BEIRUT (AP) — As Israeli warplanes pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs last March and residents fled in panic, one man found his opportunity. Amid the chaos, he slipped out of his imprisonment in a Hezbollah cell and made his way to the green hills overlooking the Lebanese capital.
There, in the posh diplomatic quarter of Baabda, he disappeared inside the gates of the Ukrainian Embassy.
Where he is now is a mystery, tangled up in an ongoing spy game as Hezbollah attempts to root out Israeli intelligence operatives that have infiltrated the militant group.
The man identified by Lebanese officials as Khaled al-Aydi is said to be a Palestinian refugee from Syria who also holds Ukrainian citizenship. He had been detained by Hezbollah in the Beirut suburbs and accused by Lebanese officials of being part of a thwarted Israeli intelligence plot to carry out bombings and assassinations.
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Details of al-Aydi’s escape and a Lebanese military court’s case against him were provided by three judicial officials and two senior security officials in Lebanon who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. A senior political official in Hezbollah also provided details.
Al-Aydi’s disappearance could have political implications for the Lebanese government, which has largely remained silent about the case.
If evidence were to emerge that al-Aydi escaped Lebanon with help from the government, it could inflame tensions with Hezbollah’s largely Shiite Muslim base. The government already faces scrutiny for directly negotiating with Israel, which has been engaged in fierce fighting with Hezbollah since the early days of the Iran war.
The Ukrainian embassy asked Lebanese authorities in March to facilitate al-Aydi’s departure from the country after he escaped Hezbollah detention, according to a Lebanese government document obtained by The Associated Press. But Lebanon’s General Security agency refused, saying a judicial warrant for his arrest had been issued in September 2025, according to the document.
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Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency declined to comment. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry also declined comment.
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A Ukrainian official with knowledge of the case said al-Aydi is not in the Ukrainian Embassy or its compound in Lebanon. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, would not say where al-Aydi is — and out of concern for the security of Ukraine’s embassy and its personnel, would not say whether al-Aydi was ever in the embassy, or whether Ukraine helped him escape.
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Israel’s intelligence networks
Using human and high-tech surveillance, Israel has cultivated far-reaching intelligence networks in Lebanon. That has helped it carry out dramatic operations against Hezbollah.
In the most elaborate example, Israel infiltrated Hezbollah’s supply chain and sent the Iran-backed militant group thousands of booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies. Israel remotely detonated the devices in September 2024, killing at least 37 people. Days later, Israeli airstrikes killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, while he was hiding in a heavily fortified bunker.
Even before that, Israel’s intelligence within Hezbollah allowed it to hit the group’s senior leaders and field commanders “with relative ease,” said Nicholas Blanford, an expert on the militant group at the Atlantic Council.
Since the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, Hezbollah and Lebanese authorities have cracked down on alleged spy networks. About 50 people have been convicted and are serving sentences, while others remain under investigation, the judicial officials said.
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“We were successful in detecting many spy networks, and the state was also successful in this matter,” Hezbollah political official Wafiq Safa, said. But “the Israelis are always working to recruit young Lebanese people from all communities.”
Al-Aydi doesn’t fit the profile of other alleged spies
Many alleged spy networks have involved current or former Hezbollah members or individuals with family ties to the group.
Al-Aydi, in contrast, was an outsider. He had Ukrainian citizenship through his mother, according to the Lebanese government document AP obtained. It is not known how he was allegedly recruited by Israel.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians came to Lebanon for refuge during Syria’s 14-year civil war. But Al-Aydi entered the country in August 2025 on a flight from Ethiopia, one of the Lebanese security officials said.
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While Hezbollah began in the 1980s as a small guerrilla operation fighting Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, it greatly expanded after its 2006 war with Israel, making it “easier for the Israelis to penetrate,” Blanford said. The group’s entry into the Syrian civil war further exposed it, as recruitment standards were lowered, he said.
Lebanon’s economic crisis also aided Israel’s recruitment efforts, Blanford said.
