Sacked referee Coote charged by FA over Klopp comments

Former Premier League referee David Coote has been hit with a charge by the Football Association concerning comments he made about ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

The official was sacked last December by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) following a viral video that circulated online showing him to have made derogatory remarks about the German from July 2020.

One of the comments concerned Klopp’s nationality, which has led the FA to claim the remark constituted an alleged ‘aggravated breach’ under its rules.

The FA said Coote would face no further action in regard to separate allegations of gambling misconduct, which he had strenuously denied. The FA said those allegations had been fully investigated.

Hundreds mourn ‘hero’ Air India pilot after ‘extremely rare’ dual engine failure suspected

Hundreds gathered in Mumbai today to honour Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the Air India pilot who has been hailed as a hero for limiting casualties on the ground during last week’s crash.

Captain Sabharwal issued a mayday call to air traffic controllers moments after takeoff and residents on the ground have credited him with avoiding a large residential building that was directly on the flight path.

Investigators have recovered flight AI171’s cockpit voice recorder and will analyse the pilots’ final words to help determine the cause of the crash that killed more than 270, 241 of whom were passengers and crew.

An “extremely rare” loss of power from both engines is increasingly being seen as the most probable cause of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s sudden descent.

Meanwhile, at least three Air India flights have been grounded or cancelled in the past 48 hours as India’s civil aviation authority ordered urgent pre-flight checks across Boeing 787 aircraft in the country.

Families in India with concerns can call Air India on 1800 5691 444. Those outside India can call the British Foreign Office on 020 7008 5000.

Zelensky accuses Putin of ‘pure terrorism’ after massive attack on Kyiv

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of “pure terrorism” after at least 15 people were killed and 116 others were injured in a massive attack on Ukraine overnight.

The Ukrainian president called the attack “one of the most horrific” of the war so far, with Ukrainian officials saying 14 were killed in Kyiv and one person was reported dead in Odesa. In total, Russia fired almost 500 drones and missiles across Ukraine, in one of Moscow’s largest attacks since invading Ukraine in February 2022.

“Such attacks are pure terrorism. And the whole world, the United States, and Europe must finally respond as a civilised society responds to terrorists,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that it was still unclear how many remained trapped under the debris.

The attack came just hours after Donald Trump claimed it was a mistake to throw Russia out of what was formerly the G8.

“This was a big mistake,” said the US president, adding that he believed Russia would not have invaded Ukraine in 2022 had Mr Putin not been ejected from the high-profile group of nations. “Putin speaks to me. He doesn’t speak to anybody else … he’s not a happy person about it,” Mr Trump said.

Charity boss found stabbed to death in Hackney house after gas explosion

The woman found stabbed to death in a home in north London following a gas explosion has been named as a charity worker who supported refugees.

Annabel Rook, 46, was found fatally injured at a house in Dumont Road, Stoke Newington, northeast London, just before 5am on Tuesday.

She worked for a charity that she co-founded called MamaSuze CIC, which supported refugee and migrant women, some of whom had fled domestic violence, with art and drama activities.

A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and has been taken to hospital to be treated for slash wounds.

The Metropolitan Police said it is believed Ms Rook’s death is “a domestic-related incident”.

The force said it is not looking for anyone else in connection with the suspected murder.

Two children, aged nine and seven, have also been taken to hospital as a precaution. They are not believed to have been inside the house at the time of the gas explosion, the force added.

Ms Rook’s LinkedIn profile says she worked with “marginalised and displaced people” for over 20 years.

Her charity MamaSuze is a “joyful, inclusive space dedicated to enhancing the lives of women and children who are survivors of forced displacement and gender-based violence”.

In a statement posted on social media, MamaSuze said the organisation was “devastated by the loss of our beloved co-founder”, adding that she treated everyone with “warmth and kindness”.

“Annabel was a profound force for good in the world, dedicating her working life to supporting women survivors,” the statement read.

“She started MamaSuze to bring art, creativity and joy to women who had arrived in the UK fleeing violence and human trafficking, treating everyone she met with warmth and kindness.”

Neighbours described the noise as the explosion tore through the house.

Teacher Alun Gordon said: “We just woke up to a massive bang … my whole house shook, it felt like a truck had hit the house.

“I then heard screams, someone shouting ‘oh my God’ several times, so I came outside and basically all the neighbours appeared in their pyjamas.

“My daughter babysat for her and we would chat to her as a neighbour. It’s a massive tragedy for the street.”

