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PRINCE William has been seen boarding Doctor Who’s Tardis.

The future king stepped into the iconic time travel device during a studio visit – though he’s not making a surprise switch to acting or pursuing adventures through time.

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The Prince of Wales, 43, was a special guest at the Bad Wolf Studios in Cardiff which produces the BBC sci-fi show.

Wills was given a tour around the set of the upcoming Beeb series The Other Bennet Sister by studio chief Jane Tranter – which included a look around the Tardis police phone box.

In a series of posts on The Prince and Princess of Wales X account today, the royal was seen in a video entering the famous set and posing near the control panel.

It said: “From period pieces to all of time and space, both the BAFTA bursary and @BadWolf_TV are inspiring the next generation of creative talent.”

Wills was following somewhat in his dad’s footsteps after King Charles was snapped in 2017 entering a replica Tardis during a visit to Worq co-working space for young entrepreneurs in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

The royal was introduced to trainees who have come through Bad Wolf’s Screen Alliance Wales (SAW) training initiative and built careers in TV by scheme boss Allison Dowzell.

They were recipients of The Prince William Bafta Bursary programme.

Tranter said: “It was a complete joy to show Prince William around Bad Wolf.

“We are so incredibly proud of the outreach work being done by Allison Dowzell and the team at Screen Alliance Wales, and for Prince William to help highlight the work being done at the studios means a great deal.

“He was introduced to trainees from a wide range of departments, and it was fantastic to see him take such an interest in the new generation of TV creatives.

“We are so proud that many of the SAW trainees have gone on to be awarded Prince William Bafta bursaries, and His Royal Highness was fascinated to hear how each of the trainees was using their bursary to further their careers.”

The visit on September 10 came as part of the studios’ 10th anniversary, and came on the day William visited the Jac Lewis Foundation centre at the city’s Principality Stadium to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.

During the engagement, William also met schoolchildren from St Albans RC Primary School in Tremorfa, Cardiff, during a puppetry workshop held by SAW education and training executive Sarah O’Keefe.

The puppets were used to represent characters’ daemons in the BBC series His Dark Materials and the workshop aimed to introduce children to the TV industry.

SAW has arranged 3,772 studio visits, including classroom lessons, since its inception, and created 149 paid traineeships on Welsh TV productions including Industry, Doctor Who and The Other Bennet Sister.

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Kim Jong Un says Pyongyang will counter the buildup of US forces in the Korean Peninsula.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to develop additional military measures and allocate more strategic assets to respond to the buildup of US forces in the south, as the country prepares for a major anniversary parade.

“In direct proportion to the buildup of US forces in [South] Korea, our strategic interest in the region has also increased, and we have accordingly allocated special assets to key targets of interest,” Kim was quoted in a report published by the state media KCNA on Sunday.

Kim’s latest statement comes just days after South Korea reported that Pyongyang has accumulated large quantities of highly-enriched and weapons-grade uranium, signalling a sharp increase in the country’s stockpile of nuclear material.

“I believe our enemies should be concerned about the direction their security environment is evolving,” Kim said at a military exhibition event ahead of the parade.

North Korea “will undoubtedly develop additional military measures” to prepare to respond to the buildup of US forces, he added without elaborating further.

In recent weeks, Kim had directed top officials to strengthen the nation’s “nuclear shield and sword”, saying only a “nuclear counteraction” could safeguard his country’s security.

On Friday, October 10, Kim is set to lead a large-scale military parade to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea. At this event, the country is also expected to display its latest weaponry and other military hardware.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted analysts as saying that Pyongyang may showcase the next-generation Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile during the parade.

It added that North Korea could also test-launch the same weaponry around the date leading to the anniversary.

Yonhap quoted South Korea’s military as saying “there are signs” that Pyongyang is preparing to welcome tens of thousands of people at the parade, which will be held on the night of October 10.

South Korea stated that it has also detected movements of vehicles and some military equipment, but did not provide further details.

Kim has maintained a hardline rhetoric towards South Korea and its close ally, the United States, despite signs of diplomatic outreach from US President Donald Trump and Seoul.

South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung, who took office in June, has also promised a more dovish approach towards Pyongyang compared with his hawkish predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol.

North Korea has also been tightening military ties with Russia and has been supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine by sending troops and artillery.

Kim has also been deepening alignment with China and recently travelled to Beijing to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Putin.

PRO-PALESTINE marches have gone ahead today with protesters gathering in London and Manchester.

The demonstrations are taking place despite calls from Sir Keir Starmer and police to cancel the events following the terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday.

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Dozens of police officers have been seen lined up next to Nelson’s Column in central London ahead of the arrival of hundreds of protesters supporting banned group Palestine Action.

Just after 1pm, protesters from the group Defend our Juries arrived in Trafalgar Square began clapping before sitting down.

They chanted “free, free Palestine” and some began writing “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, while others held pre-written signs.

A woman in blue scrubs stood in the crowds with a sign reading “nurse against genocide”.

