europe

As disruption affects users worldwide, Microsoft admits fixes are not going ‘as expected’.

It’s one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, dating back to 1570

A recent study by mobility specialists at Muick Sandy named Europe’s most accessible Christmas markets. The research examined the proximity to accessible toilets, parking and step-free public transport, surrounding terrain conditions, and the accessibility amenities on offer to guests.

According to the research, Strasbourg, in France, tops the list as Europe’s most accessible Christmas market. Visitors were found to be a mere 23 metres from step-free public transport, the shortest distance of any market examined.

Strasbourg also scored nine out of 10 for accessibility facilities, making it perfect for older travellers visiting the famous Christmas market this winter.

Strasbourg is known as the “capital of Christmas”, and its festive market ranks amongst the oldest and most enchanting in Europe, with roots stretching back to 1570.

It is also considered one of the most stunning in the world, set against the backdrop of its magnificent cathedral. Strasbourg recently featured in TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Top 10 French destinations.

Boasting timber-framed houses and charming canals, this picturesque city makes for an ideal winter escape.

Strasbourg Christmas Market runs from November 27 to December 24, 2026.

Birmingham came second and was named the UK’s most accessible Christmas market, scoring a perfect 10 out of 10 for accessibility facilities. Guests are situated just 110 metres from an accessible toilet, 158 metres from accessible parking and 133 metres from step-free public transport.

The experts explained: “Just 5.7% of the surrounding ground assessed was rough or uneven, contributing to Birmingham finishing comfortably ahead of the remaining markets.”

Birmingham Christmas Market runs from November 5 to December 24, 2026.

Ben Kenny, director at Muick Sandy, said: “Christmas markets are a huge part of the festive season for millions of people, but something as simple as uneven ground, a long journey from accessible parking or a lack of suitable facilities can make visiting much more difficult for somebody with limited mobility.

“Anyone with mobility needs planning a Christmas market trip should check the accessibility information available before travelling, particularly the location of parking, toilets and step-free transport.”

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Most accessible Christmas markets

1. Strasbourg, France
2. Birmingham, United Kingdom
3. Baden-Baden, Germany
4. Frankfurt, Germany
5. Vienna, Austria
6. Rotterdam, Netherlands
7. London, United Kingdom
8. Dresden, Germany
9. Nuremberg, Germany
10. Manchester, United Kingdom

Poland’s two main political camps are locked in an escalating fight for control of the Constitutional Tribunal, each claiming to defend the rule of law. In the process, they are undermining the legitimacy of the Polish state in the eyes of its own citizens, playing directly into Putin’s playbook.

The roots of the dispute go back more than a decade. In 2015, the outgoing centre-right Civic Platform-controlled parliament attempted to appoint judges to the Constitutional Tribunal for vacancies that should have been left to the incoming parliament. The newly elected conservative Law and Justice government used this controversy to intensify its efforts to pack the Tribunal with party nominees rather than independent judges.

Now back in power, Civic Platform is trying to bring new judges into the Constitutional Tribunal. But President Karol Nawrocki and the Tribunal’s leadership, both aligned with Law and Justice, have blocked several of the newly appointed judges from taking office. Last month, one of the newly elected judges ordered the suspension of the Tribunal’s president and deputy, and police were deployed to the building. Nawrocki denounced the move as a forcible takeover, while Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended it as an effort to restore the rule of law.

Moscow has already seized on the confrontation to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Poland’s institutions. On November 3, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described the intervention as a “coup”.

A decade ago, it was the conservative Law and Justice government that sought to pack the Constitutional Tribunal with party nominees, disregarding legal constraints. Today, it is the coalition of the centre-right Civic Platform and the liberal Left that is acting unlawfully. We see the main parties becoming mirror images of one another. Conservative Law and Justice is calling on its supporters to take to the streets to defend the rule of law, a slogan previously used by the liberal opposition when Law and Justice was in power. Now it is the liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk who is playing the strongman, with police carrying shields and wearing helmets deployed around the Constitutional Tribunal during the operation. He presents himself as an effective leader who gets things done, with little regard for legal subtleties and doubts raised even by some liberal-leaning experts. Against this backdrop, a photograph of Tusk reading an issue of the philosophical journal Kronos devoted to Carl Schmitt has recently circulated widely on social media. Schmitt, a theorist of decisionism, famously declared, “Sovereign is he who decides on the exception.”

Law and Justice’s efforts to politicise the Constitutional Tribunal pushed middle-aged supporters of the liberals in big cities onto the streets a decade ago. It seems, however, unlikely that Poles will again take to the streets in their millions to support either political bloc. The public is tired of the tug-of-war between politicians, not only because both main blocs demonstrate considerable hypocrisy when invoking the rule of law over force, but also because the fight does not speak to people’s chief everyday concerns: the cost of living and the safety of a country with an aggressive neighbour waging a hot war on its border and a hybrid and cognitive war inside the country.

What has changed drastically compared to the protests that took place a decade ago, when the main forces occupied mirror-image positions, is the geopolitical context: Russia’s full-scale war in neighbouring Ukraine, alongside its hybrid and information warfare aimed at weakening Poland’s position on the global stage.

In the worst-case scenario, this struggle over the legitimacy of state institutions could extend to elections. A precedent can be found in Romania, where, on December 6, 2024, the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election following intelligence reports of alleged foreign interference, social media manipulation and campaign financing irregularities, and ordered the electoral process to be repeated.

