The real reason Netanyahu nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a solemn voice as he lauded the efforts of the peacemaker who sat before him.

“He’s forging peace, as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other,” Netanyahu said. “So I want to present to you, Mr President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize Committee. It’s nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well deserved, and you should get it,” he added, rising to hand him said letter.

President Donald Trump, who had just weeks earlier launched airstrikes against Iran, was touched.

“Wow,” he said. “Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful.”

Soon after, Trump took a moment to reflect on his quest for peace.

“The biggest bombs that we’ve ever dropped on anybody, when you think non-nuclear,” the president said of the diplomacy that earned him the nomination for the prize previously awarded to Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela.

“I don’t want to say what it reminded me of, but if you go back a long time ago, it reminded people of a certain other event, and Harry Truman’s picture is now in the lobby,” Trump continued, comparing his efforts to the dropping of the two atomic bombs on Japan during the Second World War, an event that killed more than 120,000 civilians.

The ironies abound.

President Trump received a nomination for the Peace Prize weeks after launching military strikes against a country that his intelligence agencies had said was not building a nuclear weapon. He launched that action after single-handedly destroying a diplomatic deal that his predecessor, Barack Obama, had negotiated, and which was working.

He received it from a man who, had he delivered the nominating letter to the Nobel Committee in Norway by hand, would have been at risk of arrest under its obligation as a signatory to obey a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

From a man who is currently presiding over a war that has killed more than 55,000 people, more than half of them women and children, that has made Gaza the place with the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world, and where the blockade of vital aid has pushed much of the population to the brink of famine.

In short, being nominated for a peace prize by Benjamin Netanyahu is akin to being nominated for a ‘not breaking the law’ prize by fictional mob boss Tony Soprano.

But Netanyahu’s nomination has less to do with world peace and more to do with the softening up of Trump ahead of crunch talks this week.

This visit was supposed to be a victory lap for the Israeli prime minister after the realization of a decades-long-held wish to bomb Iran’s nuclear program. He achieved it with Trump’s help and he will likely need it again in the near future to ensure it does not rebuild.

The Israeli leader’s relationship with Trump is also a political crutch that he leans on when he needs to shore up support in his shaky ruling coalition at home. Trump has, in recent weeks, gone to the extraordinary lengths of calling for corruption charges against Netanyahu to be dropped, linking U.S. support for Israel to the fate of its prime minister.

All of which is why he ensured his departure was covered with much fanfare as he left Tel Aviv.

The same fanfare was not waiting on the other side, however.

The Israeli leader was whisked into the White House through the back door on Monday, and the pair had no public events scheduled as they met to discuss Israel’s ceasefire with Iran, a potential ceasefire in Gaza, and a wider peace deal between Israel and Gulf countries.

Some had read into that arrangement that Trump might be aiming to put more pressure on Netanyahu on this visit to achieve some of his goals.

In many ways, Trump and Netanyahu have never looked more in sync. They have just gone to war together, after all. But much of their relationship over the past year or so has been a one-way street, and Trump is beginning to notice.

Trump has given Netanyahu carte blanche to act with impunity with American weapons in Gaza, not even putting up the pretense of caring about civilian casualties, and even entertaining the Israeli right’s wildest dreams of mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza.

But he has his own plans for the region. He wants to build on the Abraham Accords peace deal between Israel and several Arab states from his first term, specifically bringing Saudi Arabia on board.

He would like — for his own reasons, likely not related to the welfare of Palestinians — to forge a peace in Gaza. He has made little headway in those goals largely because Netanyahu’s plans have superseded his own.

Trump has not been shy to show his frustration. A few weeks ago, he publicly admonished the prime minister for breaking a ceasefire agreement he had brokered with Iran.

“They don’t know what the f*** they’re doing,” he said of the leaders of both Iran and Israel, a statement that raised eyebrows for its equal apportioning of blame.

Trump is reportedly keen to use this trip to press for a ceasefire in Gaza and a permanent end to the war, and has promised to be “very firm” with Netanyahu to get it. Part of that pressure campaign appears to involve denying him the oxygen of publicity until he can show some results.

