Fans of the ‘gritty’ BBC drama have been waiting for news about the show’s future
17:38, 13 Oct 2026Updated 20:12, 13 Oct 2026
New cast members for the upcoming series have been confirmed(Image: BBC)
It’s the news fans have been waiting for.
BBC has confirmed when Waterloo Road will return to our screens alongside an exciting update regarding its future. It comes as the series celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year.
Every single episode is still available to stream on BBCiPlayer from the original series which first aired in 2006, up to the recent instalments starring cast members such as Jon Richardson and Adam Thomas. Fans can also catch up on select series via Channel 5 and Disney+.
Now, the broadcaster has now confirmed that series 18 will release in January 2027. Not only that but they have given the go ahead for a 20th series which begins filming this year in Greater Manchester. Fans have been anticipating news about the show’s return which some describe as “one of the best comfort shows ever” and a “gritty real life drama” that keeps them hooked from the first episode.
For those somehow unaware, the synopsis describes the drama series as following the day-to-day activity at Waterloo Road school. It is a place where lessons learned have a way of extending beyond the classroom.
It was initially set at a rundown comprehensive school in Rochdale before moving to an independent school in Scotland. However, after a few years in its new surroundings, the series ended its original run.
It was revived in 2023, with a return to Greater Manchester as its setting and production location. Fans are promised that the new series will continue to explore real-life issues affecting teens, families and school staff.
The drama will continue to tackle bold storylines, balanced with comedy, friendship and romance, all brought to life with Waterloo Road’s trademark warmth and wit. It’s also been confirmed that original cast member Chelsee Healey will return as Janeece Bryant.
They will be joined by newcomer Lauren Hylton as her on-screen daughter, Cheryl Bryant, a new student at Waterloo Road. Other new student cast members include Leo Ashton (Liam Shaw), Callum Broome (Nathan Clark), Yousef Naseer (Ibrahim Azzi), Lewis Pemberton (Cane Morris), and Keelan Wright (Marshall Clark).
A wave of newly qualified teachers will also walk through Waterloo Road’s doors. Tashinga Bepete will play Edward Connell, Cora Kirk as Leah Merchant, and Mollie Winnard as Gemma Tully.
Announcing the news, Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama said: “We’re so pleased to announce a new series of Waterloo Road, giving audiences the opportunity to follow the drama of the characters they’ve come to know and love.
“We look forward to seeing what the next chapter holds for the pupils and staff of Waterloo Road. We can’t wait for the series to return this January.”
Waterloo Road is streaming on BBC iPlayer, Channel 5 and Disney+.
Mum of two Hannah Britt shares her top tips for family road trip success, from choosing the right sized rental car to arming yourself with equipment-free games. Bon voyage!
A family road trip needn’t be stressful with a little bit of prep beforehand(Image: Getty)
Planning a successful road trip with children requires smart packing, strategic timing, and easy entertainment to keep everyone happy. And as a mum of two young children, I’ve got it down to a fine art. This summer we hired a car with Sixt and drove through the south of France, often for long periods at a time. But armed with a bit of knowhow, it was child’s play for all the family. Here’s how it’s done…
Pack the essentials
Mess-free snacks: Pack dry foods like crackers or popcorn in separate plastic containers or use silicone cupcake liners for easy, spill-proof portions.
Plenty of wipes: Bring an abundance of antibacterial wipes and tissues for sticky fingers and unexpected juice spills.
Comfortable clothes: Dress children in soft, loose, and easy-to-wash clothes or let them travel in pyjamas if you leave early or late.
First-aid and emergency gear: Keep sickness bags, a small first-aid kit with child-friendly medicine like Calpol, and bin bags for daily rubbish within easy reach.
Keep kids entertained
Activity bags: Give each child a small bag filled with rotating toys, colouring books, or magnetic games, and allow them to explore each one at a time.
Audio and music: Create a shared family playlist or queue up engaging audiobooks and children’s podcasts to pass the hours.
Screens with headphones: Download movies or games onto tablets ahead of time and pack backup chargers and headphones for each child.
Manage the journey
Time drives with sleep: Depart right before nap times or early in the evening so young children sleep through a major portion of the drive.
