USA Update

A GOOD Morning Britain anchor was forced to halt a live segment and promptly apologise during Tuesday’s episode.

Presenter Ranvir Singh, 47, who was fronting the news desk, staged a swift intervention during co-host and north America correspondent Noel Phillips‘ live broadcast from Los Angeles.

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Good Morning Britain anchor Ranvir Singh was forced to intervene and halt a show segment[/caption]

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It came during a live broadcast from LA[/caption]

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GMB’s North America correspondent Noel Phillips’ outdoor segment amid the LA riots was disrupted by ‘profanities’[/caption]

As the reporter attempted to outline the unfolding riots in the American city, a furious resident also appeared on screen shouting out swear words – which the camera clearly picked up.

Noel, who was clad in safety protection gear as rioters battled cops over immigration raids, then said: “I do apologise for language you are hearing, tensions are very high here.”

Good Morning Britain favourite Ranvir then cut in and addressed the “profanities” broadcast before she apologised.

She said: “I’m just going to interrupt that – I think we could hear some profanities going on near Noel.”

She continued: “Of course we can’t really broadcast this at 8.09am but we are going to try to get back to him,” before cutting the live broadcast and instead introducing a pre-recorded segment Noel had filmed on the standoff.

One fan was quick to flag the incident on social media and raged: “Nearly choked on my cornflakes! Never expected that bystander’s sweary rant on @GMB.”

Noel was hit by a rubber bullet yesterday while reporting on the riots.

Later in the show, he told how he was doing “much better than I was” after being pelted by the golf ball size device, which left a “huge wound.”

POTUS Donald Trump has sent 700 US Marines and another 2,000 National Guard troops to LA to defend the city from immigration raid riots.

Violent protests have spread across the US over the past 24 hours with lawless demonstrators arrested in California, New York and Texas.

The City of Angels has been engulfed in anarchy over the past four days as rioters have burned cars and battled with cops.

A defiant Trump has called for a quick end to the protests so he can enforce his immigration policy.

The President has claimed LA – a sanctuary city – has now been “invaded” by illegal immigrants.

He raged “If they spit, we’ll hit” after reports of masked rioters spitting in the face of cops emerged.

Trump said: “I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before.”

His latest call has seen the US Marines drafted in to help restore order.

The decision to bolster up LA’s police force was widely criticized by California’s leadership.

Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass insisted the federal troops only escalated the peaceful protests into riots on Sunday night.

It has been a chaotic week for GMB on-screen.

On Monday, show anchor Richard Madeley arrived on-set clad in an arm cast after fracturing his wrist twice while on holiday in France.

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A man clad in a mask caused havoc during Noel’s live broadcast[/caption]

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Ranvir then played out a pre-recorded segment instead[/caption]

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US President Donald Trump has sent 700 US Marines and thousands more National Guard troops to Los Angeles in an attempt to quell the riots[/caption]

LOVE Island has no shortage of tired sayings.

From “eggs in one basket” and “my type on paper” to “muggy” and “it is what it is”, there’s always a phrase or two that spreads through the villa like wildfire.

Eroteme

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She repeatedly referenced Shakira’s hit Hips Don’t Lie[/caption]

In last night’s launch show, new girl Shakira Khan, 22, didn’t shy away from the fact she shares a name with a very famous pop star, and even quoted lyrics from her famous hit on several occasions.

The repeated references to Colombian Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie grated on viewers very quickly, and they’re fully expecting to hear it throughout the series.

One person complained on X: “i love shakira but the ‘hips don’t lie’ jokes need to GOOOOOO.”

Another said: “how many times are we gonna have to hear hips don’t lie shakira shakira ffs.”

A third vented: “Can we get some new material or is it just gonna be Shakira Shakira my hips don’t lie all summer.”

Shakira entered the villa first alongside Meg Moore, 25, and the two ladies quickly bonded.

Shakira set about telling Megan that she was “too glamorous for a 9-5” and must do something more exciting for a job.

Meg quickly put her straight, revealing she was in fact a payroll specialist which prompted Shakira to squeal that she was a “corporate girlie”.

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While the comment might have sounded innocent to some, viewers at home were not impressed.

One user wrote: “not too glamorous for a 9-5, oh dear.”

Another person asked: “what does ‘too glamorous to do a 9-5’ even mean?”

Someone else agreed: “Too gorgeous to do a 9-5??? What does that mean?”

