International

Taylor looked poised for a 4-1 lead but, having potted a red to leave O’Sullivan needing a snooker, he went in-off when potting the black with his next shot.

World number five O’Sullivan made a clearance of 48 to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Taylor won a nervy sixth frame in which both players missed chances, but it was vintage O’Sullivan from that point on as he punished any errors and demonstrated his exceptional cue ball control.

A superb long red got him going in the deciding frame and, with the balls in ideal position, he sealed victory with ease.

O’Sullivan, who turns 50 next month, is selective about the tournaments he competes in.

He has reached the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters and Xi’an Grand Prix and the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters this season.

O’Sullivan told the WST website: “It never feels like a grind when you are cueing well.

“I’m enjoying playing more than I have done for maybe over a decade.

“When I play alright, the crowd appreciate the shots and the break-building. When I click into gear, that raises the temperature in there a little bit.”

“There’s so much T20 talent there and the next period will be important to get cricket into these guys and get them ready for the World Cup.

“Mitch [Santner] is a brilliant captain and leader – he has really come into his own with this team.

“It’s now their time to push the Black Caps forward in this format and I’ll be supporting from afar.”

The T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka starts in February.

Williamson made his T20 debut for New Zealand in 2011 but had not featured since June 2024.

Regarded by many as the best batter in New Zealand history, he is their leading Test run-scorer of all time and fourth on the ODI list.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink said Williamson had earned the right to decide how he finished his ODI and Test careers.

“We’ve made it clear to Kane he has our full support as he reaches the back end of his illustrious career,” he said.

“We would, of course, love to see him play for as long as possible, but there’s no doubt whenever he does decide to finally call time, he will go down as a legend of New Zealand cricket.”

New Zealand completed a 3-0 clean sweep in the one-day series against England on Saturday, having lost a rain-affected T20 series 1-0 beforehand.

China and the United States have agreed to ease their trade war – for now.

There have been concessions from both, with some of the most painful measures put on hold for a year.

So, what tactics did each side use in the battle between the world’s two biggest economies? Will they work? And what’s the longer-term outlook: agreement, or more trouble ahead?

Presenter: Nick Clark

Guests:

Andy Mok – Senior Research Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization think tank in Beijing

Neil Thomas – Fellow on Chinese Politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis in Washington, DC

William Lee – Chief Economist at the Milken Institute in Los Angeles

Follow our live build-up, with toss and team news, ahead of our full text commentary stream of cricket’s World Cup warm-up.

Joseph Giarraputo, Founder and Editorial Director of Global Finance, speaks with Sabine Zucker, RBI’s Head of Group Transaction Banking, about the products and services required to support cross-border growth with smooth transactions and operational continuity in CEE markets.

Based on RBI’s over three decades of experience operating in these economies with 12 full-service banks, Zucker believes corporates have a lot to be excited about when looking at the region’s future. From Serbia, to Albania, to Croatia, for example, GDP growth is outpacing many Western European counterparts.

Yet companies need to be flexible in the face of the inevitable challenges stemming from uncertainty in today’s market environment as well as fluctuating geopolitical and compliance landscapes. 

A case in point is the need for risk mitigating products like guarantees and letters of credit. At the same time, local transaction banking and trade finance expertise is vital to interpret and overcome requirements that differ from country to country.

More specifically, companies expanding into the CEE region need robust and comprehensive cash management and payment solutions. In response, RBI developed CMIplus, a flagship cash management platform designed from the ground up to support real-time, omnichannel treasury operations

Effective trade finance solutions are also essential to managing supply chains.These are particularly important for those international corporates that need longer guarantees for different types of business, in turn calling for local staff with on-the-ground expertise.

Watch this video to get further insights into what it takes for international businesses to succeed in CEE markets, and how an experienced banking partner can help.

Unlock your business potential with insights and best practices from Raiffeisen Bank International straight to your inbox. Get your guide to expanding your business 

Oct. 29 (UPI) — Human rights organization Amnesty International said Wednesday that a U.S. airstrike that hit a Houthi detention center in Yemen in April should be investigated as a war crime.

The April attack on Saada, in the northwestern part of Yemen, was part of Operation Rough Rider and killed civilian migrants held in a Houthi detention center because of their immigration status, Amnesty said.

