The Justice Department has reportedly abandoned a prospective case about the Biden administration’s use of an autopen, which President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have long alleged were part of a cover-up meant to hide his predecessor’s cognitive decline.
Veteran prosecutors were skeptical of the case to begin with and were unsure of what crime former President Joe Biden or his aides could be charged with committing, The New York Times reports, citing three unnamed people briefed on the probe.
The abandoned investigation, which began in 2025, marks the latest stumble in the president’s campaign to launch high-profile federal investigations against his political rivals.
Biden has said he “made every decision” under scrutiny by his critics, though he used an autopen, which are common for government officials, to sign some documents.
The Justice Department has reportedly dropped a potential case into the Biden administration’s use of an autopen, the latest failure in the president’s attempts to launch federal cases against his political enemies (The White House)
A Republican-led House report released in October claimed the autopen allegations ranked among the “greatest scandals” in American presidential history, though it conceded that “not one of the Committee’s 14 witnesses” did “admit that they ever had a concern about President Biden being in cognitive decline.”
The Constitution doesn’t require a pardons be in writing or be directly signed by the president, according to legal scholars.
The DOJ also reportedly failed to secure an indictment against a group of lawmakers, including Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona (pictured), who took part in a video encouraging military members to ignore ‘illegal’ orders (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
A former prosecutor who once worked in the U.S. attorney’s office has called Pirro’s failure to win a grand jury indictment, a rarity in federal court, a major shock.
“The average person doesn’t appreciate how stunning,” the official told Politico.
“The rules are skewed so heavily in favor of the prosecutor that it’s almost comical,” they added. “But the public is essentially saying, ‘We do not trust you. We are skeptical of you.’”
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In Minnesota, meanwhile, the administration’s handling of the investigation into an ICE agent fatally shooting Renee Good in Minneapolis in January has prompted multiple federal prosecutors to resign.
A federal lawsuit accuses the late pop star Michael Jackson of being a “serial child predator” who “drugged, raped, and sexually assaulted” a group of siblings over the course of years.
The complaint, filed in California federal court on Friday, comes from Edward, Dominic and Aldo Cascio, along with their sister Marie-Nicole Porte. It names the Michael Jackson Company as well as various figures in the Jackson estate.
The suit claims that Jackson, who met the Cascios’ father when he worked at a hotel that Jackson frequented, “groomed and brainwashed” the children from the time they were young, plying them drugs and alcohol and showing them pornography to desensitize them to Jackson’s alleged abuses.
Staff are accused of being aware of and facilitating the abuse, according to the lawsuit, allegedly booking Jackson in hotel rooms near the children when they traveled together.
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The Cascios had previously defended Jackson’s reputation in the face of allegations of child abuse, but said they were finally “deprogrammed” about their experience after the release of the bombshell 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, which aired new allegations.
The suit accuses Jackson and his staff of perpetuating years of child sexual abuse against family friends of the pop staff (Getty)
“Leaving Neverland deprogrammed Plaintiffs and forced them, for the first time, to become conscious of the reality: Jackson’s abuse was wrong and had severely damaged them,” the suit claims.
After the film’s release, Jackson’s estate said the documentary was filled with “falsity” and called its claims “tabloid character assassination” based “on the word of two perjurers.”
After his death, the Jackson estate allegedly deceived the siblings into signing a settlement that released Jackson from liability and forced any future complaints into confidential arbitration, the lawsuit claims.
Martin Singer, who represents the Jackson estate, has called the suit a “desperate money grab.”
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The suit accuses Jackson of using drugs, alcohol, and gifts to manipulate his victims (Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
“The family staunchly defended Michael Jackson for more than 25 years, attesting to his innocence of inappropriate conduct,” Singer said in a statement provided to various media outlets. “This new court filing is a transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael’s estate and companies.”
In January, the Cascios were in a Beverly Hills courthouse seeking to void what they called the “purported settlement” agreement with the estate, while the Jackson estate pushed to move the dispute into arbitration.
A judge declined to issue an immediate ruling.
“We categorically dispute these claims,” Singer reportedly told the court at the time.
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Aldo Cascio recently detailed the alleged abuses in an interview with The Daily Mail.
