
-
Roma not aiming for Serie A title 'but you never know', says Gasperini
-
UK automakers cheer US trade deal, as steel tariffs left in limbo
-
Pope Leo XIV to revive papal holidays at summer palace
-
French ex-PM Fillon given suspended sentence over wife's fake job
-
US retail sales slip more than expected after rush to beat tariffs
-
Farrell has no regrets over short France stint with Racing 92
-
Global oil demand to dip in 2030, first drop since Covid: IEA
-
Indonesia volcano spews colossal ash tower, alert level raised
-
Dutch suggest social media ban for under-15s
-
Russian strikes kill 16 in 'horrific' attack on Kyiv
-
Gaza rescuers say Israel army kills more than 50 people near aid site
-
Tehranis caught between fear and resolve as air war intensifies
-
Oil prices rally, stocks slide as traders track Israel-Iran crisis
-
Sweden's 'Queen of Trash' jailed over toxic waste scandal
-
Trump says wants 'real end' to Israel-Iran conflict, not ceasefire
-
Poll finds public turning to AI bots for news updates
-
'Spectacular' Viking burial site discovered in Denmark
-
Why stablecoins are gaining popularity
-
Man Utd CEO Berrada sticking to 2028 Premier League title aim
-
Iraq treads a tightrope to avoid spillover from Israel-Iran conflict
-
Payback time: how Dutch players could power Suriname to the World Cup
-
Oil prices rally, stocks mixed as traders track Israel-Iran crisis
-
Bank of Japan holds rates, will slow bond purchase taper
-
Thai cabinet approves bid to host Bangkok F1 race
-
Oil prices swing with stocks as traders keep tabs on Israel-Iran crisis
-
Amsterdam honours its own Golden Age sculpture master
-
Russian strikes kill 14 in 'horrific' attack on Kyiv
-
Taiwan tests sea drones as China keeps up military pressure
-
Survivors of Bosnia 'rape camps' come forward 30 years on
-
Australian mushroom murder suspect told 'lies upon lies': prosecutor
-
Israel, Iran trade blows as air war rages into fifth day
-
'Farewell, Comrade Boll': China fans hail German table tennis ace
-
G7 urges Middle East de-escalation as Trump makes hasty summit exit
-
With EuroPride, Lisbon courts LGBTQ travellers
-
All Black Ardie Savea to play for Japan's Kobe in 2026
-
Ohtani makes first pitching performance since 2023
-
Haliburton ready for 'backs against wall' NBA Finals test
-
Bank of Japan holds rates, says to slow bond purchase taper
-
Empty seats as Chelsea win opener at Club World Cup, Benfica deny Boca
-
G7 urges Iran de-escalation as Trump makes hasty summit exit
-
Verdict due for Sweden's 'Queen of Trash' over toxic waste
-
Israel, Iran trade missile fire as Trump warns Tehran to 'evacuate'
-
Thunder hold off Pacers to take 3-2 NBA Finals lead
-
Soft power: BTS fans rally behind Korean international adoptees
-
Dominant Flamengo open with victory at Club World Cup
-
Oil prices jump after Trump's warning, stocks extend gains
-
UK MPs eye decriminalising abortion for women in all cases
-
Yen slides ahead of Bank of Japan policy decision
-
Ecuador pipeline burst stops flow of crude
-
China's Xi in Kazakhstan to cement Central Asia ties

Texas synagogue hostage-taker 'prayed for two years' for attack: reports
A British man who took hostages at a Texas synagogue told his family he had prayed for two years to carry out the attack, media reported Thursday, as police made two arrests.
Malik Faisal Akram, 44, from Blackburn in northwest England, was shot dead by the FBI during a 10-hour siege in the small town of Colleyville last Saturday.
His four hostages, including a rabbi, were all freed unharmed.
The London-based Jewish Chronicle published on its website what it said was a recording of Akram's last phone call with his brother back home, where he outlined his aims.
Akram tells his brother, Gulbar, during the siege, "I've come to die", adding that he wants to "go down as a martyr" and is "bombed up" with "every ammunition".
His brother urges him to give himself up.
The BBC said experts believe the call is genuine.
Suggesting the attack was long-planned, Akram said: "I've prayed to Allah for two years for this... I'm coming back home in a body bag".
The recording raises further questions about the thoroughness of a recent investigation into Akram by British security services.
Media reports have said Akram was investigated in 2020 by Britain's domestic security agency MI5 after he spent six months in Pakistan.
But the probe was shut down after just over a month due to lack of evidence that he was a threat, and he was able to travel to the United States without being flagged as a risk.
British counter-terrorism police meanwhile said Thursday they were questioning two men after early-morning arrests as part of an investigation into the incident.
Greater Manchester Police tweeted that the men were arrested in Birmingham, central England, and in Manchester, some 21 miles (34 kilometres) from Blackburn.
UK police have previously arrested two teenagers in connection with the US investigation. They were released without charge. A property was also searched in Manchester.
Akram's family have said he had mental health problems and had a criminal record.
He had lived in Blackburn, an economically depressed former mill town, with his wife and six children but had reportedly moved out before travelling to the United States.
His father Malik Akram told the Daily Mail his son phoned home several times during the siege and claimed to have "hundreds of bullets".
"He has destroyed himself and he has destroyed us," he was quoted as saying.
- 'Lady Al-Qaeda' -
In the phone call, Akram said he was demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist known as "Lady Al-Qaeda" whose detention has been a cause celebre for jihadists.
"I've told them (the hostages): 'Bring her here'," Akram says.
"She's got 84 years (in prison). They're talking to her because I'm near the prison FMC Carswell", the jail where Siddiqui is incarcerated in Fort Worth.
Siddiqui, a 49-year-old US-educated Pakistani scientist, is serving an 86-year sentence for the attempted murder of US soldiers in Afghanistan.
She was sentenced in 2010, prompting protests in Pakistan and a call for revenge from Al-Qaeda's then number two.
Her lawyer has denied she had any involvement in the siege.
In an increasingly agitated call, Akram says Siddiqui was "framed".
He refers to the beheading of US journalist James Foley by the so-called Islamic State group in 2014, after the hostage-takers demanded Siddiqui's release.
"They let him die and they didn't release her but guess what, maybe they'll have compassion for fucking Jews," he says.
The Times on Thursday said Akram had twice been referred to a British government programme called Prevent, which aims to dissuade people seen as vulnerable to radicalisation.
It cited sources as saying Akram was referred in 2016 and 2019 over "concerns about his anti-Western and conservative Islamic views".
But it was unclear whether he engaged with the voluntary scheme, the daily added.
J.Williams--AMWN