror organisation is another way of turning a blind eye on the atrocities that Hamas did,” he said.
“By not mentioning Hamas she is legitimising their activities”.
03:15 PM GMT
US Navy shot down a drone originating from Houthi-controlled part of Yemen
The US Navy shot down a drone originating from a part of Yemen that is controlled by the Houthi group on Wednesday morning, a US defence official who declined to be named said.
03:02 PM GMT
IDF raids ‘headquarters of a Hezbollah terrorist operational command’
The Israeli Defence Force has raided the “headquarters of a Hezbollah terrorist operational command” in Lebanon, according to IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee.
He added that IDF tanks and artillery have also shelled targets inside Lebanon.
Several shells were also monitored from Lebanon toward a military site near Arab Al-Aramsha and Jabal Al-Sheikh area.
02:46 PM GMT
German state will require support for Israel to gain citizenship
Those applying for citizenship in the German state of Saxony Anhalt must now declare their support for Israel’s right to exist.
According to the decree, Israel’s right to exist is Germany’s “Staatsräson” or “reason of state”, German media has reported.
“Acquiring German citizenship requires a commitment to Israel’s right to exist,” the decree said.
Applicants must also confirm in writing “that they recognize Israel’s right to exist and condemn any efforts directed against the existence of the State of Israel”, it added.
02:28 PM GMT
100 aid trucks preparing to enter Gaza
Aid trucks are preparing to enter Gaza, according to the Egyptian Red Crescent.
Dr Khaled Zayed, the head of the organisation in North Sinai, said around 100 trucks will follow two fuel trucks that entered earlier today.
The trucks carried around 65,000 litres of fuel.
He added that 19 wounded Palestinians and 19 companions had been sent to hospitals in North Sinai after arriving in Egypt.
Patients were also transferred to Italian and French hospital ships at al Arish seaport.
02:14 PM GMT
Pictured: Israeli troops seize Hamas weapons
The IDF said its troops of the 460th Armored Brigade and the Nahal Brigade’s 50th Battalion discovered one of the largest caches of weapons during operations in the northern Gaza Strip.
Hamas weapons – IDF Hamas weapons – IDF Hamas weapons – IDF
01:59 PM GMT
UNICEF condemns sexual violence in Hamas attacks
The head of the United Nations children’s agency condemned on Wednesday acts of sexual violence committed against women during Hamas’s October 7 attack.
In a post on X, UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell called the accounts of sexual violence “horrific”.
“Survivors must be heard, supported, and provided with care,” she added.
“Allegations must be fully investigated. We condemn gender-based violence and all forms of violence against women and girls.”
01:47 PM GMT
France condemns Israeli shelling that killed Lebanese soldier
France on Wednesday condemned shelling by Israel in south Lebanon that resulted in the death of a Lebanese soldier, a spokesperson for the French foreign ministry said.
“France is gravely concerned by the ongoing clashes on the border between Lebanon and Israel. France condemns the Israeli strike which cost the life of a member of the Lebanese armed forces, and sends its sincere condolences to the victim’s relatives,” said the ministry spokesperson in a daily briefing.
One Lebanese soldier was killed and three wounded when Israeli shelling hit near a border village in south Lebanon, the Lebanese army said in a statement on Tuesday.
01:32 PM GMT
Watch: IDF sets up pumps to flood Hamas tunnels
01:04 PM GMT
Surface-to-surface missiles intercepted
A surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by Israel’s military after it was launched towards Eilat in southern Israel.
Israeli forces said they were responding to a “number of launches” from Lebanon in the north of the country.
It said the launches had been aimed at IDF military posts.
The IDF said in a message on Telegram:
“Following the report regarding sirens that sounded in the city of Eilat, a launch of a surface-to-surface missile toward Israel was identified, and was successfully intercepted in the area of the Red Sea by the “Arrow” aerial defence system. The target did not cross into Israeli territory [and] did not pose a threat to civilians.”