Shakira wasn’t the only one whose words had viewers cringing.

 Blu Chegini, a construction manager based in London, revealed his mum owned a sex shop in Marbella.

He then bragged that he didn’t have to pay for anything from the shop as his mum gave him everything for free.

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The six single ladies found out who they’d be coupled with[/caption]

TWO further arrests have been made following the murder of a woman in Portsmouth.

Samantha Murphy, 32, was found dead inside her North End home in Portsmouth on June 5.

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Samantha Murphy, 32, was found dead in her house on June 5[/caption]

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Two more men have been arrested in connection with her death[/caption]

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Police have located a gold suitcase following an urgent appeal[/caption]

A gold suitcase was also found after police launched an appeal to help find the item, which they believe could further the investigation.

A 30-year-old man from Southsea was arrested on suspicion of murder while a 41-year-old man from Portsmouth was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary also announced that a gold suitcase had been found after they launched an appeal to help locate it.

The two men remain in police custody.

Two 32-year-old men previously arrested on suspicion of murder have been released on conditional bail until September 5.

The police unit’s Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Jody Beresford said: “We understand that this incident is both shocking and devastating to all those who knew Samantha, and we are working tirelessly to establish the full circumstances.

“We would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding whilst we have been carrying out enquiries in the area.

“As part of our enquiries, we appealed for help in locating a gold suitcase. We can confirm this has now been found and we would like to thank everyone who contacted us with information.”

FOOTBALL’S most valuable superstars have been revealed.

This summer the Club World Cup has seen the creation of a unique transfer window format, with the shopping window open twice after a closure in the middle.

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The ten most expensive players in the world have been revealed[/caption]

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Jude Bellingham ranks joint second behind Lamine Yamal[/caption]

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Erling Haaland is the Premier League’s most expensive star[/caption]

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Kylian Mbappe has seen his stock rise following his Real Madrid switch[/caption]

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Bukayo Saka makes one of two English players on the list[/caption]

June 10 represents the end of the first stage of the window, before it reopens on June 16 and runs through to September 1.

And for any clubs looking to splash some serious cash on one of world football‘s best stars, figures from Transfermarkt have revealed the current top 10 most valuable players.

Kicking the list off at number 10 is the oldest player on the list, Federico Valverde.

The 26-year-old has been a top star for Real Madrid for a number of years and consequently he has a huge transfer value of £110million.

The midfielder is one of four Real Madrid Galacticos to be named on the list.

Three stars have an identical value of £118m from nine down to seven, and are all 22 years of age.

Germany’s Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz ply their trade in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, while Spain star Pedri plays for Barcelona in La Liga.

Pedri’s value has increased from £101m in the last edition of the figures in March, no doubt due to Barcelona’s league-winning campaign and semi-final Champions League run.

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However, of the three, only Wirtz has been linked with a mega-money transfer away from his club, with Liverpool trying to find a middle ground with Bayer over a fee.

The Reds’ latest offer saw them submit a bid of £113m, although that is still some way short of the £126m Erik ten Hag‘s new outfit want.

The sixth player on the list is valued at £126m and is the first English star to be named, Arsenal‘s Bukayo Saka.

The 23-year-old’s ability speaks for itself, and England saw how much they missed his flair and creativity against Andorra at the weekend.

Getting into the top five, Brazil superstar Vinicius Jr was previously the joint most expensive star on the list at £169m.

However, a disappointing season that left Real Madrid without a trophy saw his value decrease to £143m, which now ranks the 24-year-old ranked fifth.

Just above him is team-mate Kylian Mbappe, who despite having the same lack of silverware has actually seen his value increase to £152m.

That figure is identical to former Borussia Dortmund duo Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.

Manchester City ace Haaland, 24, was previously valued at £169m, but like Vinicius, suffered a slight reduction after seeing his club fail to win a major trophy.

Bellingham, 21, managed to escape the same fate and has remained on the £152m valuation.

However, those figures place the trio behind Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal.

Yamal is one of the front-runners for the Ballon d’Or as a result of his stellar season for his club.

He saw his value increase to £169m to make the 17-year-old the single most expensive player in world football.

Yamal only recently signed a new contract with Barcelona that will see him earn £33.5m per year.

Cole Palmer narrowly missed out on the top 10 after seeing his value fall to £102m, putting him level with Declan Rice and Alexander Isak.

Former Crystal Palace star Michael Olise is now in the top 20 after seeing his value rise to £85m.

