Multiple Arab nations have condemned the US ambassador to Israel after he said “it would be fine” if Tel Aviv took control of almost all of the Middle East.

In an interview published on Friday, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson pressed Mike Huckabee on his interpretation of Bible verses, where he said God promised Abraham and his descendants land that would today include “basically the entire Middle East”.

“That would be the Levant, so that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon,” Carlson said. “It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.”

The ambassador replied: “I’m not sure we’d go that far. I mean, it would be a big piece of land.”

Carlson then asked if Israel had a right to control that entire area, to which Mr Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.”

The Donald Trump-appointed ambassador added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and that it has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.

The comments sparked an immediate backlash from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States.

Egypt‘s foreign ministry called Mr Huckabee’s remarks a “blatant violation” of international law, adding: “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia‘s foreign ministry labelled the comments as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable”, and has called for the US state department to clarify its position on them.

The League of Arab States, a confederation of 22 countries, said: “Statements of this nature – extremist and lacking any sound basis – serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions.”

There was no immediate comment from Israel or the United States.

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Inside an illegal Israeli outpost

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Since being established in 1948, Israel has not had fully recognised borders, and its frontiers with Arab neighbours have often shifted after wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements.

Israel has encroached on more land since the start of its war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023.

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Under the current ceasefire, Israel has withdrawn its troops in Gaza to a buffer zone, but it still controls more than half of the enclave. Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw further, but there is currently no timeline for this.

In Syria, Israel’s military seized control of a demilitarised buffer zone after President Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power at the end of 2024. Israel said the move was temporary and meant to secure its border.

It has also attempted to deepen control of the occupied West Bank in recent months by greatly expanding construction in Jewish settlements and legalising outposts.

Mr Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and strong supporter of Israel and the West Bank settlement movement, has long opposed a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people.

In an interview last year, he said he does not believe in referring to the Arab descendants of people who had lived in British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians”.

Call the Midwife will not air in its usual Sunday slot on BBC One tonight, leaving fans disappointed

Call the Midwife enthusiasts have been left heartbroken after the BBC suddenly pulled the period drama from tonight’s schedule.

This evening’s episode (February 22) will not broadcast at its usual time due to the BAFTA Film Awards taking over the customary 8pm slot.

The BAFTAs will run from 7pm until 9pm on BBC One, whilst BBC Two will be broadcasting the Winter Olympics closing ceremony.

Following immediately afterwards will be the new television adaptation of Lord of the Flies at 9pm, with Countryfile preceding the awards ceremony at 6pm.

The official Call the Midwife Instagram account announced the news, reassuring fans not to worry, stating: “Hello all! Just to remind you all that Call the Midwife WON’T be on this evening due to the BAFTA Awards.

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“But series 15 will continue as normal next Sunday! See you then,” reports the Express.

The account added: “Don’t panic! We’re just taking a week’s break for the BAFTA Film Awards!”.

Disappointed fans immediately took to the comments section, with one writing: “Oh, I was so looking forward to tonight’s episode.”

Another responded: “Damn it. I really wanted to watch it this evening!”

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Whilst a third commented: “BAFTAs should go on a different channel!”.

This follows speculation that series 15 might be the programme’s final run – however, the BBC has confirmed a 16th series will arrive in “due course”.

Scott Mills read out a statement from the broadcaster during his radio programme, which said: “The BBC would like to reassure fans that Call the Midwife will remain at the heart of the BBC for years to come.

“As previously announced, there are two Christmas specials, a new series, a film and a prequel series, before a sixteenth series in due course. Call the Midwife isn’t going anywhere!”

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Stephen Hendry reacted to what Quinten Hann did during a snooker tournament at the Crucible

Stephen Hendry has voiced his astonishment at Quinten Hann’s choice to jet back to Australia between matches at the World Snooker Championship. The 48-year-old used the break between his Crucible matches in 2003 to travel back to Australia before making the return journey to Sheffield.

Among the sport’s most unconventional characters, former snooker professional Hann once challenged opponent Andy Hicks to a fight during his first-round 10-4 defeat at the world championship in 2004. Tensions erupted after the pair traded words, with Hicks accused of mocking Hann before the official intervened.

The previous year, Hann had made the most of his opening round win by flying out to his homeland ahead of his second round match. While many still recall Hann’s confrontation with Hicks, news of his extraordinary journey to Australia the year before came as a surprise to seven-time world champion Hendry.

The former world No. 14 had beaten 1991 champion John Parrott in the opening round at the Crucible. With a week’s break before his next match, Hann travelled to Australia before returning to Sheffield for a 13-2 thrashing by eventual tournament victor Mark Williams.

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“I didn’t know that,” Hendry said on the Snooker Club podcast. “That’s unbelievable. How can you go back to Australia between matches? That is unbelievable.

READ MORE: Players Championship: John Higgins has made thoughts perfectly clear on Judd TrumpREAD MORE: Top five highest-earning snooker stars of past five years as Ronnie O’Sullivan falls down list

“He came up to Scotland once, and he was unpredictable. He wanted to practise with me. We set up to play a best-of-nine. We broke off for the first frame, and he smashed them from the back. I’ve made a century, and my manager was sat watching.

