criticise

The English Football League has criticised the “undermining” of the Carabao Cup after it was forced to compromise on the date of Crystal Palace’s quarter-final because of fixture congestion.

Palace will now face Arsenal in the last eight at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, 23 December at 20:00 GMT.

The other three quarter-finals take place the previous week but the Eagles’ commitments in the Uefa Conference League – they host Finnish club KuPS at Selhurst Park on 18 December – has left them with four games in nine days.

Palace host Manchester City on 14 December and are away to Leeds on 21 December, either side of the KuPS game.

A statement from the EFL was critical of the “expansion of European cup competitions” which it believes was “implemented without adequate consultation with domestic leagues”.

The EFL said it had “shown a willingness to compromise” but scheduling conflicts are “now entirely unavoidable”.

“To continue making endless concessions only serves to undermine the reputation of the EFL Cup,” said the statement.

“It also challenges the traditional scheduling of the English football calendar and strength of our domestic game.”

Uefa’s European calendar now stretches across 10 midweeks, rather than the six of two seasons ago, with the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League each given a standalone week for exposure.

It has caused a huge logistical headache, with the third round of the EFL Cup having to be seeded and played across two weeks to keep clubs in the Champions League and Europa League apart.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner said last week it would be “irresponsible” if the club were forced to play two games in three days.

The EFL said it shared the “frustration and concern” of managers and players concerning the congested programme which deprived clubs of the “necessary time for preparation” and ability to “field their strongest line-ups” in the EFL Cup.

The Premier League recently blamed the increased number of European fixtures for there being just one game on 26 December in the English top flight.

Boxing Day fixtures have been a long-standing tradition in English football but this year the only Premier League game will be Manchester United’s home match with Newcastle United (20:00 GMT).

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have called for de-escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran, following a call between the leaders.

The presidents showed a united front in their response to the escalating crisis on Thursday, after their shared geopolitical rival, the United States, indicated it had not ruled out joining Israel’s strikes on Iran.

During the call, Xi called for “major powers” to help cool the conflict, in a thinly veiled reference to Washington. Russia, which has a strategic cooperation pact with Tehran, says it has been urging the US not to strike Iran, warning it would dramatically destabilise the region and risk a nuclear disaster.

Following the call, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Putin and Xi “strongly condemn Israel’s actions, which violate the UN Charter and other norms of international law”, news agencies reported.

Both leaders “fundamentally believe that there is no military solution to the current situation and issues related to Iran’s nuclear programme”, he said, adding that a solution “must be achieved exclusively through political and diplomatic means”.

Putin has presented his country as a potential mediator in the conflict over Iran’s nuclear programme, but so far he has not been taken up on his offer.

Ushakov said that during the call, Putin reiterated his suggestion of mediating in the dispute, and Xi expressed his support, “as he believes it could serve to de-escalate the current acute situation”.

Chinese state media reported that, during the call, Xi had called for all parties, “especially Israel”, to “cease hostilities as soon as possible to prevent a cyclical escalation and resolutely avoid the spillover of the war”.

He added that “major countries” with “special influence” in the region should step up their diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation, Chinese state media reported, in an apparent reference to the US.

‘Rough edges’

The leaders also remarked on the apparent friction between Western leaders at the recent G7 conference in Canada, Ushakov said.

“They noted the well-known rough edges that emerged in the relations between participants,” the Kremlin aide said, according to the Reuters news agency.

The G7, an informal club of major industrialised democracies, concluded its latest summit on Tuesday without leaders issuing a joint statement in support of Ukraine, as it had in recent years.

Trump, having made comments in support of Russia at the summit, left a day earlier than expected, making bellicose statements about Iran on his return that have fuelled fears of more direct US involvement in the conflict.

Iran-Russia cooperation

Moscow and Tehran signed a long-delayed strategic cooperation agreement in January, reinforcing ties between the allies who share an anti-US stance.

Although Russia has not yet provided Iran with weaponry, it has assisted with its contentious nuclear programme, which Tehran insists is for peaceful civilian purposes.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday, Putin said that more than 200 Russians were continuing to work at Iran’s Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant, and that an agreement had been reached with Israel over their safety.

Xi made his first public comments on the crisis at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, saying he was “deeply worried” about Israel’s military operation against Iran.

Ushakov said Xi and Putin had agreed to keep in close contact in the coming days as the crisis unfolds. The leaders plan to next meet in China in late August at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, the Kremlin aide said.

United States President Donald Trump promised Americans that his crackdown on immigration would lead to a better life, but “now they’re seeing that isn’t working”, argues Democratic Congressman Rohit Khanna.