This matches Alexis Mac Allister and Phil Foden, the latter of whom has lost almost £25m in value.

Champions League winners Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have gone up in value to now be worth £76m, with Ballon d’Or candidate Ousmane Dembele worth the same.

SIR ANDY MURRAY has revealed that he is regularly “humbled” by his five-year-old son as the youngster has started to beat him at a new sport.

Murray, 38, may have been hoping to raise tennis‘ next big star, but it would appear he is developing a chess prodigy instead.

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Andy Murray has revealed that his five-year-old son is beating him at chess[/caption]

The Scot, who retired from tennis last year, has been spending his time away from the court taking on son Teddy at chess.

Murray revealed that the little one is already learning the strategic sport and is doing so well that is often getting the better of his dad.

Speaking to the BBC, Murray revealed why losing to your own son can be pretty hard to take as a parent.

The Wimbledon legend, who has four kids with wife Kim, said: “My five-year-old boy has got really into chess, which I’m really enjoying playing with him.

“I’m not a particularly good chess player, but I’ve got quite an analytical mind and I enjoy the game and watching him learn and playing with him.

“It’s difficult losing to a five-year-old when in the middle of the game he’s asking you to come and wipe his bum, essentially.

“He’s going to the toilet in the middle of the game, and then he comes back and is beating me at chess. It’s humbling that, for my intelligence”.

Murray has had more time to spend polishing his chess game since he left his role as Novak Djokovic’s coach last month, splitting on amicable terms after spending most of the year on the Serbian’s team.

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Murray recently split from coaching Novak Djokovic[/caption]

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But he has found himself a new career in the time since, entering the world of venture capitalism.

The two-time Wimbledon champion has taken up a role as an associate partner at London-based investment firm Redrice Ventures.

He told the Sunday Times: “It’s difficult to step away from a sport like tennis, which has been so all-consuming for me for so long, and then not have anything to fill that void.

“I’ve seen it before with other athletes — when they haven’t had other interests straight after sport, it becomes hard for them to know who they are.

“I’m also only 38 years old, so that’s a long time to be retired.

“My plan was always to spend more time on my other business interests once I’d finished playing tennis, and I’m enjoying starting to work on some of those projects now.

“I think for me it’s the work ethic and single-minded determination to succeed.”

Murray previously worked with Redrice in 2018 as part of a co-investment involving sportswear company Castore.

He already has several business interests including a five-star country house hotel in Scotland, a padel tennis firm and a crowdfunding platform called Seedrs.

TOMMY Bradley undertook a huge body transformation over the course of a year to prepare himself for the famous villa.

While love comes in all shapes and sizes, Tommy bulked up to catch the girls’ eyes — here’s everything we know about him.

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Tommy Bradley is a new Love Island star[/caption]

Who is Tommy Bradley?

Tommy Bradley is a landscape gardener from Hertfordshire.

He is 22 years old, making him one of this year’s youngest Islanders.

On June 1, The Sun exclusively revealed that the ‘cheeky chappy’ would be a contestant on Love Island 2025.

Tommy documented his prep for the ITV2 dating show on Instagram, posting streams of his gym sessions.

He was helped by his brother Jamie Bradley — a boxer who used to train with two-time world heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua.

In his pre-villa interview, Tommy said: “My brother Jamie is a professional boxer. He used to train with Anthony Joshua.”

He also revealed that his secret skill is playing the guitar, as well as knowing all the lyrics to every Oasis track.

Tommy admits to being a bit fussy. On his biggest ick, he said: “When a girl is always out partying. I don’t go out too much.

“It’s all about saving money and work. I go out during the summer but wouldn’t want to date someone who parties every weekend.”

When asked how far he plans to go when it comes to ‘doing bits’ in the villa, Tommy revealed a rather awkward chat he had with his mum before flying out to Mallorca.

He told The Sun and other press: “I don’t really know if I’ll have sex in the villa.

“My mum has actually brought it up to me. She was like, ‘Oh my God, have you thought about it — like, if you do have sex with someone in the villa I’m going to be watching.’

“She said, ‘I don’t know if I can watch.’ So I don’t really know.

I go out during the summer but wouldn’t want to date someone who parties every weekend

Tommy Bradley

“It’s just one of them things, isn’t it? I don’t know what connection I’m going to find in there. 

“But hopefully I find someone and then who knows what could happen.”