Plan active stops: Stop every two to three hours at parks, playgrounds, or open fields so kids can run around and burn off extra energy.
Pre-emptive breaks: Pull over for a toilet break whenever you approach a service station, even if nobody asks yet.
Game time
20 Questions: One person thinks of a secret person, place, or thing. Everyone else takes turns asking up to 20 yes-or-no questions to guess the answer.
I Spy: One player says, “I spy with my little eye something beginning with…” and names a letter of an object seen inside or outside the car. The others guess the object.
The Animal Name Game: The first player names an animal. The next player names a new animal that starts with the last letter of the previous animal (for example: lion ends in N, so the next player says newt).
I’m Going on a Picnic: The leader states an item they are bringing on a picnic based on a secret rule (like starting with the letters of the alphabet in order, or items that spell their name). Other players guess items to figure out the rule.
Rainbow Cars: Players look out the windows and spot cars matching the colours of the rainbow in order—from red and orange through pink.
The Alphabet Game: Passengers look at roadside signs, billboards, and license plates to find every letter of the alphabet in order from A to Z.
License Plate Game: Work together or compete to spot license plates from different regions, states, or countries.
Choose the right car for the family
Choosing the right hire car depends on matching vehicle categories to your passenger count, luggage volume, and driving environment. Because rental companies assign vehicle classes rather than exact makes or models, focus on size segments and practical constraints. For our road trip through France, I chose a BMW X5, which was roomy enough for all of us – plus a mountain of luggage. And snacks.
Small and economy cars
Best for: Solo travellers or couples on city breaks with light luggage.
Capacity: 1–2 adults, 1 small cabin bag.
Pros: Highly fuel-efficient and simple to park on narrow streets.
Cons: Very limited boot space and minimal highway power.
Compact and intermediate (hatchbacks etc)
Best for: Small families or longer road trips balancing comfort and versatility.
Capacity: 2–4 adults, 2–3 medium bags.
Pros: Better highway stability and easier fuel economy than large vehicles.
Cons: Tight rear seating for three adults on extended journeys.
SUVs & full-size estates
Best for: Rural touring, mountainous terrain, or bulky gear.
Capacity: 4–5 adults, robust luggage capacity.
Pros: Elevated driving position and generous cargo room.
Cons: Difficult navigation and parking in tight historic European garages.
People carriers & MPVs
Best for: Large families or groups travelling together.
Capacity: 6–9 passengers.
Pros: Maximum seating flexibility and vast interior volume.
Cons: Height restrictions in underground parking and high fuel consumption; note that using all seats in a 7-seater often eliminates boot space.
The Dodgers are better than you. They’re smarter than you. They’re richer and deeper and more popular than you. You know it, they know it, there’s no point pretending otherwise.
So, yes, they went into the National League Divisional Series looking past the threadbare Atlanta Braves and thinking about the National League Championship Series.
Who does that? In the playoffs?
Your two-time World Series champions with the world’s best starting pitching rotation and a 1-0 NLDS series lead, that’s who.
The way the Dodgers did the math, it made sense to save their ace of aces, Yoshinobu Yamamoto — who last postseason went 5-1, had an ERA of 1.45 and 33 strikeouts in six appearances and won the World Series MVP — for Game 3 of the NLDS.
Not for the tone-setting Game 1 and, potentially, Game 5 on regular rest.
But Game 3.
Because to the Dodgers, that’s not even much of a calculated risk. It was a math problem specific to them, before they beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 in 100-degree heat Saturday afternoon.
They figured they’d be able to throw two consecutive left-handers at the lefty-averse Braves lineup, starting Saturday with recently acquired two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, followed Sunday by Blake Snell, also a two-time Cy Young winner.
Additionally, this way they could have Yamamoto pitch Tuesday on the road, where his ERA is 1.77 instead of at home, where it’s 3.13. And where he’s given up 14 home runs compared with six on the road, where he’s made four fewer starts.
But mostly the Dodgers’ calculus was that having Yamamoto pitch Game 3 means it will line up so that they’ll have him for Game 2 in the NLCS and, if necessary, Game 6 against the Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres. (Or, if you really want to plan ahead — and the Dodgers with their leaky bullpen absolutely should not — for Game 1 of the World Series.)