He asked him: ‘Why did you do that?’ And he said: ‘I just wanted to see what he could do. My manager felt like saying: ‘Did you not know what he can do?’”

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Hann was known for his unconventional opening shots against top players, including Ronnie O’Sullivan during the 2000 Grand Prix. When asked about his strategy after a 5-0 defeat, he explained: “I thought that if I couldn’t win the second frame from all the chances I had, I shouldn’t be out there.

“If a professional can’t win with those chances, then you are not a professional. Either way I played today, it was going to go the same way.”

Hann’s snooker career concluded in 2006 when he received an eight-year ban for match-fixing following the previous year’s China Open. He had resigned his World Professional Billiards and Snooker membership shortly before the sanction was confirmed.

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One of the first police officers on the scene of the 2017 London Bridge terror attack has been sacked for gross misconduct.

DC Mark Luker used the word ‘pikey’ in messages about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people, a tribunal heard.

In one WhatsApp message, the British Transport Policeman used the term ‘dag’s, referencing a scene in the Guy Ritchie film Snatch in which Stephen Graham’s character struggles to understand Brad Pitt’s character’s accent when he mentions dogs.

Luker, in another message, referred to ‘scrap metal, lead roofing and cable’ which he admitted was a joke to associate theft with the Irish Traveller community, the panel was told.

The panel concluded he probably knew the language was ‘offensive’ to a minority community and ruled it gross misconduct.

Luker was a member of a WhatsApp group called ‘Selbie Gumshoes’ with other members of the Major Serious and Organised Crime (MSOC) team.

On December 31 2024, during a conversation about someone winning a bottle of whiskey which still had a security tag attached, he wrote: ‘Was this a raffle on a certain kind of site? Lots of mobile-type homes? Lots of ‘Dags?”

He then added: ‘You are the MSOC pikey liaison.’

The panel found that these were ‘deliberate messages that clearly link the Irish Traveller community to acts of theft.’

On March 17, 2025, another group member shared a video of ‘Paddy Day parade on Inishbofin’, with the message: ‘Just like a Disney World Parade. They know how to put on a show,’ the panel heard.

Luker replied: ‘Off to find some scrap metal, lead roofing and cable’, the panel was told.

The panel concluded that this was ‘deliberate and discriminatory’ in linking the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community to theft.

Luker said that he was one of the first responders to the 2017 terrorist attack on London Bridge, and one of his coping mechanisms for dealing with the day can involve the use of humour.

He said he did not intend for the word ‘pikey’ in the messages to be offensive, and the panel accepted that DC Luker was not ‘inherently racist’.

The panel wrote: ‘As an experienced BTP police officer used to dealing with a whole range of people, the panel found that, on the balance of probabilities, he probably would have known that this was an especially offensive use of language directed towards members of a minority community.’

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The former royal was arrested at his Sandringham home on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

A joke about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Jeffrey Epstein right in front of Prince William and Kate at the BAFTAs has resurfaced. The former royal was arrested at his Sandringham home – on his 66th birthday – on suspicion of misconduct in public office during the week.

Accusations over Andrew’s links to convicted paedophile Epstein have plagued the family for years but finally came to a head with the US Department of Justice released files. Ahead of the BAFTAs tonight, a gag from a previous award show has come to light.

Actress Rebel Wilson took to the stage at the British Academy Film Awards back in 2020 and stole the show with a number of toe-curling references to some of the royals biggest scandals, all with the Prince and Princess of Wales sitting metres from her.

As reported by the Mirror, one of these has dominated headlines again this week. Australian comedy actress Rebel referenced Prince Andrew and the recently abdicated Prince Harry before presenting the Best Director award to filmmaker Sam Mendes.

Addressing the star-studded audience at London’s Royal Albert Hall, she joked about the subjects that were on everyone’s lips that it appeared she’d been told not to mention.

“Good evening distinguished guests and those that don’t identify as that. It is really great to be here, at the Royal Andrew… Royal Harry… no, sorry, Royal Phil- at this royal… palace place,” she corrected herself.

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The awkward joke prompted a titter of laughs from the audience as the cameras immediately cut to William and Kate who were seen staring up at her from the front row.

Andrew had at the time just stepped down from royal duties following a disastrous BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In his 2019 interview with Emily Maitlis, Prince Andrew denied sexual allegations by Virginia Giuffre, claiming he had “no recollection” of meeting her and was instead at a Pizza Express in Woking with his daughter on the date in question. He defended his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as “useful” for business opportunities, but expressed regret for staying at his house.

Five years on, King Charles III officially stripped Prince Andrew of his titles of ‘Prince,’ ‘Royal Highness’ and ‘Duke of York’ in November 2025, following controversy over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

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Rebel’s joke sparked mixed reviews from viewers, with some calling it ‘cringe’ and ‘disgustingly unfunny’ as they shared their sympathies with William and Kate having to be on the front line representing their family at such a public event.