What we might see in other Central and Eastern European countries, including Poland if the situation deteriorates, is, on the one hand, the liberal establishment adopting measures that override electoral outcomes, such as courts annulling elections in response to genuine foreign interference through social media campaigns. On the other hand, the opposition could become increasingly anti-establishment, effectively delegitimising the institutions of the state. The problem will be aggravated by the fact that foreign interference may be real rather than invented by the establishment.

These two opposing forces are squeezing the middle ground on which democracy depends: on one side, social media platforms controlled by foreign superpowers algorithmically manipulating the emotions of the populus and fuelling distrust in the state; on the other, the decisionism of an establishment governing in a state of exception through politically subordinated courts. Both leave less space for thoughtful civic self-determination.

A large part of the commentariat in Poland, however, still sees this dynamic as another round in the familiar two-party struggle between Civic Platform’s EU-oriented liberals and Law and Justice conservatives backed by the US. Beyond this rivalry, Russia- and China-inspired, supposedly anti-establishment radical influencers and parties, both anti-European and anti-American, seek to portray the state as a foreign occupation. The wilder the theories delegitimising the state become, the more pretexts the ruling establishment will have to delegitimise the opposition.

The danger is no longer simply that one political bloc might gain control of the Constitutional Tribunal at the expense of another. It is that, as both sides continue to undermine the legitimacy of state institutions, growing numbers of Poles may cease to see those institutions as their own. What is being weakened is not just the authority of a particular government, but the bond between citizens and the state itself.

No one could be happier about this kind of self-reinforcing dynamic, which weakens Poland’s position, than Putin.

If any healing is possible, it will not come from the existing political forces.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

A stunning view on the Isle of Skye

At Camasunary bay on the Strathaird peninsula of the Isle of Skye, we watched an otter at low tide lifting seaweed to find crabs. Boots off, we crossed one of Skye’s shortest (and coldest) rivers, before slogging upwards through unforgiving heather to the col beneath the pathless hill Sgùrr na Strì. The mountain view from the summit’s glaciated slabs is perhaps the finest in Scotland – or even Europe. Below is landlocked Loch Coruisk, girdled by the black teeth of the entire Cuillin ridge. Extraordinary. An hour passed, maybe two, before we headed back. The otter was by then long gone, hopefully just as replete and satisfied as we were.

Hugh Jones

Winter walking on the Cape Wrath trail

I did a long-distance winter walk on part of the Cape Wrath trail, heading south from the hamlet of Strathcarron to Fort William. Initially, the weather was perfect, with temperatures of about -4C, but then a full-on named storm blew in. I camped a couple of nights, but all my water froze. I then stayed in some great bothies. After five days, the only other person I had seen was at a gift shop in Morvich.

Tim

Pristine beaches on the Isle of Lewis

My girlfriend and I pitched our tent at Ardroil Sands, dropping a fiver into the campsite honesty box and putting aside pound coins for the hot showers later. The weather was unusually warm and there really was a tropical feel to the place. After firing up our barbecue, the glassy Atlantic beckoned. With dry bags strapped to our paddleboards, we launched into the turquoise waters of Uig. As we skirted rugged headlands and the water beneath us shifted to deep sapphire, we glided into the hidden sanctuary of Carnish Beach, claiming our own untouched white-sand paradise at the edge of the world.

Jason

Rewilding in Glen Affric

Last September, I spent a week in Athnamulloch Bothy in Glen Affric with 10 other like-minded people of different ages and backgrounds, planting trees, removing old deer fencing, climbing hills and viewing beaver lodges from canoes. We were volunteering for Trees for Life, which manages a range of rewilding projects in the north-west Highlands from their tree nursery base at Dundreggan (which also hosts volunteers). I found wonderful company and fulfilling activities all in an utterly beautiful location. The cost (£690) includes accommodation and food, with all profits going to the charity.

Debbie Carr

Blissful isolation on Iona

The tiny island of Iona might be best known for its medieval abbey and nunnery, but the whole southern part of the island is uninhabited and wild – you can explore all day and not see another soul. There’s an abandoned marble quarry, several idyllic bays and stunning views everywhere you look. And when you get tired of exploring and isolation, you can quickly head back into the village for food and drink.

Roddy

The beauty of Kintyre

I visited the remote Kintyre peninsula in a very wet January and was still blown away by its beauty. The world-class whisky distilleries and log fires helped, as did the sandy beaches and historic sites. The quality of the seafood rivalled that of Oban. I loved it so much I visited again in summer, and also went to the Isle of Gigha, another incredible place. This time the sun was shining and we got that Caribbean feeling. Can’t wait to go back again.

Michelle

An adventure in Knoydart

It was an adventure to get into and out of remote Knoydart. There are no roads, so the choice is between a multiday hike from Kinloch Hourn or Glenfinnan, or the 40-minute ferry from Mallaig. We took the latter, which proved an adventure in itself. Magnificent Munros rise sharply above shimmering sea lochs, while ancient woodlands and quiet shores offer plenty of red deer and dolphin sightings. Our hike up Ladhar Bheinn offered dramatic views over the area, and on another day we followed some locals on part of the Cape Wrath trail. We stayed in the village of Inverie and visited the UK’s most remote pub, the Old Forge. Inverie sits on beautiful Loch Nevis – often called the Loch of Heaven because of its idyllic calm waters and spacious open setting.

Joe

Sea kayaking on the west coast

A multiday sea kayaking journey in the Moidart and Arisaig region on the west coast fully immersed us in a remote wilderness. Unzipping our tents each morning above a glorious white beach with our kayaks there ready was unreal. We would paddle past seals, lunch on another beach or island, and enjoy the ever-changing vistas of distant islands and a delightful new camping spot every evening. Dinner cooked after a day’s paddling tasted fabulous, and the sunsets over the sea, which few others got to see, were sublime. The trip was through Arisaig Sea Kayak Centre and cost £595.