Cases filed in Lebanon’s military court describe operatives being paid between $2,500 and $20,000 to provide intelligence on Hezbollah weapons depots and political offices. Many of the alleged agents were recruited by Israeli handlers through social media, judicial officials said.
One high-profile case was Mohammad Hadi Saleh, a singer and prominent religious performer within circles connected to Hezbollah. He was arrested in May 2025 and charged with providing the Mossad with maps and coordinates of key Hezbollah sites later struck in Israeli operations. He is in jail awaiting trial.
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“It’s ironic that they (Hezbollah) were spending a lot of time accusing their opponents of being Israeli spies, and it turns out that the spies were actually from within the organization and its support base,” said Mohanad Hage Ali, a senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.
Recruitment efforts continue. During the latest war, Israel has dropped leaflets over Lebanon with QR codes that, according to the Lebanese army, direct people to an Israeli military unit tasked with recruiting agents.
Al-Aydi is thought to have fled the country
Lebanon’s General Security said in October it had broken up a network planning bombings and assassinations in Lebanon, including an operation meant to target events for the one-year commemoration of Nasrallah’s death. Authorities discovered a motorcycle rigged with explosives and a car modified to hold explosives, security and judicial officials said.
Al-Aydi and six others, all Lebanese, were charged. One of the six also escaped, and the others are in a Lebanese jail awaiting trial, the judicial officials said. Only al-Aydi was being held by Hezbollah, likely because he was seen as a high-value catch.
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The military court alleges the operation was orchestrated by a Mossad handler living in Germany who communicated with others through encrypted applications. The court sent a summons to the Ukrainian embassy that went unanswered.
Safa said there was an unsuccessful attempt to smuggle al-Aydi out of Lebanon to Syria. He did not elaborate.
The two senior Lebanese security officials said al-Aydi is believed to have left the country. It was not clear whether he crossed into Syria, where officials said they had no information about him.
Alleged spy’s disappearance raises political tensions
Relations between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah are at a low point. The government was angered by the militant group’s unilateral decision to enter another war with Israel, while Hezbollah is furious the government has chosen to negotiate a ceasefire and potentially wider security and political agreement directly with Israel.
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Al-Aydi’s escape could exacerbate tensions and put the Lebanese state in a difficult situation.
If Lebanese authorities refused to let al-Aydi leave the country, the U.S. and Ukraine were “well-positioned to exert significant pressure” to secure his release, Hage Ali said. On the other hand, if the state is seen to have let al-Aydi escape, it would face “public anger, predominantly among Lebanese Shia” sympathetic to Hezbollah, which could use that emotion to inflame internal tensions, he said.
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Associated Press writers Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.
Although it’s horrible that the show’s very future is on a knife-edge and its biggest champion, Russell, is exiting stage left – I can’t help but feel relieved that the British TV legend has bowed out.
Not because I think he’s bad at his job – he’s an amazing showrunner – I think his talents are better used elsewhere.
For those who have their finger on the TV pulse, you won’t have missed Russell’s new groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Channel 4 show that aired at the end of May this year.
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It has received widespread praise, with many hailing it as a timely and urgent reckoning on the rapidly declining state of LGBTQ+ rights in the UK today.
And it’s all thanks to Russell.
It remains a startling wake-up call to the general public that we’re sleepwalking into a dark, dark world (Picture: Channel 4)
Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, the series follows polar opposite neighbours – Leo, an older gay man and Clive, anaggressively heterosexualhandyman – whose differences breed homophobia, bigotry, and hostility.
Although his socio-political commentary, especially when it comes to the trans community, is still a work-in-progress – it remains a startling wake-up call to the general public that we’re sleepwalking into a dark, dark world when it comes to achieving any unity in our rights.
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And I’m not surprised it’s picking up such glowing reviews.
After ending his first round as Doctor Who showrunner in 2010, the TV icon known as RTD had a run of stellar limited series over the next decade or so.
