As millions across the world celebrate the football World Cup, one region remains cut off from the festivities.

With ongoing military attacks, intermittent access to electricity and infrastructure that has been all but devastated by a brutal war, Palestinian football fans in Gaza try to watch the ongoing tournament with an air of fear and sobriety.

The situation is especially severe for those with disabilities.

Haitham Al-Saqqa, a 38-year-old footballer and humanitarian worker with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAp), told The Independent of the life-changing impact that the war has had on his life and his ability to enjoy his passion of football.

Having set up Palestine’s first national football team for people of short stature, he searched across Gaza for players and made his dream of becoming a footballer a reality.

At three foot seven inches, he identifies as a person of short stature (of which there around 400 conditions) but he is unable to name his specific condition as there are no genetic tests of the kind that could help in Gaza.

But when the war broke out in October 2023, his dreams of travelling abroad for tournaments was shattered. Amid the devastation the group were unable to travel to Morocco for a regional tournament and several members were killed in Israeli strikes.

Two of his teammates from the national team, Ahmed Awad and Salah Shaalan were killed along with their entire families in northern Gaza during the war. There were others too including Dr Adnan Al-Bursh, an orthopaedic surgeon and member of the Palestinian Football Association, who was killed during the war.

Haitham himself witnessed people killed as he tried to watch a Champions League match in November 2023. The old football stadium they played in is now a displacement shelter.

“Their loss affected me profoundly,” he said. “They were friends, teammates, and partners in a dream we had spent time building together.”

Since the deaths of his friends and teammates Ahmed and Salah, he has tried to bring the old team together, but he says people are too occupied with the struggle to survive, which is especially hard for those with disabilities.

“My home is not far from the yellow line, it’s less than one kilometre,” he explains about the deadly zone that has led to the deaths of several Palestinians. “This makes us afraid to walk in the street, especially at night after 9pm when the matches are starting. I’m afraid to go to the cafe or restaurant to watch the games with my friends. If I do decide to watch one, the electricity regularly cuts out.”

Haitham, a Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Al Ahly Egypt fan, has been able to watch 20 games using a mixture of methods. But the father-of-three refuses to allow his son to join him. Since the ceasefire, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, creating a climate of terror among civilians who fear they could be next. Last week, one of Haitham’s neighbours was also killed.

As the UN concluded this week that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza by deliberately and “intentionally” killing Palestinian children, Haitham fears his four-year-old son may not be spared. Israel denies claims of genocide and insists its military operates within the bounds of international law.

“My son, Nahedh begs me: ‘Please I want to go with you, I want to watch a match.’ But I can’t do that. I tell him we can stay home and watch the summary on YouTube if the electricity keeps up,” he explains. “Because, to be honest, I’m afraid to lose him on the outside. We may still get killed in our home, but I would feel worse if they went out and it happened.”

The fears are real, with footage shared in The Guardian showing the moment an Israeli strike hit a children’s school in the middle of a football match. And it is not the first time. In 2015, nine Palestinians watching a World Cup match in a cafe were killed in Israeli strikes.

With up to 92 per cent of all infrastructure destroyed in Gaza, Haitham says children regularly play in the rubble, painting goal posts on to wreckage, and have been injured as a result.

Before the war, he describes feelings of festivities around the World Cup with streets decorated with flags and cafes packed with people.

Occasionally, when people are able to break through the tight Israeli control that restricts free movement in and out of Gaza, Haitham says that the news of football and the outside world are much welcomed.

”During the war there were small moments of humanity that reminded us of our connection to the outside world,” he says. “Doctors and colleagues who came to Gaza spoke with us not only about war and suffering, but also about football and life.

“One moment I will never forget was when a friend brought me a Liverpool shirt signed by Salah. It may seem like a small gesture, but it meant a great deal to me. It reminded me that our friends from outside Gaza still saw us as human beings with things to love and cheer about, not just as victims of war.”

Haitham says his dream is very simple: “My hope is to go outside in any stadium and to watch and to play football.”

He says he wants his family, which includes his wife Besan, four-year-old twins including a son and daughter, and older eight-year-old daughter, his parents and siblings, to be safe. He hopes his children can get suitable healthcare and a proper education.

“Football is not just a game to me. It is part of who I am. It has always been a source of hope, belonging and joy,” he says. “I want to enjoy the World Cup like the rest of the world. It is time to show Israel the red card.”

