AI imageInternet services across parts of Asia and the Middle East faced disruptions after undersea cables in the Red Sea were cut, experts said on Sunday.While concerns were raised over possible sabotage amid ongoing conflict in the region, it was not immediately clear what caused the incident, according to the news agency Associated Press.Microsoft said on its status page that the Middle East “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea,” though internet traffic outside the region was not affected.NetBlocks, a global watchdog monitoring internet access, reported “a series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea” had degraded connectivity in several countries, including India and Pakistan.It identified failures impacting the South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SMW4) and the India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE) cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.The SMW4 is run by Tata Communications, part of India’s Tata Group, while IMEWE is managed by a consortium overseen by Alcatel-Lucent. Both firms did not immediately respond to requests for comment, as per AP.Pakistan Telecommunications Co. Ltd. confirmed the cuts in a statement on Saturday. In the UAE, users of state-owned Du and Etisalat networks also complained of slower speeds, though authorities there and in Saudi Arabia did not comment.Submarine cables, a key part of global internet infrastructure, are vulnerable to ship anchors or deliberate attacks. Repairs typically take weeks, requiring specialised vessels to locate and fix the damage.The disruption comes as Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war. While speculation has grown about their role in targeting subsea infrastructure, the group has denied previous responsibility.On Sunday, the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite channel acknowledged reports of the outages, citing NetBlocks, but did not claim involvement.From late 2023 through 2024, the Houthis struck over 100 ships in the Red Sea using missiles and drones, sinking four and killing at least eight mariners.Their campaign, which they frame as pressure on Israel over Gaza, has drawn retaliatory airstrikes.Earlier this year, Yemen’s internationally recognised government accused the Houthis of planning to attack cables, though the group denied it.

A British cardiologist suggested without evidence on Saturday that Covid-19 vaccines might have been a factor in the cancer suffered by members of the British royal family, drawing swift condemnation from the government, health experts and cancer support groups. The cardiologist, Dr. Aseem Malhotra, made the claim during a 20-minute speech at the annual conference of Reform U.K., the anti-immigration party led by Nigel Farage — which distanced itself from his remarks after they provoked an outcry. Speaking from the main stage at the party’s two-day event, Dr. Malhotra said on Saturday that he had been told by a professor of oncology that “he thinks it’s highly likely that the Covid vaccines have been a factor, a significant factor, in the cancer of members of the royal family.”The British government quickly denounced the claim as dangerous to public health. “When we are seeing falling numbers of parents getting their children vaccinated, and a resurgence of disease we had previously eradicated, it is shockingly irresponsible for Nigel Farage to give a platform to these poisonous lies,” the health secretary, Wes Streeting, said. “Farage should apologize and sever all ties with this dangerous extremism.”

What is an Emergency Alert? 🚨 There will be an Emergency Alerts test on Sunday 7 September at 3pm across compatible mobile phones and tablets in the UK. How to turn off Emergency Alerts on UK phonesIf you do not wish to receive an emergency alert message as part of the national training, you can opt out. Recommended reading:Other mobile phonesDepending on the manufacturer and software version of your phone, emergency alert settings may be called different names, according to the Government website. The government website says to go to:‘Message’, then ‘message settings, then ‘wireless emergency alerts’, then ‘alert’‘Settings’, then ‘sounds’, then ‘advanced’, then ‘emergency broadcasts’‘Settings’, then ‘general settings’, then ‘emergency alerts’"Then turn off ‘test alerts’, ‘exercise alerts’, ‘operator defined’ and ‘operator alerts’," it adds.

The big Manchester night out that's 'anything but subtle''Are we crossing the line here?' The opening night of Albert's Schloss, on October 15, 2015, set a precedent that continues today (Image: Manchester Evening News)There is an unwritten rule in showbusiness that you should never work with children or animals. It’s a rule that Albert’s Schloss has pretty much followed since opening in Manchester - having seen pretty much every other type of performer grace its stage. Last year, Lill described Albert’s Schloss as the Manchester venue that most feels like home to her. ‌Albert's Schloss has stood the test of time in the city (Image: Albert's Schloss)“Manchester is just getting better and better as a city,” he says.

Your ultimate guide to student financeBasically, student finance is a government-financed loan that covers university students' tuition fees and living costs for the duration of their study. This is over the Postgraduate Loan threshold of £1,750 and the Plan 2 threshold of £2,372. It's £650 over the postgraduate threshold, so you'll pay 6% on that amount - £39. It's also £28 over the Plan 2 threshold, so you'll pay 9% on that amount - £2.52. Interest ratesLike any loan, you'll be paying back what you owe plus interest.

The Trump administration has launched an operation in Massachusetts to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants, the New York Times and Boston media reported on Saturday, quoting the Department of Homeland Security as saying it was targeting "criminal aliens" living in the state.DHS and its U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm are calling the operation Patriot 2.0, modifying the name of a May deportation surge that led to the arrest of 1,500 people in the state, according to the reports.A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The operation is expected to last several weeks, the New York Times said, quoting unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter. One of the sources told the Times that Patriot 2.0 was focused on targeting immigrants who had been released from custody despite ICE agents attempting to pick them up from local jails.It was not immediately clear how many federal officers were involved in the crackdown, which comes as Chicago braces for a Trump administration ramp-up of deportations in the third-largest U.S. city.NBC 10 Boston quoted a statement from a DHS spokesperson as deriding Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's so-called sanctuary policies. "Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but also place these public safety threats above the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities," the statement reported by NBC 10 said.