“I was just sitting on the bed with him during the day, and I was just playing my Game Boy,” he said. “And I remember he just went to me and pulled down my shorts.”
”Since middle school, it introduced me to hell and my demons,” he added. “I realized that I might want to end my life one day.”
Wegovy and Mounjaro could help to prevent and treat addiction, experts suggest
Weight-loss jabs like Wegovy and Mounjaro could prevent and treat addiction to alcohol, cigarettes and drugs, according to a large study.
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Experts believe the way the medicines work on the brain’s reward pathway cuts cravings and could help to save lives from substance abuse.
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Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) help people feel fuller by mimicking the natural hormone released after eating. Common jabs include Wegovy and Mounjaro for weight loss, and Ozempic for diabetes.
Now, a large US study has found the jabs could help in the treatment of addiction to a range of substances including alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine and opioids.
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The research found GLP-1s helped both prevent substance misuse in those who had no addictions and prevented overdoses and A&E visits in people already addicted.
The researchers concluded: “GLP-1 receptor agonists were associated with lower risks of incident alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine, opioid and other substance use disorders, suggesting potential preventive effects across a broad range of substances.
“In participants with pre-existing SUDs [substance use disorders], GLP-1 receptor agonists were associated with reduced risks of SUD-related emergency department visits, hospital admissions and mortality, and drug overdoses and suicidal behaviours.”
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The study looked at more than 600,000 US veterans with type 2 diabetes who were monitored for up to three years. In veterans with no history of substance abuse, starting a GLP-1 drug was linked to an overall 14 per cent reduced risk of substance use disorders.
The drugs were also linked to a reduced risk of problems with alcohol (18 per cent), cannabis (14 per cent), cocaine (20 per cent), nicotine (20 per cent) and opioids (25 per cent), when compared with people on other diabetes drugs.
This meant there were between one and six fewer cases per 1,000 people over three years.
Among those with an existing substance use disorder, starting a GLP-1 was linked to 31 per cent lower risk of SUD-related emergency department visits, 50 per cent lower deaths and 39 per cent fewer overdoses.
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This is about one to 10 fewer such things happening per 1,000 people over three years.
While the study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), was predominantly on older men, similar results were found in women.
Resident Evil Requiem – will Mercenaries be added later? (Capcom)
The Thursday letters page wonders when Pokémon Red and Blue will be remade in 3D, as one reader looks forward to Crimson Desert.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Mercenary thoughts I wonder why Capcom hasn’t said anything about The Mercenaries yet? Maybe they don’t want people to put off buying the game at launch but personally I’d feel a lot more confident about buying it if they did announce it.
I’m glad to see Resident Evil Requiem doing so well though and will definitely get it at some point this year. I’m also on board with a new Resident Evil 1 remake, as it’s always been inevitable. But you’ve got to wonder what Capcom is going to do after that?
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Even if they remake Resident Evil 5 and 6, which I would advise against, they’re still on the verge of running out of anything to remake. We can see that they like a new Resident Evil game coming out every year, or at least two years, so what takes the place of the remakes?
I only see two obvious options: remake obscure games like the Game Boy game or Outbreak or create a new sub-series. I would’ve made this Revelations, as I liked the focus on co-op, but I’m assuming they didn’t sell that well or we’d already have more.
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Maybe a series of prequels? If the main cast are getting old then maybe some stories of them as younger people? I don’t really understand what anyone in S.T.A.R.S. did before the zombie outbreak, so maybe they could explore that. Why did an ordinary city police force have such a highly trained team of special forces soldiers? Were they just giving out parking tickets before Resident Evil 1 happened? Cranston
Simple explanation I wonder how many cheering the death of Highguard (and all the job losses at the developer) have actually played the game? I played it and I thought it was good. Not mind-blowing or anything but something I enjoyed and which did have some good ideas.
Personally, I don’t think it failed for any reason than it looked and sounded kinda of generic. I really don’t think it was any more complicated than that. People getting upset about it being the mic drop at The Game Awards are the usual loud minority and I don’t think that affected anything.
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It just took a bit of time and effort to get to know and appreciate, and I can totally understand that people don’t have much of the first to spare nowadays. Bernie
Second thoughts I completely support Sony’s idea not to release single-player games on the PC. Why they ever thought it would be a good idea I don’t know but, as most people have been saying all along, exclusives sell consoles. It’s why Nintendo is still in business, it’s why Xbox barely is, and it’s why everyone loved the PlayStation 4.