However another wrote: “Three cheers for the producer who cut to William and Kate after Rebel Wilson’s Prince Andrew and Harry joke.”

It wasn’t the only awkward moment of the night for the couple. As Margot Robbie took to the stage to pick up Brad Pitt’s award for Best Supporting Actor on behalf of absent Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood she made another dig.

Reading out his acceptance speech, she told the audience: “Brad says he is going to name this Harry because he is really excited about bringing it back to the States with him. His words not mine,” she quickly insisted. This time, however, Kate and William were seen laughing in their seats as the cameras once again cut to them.

Prince William has served as the President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) since 2010, succeeding Lord Attenborough. In this role, he and Kate, the Princess of Wales, frequently attend the annual BAFTA Film Awards to support the industry, meet nominees, and present awards.

Police and firefighters crews the scene following reports of a blaze at a property in a row of terraced houses.

The road was taped off while crews dealt with the incident.

An eyewitness said both Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were in attendance.

The fire has now been extinguished and the cause of the fire is still unknown.

A spokesperson for Bolton Central Fire Station said: “It is under investigation so we cannot disclose any information.”

Greater Manchester Police have also been contacted for comment.

In 2018, as a 15-year-old, Zoe Atkin watched her big sister Izzy win Winter Olympic bronze for Team GB – and a spark was lit.

She wanted her moment on the podium. She wanted to do the same.

That fire burned for eight years until Sunday, when she did.

In winning halfpipe bronze in Livigno, Atkin became only the second British athlete to win an Olympic medal on skis.

Keeping the honour in the family, the first was her sister in the Pyeongchang slopestyle.

“She’s always been my biggest inspiration, she pushed me into the sport, she was always bullying me to jump off things on the mountain,” said 23-year-old Atkin.

“After watching her [win the medal] it’s always been a huge goal for me.

“It’s a real full-circle moment because she was here supporting me, and I was there when she won her bronze medal, so it’s really special.

“Obviously I wanted to one-up her a bit but it’s really special that we both have the bronze.

“My mum is claiming that she’s the first parent to have two Olympic medallists for GB in the family.”

Atkin had already secured a medal when she dropped into the pipe for her final run and, with the pressure off, improved her score to 92.50 – just half a point shy of the silver medal position.

China’s global superstar Eileen Gu won gold, her first of these Games after two silvers, with 94.75, while compatriot Li Fanghui took silver.

Atkin’s medal was the fifth for Great Britain at the Milan-Cortina Games, after three golds and a silver, equalling the team’s record-best haul from 2014 and 2018.

But this was the team’s most successful Winter Olympics the moment Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale secured the second of those golds in the mixed team snowboard cross exactly a week ago.

Never before had Great Britain won more than one gold at a single Winter Games.

It was so close yet so far for Wales as they were beaten by Scotland to miss out on a first home Six Nations win since 2022

Wales wing Josh Adams has praised the “amazing” Principality Stadium crowd and says his side will “keep fighting for you all” after suffering a heartbreaking late defeat at home to Scotland in the Six Nations.

Despite leading for the vast majority of Saturday’s game in Cardiff, Steve Tandy’s men succumbed to late Scottish pressure to lose 23-26. It means Wales have still not won a Six Nations match since 2023, and haven’t tasted victory at home in the tournament in nearly four years.

In spite of the latest loss, positives could be taken from the team’s overall performance which took many by surprise, with hope of further improvements to come ahead of the remaining fixtures against Ireland and Italy.

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Speaking to S4C immediately after the game, try-scorer Adams, who now has 65 caps for Wales, said: “It’s difficult to take to be honest – it feels a lot different to the last two games (defeats to England and France).

“We were in the game today, and we played really well. In the second half we maybe lost a bit of control in the centre of the pitch, a bit of momentum too. Credit to Scotland for coming back, but that was a much better performance.”

Adams said it was a different challenge for the Wales side after they went ahead early in the match.

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“We haven’t been ahead at half-time (before the Scotland game) and we didn’t want to go into the game tight, just kicking the ball out,” he said. “We wanted to play with the ball to try to increase the score but in the second half it was quite hard for us to get that momentum back.

“That try (that Darcy Graham scored in the 58th minute) – I haven’t seen a try like that before from the kick-off. It was one moment, and Finn (Finn Russell, who set up the try with a quick kick-off) is capable of moments like that.”

Adams praised the almost sold-out Welsh crowd, and said the team is doing all it can to give thousands of Welsh supporters something to cheer about.

“Honestly, it (the atmosphere) was amazing today; it was amazing last week,” Adams said. “I think there was more in this week than last week, and when the anthem is sung a cappella it’s amazing.

“Thank you to everyone for coming out and supporting us. We’re trying our best and we’re going to carry on fighting for you all.”

Wales have two fixtures remaining to try and avoid a third consecutive wooden spoon. They travel to Dublin to play Ireland on Friday, March 6, and then round off their campaign with a home game against Italy on Saturday, March 14.

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