Glynis Davies

Winter wonders on Mull

The Ardmeanach peninsula in February offers a broody atmosphere and wonderful wildlife. Thin red sunrises illuminated the wake of an otter swimming past our lochside cottage window; the shortened days featured thunderous clouds, snow and rainbows. Atop a wizened Scots pine in Tiroran forest, a majestic sea eagle perched in sunlit splendour. A noble stag held our enraptured gaze in a stunning roadside encounter. Shoreside walks, through volcanic rocks erupted a mere 60 million years ago, led to basalt columns and, for the brave (the paths are narrow and vertiginous), MacCulloch’s Fossil Tree, trapped in lava for ever.

Barbara Maher

Winning tip: forest and corries on a long Cairngorms hike

One of the most incredible multiday hikes is into the heart of the Cairngorms. Start at Glenmore (there’s a campsite on the beach of Loch Morlich, or great rooms and a bar at the Lodge) and walk an hour or so on a good path up to Ryvoan bothy, through woodland alive with crested tits, red squirrels and capercaillie. Walk past Bynack More and round to Lairig an Laoigh, where you might feel like the only people in the world. You can wild camp on the route below pure dark skies, but it’s a walk up the Fords of Avon that is the real highlight. A rough path takes you past Beinn Mheadhoin (worth diverting up for the huge rock formations on the summit) until Loch Avon opens up in front of you – one of the most stunning corries in Scotland and a beautiful place for a swim, a climb or just to lie back and watch the world.

Hannah

Prosecutors say the woman shared security details with Ukraine, while her lawyers argue the information wasn’t secret.

A court in Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad has sentenced a 66-year-old rights lawyer to 12 years in prison for treason, after prosecutors accused her of passing sensitive information to Ukraine.

The court imposed the sentence on Thursday on Maria Bontsler, according to the rights group Slovo Zashchite, which said she had worked with a number of defendants accused of political offences in Kaliningrad.

The territory sits on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Poland.

A court statement posted on Telegram did not name her, but said she had been detained by the FSB intelligence agency on allegations of passing information to Ukraine beginning in 2024 about security officers in Kaliningrad.

Prosecutors also alleged she gave Ukraine information on criminal cases in the exclave that were of interest to Kyiv, the statement said.

She was also given an extra year of restrictions on her activity. Prosecutors had sought 15 years, according to Slovo Zashchite.

Closed trial

Slovo Zashchite said the trial was held behind closed doors, with Bontsler and her lawyers prevented from attending, and that she was allowed only to make a closing statement. It said her lawyers argued that none of the information cited by prosecutors was secret, and that she had been in ill health in detention.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, parliament has approved laws that make public actions aimed at “discrediting” the army illegal and ban the spread of “fake news” about the armed forces.

Russian courts have also jailed lawyers who took on politically sensitive cases. In January 2025, a court sentenced three lawyers of the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny to between three and a half and five and a half years on “extremism” charges, in a case widely seen as an effort to discourage defence lawyers from taking political cases.

Michael Olise gives France the lead, but double from Pio Esposito and one from Davide Frattesi secures win for Italy.

Francesco Pio Esposito struck twice to inflict a first defeat on Zinedine Zidane as France’s head coach, while Italy stormed back to win 3-1 at San Siro and top their Nations League group.

Michael Olise profited from a Gianluigi Donnarumma error to put the visitors in front after 10 minutes on Thursday, but Italy hit back through Esposito and Davide Frattesi either side of half-time.

Inter Milan striker Esposito’s second came from the penalty spot after his brother Sebastiano had earlier fired a spot kick wide, while France were twice denied by the woodwork in an entertaining encounter.

The result sent Italy top of Group A1 on 10 points, level with France but above them on head-to-head record, while Belgium are third on nine points after inflicting a fifth straight defeat on rock-bottom Turkiye.

France were without star attackers Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele through injury, but it did not show as they made an electric start in pouring rain in Milan.

Desire Doue hit the side netting and first-time captain Adrien Rabiot tested Donnarumma before Lucas Da Cunha’s rasping half-volley flew narrowly wide.

But the opener was gifted to France when Donnarumma passed the ball straight to Olise, who skipped past a defender before firing home his fifth goal in five Nations League games – a record only bettered by England captain Harry Kane’s seven.

The hosts struck back in the 26th minute with their first chance of the game when Nicolo Cambiaghi drove to the byline and cut back a cross, which Esposito converted with a deft touch.

The goal brought San Siro to life as the older Esposito sibling, Sebastiano, threatened a quickfire comeback two minutes later, forcing a sharp save from Mike Maignan.

Bradley Barcola came closest to a third goal before the break with a curling shot from the edge of the box that struck the foot of the far post.

The end-to-end nature of the game continued in the second half as Rayan Cherki’s rasping strike was tipped onto the post by Donnarumma before Italy charged up the other end and forced Maignan into a point-blank save from Cambiaghi.

Italy had a glorious chance to go in front when Cambiaghi was tripped by Malo Gusto to earn a penalty, but Sebastiano Esposito failed to join his brother on the scoresheet as he hammered his spot kick wide on the hour mark.

The Azzurri did not dwell on the disappointment for long, taking the lead just three minutes later when Frattesi drilled in a shot from a Federico Dimarco cross moments after the Inter Milan wing-back was brought off the bench.