Several campaigners from the Stop the War coalition are already in Trafalgar Square, holding placards and Palestine flags.

The Metropolitan Police said it had arrested six people over the banner draped on Westminster Bridge in support of banned group Palestine Action.

The force said: “Officers were quickly on scene, the banner had been removed and the six people involved have been arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation.”

Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian supporters grew to around 100 before speeches began outside Manchester Cathedral.

Scotland Yard chief Sir Mark Rowley had asked for protests to be postponed due to the drain on resources while extra officers are stationed at synagogues.

He also warned the rallies “will likely create further tensions and some might say lacks sensitivity” in the wake of the attack.

It comes after pro-Palestine protesters took to the streets just hours after Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were murdered by Jihad Al-Shamie.

The pair were brutally killed by the 35-year-old jihadist during Yom Kippur –  the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Speaking at yesterday’s Manchester synagogue vigil, locals turned on ministers, yelling “you have blood on your hands”.

Furious mourners slammed the Government for not doing enough to stop the “hate marches”, which are still set to go ahead.

The Dodgers are not here for conventional wisdom. The Dodgers are here to win the World Series.

So what if an unforeseen hurdle appeared in front of their October path? The Dodgers are on the verge of turning that hurdle into an unexpected but well-planned advantage on their quest to become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in 25 years.

Conventional wisdom says the odds favor a team with a bye, because that team can set up its pitching rotation for the division series just the way it wants while its opponent burns through its best arms in the wild-card series. The Dodgers are one win away from storming through the wild-card series and setting up their pitching rotation for the division series just fine, thank you very much.

That, it turns out, is what you can do when your star-studded starting rotation is healthy and effective for the first time all season, at precisely the right time.

The Dodgers thoroughly outclassed the Cincinnati Reds, 10-5, in Tuesday’s opener of the best-of-three wild-card series. If the Dodgers win Wednesday, or if they win Thursday, they would advance to what would be the premier matchup in all the National League playoffs: the Dodgers vs. the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I think the biggest downside of playing in a wild-card series, obviously, if you’re able to advance, is what your pitching looks like after that,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “That’s the cost.

“And I think, with our depth, that’s really mitigated.”

It ain’t over ‘til it’s over. If the Angels could go 6-0 against the Dodgers this season, the Reds could win the next two games.

However, the Reds used their best pitcher, Hunter Greene, in Game 1. The Dodgers have their best pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, ready to deploy in Game 2.

And, since the best-of-three wild card format was introduced in 2022, all 12 teams that have won Game 1 have gone on to win the series.

So let’s plan this out. If the Dodgers win Wednesday, Shohei Ohtani could start Game 1 of the division series Saturday. If the Reds force a decisive third game Thursday, Ohtani is the scheduled starter — and, if the Dodgers win, Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Clayton Kershaw all could be options for Game 1 of the division series.

Kershaw would be available for sure, as he is not on the wild-card roster and he would be pitching on regular rest.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw would be available to pitch Game 1 of the NLDS if the Dodgers advance.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“To have Clayton Kershaw standing there ready, no matter how we deploy our pitching this week, gets at the cost (of playing in the wild-card round) not being as great,” Friedman said.

And the division series includes an off day after each of the first two games, which would enable the Dodgers to use Snell on five days’ rest for Game 2 and Yamamoto on six days’ rest for Game 3.

The Dodgers have so much flexibility, in fact, that manager Dave Roberts declined to say that Ohtani would start Game 1 of the division series if the Dodgers close out the wild-card series Wednesday.

“You’re getting ahead,” Roberts said, “but one of the first two games, probably.”

It is important that Snell held the Reds to two runs in Tuesday’s victory, but it is more important that he pitched seven innings. The Dodgers asked their relievers to cover two innings with an eight-run lead, and it took four of them to do it.

The Dodgers’ road to success is clear: more of the starters, less of the erratic relievers, and less need to lean on Glasnow and Sheehan in an unfamiliar role.

“The deeper that the starters go in the game — one, it means that we’re pitching good; but, two, you’re giving the bullpen a break and a breather, and they get to be 100% every time they come out,” Snell said.

“That makes for a different game that favors us.”

The Dodgers improvised their way to a title last October, with three starting pitchers and four bullpen games. That was not conventional wisdom, either.

This time of year, however, most postseason teams have three or four reliable starters. The Dodgers have six. If they have to play in an extra round, well, what doesn’t kill them makes them stronger.

WASHINGTON — Washington is barreling toward a government shutdown Tuesday night, with few signs of an off-ramp as Democrats and Republicans dig in for a fight over government spending.

Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill is insisting on an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits as part of a package to fund the government. At least seven Democratic votes are needed in the Senate to pass a seven-week stopgap bill that cleared the House last week.

But Republican lawmakers and the White House have dismissed the proposal, with senior officials in the Trump administration threatening to use unique legal authorities granted during a government shutdown to conduct yet more mass firings of federal workers.