As brilliant as his time on Doctor Who was, his return to the show in 2023 had not quite reached the heights many hoped (Picture: David Fisher/Shutterstock)
His 2015 trilogy – Cucumber, Tofu and Banana – were edgy shows, which have gone down as cult classics, especially among LGBTQ+ viewers.
Then, you have his more mainstream work, still with gay and queer characters at their heart, such as A Very English Scandal starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, which secured an Emmy, Golden Globe and Bafta.
That’s not mentioning his harrowing drama Years and Years – a post-Brexit reckoning with the UK’s descent into fascism, which still rings out as an eerie prophecy for the state the world is in today, with the rise of Reform and reign of Trump.
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What are your thoughts on Russell T Davies stepping down from Doctor Who?
It’s the right decision for him and the show.
I’m sad to see him go, he brought a lot to Doctor Who.
I think it’s a mixed situation, but I’m optimistic.
I’m not sure what this will mean for the future of Doctor Who.
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Rounding off this brilliant line-up was It’s A Sin, already a beloved LGBTQ+ show that will break your heart while putting it back together again. It reflected on the HIV/AIDs crisis of the 1980s – an era Russell T Davies remembers well, as a gay man growing up in Thatcher’s UK.
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As brilliant as his time on Doctor Who was, his return to the show in 2023 had not quite reached the heights many hoped. He faced a lot of criticism, ending in Ncuti’s abrupt departure and the scattered future of the show.
Where his storylines, dialogue and character-building at times fell flat in the past two seasons of Doctor Who, he doesn’t face the same extent of trouble when it comes to his limited series – which I now consider as his superior format.
He faced a lot of criticism, ending in Ncuti’s abrupt departure and the scattered future of the show (Picture: BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/James Pardon)
This was proven when he released the Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea – and it was a standout in his Doctor Who repertoire, which tackled everything from climate change to forbidden love.
I personally loved it, and it marked a return to Russell’s brilliant writing, after finding himself in a difficult place.
Then, of course, we have Tip Toe.
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It’s veritable proof that Russell’s time is best spent working on bespoke ideas that speak to the era we’re in, rather than tying himself up with a show and a fandom that will be impossible to please.
Not only that, but he embodies the perfect example of how the TV industry can work at its very best. Russell was a bright young writer in 1999 when he made his name on Queer as Folk and was given the springboard to mainstream notoriety with Doctor Who.
He’s gone on to use the status that he gained all those years ago to pen politically urgent pieces, and for that I am grateful. Now, he can hand over the Doctor Who mantle to an up-and-coming writer, who could possibly be the next Russell T. Davies, for this generation.
I’ll always have a love and respect for Russell and all he’s done for Doctor Who up until now, but I can’t help but feel his exit is for the best, not just for the show, but for him as well.
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I am sad to see him go, but excited not just for what he will do next, but for what will happen to Doctor Who.
The McCarthy & Stone Foundation, an independent charity that provides grants to non-profit organisations improving the lives of people later in life, has awarded £7,500 in funding to a local Portsmouth community group. This donation will support those living with dementia and their carers, as well as enabling the group to continue its valuable work in the community.
Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury are set to reveal the name they have settled on for their baby boy – but what will it be? Have your say here
16:21, 10 Jun 2026Updated 16:23, 10 Jun 2026
There has been much speculation about the name Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury have chosen for their baby boy – but the Love Island star has warned fans they may be disappointed.
Molly-Mae and Tommy welcomed a baby boy earlier this month, a younger sibling to their first-born Bambi. There has been much discussion about what they plan to call their little one.
The couple plan to reveal all at Tommy’s boxing match this weekend. A source has claimed the couple feel like this is the perfect way to officially announce the youngster’s name.
“Now the little fella is here it’s a no-brainer – what better way to announce his name than on his dad’s boxing shorts,” a source said, “Molly is now obsessed with it – she’s hoping to be there. They’re working out the walk outs at the minute because that’s when it will be revealed, with music and blue fireworks – it will be cool.”
