Politics
Lisa Kudrow Recalls ‘Mean Stuff’ That Went On Behind The Scenes Of Friends
Lisa Kudrow has admitted there was some tension between the cast and crew of Friends.
During a recent interview with The Times, Lisa was asked about Friends’ enduring appeal, suggesting that the show “captured a kind of innocence” that Gen Z viewers might attract younger viewers looking back at a simpler time.
However, she conceded that not all of it was so innocent.
“There was definitely mean stuff going on behind the scenes,” the Emmy winner admitted, specifically referring to the derogatory treatment she and her co-stars could receive from the show’s predominantly-male writers’ room.
She recalled: “We were recording in front of a live audience of 400, and if you messed up one of these writers’ lines or it didn’t get the perfect response they could be like, ‘Can’t the bitch fucking read? She’s not even trying. She fucked up my line’.
“And we know that back in the room the guys would be up late discussing their sexual fantasies about Jennifer and Courteney. It was intense.”
She added: “It could be brutal, but these guys – and it was mostly men in there – were sitting up until 3am trying to write the show so my attitude was, ‘Say what you like about me behind my back because then it doesn’t matter’. ”
The Times’ piece also refers to a sexual harassment case from former Friends writing assistant Amaani Lyle – who complained about her colleagues’ sexualised jokes, often about the show’s female leads – in 1999.
At the time, the case was thrown out as it was ruled that vulgar and lewd comments were to be expected in a “creative workplace” where sexual humour was part of the show.
Former Friends writer Patty Lin published a book in 2023, in which she also spoke about the work culture behind the scenes, recalling how her mostly male colleagues would “constantly” talk about sex in an atmosphere that was comparable to “an endless cocktail party”.
She also spoke disparagingly about Friends’ central cast, claiming the actors would intentionally spoil takes if they didn’t like a joke that had been written for them.
“They all knew how to get a laugh, but if they didn’t like a joke, they seemed to deliberately tank it, knowing we’d rewrite it,” she alleged,
“Dozens of good jokes would get thrown out just because one of them had mumbled the line through a mouthful of bacon.”
She accused the stars of seeming “unhappy to be chained to a tired old show”, claiming that they were self-interested and that table reads often had a “dire, aggressive quality” as a result.
Meanwhile, in Lisa’s subsequent hit series The Comeback – which she co-created as well as starring in – her character Valerie Cherish encounters the writers on her sitcom making sexual jokes about her while paying them a surprise visit.
She said in 2010: “It’s worth mentioning that the writers who worked on The Comeback had experiences in many other writers’ rooms, and none of this seemed foreign to them. In fact, it made all the sense in the world to them.”
UNISON has hit back at criticism of upcoming strike action at Ash Field Academy. The union, which represents the vast majority of support staff at the Evington SEND school, announced a week in advance that staff would walk out on 30 April, 13 May, and 14 May over the victimisation of UNISON rep Tom Barker.
The Ash Field Academy dispute
Barker has been suspended since October 2025 on unspecified allegations. Discovery Schools Academy Trust (DSAT), the multi-academy trust which operates Ash Field Academy, imposed the suspension just days after UNISON members had voted to strike over DSAT-imposed staffing cuts.
Barker was a central figure in organising this strike ballot, and in encouraging members to use their vote. This was just the latest chapter in Barker’s long-standing work to organise for UNISON at the school. More details of this history are below.
UNISON believes that Barker’s record of successfully supporting and advocating for members at Ash Field Academy is the reason for his suspension. The union made this clear to DSAT soon after the suspension, and has repeatedly called for his reinstatement. The Trust has repeatedly refused this.
DSAT counter claims
DSAT claims that the suspension is due to allegations unrelated to Barker’s trade union work. After almost six months of suspension, DSAT has still not presented any evidence of wrongdoing – nor even detailed the allegations against him. Yet Barker is still suspended and UNISON members are still being deprived of their workplace rep.
UNISON consulted members at Ash Field Academy about how they wished to respond to the suspension. They voted to try petitioning the employer, and filing a grievance demanding Barker’s reinstatement, and to hold a ballot for strike action if those attempts failed.
