Tony Blair reportedly dropped from Trump’s Gaza ‘board of peace’ shortlist
Tony Blair will not occupy a key position on Donald Trump’s Gaza “peace council” after Arab and Muslim nations were reported to have objected to the involvement of the former UK prime minister.According to the Financial Times (FT), Blair has been quietly dropped from consideration for Trump’s “board of peace”, which Trump has said he would chair himself.It had previously been reported widely that Blair had been canvassing behind the scenes for a prominent role in Gaza’s interim administration, amid leaks of a plan drawn up in part by his Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) with Trump’s son-in-law and informal envoy Jared Kushner.While Blair’s backers had pointed to his role in ending decades of violence in Northern Ireland, critics had pointed to his lacklustre record of achievements while serving as the representative of the so-called Quartet – the UN, EU, US and Russia – to help mediate Middle East peace.In the wider Arab world, Blair was also viewed with scepticism and hostility over his role in the disastrous US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Blair had been the only person publicly identified for a potential role on the board when the US president unveiled his 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas in late September, with Trump saying Blair was a “very good man”.The proposal, in which the TBI had input, had been criticised for its lack of a clear timeline to Palestinian statehood, and suggesting Gaza be run under a separate legal framework to the West Bank, leading to fears that Palestine’s two non-contiguous elements risked no longer be envisaged as a single polity.Acknowledging that Blair remained a controversial figure, Trump conceded in October: “I’ve always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody.”The reported withdrawal of Blair comes despite claims that he had an unpublicised meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in late November to discuss plans, according to a report in the Times of Israel.A source who spoke to the FT suggested Blair could still play a less central role.
“He could still have a role in a different capacity and that seems likely,” the person said.“The Americans like him and the Israelis like him.”Blair’s office declined to comment, but an ally said the former prime minister would not be sitting on the “board of peace”.“That will be made up of serving world leaders and there will be a smaller executive board under that,” the source told the FT.If confirmed, Blair’s non-involvement would suggest the latest chaotic episode in Trump’s plans for Gaza, which have seen continued deadly Israeli strikes on the coastal strip, as the White House has struggled to recruit nations for its proposed peacekeeping force.
Australia is facing its shortest rate cut cycle in 30 years as the RBA hints it may have to start hiking
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UK households cut spending at fastest pace in almost five years, says Barclays
UK households cut back on spending at the fastest pace in almost five years last month as consumers put Christmas shopping on hold, according to a leading survey.Adding to concerns that uncertainty surrounding the budget has helped dampen consumer confidence, Barclays said card spending fell 1.1% year on year in November – the largest fall since February 2021.The bank said retailers still enjoyed their busiest day of the year so far on Black Friday, with transaction volumes 62.5% higher than the average day for 2025
‘I feel it’s a friend’: quarter of teenagers turn to AI chatbots for mental health support
It was after one friend was shot and another stabbed, both fatally, that Shan asked ChatGPT for help. She had tried conventional mental health services but “chat”, as she came to know her AI “friend”, felt safer, less intimidating and, crucially, more available when it came to handling the trauma from the deaths of her young friends.As she started consulting the AI model, the Tottenham teenager joined about 40% of 13- to 17-year-olds in England and Wales affected by youth violence who are turning to AI chatbots for mental health support, according to research among more than 11,000 young people.It found that both victims and perpetrators of violence were markedly more likely to be using AI for such support than other teenagers. The findings, from the Youth Endowment Fund, have sparked warnings from youth leaders that children at risk “need a human not a bot”
Social media use damages children’s ability to focus, say researchers
Increased use of social media by children damages their concentration levels and may be contributing to an increase in cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a study.The peer-reviewed report monitored the development of more than 8,300 US-based children from the age of 10 to 14 and linked social media use to “increased inattention symptoms”.Reseachers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Oregon Health & Science University in the US found that children spent an average of 2.3 hours a day watching television or online videos, 1.4 hours on social media and 1
F1 2025 awards: Lando Norris justifies favourite tag after gruelling three-way tussle
McLaren were the obvious choice for team of the year but Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari were a big disappointment while Williams exceeded expectationsLando Norris had gone into the season as favourite and he emerged on top after a gruelling contest. Securing his maiden world drivers’ title was no easy feat given how hard he had been pushed by his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Closing it out was testament to a driver who maintained his nerve and confidence even as at times it seemed the title had slipped from his reach.The three title protagonists all had impressive seasons. Piastri, who had been so strong with a series of excellent wins, was let down by his drop in form in the final third, when he was found wanting on the circuits with low grip and made several errors that proved costly
England dealt fresh Ashes blow with Mark Wood ruled out for rest of series
The blows just keep coming for England in Australia. On Tuesday came confirmation that Mark Wood will miss the remainder of the Ashes tour because of a knee problem that resurfaced after the first Test defeat in Perth.It represents a heartbreaking setback for Wood following a lengthy battle to be fit for a series that England now find themselves trailing 2-0. The 35-year-old underwent surgery on his left knee in March, sent down 11 overs in the series opener, only to then miss the eight-wicket loss in Brisbane.“Gutted to be out of the remainder of the Ashes,” said Wood, sharing the news on social media
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