Prince Ali bin Hussein said nobody was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk with the media at the AFC Congress.
Published On 25 Oct 202625 Oct 2026
The head of Jordan’s Football Association (JFA), Prince Ali bin Hussein, has accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of hijacking the Asian Football Confederation Congress for political purposes ahead of his re-election bid for a fourth term.
At the AFC’s extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Friday, its president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa endorsed Infantino’s bid for re-election as FIFA president.
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Months after the confederation accused Infantino of a “fundamental breach of trust” over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, Sheikh Salman told the congress that Asia was now united behind Infantino.
But JFA’s Prince Ali, who has been a vocal critic of FIFA’s leadership, painted a starkly different picture of events in Tokyo.
“Having come back from Tokyo where the AFC Congress took place, the first two days were about football, which we all serve. The last day was pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino,” Prince Ali wrote on X.
“There were reports that Asia has a united position when it comes to electing the next FIFA President. In fact, nobody was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk with the media.
“Lack of transparency leads to lack of accountability. No amount of coercion, threats or bribes should be allowed.”
Prince Ali did not elaborate on his statement.
Al Jazeera reached out to FIFA and the AFC for a comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Infantino also addressed the AFC Congress, giving Sheikh Salman his backing for another term.
In August, Prince Ali launched a public attack on Infantino, accusing him of “blackmail” and saying FIFA had offered to help solve the kingdom’s problems in exchange for his endorsement.
Two days later, Prince Ali confirmed Jordan’s players and staff had received outstanding reward money for their participation in the 2025 Arab Cup.
The association had been waiting since December for prize money for reaching the Arab Cup final in Qatar.
On Saturday, Infantino laughed off questions about whether he had considered resigning in the wake of the failed FFE proposal, pointing to what he described as overwhelming support from member associations around the globe.
The Swiss-Italian administrator’s re-election prospects were strengthened significantly after the AFC endorsement, leaving Europe increasingly isolated and exposing the lack of a challenger.
Manchester United’s 0-3 home loss to Bournemouth has left the 20-time champions winless in eight Premier League games.
Published On 25 Oct 202625 Oct 2026
Amid increasing pressure on his team and a growing threat to his own position as manager, Michael Carrick says he will do what is best for Manchester United after a 3-0 demolition by Bournemouth plunged his future into doubt.
Winless in eight games in all competitions, the 20-time English champions slipped to within one point of the relegation zone after a damaging defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday.
“It’s a tough situation,” Carrick told British broadcaster Sky Sports. “What is next? I don’t know.
“I’ll always do what’s best for this football club. I’ve said it all along; I don’t change that now. I love what I do. I love the responsibility, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Asked in a post-match news conference if he expects to be sacked in the coming days, Carrick replied: “I totally understand the situation. I’m not expecting anything in particular, to be honest. I’m carrying on as normal. I love this place.”
Despite a dismal run of results, the United fans largely supported the former midfielder as he made his way off the field at full-time before they turned on the club’s players.
“I have mixed emotions to have that connection with the supporters in the moment we’re in. I need time to digest that,” added Carrick.
“I appreciate their support but the situation is where it’s at. We haven’t been good enough.”
Manchester United’s captain Bruno Fernandes did not feature in the match against Bournemouth [File: Darren Staples/AFP]
Carrick’s decision to drop captain Bruno Fernandes to the bench and not even introduce the Portuguese international as a substitute backfired.
Fernandes, last season’s Premier League player of the year, had criticised Carrick’s tactics after the 4-1 thrashing by Como on Wednesday.
Carrick said before the game that his call was a “pure football” decision, but it was hard to believe Fernandes was not being punished as he was left on the bench for the entire match.
“There’s always times in games when you are trying to change the course of the game and to make a difference,” said Carrick as he swerved questions on Fernandes’s absence. “Those were the decisions we made today.”
Carrick was appointed on a two-year deal only in May after a successful caretaker spell in charge led United to third place in the Premier League last season.
However, he has been unable to arrest the club’s steep decline since his former boss Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013.
United were outspent by many of their rivals in the transfer market as they added just three midfielders – Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba.
But Carrick said a lack of investment did not justify such a decline in results.
“Last season to finish third was a really good achievement in the circumstances,” added Carrick.
“We understood where that left us, what was next, what needed to be done and how we needed to improve, and where we were at as a team and as a group at that stage.
“I definitely knew that we hadn’t cracked it and there was a lot of work to be done, but that doesn’t mean to say that it should have gone this way.”
On the same week that a court filing showed that construction on President Trump’s hotly contested triumphal arch could begin as soon as Nov. 5, another less reported development pointed to the possibility that the government might be misrepresenting its plans for Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park.
On Monday, the National Park Service held a meeting about a proposed redesign to the park, which is part of the National Mall and also where Trump wants to put his Garden of Heroes featuring more than 250 statues ranging from Humphrey Bogart to Kobe Bryant to Benjamin Franklin. Trump first proposed the idea in 2020, but it wasn’t until his second term — when he began a crusade to remake much of Washington, D.C.’s historic core according to his own predilections — that the plan looked as if it might manifest. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act even appropriated $40 million for the project.
The Garden of Heroes has remained largely in the background while preservationists focused on the demolition of the White House East Wing and the construction of a massive ballroom in its place, as well as the botched painting of the Reflecting Pool, and, of course, the gigantic triumphal arch.
But Monday’s NPS meeting about plans for West Potomac Park rang alarm bells for some when Judy Chesser, chair of the nonprofit conservation and preservation group the Committee of 100 on the Federal City, asked, “How does this relate to the Garden of Heroes that is being discussed in West Potomac?” to which the NPS spokesperson replied, “This is just an update to the tidal basin master plan we started before. This is not the Garden of Heroes.”
