Latest news with #Middle-Eastern
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aberdeen set for Ylber Ramadani transfer windfall as Topi Keskinen tipped for mega move
Aberdeen could be in line to land a hefty transfer windfall from former midfielder Ylber Ramadani. That's according to reports in Italy, who claim that the Lecce star is a target for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ain. Advertisement Ramadani has made 63 appearances in Serie A across the past two seasons and scored a vital goal in a 1-0 win against Torino last month that helped the Apulia side retain their place in the top tier for another year. READ MORE: Bojan Miovski teases Celtic fans with 3 words for new signing as Evan Ferguson labelled 'statement of intent' READ MORE: Rangers told exactly what Jamie Vardy wants with 49ers on double duty for 10 club transfer battle royal PianettaLecce state that the Middle-Eastern club have opened talks with the Italian club over a potential deal and are reportedly willing to offer the Albania international a yearly salary of €1.2million (£1million) - which equates to around £19,230 a week. Advertisement Aberdeen chiefs will be watching on with interest, having inserted a 10 per cent sell on clause into the £1.1million deal that took Ramadani to Italy in August 2023. The Dons also have a reported 20 per cent sell on clause on Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson. The Scotland star has been a revelation since his £3million switch from Pittodrie in 2022 and skippered his team to glory in the Coppa Italia last month. Ferguson has been constantly linked with several top sides in Serie A including Juventus and AC Milan and is said to be a summer target for Scudetto winners Napoli, where he could form an all-Scottish midfield with Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour. Advertisement Elsewhere, Topi Keskinen has been tipped to make a big money move back to the continent in the next year or two. The pacy winger joined Aberdeen from HJK last summer for around £800,000 and finished the campaign with six goals and three assists in 45 appearances in all competitions. The Finland international started in the Dons' shock Scottish Cup final victory on penalties over Celtic that handed the club their first success in the competition in 35 years and ensured Jimmy Thelin's debut season at Pittodrie ended on a almighty high. That victory has also guaranteed Aberdeen's place in the group stages of a European competition, with the Premiership side falling into the revamped Conference League group section if they lose out in the Europa League play-off next month. Advertisement Keskinen has been on international duty with Finland's U21 side at the European Championships in Slovakia and netted in two of his side's three group games. Topi Keskinen with a Euro U21 man of the match award -Credit:UEFA via Getty Images And while The young Eagle-owls failed to get out of their group, 22-year-old has won rave reviews for his performances, so much so that it has one Finnish pundit arguing that clubs in Germany or France might soon come calling for the wide man. Speaking to Ilta-Sanomat, football writer and UEFA coaching B license holder Tuukka Kotimäki said: "Keskinen won't be playing in Scotland for long at this rate. He is an exceptional Finnish player thanks to his speed. Advertisement "I wouldn't be surprised if he moves to a bigger league within a year or two. For example, the German and Dutch leagues could suit his straightforwardness." Fellow pundit and former Livingston and Morton player Marko Rajamäki added: "It was already clear that he is a player of the Huuhkajie level. He was our best player in this tournament, which is of course not a surprise."