It added:
“A short while ago, a number of launches were identified from Lebanon. The IDF is striking the sources of the fire. Furthermore, since this morning, IDF tanks and artillery have been striking several locations in Lebanon and IDF aircraft struck a military command center and military infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”
12:52 PM GMT
IDF uncovers weapons stockpile near school
A large stockpile was uncovered near a clinic and school in northern Gaza, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The IDF said the weapons cache “contained hundreds of missiles and RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) launchers of various types, dozens of anti-tank missiles, dozens of explosive charges, long-range missiles aimed at the centre of the State of Israel, dozens of grenades and unmanned aerial vehicles.”
Some weapons were destroyed in a nearby field while others were taken away for further investigation, they added.
IDF soldiers could be seen loading ammunition and weapons into vehicles.
12:31 PM GMT
Japan PM says casualties should be minimised
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone on Wednesday that it was important to minimise civilian casualties in the conflict with Hamas, the Japanese government said.
“Prime Minster Kishida stated continued growth in the number of civilian casualties should be avoided, and that it is important to calm the situation swiftly, minimise civilian casualties and observe international law including international humanitarian law,” a Foreign Ministry announcement said.
In response, Netanyahu set out Israel’s position on the military operation in Gaza, the announcement said, without elaborating.
11:57 AM GMT
Turkey rejects ‘buffer zone’ plan for Gaza
Turkey has rejected plans to establish a post-war buffer zone in Gaza because it would be disrespectful to Palestinians, President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
Last week, Israel had conveyed plans for the buffer zone to several Arab states and Turkey.
Speaking to reporters on a flight from Doha, Erdogan said Gaza’s governance and future after the war would be decided by Palestinians alone.
“I consider even the debating of this (buffer-zone) plan as disrespectful to my Palestinian siblings. For us, this is not a plan that can be debated, considered, or discussed,” Erdogan’s office quoted him as saying.
Calling for Israel to hand back territories it occupies and end settlements in those territories, he said: “Israel must remove the terrorists – which it markets to the world as settlers – from those houses and those lands, and think about how it can build a peaceful future with Palestinians.”
11:39 AM GMT
Pictured: Armed woman in Jerusalem
An armed woman has been seen walking through Jerusalem during increased tensions between Palestinians and Israelis.
Gunmen, claimed by Hamas to be members of their group, shot numerous people at a bus stop on Thursday morning on the outskirts of Jerusalem before being shot dead.
An armed woman walks through Jerusalem – Spencer Platt/Getty Images
11:24 AM GMT
Malaysian police arrest man over statements supporting diplomatic relations with Israel
Malaysian police said on Wednesday they have arrested a 36-year-old man to assist in a sedition probe regarding statements he made supporting diplomatic relations with Israel.
Malaysia, a majority-Muslim country, is a staunch supporter of Palestine and does not have diplomatic ties with Israel.
11:15 AM GMT
Scotland’s First Minister’s relatives allowed to leave Gaza
Scotland’s First Minister has said his relatives in Gaza have been told they can leave via the Rafah border crossing to Egypt but are unable to get there.
Humza Yousaf posted on social media: “My brother-in-law, his wife and four children (the youngest is four months old) have been told they can leave Gaza through Rafah.
“The problem is, they have no way of getting there, and even if they did, the fighting is ongoing.
“An impossible situation.
“We need a ceasefire now.”
10:58 AM GMT
UK agency reports drone attack in Red Sea
An incident involving a drone in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen has been reported by the UK maritime trade operations agency.
The agency advised those in the area to “exercise caution” and report any suspicious activity.
The Iran-allied Houthi group has attacked shipping in the region recently intending to damage Israeli interests.
10:34 AM GMT
Palestinians in Gaza living in ‘utter, deepening horror’
Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are living in “utter, deepening horror”, the UN human rights chief said Wednesday as he called for an urgent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“Civilians in Gaza continue to be relentlessly bombarded by Israel and collectively punished… Palestinians in Gaza are living in utter, deepening horror,” Volker Turk told a press conference.
10:23 AM GMT
Four people shot during Israeli raids in West Bank
Four people were wounded during Israeli raids in the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus.
One man was shot in the head and remains in a critical condition, according to Ahmed Jibril, the director of the Red Crescent Ambulance and Emergency Centre in Nablus.