However, the Washington, D.C.-based education and advocacy organization Cultural Landscape Foundation noted that the rendering in NPS’ presentation and the illustrated “Pledge Agreement” from the National Garden of American Heroes Foundation contain similarities that “go way beyond coincidental.”
“Each includes a great lawn, a giant oval/circle, an amphitheater, a fountain, and a staircase to the Potomac River,” Charles A. Birnbaum, founding president and chief executive of the foundation, wrote in an email.
“In addition, the new design shown Monday amputates part of the FDR Memorial to accommodate the Oval. This is intentional. Clearly the Oval is meant to host something else or it would be re-scaled so as not to interfere with the FDR Memorial,” the email continued.
In that instance lawyers repeatedly said there were no plans to renovate the golf course (thus preventing U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes from issuing an injunction against said renovations), only to chop down hundreds of trees on the course with no notice over a holiday weekend. Reyes was irate and sources familiar with the feud say that the judge expects the case to go all the way to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, as of 2 p.m. PDT, Thursday, opponents of Trump’s arch have filed a motion for an injunction on the possible Nov. 5 construction, arguing that Congress needs to approve any plan moving forward. This head-snapping whirlwind of motions and counter motions is expected by critics to continue to be the norm as Trump tries to push through as many of his D.C.-based renovations as possible before a new Congress is seated in January.
“What better way to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary than to shut down the legally required review process, ignore some 100,000 negative public comments, and fast track the construction of a bloated and deeply unpopular monument that the president claims is for him,” wrote the Landscape Foundation’s Birnbaum in a statement about the arch.
I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt pitching preservationists for my personal garden of heroes. This is your arts and culture news for the week.
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The week ahead: A curated calendar
FRIDAY
American Sound Takes Flight MUSE/IQUE explores the nation’s music from Aaron Copland to Paul Simon in a concert setting infused with storytelling and cultural context. Featuring Brandon Victor Dixon, Liv Redpath and the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra, led by Artistic and Music Director Rachael Worby. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
Bach to Broadway The 31st annual concert, featuring Pueri Cantores SGV, the St. Andrew School Choir, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and members of the L.A. Opera and L.A. Master Chorale benefits the restoration of historic St. Andrew Church. 7:30 p.m. St. Andrew Church, 311 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. saintandrewpasadena.org
Ballet Festival: Jerome Robbins at the Ahmanson Theatre
(Steven Pisano / The Joyce Theater Foundation)
Ballet Festival: Jerome Robbins Three programs of the choreographer’s masterworks, curated by New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck, with dancers from New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and other major companies performing to live chamber music 7:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. musiccenter.org
Andrew Bird The acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and songwriter joins with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to mark the 20th anniversary of his album, “The Mysterious Production of Eggs,” with orchestral arrangements, plus popular songs from his catalog. 8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
Aymeric Hainaux and François Chaignaud The musician and choreographer team up for “Mirlitons,” a marathon vocal and dance duet. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Nimoy, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu
Museum on Haunted Hill: A Celebration of Vincent Price The institution pays homage to its original patron, the noted actor, art collector, advocate and historian, with an evening of after-hours access to exhibitions, casual screenings of classic Price films, drinks and snacks, music, a photo booth and haunted decor. 5-8 p.m. Vincent Price Art Museum, East Los Angeles College, 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park. vpam.org
PLAY: A Play EmIly Mast’s unscripted conceptual performance features six players, guided by a coach, working against a clock and an evolving set of rules to examine “the invisible systems that govern power, behavior and care.” With Hugo Armstrong, Gregory Barnett, Chu-Hsuan Chang, Jessica Emmanuel, Jessica Hemingway, Aramazd Stepanian and Maxwell Transue. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N. Central Ave., Little Tokyo. moca.org
Sinners: Sounds That Summon This exhibition examines the standout Club Juke scene in Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning 2025 film focusing on the guitar played by the character Sammie Moore (Miles Caton), costumes, objects and archival material. Through March 14, 2027. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park. caamuseum.org
SATURDAY
Grand Ave Arts: All Access Tenth annual celebration of L.A. downtown cultural corridor with free exhibitions, tours, performances, family-friendly activities and more from participating organizations including the Broad, Center Theatre Group, Colburn School, Classical California, Dataland, Gloria Molina Grand Park, Grand Performances, L.A. Opera, L.A. Phil, Los Angeles Central Library, Metro Art, MOCA, the Music Center and REDCAT. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Grand Ave., between Temple and 6th Streets, downtown L.A. grandavearts.org
Kabuki in Motion: The Lion Returns U.S. Kabuki Ken Kyu Kai presents this program of kabuki dance, Nihon buyō (Japanese classical dance), and live koto and shamisen music featuring artists from Japan and California. 4:30 p.m. The Huntington, Rothenberg Hall, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. huntington.org
Picasso Ceramics From the Rosenbaum Collection The exhibition presents 63 original prints and limited-edition ceramics, including vessels, plates, pitchers and sculptural forms created by the artist after 1947. Through Feb. 28, 2027. Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. bowers.org
SUNDAY
Lucile Dollat The French organist performs music from the 16th century to the present. 7:30 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
TUESDAY
Jason Moran Presents Duke Ellington: My Heart Sings The pianist and composer performs with members of the Pacific Symphony to engage with Ellington’s work through a contemporary frame. 8 p.m. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org
The Music Man Meredith Willson’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy brings smooth-talking con man Harold Hill to River City, where his schemes are curtailed when he falls for Marian, the local librarian. Through Nov. 8. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. centertheatregroup.org
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal with Rafael Payare The Canadian ensemble and its charismatic Venezuelan conductor (who also leads the San Diego Symphony) perform Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93,” plus Felix Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64” with Leonidas Kavakos. 8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
The 39 Steps Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 spy thriller (itself an adaptation of a novel by John Buchan) about an ordinary man entangled in international intrigue. Directed by Hunter Foster. Through Nov. 22. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. lagunaplayhouse.com
The Who’s Tommy The band’s 1969 rock opera featuring “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Sensation” and, of course, “Pinball Wizard,” is transformed into a Broadway musical by composer Pete Townshend and original director Des McAnuff. Through Nov. 15. Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. broadwayinhollywood.com
WEDNESDAY
Nedra Ryan Taylor and Sarah Scott Davis in the play “Confederates.”