NDTV
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Ankita Lokhande's Remark On Laughter Chefs 2 Episode Goes Viral: " Main Pregnant Hoon"
New Delhi: Ankita Lokhande might be expecting her first child with husband Vicky Jain. The speculation started spreading like a wildfire after a recent episode of the comedy-based cooking show Laughter Chefs Season 2. The clip posted by a media outlet on Instagram shows the Laughter Chefs 2 contestants discussing a dish. Addressing a cook present at the reality show, Krushna Abhishek said, ' Apne kaha tha iss mein Middle-Eastern taste chahiye. Woh ek special ingredient mere haath lag chuka hai. (You said that this dish will require a Middle-Eastern touch. For that, I have got my hands on a special ingredient).' To this, Ankita Lokhande revealed that she had also brought the same component. ' Main khoj kar layi (I searched and brought it),' she shared. The ingredient in question was Borkut, an Indian jujube. In a playful competition, Krushna Abhishek snatched the ingredient from Ankita Lokhande and ran away. That's when the Pavitra Rishta actress made the shocking claim. While chasing behind Krushna, she exclaimed, ' Mai pregnant hoon. Bhaag nahi sakti. (I am pregnant. I cannot run).' Krushna Abhishek was visibly taken aback by the remark. ' Aaj humare ghar mei aa raha lalla hai (Today, we will be welcoming a boy at our house),' he said in jest, prompting laughter from Ankita Lokhande and the others. Karan Kundrra was also seen rushing towards Ankita Lokhande, asking her whether it was true. The actress, however, just smiled, neither denying nor confirming. Soon after the video surfaced on the internet, social media users reacted to it. 'If it's real, Heartiest congratulations, both of you. God bless you,' a fan congratulated. 'Really, she is now pregnant?' wondered another. 'I think she's manifesting,' guessed another internet user. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saas Bahu Aur Saazish (@sbsabpnews) Previously, Ankita Lokhande opened up about her thoughts of starting a family with Vicky Jain. The actress, in an interview with Hindustan Times, said, ' Abhi toh hum khud bacche hain (as of now we are kids ourselves)." Meanwhile, Vicky Jain added, 'Yes, we have given that a thought." Ankita Lokhande and Vicky Jain got married in December 2021. The duo participated in Bigg Boss 17 in 2023.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Antoinette Lattouf has won $70,000, but her case has cost the ABC so much more
At the heart of the issue was whether Lattouf was sacked at all (yes, according to the FWC and Rangiah), whether she was sacked for holding and/or expressing political views (yes, says Rangiah), and whether her race (Lebanese Christian) played a part (no, Rangiah found). The ABC did itself no favours in attempting to argue that racism could not have been a factor in its treatment of Lattouf because she had failed to prove the very existence of a Middle-Eastern or Arab race. It later withdrew that argument after a fierce public backlash. Complaints about Lattouf, who has been an outspoken critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, began flooding into the ABC immediately after she finished her first shift, though nothing she had said on air was deemed controversial. It soon became clear, Rangiah wrote, 'that the complaints were an orchestrated campaign by pro-Israel lobbyists'. But Buttrose insisted on sharing them with Anderson and Oliver-Taylor nonetheless. Three days into her five-day hosting stint, management became aware of a post shared on Instagram by Lattouf they believed constituted a breach of the ABC's social media policy. Rangiah found in his 177-page judgment that following this discovery, 'the consternation of senior managers of the ABC turned into what can be described as a state of panic'. Within the hour, Rangiah said, 'a decision was made that Ms Lattouf would be taken off air. The policies she was alleged to have breached were not identified, nor was she given any opportunity to defend herself against the allegations.' Loading The judge found pressure from pro-Israeli activists and an imminent story in The Australia n stoked that sense of panic. He also found Anderson had misconstrued a 'sarcastic' social media post as expressing support for a Hamas campaign of 'ethnic cleansing' (it did not). 'While Mr Anderson was mistaken in his interpretation of the post, it does demonstrate that he attributed to Ms Lattouf hateful anti-Semitic opinions,' Rangiah wrote. The decision to terminate Lattouf's engagement at the ABC was made by Oliver-Taylor alone, though in response to concerns shared at the top of the organisation. 'I find that Mr Oliver-Taylor's reasons for his decision included his desire to mitigate further complaints about the ABC employing someone attributed with holding a political opinion opposing the Israeli military campaign in Gaza,' said Rangiah. Holding or expressing a political opinion is not, Rangiah found, a valid reason for terminating someone's employment, even at the national broadcaster. Rangiah found 'protection for employees … against termination of employment for reasons including 'political opinion' encompasses not only the holding of a political opinion but also the expression of a political opinion'. The ramifications of all this for the ABC and other media organisations are potentially profound. Loading In his statement to staff following Wednesday's ruling, Marks stressed 'the fundamental obligations the ABC and its employees have to be independent and impartial in our work to ensure we continue to earn the trust of all Australians. Those obligations don't change as a result of this decision.' But he also acknowledged that there was confusion about the organisation's guidelines around use of social media and promised 'we will talk more about this in coming weeks'. It has arguably never been more important that Australians should be able to trust in the national broadcaster to report fairly and accurately without caving to external pressure.