Bipartisan congressional leadership met with President Trump at the White House on Monday afternoon in a last-minute effort to avert the crisis. But neither side exited the meeting with expectations of a breakthrough. On the contrary, Republican leaders in the House told the GOP caucus to plan to return to work next week and said they would hold a news conference on Wednesday anticipating the government’s closure.

“We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of everyday Americans, period, full stop,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Monday.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer talk to reporters outside the White House.

(Alex Brandon / Associated Press)

Vice President JD Vance said he thought the country was “headed to a shutdown,” labeling Democratic calls for healthcare tax credits an “absurd” demand that amounts to an “excuse for shutting down the people’s government.”

“You don’t use your policy disagreements as leverage to not pay our troops,” Vance said. “That’s exactly what they’re proposing out there.”

When the government shuts down, the law requires all nonessential government services to cease, requiring most federal workers to go on furlough or work without pay. Essential services — such as national security functions and air traffic control — are not affected.

Ahead of the meeting, Trump told reporters he hoped Democrats would agree to “keeping our country open,” before proceeding to criticize their proposals.

“They’re going to have to do some things, because their ideas are not very good ones,” Trump said. “They’re very bad for our country. So we’ll see how that works out.”

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he thought his message was beginning to resonate with the president after their meeting Monday afternoon.

“We have very large differences, on healthcare, and on their ability to undo whatever budget we agree to, through rescissions and through impoundment,” Schumer said. “I think for the first time, the president heard our objections and heard why we needed a bipartisan bill. Their bill has not one iota of Democratic input. That is never how we’ve done this before.”

“We’ve made to the president some proposals,” Schumer added. “Ultimately, he’s a decision-maker.”

Schumer faced widespread ridicule from within his party in March after reversing course during the last showdown, choosing then to support the Trump administration’s continuing resolution to fund the government at the height of an aggressive purge of the federal workforce.

At that point, Schumer feared a shutdown could accelerate the firings. But Schumer is now defiant, despite the renewed threat of layoffs, after the White House Office of Management and Budget circulated a memo last week directing federal agencies to relieve workers on discretionary projects that lose funding after Oct. 1.

“This is an attempt at intimidation,” Schumer said in response to the memo. “Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one — not to govern, but to scare. This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government.”

Vice President JD Vance talks to reporters as House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune listen.

(Alex Brandon / Associated Press)

Still, Schumer began gauging his caucus Monday afternoon on the prospects of a continuing resolution that would in effect delay a shutdown by a week, briefly extending government funding in order to continue negotiations.

Betting markets had chances of a shutdown soaring above 70% by the end of the day on Monday.

Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the president’s position was “the reasonable and commonsense thing to do,” calling on Democrats to continue funding to the military and its veterans.

“All we are asking for is a commonsense, clean funding resolution — a continuing resolution — to keep the government open,” Leavitt said. “This is a bill that keeps the government funded at the exact same levels as today, just adjusted for inflation.”

“So there is zero good reason for the Democrats to vote against this,” she added. “The president is giving Democrat leadership one last chance to be reasonable.”

But Jeffries dismissed Leavitt as “divorced from reality” in a podcast interview.

“In what world will any rational American conclude, after we’ve been lectured throughout the year about this so-called mandate that the Republican Party has in this country, and their complete control of government in Washington, that because Democrats are unwilling to gut the healthcare of the American people as part of the Republican healthcare crisis, that it’s us shutting the government down?” Jeffries said.

“Nobody’s buying that,” he continued, “outside of the parts of the MAGA base who basically, seemingly, will buy anything that Donald Trump has to peddle.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he would call a vote on funding the government Tuesday afternoon.

“This is purely and simply hostage-taking,” Thune said Monday. Whether it passes or fails, he said, is “up to the Democrats.”

Sept. 28 (UPI) — President Donald Trump will meet Monday with the top four congressional leaders in a bid to avert a potential government shutdown.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced in a news release late Saturday that Trump had agreed to meet with them in the Oval Office of the White House ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline to pass a spending bill that would avoid a government shutdown.

“As we have repeatedly said, Democrats will meet anywhere, at any time and with anyone to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people,” the top Democratic lawmakers said in the joint statement.

“We are resolute in our determination to avoid a government shutdown and address the Republican healthcare crisis. Time is running out.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, both Republicans, will join them at the White House, NBC News and CBS News reported.

The announcement of the meeting came after Trump cancelled a planned meeting last week with the Democratic lawmakers at the request of Johnson and Thune.

Congress has been deadlocked for weeks. Republicans are pushing to keep the government open with a short-term spending bill that would extend funding into November. Their bill would not restore recent Medicaid cuts, and it omits an extension of the currently enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits scheduled to expire.

Democrats, led by Schumer and Jeffries, have said they won’t support any stopgap bill unless it protects healthcare programs. They argue that those healthcare protections must be included in any emergency funding deal, not delayed for later talks.