(Davis Northern)
Confederates Institutional racism, as experienced in two different eras by Black women, is the subject of Dominique Morisseau’s 2022 dramatic comedy. Best known for her three-play cycle “The Detroit Project” as well as the book for the musical about the Temptations “Ain’t Too Proud,” Morisseau juxtaposes the plight of an enslaved rebel and Union spy during the Civil War with that of a contemporary political science professor facing a threatening work environment. Fountain Artistic Director Raymond O. Caldwell directs this sharp-eyed satire examining an unbroken thread of racial and gender bias in American history. (Charles McNulty) Previews, 8 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, play runs through Dec. 13. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave. fountaintheatre.com
THURSDAY
Seasons of America With Teddy Abrams & Ray Chen The world premiere of Abrams’ L.A. Phil commission, written especially for violinist Chen, along with Julia Perry’s “A Short Piece for Orchestra.” Charles Ives’ “Three Places in New England, S. 7” and George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.” 8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.laphil.com
Sasha Velour: Travesty The Season 9 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performs a new solo work that spans queer history through lip-sync performances embodying various personas including a witch burned in a field, a clown who builds a theater and patrons of an underground gay bar. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Oct. 30. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
The SoCal scene
Katie Folger gets ready at her home before her performance of “Getting in Bed With the Pizza Man” at the Elysian Theater.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
ICYMI, the best of this week’s L.A. Times arts coverage:
A marble torso sculpted during the early Roman Empire set a new world record for ancient classical sculpture at auction earlier this week when it sold at Sotheby’s New York for $34.3 million. That was almost three times more than its pre-sale estimate of between $8 million and $12 million.
In late August, United States President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on certain beef tariffs, making beef cheaper to import, particularly from Brazil.
That decision was framed as a way to bring down prices for consumers, but it landed as a betrayal for many US ranchers, who were getting ready to take their cattle to market.
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It is too soon to tell how the decision will ultimately affect grocery prices, but the impact on ranchers was immediate: prices at cattle auctions plummeted, temporarily lowering ranchers’ profits. The United States Cattlemen’s Association, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Farm Bureau, all member organisations that represent ranchers, opposed the decision.
Rural Republican members of Congress also distanced themselves, but it is not yet clear how ranchers will vote in the midterms — or whether those votes will decide races.
Chad Basinger, a rancher in Pretty Prairie, Kansas, is sceptical that the imports will have a significant impact.
“I know there’s people that have said, ‘Well I’m just gonna vote for the other party’ or ‘I’m not gonna vote’ or ‘This administration’s really let me down’. So yes, there will be people that swing the other way in the midterms. But overall I don’t think it’ll be that much,” Basinger said.
Ranchers will also be weighing the administration’s other actions, Basinger said, such as the $8bn in farm relief announced in Kansas on October 19.
Basinger’s House of Representatives district in Kansas is expected to remain safely Republican in the midterms. But Kansas faces an unexpectedly tight Senate race and ranchers in House districts elsewhere may find themselves closer to the political fray: potential swing districts in Montana, Iowa, Texas and Colorado are all in cattle country.
Still, it is unlikely that ranchers alone will decide elections: ranchers — along with farmers more broadly — represent a shrinking percentage of rural voters and a smaller voting bloc in practice than in the public imagination.
America’s cattle herd is near its smallest size since 1951 and the number of ranchers has declined alongside the number of livestock. Observers worry that ongoing uncertainty fuelled by tariffs, fuel prices and drought may cause the ranching population to shrink further.
David Anderson, an agricultural economist at Texas A&M University who advises ranchers, said that high prices this year should have given ranchers the confidence to invest in the future and expand their herds. Making imports cheaper, however, may have helped nudge ranchers in the opposite direction.
“It really works against the market signal to expand and produce more domestically,” Anderson said. “That got a lot of people pretty angry.”
Tariff changes add volatility
This is not the first time that Trump’s tariffs have impacted cattle supplies. Last year, the president added a 50 percent tariff on Brazil, a key trade partner for beef, raising the cost of importing Brazilian lean beef, which is often mixed with fatty US beef to make hamburger patties, a staple in most homes.
In February, Trump allowed more tariff-free beef imports from Argentina. In August, he did the same for Brazil and Paraguay.
Both tariff changes led to swift price swings in cattle futures markets, which are often volatile in response to the news cycle.
Cattle prices also moved this year in response to more fundamental drivers of supply and demand: plant closures by meatpackers, labour shortages late last month related to ICE actions at Kansas packing plants, the second-largest in the country, and the reopening of the southern border after a closure due to New World screwworm disease.
Big picture, the shrinking US cattle herd has less to do with short-term price changes and more to do with drought cycles, which are growing more intense as warming temperatures increase evaporation.
Still, tariff changes add uncertainty. “This has been a hot topic for the last six weeks,” said Anderson. “It just adds a little more uncertainty or volatility — or worries or stress.”
This year, extra price volatility as many ranchers prepared to sell meant ranchers faced lower profits and more risk.
Basinger says that for many established ranchers, the tariff announcement was frustrating, but not existential.
“People are upset. They have a right to be upset. But they’re not going to change their strategy,” he said. For most ranchers, Basinger said, the imports would not be the biggest factor shaping decisions about their herds this year.
