News Desk

Death in Paradise will see the return of a beloved detective on Monday night as the BBC airs a repeat from series 12

Ralf Little will be back on screens as DI Neville Parker on Monday night.

The repeat from series 12 of Death in Paradise gives fans another chance to watch the show’s longest-serving detective tackle a puzzling case on Saint Marie.

The episode synopsis reads: “The team investigates a survivalist commune when one of its members is poisoned inside a locked bunker. However, with CCTV footage showing that no one went in or came out while he was in there, it seems likely that he has taken his own life – or has he? Meanwhile, Neville has a series of adventurous dates with Sophie.”

Joining Ralf in the episode are Tahj Miles as Officer Marlon Pryce, Ginny Holder as Officer Darlene Curtis, and Shantol Jackson as Naomi Thomas, giving viewers a chance to catch up with more familiar faces.

Neville first joined the Saint Marie police team back in 2020, stepping into the shoes of DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon).

During his four-year stint as Detective Inspector, he weathered countless challenges, conquering his allergies and aversion to the sun, and even surviving a plot to frame him for murder, cementing his status as the island’s longest-serving investigator.

Ralf ultimately departed Death in Paradise in 2024, with his character sailing off into the sunset alongside his love interest, Florence Cassell. Both he and the show’s producers agreed that Neville’s story had reached a fitting and natural conclusion, reports the Express.

Ralf was subsequently succeeded by another outstanding actor, Don Gilet, who portrays DI Mervin Wilson. Tim Key, Executive Producer for Red Planet Pictures, commented at the time: “Joining a successful show like Death in Paradise as the lead is a daunting and risky prospect, but Ralf’s confidence and talent shone through from day one, and the audience response to Neville and his journey has been amazing.”

He added, “I can’t thank Ralf enough for everything he has brought to the show, on and off screen, and wish him all the very best for the future.”

This marks not the first occasion the BBC has broadcast a repeat of Death in Paradise. Last month saw Kris Marshall and Ardal O’Hanlon return to screens as DI Humphrey Goodman and DI Jack Mooney, respectively.

Back in September, the show’s Instagram page revealed a watch-along of series six, episodes five and six, starring Kris Marshall opposite Josephine Jobert as DS Florence Cassell.

Fans can also catch Kris in the Death in Paradise spin-off, Beyond Paradise, which unfolds in the fictional town of Shipton Abbott.

Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Bryan Mbeumo’s goal is not enough to win it for beleaguered United as Dominic Calvert-Lewin levels for Leeds.

Manchester United ended a turbulent week with a frustrating 1-1 draw at Leeds on Sunday that does little to ease the pressure on beleaguered manager Michael Carrick.

The Red Devils travelled to the Yorkshire home of their bitter rivals desperate to find a spark after just two wins in nine games in all competitions this season.

The sense of a growing crisis at the club was exacerbated in midweek by an outburst from defender Lisandro Martinez, who took aim at the United hierarchy after a 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

The Argentina centre-back said Carrick, in his first full season in charge at Old Trafford, had been left with an under-strength squad after an underwhelming summer transfer window.

The United boss insisted on Friday that the club had “moved on” from the incident and Martinez was named in the starting lineup at Elland Road.

Both teams were fully committed in a feisty start to the match in Leeds but there was little goalmouth action.

The first effort on target came in the 26th minute when United goalkeeper Senne Lammens clawed away a Nico Elvedi header destined for the top corner after bouncing up off the turf.

Bryan Mbeumo, playing as United’s target man, headed wastefully wide a minute later after a fine cross from Youri Tielemans and then shot tamely at Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford.

But he finally broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Tielemans again delivered a low ball from the right which Mbeumo guided into the bottom corner for his fourth Premier League goal of the season.

Martinez went off at half-time as Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui was brought into the action.

Leeds started strongly after the break and were level in the 51st minute when Dominic Calvert-Lewin controlled the ball on his chest and finished at full stretch after Tarik Muharemovic got his head to the ball following a corner.

The home team were now well on top, largely limiting Carrick’s team to counter-attacks.

The Man United boss made attacking substitutions in the search for a winner, bringing on Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha, but neither team could force a winner.

The point left 20-time English champions Manchester United in 13th place in the table with just one win in seven games while Leeds are seventh.

Brighton stun Crystal Palace with five-star display

Elsewhere on Sunday, Brighton leapfrogged Arsenal into second place, at least temporarily, after humbling Crystal Palace 5-0, including a sensational Diego Gomez effort from the halfway line.

Fabian Hurzeler’s team were three goals up inside 10 minutes after an own goal from Palace defender Jaydee Canvot, Gomez’s spectacular effort and a strike from Yasin Ayari.

Further goals from Charalampos Kostoulas and substitute Jack Hinshelwood in the second half deepened Palace’s pain.

The Gunners, six points behind Manchester City, are in action at Nottingham Forest in the late-afternoon kickoff.

Arsenal need a win to rein in City, who have won all seven of their league games this season.

Enzo Maresca’s men have put together their impressive run despite off-field distractions after the club was charged with multiple breaches of Premier League financial rules.

Bournemouth beat 10-man Sunderland 2-0 with goals from Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson for their first league win of the season.

Protesters have clashed with riot police in Albania’s capital, as antigovernment demonstrations escalated into violent unrest.

Demonstrations have shaken Tirana since Tuesday, with thousands of protesters calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down as they rally against poor university conditions, high tuition fees and corruption.

This week’s unrest follows months of antigovernment protests in the Balkan nation, initially prompted by a controversial resort development linked to United States President Donald Trump’s family.

Thriller fans might have just found their next obsession

Netflix viewers addicted to new mystery thriller Below should watch this ‘gripping’ drama next.

For those who have yet to tune in, Below is a fresh supernatural series that landed on the streaming platform last week, and has since climbed to the top of the most-watched chart. Starring Josh Hartnett, the drama is set in a remote town called Snook’s Arm.

When the tight-knit community is terrorised by a mysterious sea creature, a dedicated fisherman and father (Hartnett) must find a way to protect his children and fellow neighbours.

Many fans are already hunting for their next obsession after binge-watching the entire six-episode drama in a matter of days. A 2018 series titled The Terror might just be the what viewers are looking for, and it’s available to stream on NOW.

The supernatural horror series is named after Dan Simmons’ 2007 book of the same title, which also provides the story for the first season. It tells a fictionalised version of the real lost expedition of British Royal Navy Officer Captain Sir John Franklin in 1845.

After leaving England on a mission to explore uncharted waters, two ships find themselves frozen and trapped in ice. Those onboard must fight for survival all while being stalked by a mysterious entity.

A synopsis for the show reveals: “As things worsen and civilized behaviour disintegrates in favour of survival at any cost, the crew must simultaneously battle the elements, the supernatural, and eventually themselves.”

The thriller has three seasons in total, but each series takes on a different story. While the other instalments captivated some viewers, season one is better suited for fans of Below.

And it is ‘even better’ than the Netflix series, according to Rotten Tomatoes scores. The Terror has a rare 94% score, while Below has a less impressive 87% rating.

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Viewers have also shared glowing reviews for the series, with many hailing it as one of the best thrillers to come out in recent years. “One of The Top Twenty Television Shows not only this decade: but indeed this Century so-far,” shared one fan.