A source told the Sun: “Tommy seems to tick all the Love Island boxes as the cheeky chappy of this summer’s series.

“He looks to enjoy a night out with the lads and out on the boxing scene with his brother.

“But he’s also packed on serious muscle over the last year ready for telly’s famous villa and is no longer just a personality hire.”

Love Island continues at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

A BUS driver and his “frail” wife who tragically died when their car plunged 300ft off a cliff have been identified by locals.

John and Lynn King were reportedly with their two Daschshunds when their car plummeted into Alum Bay, near to the Needles, on the Isle of Wight last Friday.

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The couple died instantly after their car plunged off the 300ft cliff[/caption]

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The couple’s silver Ford Mondeo left the road close to the world-famous coastal landmark[/caption]

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It is understood that John, who drove for a local bus company, was a full-time carer for his wife[/caption]

The couple’s silver Ford Mondeo left the road close to the world-famous coastal landmark, killing the pair instantly.

It is understood that John, who drove for local company Southern Vectis, was a full-time carer for his wife.

According to locals, Lynn had rarely been seen out the house for the past two years.

Speaking to the MailOnline, one neighbour said: “She wasn’t well, I don’t know exactly what she was suffering from but I think it was serious.

“John was effectively her carer. He was helping his wife to the car and their two Dachshund dogs were with them.

‘His wife looked really, really frail. I was surprised to see her out of the house. She was hunched over quite badly and was finding it very difficult to walk.”

Emergency services were scrambled to Alum Bay New Road, close to the coastal spot, shortly after 7.20pm on Friday.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed on Sunday that two people died in the tragedy.

The force explained: “A car, which was being driven along Alum Bay New Road, left the road, came off the cliff top and came to rest in the water below.”

Cops also closed the neighbouring Needles Landmark Attraction while emergency crews attended the site.

Responders were stood down in the early hours of Saturday morning.

In a statement released on Saturday evening, a police spokesperson said: “Formal identification has yet to take place, but their next of kin have been notified.

“As part of the ongoing investigation into the incident, on behalf of the coroner, officers have been carrying out enquiries at an address on Arctic Road, Cowes.”

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Cops closed the Needles Landmark Attraction while emergency crews attended the scene[/caption]

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Emergency services were scrambled to Alum Bay New Road shortly after 7.20pm on Friday[/caption]

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Responders were stood down in the early hours of Saturday morning[/caption]

ARSENAL could see their move for Benjamin Sesko sensationally hijacked by Al-Hilal – who want to sign the striker TODAY.

The Gunners have made 6ft 5in Sesko their No1 target in the summer transfer window and last week approached RB Leipzig for talks.

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Benjamin Sesko is wanted by Saudi Pro League’s Al-Hilal[/caption]

But the North Londoners – who have been told the Slovenian frontman will cost close to £70million – are yet to make an opening bid.

Meanwhile, Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal are ready to turn their attention to the forward after missing out on Victor Osimhen.

And according to Sky Sports, they could make their move TODAY to try and sign Sesko before the deadline to have him at the Club World Cup.

The expanded 32-team tournament kicks off on Sunday – but players must be registered by 7pm TONIGHT.

It would come as a huge blow to Arsenal, who have led the race to sign Sesko over the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Al-Hilal looked set to sign ex-Napoli star Osimhen – who spent last season on loan at Galatasaray.

But the Nigerian international – who helped Galatasaray win the league – rejected a stunning £650,000-a-week deal from the Saudi champions.

Galatasaray are now believed to be favourites to sign Osimhen – who scored 26 goals in 30 league matches on loan.

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Sesko meanwhile finished his campaign with 21 goals in 45 matches to catch the attention of Europe’s elite.

And he topped Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s summer shopping list as the Spaniard looks to recruit a new No9.

But Al-Hilal’s deep pockets and desperate bid to take a striker to the Club World Cup marks huge competition for Arteta’s Gunners.

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Victor Osimhen rejected a move to Al-Hilal[/caption]

NATWEST is pulling down the shutters on 55 more bank branches in a blow to the high street.

The bank has confirmed it will shutter dozens of branches over the coming months.

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NatWest will pull down the shutters on more branches[/caption]

Locations will shut for good across the UK including in Torquay, Birmingham and Abingdon.

Further branches will close in Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Northampton.

It comes just months after NatWest said it would close 53 bank branches in 2025.

The major bank has already slashed its branch portfolio in recent years.

NatWest has more than 19million customers and it says over 3.5million customers use online banking.