If some kind of deal is reached, or if Netanyahu gives Trump enough to make him feel like he’s won a victory, expect a longer-than-usual press conference to make up for it, filled with war stories, tales of bravery, bunker busters, daring pilots, and peace in our time.

Jury shown footage of ‘brothers in Manchester airport brawl with police officers’

A jury has been shown new CCTV and bodycam footage of two brothers allegedly assaulting police officers in a fight at Manchester Airport last year.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, have been accused of attacking officers who were responding to an incident at a Starbucks in the airport’s Terminal 2 arrivals area on 23 July 2024.

CCTV footage shows PC Zachary Marsden and PC Ellie Cook, who were both armed, and unarmed PC Lydia Ward approaching the brothers in the airport’s car park paystation after the incident.

The prosecution say Amaaz resisted as police tried to move him away from a payment machine to arrest him, and then his brother, Amaad, intervened.

They told the court on Monday that Amaaz threw 10 punches, including one to the face of PC Ward that knocked her to the floor, and that Amaad aimed six punches at firearms officer PC Marsden.

Amaaz is also said to have kicked PC Marsden and twice struck firearms officer PC Cook with his elbow, then punched PC Marsden from behind and took hold of him before PC Cook discharged her Taser device.

Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted the officers causing them actual bodily harm and is also accused of the earlier assault of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at Starbucks.

Amaad, 26, is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden, causing actual bodily harm.

Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations.

Giving evidence in court, PC Marsden said he approached the accused with the intention of escorting the suspect from the crowd and to arrest him outside where he would have radio signal.

He said he placed his hands on Amaaz’s left arm, but said he was “met with immediate resistance” and that he felt the suspect “clench his fists”.

PC Marsden said he realised a change in plan was needed so decided to attempt to handcuff Amaaz, the man wearing the light blue tracksuit.

The officer said he then felt an “immense weight of pressure” to his right side and felt his Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol move across his leg and around his body, and feared someone was “trying to get his gun”.

He then described receiving “blows from all directions” from the second man, causing his glasses to be knocked off his face.

PC Marsden said he managed to break free from Amaad and deploy his Taser against him before he felt a blow to the head from behind and someone on his back.

When he felt an arm “wrap round my throat” he told the court he believed there could be a third attacker.

He said, at the time, he had not realised his colleague PC Cook had discharged her Taser at Amaaz as he held on to him. He recalled freeing himself before going down to arrest the man on the floor.

Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC asked the officer about suggestions that he stamped on Amaaz’s head. PC Marsden denied this.

PC Marsden told the court: “He (Amaaz) ignored my commands to put his arms around his back. His chest lifted off the floor and his head towards me.

“He was attempting to get off the floor. I needed to deliver one strike to the facial region to stun the subject.

“Using the soft-laced part of my boot I delivered a kick to the facial region, which would buy me valuable seconds in order to take control and hopefully dissuade the subject from trying to get up again.”

The trial continues on Tuesday when PC Marsden will be cross-examined by the defence.

Prominent Thatcher minister Norman Tebbit dies, aged 94

Norman Tebbit, the eurosceptic, anti-immigration former cabinet minister known as one of Margaret Thatcher’s most loyal supporters, has died aged 94.

The Conservative grandee, who served as employment secretary and Conservative Party chairman in the 1980s, played a key role in Tory politics for a generation and would remain one of the biggest influences on the rightwing until his late years.

As employment secretary he took on the trade unions and told Britain’s 3 million unemployed to “get on your bike” to find a job. As chairman of the Conservative Party from 1985 to 1987 he helped Mrs Thatcher secure her third general election victory.

A loyalist to Thatcher from 1975 when he was part of the team of rightwing Tory MPs who masterminded her surprise leadership victory, Lord Tebbit would earn the nickname “Chingford skinhead” for being one of the hardest Thatcherites in her cabinet.