Fellow substitute Antonio Vergara earned the home side another penalty when he was tripped by Dayot Upamecano, and this time Francesco Pio Esposito stepped up to drill a shot into the bottom corner.

The result continued a strong start to Roberto Mancini’s second spell as Italy coach as his side stretched their unbeaten run to four matches and notched their first home win over France since 1962.

Belgium host Italy and Turkiye travel to France in the final round of group games on Sunday.

Elsewhere, captain Harry Kane celebrated his record 126th cap for England with a match-winner from the penalty spot as England beat Croatia 2-1 at Wembley on Thursday to qualify for the Nations League last eight.

The 33-year-old followed a script that seemed destined to happen when he stepped up in the 64th minute to put England ahead in front of an 80,400-strong crowd after the hosts had conceded a sloppy equaliser five minutes earlier.

It was the Bayern Munich forward’s 92nd England goal, and there was never any doubt from the moment he placed the ball and sent it straight down the middle as goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic dived to his left.

Kane had started a night of celebration as the centre of attention, handed a commemorative token by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, the previous record holder since 1989, when he surpassed Bobby Moore’s 108 caps.

A legal battle is under way between Argentina and the United Kingdom, triggered by an oil project off the coast of the disputed Falkland Islands.

The Argentinian government wants to stop drilling in the area by a joint British-Israeli venture, saying it should not take place until the issue of sovereignty has been resolved.

For its part, the British government rejects these arguments, stressing its full sovereignty over the area.

The case is the latest chapter in the dispute between the UK and Argentina.

The two countries went to war in the early 1980s after Argentina invaded the Falklands. So, what are the implications of this case?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault

Guests:

Diego Guelar – Former Argentinian ambassador to the United States

Javier Farje – Latin American affairs specialist and historian

Tobias Ellwood – Former British MP who served as a minister at the Ministry of Defence and the UK Foreign Office

The Lewisham Islamic Centre accused the charity watchdog of imposing disproportionate expectations on Muslim charities.

The Lewisham Islamic Centre (LIC) in London has rejected a warning issued by the UK’s independent Charity Commission, which reprimanded the mosque for comments on Palestinian suffering made by an imam during October 2023 sermons.

“The matters raised by the Commission represent a troubling attempt to scrutinise, restrict and penalise legitimate religious worship” and “the expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people,” the mosque said in an official statement issued Wednesday.

The statement comes after the charity watchdog accused the religious centre of including “content that was inflammatory, divisive and not in the charity’s best interests” during two separate sermons, as they issued an official warning urging the centre to “improve its handling of speakers and events hosted at the charity’s premises” on October 20.

The commission warned that if the mosque fails to “remedy the misconduct”, it may be subjected to further action.

‘Unnecessarily burdensome’

The mosque also accused the commission of imposing disproportionate expectations on Muslim charities after the warning, describing them as “unnecessarily burdensome”. The religious centre explained that a sermon, or khutbah, is an integral part of Islamic worship and often speaks to the issues affecting the wellbeing of congregations and their communities. The LIC worried that the warning suggested the commission was “entitled to dictate which subjects Imams may address in their khutbahs”.

LIC added that they are currently seeking legal advice as to the best way to move forward following the warning.

CAGE International, a London-based human rights organisation, supported the mosque, and claimed the Charity Commission showed lenience when it came to pro-Israel charities.

“The Commission’s position treats the word ‘Zionist’ as inflammatory in itself,” CAGE said on Thursday. “This merges opposition to a political ideology with hatred of a people, and places Muslim religious expression under suspicion by default.”

“The Commission has told a mosque that naming who is responsible for Palestinian suffering falls outside acceptable religious practice,” a spokesperson for CAGE said. “This is the same regulator asking for the power to remove trustees for their views,” they added, referring to a recent government consultation to expand the Charity Commission’s powers.

Russian, Belarusian athletes and officials will be prevented from entering Canada regardless of their visa status.

Canada says it will prevent Russian athletes and officials from entering the country for ice hockey’s World Junior Championship in Alberta, effectively barring their participation weeks before the tournament begins.

Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden said on Wednesday that Ottawa opposes Russian and Belarusian participation in international sport “as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine with Belarus’s complicity”.

The minister for immigration, refugees and citizenship “will take measures to individually assess and prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete, regardless of whether they already hold valid visas”, Van Koeverden said.

Hockey Canada has previously said it supports the government’s position.

Late last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to admit Russian teams to five upcoming championships, beginning with the World Junior Championship.

The IIHF, which has barred Russia from most international competitions since Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said it disagreed with the CAS decision.

The hockey federation’s statement followed announcements from Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Czech Republic that ⁠⁠their national teams will refuse to play against Russia at next year’s men’s World Championships in Germany.

Latvia and Finland have also said their teams will not play Russia, while the Finnish city of Turku threatened to ⁠⁠drop its hosting duties for the 2028 World Junior Championship.

Belarus’s team will not participate in the championship following a separate decision by the IIHF.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously said Ottawa would not permit Russian athletes to compete for their country on Canadian soil, a statement some perceived as keeping the door open for their participation as neutrals.

Van Koeverden said Canada allowed neutral participation only by individual athletes, ruling out the option for the Russian team.

“Canada’s position is unequivocal: as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine, there can be no return to business as usual,” he said. “Canada will continue to stand with Ukraine.”

The World Junior Championship runs from December 26 to January 5.

Who: England vs Croatia
What: UEFA Nations League, Group A3
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom
When: Thursday, November 12 , at 8:45pm (19:45 GMT).
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up from 16:45 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream

Harry Kane will lead with a spring in his step and a newly acquired Ballon d’Or trophy on his arm as England host Croatia in a Nations League clash, with a spot in the quarterfinals up for grabs.