“That just sets up the rotation and Yamamoto better looking forward,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained before Saturday’s game.
“Not discounting this series, because you’ve got to win this series first, but you start from the fact that they’re all going to pitch — the three [Skubal, Snell and Yamamoto] are going to pitch for sure … and then what sets them up going forward.”
It feels like a faux pas, to be that forward-thinking, and to be saying the quiet part out loud!
“If you can kind of line it up in such a way to give guys ample rest, it puts you in a better position for more options down the road,” Roberts said. “That’s kind of some of the math we had.”
I mean, it adds up. And for these Dodgers — whose fourth starter, Tyler Glasnow, was a key cog in last year’s World Series-winning rotation — it’s a fair assessment.
Though it’s nice of Roberts to pay enough lip service that he’s not totally discounting the best-of-five current series they’re in.
Predictably on Saturday, Skubal, who previously had a 2.04 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 39⅔ playoff innings for the Detroit Tigers, brought his own October heat.
The 29-year-old from Kingman, Ariz., gave up just one run and two hits, walked two and struck out seven — giving him 64 in the postseason, the second most in his first seven postseason appearances behind only Bob Gibson (74), per MLB’s Sarah Langs.
Skubal retired 15 consecutive, hit 101 on the radar gun in the second inning and didn’t have a three-ball count until the fifth inning.
“We knew,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said, “it was going to be a rough ride.”
But Weiss did not know, immediately after Saturday’s loss, when he’d be able to deploy his sole ace, 37-year-old Chris Sale, the 10-time All-Star who just pitched in the Braves’ Game 3 wild-card closeout.
“To me it’s not that big a deal when he pitches,” Weiss said. “The Dodgers can’t win it in two.”
A true statement and a matter of fact: The Dodgers can’t win in two, but they’re not shy about expecting to win.
“It’s prudent to kind of map out potentially how they could line up,” Roberts said Friday. “And that’s just doing your due diligence.
“We are very fortunate because we have four guys essentially that you could really kind of pick through to figure out what’s the best way to deploy all four starters, that’s the exercise. But it starts with having four talented guys.”
Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, reveled in the notion that his club might actually be disproving the rule that you can never have enough pitching — at least when it comes to their elite quartet of starters.
And that, Friedman said, “is very impactful for quality of life.”
The multi-vehicle crash occurred in the Salama area, 90km southeast of Nairobi, killing mostly Catholic pilgrims.
Published On 3 Oct 20263 Oct 2026
At least 17 people, most of them Catholic pilgrims on the way to a prayer site, have been killed in a crash involving multiple vehicles on the highway to the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.
The crash in the Salama area, about 90 kilometres (about 55 miles) southeast of the capital Nairobi, happened after midnight, police said on Saturday.
The crash occurred when a truck driver tried and failed to overtake another truck; that caused a collision with vehicles including a van carrying pilgrims, police said.
Kenyan media reported that the pilgrims were travelling in a 14-seater minibus.
The van’s driver and 16 passengers, most of them women, died at the scene, police said.
The pilgrims were going to a prayer site in Nakuru County, west of Nairobi, said Martin Kivuva, archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa.
The archbishop said in a statement that he and others were “saddened with lots of grief” over the deaths.
President William Ruto offered condolences to the families, friends, parishioners and the entire Catholic community “who are mourning this painful loss”.
Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) launched an investigation into the crash.
The NTSA said it dispatched investigators “to establish the full circumstances leading to the collision”.
But it noted that the stretch of road where the crash occurred is a known “black spot” and that “recommendations have been made to address safety concerns” regarding the route.
Road accidents are a problem across Africa. In Kenya and elsewhere in the region, the accidents are often blamed on poorly maintained vehicles, excess speed and poor road conditions.
Kenya recorded 5,009 road traffic deaths last year, while 2,150 deaths were reported in the first six months of 2026, local media reported, citing numbers from the NTSA.
WASHINGTON — A federal court in Texas on Friday issued a ruling temporarily blocking the Trump administration from building a border wall and other infrastructure across the state’s Big Bend region.