The migrants often come through Yemen from the horn of Africa to get to Saudi Arabia for work.

At the time of the attack, the Houthis reported that at least 68 African migrants were killed and 47 were injured.

On Wednesday, Amnesty also released a report, It is a miracle we survived: U.S. Air Strike on Civilians Held in Sa’ada Detention Centre, in which it interviewed 15 survivors and did analysis on satellite imagery and footage.

“The harrowing testimonies from survivors paint a clear picture of a civilian building, packed with detainees, being bombed without distinction,” said Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, in a statement.

“This was a lethal failure by the U.S. to comply with one of its core obligations under international humanitarian law: to do everything feasible to verify whether the object attacked was a military objective.”

She called on the United States to give reparations to the migrants and their families, “including financial compensation. Given the air strike killed and injured civilians, the U.S. authorities should investigate this attack as a war crime,’ she said.

“Where sufficient evidence exists, competent authorities should prosecute any person suspected of criminal responsibility, including under the doctrine of command responsibility.”

The U.S. air strikes were conducted to protect the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, which had begun in response to the war between Israel and Hamas. The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, support Hamas.

“The U.S. must conduct a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the air strike on the Saada migrant detention center and make the results public,” Beckerle said.

“Survivors of this attack deserve nothing less than full justice. They must receive full, effective, and prompt reparations, including restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition, through an effective and accessible mechanism.”

On April 27, CENTCOM released a statement saying, “These operations have been executed using detailed and comprehensive intelligence ensuring lethal effects against the Houthis while minimizing risk to civilians.

“To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations. We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we’ve done or what we will do.”

Follow our live build-up, with toss and team news, in the run-up to our full text commentary stream.

Gyeongju, South Korea – As US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to meet for the first time since 2019, Washington and Beijing appear poised to reach a deal to lower the temperature of their fierce rivalry.

But while Trump and Xi are widely expected to de-escalate US-China tensions in South Korea on Thursday, expectations are modest for how far any agreement will go to resolve the myriad points of contention between the world’s two largest economies.

Many details of the expected deal that have been flagged in advance relate to avoiding future escalation, rather than rolling back the trade war that Trump launched during his first term and has dramatically expanded since returning to office this year.

Some of the proposed measures involve issues that have only arisen within the last few weeks, including China’s plan to impose strict export controls on rare earths from December 1.

Whatever Trump and Xi agree to on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, there is little doubt that Washington and Beijing will continue to butt heads as they jockey for influence in a rapidly shifting international order, according to analysts.

“I have modest expectations for this meeting,” said Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore.

“I think, no matter what happens this week, we haven’t seen the end of economic tensions, tariff threats, export controls and restrictions, and the use of unusual levers like digital rules,” Elms told Al Jazeera.

Contours of a deal

While the exact parameters of any deal are still to be determined by Trump and Xi, the contours of an agreement have emerged in recent days.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in media interviews this week that he expected China to defer its restrictions on rare earths and that Trump’s threatened 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods was “effectively off the table”.

Bessent said he also anticipated that the Chinese side would agree to increase purchases of US-grown soya beans, enhance cooperation with the US to halt the flow of chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, and sign off on a finalised TikTok deal.

While heading off a further spiralling in US-China ties, a deal along these lines would leave intact a wide array of tariffs, sanctions and export controls that hinder trade and business between the sides.

Since Washington and Beijing reached a partial truce in their tit-for-tat tariff salvoes in May, the average US duty on Chinese goods has stood at more than 55 percent, while China’s average levy on US products has hovered at about 32 percent.

Washington has blacklisted hundreds of Chinese firms deemed to pose national security risks, and prohibited the export of advanced chips and key manufacturing equipment related to AI.

China has, in turn, added dozens of US companies to its “unreliable entity” list, launched antitrust investigations into Nvidia and Qualcomm, and restricted exports of more than a dozen rare earths and metallic elements, including gallium and dysprosium.

US-China trade has declined sharply since Trump re-entered the White House.

China’s exports to the US fell 27 percent in September, the sixth straight month of decline, even as outbound shipments rose overall amid expanding trade with Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe and Africa.

China’s imports of US goods declined 16 percent, continuing a downward trend since April.