The England captain will be man of the hour on Thursday after a prolific few weeks that saw him win the coveted individual honour and he will present the trophy in front of home fans ahead of the match at Wembley Stadium.

Kane, 33, will also become England’s most-capped men’s player, making his 126th appearance. This surpasses the record set in 1990 by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who will be in attendance to mark the occasion.

The Bayern Munich forward is also England’s record scorer with 91 goals.

“Definitely up there with the biggest [achievements of my career],” England captain Kane told reporters at former club Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground on Wednesday after being given a standing ovation when he entered the room.

“It showcases consistency at the highest level and to reach the number of caps I have is a testament to the things I spoke about in my [Ballon d’Or] speech behind the scenes, the dedication, and for sure it is one of the biggest milestones of my career.”

Tuchel said Kane was the “perfect captain and a leader by example” and described his playing style as unique, adding that he is getting smarter with age.

Manager Tuchel also said he has no intention of leaving the England job before the 2028 European Championship regardless of any offers from major clubs.

England eye Nations League quarters

England only need a draw to make it to the quarterfinals having won three and lost one of their four games so far. They sit second with nine points behind leaders Spain with 12 points, and both teams should make it to the last eight.

Croatia are seeking redemption after a 7-0 thrashing from England in their previous encounter last month, followed by a narrower 2-1 defeat to Spain.

The 2018 World Cup runners-up are third in the group, and manager Slaven Bilic emphasised the importance of finishing third to maintain their Nations League A status.

Czechia, meanwhile, have only won once and cannot reach the quarterfinals.

England will travel to Madrid to face world champions Spain on Sunday while Croatia take on Czechia in a home fixture.

Bellingham brothers could feature together

A major talking point for England’s squad selection was the exclusion of midfielder Cole Palmer. But a more captivating storyline is that of Jobe Bellingham finally playing alongside older brother and England star Jude.

The younger Bellingham received his maiden senior call-up after impressing at Borussia Dortmund and England’s under-21 side, which he captains.

Jude had previously said it would be the highlight of his career, while Jobe said it would be an emotional milestone.

“I can’t ignore it, but obviously with Jude being here too, it’s a great, great feeling for the family,” Jobe said.

If he features against Croatia, they will be the 22nd set of brothers to play for England and the first since Gary and Phil Neville in 2007.

What happened in the last England vs Croatia game? 

England ran riot in Rijeka last month to obliterate Croatia 7-0 thanks to a brace each from Kane and Bukayo Saka, while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers were also on target.

Tuchel’s men took just eight minutes to go ahead with an incisive raid that exposed the talent gap between the sides.

“It was the highest level from everyone and from first to last minute as well,” Tuchel said, summing up his side’s dominance.

What have the coaches said?

Tuchel: “For us, it’s important not to chase the same result … we want to win the match to have a chance to win in Spain, and that’s where our focus is. We expect a reaction from Croatia and we expect to overcome this mental challenge for us to start from scratch.”

Bilic: “I told the players that the way we played against Spain last month is our standard. That is how we want to play, with togetherness, aggression and everything else. Tomorrow we have a chance to show that what happened in Rijeka was just a collective bad day.”

Predictions

The Opta supercomputer heavily favours England, with a win probability of 67.2 percent.

Croatia were assigned a mere 14.8 percent chance, while a draw was estimated at an 18 percent likelihood.

Head-to-head

• Previous matches: 13
• England wins: 8
• Draws: 2
• Croatia wins: 3

Last five encounters

• October 3, 2026: Croatia 0-7 England (Nations League)
• June 17, 2026: England 4-2 Croatia (FIFA World Cup)
• June 13, 2021: England 1-0 Croatia (European Championship)
• November 18, 2018: England 2-1 Croatia (Nations League)
• October 12, 2018: Croatia 0-0 England (Nations League)

England team news

England will be without defenders Ezri Konsa and Djed Spence — both expected to recover for Sunday’s clash against Spain — and Tuchel is looking at James Hill for cover.

Marc Guehi is out with a hip injury and has been replaced by Dan Burn. Jarrad Branthwaite, Jarell Quansah and Ben White could all be in contention at centre-back.

Saka, who scored twice in Rijeka, was not named in the squad because of a quadriceps injury that is set to keep him out for weeks.

Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended after being booked in both games against Czechia, while Declan Rice, back after missing the last camp, should partner Elliot Anderson in midfield.

Predicted starting XI: Jordan Pickford (goalkeeper), Lewis Hall,  James Hill, Dan Burn, Ben White, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Harry Kane

Croatia team news

Veteran winger Ivan Perisic will miss the match after receiving a red card against Spain.

Josip Sutalo, Marin Pongracic, Andrej Kramaric and Franjo Ivanovic are also unavailable, with Luka Vuskovic and Duje Caleta-Car expected to start against England’s attack.

Luka Sucic has a fever and is almost certain to miss the game, while Kristijan Jakic is reported to be out of both Nations League games with a knee ligament injury.

Predicted starting XI: Dominik Livakovic (goalkeeper), Josko Gvardiol, Josip Sutalo, Luka Vuskovic, Josip Stanicic, Ivan Perisic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Martin Baturina, Igor Matanovic, Ante Budimir

Doha, Qatar — Late one morning in March 1999, a United States B-52 bomber took off from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, headed southeast. Seven more jets followed, at two-minute intervals.