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Molly-Mae has also been discussing the name with fans at length – but fears they’ll be disappointed.
Speaking about the name, she said: “I think people are going to be a bit disappointed. Upon reflection, I don’t actually think it’s that crazy, but I know people are going to pronounce it wrong.”
“Because when I’ve mentioned the name to a few people, or I’ve spelt it out, a few of my friends have said it completely wrong… absolutely not how you pronounce it. Also, I think, if you know this word, or you know the name, you would just pronounce it as it is.”
Molly-Mae also insisted it wasn’t as “different” as Bambi.
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“It’s definitely not as different as Bambi, I would say,” she said, “But I’ve only ever heard one other child be called it, and it’s not someone in the public eye. It’s just someone I’m connected to through a friend.
“I just think it sounds so good with the surname Fury. That’s another reason why I love it so much.” According to reports it won’t be long until we find out what name they’ve gone for. So what name are you choosing?
The outline application seeks permission to demolish the vacant glasshouses and commercial buildings and replace them with a new residential development in Ravensworth, between Richmond and Barnard Castle.
Ravensworth Nurseries shut in July 2023, with the owners blaming the financial toll of lockdown, soaring energy bills, and the cost-of-living crisis for the closure.
The application has been submitted on behalf of Andrew and Maria Henshaw, who own nearby Mainsgill Farm.
Planning documents describe the former nursery buildings as increasingly derelict and in a state of disrepair.
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Developers say the scheme would provide a mix of housing types.
The masterplan for the proposed housing in Ravensworth.
The applicant has indicated support for the council’s requirement that 30 per cent of homes on major developments should be affordable, subject to viability assessments.
Although the site lies outside Ravensworth’s official development boundary, planning documents argue it is not isolated and forms part of an existing cluster of residential and commercial properties on the edge of the village.
The application also highlights the site’s proximity to local services, including the village primary school, pub, village hall and bus routes connecting Richmond and Barnard Castle.
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The proposed development would include areas of open space, children’s play facilities and extensive landscaping.
More than 30 per cent of the site is expected to remain as managed green space, while plans also include a biodiversity net gain of more than 10 per cent through habitat creation, new planting and improvements to a watercourse running along the northern boundary.
A transport assessment submitted with the application concludes that the development would have only a negligible impact on traffic levels when compared with the site’s former commercial use.
The report estimates the scheme would generate just one additional two-way vehicle trip during morning peak hours and five additional trips during the evening peak.
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Developers argue the scheme would help address a shortage of housing land, support local services and schools, improve biodiversity and bring a long-vacant brownfield-style site back into productive use.
As the application is in outline form, detailed matters such as house designs, layout and landscaping would be considered at a later stage if planning permission is granted.
Iron Hills Tattoo Co, based in Middlesbrough and run by Paul Watson, Danyell, Geoff Wharton, and Abi Flanagan, has quickly built a reputation for “quality and creativity”.
In October, Mr Watson’s work was recognised at the Ink on the Tees convention, and just six weeks ago, artist Chloe Gilkes-Bullock won three awards at the Big North Tattoo Show in Newcastle.
The studio’s success is already turning into momentum in a highly competitive industry.
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Mr Wharton said: “Unlike all of us, there aren’t a massive amount of artists in the area who have more than a decade of technical experience.”
The studio’s name is inspired by both Teesside’s steel heritage and a fictional setting from The Lord of the Rings.
Its anvil logo is a tribute to the region’s industrial past and the wedding of Mr Watson and Danyell at Gretna Green. Both have matching anvil tattoos on their hands.
Mr Watson, 43, is no stranger to being tattooed himself.
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He said: “I’ve got my back and stomach left really, and then just gaps. I don’t think I’d ever be done.
“Even if I was totally full, I’d just start getting ones over the top of the ones I’ve already got.”
Despite his passion, even he admits the process isn’t exactly comfortable.
He said: “I don’t think anybody enjoys getting tattooed and us artists are the worst.”
