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Egil Johansen, the landlord of the Kenton pub in Hackney, east London, describes recent incidents involving children as "like the wild west." He has now banned children entirely after a three-year-old fell down a cellar hatch while parents sat elsewhere, a five-year-old crashed into staff carrying drinks, and six parents brought 10 hyperactive children after a birthday party while ignoring their behavior."In every case, the parents blame us when something goes wrong or get really angry when we ask them to control their children," says Johansen, who has run the pub for 17 years. "I'm legally obliged to keep children safe on my premises and if the parents let their children run riot, the only answer is to not allow them in at all."Johansen initially tried banning children only after 5pm, but this interim measure failed to address the underlying issues. Despite online criticism framing him as the "baddie," he expresses sadness about the situation: "I'm a publican; I'm a people-person. It gives me no joy to ban anyone, but it's just not safe: parents don't control their children and our other customers were beginning to go elsewhere. I had no choice."The Kenton's decision reflects a growing trend among UK pubs seeking to differentiate themselves from establishments that "resemble soft play centres without the ball pit." While some welcome this shift, others view it as unwelcoming to families, creating a culture war in the pub industry.Lee Jones, landlord of the Brewers Arms in West Malvern, Worcestershire, reversed a previous child ban: "We're dog-friendly, child-friendly, adult-friendly. We're just friendly – we don't distinguish. Pubs are for the community and I don't see bans in the spirit of what we're here for." Jones reports that when children become rowdy, staff can address the issue with parents, though this is rarely needed.Stephen Boyd, who runs the Alma in south London, took a different approach after attempting to attract young families. He found families with children consumed disproportionate time and resources with special requests for diluted drinks, heated beverages, and customized meals, while adult customers waited longer for their orders."You just need a couple screaming, banging on a table or running up and down, and it dictates the whole atmosphere of the pub," Boyd says. "Parents would take massive umbrage if staff asked them to stop their children doing something." After implementing a child ban, he describes the change as "a fucking revelation" with staff retention improving and takings doubling.Despite the positive results, Boyd faced significant backlash: "I got a lot of online hate. Mainly from people who had never been to the pub but felt I was doing something morally hateful."Tom Stainer, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale, acknowledges the debate is "very live" but emphasizes: "But you do have to look at the responsibility of the parents in these situations, not just at the pubs. They're the ones responsible for making sure that their children behave."Financial considerations also drive some decisions. Mandy Keefe, landlady of the Wheel Inn in Ashford, banned children partly for behavioral reasons but also financial ones: "If a third of my Sunday customers were children eating from a reduced-rate child's menu and not drinking any alcohol, that wouldn't be financially viable."Across the UK, pubs are making individual decisions based on their specific circumstances, but as Johansen's experience demonstrates, it only takes one serious incident to settle the question for good.

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has urged for the expulsion of the Israeli Football Association (IFA) from all international institutions after a recent FIFA report revealed multiple breaches of its anti-discrimination obligations.PFA chief Jibril Rajoub stated during a news conference in the occupied West Bank city of el-Bireh that the IFA's actions, including alleged racist behavior and criminal activities by some officials, justify a ban.The FIFA report fined the IFA 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,700) for the breaches, which Rajoub described as a significant but insufficient penalty.Rajoub cited several reasons for the proposed ban, including the IFA's 'racist nature', alleged criminal activity by some Israeli sports officials, and the inclusion of football clubs from Israeli West Bank settlements in the Israeli federation.The report highlighted the IFA's failure to address 'persistent and well-documented racist behaviour' by Beitar Jerusalem, which Rajoub described as an extreme example of racism, fascism, and discrimination prevalent in Israeli football.Rajoub also mentioned instances of players killed during the conflict in Gaza and the destruction of sports facilities, stating that 1,007 athletes and coaches were killed and 265 sports facilities damaged since the war started in October 2023.At least five football clubs based in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are members of the IFA, which is part of UEFA, European football's governing body.