The news marks a major win for landowners, businesses and environmentalists in the region who have united to oppose the planned infrastructure projects, which are part of a $46-billion effort by the Trump administration to line the southern border with a mix of 30-foot steel walls, vehicle barriers, roads and surveillance technology.
Judge Kathleen Cardone said in her ruling that the plaintiffs were “likely to succeed on the merits of at least one of the claims in suit, that there is a likelihood that they will suffer serious, irreparable harm without an injunction, and that the balance of the equities and the public interest weigh in their favor.”
Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Opponents of the border wall project have argued that the Big Bend region is so remote and the landscape so rugged that it serves as its own deterrent to illegal immigration, and that the administration violated the law when it issued a swath of waivers allowing it to bypass numerous regulations in order to speed up border wall infrastructure projects.
Laiken Jordahl, with the Center of Biological Diversity that brought the suit, called Cardone’s ruling a “total victory.”
“The bulldozers are going to be sent packing until she rules on the merits,” Jordahl said. “This is such a historic day for Big Bend and for Texas and the Constitution.”
The court’s decision comes just weeks after the administration erected the first border wall panels in the Big Bend sector in the middle of September.
It takes between 15 and 20 minutes to drive across
15:15, 02 Oct 2026Updated 15:45, 02 Oct 2026
Europe’s longest submerged road disappears under the sea twice a day
The Passage du Gois, in France, is one of the most popular underwater roads connecting the Île de Noirmoutier to the French mainland. The 2.6 miles road vanishes under the sea twice every day, turning a scenic drive into a journey that must be timed around the tide.
High tides submerge the Passage du Gois under 1.5 to four meters (five to 13 feet) of Atlantic Ocean water most of the day. Drivers have to carefully plan their journey as they can only cross during a short window of about three hours.
Nine raised refuge markers stand along the Gois for people caught by rising water. Officials warn that the road should never be treated as passable when it’s flooded, just because another vehicle has entered it.
Alternatively, visitors can use the Noirmoutier bridge to reach Île de Noirmoutier, located 5.3 miles from the Passage du Gois.
Travel experts at Lapland Famille warned drivers and holidaymakers to plan their trips carefully. Alex Dyer, managing director at Lapland Famille, said: “A tide window can look generous until a meal stop runs late or a child needs an unexpected break.
“I’d keep the bridge route ready and treat the Gois as a bonus, because that removes the pressure to race the final minutes with the sea already on its way back in.”
On TripAdvisor, a visitor described the road as “absolutely unique”. They said: “I have known the Passage du Gois since I was a little girl; it is absolutely incredible and unique in the world.
“This road is revealed every six hours, depending on the tide. Of course, you absolutely must know the tide times and coefficients to know how much time you have to be able to cross it and not be caught off guard by the sea.
“The island of Noirmoutier was connected for years only by this passage before the bridge in 1971.
“Many people stop there for shore fishing. Magnificent photos can be taken, and every year, there is a race organised against the clock on the Passage du Gois.”
Other famous underwater roads in Europe are the Lindisfarne Causeway and the Strood, both in England.
The Lindisfarne Causeway is a three-mile paved road connecting the Northumberland mainland to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, as the North Sea tides cover the road twice daily. The Strood, in Essex, is covered by water during high spring tides, temporarily cutting access to Mersea Island.
Portadown, Northern Ireland – On the Garvaghy Road in Northern Ireland, residents have spent days gathering to stand guard in their community.
They have linked arms and blocked their road, preparing to stop a Protestant Orange Order parade from attempting to march through this predominantly Catholic area for the first time in 28 years.
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Some pitched tents. Others brought food and stayed through the night, keeping watch.
“We’ll be here as long as we have to be,” said one local woman, who asked not to be identified for fear of violent reprisals. “I’ve seen the fighting when those Orangemen come along here, and I’m not having it back here – none of us are.”
A demonstrator holds a placard, as people protest on the Garvaghy Road, a Catholic enclave in the largely Protestant town of Portadown, against the Protestant Orange Order’s annual Drumcree parade, in Northern Ireland, September 27, 2026 [Cathal McNaughton/Reuters]
The Orange Order, a Protestant organisation with a historically anti-Catholic tradition, has been banned from marching on Garvaghy Road for the last 28 years.