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The studio has worked with a wide range of clients, including some unexpected fans.
Mr Watson’s oldest customer was a woman in her 90s who first had a Game of Thrones tattoo and then came back for more.
He said: “There was also a man in his 80s who got one on his leg and ended up getting a full leg sleeve.”
Tattoos, once mainly worn by sailors and aristocrats, are now seen on nearly a third of UK adults.
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As the industry grows, so does the competition.
With more than 5,500 studios in England, Iron Hills has focused on standing out.
The studio has a wheelchair ramp and a disability toilet, welcomes neuro-divergent clients, and its artists are available seven days a week.
Mr Watson believes changing attitudes have helped propel the industry.
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He said: “I think the industry’s changed and it’s more socially acceptable to be tattooed.
“It’s not so much of a rebellion now.”
Iron Hills Tattoo Co has already exceeded expectations.
Its location attracts plenty of passers-by, particularly students.
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Danyell, the only member of the team not originally from Teesside, said: “We just really love being in Middlesbrough.
“We want some more small businesses around here to bring people in.
“The area’s dwindling in some places but coming up in others.”
The studio is one of several new businesses to open in and around the Dundas Shopping Centre.
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Other recent arrivals include Bakeries Breadsticks and The Greek Spot, Teddy’s Boutique, Steel River Comics, Sarah’s Gifts, and the Hanger Shop.
Richard Wilson, a partner at Portland Dodds Brown, manages the centre and neighbouring shops.
He said: “These are challenging times for businesses, but we try to give them as much support as possible.
“It so good to see Iron Hills doing so well, not just with the awards but with the number of customers coming to the studio.
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“Middlesbrough town centre has been badly affected by the closure of some big name shops, so it is so encouraging to see that a number of independent businesses have opened.
“I’m sure that’s the right path for Middlesbrough’s future.”
Bill Gates told members of Congress that Jeffrey Epstein used the billionaire philanthropist to “rehabilitate his reputation” and admits he “should never have met” the dead pedophile in the first place.
In Wednesday’s closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee, the Microsoft co-founder said the wealthy and well-connected sex offender tried to leverage explicit details about his personal life, including his extramarital affairs, to coerce Gates into working with him.
Epstein “sought to build an image of legitimacy around himself, using connections to reputable and powerful people to deflect scrutiny and attempt to rehabilitate his reputation,” said Gates, according to a copy of his statement provided to The Independent.
Gates told reporters that he hopes his interview is “helpful” to the long-running investigation into the dead pedophile and his alleged ties to a network of powerful abusers.
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He said he is “glad to be here voluntarily to testify to help with the committee’s work.”
Bill Gates expressed regret in meeting Jeffrey Epstein, who leveraged his relationship with the Microsoft co-founder to ‘rehabilitate’ his image and tried to exploit details about his personal life to coerce Gates into working with him, Gates told the House Oversight Committee (Reuters)
“I hope my testimony is helpful to the work, important work of the committee to find justice for the victims,” he said.
Gates, among the highest-profile figures speaking to the committee, was subpoenaed for testimony after the release of millions of documents stemming from Epstein investigations raised questions about the billionaire’s ties to the late sex offender.
Documents released by the Department of Justice included calendar entries and correspondence between Gates and Epstein, who were also photographed together.
Gates has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with his abuse.
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“Due to public reporting, documents released by the Department of Justice, and documents obtained by the Committee, the Committee believes you have information that will assist in its investigation,” the committee’s Republican chair James Comer wrote in March.
A spokesperson for Gates told The Independent that he “welcomes the opportunity to appear before the committee.”
“While he never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein’s illegal conduct, he is looking forward to answering all the committee’s questions to support their important work,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
In his opening remarks, Gates stressed that he “never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct.”
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“I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone. While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated,” he added.
The committee’s Republican chair James Comer subpoenaed Gates for testimony after finding that the Justice Department’s Epstein files contained ‘information’ to assist in its long-running investigation into the late sex offender (AFP/Getty)
Gates explained that he first met Epstein through people he trusted in his professional and philanthropic work in 2011 — three years after Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida. Gates
“I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed,” Gates said. “I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have.”