“They want all this stuff. They don’t change. They haven’t learned from the biggest beating they’ve ever taken,” Trump previously said about meeting with Schumer and Jeffries. “I’d love to meet with them, but I don’t think it’s going to have an impact.”

So far, both sides have tested their positions with failed votes. On Sept. 19, the House passed the Republican plan to fund the government through Nov. 21, but the Senate rejected it. Republicans hold a slim majority of 53 seats and need Democratic support to get the 60 votes required to pass a funding bill.

Democrats have tried to advance their own version that included the healthcare protections, but that measure also failed to clear the Senate.

The standoff has raised fears of a repeat of past shutdowns, which disrupted federal services and cost the government billions of dollars.

Celebrating it’s 25th year, the hit reality competition series Big Brother has revamped its iconic chair as strangers from all over the country descend on the famous house

Iconic moments have happened on the Big Brother chair. It’s where Nikki Grahame had asked “Who is she?” over and over again after being nominated for eviction. It’s where Alison Hammond said she could probably “bend it back” after she broke a table whilst trying to spy on security. And now it’s got a brand new look.

Big Brother, which turns 25 this year, has completely revamped it’s house for the next series, including the diary room. The brand new diary room chair is just as colourful as the rest of the house, complete with green and orange cushioned arches over a giant cushioned eyeball. There, contestants will be able to talk to Big Brother.

This is the third series of the show to air on ITV2. Previously, Big Brother has been on Channel 5. Hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best will return to welcome the housemates from across the UK.

In a chat with The Mirror, AJ said she was “excited” to see the new chair and how the rest of the house had changed. “And of course, we’re all excited to see the new diary room chair and how the house has been tweaked. Bigger? Smaller? Who knows! But what’s certain is another dynamic and exciting series.”

Since 2000, strangers from all over the country have descended on the Big Brother house to compete to be crowned the winner of the show. Housemates not only have to survive being locked in a house together, but they must complete tasks and try not to get evicted from the house. ITV has promised viewers new twists and turns, as well as elaborate challenges and live evictions.

Following each episode, there is a spin-off show, Big Brother: Late & Live. This show gives viewers exclusive content from the house, along with fiery debates and hot takes from a celebrity guest panel. This year will also feature an extra week of the show, bringing it up to seven in total.

READ MORE: Charlotte Tilbury fans discover nifty way to bag two Pillow Talk products for under £5

Since it started airing on ITV, Big Brother has had a number of memorable moments, not least a romance between 2023 housemates Jordan Sangha and Henry Southan. The two got close on the show and ended up in a relationship for over a year afterwards, before sadly breaking up earlier this year.

This year’s edition of Celebrity Big Brother also saw a romance spark on the show. Pop star Jojo Siwa became close friends with Love Islander Chris Hughes, which eventually developed into a relationship. The two are still together and rumoured to be thinking about marriage.

Will Best said he’d be upset if the pair ever broke up. “If Jojo and Chris don’te last, I genuinely don’t know what I’ll do.” Later, he added that he was excited to celebrate 25 years of Big Brother and thought audiences would be too.

“Bring on the housemates, bring on seven weeks, and bring on a happy 25th anniversary to Big Brother! I think [audiences will] be happy about the extra week.

“Last series could easily have gone on longer, so this will be a nice touch. But the exciting thing is, we never really know what’s going to be new. Fans are already buzzing from the trailer and the Big Brother eye reveal.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

The prime minister has warned Reform UK “will tear this country apart” ahead of the Labour party conference.

Arriving in Liverpool on Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer said Reform’s plans to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for legal migrants was one of “the most shocking things” Nigel Farage’s party had said.

Sir Keir said the conference would be an opportunity to show Labour’s alternative to the “toxic divide and decline” offered by Reform.

He is under pressure after opinion polls show Labour trailing Reform UK, alongside speculation Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham could mount a leadership challenge.

But in an interview with the Sunday Times, Sir Keir insisted Labour could still “pull this round”, and said it was time for Labour to put in the “hard yards, roll up our sleeves and get on with it”.

Farage told the Telegraph, Sir Keir’s language “smacks, frankly, of total desperation” after the prime minister referred to Reform as an “enemy” in an interview with the Guardian.

“To call somebody in politics an enemy is language that is bordering on the inciteful,” he added.

Arriving at the conference centre in Liverpool, Sir Keir said it would be a “big opportunity to make our case to the country, and make it absolutely clear that patriotic national renewal is the way forwards – not the toxic divide and decline that we get with Reform”.

He continued the attacks as the conference got under way, telling the Sunday Mirror Farage was “grubby“, and that the Reform leader was “unpatriotic” for pretending he would fix problems that mattered to voters.

“Add to that that he spends more time grubbing around in America, trying to make money for himself than he does representing his constituents,” he said.

“He goes there not just to make money, but to talk our country down. The leader of a political party going to another country to talk his own country down. Grubby.”