Someone else raved: “The show draws you in immediately. After only two episodes it’s the only thing on right now, for me, that’s a must-watch. The characters are well-written and multi-dimensional. The story is intriguing.”

A third viewer shared their own verdict, commenting: “Grim, grisly & utterly gripping,” while a fourth added: “I binge-watched Season One, couldn’t stop. Amazing performances.”

While a final fan agreed with the high praise, saying: “One of those series which will have an impact on you for ever. A masterpiece!!!”

The Terror is available to stream NOW

Protests are sweeping France as anger over conditions in schools meets frustration with high living costs and a government accused of doing little to address problems facing people.

European diplomats and officials were attacked on Saturday amid a surge in settler pogroms across the occupied West Bank in recent weeks, coinciding with olive harvest season.

The settler pogroms have escalated just weeks before Israel heads to the polls on October 27.

The European Union (EU) on Sunday condemned settler attacks on European diplomats and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. A day earlier, a veteran American journalist working for the Washington Post was also brutally attacked.

But this is not the first time Israeli settlers have assaulted foreign officials or prominent Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Here’s a timeline of some of the recent and past attacks:

October 17, 2026

Israeli settlers assaulted European diplomats, including a French mayor, near the Palestinian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank.

The delegation was visiting Palestinian olive harvesters on Saturday when the Israeli attackers confronted the group.

In Saturday’s incident, the settlers targeted Belgium’s consul general, French and Polish diplomats, and Catholic representatives, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prevot said.

“A French mayor was assaulted and a Belgian vehicle damaged,” Prevot said, linking the incident to Israel’s “illegal settlement policy” and pledging to push for further EU sanctions.

Bernard Baudoux, the French mayor who was assaulted, told the AFP news agency the attack suggests that “there is a tolerance on the part of the Israeli government” towards settler violence.

Video shared by an activist at the scene, Amit Orfali, shows Baudoux leaning against a vehicle while sitting on the dusty ground. Other clips showed young masked men knocking insistently on a driver’s side window and asking for identification, while other masked men carrying sticks advanced in the distance. Orfali said the masked men “threatened to kill us”.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Israel to arrest the “extremist settlers” who “violently assaulted” Baudoux, and bring them to justice. “They must urgently halt this criminal violence and guarantee the safety of civilian populations, as they are compelled to do under international law,” he said in a post on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has, however, appeared to question the reports of the attack on the Europeans, saying on X that they are “alleged” and require “compelling evidence”, despite acknowledging that published footage of the incident exists.

“We take positive note of statements by several Israeli representatives who condemned the attacks,” the EU said in a statement on Sunday. “But we expect full accountability as well as effective measures to prevent continued acts of violence and violent harassment against Palestinians, including during the ongoing olive harvest season, as well as against journalists.”

October 16, 2026

Palestinian farmers harvesting olives and veteran American journalist Heidi Levine, 64, who freelances for the Washington Post, were brutally attacked by settlers.

Levine fell to the ground during the assault before she was set upon, witnesses said. “We looked and saw that there was a journalist … on the ground with people surrounding her, beating her, clubbing her, robbing her, pulling her up, beating her again and kicking her,” Jasper Nathaniel, an independent journalist who witnessed the attack, told Al Jazeera.

Levine later told reporters that her attackers “just kept kicking me and kicking me, like probably 50 times”.

Levine was wearing a protective vest marked “PRESS” on the front and back. Her cameras and phone were taken from her during the assault, the Washington Post reported.

Nathaniel said he and others managed to reach her when the settlers briefly backed away, but she struggled to stand. “She was in very, very bad shape. She couldn’t really get up off the ground,” he said.

As they helped Levine towards paramedics, settlers charged again, throwing more stones, he added. The journalist was eventually taken to a hospital in Ramallah.

Nathaniel said Israeli soldiers arrived after the settler assault and opened fire and used tear gas against Palestinians, shooting a man in the leg. “They do nothing to stop the settlers, and they speed into town and start firing their guns and tear-gassing, and they shoot a Palestinian man in the leg,” he said.

“They’re pointing their guns at the paramedics who are helping him, shoving journalists, including myself,” Nathaniel said, adding that the injured man was eventually taken away in an ambulance.

Wafa, the Palestinian news agency, reported that Israeli forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at Palestinians during the attack. After the soldiers left, Palestinians returned to harvesting their olives, Nathaniel added.

Netanyahu’s office has said the facts around the settler attack “remain unclear”, as it offered a conditional condemnation.

“Serious questions remain”, said a post on the official X account of the prime minister’s office, calling for an investigation to “establish the facts, including who initiated the violence”.

October 6, 2026

Israeli settlers beat Palestinian AFP news agency photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh, 58, with rifle butts near Aqraba, south of Nablus. He suffered bruises to his head and torso and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, according to witnesses, his family and fellow journalists cited by AFP.

AFP photographer John Wessels was with Ashtiyeh when the incident occurred.

The news agency reported that a quadbike had raced towards the journalists and a man had opened live fire.

“At least six other people then rushed towards the AFP journalists, firing guns,” AFP reported. “As Ashtiyeh attempted to enter a car, which was clearly marked ‘Press’, two men jumped on him and beat him repeatedly with the butts of their rifles. ‘I could hear his screams,’ said Wessels, who was also threatened at gunpoint.”

While Ashtiyeh is now conscious in a hospital in Nablus, the assailants have taken his camera equipment, according to his colleague Wessels.

The Israeli military has yet to respond to the AFP news agency.

July 11, 2026

United States Congressional Representative Ro Khanna said he and his tour group were detained by rifle-wielding Israeli settlers during a trip to Palestine.

In a post on X, Khanna had accused the Israeli army of supporting the settlers.

“When the [Israeli army] arrived, they sided with the settlers and continued our detention,” Khanna wrote.

Khanna, a Democrat who is considering running for US president in 2028, told the Reuters news agency that “hoodlums … with machine guns” had detained his group a day earlier. “They block off the road. And then they call the [Israeli military] and the [Israeli military] is on their side,” Khanna said.

He added that the settlers were armed with US-made assault rifles.

In an interview with DRM News, Khanna said his experience in the occupied West Bank and Israel was the “first time” he had “really been acutely aware of being brown”.

“I saw the arrogance in the eyes of those settlers. Twenty-one and 22-year-olds with guns, laughing that they had detained us. The arrogance of those young [Israeli army] soldiers that my tax dollars are funding. Having no respect for the fact that they were detaining Americans,” he added.

The Israeli military disputed Khanna’s version of the events, saying that it “dispersed” civilians who were blocking the road.

Israeli officials have, however, ruled out apologising to Khanna or holding the settlers accountable.

Three months after the incident, on Saturday, October 17, Khanna called Netanyahu a “liar” after his office released an October 16 statement on X saying that “serious questions remain” about “who initiated the violence” and other details of the attack on Washington Post journalist Heidi Levine.

“Netanyahu called me a liar when settlers detained me, along with a NYT photographer, in Zanuta this past July,” Khanna wrote. “Netanyahu, you are the liar with the blood of Palestinian children on your hands.”

November 2025

One Canadian and three Italian activists were injured by illegal Israeli settlers in the Ein ad-Duyuk village in the Jericho governorate in the central West Bank, local sources told the Anadolu news agency.