His interactions with Epstein were limited to a handful of meetings in 2011 and 2012 followed by “more extensive conversations” about charitable giving efforts in 2014 and 2014, according to Gates.
Gates ultimately determined that Epstein’s efforts to reel in potential donors to his foundation were a “dead-end,” he said.
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“I told him we would go no further and stopped communicating or meeting with him,” Gates told the committee.
No funds were raised and “no vehicle for charitable giving was ever created,” and their interactions ended in 2014, according to Gates.
At the same time, one of Gates’s former employees “engaged” Epstein to discuss the terms of his separation from his office, which Gates “did not ask” nor “want or need” Epstein’s involvement, he said.
Epstein had also learned “sensitive information” about Gates’s personal life, “including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage,” he told the committee.
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“These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family,” he added. “As the public can now see, based on what has been released in the files, Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities — in addition to many lies that he layered on top — to pressure me to re-engage with him. He was unsuccessful in this effort, but it shows some of the ways he tried to leverage his interactions with me to further his agenda.”
The committee has interviewed 15 people in connection with Epstein, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Howard Lutnick and Epstein’s former associates and employees (AFP/Getty)
Gates said he “should never have met with Epstein in the first place.”
“Based on what I know now, I understand that even if he had delivered the new donors he promised, it would not have justified associating with him,” he added.
“I was so focused on the possibility of raising funds for global health that I allowed that goal to override my better judgment,” he said. “That is a sobering realization, and it has reinforced for me the importance of being more attentive to how access and reputation can be manipulated by people acting in bad faith.”
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
In those notes, he appears to claim that he facilitated sexual encounters for Gates and helped him obtain medication to hide a sexually transmitted infection from his wife.
Epstein appears to claim that he got medication for Gates “in order to deal with consequences of sex with russian girls” and “illicit trysts, with married women,” according to documents in the files.
Another draft message alleges Gates asked Epstein to delete messages referencing a sexually transmitted disease as well as explicit details about his penis.
Republicans on the committee have rejected Democrats’ demands for testimony from Donald Trump, who is pictured alongside Epstein in a billbaord from anti-Trump campaign The Lincoln Project (AFP/Getty)
Last week, the committee referred two men to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution after a survivor’s sexual assault allegations, marking the first such move after a series of interviews and congressional hearings with members of Donald Trump’s administration.
Epstein’s former assistant Lesley Groff testified on Tuesday, during which she claimed that she set up calls between her former boss and Trump, among other allegations.
Democrats on the committee have repeatedly urged testimony from the president, whose name appears thousands of times within the millions of documents released by the Justice Department. Trump socialized with Epstein throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and Epstein once described himself as the president’s “closest friend.”
Trump has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing, and one’s appearance in the Epstein files does not suggest otherwise. The president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and insists he cut ties with Epstein years before the wealthy pedophile was under investigation.
The England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) investigation into the actions of Stokes and Atkinson is still ongoing.
An ECB statement said: “Given the ongoing investigation, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have not been made available for selection for the second Test against New Zealand.”
The Cricket Regulator is conducting a separate investigation, one that might not be concluded for a number of weeks.
Stokes, 35, has been given time by the ECB in order to consider his options. The governing body has denied any suggestion he has been asked to resign.
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The episode is an unwanted controversy for the ECB following a dismal 4-1 Ashes tour of Australia that was dogged by off-field controversy.
The defeat of New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s looked to be a small step in the right direction, but now England will have to attempt to win the series without their captain and all-rounder, and a key pace bowler.
Though Stokes’ poor batting form has come under scrutiny, his all-round abilities are vital to balance the XI.
Atkinson, 28, endured a poor winter, yet looked back to somewhere near his best with seven wickets in the first Test.