I’m genuinely surprised that they did a U-turn but I’m very glad that they’ve admitted the mistake. Assuming the rumours are true, I suppose, but I guess we’ll see.
It makes me wonder what else Sony might be having second thoughts on though. I imagine they took special note of Highguard’s failure but I wonder what the poor response to God Of War: Sons Of Sparta made them think? More first party games and less stuff farmed out to nobody developers?
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I’d be feeling quite optimistic now, if it wasn’t for shutting down Bluepoint, which seems even more stupid given what we’re hearing now. Goldface
Whatever annoucement I’ve got to say you are not exaggerating when you say companies are not putting an effort in anymore. Between Sony tweeting out Wolverine’s release date and whatever that Assassin’s Creed blog was supposed to be, things are being announced with all the enthusiasm of a bored office worker at 4.55pm on a Friday.
We’ve been hearing rumours about a Black Flag remake for years and all we get is a single picture that we’re not even sure is supposed to be there? And it’s not even a good picture, is what makes me laugh!
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It’s pointless asking for E3 to come back but please, for pity’s sake, could publishers put some effort into pretending they want to be in the games making business? And by that I do not mean a super slick video were developers are reading things they’d never say in real-life off a board. Scooter
The remake dimension I have no problem with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen being re-released on Switch, although personally I haven’t bought them. I’m curious, though, as to when the inevitable will happen and Nintendo will remake one of the older games in 3D (no I Choose You, Pikachu! doesn’t count).
I imagine the only reason it hasn’t happened so far is that they’ve been mocked for their bad graphics and bugs. But at some point Red and Blue is going to be remade to look like Winds and Waves, or one of the Legends games. It worked for Resident Evil, after all. MonsterB
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Unsatisfied customer RE: Gambon and buying a PlayStation 5. I think it depends, as most of the best games on PlayStation 5 were cross-gen. If you have played the likes of God Of War, The Last Of Us, and Spider-Man 2 already on the PlayStation 4, and really don’t want to play them again, then it would seem a little pointless.
Resident Evil Requiem may run fine on Switch 2 but the PlayStation 5 is going to be a superior experience. Price wise, if you look at second-hand, you could probably get a PlayStation 5 and a PlayStation Portal for the same price as the Switch 2.
Then there is the game prices. For a tenner(-ish) a month you’d have a huge library of games on PlayStation whereas Nintendo you’ll be coughing up £60 a time to play something new. I have to admit I’ve been very disappointed with my Switch 2 so far and I couldn’t recommend it at it’s current price with the games that have been released.
Hated Donkey Kong Bananza (sorry) and I’m surprised Nintendo would release a game with such frequent frame rate and camera issues. Zelda was well worth playing again but not for the £500+ I’ve spent on it so far. P B
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Catch up In response to Gambon asking about buying a Switch 2, I’d say that it’s an easy choice to make if you’ve never owned a Switch.
You’ll have instant access to an incredible library of games like Super Mario Odyssey, Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom, and a host of amazing indie titles like Into The Breach, Hades etc. that are great for playing handheld. drlowdon
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Better than fine Nice pick up on the Switch 2 version of Resident Evil Requiem. I’m sure it’s something that a lot of buyers were looking at. I remember the ‘impossible ports’ of the OG Switch, like The Witcher 3 and Doom (Eternal) and despite them being amazing technical achievements… well, they were pretty dire compared to their PlayStation 4/Xbox One counterparts.
I haven’t seen the latest Resident Evil running on Switch 2, but my young cousin has Cyberpunk 2077 on his and I have compared it to my playthrough on my PlayStation 5. It’s worth remembering that two things can be true with these ports; If you’re not a big gamer they are good enough and remarkable for a handheld, however they are downgrades across the board on the PlayStation 5 versions.
Even to untrained eyes they are noticeable and whether you can put up with that is only something the individual can answer. I’m reminded of PlayStation 2 ports of Xbox or GameCube titles back in the mid-2000s (Max Payne anyone?), they’re fine as long as someone doesn’t show you the other version, after which it’s tough to go back.