The High Court order has overturned that ban. Now, a small group of Orangemen gathers at Drumcree Church each day in their traditional regalia, ready to march.
But they have not been able to get beyond the end of the road. Police stand in their way, refusing them permission to pass and citing the risk of violence with so many protesters waiting a few hundred metres away.
This has infuriated the Orange Order, which has called for the Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable, Jon Boutcher, to be removed. The group believe they have a legal right to march and accuse police of yielding to the protesters.
“We hold a positive determination issued by the Parades Commission and reinforced by the High Court judge,” Nigel Dawson, district master of the Portadown Orange Lodge, told Al Jazeera. “The chief constable must comply with the law.”
In the 1990s, there were protests and violence when the Orange Order tried to return from Drumcree Parish Church along the road.
When asked how much longer the Orangemen are prepared to wait, Dawson said, “I’ve been at Drumcree for 28 years.”
Dawson warned of a dangerous precedent in which “might makes right”.
If a protest is big enough, the police can refuse to uphold a court ruling, he said, adding, “We have the law on our side here.”
Ultan Larkin, a protester who travelled to Portadown from the neighbouring town of Armagh to show support for the Garvaghy Road residents, said, “The law is on their side, but justice is not on their side.
“There’s hurt here. There’s pain here. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
The standoff has so far been peaceful. But history tells the story of why this confrontation has a real risk of escalation.
‘Justice is not on their side’
Garvaghy Road was one of the most potent flashpoints of The Troubles – a 30-year conflict between mostly Protestant unionists who fought for Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK, and predominantly Catholic republicans who want a united Ireland.
Orange marches through the Catholic area were usually accompanied by some of the worst sectarian violence Northern Ireland has seen.
The peace deal known as the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, and it transformed Northern Ireland.
Large-scale violence largely ended, former enemies shared power in a devolved assembly at Stormont, and a generation grew up in an era of peace without soldiers manning checkpoints on their streets.
Following this peace process, the Orange Order was prevented from parading along Garvaghy Road – an effective ban that has lasted almost three decades, until now.
In an unexpected decision, the Northern Ireland Parades Commission allowed for a scaled-down Orange march to go ahead under strict conditions. Only 35 Orangemen could take part in the march, and they would have to do so in silence without their usual flutes and drums.
Residents of Garvaghy Road were appalled and legally challenged this ruling.
A High Court judge initially granted an injunction preventing the parade, but the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling late on Saturday, clearing the legal way for the march to proceed on Sunday morning.
A further High Court challenge was subsequently dismissed.
Ultan grew up during the Troubles. He was convicted for having a senior role in the Real IRA and was sentenced to four years in prison – a conviction quashed years later on appeal.
“We have to live together, and to do that we have to respect each other,” he said. “But where is the respect if you’re marching through a community that doesn’t want you and where the people of that community are asking you to march somewhere else?”
“On the Irish tricolour we have green, white, and orange. The green is for the Irish Catholics here, and the orange is for the Protestant community, with white symbolising peace. We all have our place.”
He said there are old wounds on Garvaghy Road.
“People here suffered a lot when the Orange marches came. They remember how bad things were here – the intimidation and that sort of thing – and some people just aren’t able to forgive that.”
Political fallout
The standoff has become a political crisis in Northern Ireland, affecting the power-sharing government that runs the country.
Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle O’Neill visited Garvaghy Road to stand beside the protesters, alongside Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) accuses nationalist politicians of breaking the law by supporting a protest that blocked Garvaghy Road, and observers have questioned how the first minister can continue in her role when she has openly rejected a High Court ruling.
The confrontation is particularly awkward as the DUP and Sinn Fein are supposed to govern together, representing the two principal political traditions that emerged from the conflict as part of the peace process.
The language between them has become increasingly bitter, and in less than nine months, Northern Ireland faces an Assembly election.
For now, the DUP and Sinn Fein remain in government together, while accusing the other of threatening the political settlement that followed the Good Friday Agreement.
Meanwhile, attempts to find a resolution continue.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant has met representatives of the two communities, but talks have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.
His future is also now on the line over this.
Bryant could revoke the Orange Order’s right to march, but he has not exercised this power. Unionists have threatened to call for his resignation if he tries. Irish nationalists say they will do likewise if this parade goes ahead.