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The Surrey man has now surrendered his place in the England team on his home ground and his absence could mean a return for Archer, who missed the first Test following his stint at the Indian Premier League.
Depending on conditions, the best replacement for Stokes would be spin-bowling all-rounder Rehan Ahmed, who is retained in the squad after missing out on the final XI at Lord’s.
It would be tough on Shoaib Bashir – the off-spinner was in the XI at Lord’s and was not required to bowl a ball. If Ahmed replaces Stokes, Bashir would then make way for England to field four specialist seamers.
If England decide to replace Stokes with a specialist batter, uncapped James Rew was in the squad for the first Test.
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Essex’s Cox, 25, has been in a number of England Test squads but is yet to make an appearance. He was due to make his debut as wicketkeeper on the tour of New Zealand in 2024, only to suffer a broken thumb in the nets.
Root’s return to the captaincy is an indictment of the situation the ECB found themselves in.
It would have been difficult to have one captain, Stokes, unavailable for a nightclub incident, only to replace him with Brook, eight months on from his own nightclub misdemeanour.
Therefore Root will lead England at least once more, and perhaps even for the third Test at Trent Bridge a week later.
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Root’s elevation could be a hint towards an expectation that Stokes will eventually return to the job.
If Brook had been made captain, there would have been the opportunity to demonstrate the Test team in his image, especially with Stokes’ playing powers appearing to be on the wane.
Instead, with Root named as interim captain, there looks to be a path for Stokes to return if he desires.
If the all-rounder misses the remaining Tests against New Zealand, his comeback could be for the three-Test series against Pakistan in August.
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Earlier on Wednesday, ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan said Stokes should not lose his job as captain.
“Yes, Ben Stokes broke a curfew. Yes, he made a mistake. But is that a sacking offence as England’s Test captain? I don’t think so,” Vaughan wrote in the Telegraph.
“The ECB has to be brave enough and strong enough to do what it thinks is right. If that is to sack him then fine, but I do not agree with that decision on this issue.”
Legislation should be introduced to tackle the “scandal” of property developers charging residents exorbitant fees for roads that have not been adopted by local authorities, according to Cllr Tom Seston.
The Reform councillor, who represents Eastfield on North Yorkshire Council, said residents in his division “were originally told it would take two or three years before the roads would be adopted, which has now turned into five or six years and they still haven’t; meanwhile, the maintenance fees for some residents have gone from £200 a year to £440 a year”.
Speaking at a recent meeting of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee, Labour’s Cllr Liz Colling said similar issues had been reported in her Falsgrave and Stepney ward and said it was “disgraceful” that developers were charging residents.
Last year, the Home Builders Federation revealed that on new housing developments of 10 or more units built over the last three years, just 10 per cent of sites had had the roads adopted.
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The HBF said that the non-adoption of public amenities on new housing estates was an “increasingly significant and complex problem in the UK housing market”.
When local authorities are invited to adopt roads, the costs for maintaining the roads and streetlights are usually incorporated into council tax bills, while residents on unadopted estates often have to pay annual fees to management companies.
The federation added: “A growing number of housing estates are being left with unadopted amenities, creating complications for developers, local authorities, and, most critically, the residents themselves who face increased costs and added frustration.”
Scarborough And Whitby Area Committee 05.06.26
Speaking at the council meeting last week, Cllr Seston highlighted that he had “raised this at full council and the short answer was that the council won’t adopt the roads until it’s invited to do so”.
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Calling for national-level attention of the issue, he added: “If you’re charging £440 a year and you’ve got twenty or so houses, you’re getting about £10,000 a year to realistically do some light gardening.
“There are some firms making quite a lot of money off this, and equally, some of them haven’t raised their fees, while some of them had more than doubled their fees. It is a scandal in a way.”
Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said she was eager to work on the issue with Cllr Seston.
She told the meeting: “It won’t surprise you to know that the issue of unadopted roads has been brought to the Government’s attention by many, many MPs, including myself.
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“I would be interested in working with you on this issue, because we have a group of MPs working on the unadopted roads and pressuring the government to move on this, as we are aware.”