“The structural contradictions between China and the United States have not been resolved,” said Wang Wen, dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China in Beijing, predicting continuing friction and “even worse” relations between the superpowers in the future.

“Most importantly, China’s strength is increasing and will surpass that of the United States in the future,” Wang told Al Jazeera.

‘De-escalation unlikely’

Shan Guo, a partner with Shanghai-based Hutong Research, said he expects the “bulk” of the deal between Trump and Xi to be about avoiding escalation. “A fundamental de-escalation is unlikely given the political environment in the US,” Guo told Al Jazeera.

But with the US having no alternative to Chinese rare earths and minerals in the near-term, Washington and Beijing could put aside their differences for longer than past trade truces, Guo said.

“This means reduced downside risks in US-China relations for at least a year, or perhaps even longer,” he said.

Dennis Wilder, a professor at Georgetown University who worked on China at the CIA and the White House’s National Security Council, said that while he is optimistic the summit will produce “positive tactical results”, it will not mark the end of the trade war.

“A comprehensive trade deal is still not available,” Wilder told Al Jazeera.

“Bessent and his Chinese counterpart will continue negotiating in hopes of a more lasting agreement if and when President Trump visits China next year.”

Trump and Xi’s go-to language on the US-China relationship itself points to the gulf between the sides.

While Trump often complains about the US being “ripped off” by China, Xi has repeatedly called for their relations to be defined by “mutual respect” and “win-win cooperation”.

“The United States should treat China in a way that China considers respectful,” said Wang of Renmin University.

“They have to respect China, and if they don’t, then the United States will receive an equal response until they become able to respect others,” he added.

Officials signal that trade deal is close as Trump and Xi prepare to meet for the first time since 2019.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The United States and China have hailed the outcome of trade talks in Malaysia, raising expectations that Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will seal a deal to de-escalate their trade war at their first meeting since 2019.

US and Chinese officials on Sunday said the sides had made significant progress towards a deal as they wrapped a weekend of negotiations on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Trump and Xi are set to meet on Thursday on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, marking their first face-to-face talks since the US president returned to the White House and embarked on a radical shake-up of global trade.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that the sides had come up with a “framework” for Trump and Xi to discuss in South Korea.

Bessent said in a subsequent interview with NBC News that he expected the sides to reach a deal that would defer China’s threatened export controls on rare earths and avoid a 100 percent tariff that Trump has threatened to impose on Chinese goods.

Bessent also said in an interview with ABC News that Beijing had agreed to make “substantial” purchases of US agricultural products, which the treasury secretary said would make US soya bean farmers “feel very good”.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing’s top trade negotiator, said the sides had reached “a basic consensus” on “arrangements to address each side’s concerns”.

He said they agreed to “finalise specific details” and “proceed with domestic approval processes”, according to a readout from China’s Ministry of Commerce.

Asian stock markets surged on Monday on hopes of easing US-China tensions.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s KOSPI both hit record highs, with the benchmark indexes up about 2.1 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively, shortly after midday, local time.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng also saw strong gains, rising about 0.85 percent.

After attending the ASEAN summit, Trump on Monday departed for Japan, where he will meet newly sworn-in Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The US president is scheduled to then travel on to South Korea on Wednesday.

While Trump has imposed significant tariffs on almost all US trade partners, he has threatened to hit China with higher levies than anywhere else.

Countries have been anxiously anticipating a breakthrough in the tensions, hoping Washington and Beijing can avoid a full-blown trade war that could do catastrophic damage to the global economy.

In a major escalation in US-China tensions earlier this month, Beijing announced that it would require companies everywhere to acquire a licence to export rare-earth magnets and some semiconductor materials that contain even trace amounts of minerals sourced from China or are produced using Chinese technology.

The proposed rules, which are set to take effect on December 1, have raised fears of substantial disruption to global supply chains.

Rare earths, a group of 17 minerals including holmium, cerium and dysprosium, are critical to the manufacture of countless high-tech products, including smartphones, electric cars and fighter jets.

Trump responded to Beijing’s move by threatening to impose a 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods from November 1.

Analysts have cast the tit-for-tat moves as efforts by the Chinese and US sides to gain leverage in their negotiations ahead of the Trump-Xi summit.

Petro, however, did acknowledge that a disruption in the two countries’ military cooperation could have serious consequences.