Where price volatility may matter more, Basinger said, is for the next generation. Most of today’s ranchers are eyeing retirement. Their heirs must decide whether to make a go of ranching or sell their family’s land. Other aspiring ranchers are also watching the industry.
“If you’re seeing your dad not make money, or somebody else not make money…it’s not easy work!” Basinger said. “It has to be very enticing for somebody to want to jump in and be like, ‘I’m gonna be a rancher and go break ice in the middle of winter when it’s cold and I could be inside’.”
Record revenue and record costs
This year, low US cattle supplies meant that ranchers commanded record-high cattle prices, despite added imports and other market shifts.
But high revenue doesn’t always mean huge profits: Many ranchers operate at a loss for years in a row. Then, they rely on a few good years to pay down debts or expand their herds.
This year, profits were lower than hoped, because ranchers also faced high costs.
Interest rates on loans are high and the war with Iran meant ranchers paid extra for fuel and fertiliser. A drought across much of America’s ranchland meant they paid more for feed.
In states such as Kansas and Nebraska, ranchers also faced destructive wildfires and aid groups like Farm Rescue coordinated hay donations.
Still, Basinger said, ranchers who raise cows and calves generally did well this year. In Kansas, he is seeing ranchers use profits to make repairs and upgrades. He said this year’s high cattle prices have been helping. “But it needs to help for a little longer to give them more of an edge,” he said.
More of an edge might mean, for example, enough money for bigger purchases, like buying land from a neighbouring ranch to make room for a growing herd.
Rangeland, however, is increasingly expensive. When it is up for sale, outside investors can often pay more than ranchers, which can mean less land for cattle. That’s just one more pressure shrinking the US herd decade after decade.
Ranchers had hoped that 2026 would be a turnaround year. So far, however, “we really don’t have much evidence of herd expansion,” Anderson said.
More than 2,000 Palestinians have been forced from their homes in Hebron as Israel’s lockdown of the occupied West Bank stretches beyond 50 hours, with the sweeping military operation unfolding just days before Israel’s elections.
Al Jazeera’s Nour Hegazy has the latest.
MOLLY-MAE Hague shared an emotional video about ‘blocking out’ the first months after daughter Bambi’s birth.
The former Love Islander, 27, became a mum for the first time when she gave birth to her baby girl on January 23 2023.
Molly-Mae Hague admitted that she’s ‘blocked out’ her postpartum experience with Bambi (pictured with son Midas)Credit: TiktokThe YouTuber shared a video of her from when she was postpartum after Bambi’s birth (pictured)Credit: Tiktok
Molly-Mae and fiance Tommy, also 27, welcomed their second child, son Midas, into the world back in June.
The new mum has been very honest with fans and shared the ups and downs of motherhood on social media over the years.
Molly-Mae is proud mum to Bambi and MidasCredit: Instagram/@mollymaeMolly-Mae pictured with Tommy and their kids Bambi and MidasCredit: Instagram
The video started with star giving Midas a kiss on the cheek, followed by a clip of a younger Molly-Mae bottle feeding Bambi on the sofa in her pyjamas.
Molly-Mae told fans: “For the mums who need to know that no two postpartums have to look the same.
“I didn’t realised how much of my first postpartum I’d blocked out until having Midas and realising I could barely answer questions about it.”
Fans rushed to the comments section to share the love.
One said: “You’re doing absolutely amazing.”
Another wrote: “The best mummy.”
“This makes me cry, well done mama,” a third chimed in.
A fourth added: “The difference is unbelievable, you should be so proud of yourself Molly. You’re a true inspiration.”
A fifth said: “I love that you’re showing the raw and real side of becoming a mummy.”
Molly and fiance Tommy shot to fame on Love Island in 2019.
The pair placed second on the series and moved in together after returning to the UK.
Israeli soldiers beat and injured Hijazi Shawer, a 70-year-old Palestinian shopkeeper and community leader, during a raid in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank. The assault comes amid house-to-house searches and the forced displacement of more than 2,000 people.
RHIAN Sugden looked utterly sensational in her latest Instagram snaps, combining sexiness and sequins.
The former glamour model, 40, stripped down to a barely-there set of purple lingerie and posed up a storm for the camera.
Rhian Sugden stunned in sequinsCredit: Instagram/@rhiansuggersThe star stripped down to purple lingerie and a sparkly jacketCredit: Instagram/@rhiansuggers
Rhian looked over her shoulder in the set, which featured hot pink straps and a thong-style panty.
Her brunette hair fell beautifully down her back in soft waves, with her face framing pieces drawing attention to her pink pout.
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The star finished the look off with a sparkly silver sequin bolero shrugged off down to her elbows.
Fans of Rhian’s gushed all about her beauty in the post’s comments section.
It comes shortly after Rhian opened up about her marriage being under strainCredit: instagramHaving a baby has had an impact on Rhian’s relarionshipCredit: Collect
Jordan’s prime minister represents king at funeral for eight of the church attack victims as hunt for gunmen continues.
Published On 25 Oct 202625 Oct 2026
Thousands of mourners have gathered for the funerals of eight of the victims of a deadly attack on a church in southern Jordan, with Prime Minister Jafar Hassan also in attendance.
The burials on Sunday were beside St George’s Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud, southwest of the capital, Amman, two days after attackers opened fire during another funeral there.
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Nine people were killed and dozens wounded in a rare attack on Jordan’s Christian minority, prompting three days of national mourning.
The ninth victim, Mohammed al-Qasous, is due to be buried on Monday, his family told the AFP news agency.
Coffins wrapped in Jordanian flags were carried through crowds gathered around the church in Karak province, as priests led prayers and security personnel stood guard.
Prime Minister Hassan attended the service alongside government ministers and senior military and civilian officials, according to Jordan’s state news agency, Petra.
Thousands of citizens also participated in the funeral procession, Petra said.