Rohan Talbot, MAP’s director of advocacy and campaigns where Haitham works, said: “Our colleagues, such as Haitham, shouldn’t have to deliver humanitarian aid under bombardment. What we’re seeing in Gaza right now is a ‘ceasefire’ in name only,”

“Palestinians continue to be killed in Israeli military attacks, and aid restrictions mean hospitals are still dangerously short of supplies and power. The UK government cannot claim to support a ceasefire while failing to take any meaningful action to enforce it.”

It is hailed as one of the best series ever made for TV and fans simply cannot stop binge-watching it

Devoted period drama fans are racing through a ‘masterpiece’ series.

They’re also hailing the show, The Americans, as one of the finest spy thrillers ever produced for television. Every episode is currently streaming on Disney+.

Despite spanning six seasons in total, viewers insist they can’t resist binge-watching at breakneck speed. For anyone unfamiliar with the premise, The Americans is classified as a period drama centring on the marriage of two KGB operatives masquerading as an ‘ordinary’ American family in suburban Washington D.C.

The action unfolds against the backdrop of the Reagan administration during the 1980s. What begins as an arranged marriage between the pair for operational purposes gradually evolves into something far more passionate and authentic, reports OK!

Yet as the pressures and demands of their work intensify, the personal cost becomes almost unbearable, particularly when it comes to safeguarding their American-born children, Paige and Henry. They must also contend with the constant threat of exposure by their friend and neighbour, FBI agent Stan Beeman, whose job involves rooting out Soviet illegals concealed in plain sight.

The series stars Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, more recently seen in Widow’s Bay, and The Diplomat star Keri Russell as the married operatives. Many credit their leading performances as a key reason the show keeps audiences utterly transfixed.

Rhys even secured an Emmy for his performance in the final season. Throughout its original run from 2013 until 2018 it established itself as one of the most critically acclaimed series on television.

This is reflected in its overall rating on Rotten Tomatoes of 96%, with season three earning a perfect 100% rating.

A number of devoted fans have shared their endorsement of the series online and encouraged others to give it a go. One declared: “I simply devoured this series.”

Another proclaimed: “I genuinely think this is up there with the best things ever created on TV. No year’s complete without a 6-season binge of this thrilling masterpiece.”

A fellow viewer concurred: “One of the greatest series of all time. Action, suspense, thought provoking drama and politics are all combined in what I think is the best spy series I’ve ever seen. Can’t get better then this.”

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In a similar vein, one viewer predicted that others would inevitably find themselves binge-watching it. They commented: “The Americans is one of the best spy shows ever created. I can’t recommend this show enough. Just go watch it, but make sure you give yourself a lot of time because you’re going to want to binge it as fast as you can. I loved every second of every episode!”.

One enthusiastic fan even suggested it had toppled their previous favourite: “Homeland is the best, the king of spy series. Well, that’s what I thought before. The Americans is better.”

Highlighting its quality, one viewer remarked: “There’s a reason that The Americans is one of the best reviewed shows and that’s because it’s fantastic! There have been a ton of spy shows over the years but The Americans is without a doubt one the best of them! It’s easily one of the two or three most thrilling spy shows ever created! Loved it!”.

Another fan confessed: “We wanted a series to binge watch and we’re so glad we chose this one! We probably stayed up way later than we should have watching episode after episode many nights in a row, but we couldn’t stop. I will not give anything away. I will just say that this is the best show we have ever watched and we were very sad that it came to an end.”

The Americans is streaming on Disney+.

Toxic fish with human-like teeth are invading Greece just as tourist season gets into full swing.

The silver-cheeked toadfish is a torpedo-shaped species with prominent, razor sharp teeth.

As well as having a vicious bite, it contains a powerful neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, which can cause heart and lung failure, making the fish unsuitable for human consumption.

Silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) usually inhabit the Indian Ocean.

However, the fish are believed to have travelled up the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean, attracted by warming waters.

Fishermen in Greece are now getting cash payouts to catch the fish migrating north into the Mediterranean Sea due to climate change.

Authorities say the fish have not been sighted in bathing areas at Greek island resorts.

But in recent weeks, the fish have wreaked havoc for fishermen off the coast of Crete and several other islands, chomping through nets.

‘It’s got to the point where we might go out fishing one day and then spend the next three days fixing our nets,’ Giorgos Kyriakakis, of a Cretan fishermen’s association, told Greek public broadcaster ERT on Friday.

‘They eat our catch and damage our nets — that’s very costly,’ he added.