Six fire engines and 40 firefighters were called to the scene early on Tuesday, where road closures remain in place.

The house, a terrace on the corner of Dumont Road, was surrounded by police, firefighters and gas workers later in the morning.

The front bay window was completely blown out, with debris including plants, wooden shutters and glass scattered across the street.

Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in the local area, said: “This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this very difficult time.”

She added that the force will be conducting interviews with the suspect as soon as possible.

“We understand what happened will cause concern within the Hackney community and residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area, along with a crime scene, as we carry out the investigation,” DCS Clarke said.

“We are working closely alongside our partners at Hackney Council to help support those residents locally who have been impacted by this.”

Anyone with information can call police on 101 quoting CAD 926/17 June or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.

Alcaraz ‘super excited’ for Raducanu link-up as he wins at Queen’s

A fortnight out from Wimbledon, with All England Club defending champion Carlos Alcaraz beginning his grass-court campaign in the 27C sunshine at Queen’s Club, it is highly unusual for another grand slam to steal the limelight. Yet in New York, they don’t care what feathers they ruffle on the streets of Kensington or Southfields.

Earlier this year, the US Open announced a new-look mixed doubles tournament to take place in the week preceding the major. With a winning purse of $1m, top singles players have been encouraged to participate in a two-day, quick-scoring format. For the tradition of grand-slam tennis, it is quite the radical shake-up, while for doubles specialists, some reliant on the earnings of mixed tennis, it amounts to something close to a slap in the face.

Yet on these shores, there’s no doubting where the main stardust pairing lies. Five-time major winner Alcaraz, the sport’s hottest property right now, is set to compete in a box-office duo alongside British No 1 Emma Raducanu.

As such, with the greatest of respect to Alcaraz’s first-round opponent at Queen’s – Australian lucky loser Adam Walton – the hot topic in the press room was not the Spaniard’s solid if unspectacular 6-4 7-6(4) win, his 14th victory in a row. It was the formation of “AlcarCanu”.

“She’s going to be the boss!” he said, with a wide smile in his press conference. “The US Open came to us and gave us the opportunity to play mixed doubles and I’m super excited about it. It’s going to be great.

“I’ve known Emma a really long time and I have a really good relationship with her, it’s going to be interesting. The tournament told us about the mixed tournament and I was thinking it couldn’t be better than Emma. I asked Emma if she wanted to play doubles with me and yeah, I made that special request.”

Asked if she said ‘yes’ straight away, Alcaraz humorously responded: “She took a while! She had to think a little bit!”

On court, one break of serve was enough for Alcaraz in the first set sunshine where Walton – who filled in at three hours notice for the ill Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who got married at the weekend – gave a decent account of himself early on.

The world No 86 looked to go toe to toe with Alcaraz in a series of lengthy rallies and while Alcaraz – in his first match since that sensational Roland Garros triumph against Jannik Sinner – took some time to find his range in front of a sold-out crowd at Andy Murray Arena, his superiority showed in the clutch moments.

The second was similarly nip and tuck, with Walton cleaning the lines and, after three uncharacteristic Alcaraz errors, the Australian was one point away from the set. Yet if his spectacular Paris comeback showed us anything, it is how Alcaraz can reach another stratosphere at the big moments. Four irretrievable first serves saw him weave his way out of trouble.

To a tiebreak they went, where one quickfire exchange at 4-4 at the net saw Alcaraz come out on top, with a backhand volley that dipped perfectly below the baseline. That mini-break was enough; he’d claim the next two points on serve, crisply sealing his spot in the second round with a trademark forehand winner crosscourt.

While Alcaraz was pushed and prodded, second seed Jack Draper, who beat Alcaraz here last year, wasted no time in his first match on grass. As temperatures rose (one spectator in the stands fainted), Draper cranked through the gears stress-free in a dominant 77-minute outing.

The British No 1, now world No 6 heading into the Wimbledon fortnight and pushing for a top-four seeding, started the match with a statement first point, cleaning the line with an on-the-run forehand winner. Starting how he means to go on, Draper won 10 of the last 11 games and secured a dominant 6-3, 6-1 victory with an ace up the T against unorthodox American player Jenson Brooksby. Much to the delight of the British crowd.

“Good to be home,” Draper wrote on the courtside camera, as he looks forward to a stretch of the season he can spend down the road at his home in Putney.