Among those caught in Friday’s shooting was Sahar al-Halsa, who told the Reuters news agency from her nearby home that she sheltered behind a pillar as gunfire erupted and people screamed.
When she rushed outside, she found her cousin Assem lying wounded.
“Assem, Assem, my darling, answer me,” she recalled calling to him. He briefly opened his eyes before dying, she said.
Father Yohanna Hamati told AFP that about 170 to 200 people were at the church for Friday’s funeral when firing began outside.
The mourners initially struggled to understand what was happening, he said, before people began rushing into the church to escape.
By Saturday, bullet holes remained in the walls and wooden pews, and windows had been shattered.
Church workers were cleaning away blood as villagers prepared to bury the dead. Jordanian authorities have described the attack as “extremist terrorism”.
King Abdullah, who visited some of the wounded in hospital on Friday, has promised a forceful response and the assailants are still being sought.
Officials say they have not established whether the attackers were connected to an armed group and no organisation has claimed responsibility.
The violence has also drawn expressions of solidarity across religious lines. Christians account for about 3 percent of Jordan’s largely Muslim population and AFP reported that Muslims were among those wounded.
Young volunteers visited a hospital in Karak with flowers and a message reading, “Our loss is one”.
The mourning reached Washington, DC, on Sunday, where members of the Jordanian community lit candles outside their country’s embassy.
Jordan’s ambassador to the US, Dina Kawar, told those gathered that efforts to stir religious division were “bound to fail”. Back in Hamoud, Father Hamati appealed for unity, stressing that Muslims had also suffered in the attack.
“We make no distinction between Muslim and Christian,” he told AFP.
Instead of running for office themselves, student-led assemblies at the country’s university faculties have chosen 250 candidates to stand in the parliamentary election, with Ilija Srdanović, professor at Novi Sad University, heading the list.
The Student List of candidates for parliament also includes doctors, actors, academics and sports personalities
“These are people that don’t know each other, you have no idea what their political beliefs are, and we now expect them to create a functioning government. So it’s anybody’s guess what happens after they win,” Korać says.
“On the other hand, if Vučić declares victory this evening, probably late in the evening, I don’t think the students will accept that.”
Korać suggests that many former Vučić loyalists in high office could change sides at the last moment, if the students win. A close result, however, with both sides claiming victory, could result in weeks or months of political instability.
The electorate is 6.45 million in a population of 6.53 million, raising concerns about the reliability of the electoral register. Serbs from Kosovo, and dual Serbian citizens from neighbouring Bosnia also have the right to vote.
SCARLETTE Douglas has revealed she’s expecting her first child with her fitness instructor fiancé Kyle Murray.
The A Place In The Sun host, 39, took to Instagram on Sunday afternoon to share the sweet news – alongside a picture of her blossoming bump.
Scarlette Douglas is expecting her first child, she revealed in a sweet post on SundayCredit: kylexscar/instagramScarlette began dating her fiance Kyle early last year, with the couple meeting at one of his fitness classesCredit: Instagram/@missscardoug
The TV personality – who froze her eggs back in 2024 – shared a snap of herself and Kyle in front of a balloon arch and teddy bear display which read: ‘We can Bearly wait’.
In the snap, Scarlette donned a crop top to show off her bump, which Kyle cradled from behind.
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Scarlette wrote underneath the post: “The exciting news is finally here!
“We’re over the moon to announce… We’re having a baby!!!!!!”
Scarlette attended The Baby Show exhibition this weekendCredit: SplashThe couple ensured to get their practice in at the eventCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
The star’s celeb pals flocked to the comments to share their congratulations – with Frankie Essex writing: “Yayyyyyyuuu love it!! Congratulations ❤️❤️❤️❤️”.
Scarlette did not share in the post how far along in the pregnancy she is, or whether the couple know the gender of their little one.
When Altayeb Alhadi was just six years old, his father died after a well collapsed in his village in White Nile state, south-central Sudan. Two months later, and his mother also died, leaving the five children in the family as orphans. As the eldest of the siblings, it was Altayeb’s responsibility to find work and help the family survive.
At 14, he travelled hundreds of kilometres from his home in Galli village to seek work in the north, where gold mines dot the landscape, so he could feed his siblings and keep them in school.
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“We warned him about the dangers, but he was ambitious. Some relatives were already working in the area although they had found jobs in restaurants and other services rather than underground extraction,” Ayateb’s uncle Alhadi Hamid told Al Jazeera.
The boy initially worked in transport and other jobs, but when he heard lucrative stories from miners in the area, he began to search for gold in the surrounding mountains.
Altayeb died in an air strike attributed to the Egyptian military at a gold-mining site near Jabal Al-Aigdat in Sudan’s Red Sea region on October 10, which killed at least 72 miners, a few months after he began working at the site.
“It was less than 30 minutes since we separated, and he said he was going to the mine. We suddenly heard a loud sound of bombardment, and we ran. It was too chaotic with people running in all directions and many attacks taking place within a few minutes,” a fellow miner told Al Jazeera, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We found Altayeb with his hand and leg [blown off] and a severe injury to his abdomen [which] was open. We tried to help him and took him to a safer place near a mountain. We were terrified. He died within hours. … We couldn’t believe how quickly things could happen.”
Dalago market in northern Sudan close to gold mines [FILE: Mojahid Satti/Al Jazeera]
Altayeb worked alongside about 15 young men and children, using basic tools to extract gold from the rocks. The miners worked night and day, taking the material they gathered to nearby mills for processing.
Proceeds from any gold found were shared, but earnings depended on the amount of gold recovered and individual agreements. On productive days, the group could earn more than $100, the miner said.
“We used to dig for two to three weeks until we found a gram or less. If the gold percentage in the well wasn’t good, we would change locations. When we found a gram or less, we sold it and shared the profit, which was about $100,” Altayeb’s former colleague said.