Khanna tells host Steve Clemons that the Democratic Party “needs to respect American voters”. Americans “want to have hope again in America … They’re tired of threatening to arrest each other.”

He says Elon Musk could be an asset for Democrats, as he opposes several Trump initiatives, such as banning all international students, gutting scientific research, imposing blanket tariffs, and adding to the US government debt.

Hostages and Missing Families Forum called for a ‘return to the negotiating table’.

Families of Israeli captives held in Gaza have intensified their criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid large protests across the country, as the expanded military ground offensive and deadly bombardment in the Palestinian territory put the release of their loved ones at risk.

On Saturday, protesters took to the streets in Tel Aviv, Shar HaNegev Junction, Kiryat Gat, and Jerusalem, with members of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum accusing the Israeli government of prioritising its war over securing the return of their relatives.

“We demand that the decision-makers return to the negotiating table and not leave it until an agreement is reached that will bring them all back,” the group said in a statement on Saturday.

Among those speaking at a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday was Einav Zangauker, the mother of captive Matan Zangauker, who directly addressed Netanyahu: “Tell me, Mr Prime Minister: How do you go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. How do you look in the mirror knowing that you’re abandoning 58 hostages?”

The mounting anger among families has only deepened in recent days following Netanyahu’s nomination of Major General David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency.

Zini has reportedly voiced opposition to any deal to bring an end to Israel’s war on Gaza, telling colleagues during Israeli military meetings: “I oppose hostage deals. This is a forever war,” according to Israel’s Channel 12.

“The families of the kidnapped are outraged by the words of Major General Zini. If the publication is true, these are shocking and condemnable words coming from someone who will be the one to decide the fate of the kidnapped men and women,” the forum said in a statement on Friday.

“Appointing a Shin Bet chief who puts Netanyahu’s war before the abduction of the kidnapped is tantamount to committing a crime and doing injustice to the entire people of Israel,” the group said.

Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Zini came just one day after Israel’s Supreme Court found his attempt to fire outgoing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to be “unlawful”, citing a conflict of interest tied to Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial.

Despite the court ruling that Netanyahu could not appoint a replacement, he proceeded with the appointment of Zini anyway.

The attorney general later warned that the prime minister had defied legal guidance and tainted the appointment process.

The criticism comes as Netanyahu still faces an international arrest warrant request from the International Criminal Court over war crimes committed during the Gaza war.

BBC News presenter Nina Warhurst has hit back at a viewer’s unsolicited critique regarding her accent and wardrobe choices after she was named as cover for Naga Munchetty

BBC News presenter Nina Warhurst has clapped back at a viewer’s unasked-for critique of her accent and wardrobe. Recently stepping up to present BBC‘s News at One and occasionally appearing on BBC Breakfast, Nina responded to a harsh comment that emerged online.

Nina shared the viewer’s message on Instagram. The comment read: “Just wondering if @NinaWarhurst has an opinion on what constitutes TOO short a skirt for a 44-year-old. Anyway, it’s pleasing there’s a very positive move towards ‘received’ pronunciation.”

However, the broadcaster didn’t let the comment go unanswered. Alongside denouncing the viewer’s words, Nina also posted her own retort.

In her response, she wrote: “When you briefly check back in with Twitter/X because surely it can’t be the stream of uninvited feedback from men that you remember… oh hi there. (Translation: if you’re gonna look like an old trout, it’s more acceptable if you don’t sound Mancunian. Noted.)”

This incident comes after Nina’s significant career shift from BBC Breakfast to the BBC News at One, although she still makes guest appearances on the morning show. The mother-of-three has been a key part of the Breakfast team for seven years, becoming a familiar face on the iconic red sofa and reporting from various locations, reports Leicestershire Live.

Upon announcing her new role in March, she stated: “I’ll be hanging up the high-viz and hairnet for a wee while as I join the BBC’s News at One.”

The presenter took a moment to reflect with her followers, recounting her initial emotions: “I was heavily pregnant, very nervous, and unbelievably excited to be offered a few shifts on the national broadcast treasure that is @bbcbreakfast. The job was made permanent as we came out of a lockdown and began looking around and wondering how we might pick up the pieces to heal and live again.”

She went on to express her gratitude: “It’s been a privilege to help support our audiences through this tumultuous time. I am always amazed by those who invite us in to share their stories.”

Recently, the host admitted she was in tears as she said farewell to BBC Breakfast. The journalist presented her last ever segment on the show , and couldn’t help getting emotional at the end of an era after joining in 2018.

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