Three other men were also shot but remain in a stable condition.
One Palestinian was arrested by Israeli forces before they withdrew from the camp, locals have claimed.
10:09 AM GMT
Israeli army says ‘Red Cross must have access to hostages’ in Gaza
The Israeli army said Wednesday that the International Committee of the Red Cross “must have access to the hostages” still being held by Palestinian militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
“As the IDF (military) expands its operations to dismantle Hamas in Gaza, we have not lost sight… of our critical mission to rescue our hostages,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
“The international community must take action. The Red Cross must have access to the hostages that are in the hands of Hamas.”
09:48 AM GMT
Israel cautions against reports of child hostage’s death
Israel has cautioned against believing Hamas reports that the youngest hostage had been killed alongside his four-year-old brother and their mother.
Ten-month-old Kfir Bibas was allegedly killed during an IDF strike on Gaza, but there has been no further confirmation of this and Israel’s military in still uncertain about their fate.
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, spokesperson Lt Col Peter Lerner said:
“We can’t confirm at this stage what Hamas said, and I’d be very cautious in accepting anything that Hamas says to begin with.
“Of course, you know, we’re utilizing our intelligence in order to try and determine their situation. I don’t have anything to report at this stage.”
Lerner added that Israel is “concerned” about the well-being of the hostages still held in Gaza and demanded that the Red Cross be able to assess them.
09:40 AM GMT
Supplies at al-Aqsa Hospital at ‘critical level’
Supplies at al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza are at critically low levels due to road enclosures despite hundreds of patients being admitted per day, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The hospital, which is running out of both fuel and medical supplies, has been receiving 150 to 200 wounded patients since the truce ended on Friday, its director has said.
Marie-Aure Perreaut Revial, the MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza, said:
“There are 700 patients admitted in the hospital now, with new patients arriving all the time. We are running out of essential supplies to treat them.
“Shortages of medicine and fuel could result in the hospital being unable to provide life-saving surgeries or intensive care.
“Without electricity, ventilators would cease to function, blood donations would have to stop, the sterilisation of surgical instruments would be impossible.
“It is vital that the supply of humanitarian supplies is facilitated. The hospital urgently needs surgical sets, external fixators to hold broken bones together, and essential drugs, including drugs for chronic illnesses.”
09:23 AM GMT
Israel issues fresh evacuation orders
Israel has warned displaced people east of Khan Younis to “evacuate immediately”.
Palestinians located in shelters and schools located in the Bani Suhaila roundabout and four of their designated “blocks” – 50, 51, 52 and 219 – were directed to leave on Wednesday.
COGAT, a branch of Israel’s defence ministry, told residents to evacuate along l-Quds Street to the shelters in the west of Khan Younis and the Nasser Medical Complex area.
It said that the Israeli army is responding with “extreme force” against Hamas in the area.
09:13 AM GMT
Gaza health officials claim 45 civilians killed in Israeli strike
Gaza health officials said many civilians were killed in an Israeli strike on houses in Deir al-Balah, north of Khan Younis.
Dr Eyad Al-Jabri, head of the Shuhada Al-Aqsa Hospital there, told Reuters at least 45 people were killed.
Hamas’ media office said on Tuesday at least 16,248 people including 7,112 children and 4,885 women had been killed in Gaza by Israel’s military since October 7.
Thousands more are missing and feared buried under rubble.
Those figures were not immediately verified by the Gaza health ministry.
09:00 AM GMT
Pictured: Israeli assaults on Gaza
Israel launched one of its heaviest assaults on Gaza yet overnight.
IDF photos – IDF IDF forces in Gaza – IDF IDF forces in Gaza – IDF
08:50 AM GMT
Hamas kidnap victim in ‘serious condition’
Hanna Katzi, one of the hostages released by Hamas last month, is in a “serious condition” after her health deteriorated following captivity.
The Times of Israel reports that on army radio, the daughter of the 77-year-old said “My mother’s condition is serious, her condition has deteriorated following the captivity.