Last year Natwest Group closed 48 sites and in 2023 it shuttered nearly 20 branches.

Since 2015, NatWest Group, which encompasses NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Ulster Bank, has closed 1,409 branches.

Following the confirmation of the latest round of closures, a spokesperson for NatWest said more customers “than ever before” were using digital banking.

They said: “Over 80% of our active current account holders now use our digital services and over 97% of retail accounts with us are now opened online.

“Our customers appreciate the speed and convenience of digital banking for everyday transactions, and often, when it comes to making bigger, more complex decisions they value speaking to our skilled and experienced colleagues.”

They added: “We expect to invest over £20m in our network across the UK in 2025 to improve customer service, enhance the look and feel of our branches, and reduce the environmental impact of our buildings, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and Banking Hubs.

“We will also provide temporary support for transitions to our new network in selected locations through our 12-week Community Pop-Ups.”

The latest round of closures from NatWest comes as other big banks shutter hundreds of branches between them.

According to Which?, around 6,100 bank and building society branches have closed since January 2015 across the UK.

This is equivalent to 61% of branches that existed 10 years ago.

Banks have cited reduced customer footfall and a trend towards digital banking as two of the main reasons for closing branches.

But the loss of sites on the high street can cause a headache for locals who still require a physical branch.

Research has found around 39% of people over 65 did not use online banking and were at “high risk of financial exclusion“.

While a survey conducted by Which? last year found more than half of disabled or impaired people had negatively been impacted by bank closures.

What to do if your local bank branch closes

If a recent bank or building society closure has left you without one nearby, you have some alternatives.

You can carry out most basic banking tasks at your nearest Post Office, although you won’t be able to apply for a loan or open a new bank account there.

You can find your nearest Post Office branch by using the locator tool on its website.

Some banks offer a mobile banking service – a bus that comes to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch.

Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.

It’s worth contacting your bank to see what services they have available, and when they might next be in your area.

If you’re thinking about giving online banking a go, comparison website Uswitch has a useful guide on all the need to knows.

You could also switch your current account to a bank or building society that has branches closer to you.

You can switch current accounts for free, in most cases, through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

GRETA Thunberg is being deported after Israel detained her along with other activists on board the “Freedom Flotilla” stunt ship.

Israel‘s foreign ministry shared a photo of Thunberg on a plane, saying she was headed for France along with a security escort.

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Activist Greta Thunberg is being deported from Israel[/caption]

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Greta Thunberg has arrived on dry land[/caption]

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Thunberg with part of the crew of the ship headed to the Strip[/caption]

Thunberg, 22, was one of 12 passengers on board the British-flagged Madleen – a boat carrying aid destined for people in war-torn Gaza.

The Swedish eco warrior was taken to dry land yesterday after Israeli authorities seized the yacht.

Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing those on board, said Thunberg and two other activists and a journalist had agreed to be deported and leave Israel.

Other activists refused deportation, were being held in detention, and their case was set to be heard by Israeli authorities.

Israel accused the group who were aboard the boat of supporting Hamas terrorists who detonated Middle East mayhem by massacring 1,200 and kidnapping 251 hostages.

The activists said they were protesting the ongoing war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

But Israel says such ships violate its naval blockade of Gaza.

Israeli authorities said all the activists on board the “selfie yacht” were safe and unharmed.

They were handed out sandwiches and water before the vessel docked at the southern Israeli port of Ashdod.

After seizing the “selfie yacht” ship, Israeli authorities moved all those on board to the ground and said they were safe and unharmed.

The boat was carrying a “tiny amount of aid” on board – which will be sent to Gaza, officials said.

Hamas branded the interception of the yacht as a “crime of piracy”.

The group said in a statement that activists were on a “humanitarian mission aimed at breaking the siege on the Gaza Strip and exposing the crime of mass starvation.”

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that he had instructed the Israeli Defence Forces to screen footage of the 7 October attacks as soon as they arrive.

The disturbing footage – titled “Bearing Witness” – shows innocent people being massacred and mutilated.

And all the footage was taken from the Hamas terrorists’ body cams as they filmed their massacre.

The flotilla’s latest voyage follows a failed attempt in May, when another of its vessels was struck by two drones in international waters off Malta.

The group accused Israel of being behind the attack.

Despite the risks, activists aboard the Madleen attempted to enter Gaza’s territorial waters on Sunday.