Regardless of whether you’ve never played GTA V before or simply want to experience its highly-praised story again, the run-up to GTA VI’s release in November could be the best time to get stuck in

PlayStation 5 players who can’t wait to get their hands on Grand Theft Auto VI can satiate their appetite by replaying some of Rockstar’s greatest moments through one of their other games. Better yet, they could spend as little as 59p in the process, essentially spending the equivalent of pocket change.

Despite being almost 13 years old, GTA V is still regularly praised as a must-play game, owing to the many awards it has won since its release. Regardless of whether you’ve never played GTA V before or simply want to experience its highly praised story again, the run-up to GTA VI’s release in November could be the best time to get stuck in.

While Argos is offering a physical copy of Grand Theft Auto V on the PS5 for £15.99, a cashback deal could see people get it for much less. TopCashback is offering new people who sign up and are also new Argos customers the chance to get the game for 59p.

READ MORE: All GTA VI prices for Amazon, Argos, GAME and more and how you can save money

READ MORE: PS5 owners race to grab GTA VI pre-order for £53 instead of £70 in Argos deal stack

GTA V is one of those games that needs little introduction. Despite being released in 2013, it is still regularly played, with reportedly over 20 million players engaging in GTA V and GTA Online each month.

The game’s story has regularly been praised, with the single player allowing gamers to experience the lives of bank robber Michael De Santa, street thug Franklin Clinton, and the famously quirky Trevor Philips. Players can expect to engage in a variety of high-octane heists as they slowly uncover a criminal conspiracy while exploring a generously large open world.

However, if you would rather play something else, you could also opt to play Saints Row Day One Edition, which is available on Amazon for £12.98. Often regarded as GTA’s quirkier cousin, the Saints Row series offers many of the same high-octane moments as GTA, often with a comedic twist.

Otherwise, you could opt to play 007 First Light Specialist Edition, which is available for the PS5 on Amazon for £59.99. This game will see players take on the role of a fresh and young James Bond as he grows into his role as the famous super spy, engaging in various espionage missions with plenty of player choice and freedom.

GTA V has been heavily praised by players, earning a generally favourable 8.5 score from PS5 players. One such player wrote: “The Greatest of All Time. Not just a perfect game, it’s a world-changing masterpiece that actively constructs the entire new lens through which we interpret game, the ninth art.”

Another added: “Have a pretty good history and an interesting multiplayer except for the hackers, obviously the way that the characters express themselves and the open world around you its quite simply perfect the most of times You absolutely have to play it and at least finish the story.”

A third said: “Honestly this game deserves the ratings it has one of the best GTA games and game overall 10/10 would recommend.” A fourth added: “Nothing much to add. This is the most successful game in the history of video game.”

While a fifth said: “Game which shows how cinema works in videogames. Meanwhile, there is a lot of action, which makes gameplay an awesome experience.”

A sixth said: “One word for story mode and online masterpiece, everything is so well made, this game came out on PS3 and on PS5 runs better than any third-person shooter I’ve ever played.”

However, one other player noted:”Grand Theft Auto V has a largely underappreciated story that truly rules, with engaging protagonists and gameplay. It manages to make the rockstar formula of constantly driving across the map quite enjoyable with vehicles that are fun to drive and a world that’s full of things to do. The online mode may be full of hackers and cheaters, but it’s still quite fun to play with friends.”

Another added: “I never understood its big appeal. All GTA games seem the same to me. But I can agree that they are addictive.”

How to get GTA V for 59p via TopCashback

• Sign up as a new member at Top Cashback for free via this link.
• Search for Argos on the site, click through and buy the item normally.
• Get £15 cashback when you spend £15 or more on an item.
• The cashback will track to the TopCashback ‘Earnings page’ within seven days of your purchase.

Temperatures overnight from Saturday into Sunday remain unlikely to fall below the high teens

An amber weather warning has been extended with experts forecasting a “final hot and humid night”. The Met Office’s warning for Cambridgeshire will now run until 9am on Sunday morning (June 28).

Meteorologists are forecasting that hot and humid weather will continue over parts of east and south-east England. But the Met Office says the extension to Sunday morning is “to cater for [the] final hot and humid night of the departing heatwave”.

The very hot and humid weather is expected to continue to affect the region, but likely a few degrees cooler than the past couple of days. Temperatures will still widely exceed 30C, peaking around 32 to 33C in East Anglia.