“She had no heart problems when she was kidnapped, but now she has severe heart problems due to harsh conditions and starvation.
“She came back both heartbroken and with cardiological problems.”
It is thought that her son Elad remains in captivity in Gaza.
08:39 AM GMT
Israel reviewing strike that harmed Lebanese troops
The Israeli army said on Wednesday it was reviewing a strike that harmed Lebanese troops in south Lebanon, an apparent reference to Israeli shelling that killed a Lebanese soldier and wounded three others the previous day.
“The Lebanese Armed Forces were not the target of the strike. The IDF expresses regret over the incident. The incident is under review,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
Israel and the heavily armed Lebanese group Hezbollah have been exchanging fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border since October 7.
The Lebanese army said the soldier, a sergeant, was killed when an army position was shelled by Israel on Tuesday.
The Israeli army said its soldiers had acted in “self-defense to eliminate an imminent threat that had been identified from Lebanon” from a “known launch area and observation point” used by Hezbollah.
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Exclusive-On edge over Red Sea attacks, Riyadh seeks to contain fall-out
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By Aziz El Yaakoubi and Parisa Hafezi
RIYADH/DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has asked the United States to show restraint in responding to attacks by Yemen’s Houthis against ships in the Red Sea, two sources familiar with Saudi thinking said, as Riyadh seeks to contain spillover from the Hamas-Israel war.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have waded into the conflict that has spread around the Middle East since war erupted on Oct. 7, attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel itself.
The group which rules much of Yemen says its attacks are a show of support for the Palestinians and has vowed they will continue until Israel stops its offensive on the Gaza Strip – more than 1,000 miles from their seat of power in Sanaa.
The Houthis are one of several groups in the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” which have been attacking Israeli and U.S. targets since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7, when their Palestinian ally Hamas sparked the war by attacking Israel.
Their role has added to the conflict’s regional risks, threatening sea lanes through which much of the world’s oil shipped, and worrying states on the Red Sea as Houthi rockets and drones fly towards Israel.
Riyadh, the world’s top oil exporter, has watched with alarm as Houthi missiles have been fired over its territory.
With the Houthis stepping up attacks on shipping over the past weeks, two sources familiar with Saudi thinking said Riyadh’s message of restraint to Washington aimed to avoid further escalation. Riyadh was so far pleased with the way the United States was handling the situation, the sources added.
“They pressed the Americans about this and why the Gaza conflict should stop,” one of the sources said.
The White House declined to comment.
The Saudi government did not respond to an emailed request for a comment on the discussions.
As Saudi Arabia presses for a ceasefire to halt what it has called a “barbaric war” in Gaza, its diplomacy reflects a wider policy aimed at promoting regional stability after years of confrontation with Iran and its allies.
Focused on expanding and diversifying the Saudi economy, Riyadh this year normalised ties with Tehran and is seeking to exit the war it has been waging with the Houthis in Yemen for nearly nine years.
The sources said Saudi Arabia was seeking to advance the Yemen peace process even as war rages in Gaza, worrying it could be derailed. Yemen has enjoyed more than a year of relative calm amid direct peace talks between Saudi and Houthi officials.
The Houthi attacks during the Hamas-Israel war have elevated their profile in the Iran-aligned camp which also includes Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
The Houthis have emerged as a major military force in the Arabian Peninsula, with tens of thousands of fighters and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles and armed drones.
Senior sources in the Iran-aligned camp told Reuters the Houthi attacks were part of an effort to put pressure on Washington to get Israel to halt the Gaza offensive, a goal that Iran shares with Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region.
One of the sources, who is based in Tehran, said Houthi representatives had discussed their attacks with Iranian officials during a meeting in Tehran in November, agreeing to carry out actions in a “controlled” way that would help force an end to the Gaza war. The source was briefed on the matter.
Another of the sources said Tehran did not seek “all-out war in the region” that would risk drawing it in directly.
A Houthi spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Iran has denied being involved in the attacks. Iranian officials did not respond to a request for comment on the Houthi attacks.
DESTROYER DOWNS DRONES
The United States and Britain have condemned the attacks on shipping, blaming Iran for its role in supporting the Houthis. Tehran says its allies make their decisions independently.
