FlyDubai flight lands safely in Saudi Arabia after cockpit incident
A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday after transmitting a distress signal shortly after take-off. Flight FZ1073, which was carrying about 150 people, landed safely, the airline said, and both pilots were taken to hospital. Israeli authorities briefly scrambled fighter jets amid concern the incident might be a hijacking attempt before the plane touched down.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that the co-pilot had stabbed the captain and tried to crash the aircraft, and that a passenger had managed to force his way into the cockpit to intervene. The co-pilot was arrested after the landing, Netanyahu said. Those more serious claims have not been independently corroborated.
Prosecutors reopen Cornell fraternity rape case after lawsuit
New York prosecutors have reopened a criminal investigation into the alleged gang rape of a former Cornell University student at a Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. The woman alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven fraternity members over several hours; the Tompkins County district attorney had initially decided not to pursue charges. The case was revived after she filed a civil lawsuit and amid public criticism that the accused men had been treated with leniency.
Excerpts of text messages reportedly exchanged days after the alleged assault have also emerged, including one in which an unnamed male defendant appeared to apologise. Prosecutors said the inquiry is continuing.
Guardiola backs Manchester City after Premier League guilty verdict
An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of all charges of breaching Premier League financial rules across a nine-year period. The 40-page ruling said the club used sham contracts and agreements to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs, boosting reported income by more than £900 million. Manchester City said it will appeal before a Friday deadline; the sanctions it faces have yet to be determined.
Former manager Pep Guardiola publicly backed the club's owners, saying he would "always" stand behind the team and telling supporters, "We will get through this together." Former City chair David Bernstein called for the club's directors to resign, while Manchester City Women manager Andree Jeglertz said it was "business as usual" for the women's side.
Former American Idol contestant convicted of murdering wife
Caleb Flynn, a 40-year-old former Ohio music pastor who once auditioned for American Idol, has been convicted of the aggravated murder of his wife Ashley Flynn. Ashley Flynn, 37, a schoolteacher and volleyball coach, was shot dead in their Ohio home in February. Prosecutors said Caleb Flynn was having an affair at the time of the killing; he wept in court as the verdict was returned.
Tennessee court halts first female execution in 200 years
Christa Pike, 50, who was convicted of murdering a classmate in Knoxville in 1995, had been scheduled to die by lethal injection in Tennessee on Wednesday. Governor Bill Lee and the state Supreme Court had both declined to grant clemency, and the execution would have been the first of a woman in Tennessee in 200 years.
A court halted the execution about an hour before it was due to proceed.
UK says there are strong indications of Iran involvement in RAF Fairford incident
Five men arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire as part of a terrorism investigation have been released on the strictest possible bail conditions. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there are "strong indications" that Iran played a part in the incident, though he gave no further details. The investigation remains ongoing and no formal outcome has been reached.
Morocco appoints first female prime minister in historic first
King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco's first female prime minister, making her only the second woman to lead an Arab government. A lawyer and member of the centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party, she previously served as mayor of Marrakesh and as a member of parliament. The appointment follows her party's election success.
Grooming gangs inquiry expands to Wales and Birmingham
The independent statutory inquiry into grooming gangs, chaired by former children's commissioner Anne Longfield, is expanding its work to Birmingham and Wales. The inquiry will carry out local investigations into child sexual abuse and exploitation and has the power to compel witnesses and documents.
Lindsay Clancy lawyer says no evidence she killed children
Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children, has returned to court after her trial ended in a mistrial earlier this month. Her lawyer, Kevin Reddington, argued for the first time that there is no evidence she killed the children, telling the court the case is based on speculation. A judge is now considering defence motions, including a request to dismiss the charges.
Greggs to close four factories and cut 740 jobs
British bakery chain Greggs has announced plans to close four factories and cut 740 jobs over the next two and a half years. The company said it is consulting on the closures, which it expects to cost about £60 million once disruption and redundancy costs are included, and that the move is needed to keep growing efficiently despite recent sales growth of 7.7%.
Police seek charges against 20 firms and 54 people
London's Metropolitan Police has asked the Crown Prosecution Service to consider manslaughter and other charges against 54 individuals and 20 companies over the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people. The request does not mean charges have been filed; prosecutors must now decide whether to authorise any prosecutions.
Judge ends federal oversight of Oakland police after 23 years
A federal judge has ended 23 years of court-ordered oversight of the Oakland Police Department, the longest such monitoring arrangement in United States history. The oversight was imposed under a 2003 settlement that followed a police brutality lawsuit over a group of officers known as the "Riders," who were accused of planting evidence, falsifying reports and beating suspects. The court found the department has largely complied with the mandated reforms.