It was the start of the US-led NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, a campaign in which the Fairford base served as both a pivotal launchpad for American jets and as a fuel station for fighter planes. The British base had served a similar role during the Gulf War in 1991, and would do so again during the 2003 Iraq war and in the early stages of the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28, 2026.

But in October, the US pulled all 12 of its B-1 Lancer bombers from the Gloucestershire base, amid fears that they were no longer safe there from a growing Iranian threat. Days earlier, British security forces had made several arrests, and the country’s government has accused Iran of being behind a plot to target the base — a charge Tehran has denied.

RAF Fairford is not alone. Earlier this month, the US withdrew a dozen planes from another British base, RAF Mildenhall. And in July, reports said that the US had relocated many of its military assets from its bases in the Gulf that were badly hit by Iran during the war, instead moving them to bases in Jordan, while also considering a proposal to shift them to Israel.

For decades, these bases have served as the sharp edge of the US military’s ability to project power and wage wars thousands of miles from home. For close allies, whether in Europe or the Gulf, they also worked as security guarantors against other threats.

But Iran’s ability to severely damage US facilities in the Middle East during the war, and pose a threat as far as the UK, has for the first time turned these critical strategic assets into potential liabilities, both for American allies and for the US itself, say analysts.

“The US security umbrella is becoming a double-edged sword,” Simon Mabon, a professor of international politics at Lancaster University, told Al Jazeera. “When the security of US bases is called into question, it changes Washington’s calculation of their strategic benefits. It also gives European and Gulf states reason to think seriously about the bases, given that they are becoming targets.”

How the Iran war changed the bargain

Hosting American bases has long been perceived as integral to how US allies, whether in Europe, the Gulf or East Asia, deter threats that they themselves face.

Former US President Barack Obama once spoke of an “ironclad commitment” to Gulf security, while Britain regularly invokes its so-called “special relationship” with the United States. In doing so, Britain and the Gulf have long cast themselves as willing partners to a power that — at least before current President Donald Trump — presented itself as the benevolent guarantor of its allies’ security.

But a spate of recent security incidents, many linked to the war on Iran, is testing that narrative and raising questions about whose interests these commitments serve, and whether hosting American forces could be bringing danger closer to home.

US prosecutors have charged three men they describe as Iranian-backed operatives over their alleged roles in plotting nearly 20 attacks across the United States and Europe, including on RAF Fairford.

Meanwhile, in the Gulf, Iran explicitly cited the presence of US bases as justification for targeting its neighbours, bombing Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. Iran also bombed Oman, which does not have a permanent US base; and Jordan and Iraq, beyond the Gulf, which do host major US military facilities.

A report by the Pentagon’s watchdog released in September revealed that Iranian attacks damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US military installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan in the first four months of the war.

At least five KC-135 aerial refuelling tankers were damaged when they were hit at the Prince Sultan airbase in Saudi Arabia. At least one of these airborne early-warning and control aircraft was damaged on the ground in a subsequent strike.

Experts say these incidents are sharpening a security dilemma for US allies in the Gulf and Europe. Hosting US forces can expose them to retaliation in a war they had no say in starting, while those same bases help defend some of those host countries from attacks, including by intercepting missiles and providing weapons transfers.

The war has disrupted flights and shipping, threatening the oil and gas exports on which much of the region depends. US President Donald Trump said on Monday that further military action against Iran was unnecessary for now. But the US naval blockade remains in place, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has yet to return to normal.

“While the utility of hosting foreign military bases has always involved a calculus of risk versus the assumed assurance it provides, the perception among Gulf Arab states is certainly shifting,” Mohammad Ali Shabani, a Middle East analyst, told Al Jazeera. “The vulnerability of these assets is increasingly front-of-mind for host governments, who have not sought war, yet have been drawn into it without having had any real say.”

The US calculation

Washington faces a dilemma of its own. Bases in Europe or the Middle East give it the reach to fight faraway wars, but their presence has also provided Iran with a litany of targets.

In March, an Iranian drone hit a hangar at a British base in Cyprus that the US also uses for intelligence and logistics operations. Tehran threatened Bulgaria after reports emerged that the Eastern European NATO nation had allowed the US to use its Bezmer airbase for refuelling of planes used to attack Iran. Weeks later, Bulgaria’s defence minister announced that the US air tankers had left Bezmer for good, with the country’s president declaring that the “mission is over,” bringing relief to the village that the base draws its name from.

And in the Middle East, several key bases used by US troops have been almost rendered unusable, with those in Kuwait suffering the heaviest damage, say analysts. An attack on the Port of Shuaiba killed six US service members and destroyed an army operations centre. Iranian drones and missiles damaged aviation facilities and injured personnel at Ali Al Salem airbase, while strikes on Camp Buehring damaged maintenance and refuelling facilities.

In Qatar, an Iranian strike damaged the early warning radar system at Al Udeid airbase, which houses the headquarters of US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) air operations. In Bahrain, an Iranian drone struck communications equipment at the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet.

This damage raises a question about how much the US can still use these bases once they come under attack. Gerd Nonneman, a professor of international relations and Gulf studies at Georgetown University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera the war had shown that some bases were “themselves very vulnerable” and “unable to fulfil many of the tasks they were established for”.

Why bases are harder to defend

Mark Hilborne, a senior lecturer at the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera “large bases are indeed becoming more easily targeted”.

“One of the technologies that has allowed this, alongside fairly cheap ballistic missiles, is drones,” he added.

Iran has invested heavily in developing cheap, domestically produced drones that inflict disproportionate damage to targets and exhaust far more expensive interceptor missiles.