In one of the latest incidents, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters on Sunday. The Houthis said they had fired at what they said were two Israeli vessels. Israel denied any link to the ships.
A U.S. Navy destroyer, the Carney, shot down three drones as it answered distress calls from the vessels, which the U.S. military said were connected to 14 separate nations.
The Pentagon said on Monday the Carney had taken action as a drone was headed in its direction, but that it could not assess if the warship was the intended target.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh stopped short of using language that could suggest any imminent U.S. retaliation against the Houthis. Asked if the United States might retaliate, Singh said: “If we decide to take action against the Houthis, it will of course be at a time and place of our choosing.”
An Iranian diplomat said Tehran and Washington had exchanged messages through intermediaries about Houthi attacks since the start of the Hamas-Israel war. The diplomat, who was involved in exchanging the messages, said both called for restraint.
Iran on Tuesday denied any role in attacks or actions against U.S. forces.
(Additional reporting by Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Alison Williams)
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The Verdict: No Nations League finals or Olympics will help England for Euros
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The Telegraph’s Tom Garry joins Gail Davis to discuss England’s failure to qualify for the Nations League finals and Olympic Games.
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Mosconi Cup 2023: Jayson Shaw ready to give as good as he gets for Team Europe’s defence against Team USA
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Marc Bazeley
Team Europe vice-captain Jayson Shaw is anticipating another rowdy atmosphere when he and his team-mates take on America’s best nine-ball players in defence of the Mosconi Cup; Watch the 2023 Mosconi Cup live on Sky Sports Arena from Wednesday, December 6 (6.30pm)
Last Updated: 04/12/23 5:38pm
Team Europe vice-captain Jayson Shaw is ready for another rowdy Mosconi Cup clash with Team USA
In the three-decade history of the Mosconi Cup, there is arguably no one who has got under the skin of their opponents quite like Earl Strickland.
The American pool icon’s confrontations with opposing players and referees, and outbursts at the crowd, made him something of a pantomime villain for Team Europe supporters too. So, it would perhaps be wise not to try to provoke the master of the mind games.
That is, of course, unless you happen to be Jayson Shaw. Because, last year, the Scottish cueist showed no compunction about mimicking Strickland in putting his ear to the crowd when he beat the three-time nine-ball world champion on enemy turf in Las Vegas last year.
Jayson Shaw mimicked his opponent Earl Strickland as Team Europe had the better of Day 2 of the 2022 Mosconi Cup against the USA. Jayson Shaw mimicked his opponent Earl Strickland as Team Europe had the better of Day 2 of the 2022 Mosconi Cup against the USA.
This year’s playing vice-captain for Europe embraces that side of the annual clash with the best nine-ball players the USA has to offer and is going to be doing his best to get the home fans creating a raucous atmosphere at Alexandra Palace.
“Vegas last year was a little bit rowdy with their fans and I think their fans have started picking up that they need to be more like the European fans,” Shaw told Sky Sports News ahead of the 2023 Mosconi Cup, which starts on Wednesday, December 6 live on Sky Sports.
“This year, I’m going to make sure the fans are really on it. I get a lot of stick, but I give a lot too.
“You’ve got to take the good with the bad and there’s always a lot of rivalry in the team, but now you’ve got a little bit more.”
Strickland will not be adding to his 15 appearances for Team USA at this year’s tournament, but Shaw already has his eye on winding up another member of the opposition in former Team Europe player Fedor Gorst.
The Russia-born 2019 world nine-ball champion represented Europe in the Covid-affected 2020 tournament behind closed doors in Coventry as the hosts triumphed 11-3. However, gaining permanent residency in the USA means Gorst has been able to switch allegiance.
That means the player who was at one point ranked No 2 in Europe’s Race to the Mosconi Cup standings will be lining up for Jeremy Jones’ team as they seek to regain the trophy they last held in 2019, and Shaw has already been engaging in some good-natured ribbing of Gorst.
“Terrible,” Shaw said jokingly of his reaction to Gorst switching sides, adding: “Obviously, it’s his decision, right?