They add: “Temperatures overnight Saturday into Sunday remain unlikely to fall below high teens Celsius for most, with a few places not dropping below 20C. This will again be accompanied by high humidity at first, but fresher conditions will steadily become established from the west during the latter part of the night.

“Another hot day is expected in the far east of the region on Sunday, but both temperatures and humidity lower than recent days with a much lower likelihood of further impacts.”

The warning continues to cover Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas such as Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, central Bedfordshire, and more. It also runs to areas such as Lincolnshire and West Sussex.

“Affable”, “warm”, and a close ally says he’s a “really nice person – politics is a contact sport and it’s not contrived”.

One MP calls him a “good bloke”, adding that “sound would be the Manchester word”. They describe his “social dexterity”: an ability to communicate with colleagues and the public in real life and on social media.

But there is a niggling question among many of his colleagues and, in fact, expressed neatly on his Facebook page, where a member of the public wrote: “I have no doubt I’d enjoy a beer with you and we could talk about Joy Division and other important cultural things. But when did that become the thing that determined whether someone becomes the prime minister or not?”

There are nerves in Labour circles about what Burnham would actually do with power. One old friend of his told me: “Andy has huge skills but there have been questions about the extent to which [his] thinking on some of the really tricky stuff has been properly developed”.

Another wondered: “Can he shake off the perception that he is a bit of a lightweight?”

Not everyone is convinced he is up to it.

One senior party figure told me: “The eyelashes will deliver for a day, maybe a week. But the scrutiny is brutal. Won’t last three months, never mind three years.”

Ouch.

Multiple sources believe Burnham appointing his old flatmate and fellow cabinet minister from the New Labour days, James Purnell, as chief of staff is a positive sign. Not just because of Purnell’s experience, but also because it has inevitably raised hackles on the left (Purnell has recently worked with big business and is perceived as a Blairite).

The choice was cited to me as evidence that Burnham was willing to make decisions that would upset people. This has been reassuring to some in the party. A prime minister’s job is to make choices bound to infuriate one group or another and frankly, there is concern that Burnham might find that hard.

One government source told me: “The thing is he loves to be loved and likes to be liked. He has to be ready to be unpopular – and he will have to face the trade-offs – mayors don’t face trade-offs”.

One of his old colleagues says: “He is quite emotional, he has feelings.” They question “how you balance that with the need for tough skin, the need to see things through and to take very exposed positions”.

But you don’t spend more than two decades in politics worrying only about pleasing people. Burnham gladly irritated the Labour leadership on a regular basis when Keir Starmer was in charge.

And one ally who worked closely with him in government in the late noughties said his talent was not just being nice: “He never takes no for an answer”.

They recall battles between the government and “hostile permanent secretaries” towards the end of Labour’s time in power, who they say were “hoarding money for the incoming Tory government”.

“He went to war with them and won,” Burnham’s ally recalls. “It was astonishing”.

Some of the doubt stems from a perceived lack of clarity over what Burnham wants to do, beyond get into No 10. And we know he really wants to do that.

This will be third time lucky after running for the leadership and failing in 2010 and 2015. We’re used to hearing his rhetoric about change, about making the country more equal, about looking after communities that have been left behind like Makerfield, his new constituency. “Vote Andy – For Us’” goes the tagline.

But when it comes to specifics, it can feel like a bit of a blur.

That’s why there is a hot political frenzy around who’ll be his chancellor. All the talk in Westminster is of whether he’ll pick Ed Miliband, on the soft left, or Wes Streeting, from Labour’s right, or Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Whoever he picks in the end (and perhaps it will be someone else altogether like Welfare Secretary Pat McFadden, less eager to see himself in a political story), the argument has become a proxy for Burnham’s overall sense of direction.

It is hailed as one of the best thrillers that fans ‘devour’ in no time

Devoted period drama enthusiasts are racing through a ‘masterpiece’ series at breakneck speed.

Viewers are also hailing the programme, The Americans, as amongst the finest espionage thrillers television has ever produced. Every episode is available for streaming on Disney+.

Though spanning six complete seasons, audiences report finding themselves unable to resist marathon viewing sessions. For the uninitiated, The Americans is categorised as a period drama chronicling the marriage of two KGB operatives masquerading as an ‘ordinary’ American household in suburban Washington D.C.

The action unfolds against the Reagan administration era of the 1980s. What begins as a strategic union between the pair for operational purposes gradually evolves into something far more authentic and intense, reports OK!