Comparisons with Reform could be a theme of this conference, as Sir Keir tries to portray his party as a patriotic alternative to Reform, who continue to lead opinion polls.

Last week, Reform announced it will replace ILR with visas and force migrants to reapply every five years, if the party wins the next election. That includes hundreds of thousands of migrants currently in the UK.

Applicants would also have to meet certain criteria, including a higher salary threshold and standard of English. ILR is a key route to gaining British citizenship and allows people to claim benefits.

According to a YouGov poll published on Saturday, abolishing indefinite leave to remain divides the public, with 58% of Britons opposed to removing it from those who already hold it.

But more than 44% say they support ending ILR as a policy, while 43% are opposed to the idea.

During a visit to the office of newspaper Liverpool Echo, Sir Keir said: “These are people who have been in our country a long time, are contributing to our society, maybe working in, I don’t know, hospitals, schools, running businesses – our neighbours, and Reform says it wants to deport them in certain circumstances.

“I think it is a real sign of just how divisive they are and that their politics and their policies will tear this country apart.”

In an interview with the Sun on Sunday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said legal migration was a “good thing” and the UK had “always welcomed people who want to come and work here”.

However, she said migrants should make a “contribution to their wider community”.

“So I am looking at how to make sure that settlement in our country – long term settlement, Indefinite Leave to Remain – is linked not just to the job you are doing, the salary you get, the taxes you pay, [but] also the wider contribution you are making to our communities,” she added.

Speaking to teenagers at the Liverpool Echo visit, Sir Keir also insisted the government would not legalise cannabis, and defended his plans to lower the voting age to 16 in general elections.

“It already happens in Scotland, already happens in Wales, and the sky didn’t fall in,” he said.

Ahead of the Labour conference, backbench MPs and unions renewed calls to end the two-child benefit cap.

Several MPs from Liverpool were among those who wrote to Sir Keir ahead of the conference insisting the cap “is one of the most significant drivers of child poverty in Britain today”.

Two MPs – former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Apsana Begum – have had the whip restored, after a year-long ban for voting against the government on the cap.

McDonnell told the BBC: “If this is a signal the government is going to scrap the two-child limit I’m really pleased.”

The prime minister’s plans for a new digital ID system, revealed on Friday, will also likely face scrutiny at the conference.

Senior Labour figures are meanwhile expected to set out the details of a fresh tranche of “New Towns” at the event.

Sept. 26 (UPI) — Dozens of U.N. delegates walked out of the General Assembly Hall on Friday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to “finish the job” in Gaza in his speech at U.N. Headquarters in New York City.

According to Axios, nearly all delegates from predominantly Arab and Muslim countries, as well as some from African and European countries, appeared to leave the hall as Netanyahu entered to give his address during the annual general debate. The outlet said the walkouts represented the vast majority of delegates in attendance.

Netanyahu is facing growing opposition among world leaders as the war in Gaza nears its two-year anniversary. On the sidelines of the U.N. general debate this week, several countries, including Australia, Britain, Canada and France, formally announced their recognition of Palestine, showing their preference for a two-state solution to the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu has rejected the calls for a two-state solution, telling the leaders of these nations Friday that their recognition of Palestine tells Hamas that “murdering Jews pays off.”

“When the most savage terrorists on Earth are exclusively praising your decision, you didn’t do something right, you did something wrong, horribly wrong,” Netanyahu told those countries, apparently referring to Hamas.

“Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere. It will be a mark of shame on all of you.”

Netanyahu said Israel would carry on its war against Gaza, which was sparked by a Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas took hundreds of hostages, some 50 of whom have yet to be returned.

“The final elements, the final remnants of Hamas, are holed up in Gaza City. They vow to repeat the atrocities of Oct. 7 again and again and again, no matter how diminished their forces,” Netanyahu said.

“That is why Israel must finish the job. That is why we want to do so as fast as possible.”

The prime minister said he had loudspeakers set up to broadcast his speech throughout Gaza. He said his government also took over cell phones in Gaza to also show his speech, but multiple Palestinians told CNN they never received any messages.

Moldova election rocked by bans on pro-Russian parties as EU path hangs in balance.

Moldova’s electoral commission has barred two pro-Russian parties from taking part in this weekend’s parliamentary election, a high-stakes vote overshadowed by claims of Russian interference.

On Friday, the commission excluded the Heart of Moldova and Moldova Mare parties, citing allegations of illegal financing, voter bribery and undeclared foreign funds. Both parties had campaigned on closer ties with Moscow, challenging the pro-Western government ahead of Sunday’s ballot.

The decision against the Heart of Moldova followed a ruling by the Chisinau Court of Appeal that restricted the party’s activities for 12 months. The Ministry of Justice requested the ban after searches earlier this month led to accusations of money laundering, illicit financing and attempts to bribe voters.

The party rejected the charges, describing the move as a political purge.

“This isn’t justice, but a final act of a dirty show orchestrated in advance by authorities with a single goal: to silence us,” it said in a statement. Its leader, Irina Vlah, also condemned the ruling, calling it a “political spectacle, concocted a long time ago” by the governing party.