The vessel’s controversial crew includes figures who have openly supported terrorist organizations and have made inflammatory public statements.

Brazilian activist Thiago Avila attended the funeral of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, calling the terrorist a “beloved” leader and a “martyr”.

Avila said he was “very honoured” and “very happy” to attend, and described the funeral as something that “amazed him”.

Freedom Flotilla Coalition

A photo posted on Telegram purportedly showing activists with their hands up on board the Madleen[/caption]

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Greta Thunberg is offered a sandwich by an Israeli soldier[/caption]

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Thunberg sits aboard the aid ship Madleen, which left the Italian port of Catania on June 1 to travel to Gaza[/caption]

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Gaza has been hammered by the IDF as it aims to wipe out Hamas[/caption]

He wrote that Nasrallah was an “important figure” who “inspired people all over the world”.

Also on board was Yasemin Acar from Berlin, who reportedly danced as Iranian rockets rained down on Israel and once told a white woman at a protest: “You’re a white person, you shouldn’t tell us what to do.”

French journalist Omar Faiad, of Al-Jazeera, sparked outrage for comparing the IDF to Nazis.

On X, he wrote: “The Israeli army resembles the Nazi army,” and claimed: “Israel is committing a new Holocaust in Gaza.”

Rima Hassan, meanwhile, previously tweeted:  “Kfir, Ariel, and Shiri Bibas were killed by an Israeli attack,” despite Hamas being responsible for their abduction and deaths.

She was also seen at a protest where demonstrators chanted: “We die for jihad.”

Meanwhile, a man accused in parliament of being a Hamas operative based in London was one of the organisers of “Freedom Flotilla”, it has emerged.

Zaher Birawi, who has been photographed with slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, was present at the launch of the British-flagged yacht Madleen.

As a Palestinian-British journalist, Mr Birawi is chair of the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza.

He also runs a UK-registered charity called Education Aid for Palestinians, which has raised more than £3 million since 2017.

Just a week ago, Mr Birawi was present at the launch of Madleen and live-streamed the event from a dock in Sicily.

He called himself the “founding member” of the Freedom Flotilla International Coalition – which arranged Madleen’s voyage to Gaza.

Labour MP Christian Wakeford named Mr Birawi in the Commons using special parliamentary protections that protect him from being sued.

Mr Birawi said Mr Wakeford’s claim was “baseless” and that he was looking at “all available legal recourse” in response to the MP’s comments.

According to Israel’s strategic affairs ministry, Mr Birawi moved to the UK in the 1990s, has “close ties to Hamas” and worked for several pro-Palestinian NGOs – including one tied to Hamas.

In 2023, The Sun on Sunday revealed Mr Birawi lived in a £500,000 semi-detached house in leafy north London.

Courtesy of Ministry of Strategic Affairs

Mr Birawi pictured with Ismael Haniyeh, the former Hamas Leader, in 2012[/caption]

MP for Bury South Mr Wakeford raised concerns over a “serious national security risk” from “Hamas operatives”.

He told the Commons: “[Mr Birawi] was designated by Israel in 2013 as a senior Hamas operative in Europe.

“He is listed as a trustee of a UK-registered charity Education Aid for Palestinians, and a publicly available video shows him hosting a 2019 event in London titled ‘Understanding Hamas’.

“Two weeks ago, Hamas launched the deadly terrorist attack the world has seen since 9/11.

“This House rightly voted to proscribe Hamas in its entirety in November 2021. It is therefore a serious national security risk for Hamas operatives to be living here in London.”

There is no suggestion that Mr Birawi was involved in the deadly October 7 terror attacks.

He said: “I have been made aware of the fact that the Member of Parliament for Bury South, Christian Wakefield, made a reference to my name in the proceedings of the House of Commons on October 26.

“Regrettably, this mention appears to have been motivated by an intent to besmirch my character and, potentially, to rationalise any harm that may befall me or my family.

“In a time when we should all exercise vigilance and contemplate the potential consequences of our words, particularly their capacity to incite violence and animosity, Mr Wakefield chose a contrary course of action.

“I wish to reaffirm that what the respected MP said about the accusation is baseless and that it is part of the distortion attempts undertaken by the occupying state to prevent activists supporting Palestinian rights from carrying out their duties in supporting the Palestinian human rights.”

Hamas has been proscribed as a terror group in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000 since 2021.

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The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says it was carrying essential supplies to the Gazan population[/caption]