Mohammed Abu Hijleh still finds it hard to believe that his mother passed away just over a week ago; she had suffered from nothing more than diabetes. But the restrictions Israel imposes on various cities, towns, and villages in the occupied West Bank can alter a Palestinian’s life in an instant.
Zahriya Abu Hijleh, 66, was attending her niece’s wedding reception in her hometown of Deir Istiya, northwest of Salfit, on September 20, when she suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed.
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After she was taken to the town’s medical centre, the doctor immediately ordered her transfer to Salfit Governmental Hospital, a facility just an eight-minute drive from Deir Istiya.
Mohammed requested an ambulance, but the vehicle could not enter the town because the iron gate operated by Israeli forces at the entrance was closed. Instead, an ambulance from the medical centre transported her to the gate, and from there, she was taken off the stretcher, carried past the gate on foot, and transferred to a second ambulance waiting on the other side.
It is a scenario that happens repeatedly in the occupied West Bank, Mohammed told Al Jazeera.
“My mother was breathing her last; had the gate been open, we wouldn’t have lost her on the way,” he said.
Medics later determined that Zahriya had suffered a pulmonary embolism and required urgent treatment, according to her family.
“Sadly, she died due to the delay,” Mohammed said. “She had no prior health issues other than diabetes.”
A Palestinian student crosses an Israeli checkpoint as students return to school for the new academic year, near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 6, 2026 [Mussa Qawasma/Reuters]
Comprehensive closures
The military checkpoints and iron gates erected by Israel in the West Bank have become a significant source of misery for Palestinians.
They disrupt daily life, causing delays for people trying to reach work, schools, and universities, while also posing a daily threat to the lives of the sick.
Israel periodically imposes closures on the West Bank for various reasons, including Jewish holidays. The current closure runs from September 27 to October 3, coinciding with the Jewish festival of Sukkot.
While Israeli settlers move freely between West Bank cities, and even storm Palestinian villages and towns under Israeli army protection, Palestinians are forced to wait for hours at closed checkpoints.
Ibtihal Mansour from Nablus endured such an ordeal last Friday while visiting her in-laws’ home in the village of al-Janiya, near Ramallah.
The family left the village at 10am, hoping to reach Nablus within 45 minutes. But they encountered closures at the Atara and Ein Siniya checkpoints north of Ramallah, effectively trapping them in the area.
“We tried taking alternative routes west of Ramallah, but were surprised to find the road between Ramallah and Nablus blocked by settlers, with all vehicle traffic completely halted. We remained on the roads, trying to find any way through, until midnight, a span of more than 14 hours,” she told Al Jazeera.
Her children were crying, exhausted after spending so long confined in the vehicle. Passing through one roadblock near Nablus, in an area called al-Lubban Asharqiya, a soldier forced Ibtihal to wake the children. When her 11-year-old son did not wake up, she said that the soldier punched him in the head, causing him to jolt awake crying.
“The scene was heartbreaking; I felt a deep lump in my throat and profound sorrow. Long hours of waiting in the vehicle ended with an assault like this, and the ordeal didn’t even end there,” she said, explaining that they had to turn back. “We were forced to spend the night at my sister-in-law’s home in Ramallah before setting out early the next morning for Nablus.”
Like Ibtihal’s family, many Palestinians travelling between cities and villages are forced to stay overnight in hotels or at relatives’ homes. Some municipalities have converted wedding halls and mosques into shelters for those stranded, providing meals donated by residents of towns near the checkpoints.
The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CRRC) recorded 942 checkpoints, closure points, and obstacles across the occupied West Bank as of September 25, up from 793 in March 2024.
The total length of the obstacles amounts to approximately 107.7km (70 miles), according to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The CRRC says the closures effectively fragment Palestinian communities, making access to workplaces, schools, medical facilities, and agricultural land dependent on whether roads and crossings are open.
Al Jazeera has reached out to Israeli authorities for comment on the road closures and the allegations from Palestinians in this article, but has yet to receive a response.