Iran has issued a stern warning that it will show 'zero restraint' if its energy infrastructure is attacked again. This comes in the wake of a retaliatory strike on Israel's critical South Pars gasfield, which provides 80% of Iran's natural gas needs.Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran's response to Israel's attack was a mere fraction of its capabilities, and that the only reason for restraint was respect for requested de-escalation. 'ZERO restraint if our infrastructures are struck again.'The conflict has significantly impacted Qatar's energy production, with 17% of Qatar's LNG export capacity wiped out, resulting in an estimated $20bn in lost annual revenue. The strikes have also threatened supplies to Europe and Asia.QatarEnergy's CEO, Saad al-Kaabi, revealed that repairs will sideline 12.8 million tonnes of LNG production per year for three to five years. He emphasized that the scale of the damage has set the region back 10 to 20 years.The situation has heightened tensions with Iran's Arab Gulf neighbors, who have condemned the strikes as a violation of international law. Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a critical Gulf waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's oil and LNG supplies transit, driving soaring petrol prices and global concerns about rising inflation.

QatarEnergy has invoked force majeure on certain long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contracts, impacting customers in Italy, Belgium, South Korea, and China. This decision comes as the company faces production and supply disruptions due to the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran.The force majeure clause, commonly included in contracts, allows a party to be excused from its obligations under unforeseen circumstances. This is not an isolated incident, as petroleum companies in Kuwait and Bahrain have also recently invoked force majeure.The global energy market has been significantly affected since the US and Israel began their attacks on Iran on February 28. Iranian missile and drone strikes across the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf region, have targeted crucial oil and gas facilities. These actions have led to international condemnation and have essentially closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and LNG supplies pass.QatarEnergy's CEO, Saad al-Kaabi, recently reported that an Iranian attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan gas facility resulted in the loss of about 17 percent of the country's LNG export capacity. This damage is expected to cause an estimated $20 billion in lost annual revenue and threatens supplies to Europe and Asia. The repairs are anticipated to sideline 12.8 million tonnes of LNG production per year for three to five years.The conflict escalated after the Israeli military targeted Iran's offshore South Pars gasfield, prompting Qatar and other Gulf countries to condemn the attacks on energy infrastructure. These actions are viewed as threats to global energy security and violate international law and the United Nations Charter.

Afghanistan's authorities have released US citizen Dennis Coyle, who was detained in the country for over a year. The release was announced by the country's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, stating that Coyle's detention period was deemed sufficient by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate.The decision to release Coyle was made on humanitarian grounds and as a gesture of 'goodwill'. The UAE facilitated the release, which came after a meeting between Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, former US Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, the UAE Ambassador to Kabul Saif Mohammed al-Ketbi, and a member of Coyle's family.Coyle, a linguist and researcher, was detained in January 2025 while working to support Afghan language communities. He was held 'in near-solitary conditions' without access to adequate medical care, according to the Foley Foundation. The Taliban authorities stated that Coyle was held 'due to violations of Afghanistan's applicable laws'.The release is seen as a positive step towards ending the practice of hostage diplomacy. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked the UAE and Qatar for their support in securing Coyle's release, stating that it is a positive step towards ending the practice of hostage diplomacy.This is not the first time the Taliban has released US citizens as a goodwill gesture. Last year, five other US citizens were released under similar circumstances.

The ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran has led to a war of words over whether negotiations are taking place to end the hostilities. US President Donald Trump asserts that 'productive' talks have occurred with a top Iranian figure, but Iranian officials, including Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, vehemently deny these claims.The conflicting narratives raise questions about the motivations behind each side's statements. An analysis of what each side stands to gain from negotiations and a potential end to the conflict may provide clarity. Trump's comments on negotiations may be aimed at calming stock markets and oil prices, which have fluctuated significantly due to the conflict.The timing of Trump's comments coincides with the end of the trading week and a five-day deadline he gave for a positive response from Iran. This has led some to speculate that the US may be using talk of negotiations as a strategy to buy time for more US troops to arrive in the Middle East, potentially for a ground invasion of Iranian territory.From Iran's perspective, the economic pain inflicted on the US and global economies serves as a deterrent against future attacks. Therefore, it is in Iran's interest to downplay any talk of negotiations to maintain pressure on the US.Trump faces a dilemma between extending the war and suffering economic and political costs or ending it and facing criticism for not completing what he termed a 'short-term excursion.' The Iranian state, on the other hand, appears to have less incentive to end the war without establishing an effective deterrent against future attacks.The conflict has already resulted in over 1,500 deaths in Iran, significant infrastructure damage, and strained relations with Gulf neighbors. Moderate voices in Iran may argue that some form of deterrence has been achieved, and it may be time to talk and secure concessions.