For young people supporting relatives, even irregular earnings in these dangerous gold mines can seem preferable to unemployment.
Altayeb told his siblings 10 days before his death that he would soon return home, his sister Rogaia Alhadi told local media.
Friends told the family that Altayeb visited them at a restaurant near the mining site on the morning of the attack, his uncle said. They shared a cup of tea before heading towards the mine for the final time. Minutes later, the air strike hit the area.
An artisanal miner breaking stones to extract gold, Dalago market [FILE: Mojahid Satti/Al Jazeera]
Authorities in Egypt have accused Sudanese miners of crossing its border and reportedly linked some to gold smuggling, drugs and human trafficking. The Sudanese side did not respond to these allegations.
Since a civil war between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group broke out in 2023, the economy has tanked and forced thousands with no other source of income to find work in the artisanal gold mines of northern Sudan.
This can vary from independent prospecting to working in investor-owned pits for a share of the proceeds. Earnings depend on the amount of gold found, equipment and fuel costs, and profit percentages agreed with financiers.
Although some miners strike gold, they still face an array of dangers, ranging from collapsing shafts and unstable ground to air strikes. Limited medical care makes mining, particularly in remote areas, especially hazardous.
Living conditions are also extremely hard. Mohamed Awadalkarim, who was a miner in River Nile state for 10 years, said workers often shelter in makeshift huts made from burlap sacks and plastic sheeting. Their diet consists mainly of lentils and sorghum porridge.
But for families without reliable incomes, mining offers a possible source of immediate earnings. Miners may spend hours searching for gold and not find enough to cover their expenses. Others share proceeds with investors or equipment owners, leaving them with limited money left.
Artisanal and small-scale mining accounted for 53.71 tonnes, or about 83 per cent, of Sudan’s declared gold production in 2024, but this was just in areas under government control, according to research by the Chatham House think tank. About one million people were involved in artisanal mining across Sudan’s 18 states, generating $1bn annually for the country.
An artisanal miner burning gold in Dalago Market, Sudan [FILE: Mojahid Satti/Al Jazeera]
Artisanal mines, while generally viewed as being outside the main war-funding networks, have still been exposed to violence.
On June 16, several people were reportedly killed and injured in attacks on mining sites near the Egyptian border, according to local sources and miners.
The repeated air strikes near Sudan’s border with Egypt have raised concerns about civilian protection, territorial sovereignty and accountability.
Egyptian authorities have accused Sudanese prospectors of crossing the border to mine near a concession managed by an Egyptian company, but there is little independent evidence to back these claims.
Sudanese military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan reportedly ordered a fact-finding committee involving prosecutors, judicial representatives and security agencies to investigate the attack. Findings from an inquiry into a similar incident announced in June have not been made public.
Altayeb paid the highest price in this regional conflict and the hunt for gold, which provides huge profits for some and meagre incomes for many.
Altayeb’s siblings are now living with their extended family, including uncles, aunts and cousins. People who know them are trying to help his brothers and sisters and are carrying out community initiatives in Galli to keep his memory alive.
“We will raise the children and care for them as he would have wanted. He was young, caring and brave, and he will always be remembered,” Altayeb said.
Shaun Wright-Phillips on Instagram: “Last night was a challenge, but as always, we dance, we smile, and we keep going! Thank you to all those who voted and supported as always 🙌🏾🕺🏾 #strictly”
5,020 likes, 64 comments – shaunwp98 on October 25, 2026: “Last night was a challenge, but as always, we dance, we smile, and we keep going! Thank you to all those who voted and supported as always 🙌🏾🕺🏾 #strictly”.
Officers baton-charge demonstrators in overnight operation as activists demand government action on soaring rents and home shortages.
Published On 25 Oct 202625 Oct 2026
Police in Portugal have cleared a camp in central Lisbon set up to protest against the country’s deepening housing crisis, baton-charging demonstrators and making 25 arrests.
Dozens of officers, some with police dogs, moved in on the camp in Rossio Square shortly after 2am (02:00 GMT) on Sunday.
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They had warned protesters that their tents would be dismantled if they were not removed, threatening disobedience charges for those who resisted.
Protesters had pitched more than 100 tents after Saturday’s protest march by thousands along one of Lisbon’s main avenues.
A smaller camp of about 50 tents was also dismantled in Porto’s Praca D Joao I public square, where police made six arrests.
Police said the operation was “proportionate” and that the 25 people arrested in Lisbon were later released and are due in court on Monday.
While police reported seven minor injuries among officers and protesters in the two operations, the activist group Casa para Viver (Homes to Live) said 60 people were hurt and called for a fresh protest outside parliament on Tuesday.
“Choosing the early hours of the morning to unleash dogs and baton-charge peaceful protesters is a political decision. It shows this government would rather repress those denouncing the housing crisis than address it,” the group said.
Home affordability crises
Portugal is grappling with one of Europe’s most acute home affordability crises, as prices have more than doubled since 2017 while rents for new leases have nearly doubled, with young people among the hardest hit.
Protesters say soaring rents and higher living costs are squeezing households and turning housing into a growing source of discontent.
The Bank of Portugal estimates a shortfall of 300,000 homes nationwide, equivalent to Lisbon’s entire housing stock.
The protesters are demanding that the government scrap a bill to make evictions easier and end rent caps on new leases, which passed a first parliamentary reading, although the far-right Chega party abstained.
The protests in Portugal echo recent demonstrations in Spain over home shortages and surging rents.
There have also been protests in cities including Paris, where small student demonstrations over school conditions broadened into wider protests against government economic policies.
The victory helped the Kazakh take a big step towards securing the year-end number one ranking.
Published On 25 Oct 202625 Oct 2026
Elena Rybakina blazed past unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-2 in the Ningbo Open final to retain her title and lift her first trophy as the world number one ahead of the WTA Finals next month.