The Tory grandee was one of the few to relish his Spitting Image puppet claiming that it helped model his public persona as “Thatcher’s enforcer”.

He suffered grave injuries in the IRA’s bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton in 1984, which left his wife, Margaret, paralysed from the neck down, with both narrowly surviving the terrorist atrocity.

But the harder side of him was evident in 1990 when he coined the infamous “cricket test” on whether immigrants supported England at the sport as a test for whether they were really British.

He always maintained that Tory MPs had betrayed Margaret Thatcher when she was ousted in 1990 and carried an enmity with Lord Michael Heseltine, whose challenge would force her out, for the rest of his life. The two would later play roles on opposite sides in the Brexit debate.

Tributes poured in following the news of his death, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch saying he “was an icon in British politics and his death will cause sadness across the political spectrum”.

Meanwhile, former Tory Cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke described Lord Tebbit as a “political giant” who was “combative with his opponents, fiercely loyal to his friends, somebody who would never accept Britain in decline”.

Lord Tebbit stepped down as an MP in 1992, replaced by former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, and was then given a seat in the House of Lords.

He died peacefully in his home in Bury St Edmunds at 11.15pm on Monday, after having retired from politics three years ago.

He was latterly remembered as one of the most prominent supporters of leaving the EU and advocates for Brexit in the run up to the 2016 referendum and beyond.

Leading the tributes, Ms Badenoch described Lord Tebbit as an “icon” of the party.

She said: “Our Conservative family mourns the loss of Lord Tebbit today and I send my sincerest condolences to his loved ones. Norman Tebbit was an icon in British politics and his death will cause sadness across the political spectrum.

“He was one of the leading exponents of the philosophy we now know as Thatcherism and his unstinting service in the pursuit of improving our country should be held up as an inspiration to all Conservatives. As a minister in Mrs Thatcher’s administration he was one of the main agents of the transformation of our country, notably in taming the trade unions.”

But she noted that it was his “stoicism and courage in the face of terrorism” following the IRA bomb in 1984 “which inspired us”.

Paying tribute to the former Tory Cabinet minister, who campaigned against integration with Europe, Eurosceptic think tank the Bruges Group said: “Today we mourn the loss of a political titan without whom the Thatcher revolution may have looked very different.

“A passionate Eurosceptic, Lord Tebbit also served as President of the Bruges Group, leading our years-long campaign against EU integration.”

His former chief of staff Lord Michael Dobbs, author of House of Cards, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “Politics misses people of that sort of character who believe so deeply in what they are pursuing.”

Ex-minister Sir Conor Burns, who worked for Margaret Thatcher, said: “I was fortunate to count him as a friend. Norman was a true Thatcherite revolutionary. Lady T always acknowledged his importance to her success. He was always candid, direct and shrewd. Sometimes his honesty made others uncomfortable which he relished! Norman said what many thought but didn’t have the courage to say. His was a genuine journey of social mobility based on talent – made in harder times when the rise of a white working class man of talent was admired.”

Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith added: “Sad to learn of the death of Lord Tebbit, a great Conservative whose values Britain could use a great deal more of today.”

Former Tory cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke noted: “Norman Tebbit was a political giant: combative with his opponents, fiercely loyal to his friends, somebody who would never accept Britain in decline.”

Long after retirement, Lord Tebbit remained a support of rightwing causes in the Tories including becoming honorary president of the Bowe Group. He would be a regular speaker at meetings of the European Research Group (ERG) of Tory Brexiteer parliamentarians.

Former cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “Norman Tebbit was a giant of Conservative politics and Conservative ideals. A man who looked after his beloved wife beautifully after the horrific terror attack by the IRA. A man who nurtured and befriended young conservatives like me. He was great company on a weekend in the country.”

Death toll surpasses 100 and dozens still missing as Texans told ‘rough week’ ahead

The death toll from the catastrophic flooding in central Texas has climbed to at least 104, as hope of finding survivors continues to fade.