DSAT refused to act on the petition, and refused to formally hear the grievance. So members had no option but to consider strike action.
In a March strike ballot of UNISON members at Ash Field Academy, 87% of participants voted to take strike action over Barker’s suspension and the attack this represents on their rights. The only demand UNISON is making is that Barker is reinstated. Doing so would cost DSAT nothing.
The upcoming action is a result of this ballot. DSAT was notified of the result several weeks ago, giving it fair warning that if they did not reinstate Barker, strike action would follow. To date, it still hasn’t reinstated him.
Barker’s history of UNISON organising
Barker has worked at Ash Field Academy as a Teaching Assistant for close to ten years. He’s been a UNISON steward for seven years.
In 2023, Barker was a principal organiser of an 8-month long dispute. It ultimately won pay increases of between 18% and 25% for student facing staff after the revelation that Ash Field Academy leaders, despite claims to the contrary, were underpaying the workforce. This was one of the most successful education disputes in UNISON’s history.
In the same year, alongside parents, students, and UNISON members, Barker helped organise a campaign to defend the residential provision at Ash Field Academy, ‘Resi’, which was under threat by Leicester City Council.
When Ash Field Academy Trust joined DSAT in early 2024, Barker, working alongside other UNISON reps, successfully defended members against cuts to pay and conditions.
In 2025, Barker and his Ash Field Academy fellow members defeated DSAT’s attempts to cut around 10% of the support staff.
In addition to these examples of his collective leadership, Barker has also been a fearless advocate for members on an individual basis. Barker has represented many members during HR processes, where he has fought tirelessly for their interests.
Sam Randfield, UNISON Leicester City branch secretary, said:
UNISON believes that Tom is being victimised because of his record in effectively representing and advocating on behalf of UNISON members at Ash Field Academy. This attack on Tom is therefore an attack on the collective rights of all members at Ash Field.
If DSAT is successful in victimising Tom, all members – not just in UNISON, but other trade unions too – could suffer in the future. We cannot allow DSAT to get away with attacking trade union reps because they don’t like their history of organising.
We have given DSAT ample opportunity to back down from their position. They have refused every request to reinstate Tom. Despite his willingness to cooperate with the investigation into the unspecified allegations against him, they insist on keeping Tom suspended.
That is why our members have been left with no option other than to take strike action. We call upon DSAT to immediately reinstate Tom. That is UNISON’s one and only demand.
An Ash Field Academy UNISON member who wishes to remain anonymous said:
The Trust has said repeatedly in communications with the press that it supports the legal rights of trade unions. That is not our experience.
I believe Tom is being scapegoated for his work on behalf of union members at the school.
The last thing we want to do is negatively impact the lives of our students and their families. But the truth is that striking appears to be the only language the Trust responds to.
Last year, the Trust cut around 10% of support staff at Ash Field. They did this against our protests. We said we are already understaffed and struggling to support our students.
It was not until we won a strike ballot that the Trust agreed to reverse this decision. Why do we always need to make threats for them to listen?
Not only is getting rid of Tom wrong morally, it will do immense harm to our ability to defend services against attacks from the Trust. That’s why I am striking.
Featured image via the Canary
By The Canary
Politics
Super El Nino: What Weather Experts Say About Weather Phenomenon And How It Could Impact UK
This year, multiple weather experts have predicted an El Niño by midsummer.
Some think it could even become a “super El Niño”.
But what does that mean, and how could it affect the UK?
What is an El Niño?
An El Niño happens when the surface of the Pacific Ocean heats up by 0.5°C or more.
During a super El Niño, though, temperatures rise by 1.5-2°C, professor emeritus of Geophysical and Climate Hazards at UCL, Prof Bill McGuire, told HuffPost UK previously.
During both regular and “super” El Niños, extreme weather events like drought and flooding are much more common.
“Broadly speaking, the bigger the El Niño, the greater its impacts on the world’s weather,” Prof Bill McGuire said.
El Niños can also heat up the world as a whole. The 2023-24 El Niño heralded record-breaking temperatures across the globe in 2024.
“The cost of weather disruption caused by the super El Niños of 1982-83 and 1997-98 has been calculated as being in the trillions of dollars,” Prof McGuire added.