The victory on Sunday also helped the Kazakh take a big step towards securing the year-end number one ranking, further burnishing a spectacular season in which she won the Australian Open title before adding the US Open crown to reach the summit.
Top seed Rybakina made the breakthrough with her trademark power in the fifth game and then unleashed a searing crosscourt backhand winner to go 4-2 up, before the 27-year-old wrapped up the opening set in only 38 minutes.
World number 30 Fernandez made a bright start to the next set but Rybakina absorbed the pressure and raised her level to force an error and break for 2-1, with the three-time Grand Slam champion breezing to victory from there.
Rybakina’s latest triumph is a timely lift after setbacks in Beijing and Wuhan, as she turns her attention to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week before launching her title defence at the season finale in Indian Wells from November 8.
PRINCESS Andre may be a household name here in the UK, but the aspiring beauty mogul is set to conquer the US next year.
Insiders tell us she is taking her cosmetics brand By Princess to the States in a bid to give Kylie Jenner a run for her money.
Princess Andre is said to be setting her sights on the US in a bid to go global with her fameCredit: SplashThe star is working on her own cosmetics line, By PrincessCredit: Instagram
And a source close to Princess’s camp says has big aspirations for the brand, as they share: “Princess is a smart cookie and her goal is global domination, make no mistake about it.
“She is going to America next summer, that’s already planned and she will be spending a fair bit of time over there. It’s a big country and takes real commitment and time to crack, but Princess isn’t afraid of hard work and it’s always been her dream to break America.
We’re told Princess is hoping to become the ‘British Kylie Jenner’Credit: Instagram/KylieJennerIt comes as she recently filmed for Celebrity Race Across The World with her brother Junior AndreCredit: PA
“The blueprint for her and her team is to make her Britain’s answer to Kylie Jenner, and she is laser focused on making that a reality. The plan is to go over there in 2027 to do some media appearances and meet beauty retailers, and then launch her range in US stores the following year.”
And she has a secret weapon in her arsenal.
Our source explains: “She has a powerhouse team behind her as the company making her products are the same team behind Made By Mitchell, the massively successful brand launched by make up artist Mitchell Halliday.
“Made By Mitchell recently broke America and is now stocked in Ulta Beauty, the largest speciality beauty retailer in America, so the team behind that will hopefully help Princess follow in the same footsteps in the US as they have so many connections over there.
Our mole adds: “It’s a notoriously tricky market to crack but Princess has taken her time and worked on this brand for two years. Her goal was always great products at affordable prices, and there is a real gap in the market for that, both here and Stateside.”
The Sun understands that America has already come calling for Princess, and she was recently offered a huge US show.
Our insider reveals: “Princess was approached to appear on a massive American TV show recently, but she turned it down. It wasn’t because it wasn’t an amazing opportunity, it’s more that it’s all about the timing and the timing wasn’t quite right at the moment. It might be the right move for her in a year or two though, so watch this space.”
Princess has the support of her singer dad Peter Andre, who has previously appeared on her ITV showCredit: InstagramWhilst she is also getting tips from glamour model mum Katie PriceCredit: Getty
The source adds that the programme was not Love Island USA or the upcoming US version I’m A Celebrity.
“It’s not the kind of show people would expect,” they teased.
Sources tell us the products will soon launch in high street store Boots too.
“Getting into Boots is huge,” spills our insider. “It’s the biggest beauty retailer in Britain and they don’t just take any celebrity beauty range, so it’s a huge coup for Princess and her team and will take the brand to the next level.”
And while it has not been officially announced yet, we understand she has also scored another series of The Princess Diaries.
“Cameras were following Princess on the red carpet at the Pride of Britain awards earlier this week, and they were shooting scenes for the next series,” our insider confirms. “It’s been a massive success for ITV and ITVX, so it’s no surprise they want more.”
The fashion world is also snapping at Princess’s heels and she wore her first couture dress to Pride of Britain earlier this week, being dressed by designer Tabja.
“Couture houses are taking note of Princess and want to dress her,” says a source close to the young mogul. “She was voted second best dressed teenager last year by Tatler magazine and that really made fashion circles sit up and take notice.”
The Sun has approached a rep for Princess for comment.
Vote to send forces comes after a recent defence pact between two neighbouring countries.
Published On 25 Oct 202625 Oct 2026
The upper house of Algeria’s parliament has unanimously approved the deployment of troops to neighbouring Niger.
The Algerian constitution empowers the president to send military units abroad, provided that both chambers of parliament approve it by a two-thirds majority.
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The Council of the Nation held an emergency session on Sunday to vote on troop deployment, while the People’s National Assembly, or the lower house, is expected to hold a separate session later in the evening, Algeria’s popular newspaper El Khabar reported. If the deployment is approved, it would be the first mission outside Algeria’s borders since the 1973 War between Israel and several Arab countries, known to Arabs as the October War and Israelis as the Yom Kippur War.
The military units to be deployed by Algeria are expected to be tasked with securing oil facilities in Niger.
The vote came after a visit by Niger’s Defence Minister General Salifou Modi to Algeria last week, where he held talks with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Chief of Staff of the People’s National Army General Said Chanegriha.
During that visit, the two sides signed a military cooperation protocol, the details of which were not made public.
Earlier this month, Tebboune confirmed that Algeria sent fighter jets to Niger in late August to help thwart a “coup attempt” that shook the capital, Niamey.
The Algerian Ministry of Defence previously said it had sent four jets to Niger following the unrest. It said two patrols of four Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft had landed at Niamey airport, accompanied by an air-to-air refuelling plane.
The warplanes were deployed at the request of Nigerien authorities on “a mission to support the Nigerien army in confronting an attempt to destabilise the brotherly state of Niger”, the ministry said on August 30.