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I guess the biggest question was always not whether the Switch 2 could run these games… but whether the consoles primary gamers would actually buy enough third party titles to make the efforts worthwhile? The legacy of the OG Switch is that Nintendo taught its users not to expect good third party ports, so those gamers probably picked up other formats in the intervening years leaving just those who played Nintendo exclusively ready to upgrade to the new machine.
Turning that around will be a slow process and news that third party titles are continuing to sell below publisher expectations is a worry. Marc
GC: Resident Evil Requiem on the Switch 2 seems to have sold well. It’s just difficult to tell, because a lot of people bought the trilogy bundle instead.
Inbox also-rans Will you be reviewing Crimson Desert? LoRd SiNn
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GC: Yes. We’re also interested in reviewing crimson dessert. Red velvet cake is delish.
It is so weird to me to see people talk about having a pre-order and then worrying whether the game will be good or not. Why are you pre-ordering it then? Fome
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Four games ago at West Ham, Manchester United were “stodgy’” by Carrick’s own admission. It took an injury-time Benjamin Sesko goal to salvage a point.
At Everton, Sesko finished off the only notable passage of play from either side. On Sunday, Manchester United‘s response to going behind early to Crystal Palace was muted until Matheus Cunha won the penalty that also brought the red card that turned the game on its head.
Carrick’s team have been getting results. However, their most-recent performances have not matched those that beat Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham at the start of his time at the helm.
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Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have not been a goal threat; Kobbie Mainoo’s performance levels have dipped, while penetration from full-back areas has reduced.
It is a basic reality that they do not have limitless numbers of top-quality players. By the final whistle at St James’ Park, Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu were all absent because of injury. Casemiro and Luke Shaw were off the pitch feeling the effects of two hard games in four days. Carrick does not have the squad depth to cover those losses and still keep standards high.
So, embarrassingly, Manchester United lost against 10 men for the second time in just over three months. The damage was done by William Osula – a player who, as an 11-year-old, appeared on the pitch at Old Trafford to collect a Soccer Schools World Skills final victory prize.
His goal came after he got the better of Tyrell Malacia, who was making only his second appearance of a season he started as a member of Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’. The previous one was against Newcastle too.
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The damage is not too bad though. Liverpool lost 24 hours earlier against the league’s bottom club before Aston Villa suffered a heavy home loss to Chelsea on Wednesday.
Manchester United remain third. They remain, out of the sides scrapping it out for three Champions League places in addition to the ones Arsenal and Manchester City will claim, the ones with no European or domestic cup distractions.
“We need to learn from this,” said Carrick.
“There is no sense in not learning lessons and understanding how tonight happened.
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“We can’t lose sight of the bigger picture though – we have put ourselves into a position that can be really exciting.
“We’ve got to be positive going into the next game and look forward to it because there is a lot to play for.”
Carrick is right about that.
He needs to make sure his team’s response to this defeat is just as sure footed.
Manchester City have dropped seven points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal after they beat Brighton and Hove Albion, while Pep Guardiola’s side drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest
Manchester City have fallen further behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race after drawing 2-2 with Nottingham Forest at Etihad Stadium.
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Antoine Semenyo opened the scoring after half an hour, but Morgan Gibbs-White equalised with a deft backheel ten minutes into the second half. Rodri then restored City’s lead soon after, only for Elliot Anderson to level the score again and secure Forest a share of the spoils.
At the same time, an early goal from Bukayo Saka was enough to earn Arsenal three points against Brighton after putting on a solid defensive display to keep another clean sheet and extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points.
Taking all this into account, MEN Sport has carried out a thorough analysis of the upcoming fixtures for the two title contenders.
Manchester City’s next five Premier League fixtures.
Verdict: Further dropped points from City are entirely plausible over the coming weeks, with a resurgent West Ham United awaiting them this weekend at London Stadium. A trip to Chelsea follows before the crucial encounter against Arsenal, a match they now cannot afford to lose. Guardiola and his squad then travel to Burnley and Everton, with both sides struggling on home ground of late, making all six points an absolute requirement.
Arsenal’s next five Premier League fixtures.