Anadolu reported that settlers had stormed into a Bedouin community where the activists were residing and then assaulted them. Three activists sustained moderate injuries, while one was critically wounded, the news agency said and added that their passports, phones, and belongings were also taken.

July 2025

Palestinian activist and English teacher Awdah Hathaleen, who contributed to the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was shot and killed on July 28, 2025, in the occupied West Bank village of Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta region.

The beloved 31-year-old activist and father of three fell to the ground as people rushed over to try to help him. Then an ambulance came out of the nearby illegal settlement of Carmel and took him away.

Footage published by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem appears to show the suspect Yinon Levi opening fire on Hathaleen during a confrontation in the village.

Despite the visual evidence and prior sanctions imposed on Levi by both the EU and the United States over past attacks on Palestinians, Israeli authorities released him to house arrest.

US President Donald Trump also removed the penalties against Levi and other settlers accused of extremist violence after assuming office in January 2025.

July 2024

Israeli settlers attacked a group of foreign volunteers helping Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank.

David Hummel, an American-German in the group, told the AFP news agency that eight mainly American volunteers were working with the farmers in an olive grove near the Palestinian village of Qusra when settlers attacked them.

“They started attacking and beating us all with sticks and metal pipes, and they were throwing rocks as well at us,” he said.

“I was attacked on my legs, on my arms and here on my jaw as well and it was … very violent,” he added.

The Israeli army condemned the violence and said its troops were deployed to the scene and had fired warning shots into the air, causing the Israeli settlers to flee the area.

Television critic Luke Eccleston is back with three Netflix series he claims are ‘must-watch’ and are worth the cost of your subscription to the streaming service alone

Netflix subscribers are “wasting their accounts” if they’re yet to watch three particular series on the streaming platform, according to one TV critics. Luke Eccleston, who is known for sharing top TV recommendations online, claims the shows are “must-watch” and one is among the “most underrated” out there.

There are more than 6,000 titles available on Netflix in the UK and Ireland – including around 2,000 TV series – so it’s no wonder choosing what to watch next can prove quite daunting. Thankfully, Luke is on hand with three recommendations he assures will have you captivated.

1. Dept. Q

First on Luke’s list is the thriller series, Dept. Q. “Now this is an investigative, psychological thriller which follows after an incident where a man ends up seeing his friend paralysed and another police officer killed,” he explained.

The man ends up being placed onto cold cases permanently, according to Luke, who says you will be “on the edge of your seat from start to finish” as the drama unfolds. “I guarantee you will absolute love it,” he added.

Starring Matthew Goode, Chloe Pirrie, and Jamie Sives, Netflix synopsis states: “A brash but brilliant cop becomes head of a new police department, where he leads an unlikely team of misfits in solving Edinburgh’s cold cases.”

Midnight Mass

Next on Luke’s list is a “much more well-known” show, but one that seems to pass many people by. “Midnight Mass is one of the best shows you will ever see,” he declared.

Luke described the series as a “gripping horror” that follows life on a tiny island that sees a man return with a “special box” with something inside it that haunts an entire town. “I promise you will love it, so make sure you don’t miss this one out.”

Midnight Mass stars Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford and Hamish Linklater, with Netflix stating of the plot: “The arrival of a charismatic young priest brings glorious miracles, ominous mysteries and renewed religious fervor to a dying town desperate to believe.”

American Primeval

Luke described the last series on his list as a “brutal old-fashioned Western”, meanwhile. “It’s called American Primeval and follows a mother and son who have to flee their past across America in a haunting and desolate landscape.”

The critic closed by claiming that everyone he knows that has seen it “absolutely loved it”. He added: “So make sure you see this one right now.”

Netflix describes the drama: “A mother and son fleeing from their past form a found family while confronting a harsh landscape of freedom and cruelty in the American West.” The series stars Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin and Dane DeHaan.

Responding to Luke’s suggestions, one viewer exclaimed: “Dept Q is brilliant! Can’t wait for season 2.”

A second person praised: “OMG American Primeval is 10/10.”

A third TikTok user added: “Midnight Mass is massively underrated.”

While a fourth agreed: “Midnight Mass is excellent, slightly slow burn the first couple episodes but stick with it and I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

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Protests are sweeping France as anger over conditions in schools meets frustration with high living costs and a government accused of doing little to address problems facing people.

About 550,000 people demonstrated nationwide on Saturday, according to the Interior Ministry. Most marched peacefully, while a small minority attacked buildings, looted shops and clashed with police, who fired tear gas and charged protesters.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said 1,200 people were arrested and 150 police officers were injured. Behind the confrontations lies a political crisis, fuelled by anger at deteriorating services and overstretched household budgets, and compounded by a sense that France’s political institutions offer little hope of change.

Here is how school blockades became a nationwide movement – and what that means for President Emmanuel Macron.

How have the protests spread, what are protesters demanding?

The movement began last month in high schools in Paris’ working-class northern suburbs, where students protested against teacher shortages and poor facilities. School blockades and demonstrations later spread to cities including Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes, Lyon, Lille and Marseille.

Saturday brought together students and trade unions, alongside supporters of the “yellow vest” movement that emerged in 2018 to challenge rising living costs and economic inequality.

Emile Chabal, a professor of contemporary history at the University of Edinburgh, told Al Jazeera the demonstrations were “the logical outcome of a series of protests” stretching back to the yellow vests.

That movement was driven by financial pressures and resentment at “the French presidential system”, he told Al Jazeera, alluding to a structure which often leads to the election of a centrist candidate, such as President Emmanuel Macron.

Saturday combined those longstanding grievances with students’ anger at deteriorating state schools. The yellow vests had demanded better public services.

Bringing students’ grievances together with wider social demands, therefore, represented “the worst possible outcome for the French government”, Chabal said.

Students’ immediate demands concern conditions in France’s lycees (public high schools), which generally educate pupils aged 15 to 18. They want smaller classes, enough teachers, better buildings and less exhausting timetables. Their complaints also reflect broader concerns about whether the state can provide the education and opportunities young people need.

But for workers, including school staff, the dispute also concerns wages and the resources available to deliver public services.

The school protests coincided with a nationwide public sector strike against the government’s budget plans. Bringing all these concerns together under one umbrella represented “the worst possible outcome for the French government”, Chabal said.

It comes as the proposed 2027 budget includes a 54 billion euro ($60.8bn) package of cost-cutting and tax measures, which the government says is necessary to reduce France’s deficit. The proposals include freezing the pay scale used to calculate civil servants’ basic salaries, which unions say would be the fourth consecutive annual freeze.

Donatella della Porta, a sociologist and political scientist, said students were inspiring wider mobilisation around inequality, cuts to public investment and democratic rights, with demands for social welfare spending rather than militarisation.

“They do not want to fight wars; they want a different future,” she told Al Jazeera.

She also linked the movement to young people’s mobilisation over Gaza, with Palestinian flags appearing at demonstrations across several European countries.

How has the government responded?

The government has focused its immediate response on public order, with President Macron saying those responsible for violence would be “prosecuted and punished”.

His comments came as a fire largely destroyed the historic town hall in the city of Limoges, while public buildings and shops were attacked elsewhere.

But those involved in violence represent only a small minority of the much larger mobilisation. Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the left-wing France Unbowed party, has accused the government of repressing school students and allowing the confrontation to intensify.

His argument reflects a wider political dispute about whether the government treats the protests chiefly as a security problem or addresses the grievances that have brought different groups together.