Strangling Hebron and Jerusalem
In Hebron – which has an Israeli settler presence in the centre of the Old City – the Israeli army has closed the Ibrahimi Mosque to Palestinians and tightened restrictions at checkpoints and gates leading to the site until Wednesday, all while securing access for settlers to celebrate Jewish holidays.
Issa Amro, coordinator of the Youth Against Settlements group, told Al Jazeera that soldiers have closed checkpoints and imposed curfews in several city neighbourhoods, restricting resident movement and making it increasingly difficult to reach the Old City and the Ibrahimi Mosque.
“The area west of the mosque contains settlements and closed zones, while access from the east is limited to a few roads. These measures make reaching the site both more difficult and more dangerous,” he explained.
The situation in occupied East Jerusalem is also fraught, as Israel imposes strict restrictions on Palestinian movement and access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while thousands of Israeli settlers enter the site and move about unhindered under heavy security escort.
Activist Fakhri Abu Diab told Al Jazeera that Israel’s closures in occupied East Jerusalem during the Jewish holidays are part of attempts to impose religious sovereignty over the city.
Abu Diab explained that Israeli settlers and hardliners head either to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque or to synagogues to perform religious rituals, while Palestinians are forced to remain at home.
He described how the closures disrupt daily life in East Jerusalem, shutting shops, schools, and workplaces, and halting movement.
“Israeli police restrict the movement of Jerusalemites. Families and vehicles attempting to move about risk being attacked by extremists and settlers, while the latter are permitted to roam freely and dominate the streets,” he said.
Brandon McNulty became the first American winner of the men’s road race world title in 33 years with a stunning victory in Montreal.
The 28-year-old put his hands on his head in disbelief as he crossed the line 13 seconds clear of the chasing pack, completing the gruelling 273.4km course in six hours and 17 minutes.
Australian Michael Matthews was second, with former winner Mathieu van der Poel, of the Netherlands, in third.
The last American winner of the race was Lance Armstrong in 1993.
“Until the last 800m I didn’t believe, I was so tired,” said McNulty.
“I’m at a loss for words. I knew something could happen but it would take a miracle and I guess today a miracle happened”.
He launched an attack going into the final 30km and was 50 seconds clear going into the last lap.
McNulty visibly began to tire on the final climb and his lead was cut to just 10 seconds, but the chasing pack were unable to reel him in.
Britain’s Tom Pidcock finished seventh, with Ireland’s Ben Healy 10th and Remco Evenepoel of Belgium in 12th place.
ByCybele Mayes-OstermanAssociated Press/Report for America
CHICAGO — A U.S. citizen was left bloodied and injured on the side of the road in a Chicago suburb after a confrontation with immigration enforcement agents who mistook him for a fugitive, according to local police and a resident who tried to help the man.
The man, whose identity was not disclosed, was taken away in an ambulance after the encounter on Sunday in Evanston, a city around 12 miles north of downtown Chicago. He told police his head, neck and teeth were injured, according to a news release from the Evanston Police Department.
A federal agent told officers who responded to calls reporting an altercation at just before 10 a.m. that morning that five agents in separate vehicles were looking for a fugitive with a Chicago address and a warrant for his arrest, according to the release. The agents mistook the man for the fugitive, the agent told police.
When the man refused to give his identification, the agents tried to handcuff him, the agent said. After realizing he was a U.S. citizen and not the person they were seeking, they released him.
One police officer saw blood on the agent’s hands, according to the release. The agent told police he was injured while trying to handcuff the man, and that they left the area immediately after because they feared protesters who had gathered would attack them, it noted.
Police have visited the man at the hospital and photographed his injuries, and are investigating the encounter.
Local authorities investigating
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss said in a post on X that the man was treated at St. Francis Hospital for minor injuries. The police department “continues to investigate the situation, and we will remain vigilant about federal activities,” he wrote.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers had “encountered an individual who resembled the target” of a “targeted enforcement operation,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. “The individual was given lawful commands but was not cooperative and refused to identify himself.”
The officers “left the scene without further incident” after the man identified himself, according to the statement. “When ICE officers offered the individual assistance, he refused.”
Illinois authorities condemn bloody encounter
The incident drew condemnation from Illinois officials as backlash grows against ICE’s presence in communities around the country. ICE announced a record number of arrests last month, with nearly 51,000 people arrested.