Usually, the most immediate results are seen in countries on or near the Pacific, like Australia, Indonesia, Peru, Ecuador, and the Philippines.
How would an El Niño impact the UK?
In the short term, the effects of El Niños tend to reach us a little later than those in the middle of the event.
It might make our summers a little hotter. It could also make our winters a lot colder, though that’s not a given.
But Prof McGuire said the longer-term impacts might be more significant here, even though the UK’s experience of El Ninos typically “lags” behind other countries’.
“A super El Niño later this year is likely to see the global average temperature rise since pre-industrial times smashed again, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see both this year and next breaching the 1.5°C dangerous climate change guardrail,” he said.
That would affect the UK, as experts have cautioned that going over 1.5°C of global warming could lead a million more square miles of permafrost to thaw.
That might mean sea levels could rise from one to three feet by the end of the century, devastating coastal communities. That may bring about mass displacement and conflict.
Though the UK might not see the most extreme results of the possible super El Niño the fastest, the weather phenomenon could have truly global consequences.
The Premier League’s allocation of European places is straightforward in principle but fluid in practice.
League positions will determine most spots, while the outcomes of the Europa League and Europa Conference League can add or reassign places.
Recent results have opened realistic pathways for as many as 10 English clubs to play in European competitions next season, and there are credible routes for six to reach the Champions League.
What would create six Champions League places from the Premier League?
Two scenarios produce a sixth Champions League entrant.
The simplest is an English winner of the Europa League who finishes outside the top four, that club would take a Champions League berth in addition to the usual top four qualifiers.
Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa meet in the Europa League semi-finals, guaranteeing an English finalist and therefore a plausible English winner.
If that winner finishes outside the top four, the Premier League will have six Champions League representatives next season.
A second, less likely route is a combination of domestic and European cup outcomes that shifts places down the domestic table.
Either way, the key point is that continental success by an English club can increase the number of Champions League slots given to the Premier League.
How nine or 10 teams becomes possible
The Europa Conference League winner gains direct entry to next season’s Europa League.
Crystal Palace is in the Conference League semi-finals and are the most likely English side to lift that trophy.
If Palace win the Conference League and an English club also wins the Europa League, the knock-on effects would push additional Premier League teams into European competitions, potentially taking the total to nine.
If the Europa League winner is also outside the top six domestically and Palace win the Conference League, the Premier League could reach the ten-team mark in Europe next season.
The domestic picture and immediate triggers
Manchester United’s recent results have put them close to securing a top four finish, at the time of the latest update they required only a small number of points to confirm Champions League qualification.
That domestic stability matters because it fixes several of the league’s European slots and clarifies which positions would be affected by continental winners.
Meanwhile, the battle for sixth and seventh, remains tight. Brighton, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Brentford are all involved and fighting for success.
The FA Cup’s role
The FA Cup winner affects which league positions feed into the Europa League and Conference League but does not change the total number of English teams in Europe.
If a club already qualified for Europe wins the FA Cup, the European place tied to the cup transfers down the league table.
That means the identity of the cup winner can affect whether seventh or eighth place in the Premier League gains continental football.
Practical takeaway for clubs and supporters
For clubs chasing European qualification, the message is simple, secure league position where possible and treat the remaining cup competitions as opportunities rather than complications.
For supporters, the permutations are worth following because a single result in Istanbul or Leipzig can alter the landscape for a dozen clubs.
The mechanics are indeed technical, but the outcome is binary. Domestic form locks in most places; European trophies can add one or two more.
The next few weeks will resolve which of these scenarios becomes real.
Featured image via the Premier League
By Faz Ali
With Morgan McSweeney summoned for questioning before the foreign affairs select committee today, the Peter Mandelson scandal continues to decimate the ailing Starmer administration.
There are now calls for a public inquiry into Labour Together, the think tank used by McSweeney to propel his favoured candidate into power.
Labour Together continues to receive funding from Israel lobby
On 17 April, current director Allison Phillips, apparently eager to break with the McSweeney legacy, declared that the organisation would be changing their name and no longer backing Labour leadership candidates or donating to individual MPs.