Meanwhile in the UK, drones present US airbases with different challenges. While the nature of the reported threat to RAF Mildenhall remains unclear, the Fairford case concerns an alleged plot. “The range of actors who might target bases has changed,” Urban Coningham, a research fellow and course lead at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in the UK, told Al Jazeera. “Bases are more vulnerable, and that changes the risk calculation.

“Anyone can manufacture a drone in a basement … People looking to create mischief or mayhem can recruit organised criminals, making attacks harder to attribute.”

All of that, he said, makes bases “more vulnerable, and that changes the risk calculation”.

‘Policy conundrum’

As Washington moves some military assets out of bases in the Gulf and Europe, it could also come to rely more heavily on Israel, its closest ally in the Middle East. Shabani said there were “already signs that CENTCOM is moving towards using Israel as a key forward base”.

Israel launched the war on Iran in February alongside the US. With the oil and gas exports on which Gulf economies depend at risk, keeping US forces nearby allows Washington to respond, but it also leaves those forces exposed to Iranian attacks.

“The longer-term solution is to work with partners and ensure that allied forces are ready to fend for themselves,” RUSI’s Coningham said.

“There is a debate within the US policy establishment, and the Iranians are referencing it and saying that as long as US forces are there, they are a target,” he said. “That is the policy conundrum for the US. Ultimately, they can’t see any alternative to having bases in some form.”

The meeting with Kushner and Witkoff comes after two days of trilateral talks in the UAE yielded no breakthrough.

United States envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have ⁠arrived in ⁠Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in their latest push for a peace deal ⁠in Ukraine.

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special envoy, met Kushner and Witkoff at their plane on Thursday morning and accompanied them to central Moscow.

The meeting comes on the heels of two days of trilateral peace talks in the United Arab Emirates that concluded in the capital, Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday with news of another planned major prisoner exchange but no breakthrough on ending the nearly five-year war.

The US said differences remained on major issues, including territory, but some progress had been made on post-war security guarantees.

Kyiv has strongly rejected Putin’s demands to surrender all of its eastern region of Donbas in ⁠return for peace.

The Abu Dhabi talks were the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine mediated by the US in nine months.

Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow, said one of the goals of Thursday’s visit would be for the US team to persuade Putin to invite Europeans to the negotiation process.

“Ukraine and the US want the European partners to be involved while Moscow is adamant about talks without the Europeans, and that’s why they’ve been largely excluded from the process,” she said.

Shapovalova added that the US delegation would bring Putin an updated proposal for a peace plan and the presence of Dmitriev in the talks was an indication that they would address some of the more complex issues.

European leaders meet in Dublin

During the US-backed effort to revive talks, leaders from more than 40 European countries gathered in Dublin on Thursday for a summit focused on the continent’s security.

The meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) brought together heads of state and government from the European Union and other European countries, including the United Kingdom. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also attended.

The EPC was established in 2022 as a forum for countries both inside and outside the 27-nation EU.

Zelenskyy and his European allies are expected to discuss this week’s talks in Abu Dhabi.

Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Witkoff are scheduled to meet Zelenskyy in Dublin on Friday after talking to Putin.

Audrey Macalpine, reporting from Kyiv, said Ukrainians do not believe the talks in Moscow will yield results. “Over the past two days, we saw just another prisoner exchange, which has been the case in previous talks,” the correspondent said.

“When it comes to the negotiations, not much has changed in terms of where these two sides stand,” Macalpine added. “Perhaps the biggest thing of note [in the talks] was that they took place at all.”

Meanwhile, French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad on Thursday ‌said the ⁠EU will approve more sanctions ⁠against Russia.

“On Monday, we will take new sanctions against ⁠Russia on 150 additional ⁠entities, 50 banks, and it’s ⁠France which proposed the ⁠bulk ⁠of the entities to add,” Haddad ‌told LCI television.

Sporadic clashes broke out in Madrid and Barcelona after protests were held across Spain over housing affordability and purchasing power, just weeks before an early general election.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters turned out on Wednesday during Spain’s first nationwide 24-hour strike since 2012.

Authorities estimate about 120,000 demonstrators marched through the capital and more than 50,000 rallied in Barcelona.

In Madrid and Barcelona, groups of hooded and masked demonstrators hurled projectiles at police and sparked fires. Police, meanwhile, used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters.

Police forces reported at least 73 arrests nationwide by 21:00 GMT on Wednesday from at least 1,044 incidents linked to the general strike, including blockades of offices and industrial estates, and the burning of rubbish containers.

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Chip giants stock price falls more than 8 percent amid speculation over co-founder’s position.

Chip giant Nvidia’s stock price has tumbled amid reports that its board of directors is meeting to consider the future of CEO Jensen Huang.

Nvidia shares fell more than 8 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday as questions swirled over Huang’s position at the top of the $4.2 trillion company.

The plunge comes after The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times reported that Nvidia’s board of directors would discuss Huang’s position amid controversy over his personal life.

Nvidia did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.

The reported meeting comes amid reports that Huang engaged in an extramarital relationship with an Nvidia employee, in addition to an affair with a woman accused of working the Chinese intelligence services.

This is a developing story.

Wexford, Ireland – They cross the ocean floor between continents, carrying nearly all our data, from messages and calls to trillions of dollars in financial transactions each day.

Subsea cables underpin global communications and power economies, but they are also increasingly seen as vulnerable to sabotage.

About 75 percent of transatlantic subsea cables pass through or near Irish waters, according to the Irish government, connecting North America with Europe – giving the small European Union member outsized strategic importance.