In a groundbreaking experiment conducted in Colorado's Rocky Mountain meadows, scientists heated a patch of land by 2C for 29 years. The results are alarming: the area transformed from a lush, diverse grassland into a desert-like scrubland dominated by sagebrush. This 'shrubification' process, driven by rising temperatures, threatens the very existence of alpine grasslands worldwide.The experiment, conducted at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, involved warming five plots of 30 sq meters each by 2C using electric infrared radiators. The results showed a 150% increase in shrubs in warmed plots compared to those without heating. The surface soil dried by up to 20%, and shallow-rooted plants became stressed, leading to the extinction of some wildflowers.The implications extend far beyond Colorado. Alpine grasslands, which host 50% of European flora on just 3% of land, are particularly vulnerable. As temperatures rise, these ecosystems are likely to be irrevocably changed, leading to a loss of biodiversity. The phenomenon of 'shrubification' is not limited to mountain environments; it's also observed in Arctic landscapes, where shrub cover expanded by 2.2% each decade between 1984 and 2020.Conservation ecologists warn that while shrubs and trees bring benefits like shelter and carbon sequestration, their rapid expansion in cold environments is a symptom of climate change. The speed and scale of these changes are concerning, with potential knock-on impacts on the carbon cycle and ecosystem balance.As Lara Souza, lead researcher, notes, 'It's like flowers on steroids.' However, this vision of abundance is tinged with sadness at the prospect of irreversible changes to fragile landscapes. The future of these ecosystems, and many others like them, hangs in the balance as global temperatures continue to rise.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has accused Crispin Odey, a former hedge fund manager, of attempting to manipulate a victim of sexual assault into silence. According to evidence presented in court, Odey sent a text to his former employee in January 2022, warning her that the FCA could question her about him.Odey, who has previously accepted that he groped the woman without her consent in 2005, claimed he was under the influence of sedatives at the time. He now faces a number of sexual harassment allegations and has launched a £79m libel lawsuit against the Financial Times.The FCA's lawyer, Clare Sibson, argued that Odey was trying to manipulate the victim into silence and had a clear motive to discourage her from providing her account to the FCA. Odey, however, claimed he only wanted to ensure the woman would "tell the truth".The hearing continues, with Odey hoping to overturn the FCA's decision to ban him from the UK's financial services industry. In addition to the libel lawsuit, Odey is also facing civil personal injury claims by five women, including one who accused him of rape.

A newly expanded policy from the Trump administration could require travelers from five World Cup-qualified African countries to post a bond of up to $15,000 in order to enter the United States for the tournament.Visa bonds function as security deposits: a one-time payment that is meant to be refunded after a traveler exits the US under the terms of their visa. The amounts typically range between $5,000 and $15,000, and are required for passport holders from certain countries to enter the US legally under B-1 or B-2 visas, which are necessary for business travelers or tourists.The US State Department has mandated these bonds since launching a pilot program in late 2025, targeting many of the same countries affected by the Trump travel ban along with others – predominantly nations from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and parts of Asia. Last week, the state department announced an expansion of the program, with visitors from 50 countries now required to submit the deposits if requested by US consular officials.Among those 50 countries, five have qualified for the World Cup, all from Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Tunisia. Though refundable, the cost of the bonds alone is sufficient to make travel to the US prohibitively expensive for most fans from these nations, where average annual income levels are approximately $5,000 per year or less. Tunisia is scheduled to play one group-stage game in the US with the other two in Mexico. Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire will play twice in the US and once in Canada. Algeria and Cape Verde will compete in all three of their group-stage matches in Mexico.Even if affordable for some supporters, the multi-thousand dollar requirement adds another significant complication for fans from these countries, including exorbitant ticket prices for the games themselves, hotel rates far above average, plus additional visa processing delays and potential safety concerns created by the presence of federal immigration officers from ICE and other agencies in US cities.It remains unclear which entities, if any, will be exempt from the visa bonds. While Trump's travel bans contain exemptions for athletes and officials participating in major sporting events like the World Cup, the visa bonds program contains no such provision.The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to commence on June 11, with the final taking place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.