Relations between Algeria and Niger have witnessed a significant rapprochement over the past few months on political, diplomatic, military and economic levels, following a period of tension between the two countries.
The prime minister says he would welcome an “honest discussion” about the prospect of returning to free movement between the UK and European Union.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Andy Burnham said a new relationship with Brussels could include full EU membership or joining the single market, requiring free movement.
Asked about Burnham’s remarks, Angela Rayner told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg “you can’t take anything off the table”, adding the prime minister was saying “we’ve got to be pragmatic to get the best deal for Britain and he wants to have the conversation.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch responded that the prime minister “hasn’t thought this through”, while Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick dismissed the idea as “mad”.
Migration dominated debate during the 2016 Brexit campaign, with the Leave campaign raising issues about rules allowing any EU citizen to move to the UK.
Burnham has previously committed to Labour’s 2024 election manifesto which ruled out a return of free movement, single market membership or a customs union.
He has said that any changes would require a mandate at a general election, would is due by 2029.
“I think you have to have a very factual, quite evidence-based debate about this,” he told the Sunday Times, external, adding he believed the type of migration had changed from revolving door movement of young people.
“Revolving door migration where people would come and then go back is different,” he said. “The balance of migration has changed, hasn’t it, since then? I think we’ve just got to have an honest discussion about those things.”
But he stressed: “I can’t see myself ever recommending anything that would involve joining the euro or Schengen.”
The Schengen Agreement allows passport-free travel across EU countries. The UK was able to keep the pound when it was an EU member, but the bloc has pushed new members to adopt the Euro.
His remarks were made ahead of an EU summit on 20 November in Brussels, where the prime minister is expected to pitch options for a reset of relations with the bloc.
On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Rayner said she wanted to see the best possible deal with the European Union, which may well involve concessions.
“What the prime minister is saying now, and what I want, is that we have an honest conversation about the facts of what the trade-offs are to get the best deal for Britain going forward,” she said.
“The frustration for me in the previous debate we had when we had the referendum is that a lot of those facts didn’t get the airtime… So I would like us to have an honest conversation about what the trade-offs could be and then put that to the people at a general election.”
Writing on X, Badenoch dismissed it as “yet another example of Burnham’s foot in mouth syndrome”.
She added: “Most people who voted for Brexit did so because they didn’t want free movement. Too many politicians have failed to understand the significance and impact of immigration on communities.”
Conservative MP and former chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who backed Remain, warned the Brexit debate was “incredibly divisive” and insisted the current Brexit deal can still be made to work.
“I was at the top of a government that was paralysed for several years while we were trying to wrestle with the implications of that vote and I think, having made the decision, we should stick with it and make the most of it – I think we can make it a success,” he told Kuenssberg.
Pointing to the one million young people not in work or training, he added: “Surely our priority in that situation is to get those jobs filled by the young people we have here instead of parking them on welfare.
“Which is why I think it’s astonishing to lead on the issue of free movement… Something that is actually going to stop young people here getting jobs.”
But Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper told Kuenssberg she believed allowing freedom of movement would be “a really good thing for growth” and pushed for the UK to rejoin the single market, the customs union, and also be involved in the bloc’s defence pact.
The UK currently has “the worst of both worlds” on immigration, she said, as it was excluded from the EU’s “new asylum pact with biometric data” that could be used to “tackle the small boats crisis”.
Reform UK’s economy spokesperson Robert Jenrick told Kuenssberg he had never believed freedom of movement “was a good thing”, despite supporting the Remain position before the 2016 referendum when he was a Conservative MP.
“I think it’s completely mad, the idea that this country needs more immigration,” he said, claiming data shows mass migration “has been a disaster for working people, for Brits”.
“The last thing they want is their wages being undercut by a load of low wage, low-skilled migrants from overseas,” he added.
A NINETIES chart-topper has revealed she has undergone further surgery to ease pain caused by breast cancer treatment.
The singer, 55, whose catchy debut single topped the UK charts in 1994, told fans she was recovering in bed ahead of her next gig.
Whigfield has undergone surgery to ease pain caused by her breast cancer treatmentCredit: Instagram/whigfieldThe singer is resting ahead of her return to the stageCredit: Instagram / @whigfield
Whigfield, whose real name is Sannie Carlson, shared the hospital update on Instagram.
She wrote: “Last Wednesday I underwent a second surgery to fix pain in my breast caused by scar tissue from breast cancer operations and radiation therapy years back.
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“I’m now on bed rest so I can heal quickly for my next gig.”
She tagged the 90s Supershow, where she is due to perform in Germany in early November.
Whigfield shot to fame with her 1994 Number One hit Saturday NightCredit: Getty – ContributorThe Danish star became a familiar face on the Nineties pop sceneCredit: Rex
The star signed off with “Happy Saturday night” — a nod to the song that made her famous.
Reflecting on her diagnosis in an earlier Instagram post, she wrote: “Fighting breast cancer was a strange thing.”
She continued: “One moment I was living my best life making new music in London, the next I was stuck in a bubble of numbness.”
The Danish singer described the operations and radiotherapy as tough, but said she drew strength from fellow patients, including children, at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital.
She also recalled that many of those being treated for the disease never left the hospital.
Whigfield, who has previously spoken about living on the outskirts of Milan, shot to fame with Saturday Night, which reached Number One in the UK in 1994.
Her other hits include Another Day and Think of You.
![Dalago market in northern Sudan close to gold mines [Mojahid Satti/Al Jazeera]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Sudan7-1792928509.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
![An artisanal miner breaking stones to extract gold, Dalago market [Mojahid Satti/Al Jazeera]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Sudan5-1792928502.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
![An artisanal miner burning gold in Dalago Market, Sudan [FILE: Mojahid Satti/Al Jazeera]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Sudan4-1792928499.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