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has indicated that a suspension of aid from the United States would mean little to his country, but that changes to military funding could have an effect.

“What happens if they take away aid? In my opinion, nothing,” Petro told journalists on Thursday, adding that aid funding often moved through US agencies and employed Americans.

But a cut to military cooperation would matter, he added.

“Now, in military aid, we would have some problems,” Petro said, adding that the loss of US helicopters would have the gravest impact.

US President Donald Trump had threatened over the weekend to raise tariffs on Colombia and said on Wednesday that all funding to the country has been halted.

Colombia was once among the largest recipients of US aid in the Western Hemisphere, but the flow of money was suddenly curtailed this year by the shuttering of USAID, the government’s humanitarian assistance arm. Military cooperation has continued.

The Trump administration has already “decertified” Colombia’s efforts to fight drug trafficking, paving the way for potential further cuts, but some US military personnel remain in Colombia, and the two countries continue to share intelligence.

Petro has objected to the US military’s strikes against vessels in the Caribbean, which have killed dozens of people and inflamed tensions in the region. Many legal experts and human rights activists have also condemned the actions.

Trump has responded by calling Petro an “illegal drug leader” and a “bad guy” – language Petro’s government says is offensive.

Petro has recalled his government’s ambassador from Washington, DC, but he nevertheless met with the US’s charge d’affaires in Bogota late on Sunday.

Although Trump has not announced any additional tariffs on top of the 10-percent rate already assessed on Colombian goods, he said on Wednesday he may take serious action against the country.

Petro said Trump is unlikely to put tariffs on oil and coal exports, which represent 60 percent of Colombia’s exports to the US, while the effect of tariffs on other industries could be mitigated by seeking alternative markets.

An increase in tariffs would flip a long-established US policy stance that free trade can make legitimate exports more attractive than drug trafficking, and analysts say more duties could eventually bolster drug trafficking.

Although his government has struggled to take control of major hubs for rebel and criminal activity, Petro said it has made record seizures of 2,800 metric tonnes of cocaine in three years, partly through increased efforts at Pacific ports where container ships are used for smuggling.

He also repeated an accusation that Trump’s actions are intended to boost the far right in Colombia in next year’s legislative and presidential elections.

Economists credit US President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign with reducing trade between Germany and the US, its top trading partner last year.

China overtook the United States as Germany’s largest trading partner during the first eight months of 2025, preliminary data from the German statistics office has shown.

The data indicated that German imports and exports with China totalled $190.7bn (163.4 billion euros) from January to August, while trade with the US amounted to $189bn (162.8 billion euros), according to Reuters calculations.

The US was Germany’s top trading partner in 2024, ending an eight-year streak for China. Germany had sought to reduce its reliance on China, citing political differences and accusing Beijing of unfair practices.

But trade dynamics shifted again this year, with US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and his renewed tariff campaign.

The tariffs have pushed down German exports to the US, which fell 7.4 percent in the first eight months of the year compared with 2024.

In August, exports to the US also fell 23.5 percent year-on-year, showing that the trend is accelerating.

“There is no question that US tariff and trade policy is an important reason for the decline in sales,” said Dirk Jandura, president of the BGA foreign trade association.

Jandura added that US demand for classic German export goods, such as cars, machinery and chemicals, had fallen.

With the ongoing tariff threat and the stronger euro, German exports to the US are unlikely to rebound any time soon, said Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at the financial institution ING.

Exports to China fell even more sharply than those to the US, dropping 13.5 percent year-on-year to $63.5bn (54.7 billion euros) in the first eight months of 2025.

By contrast, imports from China rose 8.3 percent to $126.4bn (108.8 billion euros).

“The renewed import boom from China is worrying – particularly as data shows that these imports come at dumping prices,” said Brzeski.

He warned that the trend not only increases German dependence on China, but could add to stress in key industries where China has become a major rival.

“In the absence of economic dynamism at home, some in Germany may now be troubled by any shifts on world markets,” said Salomon Fiedler, an economist at the bank Berenberg.

US President Donald Trump said the deal had been negotiated over the last four to five months.

United States President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have signed an agreement on rare earth and critical minerals as China tightens control over global supply.

The two leaders signed the deal on Monday at the White House.