At least 84 of the victims were killed in Kerr County alone after the Guadalupe River burst from its banks on Friday, sweeping away homes, vehicles and devastating Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp situated on the banks of the river.

The camp said Monday that 27 girls and staff members had been killed in the disaster, with 11 still missing.

Search and rescue efforts entered their fifth day Tuesday with hundreds of local and state responders and volunteers being supported by helicopters, drones and dive teams as they weaved through downed trees and combed through piles of debris in search of survivors.

Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. warned locals to expect a “rough week” as the chances of finding survivors fell. At least two dozen people remain missing.

The disaster dates back to the early hours of Friday when heavy rainfall in western Kerr County caused the Guadalupe River to swell almost 24 feet in under an hour.

The six traits that make someone cool, according to science

Last week, I sang in a choir performing Eighties hits in a working man’s club, and I was taken back to a time when I felt cool. When I was a twentysomething fashion designer living in London, out every night at the latest clubs, wearing outfits I’d rustled up on the sewing machine that day, it felt like I was at the heart of the cultural zeitgeist, living the dream.

But here’s the thing, it was my dream, my culture and my version of cool. The choir I was singing with was at a working men’s club – the one where Kate Moss recently shot a video with Ray Winstone for the cooler than cool Perfect Magazine, and a week before that, where the Gallagher brothers reunited for their Adidas shoot.

The hardly touched seventies interior has appeared as a backdrop for a Gucci advert and the recent Amy Winehouse biopic. But it wasn’t any of this that made it cool for me. Having fun, playing dress-up and not giving a s*** apart from the pure joy that our choir gave felt like the coolest thing. So, is cool about aesthetics or attitude? Or both? Is it even possible to measure what’s cool, as surely everyone’s idea of cool is personal to them? And in an era when algorithms filter what we see, hear, and buy – has cool lost its authenticity? Has it become less about self-expression and more about following fads?

I’m now a trend forecaster and I’m often asked, “What’s the latest colour? What’s trending? What’s cool right now?” My usual response is “Whatever you like – that’s what’s cool.” Honestly, I just don’t care.

A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology surveyed nearly 6,000 participants from 12 countries around the world who rated cool people on a range of personality traits and values. The study found they had six things in common: extroverted, adventurous, open, autonomous, powerful and hedonistic came out on top.

Note it didn’t mention being on trend once.

We’ve been through quiet luxury, maximalism, nostalgia core, coastal cowgirl… you name it, we’ve seen them all and while they are fun ways to dress up and feel good, the concept of cool is much more than a TikTok trend. For me, cool is about being original, groundbreaking and independent – oh and funny. Funny is very cool, but more of that later.

The idea of “cool” originated in post‑war African American jazz culture and spread globally through beat poetry, music, movies, and global media to become what we now recognise as the ultimate aspiration – or absolute worst nightmare – depending on your perspective.

Fashion especially is suffering from this aesthetic burnout as the constant cycle of online micro-trends has made keeping up exhausting, with rules that shift weekly. A growing backlash against this force-feeding of information is seeing consumers crave surprise, authenticity and the power to reclaim their own organic decision-making.

In fact, many of the truly cool people are stepping away from fashion trends altogether. Forget “try-hard” looks or performative alternative styles – they’re embracing their inner basic-ness. Trying too hard to be cool is, ironically, not cool at all.

Social media accounts like the tongue-in-cheek @socks_house_meeting exemplify this shift. This satirical, anonymous voice comments on east London’s microcultures and cool tribes, with memes that parody the hyperlocal identities of Hackney, earning it a cult following of 144,000.

Likewise, @real_housewives_of_clapton takes a satirical swipe at east London hipster aesthetics – mocking natural wine obsessions, run club culture, Salomon trainers, and niche diets. And yet, this influencer who-isn’t-an-influencer has shaped local culture by promoting physical events, products, and charitable collaborations.