This year, I’m going to make sure the fans are really on it. I get a lot of stick, but I give a lot too.
Team Europe vice-captain Jayson Shaw
“It’s up to him to do what he wants to do, but I don’t think I could ever do that, and I think there are a few other players who couldn’t do that.
“He’s going to pay the price for doing that and he’s going to get a lot of heat for that this week. I’ve already been giving him a lot of stick for that, but he takes it well and he’s a good person.
“He’s a great player and I’m sure he’s going to play well, but I’m going to try to make him play not so well.”
As for his form on the table, Shaw heads into the Mosconi Cup ranked fifth in the World Nineball Tour rankings and having claimed his first title on the tour with a thrilling 13-12 win over Europe team-mate Albin Ouschan in October’s Hanoi Open final.
It could hardly have been better preparation for the upcoming clash with the Americans either, with the two-time Mosconi Cup Most Valuable Player feeling the tournament in the Vietnamese capital city was as close as a singles tournament gets to those matches.
Jayson Shaw won the inaugural Hanoi Open Pool Championship after defeating Albin Ouschan, sparking wild celebrations on top of the pool table! Jayson Shaw won the inaugural Hanoi Open Pool Championship after defeating Albin Ouschan, sparking wild celebrations on top of the pool table!
“When I saw the venue and the crowd it reminded me of the Mosconi Cup and when I went out there it felt like I was playing Mosconi Cup matches,” Shaw said. “It was great preparation for this week.
“At the start of the year, a lot of things weren’t really going for me, but I’ve just tried to stay positive, keep working on my game, working on myself, and I feel like I’m in a good position now.
“I’m playing well, I feel good in myself and I’m looking forward to it.”
Shaw has been playing a big part in Europe’s preparations for their defence of the Mosconi Cup too, setting up a pre-tournament camp at his sister’s pool hall in Scotland where they got plenty of match practice as well as some team bonding in.
Europe made no mistake on the final day of the 2022 Mosconi Cup as they took home the trophy once again. Europe made no mistake on the final day of the 2022 Mosconi Cup as they took home the trophy once again.
That included playing a challenge match against a team of five local nine-ball players mimicking the Mosconi Cup format, in which Europe triumphed 11-4, and the 33-year-old could hardly be happier with how Ralph Eckert’s squad are shaping up ahead of the event.
“I really feel our team have that good bond,” Shaw said. “We don’t have to really take in a rookie and try to help them out, everybody has been there.
“We’ve all won big tournaments all year and been in that position of playing in big finals. I feel like we’re really there and ready to play.”
Watch every ball of the Mosconi Cup live on Sky Sports Arena from 6.30pm on Wednesday, December 6 to Saturday, December 9. You can also stream the 2023 Mosconi Cup and more of the best sport without a contract with NOW.
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England’s young netball players are ‘scary’ good, says Eleanor Cardwell ahead of South Africa series
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England’s Fran Williams, Eleanor Cardwell and Sasha Glasgow look ahead to the three-match series against South Africa in December with added excitement around the squad after the Netball World Cup in the summer
England’s Fran Williams, Eleanor Cardwell and Sasha Glasgow look ahead to the three-match series against South Africa in December with added excitement around the squad after the Netball World Cup in the summer
Eleanor Cardwell is convinced England’s ‘scary raw talent’ will be an exciting prospect when they face South Africa on Tuesday.
The Vitality Roses welcome South Africa in their first home series since winning a Netball World Cup silver medal with the three-match tournament starting in Manchester before heading to Nottingham for back-to-back weekend games.
Captain Natalie Metcalf and goal shooter Helen Housby announced in November they will be taking extended breaks from netball.
“I think these young guns have got something to prove,” said Cardwell.
“I’ve been impressed with them for years. I’ve been watching the Super League and I’ve played with Berri [Neil] with Manchester Thunder. I’ve been raving about them.
“They’ve all got such raw talent and to be put into this competitive environment they’re having to develop their game in that situation as well.
“It’s very exciting for the country and for netball. The more experience they get on the international stage then the more confident they’re going to feel in that space as well, so that’s going to make them grow and it’s quite scary actually.”