After a comfortable opener, a tougher match awaits the 23-year-old in the last 16 on Thursday, in the form of big-hitting Australian Alexei Popyrin. But what of his partnership with China’s Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng in New York?

“I think it’ll be fun to get out there and play with her,” he said, of a duo formed through their IMG agency.

“I’ll definitely play. It’s a good format for the players to prepare for the US Open, having a shot at playing with another top player. Qinwen is a great player and has a really good game.”

Asked why an all-British pairing with Raducanu did not come to fruition, Draper was magnanimous in his offering. “A wise person once told me you should find the best partner,” he said. “And that’s exactly what she did in Alcaraz!

“I don’t blame her for that. She will have a lot of fun playing with Carlos.”

What’s the secret to a truly stress-free holiday?

High-end cruising has entered a new era. Today’s luxury travellers aren’t looking for big flashy experiences. They want slow-paced, intimate travel and authentic cultural immersion. More than anything else, they’re looking for ease: that feeling of being genuinely cared for, safe in the knowledge that they’re experiencing the best of the best.

That means excellent quality food and drink, of course – it’s got to be restaurant standard and cater to all tastes – but also onboard enrichment experiences of the highest calibre. The great beauty of cruising has always been that not a second is wasted. Savvy travellers get to explore a rich and rewarding variety of exotic, off-the-beaten track locations, but instead of spending half their holiday stuck in motorway traffic, they’re honing their swing in the golf net, or sipping on a cocktail on the upper deck as they travel from destination to destination.

When they’re onshore they want genuinely immersive experiences that get them under the hood of a destination: think cellar tours of local vineyards or speedboat cruises to hidden beaches. Done right, a high-end all-inclusive cruise is the ideal form of slow travel, offering a perfect balance of adventure and indulgence, proper pampering and a thrilling sense of discovery.

The world’s most luxurious fleet

First among equals when it comes to the new era of luxury cruising is Regent Seven Seas Cruises, which offers more than 170 different itineraries visiting over 550 ports of call worldwide. Each of the six ships in their fleet is opulently appointed with beautifully designed communal areas and a huge array of amenities, but none of them has a capacity of more than 746 guests, ensuring space and freedom for all aboard.

The all-suite accommodation means that the private spaces are similarly roomy, each having a private balcony and marble bathroom. And service is always impeccable with a crew-to-guest ratio that’s nearly one-to-one, meaning that the team can always go that mile extra for all travellers.

Across the ships, the food is uniformly excellent. As well as Regent’s signature Compass Rose restaurant, with its daily changing menu of bistro classics like lobster bisque and New Zealand lamb chops, the different ships also feature a range of speciality dining venues. These include Prime 7, a New York-style steakhouse, Pacific Rim with its pan-Asian menu (be sure to try the miso black cod), and fine-dining destination, Chartreuse, where the chefs turn out sophisticated plates of upscale French cooking like Beef Tenderloin Rossini and Seared Foie Gras.

With a number of long cruises on their roster, Regent has made sure that each of its ships is akin to an ultra-luxury, boutique floating hotel with an incredible variety of things to do during the day and top-level entertainment at night. There are courts for paddle tennis and bocce, and the onboard spa offers a range of exclusive bespoke treatments. The ships host talks by experts in their field and cooking lessons are also available on some of the ships at the culinary arts kitchens where visiting chefs guide guests in how to make wow-factor dishes that relate to the ports of call. In the evening, the Constellation Theatre hosts lavishly staged productions from a team of Broadway choreographers and artists.

Destinations that match the onboard luxury

Of course, none of this onboard luxury would mean much if the destinations weren’t up to scratch, but Regent’s superbly curated itineraries are up there with the very best. Its week-long trips include culture-packed European tours like Glories of Iberia which sails from Barcelona to Lisbon, and thrilling frontier explorations such as the Great Alaskan Adventure from Whittier to Vancouver.

Longer trips include four-week Legendary Journeys from Athens to Montreal, and fully immersive explorations of the Arctic. Long or short, these itineraries are all underpinned by a commitment to taking guests right to the heart of a destination with the kind of bespoke onshore activities and expert-led insights that mean on a Regent Seven Seas Cruises voyage, adventure is guaranteed.

Visit Regent Seven Seas Cruises now to uncover the true meaning of luxury and start booking your ultimate stress-free getaway

Will the US-UK trade deal make Starmer popular again?