Everton (H) – March 14
Bournemouth (H) – April 11
Man City (A) – April 19
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Newcastle (H) – April 25
Fulham (H) – May 2/3
Verdict: The FA Cup and Champions League are Arsenal’s immediate priorities, but they return to Premier League action just under 10 days later with Everton visiting Emirates Stadium. The Carabao Cup final and the final international break of the season mean Arsenal’s next league match is not until mid-April, with Bournemouth travelling to north London.
The blockbuster clash against Man City follows, with a victory not currently crucial for Arsenal to retain their advantage in the title race. They then return to home ground with Newcastle United heading south, before Fulham later take on Mikel Arteta’s side.
City of York Council’s executive backed extra Blue Badge parking, rest areas and looking into different opening times and closing on some days to help ease the market’s impact.
Cllr Claire Douglas, the council’s Labour leader, said it was part of efforts to make the city centre open and available for everyone amid remarkably difficult circumstances.
But disabled people told councillors the measures did not go far enough while businesses including pubs and bars warned against changes which could harm them during the lucrative festive period.
Opposition Liberal Democrat deputy leader Cllr Paula Widdowson said traffic restrictions which affected Blue Badge holders during last year’s Christmas Market could be enforced more often.
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The executive’s decision on Tuesday, March 3 to look at measures for future Christmas Markets follows a review into the way city centre events operate.
It comes after an Anti-Terror Traffic Regulation Order (ATTRO) brought in during last year’s Christmas Market saw vehicle access to the city centre restricted for Blue Badge holders and others.
The police said it was needed to deter vehicle attacks seen elsewhere but disabled people said it hindered their access to the city centre in the run up to Christmas.
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Police officers have now recommended making the ATTRO permanent and the council is set to consult on the proposals.
It would see the restrictions typically lie dormant with the council, police and other emergency services deciding when to enforce them.
A council report stated it could see the measures enforced across a range of events and it would need to be ready to manage the impact on those affected.
Measures costing around £70,000 to help ease the impact are set to come ahead of officials looking into longer-term solutions which will require outside funding.
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Last year’s Christmas Market caused problems for Blue Badge holders
Council city development lead Garry Taylor said options for immediate changes were limited but he was confident improvements could be made, though it would take time.
But disability rights activist Flick Williams said making the city centre accessible to all while counter-terror measures become more stringent and public spaces are commercialised was a pipe dream.
Ms Williams said: “I predict that far from lying dormant, a permanent ATTRO will increasingly be used for ever more events including protests, we are staring down the barrel of another permanent Blue Badge ban.”
York Pubwatch said in a statement the Christmas Market was a vital source of income and called for compromise if a permanent ATTRO is implemented.
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They said: “This may mean shorter opening times during the day and opening later, these changes would have a negligible effect on our business.
“Ultimately, please don’t take our hugely successful Christmas Market away from the city.”
Andrew Lowson, chief executive of York’s Business Improvement District (BID), said the implementation of similar restrictions in Chester during their Christmas Market had maintained good access for Blue Badge holders.
Green Andy D’Agorne said it was unacceptable that longer-term changes were expected to take three to five years while the city remains without a Dial & Ride service to help.
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Liberal Democrat Cllr Widdowson said access decisions should be made solely by the police and Labour now risked breaking its pledge to reverse the previous Blue Badge parking ban.
Labour council Leader Cllr Douglas said alternative opening times and rest days should be among the measures looked at to manage future events.
The leader said: “It’s remarkably difficult and we know it’s tremendously painful for people who feel they can’t access the city centre, its services and the social life they deserve in what is their home town.”
Council deputy leader and economy spokesperson Cllr Pete Kilbane said they wanted to continue putting on events that brought people together in York while maintaining access.
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He added Liberal Democrats were in favour of banning Blue Badge holders from the city centre all year.
As acts of vengeance go, which is what Hezbollah says its strikes on northern Israel in the early hours of Monday morning were, this was not especially dramatic.
Six rockets, only one of which the Israelis deemed worth intercepting, the rest falling on open land.
Israel seized its chance, launching massive air strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut.
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There are evacuation orders now in place for anyone living south of the Litani river.
That’s around 10% of Lebanon‘s entire landmass which Israel wants cleared so that it can have a go at doing what it has always wanted to do – dispatch of Hezbollah once and for all, just as it hopes to do with the militant group’s Iranian sponsor.