The electoral commission said all candidates put forward by Heart of Moldova would be removed from the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP), which has been one of the main challengers to the governing party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). The bloc has been given 24 hours to adjust its candidate list to remain eligible.

Later the same day, the commission also barred Moldova Mare, citing vote-buying, hidden financing from abroad and its involvement in what it called a “camouflaged electoral bloc” linked to a banned party.

Sunday’s vote is seen as pivotal for Moldova, a former Soviet republic that became a European Union candidate state in 2022. The outcome will decide whether the country continues on a pro-European track or veers back towards Moscow’s sphere of influence.

Since 2021, the PAS has held a strong parliamentary majority under President Maia Sandu, but analysts warn it could lose ground as Russia-friendly blocs consolidate.

With no strong pro-European partners on the ballot, the PAS faces pressure from multiple fronts.

Russia, which has long been accused of destabilising Moldova, dismissed the allegations as “anti-Russian” and “unsubstantiated”.

STRICTLY pro Lauren Oakley has QUIT social media just a day before the first live show – saying “everyone has feelings”.

The dancer, who is partnered with football manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink this series, urged viewers to not troll the stars.

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Lauren, 34, shared a message with her followers before she takes a break from her X platform while the show is on.

She wrote: “Live show tomorrow. That’s me deleting X for now, have fun everyone. Enjoy the show. Don’t be mean. Everyone has feelings and everyone is trying their best. Think before you type. Love.”

Last series Lauren stepped in for Amy Dowden as her replacement after health concerns and danced with JLS singer JB Gill.

Taking to the stage for the inaugural Icons Week, the pair blew the judges away and received an incredible 39 points.

On social media, viewers praised Lauren’s talent – and called for her not to be “benched” next series.

One wrote on X: “NEVER and I mean NEVER not give Lauren a partner again! Love her.”

Another commented: “Dear strictly. never bench lauren oakley again. thank you.”

A third chimed in: “Lauren Oakley is SO SO good.

“Its an absolute crime she was never given a partner this year.”

A fourth remarked: “lauren better get a partner next year i will start a riot if not #strictly.”

In 2023, Lauren partnered newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy, with the pair placing 8th overall.

Strictly Come Dance 2025 lineup

Strictly Come Dancing news and the latest line up

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WASHINGTON — The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workers if the government shuts down next week.

In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, are not otherwise funded and are “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when federal workers not deemed essential were furloughed but returned to their jobs once Congress approved government spending.

A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger yet another massive upheaval in a federal workforce that has already faced major rounds of cuts this year due to efforts from the White House’s cost-cutting team the Department of Government Efficiency, and elsewhere in the Trump administration.

Once any potential government shutdown ends, agencies are asked to revise their reduction in force plans “as needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,” according to the memo, which was first reported by Politico.

This move from OMB significantly increases the consequences of a potential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The two leaders have kept nearly all of their Democratic lawmakers united against a clean funding bill pushed by President Trump and congressional Republicans that would keep the federal government operating for seven more weeks, demanding immediate improvements to healthcare in exchange for their votes.

In statements issued shortly after the memo was released, the two Democrats showed no signs of budging.

“We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,” Jeffries wrote in a post on X. “Get lost.”

Jeffries called Russ Vought, the head of OMB, a “malignant political hack.”

Schumer said in a statement that the OMB memo is an “attempt at intimidation” and predicted the “unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back.”

OMB noted that it held its first planning call with other federal agencies earlier this week to plan for a shutdown. The budget office plays point in managing federal government shutdowns, particularly planning for them ahead of time. Past budget offices have also posted shutdown contingency plans — which would outline which agency workers would stay on the job during a government shutdown and which would be furloughed — on its website, but this one has not.

The memo noted that congressional Democrats are refusing to support a clean government funding bill “due to their partisan demands,” which include an extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus a reversal of Medicaid cuts that were included in Republicans’ big tax and spending cuts law.

“As such, it has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one,” the memo reads, which also notes that the GOP’s signature law, a major tax and border spending package, gives “ample resources to ensure that many core Trump administration priorities will continue uninterrupted.”

OMB noted that it had asked all agencies to submit their plans in case of a government shutdown by Aug. 1.

“OMB has received many, but not all, of your submissions,” it added. “Please send us your updated lapse plans ASAP.”

Kim writes for the Associated Press.

India and Pakistan are keen to avoid controversy ahead of their crucial Super Fours fixture at the Asia Cup 2025, as the political fallout of their previous match continues to overshadow the cricket tournament in Dubai.

Pakistan cancelled their pre-match news conference one hour before its scheduled time on Saturday, while India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav evaded questions on the “no handshake” row when he spoke to the media after his team’s win over Oman on Friday.

Sunday’s match between the South Asian archrivals will be their second meeting in eight days, with the winner taking a step closer to the tournament’s final on September 28.