Experts say France’s problems extend beyond disagreement over individual budget measures and reflect deeper discontent. Emile Chabal, from the University of Edinburgh, said political paralysis since the 2024 parliamentary elections, which left no bloc with an outright majority, had created “an environment in which no political party or movement is able to channel social discontent”.

That fragmentation makes it difficult to build a durable agreement on spending, taxation or public services. It also leaves protesters questioning whether changing governments produces meaningful changes in policy.

The protests are also “a tough blow for Macron”, Chabal said, whose promises of youthful energy and a reformed, dynamic France have been undermined by “his inability to articulate his political project and his deeply unempathetic persona”.

Chabal added that the unrest included violence sometimes seen on the fringes of French demonstrations, with direct-action tactics associated with the yellow vests. Targets included shops and, more unusually, public buildings. He described the destruction of Limoges’ town hall as particularly significant because of its place in France’s civic history.

Other researchers emphasise the role of policing. Guya Accornero, a specialist in social movements at Lisbon’s University Institute, said previous confrontations had created lasting tensions between protesters and police.

During the current protests, a 15-year-old lost a hand to a police stun grenade, while a 14-year-old suffered a shattered jaw after being struck by a tear gas canister fired at close range, according to Human Rights Watch. The organisation condemned excessive force against children, saying the demonstrations had been overwhelmingly peaceful.

“Young people have been violently repressed also when using non-disruptive tactics,” she told Al Jazeera.

Who could benefit politically?

There is no clear answer from the experts who spoke to Al Jazeera. Paul Smith, an associate professor in French history and politics at the University of Nottingham, believes far-right leader Marine Le Pen stands to gain.

“I see only one beneficiary and that’s Le Pen,” he told Al Jazeera, suggesting the unrest could also damage Melenchon’s presidential prospects.

Chabal cautioned against assuming a far-right gain, but he said fear of disorder had historically benefited conservative or centrist parties in France, including after the 1968 protests.

Le Pen has not entirely dismissed the protesters’ grievances, describing them on X on Saturday as “legitimate social demands”, while claiming they had been “held hostage by the far left”.

The far-right may seek to reap the rewards of public discontent, but experts say it is more likely to channel that anger towards immigration and the scapegoating of migrants, rather than blaming the structures of neoliberalism and capitalism for the protesters’ woes, as Melenchon has suggested.

With a presidential election due in April 2027, candidates face competing pressures, demonstrating that they can restore order while convincing voters they will address the conditions behind the mobilisation.

The challenge, Chabal said, is how to create change in “an environment in which no political party or movement is able to channel social discontent”.

Despite other stars taking the top spot on the leaderboard, a lot of Strictly Come Dancing viewers think there’s other one ‘underrated’ star who could win the BBC show

Last night’s October 17 episode of Strictly Come Dancing was Icons Week, where the remaining couples paid tribute to musical icons. Viewers of the BBC show saw two couples top the leaderboard by both scoring 34 points. These were Love Island star Cach Mercer and partner Maddie Ingoldsby, who delivered a dapper Foxtrot that wowed the judges, earning 34 points (8, 9, 8, 9).

Actress Jaime Winstone, who was in the bottom two a few weeks ago, also was in the number one spot with her professional partner Carlos Gu after they performed an energetic, David Bowie-themed Paso Doble, scoring 34 points (8, 9, 8, 9).

Despite these two taking the top spot this week, a lot of Strictly viewers think there’s other one ‘underrated’ star who could snatch the glitterball from them.

Taking to X during the show, one fan wrote: “Tabby’s becoming one of my favourite contestants in this competition, she’s delivering in these dances and got potential winner written all over her.”

During last night’s show, British skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker and her professional partner Mark Karmalita scored a total of 29 points for their Samba.

This placed them in a three-way tie for 5th position on the leaderboard alongside Lacey Turner & Vito Coppola and John Nellis & Katya Jones.

Tabby, 25, has not topped the leaderboard outright in any week yet, but she came very close in Week 3 when she performed her Argentine Tango. She placed joint 2nd on the leaderboard with 31 points, just 2 points behind Delta Goodrem, who was awarded 33 points.

People seemed to agree with the original poster’s prediction, as the post racked up thousands of views and hundreds of likes.

One wrote: “Same, I had no idea who she was before strictly but she quickly became my fave celebrity I absolutely love her!”

While another added: “Tabby and Mark, I am obsessed!”

A third chimed in: “Oh, Tabby is that diva.”

While a fourth added: “Tabby is the underrated star of the series.”

However, not everyone agreed, as one person wrote: “Tabby, Cach, and Delta (if she comes back) are finalist material in my opinion.”

While another added: “Would love to see Tabby win but, I think Lacey (Turner) might beat her.”

Last night’s show saw Delta Goodrem was missing from the episode due to a painful rib injury. Under standard Strictly Come Dancing rules, she was granted a bye through to Week 5.

Doctors advised her to rest and recover, and both Delta and the BBC confirmed the expectation is that she will return to the dance floor next week, provided her recovery goes smoothly.

Her return plans were also confirmed by Delta’s professional dance partner Kai Widdrington when he appeared on Strictly companion show It Takes Two on Friday (October 16).

The Strictly Come Dancing Week 4 Results show is on tonight at 7:10 pm on BBC One and is all available to stream live or on-demand via BBC iPlayer.

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Remember the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to United States President Donald Trump six months before the World Cup? Well, it is now close to being scrapped, which would make the US president its first and only winner.

Less than a year after FIFA President Gianni Infantino extolled Trump in the US capital while presenting the award at the World Cup 2026 draw, several members of the FIFA Council are questioning its merit and have demanded changes, including scrapping the award.

The calls for scrutiny come at a time when Infantino faces ongoing criticism for his World Cup sell-off plan, which also led to calls for his removal from office.

So what was the prize about, and why might it be scrapped? Here’s a look:

What is the FIFA Peace Prize?

On November 5, football’s global governing body announced a new annual award called the “FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World”.

FIFA said the award was created to “reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace”.

Why did Trump receive the FIFA Peace Prize?

A month later, Trump became the first recipient of the award.

The US leader had been heavily favoured to win the inaugural prize after failing to win the Nobel Peace Prize despite an aggressive campaign involving endorsements from other world leaders.

Trump thanked FIFA and called the award “one of the great honours of my life”.

He and Infantino are close allies, and the FIFA chief had made it clear that he thought Trump should have won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to broker a ceasefire in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“This is your prize. This is your peace prize,” Infantino said at the glitzy, celebrity-studded ceremony at Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center.

Infantino has repeatedly spoken about football as a unifier for the world, but the prize is a departure from the federation’s traditional focus on sport.

Critics pointed out that the recognition came less than 24 hours after the Trump administration carried out a deadly air strike in the Caribbean.

Two months later, the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran and hitting nuclear and military sites around the country.

The US-Israel war on Iran has gone on for months with Trump saying this week that he will not attack Iran again before the November 3 midterm elections in the US.

Why might FIFA scrap the award?

Several FIFA member nations demanded the discontinuation of the award during Thursday’s FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, according to reports in British media.

Others called for the prize to no longer be handed out to politicians.

As a result, FIFA’s 22-member Football Social Responsibility Committee was tasked with assessing the merits of the award. It is expected to make a recommendation before the next council meeting in Doha, Qatar, on December 16.