Trump said the agreement had been negotiated over four or five months. The two leaders will also discuss trade, submarines and military equipment, Trump said.

Albanese described it as an $8.5bn pipeline “that we have ready to go”.

The full terms of the agreement were not immediately available. The two leaders said part of the agreement had to do with processing of the minerals. Albanese said both countries will contribute $1bn over the next six months for joint projects.

China has the world’s largest rare earths reserves, according to the US Geological Survey data, but Australia also has significant reserves.

The two leaders also planned to discuss the $239.4bn agreement, reached in 2023 under then-US President Joe Biden, in which Australia is to buy US nuclear-powered submarines in 2032 before building a new submarine class with Britain.

US Navy Secretary John Phelan told the meeting the US and Australia were working very closely to improve the original framework for all three parties “and clarify some of the ambiguity that was in the prior agreement”.

Trump said these were “just minor details”.

“There shouldn’t be any more clarifications, because we’re just, we’re just going now full steam ahead, building,” Trump said.

Australian officials have said they are confident it will proceed, with Defence Minister Richard Marles last week saying he knew when the review would conclude.

China’s rare earth export controls

Ahead of Monday’s meeting between the two leaders, Australian officials have emphasised Canberra is paying its way under AUKUS — a trilateral military partnership between the US, Australia and the United Kingdom, contributing $2bn this year to boost production rates at US submarine shipyards, and preparing to maintain US Virginia-class submarines at its Indian Ocean naval base from 2027.

The delay of 10 months in an official meeting since Trump took office has caused some anxiety in Australia as the Pentagon urged Canberra to lift defence spending. The two leaders met briefly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month.

Australia is willing to sell shares in its planned strategic reserve of critical minerals to allies including Britain, as Western governments scramble to end their reliance on China for rare earths and minor metals.

Top US officials last week condemned Beijing’s expansion of rare earth export controls as a threat to global supply chains. China is the world’s biggest producer of the materials, which are vital for products ranging from electric vehicles to aircraft engines and military radars.

Resource-rich Australia, wanting to extract and process rare earths, put preferential access to its strategic reserve on the table in US trade negotiations in April.

Members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have voted to postpone approving a plan to curb shipping emissions, after United States President Donald Trump threatened to impose sanctions on countries that supported the measure.

The vote on Friday set back plans to regulate the shipping industry’s contributions to climate change by at least 12 months, even though the Net Zero Framework (NZF) had already been approved by members of the London-based IMO, a United Nations body, in April.

The decision to formally delay adopting the framework until late next year came a day after President Trump took to his Truth Social platform, saying: “I am outraged that the International Maritime Organization is voting in London this week to pass a global Carbon Tax.”

“The United States will NOT stand for this Global Green New Scam Tax on Shipping,” he said, telling countries to vote against the plan.

Washington also threatened to impose sanctions, visa restrictions and port levies on countries that supported the deal.

In advance of this week’s meeting in London, about 63 IMO members who had voted for the plan in April were expected to maintain their support for curbs on emissions, and others were expected to join the initiative to formally approve the framework.

Following Trump’s social media threat, delegates in London instead voted on a hastily arranged resolution to push back proceedings on the matter, which passed by 57 votes to 49.

The IMO, which comprises 176 member countries, is responsible for regulating the safety and security of international shipping and preventing pollution on the high seas.

Since returning to power in January, Trump has focused on reversing Washington’s course on climate change, encouraging fossil fuel use by deregulation, cutting funding for clean energy projects and promising businesses to “drill, baby drill”.

‘A missed opportunity’

A spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres called Friday’s decisions “a missed opportunity for member states to place the shipping sector on a clear, credible path towards net zero emissions”.

The International Chamber of Shipping, representing more than 80 percent of the world’s fleet, also expressed disappointment.

“Industry needs clarity to be able to make the investments needed to decarbonise the maritime sector,” the chamber’s Secretary-General Thomas Kazakos said in a statement.

Disappointed, but still very much Committed! https://t.co/7P192kAvCx

— Thomas A. Kazakos (@ThomasKazakos) October 17, 2025

Ralph Regenvanu, the minister for climate change for Vanuatu, said the decision to delay the vote by 12 months was “unacceptable given the urgency we face in light of accelerating climate change”.