However, away from the Whitehall soap opera, many are ignoring the fact that Labour Together continues to operate as a limited company. Indeed, last month alone, they raked in another £500,000.
On March 3rd, David Sainsbury made a £125,000 donation to Labour Together. This was preceded by another £125,000 payment on December 3rd. Under Tony Blair, Sainsbury was reportedly seated “at one of the top tables” at a Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) fundraising event.
In October, David Sainsbury made two separate £20,000 cash payments to Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s Education Minister. Phillipson, another LFI supporter, has received money from pro-Israeli lobbyists Stuart Roden and Trevor Chinn.
Phillipson has also previously accepted a £3,000 donation from ELNET, who list the Israeli Foreign Ministry as one of their “partners”. A 2024 ELNET delegation to the Israeli state was led by Jeffrey Epstein’s “best pal” Peter Mandelson. When Mandelson was later installed as US ambassador, Starmer told him:
After many years of our discussions, we get to work together side by side.
Bridget Phillipson’s unsuccessful bid for Labour deputy leader was backed by the Jewish Labour Movement. JLM’s national chair, Ella Rose-Jacobs, previously worked for the Israeli Embassy. Their vice-chair, Izzy Lenga, reportedly participated in military training with the IDF.
Sainsbury’s further contributions
In October, Sainsbury gave a £44,400 “non-cash” donation to Starmer’s chief secretary Darren Jones. Jones previously received over £57,000 “in kind” from Labour Together. He also received “in kind” support from intelligence firm Hakluyt, a former employer of Olly Robbins.
On June 7th 2024, one day after Starmer’s election, the Labour Party registered a payment of £2.5 million from David Sainsbury. More recently, he has been a key financer of Labour Together. Apparently, the McSweeney-Simons scandals have done little to halt operations.
Another person still funding Labour Together is Sainsbury’s daughter, Francesca Perrin. On March 31st, she gave the organisation £100,000. This year, Perrin has also given two Labour MPs £30,000: Wes Streeting aide Zubir Ahmed and JLM-backed David Pinto-Duschinsky.
Perrin has funded several high-ranking Labour MPs in the last few months. Bridget Phillipson received £15,000. Josh Simons £30,000. Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood were given £50,000 each. Shabana has also been a major beneficiary of Labour Together support.
Like Epstein-associate Peter Mandelson, Starmer also wanted to give Matthew Doyle an ambassador job. In 2013, Doyle spoke at an event organised by Labour Friends of Israel. The event was supported by another lobby group called “We Believe in Israel”, led by Luke Akehurst.
Starmer is a liar
Last week, Lindsay Hoyle ejected MPs Lee Anderson and Zarah Sultana from the House of Commons for calling Starmer a liar. The Speaker’s father, Douglas Hoyle, was a co-founder of Labour Friends of Israel, a lobby group that refuses to reveal its donors. McSweeney concealed over £730,000 in Labour Together donations.
For years, Morgan McSweeney and Labour Together operated in the shadows. Labour Friends of Israel director Michael Rubin said:
Morgan was essential in dragging Labour back to sanity.
With dead duck Prime Minister Starmer talking about leading Labour into the next election whilst MPs plot behind his back, “sanity” is the last word I would use.
Featured image via the Canary
Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has spoken out over the government’s controversial decision to hire Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US for the first time.
He was today scrutinised by MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee over the ex-Labour peer’s appointment.
McSweeney resigned from his senior role in February this year, taking full responsibility for encouraging the prime minister’s to hire Mandelson despite his known links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer’s premiership now hangs in the balance after the Guardian reported Mandelson had failed his security vetting – but was still hired as the government’s attache to Washington.
Here’s what we learned from McSweeney’s lengthy evidence session.
1. McSweeney Calls Mandelson’s Appointment A ‘Serious Error Of Judgement’
In his opening remarks, McSweeney immediately took responsibility for supporting Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador, calling it “a serious error of judgment.”
He said: “The prime minister advice relied on my advice and I got it wrong.”
2. McSweeney Insists He Did Not Try To ‘Push Anything Through’
The former senior aide said he did not tell anyone to ignore advice from vetting officials when it came to Mandelson.