To general surprise, at least as to the location and the timing, the British prime minister and the American president have confirmed that the US-UK economic prosperity deal (EPD) has indeed been signed and will now be in force.

It is the first, and only, trade deal of any kind to have been signed by the Trump administration since “Liberation Day” on 2 April. It was a notable moment, but for Keir Starmer, one question will be how far it will go in helping his government recover from its rapid fall from grace since the general election…

Obviously, someone – possibly in the British embassy in Washington – came up with the idea of the president and his counterpart springing the announcement on the world’s media when they were least expecting it, for maximum impact. So instead of the usual photo-op in the Oval Office, with Trump signing the executive order and then posing with it for the cameras, it was displayed in the open air at an impromptu press conference.

The pages fell out of the presidential folder, to be retrieved by Starmer, but that just seemed to add to the easy informality of the occasion. The prime minister was allowed to address the president as “Donald”, and Trump said nice things about him. The British are to be shielded from further tariffs because, as Trump put it, “I like them”, and he thinks Starmer’s team are “great people”.

Steel, most urgently. The Americans insist that steel “made in Britain” should be virgin and not dependent on raw materials from, let us say, China or the EU. For the steel works at Port Talbot that implies trouble, because the capacity to make such steel has been lost with the closure of the last blast furnace, now replaced with electric arc technology. So the ruinous 25 per cent tariff on UK steel exports to the US will stay, after all, and will rise to a prohibitive 50 per cent on 9 July.

Politically, if Starmer can get the right conditions over the line by then and the threat of such tariffs subsides, it will mean a great deal to the voters in south Wales, who are being enthusiastically, if cynically, courted by Reform UK ahead of next year’s Welsh parliament elections. Scunthorpe, too, should benefit from the deal, with a comparable electoral dividend.

The car industry, especially Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Aston Martin in the Midlands, plus Bentley in Crewe, Rolls-Royce in Sussex, and similar centres for export production. Aerospace actually escapes US tariffs completely, which is excellent news for manufacturing centres in Derby, the northwest, north Wales and Bristol.

With the orders going in for new rails, girders, and the defence industry, the government can make some claim to be rebuilding the industrial base – although high energy prices remain an obstacle to competitiveness. The government, particularly Ed Miliband, has probably yet to win the argument that renewables are a cheaper and reliable alternative to fossil fuels. Even the farmers, badly disadvantaged in the Australian and New Zealand trade deals, have some protections against low-cost US imports.

Broadly, on US trade, things are worse than they were under Joe Biden, but better than they would be without a deal. It’s only fair to add that if the UK were still in the EU then a trade deal would not yet have occurred, although the EU’s collective bargaining strength may in time prove to be a strategic advantage in securing better terms.

In terms of growth, the net effects will be small, given that the 10 per cent US “baseline” tariff implemented by the Trump administration remains on all other UK goods. But, again, the situation is undoubtedly better than it would otherwise have been.

For a government and a nation desperate for growth, this partial relaxation of US taxes, the Indian free trade deal, and, most of all, the EU “reset”, should boost overall growth by a modest but useful amount. The EPD also has the promise of more cooperation on everything from financial services to AI.

The NHS uses its huge purchasing power to drive a hard bargain with US pharma giants, and these companies, along with the president, resent the way in which so much of the production of final products, and of the compounds used to manufacture them, has been outsourced by the US.

There are vague but ominous-sounding words in the EPD about this: “The United States and the United Kingdom intend to promptly negotiate significantly preferential treatment outcomes on pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients. The United Kingdom confirms that it will endeavour to improve the overall environment for pharmaceutical companies operating in the United Kingdom.”

The treatment of US pharma giants has long been a complaint of Trump’s.

Yes. Starmer has done well on the international stage, and all these deals show that his government can actually get things done. It adds some lustre to Starmer’s dullish image, and also adds to his “prime ministerial” air, which contrasts with that of the more inexperienced Badenoch and the “unserious” Nigel Farage. Starmer could plausibly claim to be the kind of steady, dependable leader needed to steer the country through stormy times, even if he sometimes needs to adjust course.

The local economic boost in areas most affected will help, as well as the contribution to growth at the national level. But, as ever, a demanding electorate will want to feel the tangible benefit of growing real wages, stabilised taxes, and improving public services before Labour can dream of catching up with Reform UK.

Deals such as this, alongside some dramatic U-turns on the winter fuel payment and the grooming gangs, give the government hope that it’s at least possible to win some voters back.