Debbie Hewitt, a FIFA vice president and president of the English Football Association, told the media at the council briefing that the committee “will consider, first of all, how the peace prize came about, whether it should have come about, whether it should have been awarded in the way that it was, who made that decision and whether or not it should be taken out or whether it should be reformed”.

What has FIFA said?

Al Jazeera has reached out to FIFA for comment and was referred to Infantino’s statement on it: “For the FIFA Peace Prize, it was decided that the Football Social Responsibility Committee will be tasked to analyse it, provide a proposal, and also, there, a decision will be taken at the next FIFA Council meeting.”

Has the FIFA Peace Prize faced opposition?

Yes.

In October, the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) made parallel filings with ⁠⁠FIFA committees in relation to three recent issues, one of which was related to the awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize.

“The purpose is ⁠⁠to raise these issues formally with the appropriate bodies, to have them examined, relevant evidence obtained and accountability for the conclusions reached,” the NFF said in a statement.

The NFF has repeatedly raised questions about the award, and in April, its president, Lise Klaveness, said FIFA should scrap its peace prize to avoid getting drawn into ⁠⁠politics.

“We want to see it abolished. We don’t think it’s part of FIFA’s mandate to give such a prize. We think we have a Nobel institute that does that job independently already,” Klaveness said.

Earlier, human rights group FairSquare filed a complaint with the FIFA Ethics Committee, accusing Infantino of breaching his duty of neutrality by supporting Trump.

‘Mockery’ of FIFA human rights policy

The criticism of the award isn’t limited to football associations.

In late April, Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine said football’s credibility as a force for good ⁠⁠has been undermined by FIFA, and he accused FIFA of making a mockery of its human rights policy.

“As an organisation, you would have to say decisions like the one that we saw awarding ⁠⁠this peace prize makes a mockery of what they’re trying to do with the human rights charter and trying to use football as a global driving force for good and positive change in the world,” Irvine told the Reuters news agency in an interview.

“Decisions like that feel like they just set us back in the perceived market of what football currently is, especially at the top level, where it’s becoming so disconnected from society and the grassroots of what the game actually is and means in our communities and in the world.”

Craig Mokhiber, a former United Nations official who has campaigned to suspend Israel from world football over its genocidal war in Gaza, called the award to Trump a “truly shameful development”.

Infantino has refused to take action against Israel, arguing that football “cannot solve geopolitical” issues.

“Not satisfied with two years of FIFA complicity in genocide in Palestine, Infantino and his cronies have now invented a new ‘peace prize’ in order to curry favour with Donald Trump,” Mokhiber told Al Jazeera.

He added that the award also aims to “obscure” Trump’s “disgraceful record” of support for Israel, his deadly strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and “gross violations of human rights” inside the US.

Growing pressure on Infantino

The scrutiny around the FIFA Peace Prize follows the recent backlash Infantino has faced.

Infantino has been under fire since his announcement in late July that he wanted to open FIFA’s premium competitions, such as the World Cup, to private investors.

That plan was ultimately abandoned in the face of widespread criticism with a rebellion led by the European governing body UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which runs the sport in North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Infantino has headed FIFA since 2016 and is running for re-election in March despite calls for him to stand down in the wake of the $4.2bn plan to sell a 20 per cent commercial stake in the World Cup.

Paris, France – France is counting the cost of a day of unrest after hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets nationwide, in the largest mobilisation since protests over education reforms and the cost of living began last month.

At Place de la Republique, in the heart of the French capital, people on Sunday surveyed the previous day’s destruction in dismay: smashed windows, gutted buildings, looted shops.

“I find it unacceptable – absolutely unacceptable,” said Rabah, who has been living in Paris for more than 70 years. “Back in the day, we also demonstrated, but peacefully,” he said.

Staring at the burned skeleton of what used to be a newspaper stand, 56-year-old Claire was also shaken. “I love Paris so much, and seeing it like this makes me furious,” she said. “It’s absolutely appalling. I’m actually quite overcome with emotion.”

Nearby, the statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic, was covered in graffiti. “Those who sow misery reap anger,” read one inscription.

The student-led protests began in mid-September, caused by grievances ranging from overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages to systemic inequality and a lack of opportunity.

The movement quickly spilled out of the schoolyards and into the streets, tapping into broader social and economic anxieties.

On Saturday, these complaints converged in a mobilisation that saw a nationwide turnout of 550,000 people, according to authorities; unions and organisers put the estimate at 800,000.

But while the vast majority of demonstrators rallied peacefully, the scale of the violent unrest threatened to eclipse their message. In Paris, there was also heavy use of tear gas and stun grenades by the police, including before the start of the march, which set the tone for a tense day.

“I marched from the 10th arrondissement town hall to Place de Clichy. I was there from start to finish, and it was very peaceful – just all kinds of people, all of them nonviolent,” said Stephanie, a 23-year-old Parisian student.

“But once again, the violence was so spectacular that the actual message – the reasons behind the protesters’ grievances – was never conveyed,” she said.

Macron to address nation

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose second and final term ends next year, will give a televised address to the nation at 18:00 GMT on Sunday after meeting government ministers, his office announced.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said nearly 1,800 people had been arrested – almost half of them in Paris – and more than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters had been injured in the unrest.

“Protesting is a fundamental right. Causing disorder through violence and in a concerted manner is not,” he said on Sunday.

During Saturday’s protest in Paris, Al Jazeera saw groups of black-clad, masked young men smashing shop windows with what appeared to be golf clubs before fleeing with bags of stolen goods.

In Marseille, France’s second-largest city, dozens of shops were looted and a group of people broke into the city hall before being forced out.

“Students and others have real claims they want to air which no one is listening to now because idiots are smashing everything,” said Benoit Payan, the city’s mayor.

In Limoges, footage showed flames engulfing the city hall as the fire spread through the historic building. Public buildings were also damaged in Bordeaux and other cities.

Police conduct has also come under scrutiny. France’s police inspectorate, the IGPN, had opened 36 investigations into alleged police violence since the high-school protests began, according to figures released by the Ministry of the Interior on October 13. The figure predates Saturday’s demonstrations.

Human rights lawyers have described some of their clients’ injuries as comparable to those seen in conflict zones. These include a minor who has lost his hand, another with his jaw smashed and a third pupil who lost sight in one eye.

“There is an increasingly systematic use of crowd-control measures that would normally be reserved for much more serious situations,” said Christophe Calvao, president of the Paris Young Lawyers’ Union. “This only serves to inflame tensions and make people even angrier.”

The government now faces the challenge of responding to widespread social discontent while trying to pass a budget aimed at bringing France’s public finances under control.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wants to reduce the country’s deficit through spending restraint and tax measures – a move that will likely deepen public anger. Cuts to France’s generous welfare system have traditionally faced strong public resistance.

All of this takes place in a highly toxic political environment as parties harden their positions ahead of next year’s presidential election.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the left-wing France Unbowed party and potential presidential contender who has sought to appeal to young voters, accused the government of fuelling the unrest.

“In Paris, aberrant leadership has opened the door to chaos. Those in charge no longer know what to do; the rank and file are afraid and are running wild,” he said.

Lecornu hit back. “This is YOUR political responsibility,” said the prime minister on social media, accusing far-left groups of orchestrating the violence.