He claimed he made a recommendation based off his judgement of Mandelson’s “experience, relationships and political skills”.
He said: “What I did not do was oversee national security vetting, ask officials to ignore procedures, request that steps should be skipped, or communicate, explicitly or implicitly, the checks should be cleared at all costs.”
“Like everyone else, I could see there was pros and cons in the appointment and I worried that it would go wrong so I didn’t try to push anything through,” he added.
3. Mandelson Would Not Have Got The Job If Harris Won The US Election, McSweeney Says
“I don’t think the prime minister would have chosen Mandelson if Kamala Harris had been elected president,” McSweeney said.
He said there would have been a wider range of candidates to choose from if the Democrats had won the presidential election because of the “nature of the relationships available”.
McSweeney later said his “top concern” was the UK-US trade deal, and Mandelson’s previous experience as European Commissioner was seen as an advantage there.
4. Starmer Was Thinking of Giving Mandelson Plum Ambassador Job Even Before He Was Elected As PM
McSweeney told the MPs that as early as January or February 2024, months before Labour’s landslide election victory, the party told the civil service he was considering making Mandelson a political appointment to the White House.
5. Mandelson Put His Own Name Forward For The Top Role
Amid speculation about where the idea of Mandelson’s appointment came from, McSweeney said it stemmed from the ex-Labour peer himself.
“I think the first person who put Mandelson’s name forward was Mandelson,” he said, as he reportedly made it very clear “he was interested in the job”.
He added that he thought Mandelson’s appointment would have been in “the national interest”.
This was not some hero I was trying to get a job for,” he said, while also disputing suggestions Mandelson was his “mentor” – calling him a confidante instead.
6. Discovering The Reality Of Mandelson’s Epstein Links Was ‘A Knife Through My Soul’
McSweeney said he was under the impression Mandelson’s Epstein friendship was a ‘passing acquittance’ – until emails published by Bloomberg unearthed the depth of their relationship last September.
He said what then emerged was “not the relationship I was led to understand it was – it was very, very, very different”.
McSweeney described finding out reality as a “knife through my soul”.
“The nature of the relationship that I understood he had with Epstein was not a close friendship,” he said.
“How I understood it at the time was a passing acquaintance that he regretted having, and that he apologised for.
“What is emerged since then was way, way, way worse than I had expected at the time.”
7. McSweeney Suggests Mandelson Was Not Honest With Him During Initial Questioning
McSweeney said: “When I look back on it, I certainly think it would have been much, much better if I’d asked PET [the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team] to ask those follow up questions.
“I guess my thinking at the time was if I put follow-up questions to him in writing, and that if a senior member of staff did that, that he would feel more obligated to give the truth and the full truth.
“I didn’t feel that I got that back from him.
“But it wasn’t my decision. It was the prime minister’s decision and he saw the DV [developed vetting] as part of that decision.”
However, he later said he felt Mandelson was telling the truth when they first spoke.
McSweeney claimed he only realised it may not have been the “full truth” when the later revelations came up.
8. False Claim He Swore At Officials Caused Him ‘Great Deal Of Stress’
The Foreign Affairs Committee previously discussed claims that McSweeney had told the Foreign Office to “just fucking approve” Mandelson’s appointment.
However, former chief of the Foreign Office Philip Barton dispelled the rumour on Monday.
“This swearing rumour is it is something that has caused me a great deal of stress for a number of months,” McSweeney later said.
“I do not know why people do this in politics, put around untrue rumours.
“They phone lots of journalists. Those journalists then phone lots of politicians … It’s damaging for people’s reputations. And I think it’s unfair for staff who can speak for themselves.”
9. McSweeney ‘Surprised’ Foreign Office Did Not Get Epstein Files From US
He said: “One of the things that subsequently surprised me – I would have assumed that, and maybe they did – but I would assume that our Foreign Office would have been in contact with us counterparts to see what information they held on him.”
He said there is “no way” Mandelson would have been appointed as ambassador if the government knew the full depth of his friendship with Epstein.
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Politics
Politics Home | Morgan McSweeney Says Mandelson’s Friendship With Epstein Was “Knife Through My Soul”
Morgan McSweeney appeared before MPs in parliament on Tuesday
4 min read
Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff has described the moment when he realised the depth of Lord Mandelson’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein as having “a knife through my soul”.