While the political statements and off-field actions following the September 14 clash continue to impact preparations for the upcoming Super Fours match, both camps have taken steps to avoid further repercussions and protect the players from controversy.

When Yadav was asked to comment on the handshake row after his team’s last group-stage fixture on Friday evening, he responded by saying: “It [the match] will be a good contest between the ball and the bat.”

He went on to add that he’s asked his players to “shut the noise” ahead of the match against Pakistan.

“Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep,” the India captain said.

“It’s easy to say, but sometimes it is difficult.”

Having made pointedly political statements after his team’s win over Pakistan on Sunday, the 35-year-old chose to steer clear of similar comments a day before their second match.

“We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor,” the 35-year-old said when asked if his team’s decision to not shake hands with Pakistani players was against the spirit of cricket.

Yadav was referring to the Indian armed forces’ multiple missile attacks on six locations inside Pakistan.

India said the missiles were in response to the April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pahalgam, in which 26 men were killed. An armed group called The Resistance Front (TRF), which demands independence for Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the attack, but India had alleged Pakistani involvement.

Pakistan denied any role in the attacks and asked for an independent investigation to be carried out.

Two days later, Pakistan responded to the missile strikes by attacking military installations across its frontier with India and Indian-administered Kashmir, striking at least four facilities.

The conflict ended four days later, thanks to an internationally-brokered ceasefire.

While the exchange of aerial fire came to a halt, the diplomatic ties between the neighbours remained suspended, and the political tension spilled over into cricket as India’s players walked off the field without shaking hands with their opposition.

A few moments later, Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad and support staff to come out and shake hands, as is the norm at the end of cricket matches.

However, the Indian contingent only shook hands with each other before walking into their dressing room and shutting the door as the waiting Pakistan players looked on.

Shortly after the events unfolded, Pakistan’s manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team’s actions with Andy Pycroft, who is an International Cricket Council (ICC) accredited match referee.

Pakistan alleged that Pycroft did not clearly communicate the Indian team’s decision to not partake in the handshake, an act they termed in contravention of the spirit of cricket.

Pakistan demanded Pycroft’s removal as match referee for their remaining fixtures in the tournament, but later reached an agreement with the ICC and Pycroft went on to officiate Pakistan’s last group game against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday.

The Pakistan-UAE match was delayed by an hour as officials from the ICC and Pakistan’s team management held a meeting at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium before the match.

“The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

“Andy Pycroft termed the September 14 incident a result of miscommunication.”

The PCB also said that the ICC “expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the September 14 match”, referring to Pycroft’s request to Pakistan and India captains to avoid the customary handshake at the toss, which the PCB alleges contravened the laws of the game.

However, a source within the ICC told Al Jazeera that Pycroft did not apologise to Pakistan and only clarified his position.

The source also said that the ICC had investigated the issue and concluded that it did not warrant action against the Zimbabwean match referee.

The Zimbabwean match official will be in charge of Sunday’s India-Pakistan fixture as well.

Dani Dyer showed off a stunning tribute to her children with a personalised multi nameplate necklace that she had made just in time for her Strictly Come Dancing appearance

Ready for her first appearance on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, contestant Dani Dyer has been showing fans some behind the scenes snaps, with one in particular causing a stir with fans. In one photo, the former Love Island winner showed off a stunning nameplate necklace she’d had made with each of her children’s names – Summer, Star and Santi (short for Santiago) – that fans couldn’t get enough of.

One comment said: “Loved the necklace” whilst plenty of others were begging for details. Although Dani didn’t share where she’d bought it, our sleuthing skills have tracked down one that’s identical, with the Multi Crystal Cursive Name Necklace hailing from Abbott Lyon.

READ MORE: Kate Garraway’s ‘gorgeous’ £100 slimming midi dress is now just £30 in huge sale

READ MORE: Beauty baubles are the affordable advent calendars alternatives to buy this Christmas

Whilst we can’t say for certain, we’re pretty sure that this is the exact same necklace Dani had made as a tribute to her children. The Abbott Lyon necklace lets you choose up to five different names that can be added to it, and comes in either gold or silver with a cubic zirconia crystal finish.

The brand is popular with other celebs, with both Stacey Solomon and Olivia Attwood both recently launching their very own collections with Abbott Lyon, so it wouldn’t be a surprise that Dani has taken a leaf out of their book. The Multi Crystal Cursive Name Necklace is also pretty affordable, costing between £95 for two names or up to £110 for five different names, and if you use the code TAKE10 you’ll save 10% – bringing it down to £85.50 – not to mention orders over £79 get a free bracelet worth £49.

You also have the option of customising the chain length, and each name can carry up to eight characters. The Crystal Cursive Name Necklace is made from 18k gold-plated stainless steel, and is water, sweat and heat resistant – perfectly for wearing whilst dancing on Strictly.

If the sparkles aren’t for you, you could also head over to PRYA, where the Miami Multiple Name Necklace is currently on sale. Usually priced at £78 for two names, or £128 for five names, the necklace has been slashed to £50 for two names, or £68 for five – making it a huge saving.