“But we know that we have international law on our side and will continue to fight for our people and the planet,” Regenvanu added.

Leading up to Friday’s decision, China, the European Union, Brazil, Britain and several other members of the IMO had reaffirmed their support.

Countries that opposed the measures included Russia and Saudi Arabia.

A Russian delegate described the proceedings as “chaos” as he addressed the plenary on Friday after talks had lasted into the early hours.

Argentina and Singapore, two countries that had previously voted in support of the framework in April, were among those that voted to postpone introducing it this week.

If it had been formally adopted this week, the Net Zero Framework (NZF) would have been the first global carbon-pricing system, charging ships a penalty of $380 per metric tonne on every extra tonne of CO2-equivalent they emit while rewarding vessels that reduce their emissions by using alternatives.

The framework plan is intended to help the IMO reach its target of cutting net emissions from international shipping by 20 percent by 2030 and eliminating them by 2050.

Climate change is already beginning to affect shipping and the safety of seafarers, including by changing ocean currents and causing more frequent and severe storms.

Proposals to reduce reliance on dirtier bunker fuel in the shipping industry include using ammonia and methanol, as well as fitting cargo ships with special sails.

Two years of Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians – including 20,000 children.

For now, the bombing campaign has largely halted after a ceasefire was agreed last week.

But the Israeli military’s actions in the past 24 months were livestreamed, documented and archived in unprecedented detail.

In September, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry found that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. And this week, South Africa said the ceasefire will not affect its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

But the ICJ lacks the resources to carry out arrests unless United Nations member countries decide to act.

So, will Israel be held accountable, or will impunity become the new norm?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Sawsan Zaher – Palestinian human rights lawyer

Dr Mads Gilbert – Researcher and medical doctor who has worked in Palestinian healthcare for more than 30 years

Neve Gordon – Professor of international law at Queen Mary University of London

Domingos passed his healthcare course too – and over the next few years, spent time in Spain with second-tier Basketmi Ferrol and top-flight Servigest Burgos, then followed his friend and mentor Bartolo to Portugal to join BC Gaia, all the while racking up international appearances for the country of his birth.

“Spain’s the biggest league in the world,” Domingos said. “It’s the NBA of wheelchair basketball.

“I played alongside two of the best players: Mateusz Filipski – he’s known as wheelchair basketball’s Steph Curry. He can shoot from everywhere. He’s a good leader, an amazing human. And I played alongside Lee Fryer, one of England’s most exciting emerging players.”

But Domingos wanted to come back to England to study, starting a business management degree at the University of Huddersfield – he is set to graduate next summer.

He kept up his fitness playing wheelchair basketball for a team in Wakefield, who shared training facilities with Wheelchair Championship rugby league side Castleford. A friend urged him to sign up with Cas – and everything has snowballed from there.

In April, he scored the winning try as they beat North Wales Crusaders to win the Wheelchair Challenge Trophy, for second-tier clubs. In June, he was called into England’s 17-strong national performance squad.

And then in August, he made the final 10 to fly to Australia – qualifying for the call-up on residency grounds. His domestic season was capped last month when Castleford beat Rochdale in the Wheelchair Championship Grand Final.

“It feels amazing to be part of the Ashes,” he said. “England is a family. I feel privileged to be part of this.

“I think my experiences with Portugal will help me to deal with the pressure. I can take some of the things I’ve learned in professional settings to this.

“At the moment, I’m enjoying this. Everything happens for a reason and you know, if I try to understand the reason, it won’t be so. Whatever happens tomorrow, I’m not sure. I’m hoping it’s a good thing, but I’m living today.”

England defender Millie Bright has announced her retirement from international football.

The 32-year-old, who was part of England’s European Championship-winning team in 2022, made her senior debut in September 2016 and went on to win 88 caps.

“I’ve been weighing this up for a long time,” Chelsea captain Bright said on Monday’s ‘Rest is Football: Daly Brightness’ podcast.

“It’s one of those decisions no-one can make for you. It’s a feeling and I’m at peace with it.”

Bright missed out as England defended their Euros title in Switzerland in July after ruling herself out of the tournament because she would be unable to “give 100% mentally or physically”.

Over the summer she had successful knee surgery and started counselling sessions, while she said the decision to withdraw from Sarina Wiegman’s squad was “by far the best decision I have ever made”.