“I am disgusted and outraged by reports of what happened in my hometown of Evanston on Sunday,” Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky said in a statement.
Eyewitnesses tell AP what they saw
Ryan Garton, 56, told the Associated Press that he saw the agents pinning down the man, who was Black, on the side of the road as he was driving home. He pulled over to document what was happening on video.
One agent had his knee on the man’s back and was “beating up on him,” Garton told the AP. “I’m a citizen, leave me alone,” Garton said the man screamed as the agent pinned him down. Around five people stood nearby and yelled at the agent to stop.
Garton said he urged the agent to get off the man so he could inspect his injuries, and that the agent acknowledged that he was already aware the man was a U.S. citizen. When the agent stepped away, Garton saw bloodstains in the shape of handprints on the man’s shirt.
“His upper right eye socket and temple were swollen as if he had been punched” and his face was scraped “as if it had been ground into the sidewalk,” he said.
The man told Garton that he had been walking to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription when the agents stopped him.
Michael Lipson, the owner of a store across the street from where the incident occurred, said he saw the agents wrestle the man to the ground as he repeatedly yelled that he is a U.S. citizen. The man’s face looked “badly messed up,” Lipson told the AP.
Lipson said the agents checked cards and papers from the man’s wallet before leaving them scattered on the road. Lipson laid out his sweatshirt for the man to rest on while Garton inspected his injuries.
The same day, ICE agents shot and wounded a man in Austin, Texas, the latest in a string of shootings by federal immigration agents that have prompted growing backlash against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics.
At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration agents in President Trump’s second term, including a Colombian man shot dead in Maine in July by an agent with a history of violent behavior, and a Mexican man hit by a tractor trailer as he fled agents in Florida the same month. ICE agents fatally shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens, during the Trump administration’s siege of Minneapolis, named “Operation Metro Surge,” earlier this year.
Great Britain’s impressive rider line-up for cycling’s Road World Championships means the team have rarely stood a better chance of glory.
For the men, there is also the helpful factor of Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar being absent, after he suffered crash injuries during the Vuelta a Espana in August.
But at the same time a new generation of British cycling talent is rising, and GB riders could take the coveted winner’s rainbow jersey in the men’s and women’s road races in Montreal this weekend.
There are currently 49 British riders competing across the men’s and women’s world tours – more than ever before – and some of those will compete in this World Championship weekend.
The road race itself is much like a stage of the Tour de France, but in which riders compete in national squads, looking to out-think and out-muscle each other.
A lot of the British potential is thanks to the inspiration of British cycling’s golden period, which featured great success from the likes of Team Sky, Mark Cavendish and Lizzie Deignan across the past 15 years.
Deignan won the road race in 2015, while Cavendish triumphed in 2011.
In total, British riders have won the elite road races seven times, including Tom Simpson (1965), Beryl Burton (1960 & 1967), Mandy Jones (1982) and Nicole Cooke (2008).
Amid an unpredictable performance landscape for the women, Britain’s best young female riders have a chance to infiltrate the once-dominant Dutch contingent.
Tour de France Femmes winner Demi Vollering remains the sport’s best overall, but Briton Zoe Backstedt’s brilliant second place in Sunday’s Worlds time trial was her first shot at the elite level.
She will be involved in Saturday’s women’s road race, and Olympic mountain bike gold medallist and Tour de France stage winner Tom Pidcock will race for the men on Sunday.
“You need a lot of faith in your team to be present at the front,” Backstedt told BBC Sport. “You need to talk, hear, see and feel each other to know they are there, especially as there’s no team radio.
“Obviously it’s about knowing the big names to follow. If Demi or Kasia [Niewiadoma] go off the front, you know it’s a dangerous move and you need to be there.
“But we’ve got a super strong team, and if any one of us was with them, we all could stand have a chance.”
The women’s road race is 180.4km long, which includes eight laps of Montreal, and the men’s 273.2km race incorporates 12 circuits.
Ugo Ugochukwu has become the first American driver to win the FIA Formula 3 Championship. The 19-year-old New Yorker talks to Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson about his road to the title, his Formula 1 ambitions, Nigerian heritage and meeting Lewis Hamilton.