CRUZ Beckham has had tongues wagging after posting then DELETING a very saucy snap of him with girlfriend Jackie Apostel as he wished her a Happy Birthday online.

The 21-year-old rocker took to Instagram to share a slew of loved-up pics of him with his stunning DJ partner, 30, in tribute to her special day – but it was the very last image that has courted comments.

In the suggestive snap, that’s since been edited out, the couple are seen together on a yacht, with Jackie bent down and squeezing her boyfriend’s buns with her head near his crotch.

Cruz’s head is cut off in the photo, as he holds a glass of milk in his hands.

The pic in question was the last to be shared in a carousel online, but eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot the snap before it’s removal.

“THE LAST ONE,” wrote one with a laughing face and fire emoji, while a fellow follower commented: “Bro, the last picture.”

PUT ON POSH VOICE

Cruz Beckham gets Victoria back in the studio as pair record new track

HANDS ON

Cruz Beckham cops a feel of girlfriend Jackie’s boob in cheeky mirror selfie

Cruz began his post with a smitten snap of the couple locking lips, with another showing them embrace as he scoops a bikini-clad Jackie up into his arms.

Another cheeky snap shows the two posing for a mirror selfie, with the musician grabbing a handful of her cleavage.

“Happy Birthday my love. you have no idea how much i love you,” read the post caption.

Cruz wasn’t the only Beckham family member to send well wishes to Jackie on her birthday.

Little sister Harper, 15, took to her Instagram Stories to pay tribute to her brother’s girlfriend.

“Happy birthday @jackie.apostel !!! I love you so so much and thank you for alwaysss being there for me, you are the sweetest and kindest person I know.

“You deserve to have the best day ever, I hope all of your wishes come true.

“To many more cakes and candles,” she concluded alongside another snap of the two.

The son of David and Victoria Beckham has been dating German-Brazilian singer-songwriter and producer Jackie, 30, since 2024.

Jackie previously revealed they met when their managers put them in a studio to write songs together.

The model said their work turned into a friendship before it became anything romantic and that she was Cruz’s “biggest fan forever”.

Most of the victims were from the Daraj neighbourhood in Gaza City, the Health Ministry says.

A mass funeral has been held for 75 Palestinians whose remains were found recently under the rubble of homes and buildings destroyed in the months since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, the Ministry of Health announced.

Hundreds of Palestinians attended the funeral procession before the remains were buried at the Sheikh Radwan Cemetery on Sunday morning.

Most of the victims were from the Daraj neighbourhood in the northeastern part of Gaza City.

Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Khaled said the majority of the remains belonged to women and children “who were inside their homes when they were targeted”.

The remains consisted of some body parts and personal belongings and were wrapped in Palestinian flags before the burial, she said.

Abdullah al-Majdalawi, director of public relations and media for Gaza’s Civil Defence, told the Turkish state news agency Anadolu that the remains had been recovered over recent weeks from several destroyed homes in Daraj.

He said the buildings were bombed while residents were inside during the early months of the war and that the victims belonged to about 20 Palestinian families, including people who had been displaced to the homes.

Efforts to recover bodies from beneath the rubble continue to face severe difficulties due to a lack of equipment and heavy machinery, he added.

The Civil Defence launched the second phase of its recovery operations in July. It recovered 333 bodies and remains of 559 people during its first operation in November 2025.

The Civil Defence says it believes the remains of another 8,000 Palestinians are still trapped beneath the rubble across Gaza. There are about 200,000 damaged and destroyed buildings in Gaza, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

At least 74,475 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched the genocidal war three years ago.

Tehran, Iran – Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi has been appointed Iran’s defence minister at a time when the war with the United States is expected to escalate.

The 68-year-old was approved on Sunday by parliament, which has convened online since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28, to assume leadership of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. In total, 237 lawmakers voted in favour of Akhlaghi’s appointment and 15 against.

Former Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed along with a large number of other senior figures, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on the opening day of the war.

The position was filled temporarily by Majid Ebn-e Reza, who will now become Akhlaghi’s deputy.

Akhlaghi will be responsible for rebuilding and expanding Iran’s military-industrial infrastructure, which has been heavily targeted by the US and Israel.

The new minister’s defence plans were approved earlier by senior military authorities, President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament’s Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will not be the instigator of aggression against any country but will defend the territorial integrity of the country strongly and to the death against any aggression,” Pezeshkian said.

The president said Akhlaghi has more than 42 years of experience in the Defence Ministry and related organisations.

His principal expertise is in ballistic missiles, solid-fuel propulsion, aerospace technology and military-industrial production, according to state media.

Previously, he served as the head of the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group, the Aerospace Industries Organization and the Defence Industries Organization. Akhlaghi and these entities are all subject to sanctions by the US. He is also under United Nations sanctions.

He has been associated with developing several missile types and related weapons-development projects over the past decades, according to Tasnim, a newspaper linked with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),

Akhlaghi reportedly played a role in expanding the major Sejjil and Zolfaghar family of Iranian ballistic missiles as well as precision-guided weapons, such as the Almas missiles and Yasin guided bombs.

He is also said to have expertise in space launchers, research rockets and infrastructure associated with the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Semnan. These have all been critical elements in Iran’s wars against Israel and the US.

This month, Iran’s Defence Ministry spokesman, Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, told reporters that Akhlaghi’s nomination reflected Iran’s need to increase the quantity and quality of strategic weapons, particularly missiles and drones.

“Offensive arms are being actively improved,” the spokesman said.

The US has repeatedly claimed that it has destroyed most of Iran’s military-industrial capacities, but Tehran has maintained it continues to have considerable offensive and defensive capabilities outside the reach of US and Israeli bombs. These weapons have been upgraded based on Iran’s new war experience, it has insisted.

Akhlaghi told members of parliament this month that he had met with senior military commanders, including the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, to develop a better understanding of their requirements during and after the war.

His priorities as defence minister would be faster military-industrial development, air defences, incorporation of emerging technologies using government and private sector firms, improvements in armed-forces welfare and development of international military cooperation, according to reports.

In his first comments as defence minister on Sunday, Akhlaghi taunted the administration of US President Donald Trump, which this month threatened to use the “mother of all bombs” on Iran’s nuclear and energy infrastructure.

“We have made preparations and continue our work with ease of mind,” he told reporters. “The US president must think of getting his forces out of our region in one piece. If he drops one bomb, he must see how many of his troops he will have to evacuate horizontally.”

People looking for a gripping TV drama to watch have been recommended a BBC show that is leaving people ‘hooked from start to finish’. The programme features stars such as David Tennant and Stephen Graham

Deciding what to watch next has become a daily headache for millions of British viewers, thanks to the sheer volume of streaming platforms now available, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+. But one influencer is on a mission to make that choice easier by sharing his top TV and film picks online. EccyReviews’ is the online handle of Luke Eccleston, a well-known UK-based content creator and self-proclaimed “TV fanatic” who regularly shares his must-watch television recommendations with his 5,000+ followers.

In one of his most recent posts, Luke put forward a TV suggestion for anyone “looking for a gripping new TV drama series to go and watch right now”.

He added: “You’ll be completely hooked from start to finish.”

The show in question is BBC prison drama Time. “Season 3 just dropped on BBC and I’ve binge-watched all three episodes and it is my favourite season by far,” he said.