Speaking on Tuesday, Morgan McSweeney said he initially believed that Mandelson was telling the truth about the extent of his relationship with the paedophile financier ahead of being appointed UK ambassador to the US, but then realised in September 2025 that he “didn’t get the full truth”.
It was in September when Bloomberg published correspondence between the pair that further evidenced the depth of their friendship.
“The nature of the relationship that I understood he had with Epstein was not a close friendship,” said McSweeney, giving evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
“How I understood it at the time was a passing acquaintance that he regretted having, and that he apologised for.”
He added: “What has emerged since then was way, way, way worse than I had expected at the time.
“And it was when I saw the pictures, when I saw the [Bloomberg revelations] in September 2025, I have to say it was like a knife through my soul.”
He told the committee that he regrets not asking the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team (PET) to probe Mandelson’s appointment more extensively before he was appointed as US ambassador.
“When I look back on it, I certainly think it would have been much, much better if I’d asked PET to ask those follow-up questions,” he said.
“My thinking at the time was, if I put follow-up questions to him in writing, and that if a senior member of staff did that, that he would feel more obligated to give the truth and the full truth.”
He also insisted that there was no “improper” pressure put on the Foreign Office by Downing Street while he was there to formalise Mandelson’s appointment.
“There’s a world of difference between saying we want to go quicker and saying we want to be reckless. One is proper. We want things done quickly. The other is wholly improper.
“Nobody in No in 10 ever thought it would be appropriate to skip steps,” he said.
In a rare public appearance, McSweeney gave evidence to the Emily Thornberry-led committee as part of its look at the decision by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to appoint Mandelson as the UK’s most senior diplomat in Washington.
McSweeney, a close ally of Starmer, resigned from his Downing Street role in February amid growing pressure over the decision to appoint the peer despite his links to Epstein.
His appearance also comes ahead of a House of Commons vote later on Tuesday on referring the Prime Minister to the Privileges Committee on the question of whether he has misled Parliament about the process by which Mandelson was appointed.
Starmer has apologised for the original decision to appoint Mandelson but insists that due process was followed throughout the process.
Appearing before the committee earlier this morning, Sir Philip Barton, the former chief civil servant in the Foreign Office, said No 10 had shown an “uninterested” attitude towards Mandelson’s security vetting.
In his opening statement, McSweeney referenced the victims and survivors connected to Epstein’s crimes and apologised to them, adding that they were often forgotten in the middle of political stories and drama.
“Women and girls were abused, exploited and scarred. They deserved protection then, and they deserve to be remembered now. I am sorry for any part this controversy has played in causing further hurt or distress,” he told MPs.
He admitted that recommending Mandelson’s appointment was a “serious error of judgement”.
“I advised the Prime Minister in support of that appointment, and I was wrong to do so.”
McSweeney argued that, ultimately, the primary problem in his appointment was that Mandelson withheld key information from Starmer about his relationship with Epstein.
He denied the suggestion that the former cabinet minister was a “hero” and “mentor” to him, explaining that he felt Mandelson’s experience as an EU commissioner made him particularly suited to the task of helping secure a post-Brexit trade deal with the US.
McSweeney also said Mandelson probably would not have been appointed to the role if President Trump had lost the election to Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in November 2024, and revealed that the two leading candidates for the role were Mandelson and George Osborne, the former Tory chancellor.
McSweeney also sought to play down the significance of Mandelson’s influence in the Labour government.
While he admitted that he was in Downing Street during the September cabinet reshuffle and texting him his thoughts, he did not respond, and none of his suggestions ended up happening.
Text messages between the pair will soon be released in the next tranche of files as part of a separate investigation into the Mandelson appointment.
Germany’s chancellor has declared America is being “humiliated” by Iran over negotiations to end the war in the country and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Friedrich Merz said he “can’t tell what strategic exit the Americans are pursuing” exactly two months after the conflict began.
A ceasefire is currently in place, but there is little prospect of an imminent peace deal being reached.
Meanwhile, the key waterway the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, while the US is blockading Iran’s ports.