Cardwell was part of the Vitality Roses that finished runners-up at the Netball World Cup in South Africa earlier this year
England were beaten 59-52 by New Zealand in a series decider as the Silver Ferns retained the Taini Jamison Trophy in Hamilton in September.
However, the squad remains excited about facing South Africa and are heading into the clash with a blended team.
“We’ve got people who were involved in the World Cup, reserves, girls who have just come off the Test series in New Zealand,” said team-mate Fran Williams.
“There’s such a range of experience and also match readiness within the squad. We’re raring to go and it’s a new style of play.
Relive some of the best moments between England and South Africa as the two sides go head to head for a three-match series starting on December 5, live on Sky Sports Relive some of the best moments between England and South Africa as the two sides go head to head for a three-match series starting on December 5, live on Sky Sports
“South Africa are always a challenge and I think if you look at the history of English and South African battles in netball, it’s very competitive. We’ve even had some draws against them in the past so they’re always up for the challenge and so will we be.”
Cardwell added: “We’ve built in some experience with some inexperience which is amazing because it’s like we’ve got fight and passion. We’ve got a mixture of everything.
“So, if you can get that balance right I think we’ll attack South Africa in an aggressive way and put it to them. The camp is full of excitement.”
The Vitality Roses did not come up against South Africa in the World Cup but Cardwell remains aware of the threat they pose and the squad will be using video analysis to plot out their tactics.
England team celebrate their silver medals at the final of the Netball World Cup against Australia in Cape Town
“They’re also full of experience and inexperience. They’ve got a lot of talent that they’ve had there for years but also a lot of talent that is new and I’ve not played against them before,” Cardwell said.
“They have now got a lot more players over in the Super League so that’s great for them and for international netball.
“It’s going to be a lot of video analysis and looking at what they can do and what their strengths and weaknesses are and how we can combat them. It’s going to be a challenge especially because they can throw anyone on.”
Cardwell added: “It’s going to be exciting to watch because there’s a lot to show on both sides and it’s not just going to be one-sided. Both teams will be battling it out and see where they are at that moment in time.”
The 29-year-old featured in the Sky Sports documentary ‘Fit for Purpose’ where she spoke about the importance of the sports bra and the reaction she got to speaking about it openly on social media.
Cardwell talks about the importance of the sports bra and the reaction to her openly talking about it on social media Cardwell talks about the importance of the sports bra and the reaction to her openly talking about it on social media
Reflecting on the success of World Cup, Cardwell said it was a proud moment when she realised how much outreach and interaction there was.
“I was loving the amount of people jumping on to netball. It reached a lot more people and showed just how proud everyone was of us, especially after the previous year, I don’t think people were expecting us to get on to the podium,” Cardwell reflected.
“We got a lot of messages saying the hard work was worth it and a lot of fans were getting on board too. We were disappointed not winning the gold but getting a silver medal around the neck was very rewarding. It was a proud moment.”
Despite all the success Cardwell has accumulated since making her debut in a Home Nations clash against Northern Ireland in 2016, the mornings are still often filled with nerves.
“I definitely get nervous, it tends to be in the morning when I wake up. When we’re together in the changing room there’s a little bit of anticipation,” she said.
“The opposition doesn’t matter, we’ve got each other so the nerves settle and as soon as the whistle goes, you’re doing your job and playing a sport that you love. So, it’s no different to every other day in your life and I think the nerves just go.”
England Netball’s 14-player squad for South Africa series
Halimat Adio, Imogen Allison, Eleanor Cardwell, Amy Carter, Funmi Fadoju, Sasha Glasgow, Hannah Joseph, Berri Neil, Jayda Pechova, Razia Quashie, Ellie Rattu, Alicia Scholes, Olivia Tchine, Fran Williams
England vs South Africa series:
December 5: Manchester, 7pm
December 9: Nottingham, 5pm
December 10: Nottingham, 2pm
You can watch England take on South Africa in their home series between December 5-10, live on Sky Sports. Stream the netball and more with NOW I Get Sky Sports
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