Time is a critically acclaimed, BAFTA award-winning BBC series penned by celebrated British screenwriter Jimmy McGovern.

Each three-part series shines a spotlight on a different setting and ensemble cast within the UK criminal justice system, exploring themes of guilt, punishment, redemption, and institutional failings.

Season 1 centred on Mark Cobden (Sean Bean), a former teacher consumed by guilt after accidentally killing a man while drink-driving, who is subsequently sentenced to four years behind bars. It also features Eric McNally (Stephen Graham), a principled prison officer attempting to safeguard the inmates in his charge.

When a dangerous prisoner uncovers Eric’s weakness, he faces an excruciating decision between his professional obligations and his loved ones.

Series 2, meanwhile, relocated the action to a women’s facility, Carlingford Prison. It follows three women who arrive on the same day: Orla (Jodie Whittaker), a mother who tampered with her electricity meter; Kelsey (Bella Ramsey), a pregnant young drug addict; and Abi (Tamara Lawrance), a woman serving a life sentence carrying a tragic secret.

Compelled to share a cell, they forge an unlikely alliance to endure.

The most recent season, which recently dropped, has shifted attention to a Young Offender Institution. The narrative examines young men ensnared in the justice system following a tragedy, grappling with prison overcrowding and institutional collapse.

This instalment is fronted by David Tennant and Siobhan Finneran, who returns to her recurring role throughout the anthology as prison chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell.

Since each season presents a self-contained narrative with a different principal cast, viewers can jump into any series without prior knowledge, though chaplain Marie-Louise serves as the connecting element throughout all three.

Discussing the latest series, Luke tells viewers: “I was gripped from start to finish and all the performances are brilliant.

“I guarantee that you will absolutely love this show.”

The recommendation proved a massive hit, with the post amassing more than 7,000 likes.

One person wrote: “Watched it all tonight – best thing I’ve watched for ages. Very violent and very sad. The writer spent a lot of time in these youth offenders prisons and was horrified at the conditions, it was all based on truth.”

Another added: “I have just started watching it, it’s brilliant very gripping.”

While a third added: “Totally hooked from the start! Talent is incredible.”

All series of Time are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.

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Amman, Jordan – Jordanians fear the country’s border with Israel is turning into a major drug-smuggling route amid a surge in high-tech operations by gangs using drones and helium-filled balloons.

Organised networks active in southern Israel’s Negev Desert have links to groups in Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, operating along one of the most heavily surveilled borders in the world, with Jordanian authorities increasingly concerned about the implications this could have for the kingdom.

This escalation coincides with changes in the regional drug trade, particularly after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

Elements in his regime were linked to the manufacturing and distribution of Captagon, an illegal amphetamine stimulant.

Syria became a hub for the distribution of Captagon to the Gulf, with Jordan a transit point and market for the drug. The Royal Jordanian Air Force carried out periodic strikes on drug manufacturing and smuggling points inside Syria, highlighting the huge security concerns Jordan had about the trade.

Since the collapse of the Assad government and the establishment of a new authority that views the Captagon trade as a national security issue, there has been a decrease in the drug trade from Syria into Jordan.

Although Druze militias in the Syrian province of Suwayda allegedly linked to Israel have been accused of continuing the drug trade, Jordanian security forces are increasingly focused on the Jordan-Israel border.

The use of quadcopter drones and balloons is reportedly among the new tactics used by gangs in Israel to smuggle hashish, crystal meth, and amphetamines into Jordan.

Jordanian security forces are said to be increasingly unhappy with the scale of the drug smuggling operations and have accused the Israeli army of not taking the issue seriously.

Initial data from Jordanian forces recorded 17 interception operations linked to drones during the first half of 2026 in Jordan’s southwestern border area with Israel.

They also recorded 231 smuggling and infiltration attempts and downed 56 drones across various borders during the same period.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya told Al Jazeera that Jordanian forces were continuing efforts to prevent drugs from being smuggled into the kingdom. But they are evidently facing more complex activities by drug dealers.

“There is an increase in drug smuggling operations from Israel to Jordan using drones,” he said. “The number of seized drug cases during the current year reached 15,342 cases. Trafficking cases constituted about 28 percent of them, compared with 72 percent for usage cases.”

Israeli media reports indicate that gangs active in the Negev Desert are behind some of the smuggling operations into Jordan, where drugs can fetch higher profits.

There are estimates that 1kg of hashish can sell for approximately 7,500 pounds sterling (almost $10,000), according to the British newspaper The Telegraph, which recently uncovered the drug smugglers’ latest operations. Israeli security services believe that the price of hashish in Jordan is about 15 times higher than in Israel.

Due to widespread disenfranchisement and poverty, elements within Palestinian communities in Israel have been linked to the drug trade, according to reports. Multiple sources have accused Israel of allowing Palestinian towns and cities to become hotbeds of crime to create divisions and prevent calls for greater rights.

Ammar al-Qudah, a member of the Jordanian Senate and retired major-general in the Public Security Directorate, claimed that organised gangs in the Negev had obtained more than 1,000 drones that were originally used for agricultural and security purposes.

“The smuggling networks are linked to other gangs in Jordan, Sinai and the Negev, and rely on a route starting from Sinai, passing through the Negev, and reaching Wadi Araba, in addition to other routes including the Lebanese border with Israel and the Galilee region towards Syria,” he told Al Jazeera.

They are also using a range of sophisticated technology to bypass security on both sides of the border. This includes the use of helium-filled balloons equipped with GPS devices, drones capable of carrying about 50kg of narcotics, including black hashish and crystal meth, al-Qudah said.

He warned that a portion of the black hashish and crystal meth being smuggled into the kingdom is being sold domestically, with the rest going to other markets in the region.

With such high-tech operations, there are accusations that members of Israeli forces know about drug gang activities, based on past experiences in Egypt.

One West Point report said current and former trackers in the Israeli military in the Negev are being recruited by traffickers to provide intelligence to facilitate their operations in Egypt. In 2012, a number of Israeli service personnel were arrested on suspicion of collaborating with drug smugglers across the Egyptian border.

While there is no proof that the same situation is being repeated in Jordan, many have questioned how drones and balloons carrying drugs could cross a heavily surveilled and guarded Israeli border into Jordan.

Jordan’s counternarcotics department, in cooperation with the armed forces, has tracked such cases and made arrests.

Retired Brigadier-General Daifallah al-Daboubi, a strategic and military expert, said Jordan is witnessing a “reverse drug migration”, starting from the Sinai Peninsula, passing through the Negev region, and reaching the kingdom.

“Groups active in Beersheba and the Negev possess great financial capabilities and use advanced smuggling methods, most notably drones,” he said.

The Israeli army’s preoccupation with wars in Gaza, Lebanon and the occupied Golan Heights has provided smugglers with room to manoeuvre on the Jordan border, he added. But he ruled out the direct involvement of the Israeli political or military leadership in any drug smuggling.

Steps taken by Israel to boost security on its eastern border include the establishment of the 96th Division, which began operating in the Jordan Valley in 2025, and the construction of a controversial security barrier with Jordan.

But none of these measures appears to be designed to prevent drugs from leaving Israel; instead, they appear to be designed to prevent weapons and other illicit merchandise from entering the country from Jordan.