Donald Trump last week called off planned peace talks which had been due to be held between American and Iranian officials in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, insisting they were a waste of time.
Posting on Truth Social, he said: “If they want to talk, all they have to do is call.”
But Merz said: “At the moment I can’t tell what strategic exit the Americans are pursuing, especially since the Iranians are obviously negotiating very skilfully, or perhaps very skilfully refusing to negotiate, and are letting the Americans travel to Islamabad only to send them back home empty-handed.
“An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so called Revolutionary Guards.”
Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s highly-respected chief international correspondent, has said any peace deal “will take a long time” to be reached because “neither side wants to back down”.
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The all‑British super fight is now confirmed for 2026 as two former boxing champions collide on home soil in a career‑defining clash of size, skill and legacy.
The long-anticipated all-British heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is officially on.
Boxing promoter, Eddie Hearn, has declared the bout “signed, sealed and delivered”. Meanwhile, both fighters have publicly confirmed contracts are in place, ending years of speculation and near-misses that have kept fans waiting for a true domestic mega-fight.
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When and where for Fury vs Joshua boxing match?
Precise details are being finalised, but the fight is expected to take place later in 2026, with several reports pointing to the fourth quarter as the most likely window.
Organisers are targeting a UK stadium setting capable of holding tens of thousands of fans. Venues such as Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are obvious frontrunners given their record of accomplishment hosting major boxing events.
The plan is clearly to stage the bout on home soil and on the biggest possible stage.
The road to the ring
Both fighters arrive at this meeting with complicated recent histories that explain why the fight took so long to materialise.
Fury’s career has been punctuated by long breaks, a high-profile rivalry with Deontay Wilder, and a later defeat to Oleksandr Usyk that preceded a brief retirement.
Joshua’s path included Olympic glory, world titles, losses to Usyk and a series of comeback fights.
The timing finally aligned after Fury’s comeback victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov and Joshua’s return-to-action plans, allowing promoters to stitch together a deal that had eluded them for years.
Tune-up fights and training camps
Anthony Joshua has a tune-up bout in July. Organisers view this as a necessary step to sharpen his timing and rebuild momentum after a mixed run of recent opponents.
Joshua has also been training with Oleksandr Usyk and his team, which is a notable development given Usyk’s own victories over both Joshua and Fury. The collaboration is being framed as a tactical advantage for AJ.
Fury, meanwhile, has mixed his own training arrangements, bringing back coach SugarHill Steward into his camp shortly before his comeback fight. Fury has often emphasised a degree of self-direction in his preparations.
How each man looks in the ring after their respective camps will be a major factor in assessing the outcome.
High stakes
This is a late-career clash for both men, which adds unpredictability. Injuries, training setbacks or an upset in a tune-up fight could delay or alter the matchup.
Boxing’s history is full of last-minute changes. Promoters are mindful that even with contracts signed, the fight’s timing and staging remain vulnerable to the usual risks, injuries in camp, failed medicals or unforeseen personal issues.
Still, the commercial and sporting incentives to make the fight happen are enormous, so expect organisers to push hard to keep the schedule on track.
Beyond the ropes
This fight is more than a sporting contest; it’s a global entertainment event.
Reports indicate that Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh, who is backing the event, has stipulated a major musical performance as part of the show. Dua Lipa is a proposed headliner.
That kind of crossover entertainment underlines the scale of the production being planned, and the desire to make the event a cultural moment as well as a boxing match.
Which boxer has the edge?
Predicting a winner is difficult and depends on multiple variables: ring rust, physical condition, tactical adjustments, and how each fighter’s style matches up on the night.
Fury’s size, movement and unorthodox style have troubled elite opponents. Meanwhile Joshua’s power, athleticism and improved boxing IQ under different camps make him dangerous at any stage.
Both men have had recent setbacks and long layoffs at various points, which levels the playing field in some respects.
Ultimately, the fight will come down to who executes their game plan under pressure and who can impose their strengths while minimising vulnerabilities.
What boxing fans should watch next
Fans should watch for official announcements on the date and venue, confirmation of undercard fights, and the outcome of Joshua’s July tune-up bout, which will shape expectations heading into the main event.