The Age
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Antoinette Lattouf has won $70,000, but her case has cost the ABC so much more
At the heart of the issue was whether Lattouf was sacked at all (yes, according to the FWC and Rangiah), whether she was sacked for holding and/or expressing political views (yes, says Rangiah), and whether her race (Lebanese Christian) played a part (no, Rangiah found). The ABC did itself no favours in attempting to argue that racism could not have been a factor in its treatment of Lattouf because she had failed to prove the very existence of a Middle-Eastern or Arab race. It later withdrew that argument after a fierce public backlash. Complaints about Lattouf, who has been an outspoken critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, began flooding into the ABC immediately after she finished her first shift, though nothing she had said on air was deemed controversial. It soon became clear, Rangiah wrote, 'that the complaints were an orchestrated campaign by pro-Israel lobbyists'. But Buttrose insisted on sharing them with Anderson and Oliver-Taylor nonetheless. Three days into her five-day hosting stint, management became aware of a post shared on Instagram by Lattouf they believed constituted a breach of the ABC's social media policy. Rangiah found in his 177-page judgment that following this discovery, 'the consternation of senior managers of the ABC turned into what can be described as a state of panic'. Within the hour, Rangiah said, 'a decision was made that Ms Lattouf would be taken off air. The policies she was alleged to have breached were not identified, nor was she given any opportunity to defend herself against the allegations.' Loading The judge found pressure from pro-Israeli activists and an imminent story in The Australia n stoked that sense of panic. He also found Anderson had misconstrued a 'sarcastic' social media post as expressing support for a Hamas campaign of 'ethnic cleansing' (it did not). 'While Mr Anderson was mistaken in his interpretation of the post, it does demonstrate that he attributed to Ms Lattouf hateful anti-Semitic opinions,' Rangiah wrote. The decision to terminate Lattouf's engagement at the ABC was made by Oliver-Taylor alone, though in response to concerns shared at the top of the organisation. 'I find that Mr Oliver-Taylor's reasons for his decision included his desire to mitigate further complaints about the ABC employing someone attributed with holding a political opinion opposing the Israeli military campaign in Gaza,' said Rangiah. Holding or expressing a political opinion is not, Rangiah found, a valid reason for terminating someone's employment, even at the national broadcaster. Rangiah found 'protection for employees … against termination of employment for reasons including 'political opinion' encompasses not only the holding of a political opinion but also the expression of a political opinion'. The ramifications of all this for the ABC and other media organisations are potentially profound. Loading In his statement to staff following Wednesday's ruling, Marks stressed 'the fundamental obligations the ABC and its employees have to be independent and impartial in our work to ensure we continue to earn the trust of all Australians. Those obligations don't change as a result of this decision.' But he also acknowledged that there was confusion about the organisation's guidelines around use of social media and promised 'we will talk more about this in coming weeks'. It has arguably never been more important that Australians should be able to trust in the national broadcaster to report fairly and accurately without caving to external pressure.
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Why did US bomb Iran? In Trump's vibes war, it's impossible to trust anyone.