Image: Projectiles seen from the Israel-Lebanon border in northern Israel. Pic: Reuters
The sounds of war
The hilltop town of Metula in northernmost Israel is the best vantage point over into Lebanon. Its name literally means “the lookout” in Arabic.
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Beyond the concrete barrier which snakes along the mountainside between the two countries there are the shells of bombed out villages destroyed in Israel’s last war with Lebanon.
Now the sounds of this one ring out across the valley.
Machine-gun fire from Israeli attack helicopters targeting Hezbollah launchers. Grad or Katyusha rockets coming the other way. There is precious little time to take cover when fire is incoming at this range.
We filmed what we had to and left.
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You take cover where you can
The IDF says they believe Iran and Hezbollah are coordinating their strike action, with simultaneous barrages coming towards Israel from both directions.
If the alerts sound on your phone, it’s from Iran and you have two minutes to find shelter. If it’s the sound of a rocket up in Metula, you take cover where you can.
What’s happening in Lebanon following Israeli strikes?
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The fight is on
Since Monday across most of Israel, there has been a lull in the pace of missiles coming from Iran.
Up in the north though, it’s a different story. You know that the fight with Hezbollah is back on and that Hezbollah is fighting back. You can hear it loud and clear.
Lebanon is reeling from Israel’s air strikes and from the thousands fleeing their homes all across the country’s south.
The Lebanese government is furious at Hezbollah for bringing war back to a country which has suffered enough.
Israel is hoping to squeeze Hezbollah between a rock and a hard place, by pummelling its leadership and military capabilities and hoping that the Lebanese government, for its part, enforces the group’s disarmament.
At the same time, Israel says it does not intend to evacuate its civilians from the north, as it did after October 7th. It must not consider Hezbollah the foe it once did.
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Life scored by sirens
We were in a supermarket getting supplies. Another alert, and the tannoy directed customers to the bunker.
The first people in were Thai supermarket workers, who clearly weren’t enjoying their day jobs. Israelis seemed more relaxed. They are used to the sirens by now. One war follows the next in such quick succession.
But one girl stayed sitting long after the all clear had come, her head in her hands.
The Republic is establishing a permanent basic income scheme
The DUP has voiced opposition against a Basic Income for Artists scheme being introduced in Northern Ireland.
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At Belfast City Council this week, the DUP Party Group Leader Sarah Bunting spoke out against the idea, as the rest of the council voted to lobby Stormont to introduce the scheme.
The Republic of Ireland is establishing a permanent Basic Income for the Arts scheme, and will pay 2,000 eligible artists €325 per week for three years. The scheme is to be introduced after a long running pilot, and aims to provide financial stability, improve well-being, and reduce the need for alternative employment for artists. Applications are expected to open soon.
At the March meeting of the full Belfast Council, 35 elected representatives voted in favour of an SDLP motion promoting the idea in the North, with 15 against the motion from the DUP.
The motion states: “The arts, culture and creative sectors are central to Belfast’s social fabric, wellbeing, identity, and local economy. Many artists, performers and creative workers in Belfast and across the North continue to experience insecure, low and irregular incomes, worsened by the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and the ongoing cost of living crisis.
“The Irish Government introduced a Basic Income for Artists pilot in 2022, providing an unconditional weekly payment to artists and creative workers, which has been independently evaluated as improving financial stability, wellbeing, and time spent on creative practice. The Irish Government has now committed to making this scheme permanent, recognising the structural precarity faced by those working in the creative industries.”
It adds: “This council believes that artists and creative workers should not be forced out of their professions due to financial insecurity. It believes Belfast’s creative sector is a vital public good, contributing to community cohesion, regeneration, tourism, mental health, youth engagement and cultural life.
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“A Basic Income for Artists scheme in the north would help protect creative livelihoods, retain local talent, and strengthen the city’s cultural ecosystem.”
If passed, Belfast Council will call on the Executive to introduce and fund a Basic Income for Artists scheme, modelled on the Irish Government’s programme, to “provide regular, unconditional income support to eligible artists and creative workers.”