Training footage, sparring reports and any pre-fight press tours will also offer clues about form and mindset.
Given the commercial muscle behind the promotion, expect a global broadcast plan and a spectacle designed to attract casual viewers as well as hardcore boxing fans.
This fight has been on the cards for many years. Finally, we will see a convergence of star power, national interest and commercial backing.
When Fury and Joshua meet, it will be more than a heavyweight contest. This will be a defining moment for British boxing and a major event on the 2026 sporting calendar.
Featured image via Getty Images
By Faz Ali
In 2025, there were about 10.2 million pet cats in the UK; almost a quarter of all UK households (24%) have a feline friend.
But, per Cats Protection, 3% of these were injured by cars outside the home, and the most common cause for injury was fights among other cats in the great outdoors (15%).
Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that a new paper has suggested the best way to help our cats live longer is the simple, free technique of keeping them indoors.
Why might keeping cats indoors help them live longer?
Roaming cats may die as many as 10 years before their indoor peers, the researchers wrote.
This is partly because outdoor cats are exposed to “substantial risks of traumatic injury and infectious disease, plus lesser risks of poisoning and abuse”.
They added that the “cohort of outdoor cats has approximately 70-80% of the lifespan of the cohort of indoor cats”, and that chronic conditions created by e.g. injuries sustained outdoors can create expensive vet bills for owners.
Additionally, they found that the quality of life of indoor cats was generally better than that of outdoor cats.
Even their bond with their owners tended to be more satisfying and fulfilling.
That’s not to say being indoors has no downsides fior cats
The researchers say this doesn’t mean keeping your cat indoors carries zero risk.
“Containment,” they say, may lead to “obesity, diabetes or behavioural problems… Contained cats are also unlikely to express all cat behaviour”.
And though solutions including “environmental enrichment, exercise, and correct feeding, plus containment logistics,” are plentiful, they “may strain owners’ time and finances”.
But, they add, on balance, it’s probably still the better choice.
They ended their paper, “We conclude that, based on health and welfare, the advantages of containment are considerable and the disadvantages often remediable.”
As speculation mounts about a potential sequel to the new Michael Jackson biopic, the head of the movie studio behind it has made a bold claim about its future.
Much has been made of the fact that the new film Michael doesn’t address the many allegations of child sexual abuse levelled against the Billie Jean singer in his lifetime, with several prominent figures attached to the movie claiming this could form the basis of a sequel.
Speaking to Business Insider, Lionsgate chief Adam Fogelson said frankly: “Look, there’s at least one more movie.”
He continued: “Just speaking less as an employee of Lionsgate and more as a person who has spent a lot of time in the movie business, I was always excited by the possibility that you could make a more complete and satisfying telling of Michael’s story if you weren’t confined to only one movie.”
Originally, filmmaker Antoine Fuqua had intended to include scenes referencing the allegations, and even shot a sequence of the police raiding Jackson’s Neverland ranch.
However, when production was close to being complete, the Jackson estate discovered a legal clause in one accuser’s settlement, forbidding his name or likeness from ever being featured in a film.
As a result, Fuqua had to bring back the cast and crew for costly reshoots, though Fogelson said some of this footage could still see the light of day.
“From my perspective, it’s important to try to give the audience an authentic understanding of who Michael Jackson was,” he added.
“So I think that that can be done with or without some of what was in the third act that had to be scrapped.”
During an interview published over the weekend, Fuqua was asked if it was true that around “a third of footage” already recorded could go into a potential Michael follow-up, to which he confirmed: “Absolutely.”
He also said last week that if a Michael sequel were to go ahead, he’d hope to not “sensationalise” the stories and controversies surrounding the Grammy winner in his later years.
“Being a movie star, rock star, superstar like Michael, there’s enough of that already,” he claimed. “You don’t have to do much. But I think the key is, like, who was he as a human being?
Michael had a mauling from critics in the lead-up to its release, but it’s seemingly fared much better with audiences.
As well as making more money in its opening weekend than any biopic before it, it holds an audience score on Rotten Tomatoes of 97%, and an average Letterboxd rating of 3.6 stars of a possible five.
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