More than 800 people were arrested in London on Saturday under British terrorism laws during a protest against the government’s decision to ban a pro-Palestinian activist group. The group, Palestine Action, was designated a terrorist organization in July after two of its members broke into a British military base and damaged planes to protest Britain’s military support for Israel. It was the first organization to be banned under a segment of Britain’s legal definition of terrorism that covers serious property damage, rather than violence against people, to advance a political cause. The designation put Palestine Action on the same legal footing as groups like Al Qaeda, and it criminalizes membership or involvement with the group, as well as some public expressions of support. Saturday’s arrests escalated the confrontation between the British authorities and supporters of Palestine Action over applying the terrorism law to protests, an otherwise protected form of expression in Britain.

‘When are we going back to the hotel?” Nancy whined as I tried to perfect our family selfie in front of the Sphinx. Yes, we went to Egypt with the kids. • Discover our full guide to EgyptThe glory of the Egyptian Museum — old and newA quick note: you’ve probably read about the GEM, Cairo’s giant, shiny new Grand Egyptian Museum, which finally opened, but only partially, last year. AdvertisementBefore you travel, visit a museum exhibition about ancient Egypt to discover what you are all most interested in. To see the funerary treasures discovered by Howard Carter, visit the Egyptian Museum Cairo (£8; egyptianmuseumcairo.eg).

Police detain London demonstrators supporting banned group Palestine Action (Pic credit: AP)UK Capital Under Siege; Nearly 200 Detained As London Erupts Against Starmer, Netanyahu | Gaza WarLONDON: British police scuffled with protesters outside Parliament on Saturday as they arrested scores of demonstrators who gathered to defy a ban on the group Palestine Action, which has been deemed a terrorist organisation by the government.Defend Our Juries, the campaign group organising the protest, said 1,500 people were taking part in the London demonstration, holding signs reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action. There were some scuffles and angry exchanges as officers dragged away demonstrators who went limp as they were removed from the crowd. "Direct action protestsThe government proscribed Palestine Action in July after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and vandalized planes to protest against what they called Britain's support for Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza. "Palestine Action has won approval from the High Court to challenge the ban, a ruling the government is seeking to overturn. "The group has been supported by prominent cultural figures including bestselling Irish author Sally Rooney, who said she planned to use the proceeds of her work "to keep backing Palestine Action and direct action against genocide.

Tourists and visitors will be unable to walk among the green benches “until further notice” while an investigation takes place, parliamentary authorities have said. The ban also applies to the House of Lords chamber, but other areas of Parliament will remain open. Scotland Yard has launched a probe and said it believes the phone was “purposely” placed there “with the aim of causing disruption to business in the House”. “Public access to the rest of Parliament is unaffected and remains open as usual. “We have robust and proactive security measures in place in Parliament and the safety and security of everyone who works or visits here remains our top priority.”

Rarely has Britain’s new political landscape come into sharper relief than during the rapid-fire events that unfolded over a hectic lunchtime on Friday. An hour later, Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing anti-immigrant party Reform U.K., hurried to the stage at the party’s annual conference in Birmingham, England, to exult in Labour’s misfortune. Ms. Rayner’s resignation was not a major shock after two weeks of questions about her tax problems. But its timing, on the opening day of the Reform conference, gave Mr. Farage a ready-made moment to press his populist case: that the Labour Party and its prime minister, Keir Starmer, are aimless, incompetent and unfit to govern. “We are the party on the rise,” Mr. Farage, an ally of President Trump, said to a cheering crowd in a cavernous convention center, with pulsating lights and flashy pyrotechnics.

A 2019 mission in North Korea, which intended to have Navy SEALs plant an electronic device to intercept communications of the country’s leader Kim Jong Un, resulted in an unsuccessful operation that left unarmed North Koreans dead, according to a report from the New York Times on Friday. The mission, which took place during President Donald Trump’s first term, required the president’s direct approval, the Times reports, and came amid high-level nuclear talks between the US and North Korea. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementTrump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, said he knows “nothing” about the 2019 mission reported by the Times. The relationship between the United States and North Korea, a country that is highly isolated, has been rocky over the years. In 2019, Trump would make history as the first sitting US leader to set foot in the hermit kingdom, when he shook hands with Kim and took 20 steps into North Korea.

The Metropolitan Police was alerted to reports of violence in Woodstock Road at 3.05pm on September 5. Officers joined London Ambulance Service colleagues at the scene near Mount Pleasant, where a man had been located with serious injuries. A Met spokesperson said: "Police were called at 15:05hrs on Friday, 5 September to reports of violence in Wembley. "Officers were joined by London Ambulance Service at Woodstock Road, near Mount Pleasant, where a man was found with serious injuries. READ MORE: New footage released one year after Queen’s Park man killed in Kilburn shooting"The 45-year-old man was taken to hospital where his injuries have been said to be life-threatening and life-changing."

Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, a member of the British royal family who was a longtime patron of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, died on Thursday in London. She was 92. Buckingham Palace announced her death but did not provide additional details. The duchess kept a low profile for a member of the royal family, fulfilling less visible duties and steering clear of scandal at a time when more prominent royals were sometimes embroiled in it. To those who were not regular royal watchers, she was best known for comforting the losing finalist Jana Novotna in 1993 at Wimbledon, where the duchess was a regular.

Jeremy Clarkson opens his pub The Farmer's Dog in 2024Jeremy Clarkson has shared some more devastating news as he revealed his Farmer's Dog computer system had been hacked.The Clarkson's Farm star has two successful businesses, the pub and Diddly Squat Farm, which both feature on his Amazon Prime show. And we are told similar attacks were launched in recent months on both M&S and the Co-op. But no one thought to mention that my pub, the Farmer’s Dog, has been hit too. Clarkson has faced a tough year, as he penned about the harvest on X: "It looks like this year’s harvest will be catastrophic. He then put in his column for The Times: ""It used to be reasonably predictable, but it just isn't anymore.