Yet as professional obligations intensify and become increasingly burdensome, the emotional cost proves nearly unbearable, particularly regarding the safeguarding of their American-born offspring, Paige and Henry. They must also navigate the constant threat of exposure by their friend and neighbour, FBI agent Stan Beeman, whose mission involves identifying Soviet operatives concealed within everyday society.

The programme stars Welsh performer Matthew Rhys, recently appearing in Widow’s Bay, alongside The Diplomat’s Keri Russell as the wedded agents. Their central performances receive widespread acclaim as a key factor maintaining audience engagement.

Rhys secured an Emmy for his contribution to the concluding season. Throughout its initial broadcast from 2013 to 2018, it established itself as one of television’s most critically acclaimed programmes.

This is reflected in its overall Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%, with the third season achieving a flawless 100% rating. Numerous fans have posted their endorsements for the programme online, encouraging others to give it a watch. One wrote: “I simply devoured this series.”

Another declared: “I genuinely think this is up there with the best things ever created on TV. No year’s complete without a 6-season binge of this thrilling masterpiece.”

A fellow viewer concurred: “One of the greatest series of all time. Action, suspense, thought provoking drama and politics are all combined in what I think is the best spy series I’ve ever seen. Can’t get better then this.”

Echoing similar sentiments, one viewer warned others will find themselves compelled to binge-watch. They commented: “The Americans is one of the best spy shows ever created. I can’t recommend this show enough. Just go watch it, but make sure you give yourself a lot of time because you’re going to want to binge it as fast as you can. I loved every second of every episode!”.

One enthusiast even suggested it surpassed their previous favourite: “Homeland is the best, the king of spy series. Well, that’s what I thought before. The Americans is better.”

Highlighting its quality, one person wrote: “There’s a reason that The Americans is one of the best reviewed shows and that’s because it’s fantastic! There have been a ton of spy shows over the years but The Americans is without a doubt one the best of them! It’s easily one of the two or three most thrilling spy shows ever created! Loved it!”.

Another viewer confessed: “We wanted a series to binge watch and we’re so glad we chose this one! We probably stayed up way later than we should have watching episode after episode many nights in a row, but we couldn’t stop. I will not give anything away. I will just say that this is the best show we have ever watched and we were very sad that it came to an end.”

The Americans is streaming on Disney+.

More than 100 development schemes in Pembrokeshire, representing in excess of 2,300 homes, face delays due to Natural Resources Wales’ nitrogen neutrality assessment requirements

More than 100 development proposals across Pembrokeshire, totalling in excess of 2,300 homes, remain stuck in limbo owing to the continuing nitrogen neutrality guidelines from Natural Resources Wales, councillors have been told.

During the June meeting of Pembrokeshire Council’s services overview and scrutiny committee members were briefed on the persistent issue of nitrogen neutrality, which has caused hold-ups for numerous housing projects throughout the county since being introduced last June.

The zone where development must demonstrate nitrogen neutrality covers roughly 75% of the county encompassing Haverfordwest, Narberth, Pembroke, and Pembroke Dock. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter.

The report, delivered by councillor Jacob Williams, cabinet member for planning and highways, examined the ramifications of Natural Resources Wales’ (NRWs) nutrient neutrality requirements regarding dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) for development within the Milford Haven Inner waterbody catchment of the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) alongside the actions being pursued by the council locally to tackle this matter and the council’s involvement in regional and national initiatives.

The report revealed that, as of May, there were 21 planning applications lodged prior to the introduction of nitrogen neutrality requirements that are now subject to these rules and remain unresolved alongside a further 66 undetermined since that date and an additional 15 applications caught by nitrates requirements that have yet to reach their eight-week determination deadline.

The 102 developments affected by the nitrates issue accounted for approximately 35% of all outstanding applications – a proportion that climbed even higher when refused schemes were factored in.

Cllr Williams, who last year secured full council backing to write to the First Minister expressing the authority’s “great concern over Natural Resources Wales’ recent river nitrates guidance in relation to development and the serious effects this is having,” said this equated to 2,376 of 6,741 potential housing units, noting that “Pembrokeshire County Council cannot approve development which is unable to demonstrate nitrogen neutrality”.

Last October the council’s cabinet approved an action plan to tackle the nitrates issue for affected developments within its planning jurisdiction with the initial stages already completed and a final report due for cabinet consideration this September to establish how identified mitigation opportunities might be progressed.

Members supported a recommendation to acknowledge the action plan’s progress ahead of the forthcoming cabinet report.

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