“Having the summer to reflect, fix my knee and get my head straight really put things into perspective. As you get older your priorities change. I’ve been craving family time, time with friends and time for myself,” Bright said.

Bright started every game as England won their first major women’s trophy at Euro 2022, and captained Wiegman’s side to the World Cup final a year later, which they lost to Spain.

“I’m incredibly proud and honoured to have played for England for so long. Every single cap has been special and the memories I’ve made – especially with this one sat opposite me – have been some of the best of my life,” Bright said on the podcast, which she co-hosts with her friend and former England team-mate Rachel Daly.

“But yeah, it’s time. It’s the right time for me to call it a day with England.”

Bright’s final game for the Lionesses was a 3-2 defeat by Belgium in April.

The statement is a blow to R360 organisers whose pitch to players had included the promise that the tournament would be scheduled away from international action, leaving open the possibility of combining the new tournament with their Test careers.

R360 plans to launch in October 2026, offering players hefty contracts and a slimmed-down playing schedule to represent new teams in a series of events in major cities around the world.

Organisers say they have agreements in place with close to 200 men’s players, while they have reportedly also made offers to stars of the recent women’s Rugby World Cup , externalin England to feature in a parallel competition.

Last year, the RFU invested £15m into the women’s game, which returned £8m in revenue. It is hoped that revenue will grow to a cumulative total of £60m over the next five years.

However, an October 2026 inaugural event is likely to clash with the newly launched Global WXV Series in the women’s game.

The Rugby Championship, the southern hemisphere’s premier international event, while expected to take a year off in 2026, often runs into October as well.

A plan to stage future editions of R360 in two blocks – April to June and August to September – would clash with the build-up to the men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.

Ratification from World Rugby, which had been R360 organisers’ preference, depends on them finding a way to stage the event around existing specific international windows throughout the year.

With the incentive for doing so now minimal in light of their recruits being banned from the Test game, R360 may be more likely to pursue a rebel approach, proceeding without ratification from the governing body, with its players cut off from the rest of the game.

R360 has planned for such an eventuality, however players would need to be compensated more lavishly to be convinced to take up a place in a divisive breakaway league, while it may also cause potential hosts cities to reconsider.

Player unions have also warned stars to take legal advice before signing any agreements with R360.

The International Rugby Players Association (IRPA), an umbrella group which connects player unions in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, has urged players to be cautious, stressing that R360’s full plans are not yet clear.

“Detailed information about the competition remains outstanding and the competition does not currently have World Rugby regulatory approval,” it said.

“Players are encouraged to speak to their player association or, where no player association exists, directly to IRPA or a legal advisor, prior to signing any contract pertaining to the competition.”

R360 is continuing discussions with the IRPA and, while it is keen to have player union support, it is confident it can launch without it.

“Our global series puts players first and we will continue to engage extensively with stakeholders including IRPA,” said an R360 spokesperson.

“We’ve engaged directly with players and their closest advisors. We’re truly excited to launch next year and showcase incredible male and female talent, excite fans and help to grow the game we love.”

Organisers claim R360 will bring in revenues untapped by the current club and provincial game, believing the steep drop in interest between the international game and top-tier domestic competition is a missed opportunity.

Although still seeking their first home league win of the season, Wrexham have only lost one of their last six games in the Championship.

Moore’s fellow Wales international Nathan Broadhead secured a point for Wrexham in a 1-1 on Tuesday away at Leicester City, who were a Premier League side last season.

“Leicester are a great side,” Moore added.

“For a team that has just been relegated and for us to go there and impose ourselves.

“We could have come away with three points, which is a credit to us and what we’re trying to do here.”

The result at the King Power Stadium was a second successive Championship draw for Wrexham, following a 3-2 win at Norwich.

“I think we can really see some momentum in not just our results, but in the way we play and the way we’re moving the ball,” Moore continued.

“It’s come a long way and hopefully we continue that.

“I’m only judging from my personal experience – It’s just momentum, really.

“You need a string of results together, you need a group that’s hard work and all on board, really.”

For now at least Moore’s full focus is on Wrexham but then the attention will turn to two big games for Wales – the friendly against Thomas Tuchel’s side England and a potentially decisive World Cup qualifier in Cardiff.