Cool in 2025 is about being self-aware and funny, particularly in the UK. You can like something uncool as long as it’s done with irony or layered meaning. While launching his new culture and entertainment platform, EE72, stylist Edward Enninful, often seen as a curator of cool, posted a list of 72 things he likes right now on Instagram – Love Island, Sade, bucket hats and Miley Cyrus all made it… Making something uncool – cool – using humour, authenticity and owning the narrative before the algorithm rhythm does is the ultimate flex.

There’s also a strange irony in the uncool becoming cool. Think of the much-maligned Marnie Michaels from Girls, now rebranded by Millennials as a relatable trailblazer for her emotional honesty and self-awareness. Or Paris Hilton, once the overexposed poster girl of 2000s bimbo culture, now reclaimed as a camp, ironically chic icon.

Nostalgia plays a big part in this, especially for Gen Z and Millennials, and TikTok is the home of nostalgic cool – but, again, with humour. Think: “Everyone’s chasing trends, but I’m over here eating Babybels in silence like it’s 2002.”

Whether it’s a desire to recapture simpler childhoods, contrasted with the uncertainties of adulthood and a longing for a sense of stability, nostalgia is fuelling the coolest cultural and fashion movements.

A recent psychology study concluded that cool is measurable and transcends cultures – even across diverse societies – and is a mix of being creative, self‑driven, bold and occasionally morally ambiguous. But I’m not sure I fully agree. Yes, being cool is about being an authentic, confident cultural trailblazer, but I also see it as a complex, shape-shifting social currency, part aspiration, part irony, part rebellion – that varies by tribe, location, and vibe.

My own relationship with cool has evolved over time (I’m now in my sixties). I have and always will be interested in current music, fashion and lifestyle trends, but I try to forge my own path. For me, being truly cool is (and always has been) about embracing individuality and being authentic. Whether you’re singing in a choir at the local working men’s club, starring in an indie film, or building a platform on social media, if you’re doing your own thing without giving a damn what others think, you’re officially cool. Oh and funny, you’ve got to be funny. Really funny.

Being Funny (see above)

Geeky kids: Being quirky, emotionally complex, genre-defying, techy and creative. Those who once felt out of place are now cultural leaders on TikTok and Substack and are where it’s at.

Middle-aged women: Yes you heard it here first, Gen X understand analogue and digital life, relate to older and younger generations, prioritise realness over perfection and know how to party. Kim Gordon, Alanis Morrisette and Chloë Sevigny are the poster girls.

Offline or anti-algorithm Curation: Those in search of authentic connection are turning to no online presence or smaller platforms like Letterboxd, Are.na, or niche Substacks to escape TikTok fatigue.

AI as a creative tool: Using AI tools for writing, design, and art is becoming mainstream – but cool creatives use them with signature handwriting to make them their own, rather than relying on default settings.

Hyper-local: Supporting local artists and microbrands, working in your community gardens or creating local events is way cooler than globalised luxury.

Anti-perfection: Enough with the quiet luxury style, breathwork apps, ice baths, psilocybin microdosing and sleep optimisation. It’s cool to be hedonistic and messy. Think Lola Young, Charli XCX and Gen X (see above).

And this year’s colour? Buttercup yellow if you really want to know.

You can find Jane Kellock’s work on her Substack here

How Macmillan Cancer Support built a movement that reaches everyone

Farage’s support has ‘topped out’, claims leading pollster

A leading pollster has suggested that Reform UK’s support in the country has “topped out”, and that the forward momentum carrying them up in the polls has come to an end.

Lord Robert Hayward has told The Independent that recent council by-election results, where Reform lost while defending seats, coupled with a small fall in the polls, suggest that Nigel Farage’s march to Downing Street at the next general election is facing some serious questions.

It comes after business leaders and senior figures in the Labour Party urged Sir Keir Starmer to “stop obsessing” about Reform.

The analysis follows Reform losing two by-elections last week for council seats they were defending for the first time.

Many pollsters are looking at council by-election results as a more accurate indicator of the state of political parties than polls themselves.

One of the results in Newark West, Nottinghamshire, saw the Tories gain a seat from Reform in Robert Jenrick’s constituency, while in Benfieldside, County Durham, the Lib Dems gained off Reform.