Ireland is also a major hub for United States tech multinationals, including Google, Microsoft and Meta, with a growing concentration of data centres supporting the digital economy.

But increased activity by Russian vessels near undersea infrastructure in recent years has raised concerns that cables around Ireland could become targets of interference.

In November 2024, the Russian ship Yantar, officially an oceanographic research vessel but described by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence as a spy ship, was monitored near undersea infrastructure in the Irish Sea before being escorted out of Ireland’s exclusive economic zone by the Irish Navy.

Two months later, the UK’s Defence Ministry said the vessel had been “caught loitering over critical undersea infrastructure in UK waters.”

In late 2025, the British government accused Yantar of directing lasers at Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots monitoring its movements in the North Sea.

‘Ireland is absolutely Europe’s weakest link when it comes to defence’

Ireland has limited capability to monitor its waters – it has the lowest defence spending as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) in the EU, and its navy has no submarines. It is militarily neutral and not part of NATO.

Irish senator Tom Clonan, a strong supporter of Irish neutrality, argued that it should not be a barrier to boosting defence.

“Because of the end of the violence and the conflict in Ireland, and with the ceasefires and the peace agreement, we’ve had a peace dividend. So for the last 30 years, successive governments have really taken their foot off the accelerator when it comes to defence and security. And then, more broadly, Europe has enjoyed a peace dividend after the fall of the Berlin Wall,” he told Al Jazeera.

“So as a consequence of those two things, Ireland is absolutely Europe’s weakest link when it comes to defence in the air, maritime, ground and cyber domains,” he added.

The Irish government recently boosted its naval powers, allowing the navy to board and inspect suspicious vessels.

Ensuring defence against “emerging threats in our waters, particularly from vessels linked to the Russian shadow fleet” is a priority, Defence Minister Helen McEntee said in March, referring to the ageing, often uninsured tankers used to transport Russian oil and circumvent Western sanctions.

Their presence in Irish waters has raised concerns about both accidental damage and deliberate interference with undersea infrastructure. Moscow disputes the term “shadow fleet” as a political fabrication.

“Recent events in the Baltic Sea and the activities of Russia’s shadow fleet have highlighted the importance of ensuring that we have the legal framework necessary to respond to evolving threats,” McEntee continued.

In December 2024, a tanker suspected of belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet was investigated after power and telecoms cables were damaged in the Gulf of Finland.

A year later, in December 2025, a cargo ship sailing from St Petersburg under the flag of St Vincent and the Grenadines damaged telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia. A Finnish court convicted its Russian captain and Azerbaijani boatswain of aggravated sabotage, according to the Reuters news agency. Both denied wrongdoing, and the conviction can be appealed.

For Daniel Mulhall, Ireland’s former ambassador to the US, that much of the world’s digital infrastructure passes through Irish waters means the country can no longer assume that its geographical position offers protection.

“It’s the fact that there are 850 US multinationals that have operations in Ireland. Many of them have big data centres to manage their data in our country,” he told Al Jazeera. “We are an integral part of the Western digital economy. And therefore, any sort of cyber threat to that economy is going to be potentially aimed at Ireland, or at least we could be victims of it, even if we’re not the prime target. So I think the world has become a far more complex place. And I think Irish people are waking up to that fact.”

Mulhall argued that protecting the cables will require international cooperation.

“I don’t think anyone can guarantee that those cables will be safe, least of all Ireland. But I think with collective effort, we can make reasonable preparations to strengthen our ability to protect those cables from malign actors that might wish to interfere with them,” he added.

“They’re the bloodstream of our economy. And if that bloodstream is interfered with, the economy will have serious trouble.”

Authorities spared no effort in preparation for the Atlantic storm after criticism following January’s Storm Kristin.

More than 300 flights in and out of Portugal have been cancelled, while businesses and all schools nationwide shut down before Storm Charles hit the country’s mainland, but the heavy rainfall and intense winds passed without causing severe damage.

Operations shut down on Wednesday across four different international airports, as well as hundreds of supermarkets and all non-essential public services across the country.

For the first time in living memory, about 8,000 of Portugal’s schools cancelled classes over the significant Atlantic storm forecast.

Streets were largely deserted when Storm Charles arrived, because the government had told people to stay at home, fearing the worst.

The national weather agency, IPMA, recorded wind gusts of more than 120km/h (75mph) in some areas.

Buses without passengers drove through the country’s capital, Lisbon, where some streets flooded due to clogged drains.

A national supermarket chain closed its stores, while the Web Summit technology conference in Lisbon, attended by about 70,000 people, called off the day’s events.

Government response

By mid-afternoon, only the southern Algarve region, a popular European tourist destination, remained on red alert, the highest level of emergency warning, which initially had covered more than half of the country.

Storm Charles had struck the Portuguese island of Madeira, off northwest Africa, on Tuesday with 130km/h (81mph) winds.

In January, the country’s centre-right government faced harsh criticism for its weak response when Storm Kristin hit central Portugal, felling thousands of trees and causing widespread property damage that is still being repaired.

In February, a 70-year-old man died in the southern region of Alentejo after flooding swept his vehicle off a street in the aftermath of Storm Leonardo.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro chaired a crisis unit along with eight government ministers and other officials to monitor the storm.

Interior Minister Luis Neves, who oversees public safety, dismissed suggestions that authorities had overreacted, saying the government organised its response in accordance with the weather forecast.

Storm Charles was forecast to head later into Spain, where workers staged a general strike Wednesday. Strike organisers cancelled or postponed demonstrations in some southern cities, including Cordoba, Huelva and Cadiz.