Perth and Kinross Council paid out for just nine of the 291 vehicle damage claims it received over the past two years
A councillor has questioned why the majority of claims made to Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) for damage done to vehicles by potholes on its roads were dismissed.
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Last month the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported a Freedom of Information request response revealed PKC had, at that stage, paid out just nine of the 291 claims submitted over the past two years.
At a meeting of the Scrutiny and Performance Committee on Wednesday, June 3, Cllr Willie Robertson said he was “totally shocked” so few drivers had been reimbursed for the damage done to their vehicles.
According to the FOI, shared with the LDRS, PKC received 84 claims in 2024/25, rising to 207 in 2025/26. It paid out a total of £2172.21 for seven claims in 2024/25 and £735.89 for two claims in 2025/26. The local authority denied liability for 75 claims in 2024/25 and 24 in 2025/26. Two claims in 2024/25 were still being reviewed, as were 181 from last year.
At Wednesday’s meeting, it emerged a briefing note had been shared with PKC’s Scrutiny and Performance Committee which said the council had paid out on just five per cent of claims made to it last year. However, PKC has since confirmed those figures – shared privately with the committee – included all liability claims, not just those relating to potholes.
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Cllr Willie Robertson represents Kinross-shire ward, where the most pothole-related claims were made last year with a quarter of all potholes claims amde to PKC in 2025/26 relating to Kinross-shire roads.
The Liberal Democrat councillor was “totally shocked” so few drivers had been reimbursed for the damage done to their vehicles.
He added: “I find it really surprising. Normally, when people contact me they’re really upset because they’ve hit a huge pothole and seriously damaged their car.”
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Strathallan ward councillor Keith Allan said he himself had missed out.
The Conservative councillor said: “I have personal experience of our insurers not playing the game. I just think we need to have a good look at it.”
The convener, Independent councillor Colin Stewart, agreed “it does seem like a low percentage” and asked Cllr Robertson what next steps the committee should take.
Cllr Robertson suggested councillors be given a breakdown on the claims and why they are refused, to help inform future claimants.
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He added: “There must be a consistent reason why so many claims are not being met or honoured. I think it would be helpful to know why claims are being rejected in such a huge way.
“When people go to the bother of making a claim they take photographs, they get statements from people who have witnessed the thing happening, they fill out the big form. It’s quite a laborious thing to do and people don’t just do it on a whim so I think it would be really useful to find that out and maybe have a report.”
SNP Strathmore ward councillor Jack Welch revealed he had suffered “extensive damage to two practically brand new tyres” prior to becoming a councillor and submitted two claims to PKC, “which were both refused”.
Cllr Welch told the committee he received “comprehensive” explanations for why his claims were refused, with one reason given being that the pothole had not been present when PKC last inspected that road.
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He said: “In one of them it was because the giant pothole was off the road surface, at the side of the road, and therefore was not an area that was essentially the responsibility of Perth and Kinross Council.
“And the second instance was that in terms of the process and procedure around statutory inspections, a statutory inspection had been carried out on that section of carriageway, which was evidenced, and there was no pothole at that time. Unfortunately, the pothole had occurred between then and me driving into it and, unfortunately, all I was thanked for was for notifying them there was a giant pothole, which was subsequently repaired very quickly it must be said.”
Conservative councillor Angus Forbes queried if refusal decisions lay with PKC or its insurance company.
He said: “I wonder if this is not a cost to Perth and Kinross Council. I assume this is covered by our insurance policy and therefore it’s entirely the insurance company’s decision whether to pay out or not pay out and, if they paid out more would it put our premium up?”
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Following the discussion, the committee’s convener Colin Stewart called for officers to provide members with:
a breakdown of the reasons for refusal
a comparison with other local authorities
where the responsibility for pay-outs lie and the information decisions are based upon.
He proposed the committee then have a sit-down discussion with the relevant council staff to raise any further questions that arise. This was unanimously agreed.
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