The U.S. Navy has taken delivery of the first C-130J-30 Hercules airframe destined to become an E-130J Phoenix II, the service’s next-generation aircraft for maintaining communications with its nuclear ballistic submarines. The aircraft will now undergo extensive mission-systems integration before it can begin testing for the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission.

Lockheed Martin handed over the newly built aircraft at its facility in Marietta, Georgia, on October 15. The delivery marks the start of the transition from the Navy’s aging E-6B Mercury fleet to the turboprop-powered E-130J, which is intended to provide a survivable communications link between national leadership and U.S. Navy nuclear ballistic missile submarines, including the ability to send them orders to launch strikes while they are submerged.

“Today’s delivery from the historic Marietta line represents far more than a new airframe; it marks the foundation of our future strategic deterrence posture,” Capt. Roger Davis, program manager for the Navy’s Airborne Strategic Command, Control, and Communications program office (PMA-271), said in a statement.

“Through our close partnership with Lockheed Martin and our industry team, we are ensuring our nation maintains an unshakeable communications lifeline to our ballistic missile submarine fleet.”

The aircraft is the first of three C-130J-30s initially procured by the Navy in September 2024. It will be transferred to Northrop Grumman, the E-130J program’s prime contractor and mission-systems integrator, for conversion. Collins Aerospace is providing the very low frequency (VLF) communications system, a key component of the TACAMO mission.

TACAMO aircraft provide a means for the president, secretary of defense, and U.S. Strategic Command to communicate with nuclear forces, including submarines submerged at sea. The mission is designed to preserve the ability to transmit emergency action messages even if conventional communications infrastructure is disrupted or destroyed.

The E-6B accomplishes this in part through a long, trailing wire antenna that enables VLF transmissions to submerged submarines. The E-130J will receive a comparable system as part of its conversion.

Hardening against the effects of electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which occurs during the detonation of nuclear warheads, is another key requirement for these planes.

The Navy plans to acquire 31 E-130Js, nearly doubling the 16 E-6Bs currently in service. That total includes six developmental aircraft and 25 production examples, although it remains unclear how many of the developmental aircraft will ultimately be available for operational use.

The larger planned fleet should provide additional aircraft to support training, maintenance, and operational demands. However, the transition also brings technical challenges. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has previously warned that integrating the specialized mission equipment into the smaller C-130J-30 airframe could affect operational availability and create additional engineering and manufacturing difficulties.

In the past, TWZ has discussed the potential operational readiness and other trade-offs that could come from selecting a C-130-based platform to replace the E-6B in the TACAMO role. As we wrote previously:

“It’s certainly worth pointing out that the E-6Bs, conversions of what were some of the last and most modern 707 airliners built, were larger and higher performance platforms than the EC-130Qs. The C-130J-30 is certainly a more capable aircraft than the C-130H on which the EC-130Q was based, but it won’t have the base speed and altitude capabilities of an airliner-sized multi-engine jet. Compared to the Mercuries, any TACAMO-configured C-130J-30 would not be able to get on station as quickly, or fly as high, limiting its ability to get above bad weather or establish a better line of sight for its communications systems.”

“At the same time, as the Navy itself has noted, the C-130J-30 platform does immediately open up the ability to use a larger number of air bases, airports, and airfields, including austere ones that the E-6B cannot operate from. This could be very useful in a contingency scenario where an opponent may have destroyed or otherwise rendered unusable many well-established bases, as well as larger secondary dispersal sites, which include large commercial airports. Being able to fly from smaller, tertiary locations could help to ensure that the TACAMO mission continues without significant disruption under such circumstances. This is also true during peacetime, as targeting the TACAMOs on the ground would be much harder if they could easily operate from and sit alert at a much larger number of airports.”

“A C-130J-30 configured for the TACAMO mission would certainly have a mid-air refueling capability, and the Hercules is already a platform that has demonstrated the ability to loiter over particular areas for long periods of time. Unlike the Boeing 707, the C-130J is still in production, as well, meaning that TACAMO aircraft based on this plane would be inherently easier to maintain and support logistically, and may also be easier to convert to this specialized configuration to begin with. As time goes on, the J looks set to increasingly become the default base C-130 model across the U.S. military, as well. Compared to the long out-of-production 707-based E-6, support for the C-130J is already distributed across the U.S. and beyond. Training C-130J crews is even an easier proposition.”

The E-130J also represents a return to the Hercules family for the Navy’s TACAMO mission. The EC-130Q performed the role from 1963 to 1993, before the E-6A Mercury took over. The E-6B subsequently added an airborne command post mission known as Looking Glass, supporting U.S. strategic forces beyond the submarine communications role.

The Navy’s current plan is for the E-130J to assume the TACAMO mission, while the Air Force pursues a separate effort to replace the Looking Glass airborne command post capability.

Following its delivery, the first E-130J airframe will enter mission-systems modification, ground testing, and developmental flight testing. The aircraft is not yet an operational TACAMO platform, and further integration and testing will be required before the Navy can begin fielding the new fleet.

The transition is intended to preserve one of the most critical links in the U.S. nuclear command, control, and communications architecture as the E-6B fleet becomes increasingly difficult to sustain.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

Kelvin and Liz returned with a new episode of Fletchers’ Family Farm, as they worked to rebuild their home after a fire.

Kelvin Fletcher’s wife Liz was left admitting ‘it’s quite emotional’.

The couple were looking back on the remains of their home in the Peak District after a devastating fire. Last year, Kelvin, Liz and their four children were on holiday when a fire broke out. They’re now rebuilding it all, but had to start with going through what had been left behind.

In an ITV episode of Fletchers’ Family Farm airing on Sunday, 18 October, Liz made an emotional admission as she worked through the job with Kelvin that had been on their list “for a long time”.

The couple were going through their own home, taking out what could be salvaged from the remains. “Look how much it has just burnt straight through the wood, that’s crazy,” she said, as she held up a wooden frame that was covered in burn marks.

Kelvin narrated: “We may be living back at the farm, but we’re still months away from living in the farmhouse following the fire last year.”

As their children had grown over the last year, Liz was left throwing out old nappy bags, baby carriers, and wellington boots that no longer fit.

Kelvin went on: “A year and a half since the fire, and we have to throw out everything that has been damaged by the smoke.”

Picking up one of their children’s baby jackets, when the couple were planning to move to LA before buying the farm, Kelvin commented: “Funny how things turn out, can’t throw that!”

Going through more jackets, Liz went on: “This is just all the stuff that when the fire brigade had to break in, stuff that was blasted by the door. It’s sad because you realise how little the twins were and how this stuff doesn’t fit them anymore.”

She added: “It’s one of those things, you mentally have to prepare yourself for, it’s been so long and we’ve just not been able to do anything because surveys and checks have been done as part of the insurance process. And now we can finally start clearing it out and building it back together.”

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Kelvin narrated: “Five years on from leaving Oldham, and so much has changed. This farm has given us a new life. And rebuilding the farm house is about building the heart of it back, along with a few old memories that we’re rediscovering.”

At one point, Liz said: “It’s quite emotional actually. It just shows how much time continues no matter what you’re going through, things keep going, you’ve just got to keep yourself.”

She added: “The exciting part is, although this now feels really sombre and quite depressing, but, like my dad always says, you’ve got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette, and it feels like we’re at that stage at the moment.”

Fletchers’ Family Farm is available to watch on ITVX.