The council would request that the Minister for Communities lead on the development of the scheme, in partnership with the Department for the Economy and the Department of Finance, “engaging directly with the arts and creative sectors in its design” and treating it “as a priority within the Executive’s Programme for Government and budget-setting process.”
The SDLP accepted a “friendly” Green Party amendment stressing fairness in accessibility to any potential Basic Income for Artists scheme.
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At the full council meeting, DUP Councillor Sarah Bunting said: “Let me be clear, no one in this chamber disputes the value of the arts. The cultural and creative sector is part of the lifeblood of Belfast. It contributes to our identity, our tourism offering, our community cohesion and indeed to people’s well-being and mental health. That is not in question.
“But what is in question is whether calling for a permanent, unconditional basic income for artists is the right policy, whether it is affordable, whether it is fair, and crucially, whether this council is the forum to be discussing it.
“It is not a matter for Belfast City Council, that responsibility lies with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Assembly.”
She added: “So we have to ask, why is this motion here? If the proposers genuinely believe in this policy, they have MLAs who sit in the Assembly, they have the ability to table motions, they can introduce private members bills, and they can scrutinise ministers. That is where this debate properly belongs.”
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She said: “There is a serious question of principle. If we accept artists should receive a guaranteed income because their work is socially valuable, yet financially insecure, then what about others who contribute enormously to society? What about sports coaches who volunteer evenings and weekends, shaping young people’s lives?
“What about community volunteers running food banks and youth groups, what about carers, entrepreneurs trying to build small businesses? Many give their time, talent and energy without any guarantee of financial stability.”
Belfast Council will send correspondence to the selected Stormont departments, and the replies are expected to be published at forthcoming committee meetings at City Hall.
Chelsea trailed through Douglas Luiz’s early opener but were ahead by the half-time interval thanks to two goals from Joao Pedro.
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Cole Palmer added a third shortly after half-time before Pedro completed his hat-trick and put the game to bed just after the hour mark.
The emphatic win sends Chelsea back above Liverpool into fifth-place, three points behind Manchester United and Aston Villa in third and fourth respectively.
Explaining why he decided to change his No. 1 for the trip to Villa, Rosenior said: ‘Rob [Sanchez] is an outstanding goalkeeper.
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Filip Jorgensen was favoured against Aston Villa (Picture: Getty)
‘I just saw Filip [Jorgensen] in training and sometimes as a manager you have to go with your gut.
‘Filip gave us something different and they will both be fighting it out for the rest of the season.’
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Discussing Chelsea’s emphatic win, Rosenior added: ‘We knew coming into the game in terms of the season and what we want to achieve that it was a big game.
Joao Pedro scored a hat-trick for Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
‘The team stepped up. I thought it was an outstanding team performance. Obviously, Joao will get the plaudits and rightly so but some of our possession play, our incision, pressing, our energy, our commitment to defend was top but it needs to continue.
‘We started the game really, really, well and then they score through a fantastic finish.
‘We’ve had a few setbacks, but we’ve spoken a lot as a group in a positive way and we definitely showed that tonight.’
Pedro, meanwhile, was delighted to register his first Chelsea hat-trick as the Blues gave a superb response to a disappointing derby defeat to Arsenal.
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‘I think it is a special night for me,’ he told TNT Sports. ‘I was waiting for this moment.
‘I work a lot to be ready for this moment and I have great players around me so I try to always be in the right place and today I could score three goals.
Unai Emery admitted Chelsea ‘dominated’ Aston Villa (Picture: Getty)
‘In the whole season we try to be consistent but have dropped too many points at home but now we need to look forward and do our best every game.’
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery admitted his team were ‘dominated’ by their top-four rivals and said it was crucial to ‘find solutions’ after suffering back-to-back defeats.
‘We competed but they dominated more in the first half,’ Emery said. ‘The match was equal in the result and so tight but they were playing better than us.
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‘After they scored their third goal they had complete confidence in the match. We tried but it was not enough.
‘We are now in a bad moment. Chelsea are so happy and deserved to win. The consistency is very important but now we are not being consistent.
‘In 29 matches we have been better than them but not today. Now we have to find solutions and recover our confidence and good form.’
Chelsea face Championship side Wrexham in the FA Cup on Saturday while Aston Villa’s next fixture is a Europa League knockout game against Lille.