At least the last time a Republican president got America involved in a military quagmire in the Middle East he had the decency to cook up a bunch of phony reasons beforehand. The day after President Donald Trump launched attacks on Iranian nuclear sites and swept an unprepared nation into another Middle-Eastern conflict, Vice President JD Vance said the most ludicrous thing imaginable. Asked if he and Trump trust the U.S. intelligence community and its assessments, which had been that Iran was not close to developing a nuclear weapon, Vance replied: 'Of course we trust our intelligence community, but we also trust our instincts.' Your instincts? Trump and Vance just marched America into a potential war because the vibes felt real nuclear-weapon-y? Trump didn't even take time to lie to Americans before bombing Iran At least the last time a Republican president got America involved in a military quagmire in the Middle East he had the decency to cook up a bunch of phony reasons beforehand. These guys just hauled off and dropped bombs and now want us to sit back and trust their hunch that it was the right move. In 2003, former Secretary of State Colin Powell went to the trouble of holding up a blue-capped vial of fake anthrax before the U.N. Security Council to back up the Bush administration's claims that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was producing weapons of mass destruction. (Spoiler alert: Nope!) All we got from the Trump team was a lie that the president was going to ponder the bombing option for a spell, and then a stupid Truth Social post saying the bombing had happened. No congressional approval. No case made to the American people. Just bombs away, then a bunch of people known for their dishonesty trotting out and saying, 'Trust us, this was a good thing.' Trump just bombed Iran. We deserve to know why, but don't count on the truth. | Opinion Marco Rubio, like much of the Trump administration, hates intelligence Pressed on CBS' 'Face the Nation' to explain what intelligence led the administration to think bombs needed to be dropped, a frustrated Secretary of State Marco Rubio uttered three words that perfectly encapsulate President Trump, his cabinet and the entire MAGA movement: 'Forget about intelligence.' They should put that on hats. Vance swears Americas is only a little bit at war with Iran Vance continued to stumble about during his June 22 interviews, telling NBC News: 'We do not want war with Iran. We actually want peace.' Because nothing says 'we want peace' quite like firing a couple dozen tomahawk missiles at a country before walloping it with more than a dozen 30,000-pound bombs known as 'Massive Ordnance Penetrators.' On ABC, the duplicitous Mr. Vance made this whiplash-inducing claim: 'We are not at war with Iran, we're at war with Iran's nuclear program.' So we don't want war, we want peace, but we're at war with Iran's nuclear program, but we're not at war with Iran. That's starting to sound a bit like, 'I want to love you but you keep making me drop bombs on you, so it's all your fault.' Opinion: From massive protests to a puny parade, America really let Donald Trump down Of course this Age of Stupidity brought us a war based on vibes And in the same NBC News interview, he barfed out this gem: 'I empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents.' Buddy, right now we have a dumb president. We have a president who still hasn't accepted he lost the 2020 presidential election, one who misspelled his own name in a June 22 social-media post that read: 'The GREAT B-2 pilots have just landed, safely, in Missouri. Thank you for a job well done!!! DONAKD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!' Thank you, Donakd! We have a president who, just hours after his Defense secretary said the Iran mission 'was not, has not been about regime change,' posted this: 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!' MIGA? Those are the words of a dumb president. And he's the same president who in his previous term took the word of Russian President Vladimir Putin over information from America's intelligence community. Choosing who to trust here is nearly impossible So what are the Russians who Trump trusts saying about America's bombing of Iran? Russian Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev said it didn't accomplish much and the nation's nuclear sites suffered only minor damage. 'The enrichment of nuclear material – and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons – will continue,' Medvedev said on social media. 'A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads.' So who do we trust? The Russians, who Trump apparently trusts? Rubio, the guy telling us to forget intelligence? Vance, the guy who wants us to roll with the vibes? Trump, the guy who seems deathly allergic to honesty? If you elect liars, you're going to get lied to It's simple: We can't trust anyone in this administration. They're liars and sycophants from top to bottom, either too lazy or too full of themselves to even pretend they can present a clear case for this risky military action. If Trump's bombing of Iran proves successful – and I, of course, hope it does – it'll be dumb luck. But if it leads to disaster, it'll be exactly what anyone paying attention to these reckless hucksters predicted. Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @ and on Facebook at You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.