Moore scored his 15th goal for Wales on his 50th appearance in September’s 1-0 qualifying win in Kazahkstan.

“There’s no greater honour playing for your country. You know, it’s everything you ever want,” Moore added.

“International football is amazing and to be a part of it and to play a part in it is incredible.”

A Gaza-bound aid flotilla is currently sailing toward the enclave, entering a high-risk zone where previous missions have faced attacks and interceptions.

On Wednesday, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that the Israeli military is preparing to “take control” of the flotilla with naval commandos and warships. Israel wont tow all 50 vessels however and will sink some at sea, Kan said.

Israel intends to detain hundreds of activists on naval ships, question them then deport them via the port of Ashdod.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Spain on August 31, is the largest maritime mission to Gaza to date. It brings together more than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries, as part of an international effort to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and deliver aid to Gaza.

The map below shows the latest location:

So, is Israel entitled to board ships that are in international waters? The answer is no, here’s how territorial and international waters work.

Which waters does a country control?

Coastal countries control the waters closest to their shores, called territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles (22km) from the coast. In this zone, the state has full sovereignty, just like over its land.

Beyond that, they have rights over up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) of ocean, including the water and seafloor. This area is called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In the EEZ, countries can regulate activities such as fishing, mining, drilling, and other energy projects, while still allowing other countries freedom of navigation.

France has the largest EEZ, covering approximately 10.7 million square kilometres (4.2 million sq miles), thanks to its overseas territories. It is followed by the US, Australia, Russia, and the UK.

Where are international waters?

Covering about 64 percent of the ocean, the high seas lie beyond any country’s territorial waters and economic zones and are not controlled by a single state, with their use governed by international agreements.

What are the laws of the high seas?

The laws of the high seas are governed by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It stipulates that all states can enjoy freedom of movement of ships in the high seas and aircraft can fly freely.

It also allows the laying of subsea cables and pipelines, as well as fishing, scientific research and the construction of islands. All three of which are subject to international agreements and laws.

Ships that are on the high seas are subject to the jurisdiction of the flag they fly, except those conducting piracy and other unauthorised activities.

Israel has attacked previous flotillas in international waters

Several Freedom Flotilla vessels have attempted to break the blockade of Gaza since 2010. All were intercepted or attacked by Israel, mostly in international waters where it has no territorial rights.

The most deadly occurred on May 31, 2010, when Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara in international waters. The commandos killed 10 activists, most of them Turkish, and injured dozens more, sparking global outrage and severely straining Israel-Turkiye relations.

The map below shows the approximate locations where prominent flotillas were stopped, some encountering deadly Israeli forces.

In 2024, amid ongoing flotilla missions delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, UN experts stated that: “The Freedom Flotilla has the right of free passage in international waters, and Israel must not interfere with its freedom of navigation, long recognised under international law.”

The Sumud Flotilla had been sailing through international waters and into Palestinian territorial waters, where it has the legal right to navigate and deliver humanitarian aid.

According to Stephen Cotton, the General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), representing more than 16.5 million transport workers globally, “The law of the sea is clear: attacking or seizing non-violent, humanitarian vessels in international waters is illegal and unacceptable.”

“Such actions endanger lives and undermine the basic principles that keep the seas safe for all. This is not only about seafarers, it’s about the safety of everyone at sea, whether on a commercial ship, a humanitarian vessel, or a fishing boat. States cannot pick and choose when to respect international law. The seas must not be turned into a theatre of war.”  Cotton told Al Jazeera.

According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the mission is not only lawful but also protected under a comprehensive set of international legal instruments. Including:

• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) – Guarantees freedom of navigation on the high seas
• San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea – Prohibits blockades that cause starvation or disproportionate suffering and forbids the targeting of neutral humanitarian missions
• UN Security Council Resolutions 2720 and 2728 – These binding instruments demand unimpeded humanitarian access and the removal of all barriers to aid delivery
• Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide – Includes the prevention of acts deliberately endangering civilians
• Fourth Geneva Convention – Imposes an obligation to permit the free passage of humanitarian aid and prohibit interference with relief operations and the targeting of civilian infrastructure
• Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court – Criminalises the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and willful obstruction of humanitarian aid.