For something a little more dainty, the Multiple Name Necklace from Abiza is available at Not on the High Street, and also has a 20% discount at the moment, slashing it from £53 to £43.40. You can add up to four names, which incurs an extra cost of £22.40, making it £65.80.

However Abbott Lyon’s Crystal Cursive Name Necklace is your top pick if you want to copy Dani’s look, and it seems shoppers are also huge fans of the necklace. It currently only has two reviews, but they’re both five star ones with one simply writing: “Beautiful necklace.”

Whilst the second said: “I brought this for my sister she was almost in tears I am so bad at keeping secrets I didn’t tell her that I was going to order something like this she has always wanted something personalized with her children’s names it come out so outstanding it looked great the quality and care that went into it was above and beyond.”

Whilst the necklace makes a great treat for yourself, it also makes a beautiful meaningful gift – especially as we start to head towards Christmas. And don’t forget to take advantage of the discount code while it’s still available – you can keep the free bracelet for yourself, or consider it one Christmas gift to cross off your list!

A MAJOR supermarket is selling McVitie’s biscuit boxes for just £2.50 ahead of this Christmas season.

The 400g boxes include a selection of family favourites to get in the festive spirit.

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McVitie’s Family Circle Biscuit Selection boxes are available cheapest at Iceland for just £2.50.

What is included

There are ten different biscuits to choose from in this selection box, including the iconic Milk Chocolate Digestives, popular Custard Creams, and much-loved Rich Highland Shorties.

Also included in the boxes are McVitie’s Choc Chip Cookies, Shortcake, Jam Sandwich Creams, Milk Chocolate Fingers, Crunchy Oat, Nice, and Bourbon Creams.

Shoppers’ reactions

Iceland customers have raved about the product in reviews.

One wrote: “These biscuits have always been Christmas specials.

“There is a good selection of biscuits included.

“And they are great tasting …love them for a treat with a cup of tea or coffee.”

Another added: “Includes chocolate ones and most usual ones.”

“Not really any new ones.”

Both gave the biscuit selection an overall rating of four stars.

Sainsbury’s and Occado are also seen selling the McVitie’s boxes, but for £4.

And Morrisons has them on sale for £3.

More Christmas boxes

Quality Street chocolates and celebrations are also popular Christmas boxes that have been seen going for cheap recently.

At Morrisons, tubs were seen going for just £4.50 from the discount retailer.

And Lidl and Aldi are also known for providing the best deals of groceries, another major UK retailer was found to have the cheapest rate on chocolate boxes.

This week, Tesco took the crown for best overral rates on Christmas chocolate.

Tesco Clubcard holders are able to pick up Nestle Celebrations and Quality Street for £4.50, while Cadbury’s Heroes and Roses have been reduced to £5.25.

Activists unfurled a giant photograph of US President Donald Trump with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein near Windsor Castle on Tuesday, where King Charles is set to host him during his state visit.

Qatar’s prime minister pledged to continue its efforts to stop Israel’s war on Gaza, ahead of an emergency international summit to discuss a joint response after the Israeli attack in the Qatari capital Doha.

The Trump administration renewed its request Sunday for a federal appeals court to let him fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, a move the president is seeking ahead of the central bank’s vote on interest rates.

The administration filed a response just ahead of a 3 p.m. Eastern deadline Sunday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, arguing that Cook’s legal arguments for why she should stay on the job were meritless. Lawyers for Cook argued in a Saturday filing that the administration has not shown sufficient cause to fire her, and emphasized the risks to the economy and country if a president were allowed to fire a Fed governor without proper cause.

Sunday’s filing is the latest step in an unprecedented effort by the White House to shape the historically independent Fed. President Trump’s move to oust Cook marks the first time in the central bank’s 112-year history that a president has tried to fire a governor.

“The public and the executive share an interest in ensuring the integrity of the Federal Reserve,” Trump administration lawyers argued in Sunday’s filing. “And that requires respecting the president’s statutory authority to remove governors ‘for cause’ when such cause arises.”

Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has accused Cook of signing separate documents in which she allegedly said that both her Atlanta property and a home in Ann Arbor, Mich., also purchased in June 2021, were “primary residences.” Pulte submitted a criminal referral to the Justice Department, which has opened an investigation.

Trump relied on those allegations to fire Cook “for cause.”

Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Fed governor, referred to the condominium as a “vacation home” in a loan estimate, a characterization that could undermine claims by the Trump administration that she committed mortgage fraud. Documents obtained by the Associated Press also showed that on a second form submitted by Cook to gain a security clearance, she described the property as a “second home.”

Cook sued the Trump administration to block her firing, and a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.

The administration appealed and asked for an emergency ruling just before the Fed is set to meet this week and decide whether to reduce its key interest rate. Most economists expect they will cut the rate by a quarter point.

Suderman writes for the Associated Press.