Both seats were won by Mr Farage’s party in the recent county council elections, but their successful candidates had to stand down almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Reform has also been hit by questions over another of its MPs, James McMurdock, who resigned the party whip over the weekend after an investigation was launched into his business dealings during the Covid pandemic.

It means in 12 months, just three of the five original Reform MPs remain, after Rupert Lowe was ousted from the party earlier this year following a row with Mr Farage and former chairman Zia Yusuf earlier this year.

Lord Hayward has also taken note of a dip in support for Reform in recent polls although they are currently still ahead of the other parties.

In the last Techne UK poll Reform dropped 3 per cent to 28 per cent; and in last week’s YouGov poll they were down one point.

There has also been a small fracturing of Reform’s base vote on the right, with the emergence of new parties like Advance UK led by Reform’s former deputy leader Ben Habib and the Restore Britain founded by Mr Lowe.

The decision by Reform to reveal that former Tory cabinet minister David Jones joined the party more than six months after he defected is also being seen as a sign of desperation.

Mr Jones joined just after Christmas but had indicated he no longer wanted to be in frontline politics and wanted no news fanfare over his defection. But with the party in retreat, Reform has decided to try to regain momentum through an article on GB News’ website, the channel which employs Mr Farage.

Lord Hayward said: “I would say their support has topped out rather than peaked [because] I’m not certain something else won’t give them a further boost but the momentum has come to an end.

“Poll numbers have slightly declining. Membership numbers are down a bit. They are not winning by-elections. Those first two seats they defended were an important test.”

Reform have hit back at suggestions that their progress has come to a halt especially with a More in Common poll suggesting they would be the largest party in a general election with 290 seats.

A Reform UK spokesman said: “Recent polls have us as high as 34 per cent, we were told 20 per cent was our limit, then 25 per cent and now 30 per cent.

“Reform has gained the most seats in council by elections since the local elections. We have all the momentum in British politics.”

In an interview at the weekend Rachel Reeves former adviser Lord Jim O’Neill told The Independent that obsessing about Reform was harming Labour.

He said: “They should stop worrying about Farage, they have four years before that should matter.”

Putin will attack Nato country to distract while Xi invades Taiwan, warns Rutte

Russian president Vladimir Putin will help China invade Taiwan by attacking a nation in the Nato in order to distract Europe, the alliance’s secretary general Mark Rutte has warned.

The former prime minister of the Netherlands was answering a question on the defence commitments of US president Donald Trump, especially to the world and in the Indo-Pacific, at a time when the Republican leader has made a push for “America First” priorities on the domestic and international stage.

“There’s an increasing realisation, and let’s not be naïve about this: If Xi Jinping would attack Taiwan, he would first make sure that he makes a call to his very junior partner in all of this, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, residing in Moscow, and telling him, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this, and I need you to to keep them busy in Europe by attacking Nato territory’,” Mr Rutte told The New York Times in an interview on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Brussels last month.

Mr Rutte said this scenario in which Taiwan is invaded by China is “most likely the way this will progress” and that Beijing and Moscow will need to be deterred.

Beijing claims Taiwan as a breakaway province, and Chinese president Xi Jinping has threatened to “reunite” the island with the mainland, by force if necessary. The Taiwanese people largely favour the status quo which gives them de facto independence.

He also added that Mr Trump’s foreign policy is promoting working together with the Indo-Pacific.

“And to deter them, we need to do two things. One is that Nato, collectively, being so strong that the Russians will never do this. And second, working together with the Indo-Pacific – something President Trump is very much promoting. Because we have this close interconnectedness, working together on defence industry, innovation between Nato and the Indo-Pacific,” he told the NYT.

The Nato chief, who recently was chided for calling the US president “daddy” for inserting the US in the Middle East conflict between Israel and Iran, and bringing the fighting to a supposed end, also praised defence officials like Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth as “excellent foreign policy team” put together by Mr Trump.