Instead of ending wars, ‘America First’ is being dragged into them

It is difficult to discern exactly what the “big stuff” is that prompted President Trump to leave the G7 summit and return to Washington a day early. Mr Trump wouldn’t say what, precisely, but he did advise the 9 million residents of Tehran to “immediately evacuate” their homes, causing mass panic.

Any lingering hopes that the president was going back to the White House to work full time on a ceasefire were extinguished when Mr Trump declared that suggestions to that effect made by the president of France were mistaken: “I’m not looking for a ceasefire, we’re looking at better than a ceasefire.” What the president does want, in his words, is “an end, a real end, not a ceasefire,” and a “complete give-up” by Iran.

At the same time, though, the president told the world that he had not contacted the Iranians to engage in peace talks in any “way, shape, or form” because they “should have taken the deal that was on the table”.

Given that many American diplomats have left the region – and the USS Nimitz and its carrier strike group are transferring from the Pacific – it seems plain that the US government is at least contemplating how force (or the threat of it) might have to become necessary to pursue American strategic objectives.

President Trump has long been perfectly clear about what one of those prime objectives is: Iran “just can’t have a nuclear weapon”. On that point, at least, he has the backing of his allies, endorsed in the G7 communique, which added that Iran is a “source of terror”. As is his style, weeks ago he tried a bold – if unlikely – diplomatic initiative to strike a deal, with direct talks in Rome between American and Iranian officials.

These were stalling even before Israel started its bombardment of Iran’s labs, uranium enrichment facilities and other targets – and the US-Iran talks have since broken down. Yet even now, there is speculation that – pressured by Israel’s actions and backed with a major US naval taskforce heading towards the Persian Gulf – Mr Trump may try to use this opportunity to achieve a breakthrough deal.

Asked by reporters if he might dispatch his vice-president, JD Vance, and roaming negotiator Steve Witkoff to Iran for this purpose, Mr Trump did not rule it out. “Peace through strength” is a slogan that the president frequently uses, but thus far in his presidency, it has seldom worked out in practice. This time, the world must hope, will be different.

If diplomacy fails? Mr Trump could simply allow Israel to continue its efforts to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities, such as they are, and to so destabilise the theocratic regime that it is overthrown by the Iranian people. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has made no secret of his wish for “regime change”, addressing the “Persian” people directly and having his photograph taken with the exiled son of the last shah of Iran, who was toppled by the ayatollahs in the revolution of 1979.

Subcontracting the task of disarming Iran and persuading the people of Iran to replace their government with a more palatable, peace-loving alternative, all without any direct US involvement, must have some attractions for American foreign policy (though Mr Trump reportedly vetoed an assassination attempt on the supreme leader of Iran).

That carries significant risks, however, which will be apparent to the defence, security and state department officials briefing Mr Trump. For some weeks, Israel has used the George W Bush playbook as applied in the last Gulf war to justify its attacks in Iran – a pre-emptive military strike to remove the threat of weapons of mass destruction, and, as the Americans did with Saddam Hussein, offering regime change as an alternative to destruction and defeat. A similar ultimatum is now being issued by Mr Trump, with Israeli backing – give up your nukes and you can stay in power. If not…

But the world knows how that Iraqi story ended – a fractured country that fell into civil war and the rule of Isis, an even more murderous and dangerous entity than the Baathists. The collapse of Iran into chaos and civil war would be a far greater disaster for the world than anything that has happened in Iraq, Libya, Syria or Afghanistan in terms of the consequences for turning a stable (if malign) state into a failed one. Iran is in another league of military and political importance.

If there was fighting for control of Iran – and the ayatollahs cannot be expected to meekly slink away to their holy places – then that would soon spread to Yemen, and restart the horrific proxy war there with Saudi Arabia. Russia remains Iran’s friend and ally, and relies on its Shahed drones that proved so effective in Ukraine. What would Vladimir Putin do to protect his interests?

If America intervenes, or acquiesces in Israel’s escalating campaign, the regional conflagration so long feared between Israel and Iran would not remain a private dispute between the two regional superpowers of Israel and Iran, not least because Tehran’s client terrorists in Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels and, above all, Hamas will continue to be involved.

The more nations and groups become involved, the more unpredictable events will become, and the harder it will be for America to control them. Instead of ending far-away wars, this “America First” is being dragged into more of them. That’s very much “big stuff” – and big risks.